Thread: Sleep Paralysis Explained

Spreading the Myth: The SP Misconception


Dr. Stephen LaBerge, a man well known for his clinical research into lucid dreaming, and co-author of the book Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, wrote the following article: LaBerge Article on Sleep Paralysis.

Some of us have reason to believe this article may be the very origin of the current confusion surrounding Sleep Paralysis. If you haven’t already, please take a minute to read it over.

To summarize: In the article Dr. LaBerge discusses Sleep Paralysis and its effects. He attempts to reinforce the idea that the experience is not to be feared as it is a rare event. Dr. LaBerge also suggests that, based on one man’s experience, a subject stuck in SP may be able to transition into a lucid dream. That postulation is quite probably the source from which today’s prevalent misunderstanding arose.


Well-meaning people took that special case at face value, and guides insisting that SP was the gateway to WILD (Wake Initiated Lucid Dream) began popping up like wildflowers on numerous websites. Unfortunately this is not useful for the majority of lucid dreamers.