Not Sure Where To Put This, Move If Need Be.

Ok, I've been really trying hard to get lucid more often & I've been using this cd alot that has been working rather well but something strange happened to me last night & I have not been able to get my mind off it. Here's what happened.

I'm lying in bed listening to the cd clearing my head knowing I'm about to fall asleep. All of a sudden all the sounds start fading away like I'm being pulled away by something. At the same time my body begins to become numb (like when you hand or leg falls asleep is pretty much how it feels, except all over.) Then it begins to feel like I'm riding in the back of a truck going down a dirt road (all bumpy) This has happened to me a few time here recently & I usually wake myself 'cause it kinda creeps me out. I thinking sleep paralisis maybe to myself when I feel a sudden jerk/fall sensation. I feel like i'm spiralling downward forever & it's pitch black. I finally stop falling & open my eyes to see the roof of my house. I'm lying on my back looking at the ceiling. At this point, I think "ok, just got freaked out & fell on the floor, no biggie." I tried to lift my head & couldn't. I tried to move & with all my strength I got to where I could just barely lift my head from the floor. I looked toward my bed & saw myself lying in bed! I freaked out & realized I was not awake. I still had a bit a tingly feeling every where when I felt like something was in there room with me. I have no idea how to describe it exceot like when you were a kid & in a dark room, knowing nothing was in there but you just have that feeling like nothing is right. It was like that but a 100x worse for me. So I tried to wake myself like I always do (close my eyes & shake my head violently.) I couldn't. Then, then feeling got even stronger & felt like some force was completely around my body. It began dragging me slowly across the floor & I could feel/hear things that I knew were on my floor touching my body & being pushed aside as I was dragged toward the end of my house. I'm just stuck the whole time trying anything to move/wake up as I'm watching my ceiling slowly move above me. I was just about to the far wall 'cause I could see the top of it where it meets the ceiling getting closer & closer. I began to wonder if I was going to go through the wall. I felt my head touch the wall for a second & then the top of it slowly began to enter through. I can't think of anyway to describe how it felt. I completely loose it mentally at this point & began just screeming in my mind when whatever it was released me & I was sucked back towards my body lying in bed. I woke up instantly sweating profusely, with my heart pounding out of my chest.

This is the best way I can describe it, but it was so intense/real that I'm having doubts it was a dream. If this OBE/astral projection stuff is real, is this what it's like if you don't know whats goin' on? Please help, I keep telling myself it's just a f'd up dream, but it just didn't feel like a dream, I don't know how to put it other than that. Any help/advice is greatly appriciate

I've experienced "Old Hag" (i.e., sleep paralyis) before and was usually able to ride it out without too much fear or discomfort as I knew what it was.. but what I experienced this morning.. was different.. it was violent.

First a little education on what Old Hag/sleep paralyis for those who haven't heard the terms before.

** Old Hag is caused by sleep paralysis lingering after waking. Sleep paralysis happens during REM dreaming, and prevents you from acting out your dreams by blocking motor signals from your brain. The classic symptoms are - unable to move, a feeling of weight on your chest and/or unable to breath, a sense of a presence, fear or panic, and some vague (usually greyish) object in the centre of the visual field which is often interpreted as a person (or nowadays, an alien). The "Old Hag" name arose from people putting the symptoms together to form the interpretation that an old hag was sat on your chest, pinning you to the bed. **

As I said I've experienced "Old Hag" before but this morning.. this morning really scared me.

I woke up at 4:30 am and had gone to a couch in another room so as not to be disturbed by my husband. I had done my meditation on my back but since it takes me forever to fall asleep on my back, I rolled over onto my right side. I again continued my affirmations to realize when I was dreaming. I felt the familiar "shift" that let me know that I was on the bridge between mind awake and body asleep when things turned horribly.. different.

I heard a screeching/scraping sound which I welcomed in a way as it usually meant the vibrations were coming and perhaps I could go oob or straight into a lucid dream. I remained focused and calm.. ready for the vibrations to start.. but suddenly I felt myself being lifted up into the air and SLAMMED back onto the couch! My first thought was WTF!! but I hadn't even finished that thought when I was lifted up, shaken and slammed again! I was violently slammed at least 5 times.. Once I even felt my body being "broken" over the arm of the couch! I tried to "wake" myself up but couldn't move! I didn't even think to scream.. I was just so shocked that this was happening. It felt like something incredibly strong was lifting me up by the back of my legs and was slamming me like a rag doll!

Somehow the words "I am protected by pure white light" came into my mind and it all... just... stopped.
Slowly in the black stillness I saw hypnagogic imagery of large luminous white snowflakes floating towards and past my eyes. They sort of reminded me of those large crystal snowflakes that you'd put on a Christmas tree. Even though there were many and moving, I could tell that each one was different.

I thought that if I could stop them from going by and turn them into a landscape.. I could jump or merge into them as I have other hypnagogic images and begin a lucid dream.. but I lost concentration and they started to fade and I woke up.

I lay there for a few minutes just trying to make sense out what had happened. I am so grateful for the snowflakes that I saw because if I had woken right up after the "astral attack", I might have gotten up, went back to my bed, hugged my husband and been too afraid to ever try LDing again.

Instead, I calmed myself, asked again to be protected by pure white light and fell into a sweet very vivid non-lucid dream.

I realize this is a very long post and I thank those who read it all the way through. I mistakenly thought that "old Hag" experiences only happened if you slept on your back and I was on my side - almost on my stomach. Through it all I felt no physical pain and I feel no effects from it as I type this. I also do not feel that there was anything "sexual" about this attack.

I truly believe that sharing negative things like this with others takes away it's power (like lighting a candle in the dark).. you only truly "suffer" in silence.

Thank you all for being my candle..[/b][/quote]

Altho I've never had an experience exactly like roadrash or Clairity describes, I do know how scary and real a nightmare can be. These almost seem like semi-lucid nightmares, or really vivid HI. Maybe that is not a good description, but roadrash, I definitely think that you can be assured that this is just a dream, and I think Clairity shows that with experience, even when a strange, totally unnerving dream situation comes up, your mind can handle it and find a way out. Unfortunately, her experience also shows that it can potentially happen at anytime, even when you've been at it for a while, so we should be ready... the dark side of LD.

Those were both very interesting posts to read. Clairity and roadrash, the sharing helps both ways, so thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moonbeam

Clairity and roadrash, the sharing helps both ways, so thanks.[/b]

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You're so very welcome! (and as they say, "The only thing to fear.. is fear itself!")

Thanks guys & gals, maybe I'm just paranoid. I've just never felt anything like it. Ya'll have a good one!