Thread: What Does Sleep Paralysis Feel Like in a DEILD?

Hello
Recently I've been trying to do the DEILD technique for lucid dreaming. However, i always chicken out every night because I'm too afraid of sleep paralysis. Its not the hallucinations or Hypnogogic Imagery that prevent me from success, Its that i never experienced sleep paralysis and the feeling of being paralyzed before and i do not know what to expect. So my question is: What does Sleep Paralysis feel like during a DEILD? How long does it last? How fast does the sleep paralysis take over your body? I heard that the Paralysis in a DEILD comes about in a matter of seconds and i am especially fearful of that. Any Response will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

When I experience it on the odd occassion it is complete and utter paralysis of my body. It only ever happens if I am leaving a luid dream fully and not a regular dream.

I don't believe the sleep paralysis you're thinking of is the one that applies here. As far as I'm aware, you can still move as easily as you want when you're doing either a WILD or DEILD, though if you do you'll ruin it. With WILDs and DEILDs, all it really is is hypnagogic visuals which are more fleeting images of things, not really fully-evolved hallucinations. True sleep paralysis generally happens when you're coming out of a dream; most people don't experience it (at least not regularly) and it has nothing to do with lucid dream induction (though it can be used for it). Though to answer your question, essentially it feels like being trapped where you are, often with an impending sense of something bad or frightening hallucinations, though you can learn to not be afraid of it. When it happens to me I often hallucinate myself being able to move for a second, then snap back to where I was originally lying, which is plenty disorienting in itself. However, like I said, these effects are not to be expected with WILDs or DEILDs unless it happens to you normally, in which case it's probably more likely (but still isn't guaranteed).

From what I understand it can happen going into or coming out of sleep, but in general Alyzarin's post above applies.

There is a debate on this forum whether or not it's the same as REM Atonia, the paralysis one experiences while asleep in REM to prevent acting out of dreams, but everything I've read suggests it's the temporary sensation going into or out of sleep and includes feeling trapped, which for some can be frightening.

It all depends on you and how you feel about not being able to move. Everyone handles that sensation differently.

Its like I can move if I want to but I can tell that I am very mildly paralyzed.