Thread: Some doubt about Lucid Dreams

I'd like to expand on Midori's post:

The reason why SP exists is due to REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) sleep. Before transitioning into the final stage of the sleep cycle (REM) the body goes into a state of atonia (sleep paralysis) in order to stop the individual acting out what they do in the dream(s).

Sometimes people become conscious before/after/during the transition and this is where the ''problems'' arise. As stated, the classic signs are the inability to move and hallucinations (mostly auditory). It can also feel like a lead blanket has been laid over you, resulting in a hindrance to how well you can breathe, but all of this is perfectly natural. If you're ever conscious during such, you may find it frightening, but there's nothing to fear. You experience sleep paralysis multiple times a night, but usually you're unconscious beforehand.

When it comes to the WILD technique, SP is quite often a main feature of the experience, although it is not essential (as I've achieved quite a few WILDs and only experienced SP once during such). To expand on what Midori said, what you're trying to do when WILDing is let your body fall asleep while you remain slightly aware. I want to stress ''aware'' as most people will tell you to remain ''conscious/awake'' and this is very misleading. What I mean by ''aware'' is letting your mind wander as much as you possibly can without becoming unconscious. To achieve a WILD, one must first be asleep. To become asleep, the body must think the mind is asleep (which is why being only slightly aware is key). When the WILD attempt is timed right, the body will fall asleep and go into REM, to which dream entry is very likely.