Was this a Sleep Paralysis, or something else?

**Serpo** · 06-20-2012 02:53 PM

Ok, so this morning when i woke up i was tired and decided to go back to sleep, i closed my eyes and laid on my back without moving.

After a few seconds i started to get this feeling as if electrical bolts was going through my body, i opened my eyes and found out i could not move, sleep paralysis was the first thing to come to mind (never actually had one before, only read about it) i could move my eyes effortlessly, so i did as i had heard would get me out of it started moving my toes and facial muscles and fingers, but i still could not get out of it. So i tried to hold my breath, but for some reason i did not have enough control over the muscles that would let me do this. Then i tried to get out of the bed, it felt as if i managed to lift myself up, but... i was still looking directly up at the roof, then after a while i realized, that i had not moved an inch and then i woke up

But here is what makes me wonder if it actually was a sleep paralysis:

1: I had no hallucinations, and i was not scared, i even tried to induce some sunlight just to check if i actually could, but i could not.

2: I felt as if i could move my body if i tried REALLY hard, but i realized later that i hadn't moved a bit.

Ok so tell me what you think, what was this?

**Nivv** · 06-20-2012 03:14 PM

Sounds like sleep paralysis to me. Not everyone gets hallucinations and, based on what I've experienced, you can move ever so slightly (or perhaps it's mostly you imagining that you're moving!).

Now use that SP to WILD if you get it again!

**Crashyy** · 06-20-2012 03:15 PM

Yeah that was definately sleep paralysis.
And sleep paralysis is different for everyone, so it's possible you didn't have any hallucinations.
Next time you should close your eyes and start visualizing you entering the dream instead of trying to wake up.
So you'll have a lucid dream

**gab** · 06-21-2012 02:42 AM

Welcome to Dreamviews, Serpo!

Sound like SP, and as it was mentioned, not everyone gets hallucinations everytime. You could use it to your advantage and try to WILD next time. Check out the WILD class in DV Acadeny. It's not the easiest technique to start with, though. Another technique is DILD. You can read about them in this Beginners guide to lucid dreaming. Happy dreams

**wrhapsody** · 06-21-2012 09:33 AM

What about astral projection? I've read that doing this unintentionally can cause such feeling... and the electrical waves some time happen when you are starting to do this... anyone have more info? I've never been able to AP...

**littlezoe** · 06-21-2012 10:11 AM

It was obviously SP

It doesn't always bring hallucinations. Especially if you can keep your mind clear during it. I had many SPs, but some of them had no hallucinations at all.

You also need to know that it's possible to seamlessly transition into a dream from SP and you'll still be laying the same way as in real... maybe you really moved, but it was in the dream. Once you tried again, you were probably awake again and SP wouldn't let you.
Or you just felt like you moved... quite possible, i had experiences like that.

**Serpo** · 06-21-2012 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by wrhapsody

What about astral projection? I've read that doing this unintentionally can cause such feeling...

Maybe the moving i felt was the astral body leaving my actual one? what do you guys think about that?

**gab** · 06-22-2012 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by Serpo

Maybe the moving i felt was the astral body leaving my actual one? what do you guys think about that?

It's very hard for us to decide, if it was AP. During SP you will feel either heavy, or you won't feel your body at all. But in AP, you do feel your body, only not your sleeping body. You feel, as if you were hovering above you sleeping body in another body. Next time, try to tell yourself "Now, I'm out of body" and "to the door", or "to the kitchen" or any other place that's some distance from your bed and see, if you will transport there. At that point you should probably have astral vision working, too. You can find out more in the Beyond dreaming forum. Happy dreams

**Robot_Butler** · 06-22-2012 12:24 AM

That sounds like sleep paralysis, to me. I get something similar when I try to get out of bed during SP. I will struggle, make some progress, then realize I imagined the whole thing. It is almost like a false awakening. I will know I am in sleep paralysis, struggle to get up, then think that I succeeded. I then realize I am still in sleep paralysis, having a dream about getting up. It is very confusing.