Thread: Questions about Sleep Paralysis

So I used to think my natural ability to enter sleep paralysis was more of a curse than a blessing until I researched lucid dreaming. I can enter sleep paralysis fine, and almost at will. The thing is that I can never just let myself go. I always try to fight it and wake up because I don't enjoy the feeling of being fully paralyzed. So I have some questions about SP itself.

1. About how long do you have to be in the sleep paralysis state until you finally reach the lucid dreaming state?
2. While I'm in SP, is it possible to wake up to external forces? I.E. if someone else makes a loud noise or shakes me. Would that force me out of SP?
3. Is it true that it's a lot easier to LD through SP (WILD)? I think I would rather use DILD since I don't like SP, but I haven't had any luck with DILD.

1. I hear it's about a minute.

2. I don't know about noises, but if anyone moves you the slightest bit you'll be knocked out of SP.

3. Since you're good at entering SP I guess WILDing would be a better technique then DILD. You can try DILD but WILD usually gives better more vivid dreams.

Thanks. I have another question too.

Whenever I have sleep paralysis, I always notice that my breathing is remarkably slow and shallow, or at least it seems that way to me. Normally during my waking life I'm not a heavy breather, but in SP it feels like I am barely breathing enough to stay alive, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot change it. I'm fully paralyzed and can't make myself take deeper breathes.

That has no potential to be harmful, right? Is that just how I normally breathe during sleep? Does respiration slow down in sleep paralysis?

Originally Posted by mephisto

Thanks. I have another question too.

Whenever I have sleep paralysis, I always notice that my breathing is remarkably slow and shallow, or at least it seems that way to me. Normally during my waking life I'm not a heavy breather, but in SP it feels like I am barely breathing enough to stay alive, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot change it. I'm fully paralyzed and can't make myself take deeper breathes.

That has no potential to be harmful, right? Is that just how I normally breathe during sleep? Does respiration slow down in sleep paralysis?

What about the breathing?

Originally Posted by mephisto

Thanks. I have another question too.

Whenever I have sleep paralysis, I always notice that my breathing is remarkably slow and shallow, or at least it seems that way to me. Normally during my waking life I'm not a heavy breather, but in SP it feels like I am barely breathing enough to stay alive, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot change it. I'm fully paralyzed and can't make myself take deeper breathes.

That has no potential to be harmful, right? Is that just how I normally breathe during sleep? Does respiration slow down in sleep paralysis?

Well your breathing does slow down a bit while sleeping. It's not harmful at all just remember you may be hallucinating not being able to breath, like I said before don't focus on your physical body during SP.

Mattbrox answered most of your questions already, but as for hearing external noises, yes, they can wake you out of SP. Any bumps, cars honking, crashes, and objects falling can falter your WILD.

1. Depends on the individual and the circumstances usually 5-30 minutes.

2. Yes external forces can cause you to exit sleep paralysis.

3. Once again this depends on the individual and the circumstances I happen to have DILD's far more than WILD's.

Originally Posted by mephisto

1. About how long do you have to be in the sleep paralysis state until you finally reach the lucid dreaming state?
2. While I'm in SP, is it possible to wake up to external forces? I.E. if someone else makes a loud noise or shakes me. Would that force me out of SP?
3. Is it true that it's a lot easier to LD through SP (WILD)? I think I would rather use DILD since I don't like SP, but I haven't had any luck with DILD.

1. Depends on the person and each WILD attempt. <1.
2. Yes, that's why you want to be in a quiet place while attempting a WILD.
3. Usually people tend to think DILD is easier to do but it takes a lot longer to have an LD. WILD can get you into an LD at will.

Remember though while in SP you can sometimes learn to manipulate any hallucinations you may have. Also you shouldn't focus on your physical body while WILDing. I like to imagine me standing in a dream.

Woah wait 5m-1hr in SP to enter the lucid dream? No way, < 1 minute definitely. The whole process can take up to an hour to pull off, but once you have SP you're ready to roll into the dream (or roll out if you are doing an OBE). Just imagine rolling into the dream scene before your eyes and you'll enter fully lucid (feels like a rollarcoaster ride!)

As for external things waking you up; it'll be the same as if you were asleep. It would take a significant sound to wake you up.

Breathing is a hallucination to SP; it makes it feel like you aren't breathing, but you are. Same with the racing heart I believe.

WILD is far easier if you're proficient at it, otherwise DILD is the way to go. Personally, I just DILD and chain DEILD when I wake up, seems to be the most effective.

Originally Posted by Rathez

Woah wait 5m-1hr in SP to enter the lucid dream? No way, < 1 minute definitely. The whole process can take up to an hour to pull off, but once you have SP you're ready to roll into the dream (or roll out if you are doing an OBE). Just imagine rolling into the dream scene before your eyes and you'll enter fully lucid (feels like a rollarcoaster ride!)

As for external things waking you up; it'll be the same as if you were asleep. It would take a significant sound to wake you up.

Breathing is a hallucination to SP; it makes it feel like you aren't breathing, but you are. Same with the racing heart I believe.

WILD is far easier if you're proficient at it, otherwise DILD is the way to go. Personally, I just DILD and chain DEILD when I wake up, seems to be the most effective.

Yeah sorry. I meant like attempting SP and then getting into it and then getting into a dream can take 5-1 hour

I prefer DILDs because it's really cool when you realize you are dreaming. And i am scared of SP too. I don't like the idea of being paralyzed with hallucinations going on.

Can you please describe how you are entering SP at will?

Originally Posted by SillyDreamer

Can you please describe how you are entering SP at will?

For me personally, I usually don't get that much sleep. Not very deficient, but usually I get around 5-6 hrs/night.

I can either wake up a little early, do something for about half an hour, and then go back to sleep.

Or I can take a nap in the afternoon when I'm feeling really tired. The nap usually works like 90% of the time but it happens when I'm waking up, not when I'm falling asleep. And if I don't immediately get up and walk around after it happens, I'll keep slipping back into sleep paralysis. So my issue with WILD in the afternoon is that I don't really feel like sleeping back into a dream after I've just awoken from SP.