Stage 1 - This is the transition from wakefulness to sleep, lasting about 5-10 minutes. In this stage, you close your eyes and get comfy in bed.
Stage 2 - This stage, which makes up about 45% of your sleep, lasts 25-30 minutes. Your eye movement stops, your heart rate and breathing slow, and your muscles relax. K-complexes, which are brief, high-amplitude brain waves, occur sporadically. They help protect sleep by reducing responses to external stimuli and supporting memory consolidation. Simultaneously, sleep spindles, which are bursts of rhythmic brain activity, help integrate sensory information and maintain sleep stability.
Stage 3 - Known for deep sleep, this stage lasts about 30-40 minutes and is your body in its most relaxed state. You become less aware of your surroundings during this stage.
Stage 4 (REM sleep) - Most commonly occurring after about 90 minutes of the first three stages, REM sleep involves rapid eye movement and temporary muscle paralysis (so that you don't move in response to your dreams. How cool is that?). This excludes your eyes and breathing muscles. Brain activity increases, leading to vivid dreams. REM sleep lasts 10 to 90 minutes and gets longer with each cycle. Dreams can happen at any stage, but they're most vivid and frequent during REM sleep.
Each stage is associated with a different type of brain wave.
The most common brain waves, produced in waking hours, are called beta waves. In stage 1, your brain produces alpha waves; which shift to theta waves as you relax. In stage 2 the previously explained k-complexes and sleep spindles occur. Between these short bursts, your brain is producing theta waves. In stage 3 your brain is producing delta waves. These are the slowest brain waves and are (obviously) a characteristic of deep sleep. In stage 4 (REM) your brain waves are most similar to how they are when awake, which means your brain is dominantly producing beta waves.
sleep method gang, rise up. i'm serious. these methods involves reducing your awareness of this reality (or any other) to zero, or as close to zero as possible. This is a potentially prime state to trigger a shift. and by sleep method, i don't mean lucid dreams or SATS, or other partially aware states. i mean having a period of complete unawareness, like totally dreamless sleep, and then waking up in your DR.
this is completely different from the state of pure awareness by the way, because in the state of pure awareness you are aware. like, in pure awareness you have a full train of thought and total control. the absence of awareness is the opposite. it feels sort of like a "blip" where reality, time, and space passed you by and you were not aware of it. this absence of awareness during sleep is (in my experience) the most common cause of accidental or unintentional shifts, but you might be one of those who can trigger a shift to desired realities with this too.
sleeping is not the only way to get to the state of the lack of awareness. i'll cover a sleep method below, and a few other methods with tips and tools for how you might be able to use the state of lack of awareness to trigger a shift.
method 3(a):
sleep method
now, there are lots of sleep methods out there, some with complex routines and rituals, and some as simple as "go to sleep and hope to wake up in your DR." the sleep method here will be shimmer's sleep method, ie, if i want to use sleep as a shifting method, this is what i do! feel free to tweak or adjust the steps to suit yourself. i think of my method a lot like setting up dominoes, and then knocking the first one down right before i fall asleep. if all goes well, the dominoes will fall just so to trigger a shift to my DR while im totally asleep, and i'll simply wake up there.
step one: repetition
throughout the day, i want you to think about two things, a dozen times. 1) shifting, and 2) your DR. now, you probably already do this. you're a shifter, you're on shiftblr, you probably already think about shifting and your DR daily, so maybe try to change up the way you do it to increase the chances your brain is triggered to process that in your sleep. this step is also not necessarily about imagining shifting or daydreaming about your DR, though you can do that if you want to. it's about deliberately thinking about shifting, and your DR, at regular intervals. you don't need to do it constantly, but i'd recommend around a dozen times. this number is often recommended to those hoping to trigger a lucid dream, and the concept is the same: the more regularly you think about something while awake, the more likely you'll think about it while asleep too, as your brain processes those memories and thoughts while you sleep.
step two: saturation
do your usual bedtime routine, whatever it is. now, before you go to sleep, i want you to saturate your awareness (which is currently in your CR) with your DR. do this however you want, i do it in different ways each time, it's really best to pick something that feels natural to you. if it feels like homework or boring or stress, you're naturally averse to that, so pick a way you like. scroll your pinterest board, review your script, rewatch your show, imagine your DR, etc etc. the goal here is just to get your CR brain, and your awareness, to soak up thoughts and visuals and words about your DR.
step three: visualize
now you're laying in bed, about to go to sleep. i want you to create a short visualization sequence (remember, visualization does not just mean actually seeing images with your mind. think about it, pick other senses to visualize, monologue it in your mind, tell yourself about it, imagine it.) so, anyway, visualize yourself falling asleep in your CR, and then waking up in your DR. it should be a fairly short sequence, like you're visualizing about 10-30 seconds of time passing. think about how it feels to fall sleep here, and then how it feels to wake up there. pick one or two things about each moment to focus on. once you have this short sequence, repeat it about a dozen times. repeating this single, short sequence is key.
step four: domino
you decide what your domino is. as you're going to sleep, do something to trigger that "domino effect", and remember your goal is to fall asleep in your CR. so don't pick something that keeps you up. maybe get into a light meditative state (that's my preference,) maybe you like to repeat a mantra, maybe you want to get into hypnogogia for awhile, maybe you're a sleep paralysis enjoyer (i fear you, tbh). maybe you just roll over and fall asleep. whatever it is, remember your goal is to fall asleep, not to shift from that state, so don't stress yourself out or keep yourself up. everything you've done so far has been to prime your brain to trigger a shift during sleep, while you're not aware, so don't lay there waiting for the shift to happen or for signs of a shift. don't strain or agitate. the point is to not be aware of the shift when it happens!
step five: wake up in your DR.
if it didn't work, try again, or try a different method!
method 3(b):
meditation: "blipping out"
now, most of the time i see people talking about "blips" or "blinking out" or losing awareness or time when meditating, they see this as a mistake or mishap because it's happening while they are trying to get into a different meditative state, like pure awareness or focus 10 or something else. this method is ideal for anyone who this happens to, and it's a way you can use it instead of trying to work against it.
step one: visualize
before you meditate, i want you to create a short visualization sequence (remember, visualization does not just mean actually seeing images with your mind. think about it, pick other senses to visualize, monologue it in your mind, tell yourself about it, imagine it.) so, anyway, visualize yourself "blipping out" while meditating. how does it usually feel to come back to awareness? visualize that "coming back" moment happening as your DR self in your DR, instead of here. visualize "blipping out" here, and coming to awareness there. it should be a fairly short sequence, like you're visualizing about 10-30 seconds of time passing. pick one or two things about each moment to focus on. once you have this short sequence, repeat it about a dozen times. repeating this single, short sequence is key.
step two: blip out
whatever meditation or method you've used in the past that cause you to experience a "blip" in awareness, use that again. if it's never happened, try a few different ones until you find one that works for you. the last step was about priming your awareness to come "back" to your DR, so hopefully you do!
method 3(c):
severance method
the name is tongue-in-cheek, this could just as easily be called the adhd method, the trigger method, etc etc. this method doesn't require any meditation, or reaching a different state of awareness. the goal of this method is to hopefully catch your CR brain unawares, and trigger you (awareness) to shift when you (CR self) has forgotten to resist. if this method works for you, then you will shift while totally awake, and doing something entirely mundane in your CR, and potentially when you've forgotten entirely that it was even supposed to make you shift.
i think the severance show is a good way to humorously exemplify the goal of this method: to set a specific "trigger" (place, action, etc) to signal your awareness to shift. if you haven't seen it, in the show the characters awareness is triggered to switch to another identity when they descend or ascend the elevator into work. you can pick anything as your trigger, but personally i recommend picking something you do several times a day, up to a dozen times per day. you could pink something you do all the time, like blinking, but i think that could be strenuous to commit to or you'd end up forgetting to actually do the method each time.
step one: pick your "trigger"
this could be anything, but i'll list a few recommendations: every time you plug your phone in to charge, ever time you open the bathroom door, every time you sit down, every time you go up a set of stairs, every time you turn a light off, etc, etc. pick one that works for you.
step two: repetitive visualization
now, pick a time period. it could be a day, i'd recommend several days or a week. every single time you're about to do your trigger (ie, before you sit down, before you flip the light switch, etc) visualize yourself doing the trigger, and then becoming aware in your DR. create a short visualization sequence (remember, visualization does not just mean actually seeing images with your mind. think about it, pick other senses to visualize, monologue it in your mind, tell yourself about it, imagine it.) like you're visualizing about 10-30 seconds of time passing. pick one or two things about each moment to focus on. repeat it right before every time you do your trigger action.
step three: stop
now, hypothetically there's the chance you get triggered to shift just from step 2, but you don't necessarily go into it expecting that. as this is a lack of awareness method, the goal is to prime your brain and awareness, and then stop. after you pass your time window you set before (a day, a week, whatever) you don't have to visualize every time before you do your trigger action. hopefully, when you're not thinking about it, your awareness will be triggered to shift out of habit. if after a few days, a week, or whatever time period feels right to you you're never triggered to shift, then either try again, or try a different method!
troubleshooting:
similar methods: as you'll likely notice, the above methods have a lot of similarities. honestly, most shifting methods are very similar, and they are often quite similar to lucid dream methods, which are often quite similar to study methods, which are often quite similar to- you get the picture. the point is, the things we can do to trigger our brains to remember and do something we're not consciously fully aware of are often quite similar.
not working? try adding some of your own tweaks, mix up a few methods, or add some other tools. check out this post on what triggers a shift for ideas for what to add, and how.
I haven't seen a method like this or one with this name, but if there is one already out there, please let me know! I am going to use this to shift tonight, so I decided I would type it out for my fellow shifters too! This is a sleep method, by the way.
1. Prepare yourself for tomorrow in this reality.
Get ready for bed and do whatever you need to do here to be ready for this reality's tomorrow. Brush your teeth, lay out your outfit, pick up your room a little bit, whatever you want to do. This will reduce your stress about this reality and clear your mind. As humans, we worry about the future a lot, so let's get all that CR stuff ready so we can focus on your DR's tomorrow instead!
2. Get comfortable.
Once you're ready for bed, lay however you want and accept the fact that you don't need to be completely still. You're going to sleep, and sometimes you adjust while doing so. It's normal. Accept it.
3. Clear your mind to the best of your ability.
This obviously isn't going to be easy for some people, that's ok. Just take some deep breaths and do your best to let your thoughts flow by. Acknowledge them and move on.
4. Focus your mind on your DR and imagine that you're already there.
Think about where you'll wake up or where you'll be spending a lot of time. You don't have to visualize it, but you can. You could also just think about the place and how you feel sitting in that room or in that place.
5. Make a schedule for the day.
This part may require some visualizing, but you can tweak it if you're struggling with that. Essentially, imagine that you have a notebook and pen or a laptop (or whatever else you want or will frequently use in your DR) and plan your day in your DR. Write/type a to-do list, things you want/hope to do, people you want to see and talk to, feelings you will feel or think you'll feel, places you'll go, etc. Anything and everything you can think of. Write/type out the words, letter by letter. Focus on one, then move on to the next. If you run out of ideas, think about the next day or the rest of the week. (Note: it doesn't have to be in order!)
6. Fall asleep!
Continue your schedule until you fall asleep, or let your mind drift away on its own. Or whatever!
💚
I hope this helps! Feedback is much appreciated, I love hearing from people! I will try to remember to give an update tomorrow after I use this method tonight! If you need me, I'll be in my DR ;)
Hello ! I keep trying to shift, but it just ends with me getting sleep paralysis, is there any kind of method for when you get sleep paralysis? It seems like there might be bc your body is asleep, but you’re conscious. Thanks !
TW: sleep paralysis
Hello and I’m so sorry to hear that!! Sleep paralysis is not fun (I’ve never experienced it but I’ve heard enough stories)
I am not sure of a specific method for avoiding sleep paralysis, but there are a few awake methods you could try! I know the Sunni Method is/can be an awake method, and honestly ANY method could be an awake method. Method’s are just guidelines, they aren’t written in stone or anything. So do whatever helps you the most! If laying down is the issue, try sitting in a comfy chair and relaxing etc.
If anyone else has any other methods or ideas to help PLEASE reblog / reply!!!
I know I answer shifting asks all the time and post stuff about One Piece but I haven’t updated y’all on my actual shifting journey recently!!
And there’s not too much new info! I’m still doing my reality checks to help lucid dream, I’ve been documenting my dreams, I’m visualizing before bed... and that’s really it.
Since I’m focusing on the Lucid Dreaming Method I don’t really practice methods or meditate much. ((I do miss meditating so I might get back to that))
I will say I’ve become a lot less “obsessed” with NEEDING to shift and I’m just going with the flow and enjoying my time on shiftblr and discussing things with y’all. I know I’ll shift when the time is right 💕
