MILD technique
MILD stands for Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams. MILD is essentially repeating a mantra to yourself while you fall asleep that sets the intention to realize you are dreaming. It can be very effective and is great for those just starting out. It can be practiced when you first go to bed for the night, but the best results are if you awaken in the night from a dream and then repeat your mantra as you fall back to sleep.
Set yourself up for success
To help you wake up in the night set in your mind as you fall asleep that you will recall your dreams and will awaken from them.
Set your intention
In the night as you return to sleep after awakening concentrate on your intention to recognize that you're dreaming. Say to yourself "Next time I'm dreaming, I will remember I'm dreaming." Make your mantra your focus and if you attention wanders gently return to your intention.
Visualize
When you feel like your intention is set or you are about to fall asleep begin to visualize yourself in the dream you just arose from (or any recent dream). Recreate the dream in your mind as vividly as possible. Look for a dream sign. This is anything that you wouldn't see in real life. Once you recognize a dream sign say to yourself "I'm dreaming!" then continue to imagine yourself having a lucid dream. Do whatever you would do if it were an actual lucid dream.
Fall asleep
The goal is to fall asleep as you visualize yourself being lucid. Not only have you told your mind what you want to do but you have shown it too. This greatly increases your chances of having a lucid dream.
Today's Progress
I forgot to do reality checks today. I am going to install an hourly chime app on my phone to help me remember to do them. I remembered only one fragment of a dream this morning, but it was much longer and more detailed than any of the fragments that I remembered yesterday morning. Therefore, I consider it to be an improvement over yesterday.
| Date | Dreams Remembered | Lucid Dreams |
|---|---|---|
| 7/26 | 0 | 0 |
| 7/27 | 3 fragments | 0 |
| 7/28 | 1 fragment | 0 |