No dream in SP

I woke up extra early this morning on no occasion. I went back to bed exhausted and found that I hadn't moved for about 10 min, so I decided i'd try SP. I didn't move a muscle for about an hour. It was crazy to finally experience "rapid eye movement," Even though I know what REM meant I never really thought about it actually doing that. Anyway, my eyes moved rapidly and I couldn't move my body at first thought (unless I really wanted to).

To get to my point, I was in REM, My heart was beating very rapidly (scary almost,) I experienced many flashes of lights and feelings of sinking into my bed and was asleep, but never got into dream land. I didn't just not remember them because I was very aware that I was laying there waiting. Anyone know why?

Hmm? dunno, whenever I experience SP I open my eyes as if I'm awake and realize I can't move, so I close them and jump right into a Lucid!

Once you're in SP, what you have to do is the so-called "roll out" technique. You don't really have to roll at all. Let me explain.

As far as your brain is concerned, you have two bodies. There's your physical body, and then there's what I like to call your "phantom" body because the "phantom" body is probably what's responsible for amputees feeling crushing sensations in lost limbs. But I digress. When you're awake, both your real and phantom body are active. You can obviously move your real body, but you can also move your phantom body. It's easy, just imagine your hand, for example, is doing something it's not really doing. It helps if you close your eyes. If you really get into it, you can even feel objects with your phantom limbs, although you're not REALLY feeling them, you're actually just simulating the feel.

Now, when you dream you only have one body -- the phantom body. The real body is paralyzed and numbed (unless you sleepwalk). This is why your body can do stupid things in dreams, like morph, or overlap with itself (finger through hand RC), etc. The phantom body isn't as restrictive as the real body. But more importantly when you're trying to WILD, the phantom body does not get paralyzed at all.

So here's what you do: When you're fully paralyzed, just get out of bed. Not with your real body, but with your phantom body. Once you got some movement, open your phantom eyes and you should see your room. It might be weird and messed up, or you might not even be in your room at all. But that's about it. And if you're having trouble with mentally separating your two bodies, this is something you can practice when you're awake. Just sit or lie down, get comfortable, close your eyes, and feel yourself walking around.

Sometimes, people read so much about sleep paralysis that they miss a few important points:

You don't have to be completely still. Do not focus on achieving motionlessness. This is counter-productive.
You don't have to experience SP to get into a dream. Dream scenes may appear before SP, and by then you may not even feel it.

An interesting phenomenon I've noticed with those that have never felt sleep paralysis before is that they have the uncanny ability to "induce" it. Aspiring WILDers read so much about sleep paralysis, and focus on getting it. The mind reacts to this wish, and creates the sensations, however when this occurs it is most likely not the precursor to dreams. Even if you didn't create the situation, and it was natural sleep paralysis, I'd say you didn't get in because you were too excited (heart-racing).

thanks for the great info. I must say that I didn't read about SP because i didn't really want to do it immediately, but i felt like it was a good opportunity since i hadn't moved for about 10 min...and that'd i'd at least try and see what happens.

So, correct me if i'm wrong, but is this what you call an OBE? So you mentally can just walk right out of your body? And see your body laying in bed? My heart was racing because I was a bit scared to be honest.

It all seems so....crazy. I was exhausted because of it, so i dont really have an urge to try it again; but we'll see. Thanks for the info, guys. feel free to keep it coming.

So JollyRoger? You say you close your eyes and your in a lucid? Shouldn't it be where you're awake in the same exact spot you fell asleep and you "walk out of your body"?

If you get out of bed, you probably won't see your body. Because once you start to get out of bed, you're no longer in your real room. You're now in a dream, and in that dream, you are out of bed. So you won't see yourself lying there.

I also wouldn't call it an OBE. OBEs are deeper experiences that go way beyond simple dreaming.