Thread: What Would Have Happened Next?

Hey everybody; it's been a while since I posted here. But last night I think I had my first brush with sleep paralysis...possibly...

For some reason I keep telling myself that, to attain lucidity, I must fall asleep while lying on my back, perfectly straight. (Why is that?) So I got into such a position, got as relaxed as possible, and closed my eyes. I began to imagine that my entire body would go numb--I imagined numbness spreading throughout my toes, feet, heels, ankles, legs--they didn't really go numb, however; they began to tingle. When the tingling sensation reached my knees I think I began to slip into sleep--except it wasn't a very smooth transition. I felt a sort of...sinking...sensation--like I was almost melting out of concsiousnes (if that makes any sense.) My entire body was consumed by that tingling feeling and, in my mind's eye, all I saw was this black/blue fuzz--like when a TV is getting bad reception. My heart was racing. I kept thinking, "Is this it? What next? What's going to happen next?" I remember reading on this board about someone who felt like they had been trapped (by sleep paralysis, I believe) and it felt to them like weeks (or, at any rate, a very long time.) So I freaked. I forced myself to come out of it, and lay there, heart racing. I can't believe I chickened out. It might not have been SP--how did I manage to come out of it, if it was? I tried to do it again, but it wouldn't work. I couldn't concentrate--I was more awake than ever. I couldn't get relaxed again. I remember the dreams I had that night, but none of them were lucid.

So, my question is--what would have happened if I had actually followed through? Would I have gone directly into a dream (a lucid one)? Would everything just be...black...nothingness? Nothingness until a dream started up? Sort of like regular sleep--would I have not remembered what happened until a dream started? Was this experience SP, or something a little different?

I've found lucidity to be quite elusive lately. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.