Thread: Sleep paralysis ~ breathing

Originally Posted by poreior

Hi guys,

so I attempted SP last night,
and to my experience I got pretty far.

After some time my body calmed down a lot,
and I felt this strange feeling falling over my body.
Also I imagined seeing patterns on the inside of my eyes (imagination),
and I realised this was the start of SP.

However, during this process,
I noticed my breathing became slower and slower, and less deep.
So then I unconsciously started breathing faster, and more trying to get more air.

I attempted and started the process of SP three times in one hour,
the first time I was not aware of this problem,
the second time I tried to keep my breathing as slow and little as it was before the heavy breathing,
the third time I let my body do it's thing and started breathing faster and more.

I also failed to get into SP three times,
does anyone have experience with this?

Once it failed,
I would get out of my bed within a minute,
and just walk to the bathroom or something,
without feeling any effects of the process.

Does anyone have experience with this,
or has some hints and tips for me?

Many people have the same issue. You are trying to trick your body into sleeping with the mind still aware. The breathing slows down, and your aware mind freaks out. I don't know what you can do other than get used to it over time.

I will try to let my body get used to it again,
the biggest problem I think, would be that you don't want your brain to get too 'active'.
Because I believe this will stop the process too.

I will try what you suggested.

Feel free to post hints and tips.

This happens to me sometimes, except a bit differently. I feel like I'm literally suffocating while in SP. Don't know if I'm actually not getting enough air or it's just my mind telling me I'm not, but I think it's just my mind, because if I ignore it I usually go straight into LD.

Originally Posted by levenreis

This happens to me sometimes, except a bit differently. I feel like I'm literally suffocating while in SP. Don't know if I'm actually not getting enough air or it's just my mind telling me I'm not, but I think it's just my mind, because if I ignore it I usually go straight into LD.

I do have the same problem,
but when I ignore it,
I would either bother myself too much with it,
or my breathing would become heavier.
Both ending into an unsuccessfull attempt to get into SP

You say you get up after failing. I would not. Just allow yourself to breath deeper, but keep trying. Remembe that concious effort will break SP so do not attempt to test it. You should also get a funny feeling as you enter SP. It feels different for everyone, but should be like a warming, tingling, or numbing, plus you would normally start seeing colors or flashes soon after.

I did indeed get this feeling, also I started to see flashes.
After the breathing problem I could not fall asleep,
so I got up and walked a bit and then it would go easier.

At least I can say I got pretty far.
Somewhere on this forum I read something about a WLD, a Wake Lucid Dream, I believe I was able to initiate this in this stage of SP, as I noticed seeing some images as well.

Personally what i experienced so far tells me that fast breathing is good if you want SP... or at least when i'm in SP, breathing fast makes it last much longer. Breathing slower and holding it stops the SP faster for me...

But true, that when i try WILD and get overexcited and start breathing fast that fails the attempt... But maybe not the breathing part, just the too active brain..

During the third time I did indeed start breathing faster and deeper but I think my brain does that because it thinks I'm not getting enough breath.
And when I just let my breathing do it's thing I actually stop the process.
As I am still awake I notice that I start breathing faster, could that be a problem?
Do I activate my brain by starting to think about my breathing tempo?

If the whole 'sleep paralysis' thing does work for you find another technique. I personally think SP is over-rated , anyway. But different strokes for different folks!

Originally Posted by faceonmars

If the whole 'sleep paralysis' thing does work for you find another technique. I personally think SP is over-rated , anyway. But different strokes for different folks!

The problem may be that everyone is thinking about SP in their own way. 2 definitions exist and only 1 applies here. The SP you hear about in stories, involving people not being able to move and being afraid, are refering to an uncommon sleep disorder. These people wake in SP and can not break it and are confused and non-lucid. That is not the SP of a WILD attempt.
Normal SP is a state that keeps you from acting out your dreams. If you dream and do not thrash around, then you are in SP. When you are aware and trick your body into sleeping, you enter SP, but because you are aware and do not have a disorder, you can still move. What?! Did this guy just say "you can move in SP"? Yes! If you are happy and in a strong dream, and I kick you or splash you, you would jump up and kick me back. In a WILD attempt you enter SP, but because you are aware you can over-ride it, and move at will, with just a small effort. Do not move, because it will often break the SP.
If you are attempting to move, to prove to yourself, that you are in SP, then you are never going to be able to WILD. It feels heavy and like moving will require you to focus, that is it.. Gently with almost no attention, barely attempt to shift your arm. If it does not respond to a very casual non-focused attempt, and you feel strange, then you are there. If you force yourself to move,,,,, well stop it!