I think i almost had a lucid dream.

[Ubeenfrimponged]

So last night i went to bed fully focused on a lucid dream. I relaxed and tried to go to sleep repeating in my head "I will have a lucid dream" i did this for a about 10-20 minutes until my eyes started to twitch uncontrollably, i kept my eyes closed and i began to see an image. The image was kinda like a purple background and it looked like i was flying over a cornfield but i couldn't feel anything. I new i wasn't asleep because i could feel my bed and everything. I got scared and opened my eyes as i remember reading somewhere lucid dreaming can cause sleep paralysis. I've experienced it before when I've woke up once and i never want it to happen again. So what do you think happened ? Sorry if this is in the whole place.

[CanisLucidus]

Very good, Ubeen! It sounds to me like you were experiencing hypnagogic imagery or, perhaps, the birth of a full-fledged dream scene! It's normal when we fall asleep for abstract images like pinpoints of light, swirling shapes, patterns, etc. to present themselves to our vision. If we maintain our awareness throughout this transition state, we will sometimes witness the emergence of a half-dream, which is what I believe you experienced. Sometimes, willing yourself to physically interact with this dream scene in deeper ways (particularly in a tactile way) will draw you all the way into the dream for a WILD (or Wake-Induced Lucid Dream.) I've never experienced sleep paralysis myself, so I defer to your concerns -- you've been there, I haven't. One thing to always keep in mind, though, is that even in the (relatively uncommon) condition of sleep paralysis you are perfectly safe. If you feel nervous about being awake during the transition to a lucid dream, you may want to hold off on practicing WILD and start with a DILD-based technique such as MILD. DILD-based techniques like MILD involve falling asleep first and then realizing that you're dreaming, and joining the dream already in progress. Here's a great guide on this family of techniques: Naiya's DILD & WILD Secrets My advice would be to either resolve to shed your fear of sleep paralysis (which you may never experience again) or to try out a DILD-based technique for a while until you feel more comfortable. The ideal way to feel during a lucid dreaming attempt is comfortable, secure, confident, and very mildly excited. Do whatever you feel that you need to achieve that mindset. Best of luck!

[Ubeenfrimponged]

Thank you for your post Canislucidus. I've only been on this forum for a few minutes and i feel so welcome . Yeah it was certainly a weird experience last night. I've also set my alarm my 3:30 in the morning to see if i can fall back into the dream. I want to keep a dream journal, but i have no pad or booklet. It think i'll just write my dreams on a piece of paper for the moment. Can't wait for my first experience

[CanisLucidus]

Yeah it was certainly a weird experience last night. I've also set my alarm my 3:30 in the morning to see if i can fall back into the dream. I want to keep a dream journal, but i have no pad or booklet. It think i'll just write my dreams on a piece of paper for the moment. Can't wait for my first experience Cool, just use whatever you've got until you can swing by the store to get some sort of notepad! It matters way less how you start. What matters most is that you start. I like that you're not waiting around for everything to be "perfect". We also have a great electronic Dream Journal system that you can find here: Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views - Recent DJ Posts - Dream Journals It's good to experiment in order to discover which system works best for you. Whatever approach gets you to most consistently record your dreams (without being overly burdensome) is generally the way to go. You can also use a combination of paper and electronic by writing down keywords in your paper journal that will help you recall the dream, then typing full electronic copies of your dream journal entries later. This is a good approach for those with hectic mornings. I've got a full-time job and two small children, so this happens to suit me well.