Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD)

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#1: Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD) Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Fri 02 Mar, 2012
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<mod>Continued in Part II </mod>

A little disclaimer: There are many similarities between SSILD and the other lucid dream induction methods such as WILD, MILD, etc.  In fact, if you wish, you could label SSILD as a derivative of those methods, or you could simply write it off as an old method with a new name since the differences may be rather subtle.  Also I'm not sure if this name has been taken, so if it was then please let me know so I can change it to something else.

Background 

While teaching lucid dreaming to novices I realize that many popular methods share a fundamental problem.  That is, they all require too much finesse.  For example, the typical WILD techniques require proper relaxation which by itself is a difficult subject.  Another example is affirmation -- how do you do affirmation effectively?  We all know that simply chanting mantras will not do the trick.  Same goes for visualization, breathing, and the list just goes on and on.  

We need a method that is as effective as it is idiot-proof, hence the creation of the SSILD technique. A large group of people, mainly novices, participated in testing the new method, and within months we received many hundreds of reports of success.  And unlike some techniques that only work for the first couple of times, SSILD users report consistent result from regular usage.  Many even learned to induce LDs and OBEs on daily basis.

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.

Regardless the theory, it is utterly crucial to keep in mind that SEILD is not strictly a WILD technique.  While many users report successful LD/OBE induction from the waking state, this method is equally effective at inducing DILDs.  In fact, I strongly suggest users treat it solely as a DILD technique in order to use it in the most effective manner.  

Step-by-step 

1. The best time to practice is after 4 or 5 hours of sleep.  You could also combine the practice with WBTB for maximum effect but it is not required.  DO NOT do this at the start of your sleep -- it will NOT work!  The only exception is afternoon naps since you enter directly into REM. 

2. Repeat the following procedures 4 or 5 times.  DO NOT attempt too many repetitions even if you don't feel anything.  Remember you are not doing a WILD.  You are simply setting things up for OBEs and LDs to occur at later point.  If you repeat too many times you may risk losing sleep thus destroys the purpose. 

2a) With your eyes closed, stare at the darkness behind your eyelids for 15-20 seconds.  Try to pick up any colors, lights, or images, but do not strain your eye muscle.  If you see nothing but darkness, that's fine.  Again, we are not striving to induce dreams from the waked state, so do NOT force it.  It is perfectly fine to not feel anything.   

2b) Listen to the noises in your ears for 15-20 seconds.  Chances are you will hear some light humming and buzzing sound.  See if you can hear it more clearly.  If you don't hear anything that's okay. 

2c) Notice any strange body sensations such as heaviness, tingling, and movements.  Pay attention particularly to the head, hands, fingers, abdomen, feet, and toes.  Again, it is perfectly fine if you don't feel anything strange.  

The above steps should be performed in a relaxed manner, slowly, lazily, and without any rational thoughts.  The 15-20 seconds duration is for your reference only, so do NOT count in your head!  Chances are, after a couple of repetitions you will begin to feel sleepy, to the point your mind may drift away and forget to continue the exercise.  Congratulations, this is exactly the effect we are after!  When this happens just pull your mind back a bit and resume from where you drifted away.  If you lost count of the repetitions then simply do a new set.  It won't hurt. 

3. Find the most comfortable position and try to fall asleep as quickly as possible!  The quicker you fall asleep the more likely you will succeed later in your dreams! 

What's going to happen 

Several things may happen through this exercise: 

1. After you fall asleep, you may suddenly wake up with a strange sensation.  You will feel wide awake, and your body weightless.  At this point just do a reality check and roll out from your bed to begin an OBE. 

2. You wake up with vibrations and other strange sensations. Hung onto these sensations will lead you into an OBE. 

3. You suddenly become lucid in your dreams with no apparent reasons, or you may begin to suspect you are dreaming.

4. You have a False Awakening.  Unlike the first experience, you may feel awake but still drowsy.  FAs will occur frequently with SSILD, therefore you should get used to it and become good at identifying them. 

5. A WILD or direct OBE.  Phase entrance may occur during the repetition, with your mind still awake.  When this happens, many of the sensations become amplified.  You should stop doing any further exercises, and begin focusing on the sensations until you successfully enter the phase.

6. If all else fail you can try the following technique as a last resort. Upon waking up again, which you eventually will after step 3, try relax your head and allow it to sink into the pillow. If done correctly you will generate vibrations and enter an OBE from a fully waked state. This works because SSILD has prepared your body and mind to enter a phase easily. In fact if you increase the number of repetitions you may be able to do this even before you fall asleep from step 3! 

About me 

I recently migrated to this forum from DreamView.  I have been a member of DV for many years, and my personal research and practice on the subject of LD dates back in early 90s.  Throughout the years I've recorded thousands of LDs and OBEs. 

Two years ago I joined a lucid dreaming forum in China, and since then have become one of their prominent writers and trainers.  The forum quickly grew to over 60,000 active members.  This provided me with an excellent test bed for new ideas.  Together we developed and refined the SSILD method more than 8 months ago.  Today it is being actively practiced and improved upon by thousands of people.

Common causes for loss of sleep

Being unable to fall asleep easily after the cycles is a common problem encountered by inexperienced users of the SSILD technique, there are several possible causes:

1. False Awakening. No I'm not kidding. What you are experiencing could well be an FA and this is very common after doing SSILD. You basically just lay there trying to fall asleep while you are already asleep. One way to work around this is to do additional repetitions when you find you are unable to sleep. Assuming you are in an FA, or sometimes a light trance, then the cycling technique will usually result in very apparent HIs, ringing sounds, vibrations, or other effects. When the effects occur you can simple do an RA, and then roll out of the bed to begin an OBE.

2. You are focusing too much on producing the effects/sensations while doing the reps. Remember, WILD and OBE are by products of SSILD. They should not be sought after. When you do the cycles, do NOT expect anything will happen. You should focus on losing focus. That's the right way to do SSILD.

3. Rational thoughts entering the mind while doing the cycles. It's fine to let your mind drift to other things, but you should NEVER analyize what you are doing! Oh, do NOT count either. You don't want precision!

4. Deliberately trying to relax. Remember, SSILD is very much a self hypnosis tool, so you should rely on that to put you into sleep. Don't mix in any relaxation techniques befor or after! And certainly do not attempt to stay relaxed during the repetitions. You just get comfortable, and leave the relaxation part to the technique.

5. Interruption. This is the single biggest killer. If you are repeatedly interrupted, whether by sudden noises, discomforts, or others, you should seize doing the exercise and go to sleep right away. You can always do it again later, so do not force it.

Last edited by cosmic.iron on Thu 19 Apr, 2012; edited 4 times in total

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#2:  Author: mattias,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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Interesting, I might give this a try. It reminds me of a few WILD's I've had where I imagined myself touching something with my hands and then suddenly I can actually feel it, and from there it's simple. When I did this it worked great. My problem was reaching the state of relaxation and calmness (or whatever) for it to become a vivid sensation... Maybe when I focus on my touch I get distracted and fall asleep quickly, and perhaps switching from one sense to another will help keep me focused... At the same time, when I MILD I repeat my mantra a few times and then just go to sleep as quickly as possible, which I understand you do with this technique as well, instead of repeating it until you fall asleep. So this might work for me.

Just to see if I got it right, I focus on what I see for a few seconds, then on what I hear, then on what I feel, over and over a few times. Then I just try to fall asleep.

If I get vivid images/sounds/touch, I should just focus on them and do a WILD (like I did a few times, as mentioned above)? And what If I get some sensations, but not that vividly, I just move on to the next step?

I think I've seen a SILD around, but I don't remember what it was for (Sound-ILD?), or even if it got used a lot. Doesn't make much of a difference to me...

and we've had lots of DreamViews users joining LD4all lately (for unfortunate reasons ), so welcome! and thanks for sharing this, I'm sure many more people will give it a try.

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#3:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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mattias wrote:

Just to see if I got it right, I focus on what I see for a few seconds, then on what I hear, then on what I feel, over and over a few times. Then I just try to fall asleep. If I get vivid images/sounds/touch, I should just focus on them and do a WILD (like I did a few times, as mentioned above

You summed it up really well. That's exactly the way to do it. You cycle through the sensations. Each cycle deepens your "state" and you may observe increased calmness and sensations. If one sensation becomes pronounced you should focus on increasing it, like what we typically do in WILD. Otherwise, just finish the cycles and go to sleep -- in this case, the cycles pretty much serves the purpose as mantras, except more effective (we all know that communicating to our subconscious via "spoken language" isn't particularly very effective). In addition, the repeated cycling also tends to create "inertia" which carries into your dreams -- similar to how FILD works.

Sometimes we experience sensations but not vivid enough. You can try focusing on it for a few seconds to see if you can increase it. If it stays the same then you should move on to the next steps. Don't do it for more than a few seconds.

What you said about relaxation is very true. Through my observation it is a major hurdle for many people, experienced LDers included. In fact, most of the time relaxation techniques tend to put the user into the wrong mind/body state. With SILD we don't need relaxation. Just give your body 4 to 5 hours of sleep and you should be well prepped. Let's face it -- there is no better and easier way to relax than simply to fall asleep, isn't it?

I hope you find this technique useful. Don't hesitate to ask any questions.

Cheers,

Gary

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#4:  Author: Jur1121,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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Tried this technique early morning. I only repeated the vision/sound/feel cycle for a couple of times because I was tired and wanted to go sleep. Well... when I fell asleep I had a DILD for so long!

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#5:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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Jur1121 wrote:

Tried this technique early morning. I only repeated the vision/sound/feel cycle for a couple of times because I was tired and wanted to go sleep. Well... when I fell asleep I had a DILD for so long!

So it worked!

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#6:  Author: mattias,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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I remembered to try it this morning, but there was too much noise outside and I was too tired from yesterday, so I had a hard time focusing on dreaming and didn't get really far with the technique. I had pretty good recall though, and a couple lucid moments (my main problem for the last 2 or 3 years has been to not wake up prematurely from my LD's... ). Anyway, I'll see if I give it another try tonight.

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#7:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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mattias wrote:

I remembered to try it this morning, but there was too much noise outside and I was too tired from yesterday, so I had a hard time focusing on dreaming and didn't get really far with the technique. I had pretty good recall though, and a couple lucid moments (my main problem for the last 2 or 3 years has been to not wake up prematurely from my LD's... ). Anyway, I'll see if I give it another try tonight.

A noisy environment is always a killer! Judging from the few lucid moments you had, you must have executed the technique correctly! The problem is that you were too tired and the interruption wasn't helping either. SILD has much better success rate if you are rested well! Let's hope you have better luck next time

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#8:  Author: sungodd,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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I gave this a try this morning. It was interesting. I have a semi-cold so was really hard to stay still and not swallow deeply. I went through it around 7 or 8 times, dozed off sometime in there, woke up not realizing i dozed off and did 1 more round and tried to move, hitting what felt like a wall. Which i broke through quickly before i realized what it was. Takes me forever to wake up, so I tend not be very coherent when first waking up. So pretty much blew a perfect chance for a deild. First time feeling what SP was like, or breaking through it. Going to give this another try tomorrow it was quite simple to do. Thanks

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#9:  Author: Leijona,  Posted: Sat 03 Mar, 2012
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Sounds promising, I may try it. Can you do whatever you want in order to fall asleep, like, you don't have to repeat a mantra or anything?

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#10:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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sungodd wrote:

I gave this a try this morning. It was interesting. I have a semi-cold so was really hard to stay still and not swallow deeply. I went through it around 7 or 8 times, dozed off sometime in there, woke up not realizing i dozed off and did 1 more round and tried to move, hitting what felt like a wall. Which i broke through quickly before i realized what it was. Takes me forever to wake up, so I tend not be very coherent when first waking up. So pretty much blew a perfect chance for a deild. First time feeling what SP was like, or breaking through it. Going to give this another try tomorrow it was quite simple to do. Thanks

Your physical condition made it harder to achieve success, but sounds like you are on the right track anyway When doing SILD, remember it is not necessary to stay completely motionless. You should feel as comfortable as possible, as long as you don't fall asleep before finishing the cycles. Stopping "intentionally" in middle of it is actually okay though.

It is perfectly fine to move somewhat during the exercise, swallowing included. In fact, at step 3c, where one scans for body sensations, one may do it so aggressively to the point she actually moves the physical body. While this is not encouraged as you may lose sleep, it is indeed fine and works equally well.

<mod>Stacked posts edited together </mod>

Leijona wrote:

Sounds promising, I may try it. Can you do whatever you want in order to fall asleep, like, you don't have to repeat a mantra or anything?

Yes you should do whatever to fall asleep quickly. For me that means completely throw away everything and just DO it, but people may differ. No need to chant mantras and telling yourself you will be LDing later. That job has been done by the cycles. Just go to sleep, as quickly as possible. The quicker you can fall asleep, the easier it is for this to work. If you do plenty of repetitions and fall asleep quickly enough, chances are you will experience the strange sensation which you wake up suddenly into a trance with a very clear and alert mind. It feels like miracle.

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#11:  Author: Rhewin,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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I tried this as well. Like mattias I was pretty tired last night and had a harder time concentrating. I did notice vastly increased DR and vividness and a slightly more aware thought process. Definitely seems worth pursuing .

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#12:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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Rhewin wrote:

I tried this as well. Like mattias I was pretty tired last night and had a harder time concentrating. I did notice vastly increased DR and vividness and a slightly more aware thought process. Definitely seems worth pursuing .

Thank you for trying, Rhewin. Like I said in my other reply to you, I'm hoping together we can refine this promising method!

My suggestion to you is do NOT try this without enough rest, or you may experience anxiety during the exercise. Also do not "concentrate". In fact, you should do the opposite! Just do it in a lazy, relaxed manner for optimal result.

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#13:  Author: Hamza,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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well i tried this two times and it worked both times but after 5-6 sec of LD ing i wake up in my bed full of vibrations and strange sound in my head that stays until i get up and that wasn't FA i RC ed upon waking up

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#14:  Author: Uneksija,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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This technique seems very interesting The only difficult part for me could be falling asleep quickly. Whenever I intentionally try to fall asleep I'm all tense(in mind, not body) and it takes ages. But I guess it can be mastered with practice and experience.

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#15:  Author: cosmic.iron,  Posted: Sun 04 Mar, 2012
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Hamza wrote:

well i tried this two times and it worked both times but after 5-6 sec of LD ing i wake up in my bed full of vibrations and strange sound in my head that stays until i get up and that wasn't FA i RC ed upon waking up

LOL, sounds like you got the effects all overlapped When LDing, please try not to focus your attention to yourself; instead, focus on your surroundings. Otherwise you may end up being thrown back to bed with FA... of course, your case is kinda different...

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