Thread: What are the differences between Hypnogogic and hypnopompic SP?

Originally Posted by adraw

Recently I had some interesting "Old hag" experiences. Really terrifying ones. Still many people here are talking about hypnogogic SP, which they would like to induce with help of some technique. No matter how I tried, i couldnt achieve really that deep state as I experienced in my "Old hag" episode (hypnopompic one). This leads me to question.

1. What are the differences between hypnogogic and hypnopompic SP experiences?

Check out note 5 of What Every Lucid Dreamer Should Know About Sleep Paralysis, and follow the link to find out more.

In Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming LaBerge explains how to use sleep paralysis to enter a WILD. Have you read it?

2. Is it possible to have that Old hag experience on sleep onset?

I think that's when it usually occurs.

Originally Posted by Thor

I think that's when it usually occurs.

Really. I have not evidence that I was not actually starting new dream . I'll take a look.

Well If I take it logically. There is not really an evidence I was sleep paralysed at all. I could just be trapped without movement in my dream world. Well. Maybe I should be more carefull using this term. From now on I will try to describe what I mean by saying SP before using this term. (Maybe I will totally overcome using this term at all).

I might just have a real and extremely vivid dream where I couldnt move. And there was some evil presence. .

Originally Posted by Thor

I think that's when it usually occurs.

I was under the impression that it normally occurs upon waking up? I've never had this experience myself, but it seems like most of the experiences that I've heard/read about were during the hypnopompic stage.

Now I readed something more and coming to conclusion that , yess. Also according to studies. SP episode occurs mostly as a Hypnopompic variant. It was probably mistyped.

Originally Posted by adraw

Well If I take it logically. There is not really an evidence I was sleep paralysed at all. I could just be trapped without movement in my dream world. Well. Maybe I should be more carefull using this term. From now on I will try to describe what I mean by saying SP before using this term. (Maybe I will totally overcome using this term at all).

I might just have a real and extremely vivid dream where I couldnt move. And there was some evil presence. .

I suppose it could be a false awakening.

Originally Posted by moonshine

I suppose it could be a false awakening.

I just wonder, whats the subjective distinction if you just feel trapped in dream world and if you are trapped there becouse of halucinatory hypnopompic sleep paralysis. I dont see any distinction.

You are aware, you cannot move ...

Originally Posted by adraw

I just wonder, whats the subjective distinction if you just feel trapped in dream world and if you are trapped there becouse of halucinatory hypnopompic sleep paralysis.

I'm not really sure about the subjective distinction, but what you said above sounds about right. I've had a couple very similar experiences to what you're describing and did some reading on it a while back.

The jist of what I got out of my understanding of the experience is that you become aware and find yourself in sleep paralysis but do not realize you are in a halucinatory state (usually after a dream). Most people generally associate the inability to move (because of the sp) with fear, anxiety, etc. And so they start getting scared because they can't move and automatically think something scary is behind them or near them, and because they are in the halucinatory state some people will even see this scary figure or "old hag".

While growing up, I always hated closing my eyes to wash my face or shampoo my hair because I hated not being able to see and would usually have a fear of something evil, scary, etc being near me. It's similar to being scared of the dark. Most people want to be able to see, and so they flip the light switch on in the middle of night when getting around for whatever reason. In SP, you can't look around because your body is in paralysis (obviously). This is why people often get these episodes where they sense or see the "old hag" over them.

I have been able to turn one or two of these experiences into an LD by simply ignoring any initial fear and imagining whatever dream scenario may pop into my head. Just tell yourself any scary sense or figure you may feel or see is simply your imagination and you'll be happy with the results if you can turn it to an LD.

Thinking more... I would say... This kind of paralysis is just a dream