Difficulties & Sleep Paralysis
I don't normally get sleep paralysis. I've experienced it 4 times in total if you count all 3 times from 2 nights ago. The first time I experienced it, I didn't know what it was and it terrified me. I felt an evil presence in the room coupled with an evil laugh and intense out of body hallucinations. All of this happened while I was laying down with my eyes open. I could still see my bed and the clock, I just couldn't move. My hallucinated senses were overlapping with my real ones and it just freaked me out.
Now, months later, I know a bit more about sleep paralysis, and look forward to it as an opportunity to lucid dream. However, I have hit some hiccups along my path. So far, every time I've experienced SP I was lying on my back. Unfortunately, I am not used to sleeping on my back, so it is very difficult for me to get comfortable that way. Last time, I kept getting distracted by my arm being in an uncomfortable position. I would attempt to make myself more uncomfortable, which ultimately resulted in waking up. 3 times in the same night. I did a reality check upon awakening each time and I really was awake.
Here's the fun bits though. Before waking myself up, I began to experience hallucinations. Not the typical kind brought on by illegal drugs, but it was more of having the concept in my head, without that concept attaching itself to my physical senses. During this moment, I would realize I am dreaming. The instant I realized I was dreaming I was pulled to a dark place and confronted with a bizarre mental image I can no longer remember. It was slightly frightening and it pushed me back to the stage where I could feel my body again. This mental image was exactly the same all 3 times that happened that night.
The second time, I tried to use dream spinning to calm myself and gain some control, but it didn't work. Back to the dark place. The 3rd and final time of the night, I simply held my arms out and let myself fall backwards(I read about this somewhere as an alternative to spinning), but again... Back to the dark place.
After the 3rd attempt, I drifted off to sleep without any memory of what happened in-between.
My question is, for someone who has to constantly change positions to be comfortable, how do I get passed the uncomfortable feeling of my body lying in awkward positions. Is there a way to reposition myself without losing my foothold on the dream world? Does anyone here no of ways to induce SP without lying on your back?
Alternatively, is there any good techniqes for LD which don't involve waking up in the middle of sleeping and going back to bed or SP? I have a VERY hard time getting to sleep, and once I wake up, I very rarely can get back to sleep.
Also, regarding SP... Has anyone ever experimented with remaining in SP rather than jumping into a lucid dream? The bizarre sensations and hallucinations could be rather fun if I could learn to control them, or at least allow myself to be at peace with them.
The idea of lucid dreaming has appealed to me since before I had a phrase to attach to it. If anyone can help me out here, I would be very grateful. I've been reading tons of guides and blogs trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, but to no avail.
