Originally Posted by daban:
Since he hasn't answered I'm going to go ahead and try based on how he've replied before: The point IS to loose track of yourself. You're suppose to wander away and forget what your doing upon entering the trance after some cycles. Just hope you made atleast 2-3 cycles before you fall asleep.

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Couldn't have said it better myself  

Originally Posted by Sea07:
Hey welcome back CosmicIron.
Do you have any theories on why me and DannyY have been experiencing unusual dreams from this? I've received one nightmare and two dreams in which I was paralyzed. I never get either of those so close together and it intrigues me. Thanks.

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One common phenomenon often experienced after the exercise is sudden occurance of OBE and SP within a dream.  That is, while you are dreaming you suddenly find yourself lying there, either on bed or floor, experiencing an SP or phase entrance of an OBE.  This sometimes happen without any warning or transition to the waking state.  Since nightmares are common when associated with SPs, my guess is that you may be experiencing this kind of sudden spontaneous SPs within a dream.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
When doing SSILD last night, once again, I felt a strangely relaxing sensation. Like I didn't want to move. Ever. I managed to do about 4 cycles before I fell asleep. It was interesting though; I took a lot more time than I thought I did (20-30 seconds) on each rep. After about the second cycle I heard this strange "patter" noise in my ears. It was far away, and I could barely hear it, but it was there.

No lucids, though. Maybe I just can't remember them because of my suddenly failing recall?
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When you do notice distinct sensations, such as seeing colors or hearing things, you should pause the exercise and focus on mentally increasing the sensations.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Haha sorry CosmicIron.
It goes something like this:

I wake up for my WBTB after sleeping for about 5 hours and 30 minutes. I get up, use the restroom, and then get back in bed. All of this happens in about 2 minutes.

I do the technique, but it seems like I take 25 - 35 seconds on each rep (sight, hear, feel) because my mind keeps wandering and I need to start over, or I'm not real sure how long it has been on that rep. Eventually I do about 3 - 4 cycles and then try to fall asleep.

And sometimes I find myself doing the same rep over and over again.

That's pretty much how it goes every night.
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It appears to me that you may need to stay awake a bit longer.  Try staying awake for 10 minutes next time so at least the first couple of repetitions can be done without interruption.  After that you can allow your mind to wander and enter the trance.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Thanks.  I just know that this technique has a ton of potential; so I'm not giving up on it just yet.

Yeah, when I usually start out on the first cycle my mind has already wandered to some extent, so it distracts me a lot, eventually ending up that I spend too much time on one cycle.

But there's always another night.
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Sounds like you might be too sleepy when doing the exercise.  Usually people have the opposite problem, LOL.  Try going to bed earlier, perferrablly before 11.  

Originally Posted by Bobblehat:
Has anyone checked out the Chinese forum the guy's talking about to see if the success stories are actually genuine? Anyone could come on this forum and claim they've developed a great technique on a forum in a language that nobody on the forum actually speaks.

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If you want you can check out this URL which collects the first-time success cases happened in the last 8 months or so (actually much less because the Zchinese search engine omits several months of data, ridiculously).  There are about 250 cases in that thread.  If we count the overall success cases then the number can go easily beyond thousands.  In fact, one of my students recorded over 200 LDs in less than 8 months

http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1481417265  

Originally Posted by Bobblehat:
I'm a diligent student - I'm sure I'm doing it properly as prescribed by you in your initial tutorial and in subsequent posts. I've also tweaked my approaches slightly; all of those tweaks I've experimented with have been described by you at some point in this thread. Is it time to give up or should I keep trying?

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I won't be able to answer your question until I know what exactly went wrong with your exercise.  I understand that you are following it diligently, but you have to understand that despite the numerous efforts spent on creating the SSILD technique (as well as everything else out there), lucid dreaming is still more art than science...  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Hmm, that didn't work either.
Maybe I just need to try it some more  Will again tonight.

P.S.: When focusing on my body, what should I be "expecting" to feel?

Also I think I know what may be the problem. I never know when I'm in the trance. It doesn't feel like I'm in it when I stop doing the cycles and fall asleep.

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Any out-of-normal sensations: heaviness, movement, numbness, itch, tingling, and etc. You can also actively imagine movement of certain body parts, for example, wiggling of fingers and toes, slow spinning of stomach, head sinking into pillow, and so on.  The reason I didn't include these in the technique is this sort of active techniques can sometimes cause people to lose sleep.  However, in your case it seems you can fall asleep pretty quickly so maybe you can give it a shot.  

Originally Posted by Sea07:
Good point, I am usually to tired to WBTB so CosmicIron, would it hurt to do this as we're falling asleep? I fall asleep using Isochronic tones so relaxing is no problem.

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That wouldn't be very effective.  I suggest instead of a full-blown WBTB, just wake up after 5 hours of sleep, go to bathroom, then immediately go back to bed to do the exercise.  

Originally Posted by dakotahnok:
It seems like this technique works at first... But then stops working. Sydney is a perfect example. I really feel like you guys should spend time elsewhere on proven  techniques. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just my two cents.

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It has continued to work for me, and hundreds maybe thousands of other people. Of course,  as with every other techniques, this is not meant to be a recipe for guaranteed success, especially that many people may not even be doing it correctly.  

Originally Posted by LuMikkel:
After doing these cycles, am I able to switch to a different position in bed?
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Yes, you should switch to a more comfortable position and try to fall asleep ASAP.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
I've been waking up after 6 hours, but I'm falling asleep too quickly when I do SSILD. It's weird, because when I used to wake up after 5 hours of sleep to do SSILD, I was pretty awake through the whole thing, and had trouble getting back to sleep.

But now since I'm waking up after 6 hours, I can barely stay awake for at least one cycle! It's like it's reversed.

I'll see what I can do tonight.
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That indeed is weird... how long do you stay awake before attempting the exercise?  Also, while doing the exercise you may want to use a position that's different from your normal one.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Last night, the same thing happened when I did a WBTB. Only, I almost fully did one cycle lol  When I laid down back in bed, it like, hurt to focus on my eyes. Like my eyes were so tired they just wanted to "drop and lay there". It was like the focus was making me even more tired, wanting to stop and go to sleep.

I knew I didn't have a lot of time to dream, like an hour, but that didn't stop me. I think I woke up after SSILD, with 30 minutes left. I was determined to fall back to sleep. So I kinda did, but something happened and I came back to focus. My ears started ringing (Well, it sounded like blood rushing to my ears only 10x intensified) for about a minute or so. Afterwards, I waited, but nothing else happened. So I moved. It didn't even feel like I was in SP at all. No FA either.

What could that have been?
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You nearly succeeded.  Next time when that happens just stay calm and do a nose pinching RC.  Chances are you will find yourself in a dream.  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Oh really?

So maybe I just missed it?
Because pretty much right after it happened, I got up and RCed; telling me that I was awake.
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This happens sometime. As you get excited, you shift from an FA to reality in a seamless fashion. Anyway, you were really close! Good luck!  

Originally Posted by dakotahnok:
Oh my god. Either the people on that forum are complete babbling idiots or google translate just sucks. Either way i still dont believe that this is a solid technique. .

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You are free to believe or not believe in something.  However, calling people idiots like that will only discredit you.  You asked for evidence so I gave that to you -- more than 200 of them, collected in only a few months; yet again you accuse me of being untruthful without providing any explanation.  To me, that IS "nasty".  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
So last night I got the same result - I woke up after about an hour (after WBTB) and decided to fall asleep again so that I would get something out of SSILD. I did, and then I woke up in what felt like this weird feeling. I can't remember exactly the feeling, but I felt kinda heavy, and maybe I felt small vibrations. Not sure though.

This lasted about 10 seconds. I didn't want to move because I thought it was real SP, and I could have waited for a DEILD! But just like yesterday night, after the 10 seconds or so, it stopped. I'm not sure if I "fell asleep" or "woke up", but I"m pretty sure it was the latter. It was probably an FA.

It seems like I'm getting closer!  I just gotta realize those tricky FAs.
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One way to counter this kind of situation is to always do another round of SSILD.  If you are in an FA, chances are those sensations -- visuals, sounds, and body movements will become pronounced almost immediately.  

Originally Posted by shaun95:
so i should just allow my mind to drift and keep bringing it back to do the exercise?
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Exactly  

Originally Posted by JeanLucGodard:
What are some because I've had quite a few LD's using this technique but probably only 2-3 where I'v felt I was truly in control of myself.

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Rest assured it has nothing to do with which technique you use.  Upon becoming lucid, I'd suggest you immediately do some deepening techniques which will help stabilize the dream as well as increasing lucidity. Robert Waggoner has an excellent article on this.  

Originally Posted by rynkrt3:
This technique doesn't seem to be producing good consistent results for anyone.  Sure some people have gotten an LD or two, but after that everyone seems to have trouble with this technique.

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That is simply not true. By speaking for "everyone", I assume you have collected some statistical data on a pretty large sample base, or is it just an "impression"?  As with ANY technique, to make it work consistently requires one to keep performing the technique in correct manner with some personal adjustments.  As I've repeatedly said, SSILD is not a technique that's developed solely based on individual experience.  It was the result of collaborative efforts of many people.  Thus, it never lacked clearly documented testimonials since the very beginning.  There are hundreds of first-time success stories, thousands of repeated success, and dozens of people who managed to use the technique to induce LDs/OBEs at will.  All of these mentioned can be found online, albeit mostly in Chinese.  Compared to some of the well-known techniques such as MILD, SSILD is indeed in its infancy, but it does work and there are statistics backing it up.  If it once worked for you but stopped working, I suggest you re-visit the article and read it more carefully.  You should also compare what you are doing now with the times it worked.  Of course, you are free to choose the technique that works best for you, and in no way I'm suggesting SSILD is the best solution for everyone.  

Originally Posted by melanieb:
Alright boys, it's just a misunderstanding. Emotion is nearly impossible to read in a text-only post.

So, I also looked over that Chinese forum. Google Translate produces some fascinating results. It's amazing how metaphors don't translate well from one language to another.

Still, I could understand a lot from context, and their thread is just like ours. Some success stories, some half-success stories, and some failures. Apparently people dream the same all over the world, no surprise to anyone here.

I did notice there are only 232 posts in that thread, and even with a 50% success rate that wouldn't equal 'hundreds' of cases.

Who cares?!

CosmicIron, we appreciate your sharing this idea with this forum. Many people will find it beneficial.

For those that don't, no worries. We have a number of other methods in the WIKI and all over the forum. Nearly all of them are some variation of another method. What matters is what works for the individual to achieve good lucid dreaming results.:

- No method guarantees success with every person.

- Not every person will lucid dream.

We are all here to make our best efforts. Let's all work towards that goal and be open to new ideas.  
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Thank you melaniebe for the clarification, which is sincere and with good intention, unlike some other previous posts.  As for the thread let me clarify a little.  The url points to a single thread which I started some time ago to collect first-time only success stories which are scattered all over the forum.  The tieba platform is technically limited, thus it's search result only includes data from the first three months and the most recent three months.  The rest of the data are simply omitted.  As a result, by the time I decided to start that thread much of the information was already impossible to find.  After collecting a couple of hundred cases we just gave up and stopped updating the thread diligently.  As for repeated successes with SSILD we see them all over the place in the forum.  In fact, one of the students alone recorded over 300 LDs in the past few months using Ssild.  Another thing worth mention is that the thread is based on my personal tieba forum which has fewer than 2,000 members.  These people followed me from the much larger lucid dream forum which now has over 70,000 members.  A lot of information is deeply burried in that forum as well.  

Originally Posted by WDr:
Just woke up, it didn't work didn't manage to consentrate and relax at the same time, and after I was done with the repetitions, I couldn't sleep... Oh well, I'm trying again tomorrow

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You don't want to "concentrate" -- you will have hard time to fall asleep if you do that. The keys to make this technique work are:

1. Get plenty of sleep and wake yourself up sufficiently but not overly... I recommend 5 minutes for starter.

2. Do not concentrate on the effects/sensations.  This is especially true with the first couple of cycles.  As you enter the later cycles, some sensations may occur, but you should not pay too much attention to them unless they become very pronounced, in which case you should cease cycling and focus on increasing the sensation mentally in order to achieve a WILD.

3. Always remind yourself to do an RC upon awakening after doing the exercise no matter how certain you are. This technique is very good at producing extremely vivid FAs.  

Originally Posted by DaveTheJoker:
Hey CosmicIron, I have been trying SSILD for a few nights.  I am having trouble finding the "happy medium" between being too tired and not being sleepy.  Also, even when I do find the right amount of tired-ness, it just doesn't seem to do anything.  I don't know what I am doing wrong here.  SSILD worked for me the first time I tried it, now I can't get it to do anything.

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Hi Dave,

You don't need to try deliberately to fall asleep. Doing that will have adverse effect. Treat the cycles as hypnosis (in fact it is), and allow that to bring you into the "trance". Many people, myself included, have discovered that the cycles can easily make us feel sleepy even when we were wide awake. That is, if you do them correctly.  Too many people try to use the cycles as way to bring out HIs, vibrations, and etc., and while they occasionally may succeed, they are doing it wrong.  Usually during the first couple of cycles, we are wide awake, and our mind haven't quieted down yet.  As a result it is very unlikely we will feel anything at this stage, and if you force it, you will end up becoming anxious!  Therefore, you should simply do the first couple of cycles as it is, without any attempt. Just do it for the sake of doing it, allow it help you to relax. As you become more relaxed, you will feel your mind quieting down, and you may begin to "notice" some sensations. For example, the darkness behind your closed eyelids may not be so dark. You may notice some lights, movements, etc. As you listen, you may notice that the outside environment noise become less distracting, and instead you start to hear the ringing noise inside your head more clearly. When you notice these sensations, don't get excited, and don't "focus" on them (unless suddenly they become very obvious). Just quietly observe them without any intent. Doing so will help you get into the trance very quickly.

Another thing you want to keep in mind is that SSILD is very good at producing FAs; therefore you need to develop the habit of doing RCs every time you wake up after the exercise. When you find yourself not being able to fall asleep, or repeatedly waking up, you should definitely do an RC since these are signs of FAs produced by SSILD.

If you post more detailed description on how you performed the technique I might be able to help you more. SSILD works! It has been a year since it was developed and we have seen huge successes, so even the slightest doubts have diminished. If it doesn't work for you, then it's something in your routine that needs some fixing. I'm here to help.  

Originally Posted by Wanderlust:
1. ~9 PM (Yeah, I know, I go to bed early.)
2. Set my alarm for 3 AM
3. Just long enough to use the restroom.
4. Maybe two or three.
5. Only a few minutes. The first time I did this, I lost sleep because I was concentrating too hard.

6. I performed them as long as it felt "right." Whatever felt like 15 seconds, I did. Could've been longer or shorter, I suppose, I wasn't paying attention.

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Based on your feedback, I think the cause is insufficient effort. Don't despair, this is better than the other way around actually  My suggestions:

1. Extend your wake time, say, 5-10 minutes
2. Make sure you do the full four cycles. Rule of thumb is That after your mind begins to wander you should do at least 2 complete cycles. In your case that would be 4 or 5 cycles.

3. The last cycle must be performed more diligently.
4. The "feel right" approach is perfect. No need to change anything I guess for now.

Let's do this and see what happens. Keep me posted so we can adjust it to make it work for you. Good luck!  

Originally Posted by Wanderlust:
I don't get it. The last few times I've tried, I simply haven't been able to do it. My mind wanders restlessly from topic to topic, and won't do the technique for very long. I can do maybe 1 1/2 cycles before my mind begins to wander, but I'm still wide awake.

What can I do? Is it just my mind is all screwed up? (That wouldn't surprise me, honestly. I do have severe depression. Maybe that has something to do with it.)

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No, I don't think your mind is any more screwed up than the rest of us, LOL. To counter your problem, I suggest the following:

1. Get more sleep. Go to bed earlier than usual, and do not wake up until you have at least a good five-hour sleep.

2. Read this post: http://www.dreamviews.com/f12/theory...-ssild-135234/

Cheers  

Originally Posted by Wanderlust:
Still nothing. Last night I noticed that when I'd hear a sound or see something very briefly, it would catch my attention, then disappear shortly afterwards. What is this a sign of?

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Those are HIs caused by the exercise and when that happens you are already extremely close to stepping into the dream consciously! Unfortunately you got excited and that causes it to go away. Next time you see this you should resume a passive observer role, and at the same time do not think rationally. Allow the HIs to manifest, and they will turn into full blown dreams automatically.