Sleep Paralysis!

So today was the first day I tried the WBTB method. It was pretty intense. I woke up at around 5:15 this morning and stayed awake until around 6:10. Along with stimulating the brain through reading, I preformed a few reality checks. Eventually, I attempted to go back to sleep. I started out at first only focusing on my breathing and pacing it as a form of meditation. I visualized my breathing and slowly I started repeating the phrase "Next time I dream, I will realize that I am dreaming." This is a form of autosuggestion and I am supplementing the WBTB method with autosuggestion as well as reality checks. I felt this heavy feeling start in my feet and slowly work its way up my body. It was as if someone was spreading out a lead blanket on my body starting with my feet. I recognized this sensation as sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a natural "mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move." It was an incredibly odd feeling. My left leg was resting on top of my right leg (because I was lying on my right side) and it felt like my left leg was going to slide off because I wasn't using any muscle to hold it there (or so it seemed), but it never moved. I tried to get over the fact that I was paralyzed and kept repeating the aforementioned phrase. I probably slowly drifted in and out of consciousness but it was hard to tell. In addition, as the sleep paralysis was happening, I heard this buzzing sound in my head. I looked it up and it is often associated with the sleep paralysis phenomonon. This stuff is really exciting. I actually can't wait to try it again and possibly become lucid this time!

Wake-Back-To-Bed Technique (WBTB)

After little success with the Cycle Adjustment Technique (CAT), partly because of my lack of commitment to waking up 90 minutes early everyday to adjust my sleep cycle, I've moved on. I've read that the CAT is an effective way of inducing lucid dreams, however, one must go to sleep everyday at the same time and commit to it, but with school and other things it is hard to do that. Anyways, I'm moving on to a similar technique as the CAT called the Wake-Back-To-Bed. It involves waking up after 6 or so hours of sleep, in order to create awareness in the brain during peak REM cycle sleep. After performing many reality checks during this time to increase alertness, one goes back to sleep after 20-60 minutes. Then visualizing a lucid dream while relaxing and using some form of autosuggestion as you drift back asleep with ensure that one has the greatest chance to experience a lucid dream.

Revising my Project

I've been thinking. Since I've had the most success with using just the Mnemonic Inducution technique (MILD) and it isn't very laborious, I've decided to supplement the other techniques that I am going to use with MILD and a little bit of autosuggestion (tell myself I'm going to have a lucid dream each night and that I will perform a reality check). This seems like it will give me the greatest chance to induce a lucid dream because I will be performing a combination of techniques instead of isolating one at a time. I'm still nervous about not ever actually experiencing a lucid dream, and I also wonder if my setup or process is all wrong.

Alternating Wake Time

Today I woke up at 7:30 A.M. which kicked off the alternating part of my Cycle Adjustment Technique. Tomorrow I will wake at 9 with the intention of entering a lucid dream during that time because of increased awareness during the early morning hours (due to me adjusting my cycle). However, I'm afraid that I didn't fully adjust my sleep cycle to 7:30 as I have slacked off some days (recently that is). I may continue to wake up at 7:30 to get the full effect, but we will see. I'm nervous about actually getting a lucid dream because it seems to be a natural occurrence and trying to induce one is like messing with mother nature. And no one messes with mother nature...

Mentor Meeting

I met with Mr. Bowen this week and we had a long, thorough discussion about my project and its direction. He told me to contact Professor Maas (one of my potential interviewees) and to see if he could sit down with me and talk about how to quantify my progress or a way of setting this up as an experiment. I haven't contacted Professor Maas yet, but I intend to do so in the near future. In addition, Mr. Bowen asked me to prepare a list of sources and background information on lucid dreaming so he could get a better feel of my project.

WISE Update (IC)

1) 3 things you learned from reading previous WISE student's journals?
I learned from examining past WISE student's work what a journal entry should look like. I also learned how lengthy a good entry should be and what the different types of entries are.

2) 3 things you need to commit more energy to?
I must commit more energy to waking up early (7:30 A.M.), writing in my dream journal regularly and putting my project at the top of my list.

3) 3 things you would like to discuss with your mentor?
I should discuss the meaning of lucid dreaming, how to quantify my progress and my progress so far.

4) Any progress you are happy about?
Counting fingers in my dream and technology not working in my dream (it was a text message). Also, the discovery of binaural beats!

Sleep Cycle

My sleep cylce is completely different than it normally is. I went to bed at 3 A.M., woke up at 4 A.M., and went to sleep again at 5:30 A.M. I finally woke up around 12:30 P.M. today. Sleeping sucks. Just kidding, but I need to get on track...

Not Everyone Can Lucid Dream?

Mr. Bowen brought up and interesting point today. He said that it may be that not everyone is cut out to be able to lucid dream. I started thinking about it, recalling what Professor Helene Porte told me. She said that lucid dreaming rarely comes naturally to people and that it is definitely possible to train oneself to be able to lucid dream. This is proven by Stephen LaBerge, the leading researcher on lucid dreaming, whose subjects have taught themselves to lucid dream.

Not Remembering My Dreams...

I haven't been recalling my dreams very well recently. It is really unfortunate that I haven't been able to recall them. It's probably because of the amount of sleep I've been getting (not a lot..) and the way I've been waking up (my mom wakes me up and forces me into the shower). Life is tough.

Arg...Daylight Savings

Still haven't gotten around to waking up early. Damn you daylight savings! Give me my hour back!

CAT Anyone?

Not me... It is now Friday and I haven't started waking up early. Its a lot of work, especially because I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep this week. Plus, there is a strong correlation with dream recollection and amount of sleep one receives (its generally a direct relationship).

Cycle Adjustment Technique

This week I plan on starting the Cycle Adjustment Technique (CAT). It involves waking up around 90 minutes or so earlier than usual, until one's sleep cycle starts to adjust to the new timing. Then for the next week alternate waking up between the early time and your normal wake time. This is done to encourage dream awareness during the end stages of sleep (when REM cycles are prevalent and dreaming occurs). I'm not looking forward to using this technique as it requires a lot of effort, however, I know I will eventually make myself do it.

WISE Task Force Journal Review

1) The Physical Journal: How many entries are there?
There are 11 or 12 entries in my journal. Everything is typed, so legibility isn't a concern. Everything is neat and in order by date (most recent first).

2) Entries: How many entries show evidence of research? What sources have been used?
Five difference entries show evidence of research in the post. The sources include Wikipedia and some other sites.

3) Reflection or Review?
Yes, there are reactions and reviews of what I have been doing and learning. I'd say it's about 50-50.

4) What I enjoyed most about this journal:
I loved every single word of my journal. After all, it is my writing!

5) Suggestions for improvement:
Nothing. It was perfect! :)