Recurrent sleep paralysis and psychedelics

[Patrick]

Hey all. I've never had sleep paralysis before, but now after many years of comfortable and vivid lucid dreams, I've experienced my first bouts of sleep paralysis. I think it might be connected to psychedelic use. My appreciation for psychedelic states of being and awareness have started to influence my dreams, that have become more expansive and intense after the introduction of psychedelics into my life. Sometimes I feel like I'm tripping in my dreams. A few times now this has culminated in short episodes of sleep paralysis. It's every bit as terrifying and breathtaking as everyone always described it. The first time, I was in an endless series of false awakenings, and awoke in an oppressive darkness surrounding my being. My body was held frozen in space, as if my whole body had become that last held breath as you sink deeper and deeper into the dark ocean. I tried to understand what was happening to me as I felt some dark force attacking me from all sides. I saw a figure at my doorway, watching, silent. I tried to breathe but felt like my body was held in a grip that would not let any air move in our out of me. After a few seconds the feeling subsided and I took a few breaths, sitting up in bed and turning on my light, sweating. A few times since, I've had similar experiences of waking from a series of false awakenings or disorientingly intense dreams, to find myself held down by a great heaviness, with a figure at the foot of my bed or at the door. I'm partially just posting to share my experience, but also welcoming anyone else to share experiences they've had with sleep paralysis, especially if connected to psychedelic use.

[Sivason]

I have never heard of such a connection, but who knows. If it happens again, try wiggling your toes or fingers. That seems to help me wake my body up. I have only had the classic scary type a very few times. Mostly as I am not afraid I am just stuck in a weird half awake state and see the room all weird. One time a teddy bear was flying around in circles above me. Turned out to be a ceiling fan.