Sleep Paralysis

[Third Eye]

I settled down to take a nap at about 3:45...After watching the rest of Waking Life, I drifted off to sleep in hopes of attaining lucidity. What happened was I woke up about 3 to 4 times very very briefly to change positions, but the last time I woke up I could only open my eyes half way and there was a shadowy figure standing about a foot from my face. (Keep in mind I'm sleeping on a couch) It almost looked like this figure was wearing black robes, my vision was blurry but I definitely detected a presence. At first I thought it was my dad coming to get me up but then the tingling all over my body and the ringing in my ears slowly became more more intense. I shut my eyes recognizing it as sleep paralysis and just let the moment consume me. I felt my body jerk almost 180 degree from how I was laying (like twirling a pencil on a surface) then my feet and my legs lifted in the air. (like someone picked up one end off the pencil and the other end is still on a surface) The next thing that happened, was I felt like I was falling from a very high altitude and I tried to imagine myself falling into water. When I imagined the water and falling into it, I just COULD NOT visualize it, I felt all the tingles on my body get warm and my legs slowly fall back on the couch and back to the way I was laying. What did I do wrong? I was so close to the becoming lucid...I think maybe the shadowy figure scared me too much because my heart was beating very fast the whole time.

[Lord Toaster]

I wish I could have this level of motivation... is there anything you actually need help with, or did you just want to tell us about the experience? I couldn't see any questions in your post Congratulations on getting so far though.

[nina]

Yep just good old SP. The shadowy figure and all the strange physical things that you felt was just a result of the SP, and your imagination with the HI. I've seen and experienced alot of crazy ass things when I'm in SP and the HI really messes with me and causes me to see and hear things, or think that you are laying a really weird way when you're perfectly fine. I think you just got scared of everything that was happening and so you snapped out of the SP and back to consciousness. Next time just remember, that nothing can hurt you...it's all exciting and fun even if it is a bit creepy at times. But just try to go with it...the HI will eventually lead you right into an LD.

[Third Eye]

Yea, this is my third experience with SP, the first time it happened to me I had no knowledge of what SP was or LDs for that matter. Your absolutely right, I was pretty scared when I saw the shadowy figure but after that I was ok, my heart was just beating a little fast. It was time for me to get up as well because I had been sleeping for more than an hour and half and I don't like taking naps and longer than so. One question. Am I supposed to conjure up a dream scene in my head whilst in SP or wait for one to come to me? I know that during SP I am too focused on the physical sensations I feel I'd be to busy to fall into a dream.

[nina]

I've tried to force it...but that usually results in an FA...and a crappy FA. It's better to just wait for one to come to you. It's better and usually alot more beautiful. I've had some of the most amazing experiences in that transition from SP through HI into a lucid dream...very cool. Just be patient and wait it out.