Anyone have tips for getting past this wall of mine?

I know a lot of you are tired of the, "How close am I?" threads but I was more so looking for tips because I couldn't really find any threads talking about feeling you muscles shake. I mean like small seizures, not just the vibrations. I'd like to describe my events to see if I actually am moving in the right direction because I haven't been able to WILD yet. I've been trying for literally years.



I start by getting in a comfortable position on my back in bed. Feet and hands not touching each other, sometimes my dog is there. I feel like he helps me keep the nightmare thoughts of SP away. I'll lay absolutely still and try to actually let my mind drift off. I've began to notice when things start "shifting gears" like there's a process in which your body goes through while entering sleep paralysis.

For me the process goes like this:

1. I'll start to feel like there's more black space behind my eye lids. Kind of like if you close your eyes with your face really close to a wall vs if you close your eyes in an open room.

2 My mind will start to drift off more frequently, at this point I start my mantra. "Mind awake, body asleep". Mr. Robot style.

3 My heart will start to feel like it's racing, then slow down just to pick back up again. I feel find that sometimes it's hard to breath. In my mind I feel like it's at this point where people described it as someone sitting on their chest but I don't feel like there's pressure on my chest. I really just feel like I can't catch my breath but eventually I do if I just let it pass. I'm afraid to take too deep of breathes because I'm not sure if that will break the process.

4 The time it takes from 3 to 4 varies from 15-30 minutes for me, which is excruciating. There are two things that happen here for me. First, that little flap on my ear will start to twitch and it will catch my attention. When it does I feel multiple waves of vibrations going from my head to my toes. I'll also start to feel like my mouth is opening when it's really not. Second, I'll start to see shifting colors behind my eye lids. It's a pulsating movement that starts as a faint white light at the corner of my eyes, morph into a circle and get smaller till it vanishes and starts again. It's at this point that I find it's very hard not to focus on what's happening to my body and I feel that it brings me out of the process. Except last night I think I found that 5th step.

5 My thigh muscle starting to twitch for quite a while and I could start to heard a faint, high pitched hum in my ears. I wasn't sure if my leg was tense or not so I kept trying to relax it but in my attempts to relax my leg I accidentally moved it and instantly it all went away.

All that being said, how am I doing? Is there anything that anyone can give me tips on to finish this. I used to be really scared of the 'nightmare' images you'd see in sleep paralysis but at this point I just don't give a fuck anymore. Sometimes I will see scary faces appear behind my eyelids but I just think to myself, "Get the fuck outta here I'm trying to finish this".



TL;DR: I think muscle spasms are a close indicator to SP, not sure. Wut do?

It's normal for heart rate and breathing rate to go down and for breaths to become deeper during sleep. This happens naturally as Non-REM sleep becomes deeper, which is normal during WILDs. Taking too deep of breaths won't break this process.

Use these various sensations you are experiencing as indicators you might be dreaming rather than indicators of SP. It is possible to experience these sensations during a dream and you take them as indicators of SP, you could spend the whole dream waiting for some other indicator of dreaming, which may not appear.

If you think you might be dreaming, do a motionless reality check. Using your intention rather than your muscles, try to move your body or bed in some way, try to see your room through your closed eyelids or try to manipulate the dream in some other way.

You're doing fine! You may be getting close to dreaming or have been experiencing dreams. For me, the vibrations and high pitched hum has been indicators of dreams before.

I agree with Dolphin about attempting some passive control. It could be as simple as pretending you think the shapes look like butterflies, and see if they start actually looking more like butterflies. You can try to float or spin. Avoid any thought of moving your body in a normal way.
Most important!!! Do not forget you ARE TRYING to fall asleep. Your breathing gets slow and chemicals change in your brain. Simply take any change you feel as a sign you are starting to sleep. But do not stay very aware. Thought and attention will make it hard to sleep. The anchor, such as a mantra, is there to keep the tiniest flicker of awareness, not to keep your mind engaged.
Thinking about how to do it, or if you are doing it right hurt the process. Get comfy on your back and let everything shut down, but a hint of awareness. For me being on my back will make true sleep hard. I stay there until I am so very very close to asleep, only being prevented by the position. I have a hint of awareness; I shift to my side and am asleep in seconds. With luck I am still aware and can begin my exploration.
A dream does not always form just because you are asleep. Explore the fascinating things you can see in n-REM until a dream hits. These may be images of places you have seen, vivid flashes of memory, or strange feelings like spinning around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dolphin

It's normal for heart rate and breathing rate to go down and for breaths to become deeper during sleep. This happens naturally as Non-REM sleep becomes deeper, which is normal during WILDs. Taking too deep of breaths won't break this process.

Use these various sensations you are experiencing as indicators you might be dreaming rather than indicators of SP. It is possible to experience these sensations during a dream and you take them as indicators of SP, you could spend the whole dream waiting for some other indicator of dreaming, which may not appear.

If you think you might be dreaming, do a motionless reality check. Using your intention rather than your muscles, try to move your body or bed in some way, try to see your room through your closed eyelids or try to manipulate the dream in some other way.

You're doing fine! You may be getting close to dreaming or have been experiencing dreams. For me, the vibrations and high pitched hum has been indicators of dreams before.

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When having increased heart rate, how close would you say you are you to entering a dream?