Sleep paralysis - and then?!

[Ymbripolis]

Today I woke up in the morning and listened to music from my MP3 player while I was lying completely still in my bed. After a while my feet began to prickle and then I realized that it was difficult to move them. Then my legs started to prickle and to twitch, and they got numb, too; I tried to move them a bit, but I couldn't. At that time, I wasn't very tired and I still listened to music. Finally, also my arms started to get paralysed, and my fingers, and my whole body, but my mind was still awake. I thought that maybe the music kept me awake, but I couldn't stop it because I wasn't able to move. So I was lying there and nothing happened. I tried to visualize a dream, I started to count, I imagined that I could float out of my body. But while my body seemed to be asleep, my mind was very clear. Time passed by ... half an hour, one hour, 1 1/2 hour ... nothing happened, not even any hypnagogic images. In the end I opened my eyes and I saw my room ... I closed them again and everthing was like before ... But I felt very uncomfortable, and so finally I forced my fingers to turn off the music. But I knew I wouldn't fall asleep anymore, and so I got up ... Why could my body fall asleep while my mind was so awake? What can I do next time this happens?

[Barbizzle]

Aw, sorry that this didnt work for you this time. The music could have kept you grounded to reality. Try this again without the music? See how that works.

[Shift]

When you say that you couldn't move, what do you mean? Did you try really hard, or was your body just very relaxed? Over an hour of SP is a very, very long time for that occur. Even people who have SP as a disorder rarely experience it for more than a few minutes. I have only ever heard of narcoleptics being paralyzed for such an extended length of time.

[Ymbripolis]

Hm, I'm not sure ... in the beginning, my arms weren't paralysed at all, but my feet became paralysed quite slowly, and it took a lot of time until the whole body was paralysed (if it was real paralysis ...). So I wasn't completely paralysed for an hour, just in the end. First I didn't try to move (especially my feet) too hard, than I tried more and more and I couldn't; but it might be that I could have moved my feet when I had tried it even harder. I tried to got paralysed already before, and I always started to feel very numb and relaxed, but this time was very different, and so I thought it might have been real paralysis. But maybe you are right and it wasn't. It was quite strange, anyway ...

[Shift]

Hm, I'm not sure ... in the beginning, my arms weren't paralysed at all, but my feet became paralysed quite slowly, and it took a lot of time until the whole body was paralysed (if it was real paralysis ...). So I wasn't completely paralysed for an hour, just in the end. First I didn't try to move (especially my feet) too hard, than I tried more and more and I couldn't; but it might be that I could have moved my feet when I had tried it even harder. I tried to got paralysed already before, and I always started to feel very numb and relaxed, but this time was very different, and so I thought it might have been real paralysis. But maybe you are right and it wasn't. It was quite strange, anyway ... Hahaha well hey, I wasn't the one who experienced it, you tell me how it was . Just trying to clarify. I have done that zone in/out of consciousness over a long period of time like you have. I had the similar relaxation feeling, but I was able to move when I tried. It is strangely relaxing, isn't it?

[Ymbripolis]

Well, when I was still lying in my bed, it wasn't really relaxing. It was quite uncomfortable, and later I even felt pain. 5 minutes or so after I had got up, I realized that I was quite relaxed now; but not earlier. I'm not sure if I should try it again tonight ... I always stay awake for a long time when I do so

[siderea]

It's energy. Do you intentionally try to induce sleep paralysis? Having an awake mind but an asleep body is what all meditators seek. Might be a state of being that could help with lucidity. The best thing you did, from what I read, was observe in a relaxed state. Being relaxed is the foundation. And you proved to yourself you are in control, which is important to know.