SP While Meditating

Lately, when I've tried to meditate, I find myself slipping into sleep paralysis after fifteen minutes or so. First, my hands will start to go numb, then the mattress will start to feel odd, almost like it's gone from being soft and cushy to being more like clay or putty. Before long, I'm starting to feel like I'm sliding or rotating slowly, and I'll get a feeling like I'm very close to slipping into a lucid dream, like I could sink through the bed and find myself dreaming.

The problem is that, when I reach "the edge," I keep getting pushed back somehow. I'll move my hand a bit, or I'll get excited and my heart will start beating quickly, and I'll have to relax for a few minutes to get back to where I was. Does anybody have any advice for how to get over this hump?

focus on your breathing?

That might work. Although, in the past, that sort of choking feeling that sleep paralysis causes has made it difficult for me, so focusing on the breathing might not work so well.

Still, if I found something to focus on...

man, focusing on your breathing is harder than u think, at least for me. when i focus on breathing, i always feel like swallowing, then i end up doing so, losing about 5 minutes of time.

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Originally Posted by Asymptote

Does anybody have any advice for how to get over this hump?

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It seems that you're viewing the meditation as a WILD. If that is the case, I cant be of much help, although you may try looking at some of the WILD-specific threads.

I will mention, however, that falling asleep while meditating is frowned upon :lol:. For one thing, meditating while lying in bed is considered bad form. Most traditions recommend sitting on the floor or in a chair with your spine erect and your eyes straight ahead and level (neither up nor down), open or closed. This is to achieve optimum balance between restfulness and wakefulness.

As far as focusing on the breath, this is considered in some meditation traditions to be the best thing to focus on: it's constant, but without demanding your attention. However, other traditions require you to focus on a mantra. While some attribute great spiritual significance to which mantra you choose, the important thing is probably just that it's something to focus on. A good mantra to start with is "One."

However, like I said, if WILD is your goal then you really should be asking questions about WILD rather than meditation. :)

Well, my intention at the start had never been to WILD, but once I got into sleep paralysis, the idea suggested itself to me.

And yeah, I know it's not a good practice to meditate lying down, but this has also happened while I was sitting upright in a chair, too, and the SP reached just about the same depth.

When meditating, you need to keep tension in your body. Use a correct position and keep awareness of your breath when breathing out. Meditation is not about being in a comfortable position relaxing. That'll just put you to sleep. Focus and concentration is key.