Introduction/Can lucid dreaming lead to sleep paralysis?

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10-20-2009, 07:45 PM
BlackZoda

Introduction/Can lucid dreaming lead to sleep paralysis?

I guess this is the proper place to give a short introduction of myself and start off with my first post. After a long time talking rather superficial about lucid dreaming with a friend (the subject just had a tendency to pop up from time to time), and trying to archive one (without putting much work into it), I finally became conscious of myself dreaming a few months back. It didn't last for long and had a quite scary side effect. I didn't manage to control much of my dream for the short time it lasted and suddenly I found myself awake in my bed. Or sort of awake... I couldn't move a muscle (except my eyes), and neither make any sound, for what seemed to be forever (it probably didn't last for too long though...). I had a constant feeling of someone else being in the room with me, and after a little while it felt like nails scratched over my stomach... It's truly the most horrifying situation I have experienced and scared me away from trying to archive a lucid dream again. I have since learned that it sounds very similar to what is called sleep paralysis; when your body continues to sleep while your mind wakes up. I have never experienced it before in my 26 years on this planet though, so I'm pretty sure it's not because of any medical condition. Most people who suffer from it seem to experience it on regular basis... Have anyone else experienced something similar as a consequence of being lucid?

Anyhow, last night I had a very vivid dream where I felt I controlled most of what was happening. It wasn't lucid though, as I never were aware of dreaming myself (I think...). It was such a fantastic experience that I decided to give lucid dreaming a more dedicated try again. I'm looking forward to start a dream journal (for the first time...), and hopefully pick up a few good advices. See you all around :).
10-20-2009, 08:05 PM
FiskMunk

Never happened to me as far as I can remember - Just when asleep and dreaming (I can't recall if I've ever had a lucid one in my whole life, though :P)
Are you sure that you actually where awake, and not like "half-dreaming"?
Asleep, yet slightly aware of that you're lying in your bed; That have happened to me many times, though I've just had problem moving, like if my skeleton had turned to stone.
10-20-2009, 08:13 PM
slash112

I'm sure it is possible to wake up and still be in SP.

But the general thing is to use SP to achieve lucidity via WILD.

But I think what you experienced (if I read correctly) is relatively common for SP hallucinations.
10-20-2009, 08:14 PM
BlackZoda

You can very well be correct, and that I still were dreaming (it's what you call a false awakening, right? Just trying to get the lingo in... :)). The strange thing is that I felt wide awake and can't remember "waking up" again, just that it lost hold and I could get out of bed (being rather shaky :D). The description of "skeleton turning into stone" is pretty accurate... Maybe it just was my mind playing tricks on me...
10-20-2009, 08:21 PM
BlackZoda

Thx for the reply slash. If it's a common phenomena it's probably possible to get used to it. If so it sounds reasonable to use it for archiving lucidity. To be honest I were so dead scared that I'm not sure if I ever could fall asleep again from that state though... Maybe easier if you are a bit more prepared for it :).
10-20-2009, 08:32 PM
FiskMunk

I guess that's what it's called.
But if it happens again, and you can think straight; Just calm down and try to get some more sleep.
If it doesn't let go for hours though, and you're completely awake, you're probably suffering from this :D Like that french guy.
10-20-2009, 08:33 PM
slash112

Yea, most people like to make the most of it and have fun with it.

Everyone is scared of it at first.

But I would say you should try and enjoy it, observe it, manipulate it. Change it to a dream scene and lucid dream.

Hallucinations while in sleep paralysis are perfect for achieving lucidity. It is used for the lucid induction technique called "WILD", SP is not required, but it is almost always used.

Here is a useful tutorial on the basics of how to WILD.

And I'm sorry, but Fiskmonk is painting the wrong picture of SP. It is nothing that you "suffer". It is a common thing which happens every night when you sleep. The fact that you are awake when it happens does not change anything. Except for that fact you can enjoy it.
10-20-2009, 08:58 PM
BlackZoda

FiskMunk: Let's hope it never turns out that bad ;). In my paranoia over not understanding what was going on, it's not far off what I thought was happening to me though. On top of everything these damn hallucinations started to pop up :D.

slash: Thx again, the guide seem very useful. I'm sure you can have a lot of fun with it if you learn to manipulate and control the halucinations and enter a lucid dream from there. Good to know it's not unusual to wake up while still being in SP. Have just heard about turning "normal dreams" into lucid ones before, but sound like WILD might be something for me too :).
10-20-2009, 09:08 PM
Swordz

I never felt SP on my life. And i hope this never happens to me (unless i need an urgent LD and the only option is WILD)
10-20-2009, 11:07 PM
slash112

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swordz

I never felt SP on my life. And i hope this never happens to me (unless i need an urgent LD and the only option is WILD)

Woa, really? my ultimate goal is to achieve SP and then WILD.
10-24-2009, 01:42 PM
Kaidonni

I believe what you experienced isn't just SP. I've had it, and I can say for me it usually happens after bad dreams. Night terrors or something, not sure what they are called. Where there's a malevolent force coming for you, and you can't do anything about it except watch it come...:(

I had SP this morning, and nothing like this happened (granted, I was *going* to sleep, not waking up). Don't feel discouraged or anything, I don't think you'll suffer from this version of SP on a regular basis. You might say it's a bad SP, rather than the norm. Like a nightmare, but only just before you wake. You don't get nightmares all the time, so this form of SP won't happen all the time either.

*Touches wood*
10-24-2009, 01:55 PM
slash112

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaidonni

I believe what you experienced isn't just SP. I've had it, and I can say for me it usually happens after bad dreams. Night terrors or something, not sure what they are called. Where there's a malevolent force coming for you, and you can't do anything about it except watch it come...:(

I had SP this morning, and nothing like this happened (granted, I was *going* to sleep, not waking up). Don't feel discouraged or anything, I don't think you'll suffer from this version of SP on a regular basis. You might say it's a bad SP, rather than the norm. Like a nightmare, but only just before you wake. You don't get nightmares all the time, so this form of SP won't happen all the time either.

*Touches wood*

SP can be different for everyone.