Methinks I Was Paralyzed

Sooooo I went to sleep around midnight two nights ago and awoke around 4am. I had just dreamt about meeting a shapeshifting psychic who alternately took the forms of a cat and the coach's daughter from "Remember the Titans." Yes, it was awesome. Anyhow, after recording this dream, I lay on my side and stared at my eyelids. I find this practice super relaxing, but I'll often find that I keep myself aware rather than letting myself fall asleep, even if I don't intend to try for a WILD (just one so far).

So I'm looking at some patterns and shapes and little snowflakes and such, and I find that each time I follow a change, whether it's a wave of light across my visual field a la a xerox machine or a little expanding dot of darkness with a greenish corona, I "swoon" and relax a bit, as though I'm completing a puzzle posed to me by my sorta wound-up body. "Swoon" is the best word I can think of, as the sensation reminds me of passing the apex of a hill on a rollercoaster and subsequently being tugged down. So I'm plugging away at this "puzzle," swooning little bits and following patterns and such, no HI or anything really, and I swoon bigtime, suddenly falling into what I believe is a form of sleep paralysis. My arms and legs are numb, but not totally paralyzed. I can twitch them little bits if I concentrate, but I don't believe that I could move them wholesale without serious effort. I still have control over my breathing, which is mega deep, and my throat is dry, so I keep swallowing and smacking my lips.

Since I've only gone through two or three cycles, I don't expect that REM is coming soon, so I resolve to stick with the SP and try to invite HI for as long as it takes. Sadly, the sun starts coming up and I'd forgotten to let down my blinds! Also, birds begin to chirp. I realize that an LD ain't happenin', and shake my arms and legs into action to drop the blinds and simply sleep.

I'm sure y'all have had similar experiences, though I haven't read anything that brings the "swooning" to mind precisely. Have you ever swooned? Do you watch the crazy electrickal happenings behind your eyelids? Is dreaming a puzzle posed by the body to the mind?

Also, I woke three times and recorded three dreams in stupendous detail last night. Success! But then, is it wrong that I don't want to record the really boring ones?

Darrell

I get this "swooning" sensation as well some nights. I believe it is a normal process. Your body is just trying to keep you from acting out your dreams or accidentally waking yourself up from sleep.

What you described as electrical happenings are phosphenes. Everybody gets them. They are a random firing of visual sensations not caused by light.

I appreciate the reply, but I'm bumping the thread cos I was hoping for some insight on whether I was in fact experiencing SP and/or HI.

So, was I?

Darrell

I have felt spinning sensations, and swinging as if I were in a hammock. When experiencing SP, the furthest I have gotten is not being able to move my feet with reasonable effort. Of course if I try too hard it will break the state. I haven't quite relaxed enough to experience total SP of my hands.