Oh, so my mind doesn't need to wander a whole lot at the first part of the cycles?
Maybe that's whats getting me.  Spending too much time on each step.

To get this straight, I should do the cycles, then let my mind wander? THEN I'll enter the trance?

Oh and how do I know when I reach the trance?  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Oh, so my mind doesn't need to wander a whole lot at the first part of the cycles?
Maybe that's whats getting me.  Spending too much time on each step.

To get this straight, I should do the cycles, then let my mind wander? THEN I'll enter the trance?

Oh and how do I know when I reach the trance?
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From Cosmic's opening post:
Theory

We do not know why exactly SSILD works. One user pointed out that the method shares some resemblance with the self-hypnosis method introduced by Betty Erickson, wife of the late Dr. Milton H. Erickson. Another theory is that by repeated stimulation of the various senses in a trance-like state, we incubate our mind and body into the right condition suited for entering a DILD, WILD, or OBE.

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The cycles in themselves should create this trance state themselves if you approach the process in a a relaxed manner mentally.  

I'm still not getting any success. Hmmm. I know the goal is to not be focused, but I think that is what's getting me. My mind seems to wander way too much, music is playing in my head, etc.

The first time I ever tried SSILD, I was alert and ready to try it, I was excited.  I guess maybe that's my problem?

I'll read over my first post and the original thread post and see if that helps.  

Originally Posted by CosmicIron:
I'm sorry to hear that Sydney, and I admire your persistance!  Maybe you should try to be more focused on the sensations.  At least in the first few cycles, pay close attention to the various sensations -- Do you see things in the dark?  Do you hear buzzing sound and can you mentally raise the volume?  Do you feel tinglings beneath your skin?  Can you wiggle your fingers and toes without using your muscles? and so on...

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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.  

I forgot to post in this thread but I was able to achieve my first lucid dream on Friday, on only my second attempt at using this technique. It was amazing.

I was unsuccessful last night, wasn't able to get back to sleep after performing the SSILD. Probably stayed awake too long. Though I'm going to keep trying this method and see if I can achieve any more!

Thanks for the tutorial <3  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Oh don't worry about that, I go to sleep pretty early  But yeah, you're probably right.
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Perhaps you can put the wbtb a little later if you're going to sleep early and still are very drowsy for your wbtb

Edit: It's all about adjustments xD  

I was wondering if you need to write a DJ to SSILD because when i wake up from a dream i will forget to write it and have forgotten my dream :/ any advise will be much appreciated  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Well, no success last night. I got up at 5 hours for my WBTB, went to the restroom, then got back in bed. Then fell asleep. :/

It's weird though; because in my successes (2), I always woke up after about 5 hours and 30 minutes for WBTB. But now whenever I try that, I fall asleep.

Any tips on how I can keep myself busy during WBTB?  I just sit on my bed for a couple of minutes, trying to keep myself awake lol.

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Try reading a book or these forums? Maybe joining the IRC chat?  

Couldn't sleep well last night (only got about an hour after my WBTB to dream), and for some reason IRC chat wouldn't load on my phone (bad internet connection).  

This is an amazing Wild technique.
Thank you CosmicIron !  

Originally Posted by astralboy:
I had LD this morning
(WBTB + SSILD)
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That's awesome! Can you tell us how it went?  

Sydney, in the second LD I had I used this technique, not only it.

Some moments before bed I tried to meditate, it was the first time I tried it in my life. I did it for about 20 minutes I think.

00:00 - I went to bed and did SSILD, repeated the cycles about 4 or 5 times, maybe I fell asleep while doing it.

05:00 - I woke up naturally after a dream, wrote in my DJ and tried a MILD, fell asleep and no LD yet.

06:10 - I woke up after another dream and stayed still in bed trying to recall all the details I could.

06:20 - My brother woke up to change of clothes and go to university, he took about 15 minutes to go and I payed attention on the noise he was doing to stay awake.

06:35 - My brother left and I started writing in my DJ the dream I just recalled.
06:55 - I finished writing and tried to sleep again.
08:20 - Voila  I had my second LD. It was a DILD, "I was telling my sister that she was dreaming and after that I became lucid. I lost control of this dreams 1 minute after lucidity, had a FA but didn't notice that and woke up for real."

I don't know if the answer to my succes is only in the SSILD, but I was trying to have a LD for almost 2 months with no success and achieved in the first time of SSILD.

I will keep this strategy for a while to see if it continues to work  

Originally Posted by McDreamy:
Rubens, CosmicIron says in his original post that SSILD will not work if you do it before bed. You should do it during a WBTB.

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I saw that, that's why I said that i'm not sure if the SSILD was the reason of my LD. But as I said, I was trying to have a LD for almost 2 months without success and got it in the first time I tried SSILD, and it came with the first False Awakening I experienced in all my life.  

I think SSILD make me more aware in my dreams ... "Energy Flows Where Attention Goes"

I had a LD this morning too and my dreams were Vivid.
When I'm in my dream I just know that something is strange (this morning I was walking very slowly, and yesterday I saw something strange and I've done a reality check...)

Without SSILD I know that everything is strange but only when I wake up ^^  

Originally Posted by Rubens:
I had my 3rd LD this morning *O*

I went to bed about 1:00 am anddid the SSILD before sleeping, cause it makes me sleep faster, usually I take more time thinking about random things.

I woke up about 6:00 am after a dream, tried to perform SSILD but slept, I think I slept 3 times trying to make a SSILD :O

About 9:00 o'clock I became lucid in a FA with no aparent reason, I didn't knew it was a FA, but I was lucid enough to lie on my bed and try a WILD (yes, during the FA :x). In few seconds I was in SP and going inside a dream. I'll put a better description of the dream in my DJ.

SSILD ROCKS !

I have to add that I'm praticing ADA, RCs during the day, and I always do the MILD too
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SSILD seems particularly good at producing FAs, and sometimes super-realistic FAs.  Thus it is a good idea to always do an RC or some form of WILD upon waking up... just like what you did  

I almost had a lucid dream again from this technique, but my mind didn't fully realize the fact that I was dreaming. I considered it for a second, but the whole "Oh snap" phase never occurred where I would be completely lucid.

I only managed to do 2 cycles of the technique, and I entered the trance once or twice. I suppose I need to pull myself back a little bit more each time I catch myself drifting off?  

I've never had/remembered a FA and I want to experience one (for future reference) and I especially want to have an OBE. One question though. I've never had an OBE and only one LD, So is an OBE like a LD? What's the difference?  

I just had a LD using this technique too. My process is:

1) Drink PLENTY of water
2) Go to sleep quickly after drinking water
3) Wake up to use the bathroom
4) Record last dream in Dream Journal
5) Go on the internet for 15-20 minutes to ensure a small level of awakness
6) Lie flat on my back, arms at my side, and eyes closed.
7) Do four cycles
8) Roll over to most comfortable sleeping position
9) Do four more cycles
10) Sleep

Granted, there are usually three things that prevent me from successfully completing the process often. The first being not waking up in the first place. The second being too tired after waking up to remember to even try (I just use the bathroom and flop back down on my bed and instantly pass out when this happens). The third being falling asleep while doing the cycles (this one happens the least). If these three things didn't happen and I did the process every night I feel as though I would be having LD's multiple times a week.  

If I'm on for longer than 30 minutes its possible, but since I stay on less than that it isn't. I might not return to sleep quickly but at most its probably 15 minutes ,which is from what I hear, average.  

I tried this technique this night and I got my fifth Lucid Dream. After a few cycles, my mind drifted away, but I couldn't sleep immediatly. But after I fell asleep, I became lucid out of the blue and  had a Lucid Dream, which was quite longer than my LDs before. I also have an good dream recall today.

But I got a question. During this cycles, I suddenly had a strange feeling, as if somebody would throw a ball or a pillow right in my face. Does anyone know, what this was?  

Originally Posted by Sydney:
Sounds like a good plan! I may try this tonight too.

Oh and, do you ever get too awake after your on the internet? Because of the lights, etc.? Sometimes I just get on for a couple of minutes, then I'm unable to go back to sleep.

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Yesterdaynight I decided to surf on my iphone on my wbtb for like 5-10 minutes.
Never again, ever. I didnt fall asleep and I was up all morning until school. Got 5 hours sleep. xD  

Originally Posted by daban:
Yesterdaynight I decided to surf on my iphone on my wbtb for like 5-10 minutes.
Never again, ever. I didnt fall asleep and I was up all morning until school. Got 5 hours sleep. xD
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Yeah, that's what I did sort of. Hmm... I've always wondered what I could do during my WBTB that would allow me to be awake enough to remember to do the technique.. but be able to fall asleep easily. :/  

Originally Posted by [email02protected]:
Guys I've been praciticng SSILD for like 15 days and stopped because it didn't work after trying 3-4 times for some reason. I claimed that SSILD is not placebo back in the thread, but yes... I think it's placebo, at least, half, IMO. If SSILD works for you consistently then it's not placebo...because I think you found your technique that fits you, and I've already had my own technique before SSILD - didn't stick to it for long time though - I started to use SSILD because I thought it was the solution for WILD during night...but then I had a dryspell -.-

so don't rely on SSILD too much, I think. few days ago I didn't care about SSILD and then I got instant lucid strangely, and I started to use my own technique again and it's working well...:


I'm having the same problem with you! I fall alseep too fast xD you can pm me to discuss with this, we can figure it out.

I don't really care about staying 10 min 30 min whatever the time we have to stay for WBTB - it's really annoying if you waste 30 min and just pass out. I stay up for just 2-5 seconds for WBTB. I think intent is the key

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I would just like to say that I've been using this technique for about 4 weeks and I can say that every night that I sleep somewhat early and manage to get perfect amount of activity on my wbtb, I almost guaranteed get lucid with this technique in either dild or deild. It just gives me great awareness. The quality of my lucids arent so good but I dont think it has to do with the technique, I just need to practice more stabilisation and awareness.  

Originally Posted by Bobblehat:
This technique doesn't seem to work for me at all. Is it possible that I need to keep using the technique and it works in the long term? Or if I haven't had success after a week does it mean it will not work at all?

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Maybe if you can provide a detailed description on how you did the exercise I can help you diagnose  

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...