Okay lets clear up sleep paralysis...

[Adam]

Right, I have been reading on this forum about many peoples experiences of sleep paralysis, and how they induce this etc... But I will tell you of my experience of this, and it is nothing like what anyone else has mentioned, so is it really a broad subject and are there varying degrees of SP, or are some people lying? So anyway, when I experience SP, or at least when I did, as have not for a year or so, it would be in the morning, and it would seem like when you close your eyes when outside in the sun, you know it is light, but you cannot see because your eyes are shut, as opposed to shutting them in the dark. And no matter what you do, you cannot move a muscle, not even twitch. I have never felt vibrations, never seem hypnotic imagery, and it has always been first thing in the morning before I wake up. It has always been extremely scary and it has seemed like I was 100% aware of the situation I was in (although at the time I didn't know what SP was). So I guess I am just wondering what peoples views on SP are, and does it really vary as much from what I have explained above? Having only experienced it in the form above, I couldn't comment on other experiences. Thanks, Adam.

[Merlock]

Well, I've never experienced it myself but what you're describing sounds like sleep paralysis that you experienced when waking up when a large amoun of cases reported is about how people feel it when falling asleep instead (especially for WILDs). So, it would make sense that your experience was less "intense" from your description since you were slipping out of it instead of into it? Just a thought.

[Adam]

Yeah could be so I guess. I have only ever had it before waking up. And I dont know about less intense, I mean I have woken in cold sweats not know why the **** I couldn't wake myself up, seeing my partner (at the time) leave the room to go to the bathroom, and not be able to even move my fingers for her to wake me up, almost like I was in a coma, was so scary - I thought I would never wake up and the panic and terror was second to none.

[SurvivorKylie]

I have never felt vibrations, never seem hypnotic imagery, and it has always been first thing in the morning before I wake up. It has always been extremely scary and it has seemed like I was 100% aware of the situation I was in (although at the time I didn't know what SP was). I've only consciously experienced SP once, and it was almost exactly as you've told it. I had woken up earlier than usual, and was falling back to sleep when it occured, though-- which is different from you. Still, I didn't feel any vibrations, nor seen anything but the insides of my eyelids; and hell yeah it was scary, and I even knew what was happening. It was simply that I couldn't move at all; I felt all my muscles relax, tried to roll over and found I couldn't. I suppose I freaked out enough to wake my body up a few seconds later, but... That's just what I've experienced. I'm curious how other people will respond in this thread as well.

[Adam]

For me it seemed to last about 10 minutes or so... I wish I could have it now, knowing what it is!!!

[Redrivertears]

Hey there, I think Sleep-paralysis is related to how deep of a sleeper you are. Some people tend to sleep rather deep. They're not easily awakened by sounds, and take some time to 'get awake' in the morning. Some extreme cases need a lot of prodding or a really loud alarm to wake at all. Anything else they just sleep right through. Others, like myself, sleep really light. I awaken very easily, and maintain some sort of awareness of the world around me even when I'm asleep. I never need an alarm to wake up, waking naturally just about 5 minutes before the alarm would go up, and it'd be impossible for anyone to enter my room without me being instantly and fully awake. Now my guess is that sleep-paralysis is something that tends to come easier for the first then the second type of sleeper. I myself have never experienced sleep paralysis. I can feel all the vibrations, the tingles, my body going numb, but I CAN move any time I want to. So it'd be very interesting, I think, if people mentioned what type of sleeper they are as well as their experiences with sleep-paralysis itself. Do you tend to sleep very lightly and awaken very easily, or do you sleep very deeply and just sleep right through just about anything? -Redrivertears-

[mylucidworld]

Well i am a very light sleeper and i have had sleep paralysis many times and it normally occurs when i wake up in the middle of the night and try to go back to sleep. The next thing i know i am paralysed and i hallucinate, either hear people calling me like my mother or something or people talking, footsteps, or i see things like someone standing over me (very scary). I read up on the internet about this that alot of people experience hallucinations of demons standing over them, walking around their room or even sometimes attacking u. Sleep paralysis can occur for various reasons, one of which is not getting enough sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night and letting your mind wander and others.

[Adam]

I am a very heavy sleeper, would take a world war to even come close to waking me up lol

[Seeker]

AdamA, my experiences are the same as yours, it feels like there is a terrific weight upon me, I cannot move and since I am borderline on dreaming, I have HI, hear sounds, all that cool stuff... The nice thing is, it is very simple to slip into an LD at that point.

[Adam]

Yeah I know that now seeker, and its annoying because before I joined this forum I had it all the time and was terrified by it, now I know what it is, and know I can induce lucidity from it, I cannot get into SP

[Seeker]

I've said often, do not focus on inducing sleep paralysis. I've only experienced it twice. Focus instead of dreaming and let SP take care of itself

[Adam]

Sorry my reply seemed a little arsey, sorry if that is how you read it, I didn't mean it like that at all. I have never once tried to induce SP because I simply don't like it, and have never tried since knowing what it is I just wanted to clear up what it was like for others because I read so many different stories thats all