Is WILD a Lucid Dreaming Technique? (No – And Here's Why That Matters)

The Lucid Guide
Jul 24
6 min read

Author: Daniel Love – Professional Lucid Dreaming Researcher and Educator Last updated: July 2025

TL;DR

No, WILD is not a lucid dreaming technique.

WILD (Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream) is a category of lucid dream. It refers to any lucid dream that begins while consciously falling asleep. Calling it a “technique” is a widespread misconception that causes confusion in the lucid dreaming community.

Infographic comparing lucid dream types: DILD (Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream) vs WILD (Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream). Shows that DILDs begin within dreams, while WILDs begin consciously from wakefulness. — **Lucid Dream Categories: DILD vs WILD** – DILDs begin during a dream. WILDs begin consciously from the waking state. These are categories, not techniques.

Introduction

If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, Reddit, or Discord learning about lucid dreaming, you’ve probably seen this line:

“Try the WILD technique to have a lucid dream.”

Sounds reasonable, right? The only problem is - it’s completely wrong.

WILD is not a technique. It’s not a method. It’s not something you “do”. It’s a type of lucid dream, and mistaking it for a technique leads to endless confusion for beginners and researchers alike.

So let’s clear it up, once and for all.

What Is WILD?

WILD stands for Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream. It’s one of two major categories used to describe how a lucid dream begins:

DILD – Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream (you become lucid within a dream)
WILD – Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (you enter the dream already lucid)

WILD is a classification - it tells us how the lucidity started. It doesn’t tell us anything about how it was triggered, or what technique (if any) led to it.

Is WILD a Lucid Dreaming Technique? Why the Answer Is No

Let’s be precise. A technique is a set of instructions - a reproducible method someone can teach or follow.

For example:

MILD – involves intention-setting and memory recall
FILD – uses subtle finger movements during sleep onset
SSILD – cycles through sensory focus to induce lucidity

Each of those is a technique.

WILD, however, is the outcome. It simply describes a lucid dream that begins consciously during the transition from waking to sleep. That’s it.

To put it plainly:

You can use many different techniques to trigger a WILD. But WILD itself is not a technique.

Calling WILD a technique is like calling “destination” a method of travel - it describes where you end up, not how you got there.

Techniques That Can Lead to a WILD

This is where the confusion often begins. There are many techniques that can produce a WILD. These include:

Counting or breath-awareness methods
Visualisation techniques
Stargazer Technique
SSILD
Hypnagogic observation
Wake-Back-to-Bed paired with mental focus

Educational illustration showing that lucid dreaming techniques (like MILD, FILD, SSILD) may lead to a WILD, but WILD itself is not a technique. Includes a toolbox and a dream category sign. — **WILD is Not a Technique** – Techniques are tools (like MILD or FILD). WILD is the type of dream they may lead to, not a technique itself.

But these are all techniques that may result in a WILD - not WILD itself.

If you remain conscious during the transition into sleep and enter a dream knowingly, that’s a WILD - no matter what got you there.

Importantly: A WILD can occur without any technique at all. Think of it as simply a synonym for "lucid dream".

Why This Misunderstanding Matters

It Confuses New Learners

Beginners often search for “how to do the WILD technique” and find dozens of completely different instructions.

Some say stay perfectly still. Others say wiggle your fingers.

It’s a mess - because there is no such thing as “the” WILD technique.

It Leads to Poor Learning

If you're aiming to “do WILD,” you’re chasing a category, not a method. That makes lucid dreaming feel unreliable, mysterious, or unteachable - which it absolutely isn’t.

It Breaks Scientific Clarity

In professional dream research, precise terminology matters. If the public keeps calling a category a technique, it muddies communication between educators, researchers, and the public.

Where This Myth Came From

The WILD-as-technique error most likely started in online communities trying to simplify things. Over time, it became a kind of lazy shorthand - repeated without question.

Unfortunately, it’s now one of the most common misconceptions in lucid dreaming.

It’s understandable. But it’s also wrong.

What the Experts Say

In formal lucid dreaming research, WILD is always referred to as a category of lucid dream.

It appears this way in academic papers, in the writings of respected researchers like Stephen LaBerge, and in structured dream education.

Only in unmoderated online communities or unreliable lucid dream resources do we see WILD misused as if it were a standalone method.

So What Should You Say Instead?

Instead of saying:

“I’m trying the WILD technique.”

Say:

“I’m using [technique name] to try and induce a WILD.”

Or:

“I had a WILD last night using SSILD.”

This way, you’re being accurate - and helping others learn the correct definitions too.

Origins of the Term WILD

The term WILD, short for Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream, was first coined by Dr Stephen LaBerge, one of the pioneers of modern lucid dreaming research.

LaBerge used the phrase to describe a specific type of lucid dream: one in which the dreamer maintains conscious awareness throughout the transition from wakefulness into the dream state.

Importantly, LaBerge never presented WILD as a technique or method. In his academic writings and lectures, he consistently uses it as a classification – a way to distinguish how a lucid dream begins, not how it was triggered.

In fact, during one recorded interview, LaBerge recounts a personal experience of entering a “wake-initiated lucid dream” from a state of meditative awareness. He clearly refers to it as the nature of the transition, not the use of a particular technique.

As with DILD (Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream), the term WILD helps researchers and dreamers describe what kind of lucid dream occurred – not how it was created.

So while many modern sources now refer to “the WILD technique,” this is a misunderstanding of LaBerge’s original intention. WILD is a category of experience, not a step-by-step induction method.

Misusing the Term WILD Is a Red Flag

If someone refers to WILD as a technique, rather than a category of lucid dream, it’s a clear sign they haven’t done their homework.

This may sound pedantic, but in any scientific or educational subject, using the correct terminology matters. Just as you wouldn’t trust a physicist who calls gravity a “machine,” it’s wise to be sceptical of anyone teaching lucid dreaming who misrepresents basic definitions.

Even some so-called professionals, influencers, or “lucid dreaming coaches” frequently misuse the term WILD – often repeating what they’ve read on forums, heard on Reddit, or copied from other misinformation-rich sources.

Let’s be blunt:

Anyone calling WILD a technique is revealing a lack of basic research skills. That should raise questions about the quality and accuracy of the rest of their material.

It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re malicious or dishonest – but it does mean they’re not working from a solid understanding of the field. And in a subject already rife with pseudoscience, fuzzy thinking, and borrowed jargon, that matters.

But Isn’t Language Always Changing?

You might hear the objection:

“Well, language evolves. Maybe WILD has just become a technique now.”

That argument might hold in casual conversation – but it doesn’t work when clarity, accuracy, and education are involved.

Sure, language changes. But not all changes are harmless or useful. When we start calling a result a technique, we collapse two very different concepts into one. That’s not evolution – that’s confusion.

Imagine if people started calling REM sleep a “dreaming technique.” Technically incorrect language might catch on in popular circles, but that doesn't make it scientifically sound.

In lucid dreaming – especially if you’re teaching others or claiming expertise – clear definitions are essential. If WILD means “category of dream” in one context and “technique” in another, we lose the ability to communicate meaningfully or build upon shared understanding.

So yes, language evolves – but when it evolves in a way that increases confusion and undermines learning, it’s a problem worth correcting.

This isn’t about pedantry. It’s about helping people learn lucid dreaming in a way that’s logical, reliable, and replicable. And that starts by respecting the definitions that actually make sense.

Final Thoughts

If we want lucid dreaming to be taken seriously as a scientific and teachable discipline, we need to use our language carefully.

WILD is not a technique. It’s a type of lucid dream.

Let’s stop repeating this mistake, and help others understand it too.

FAQ

Q: Is WILD a lucid dreaming technique?

A: No. WILD is a category of lucid dream where lucidity begins as you fall asleep. It is not a technique.

Q: What’s the difference between WILD and DILD?

A: WILDs start consciously at sleep onset. DILDs begin as normal dreams, and lucidity arises later.

Q: What techniques can lead to a WILD?

A: FILD, SSILD, visualisation, counting, or hypnagogic awareness can all lead to WILDs - but they are not WILDs themselves.

Q: Who is Daniel Love?

A: Daniel Love is a professional lucid dreaming researcher, educator, and the founder of Lucid Dreaming Day, with over 30 years of experience in dream science.

Daniel Love

Lucid Dreaming Teacher