Nice read, thanks for the SP bio. I enjoy reading those the most since SP is what lead me to learn about LD'ing......

By definition there is a difference in sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming. 'The' Sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder in which the subject overproduces paralytic enzymes and also wakes up during REM sleep. The subject is actually fully conscious and awake when they start picking up the sounds, the hypnagogic images and all. Lucid dreaming, on the other hand, is nothing more than dreaming while being aware that you are dreaming. To actually have a lucid dream you merely have to recognize that you are dreaming. Some of the pathology of SP and LD are similar hence why there are alot of parallel experiences between the two, yet one occurs when you are awake, and one occurs when you are asleep. That being said, and from the degree of control you expressed in your SP episodes, it sounds like you are on the doorstep of lucidity. LD'ing is all about control................

Since I do not have SP (the sleeping disorder aka pre/post-dormital paralysis) ) but have experienced it from my stints in LD's I would think that you are in conflict between your goals and what you body does. Correct me if I am wrong, but when you do exeperience an episode of SP, you are not able to fully fall back asleep? And would this be due to the noises, and your HI? If so, then I understand the conflict. I would pursue medical treatment of the sleep paralysis so that you do not autonomously wake during REM. Then work on your LD goals, because you have to be able to hit REM and dream without your body waking itself up. However, the medicine used to treat this may inhibit your ability to dream etc..............

However, if you are able to fall asleep during SP and not wake back up autonomously, then that would what you should attempt to do. Ignore the HI in SP and try to fall back asleep, since that is where you have to be in order to become Lucid.

Unfortunately though, if you truely have the sleep disorder sleep paralysis, it is typical that you would wake up, start hallucinating, and then intermittantly doze off and wake back up several times, thus preventing you from fully falling back into REM in order to start your LD.

not much help, I am sure. Probably stuff you have already heard......