Many readers have asked me about specific tactics for turning a sleep paralysis attack into a lucid dream. Because isolated sleep paralysis happens during REM at sleep onset, we’re only a hair’s breadth away from losing the paralysis sensations and moving deeper into the dreamworld with our self-awareness intact. As such, sleep paralysis is a reliable portal into lucid dreaming, as well as astral projection.
The problem is, we often get stuck in the doorway.
So here’s how to get unstuck. This post is derived from my book Sleep Paralysis: A Guide to Hypnagogic hallucinations and visitors of the night.
Prerequisites: Affirm, Breathe and Set your Intention
Fear is the number one hurtle to overcome in sleep paralysis. I would be lying if I suggested that I have completely mastered this 100% of the time. SP is freaky by design, and I always have to work with my ego defenses before exploring further. Every. single. time.
First, affirm that “I’m in sleep paralysis” to calm the nerves. The paralysis is a normal mechanism that comes with REM sleep, but being conscious of it and fighting against it only spirals into fear and spookier hallucinations. Acknowledging this is a good preparation for the out-of-control emotions that sometimes come with REM dreams thanks to the strong activation of the amygdala, the part of the brain that the activates fight or flight response.
Next, focus on your breath so you see that you can breath normally. If you try to breathe in quick gulps, you may feel extra pressure or resistance, due to the fact that the throat and chest muscles are slack during REM paralysis and you may also be taking in less oxygen than when awake. Breath is the key to relaxation. Just do it normally, and you’ll notice how more in control you feel.
Then, remember your intention to go deeper into the dream. If you have a specific desire, now is the time to recall it and bring it into the moment. The three techniques that follow are examples of well-formed intentions.
Remember, if it gets too weird, you can always wake up from sleep paralysis using tried and true methods.
1. Be Here Now
This method is about imagining where you want to be, and opening your eyes to that reality. After you have centered yourself, close your eyes. (Your eyes may actually be closed already while you are in SP because you may be dreaming the bedroom scene without knowing it. In either case, closing the eyes is a psychological step towards moving inward.) Notice how the strange floating sensations continue, and relax into them.
Now draw up your intention and make a declaration. For example, “I want to fly over the ocean!” Rather than imagining yourself traveling there, imagine yourself here, at the ocean, right now. If you are still in the dream state, the dream will emerge from the darkness of your closed eyes. The dream will actually crystallize around you until it seems as real as waking life. Remind yourself, “I’m dreaming,” and notice how clear your mind feels, how real the sensations feel, and how bright the colors are.
2. Enter the Vortex
Close your eyes, and focus your attention in between and slightly above the eyes. When the lights and imagery begin to swim around, keep the focus. After a while, the spectral lights will “gather” around your point of concentration, like a kaleidoscope. Keep the focus, but will yourself to enter this imagery. With practice, if you are still in REM during sleep onset, the imagery will expand and envelope the visual field. This imagery forms a vortex and often is associated with feelings of falling or flying. Go through the tunnel and enter the dream. When you’re in the tunnel, you can set an additional intention about where you want to visit, or you can just wait and see where you emerge. Both will have some surprises.
3. Go with the Flow
This is one of my favorites. Instead of using intentionality (or prospective memory, as Stephen LaBerge calls our remembered desires during lucid dreaming), just go where you are pushed. For example, I often get sleep paralysis when sleeping on my stomach in the late mornings when my sleep is characterized by long REM periods and light sleep. I’ll feel the pressure and gravity pushing me down. I just “pull” where I’m pushed. This is the concept of wu wei in traditional Taoism, defined as “effortless action.”
Often this method causes my perceptual body to melt through the mattress and into a vast empty space in the dreamworld. It’s similar to the lucid dreaming void encountered when going into mirrors or walls during lucid dreaming. From here, I can set an intention, or float around without a dreambody and enjoy the amazing geometric imagery. Sometimes I wake up, and other times, the dream will recrystallize around me.
These techniques are what work for me, and are also based on what I’ve learned from lucid dream teachers, including Stephen LaBerge, Robert Waggoner and Lucy Gillis.
I’m sure there’s more techniques for transforming sleep paralysis, so I welcome you to share your methods for transforming sleep paralysis into a lucid dream.
For more about transforming sleep paralysis into lucid dreams and beyond, check out my book Sleep paralysis, now in its 2nd edition, updated and expanded.
Cover image “Tunnel” thanks to Jugbo
Hi Ryan,
First time caller, long time listener. I was wondering what the significance is of the point between and slightly above the eyes. I ask because I find myself frequently gathering attention at this point several times throughout the day, just to feel that pressure.
I haven’t experienced SP in quite a while, but I’ll be sure to intend to remember these things next time. Thanks for the post!
Hi Ryan!
I actually experienced sleep paralysis a couple times and one time it truly freaked me out. I felt like I was being held down, I was hearing voices and then I started to see millions of lights shooting around before I was able to wake up from it. That was the only amazing part (seeing all the different colors) I am so happy that you post your experiences and how we I can change that experience into an epic experience. I love lucid dreaming, I am actually looking forward to seeing if I can transform this. 🙂 I have been trying to get in contact with someone that knew more about this, I am so happy to of found you! Thank you!!
Foz, this focal spot has a long history of significance in many sacred traditions. it’s the third eye, also know as the sixth chakra. I learned about it at age 6, when my mom suggested I fall asleep with my focus there. She was pretty tuned into the mystical life of children! The tunnel is what happened next….
Alissa, good to see you’ve got your new blog going! the experience of light in this way is truly an amazing experience. thanks for sharing.
Mr. Hurd,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and research with us. I purchased you book which came yesterday and I’m half way through it. I have been dealing with SP for at least 27 years. (I am now in my early 30s) and until recently I seldom spoke about it. I am trying to embrace the possibility of the experience(s) being a portal into the depths of my subconscious or maybe a way to elevate my spiritual consciousness. I have some pretty uncanny accounts that I can recall with great detail. One such account where I and my fiance were asleep and she had her 1st and only episode of SP. She awoke, woke me, and told me in detail what she’d experienced. I comforted her, assured her she’d be ok, but didnt quite know how to explain what happened to her at the time. Anyhow, upon me going back to sleep I encountered the apparition she described and had a conversation to establish his intent. (W/out going into too much detail) He informed me that he was in search of someone whom we didnt know. In essence I gathered the he was a lost soul that wouldnt rest until his loved one was found. After that experience my attitude toward SP was forever changed. I didnt always feel afraid, yet I want to embrace the lucid dreaming concept but am still stymied by fear. As you know and state in your book each experience is different and unique. I’ve gotten to the place where I can tell myself “Ok, relax. You’re in SP. Breath, now where do you want to go?” Now the farthest I’ve gotten using this technique was the feeling that I was in the cockpit of a supersonic jet or shuttle during take off with incredible G-force, then a HH threw my focus off and I panicked. This morning I had the feeling of falling into nothingness. Nothing was insight or reach. No smells, no sound, no presence (of any kind was felt), only me falling. I guess I was afraid because this isn’t the nornal feeling I get and it caught me off gaurd. I wasnt afraid of falling, hitting the bottom and/or dying. I guess just the fear of not knowing what exactly was goin on as far as where I was was the frightening part. I tried techniques you suggested, but failed to remain intrepid and focused. Do you have any suggestions that you feel may help? I also wonder why am I having these epeisodes so frequently at this point in my life? A few in a week’s time, sometimes more than once a night. I’m not always on my back (I dont believe). Also my mother suggests that I go to a professional for an evalution because of the affects that a lack of good rest can have on the body has raised her concerns for me. I am in northern California. Do you happen to know of anyone I may want to consult with? I am aware that there is a sleep study program at U.C. Davis. Are you familiar with or know of anyone that works there or may have been a subject in their program? Thanks again for providing the literature and forum for this type of information to be exchanged and discussed. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
David
Hey David, if you’re suddenly having a lot of episodes it could be due to some new stressor in your life, perhaps, or a new habit that is disrupting your sleep. Just in case, you may want to test if you’re at risk of sleep apnea, which can secretly rob you of good sleep and cause SP as a side-effect. https://portal.watermarkmedical.com/Sleepportal/PatientScreener.aspx?AccountGUID=87b623ad-fb99-4910-a91d-311bfc81ceb9&PatientGUID=&DoctorGUID=
also, I have experienced the “nothingness” that you write of and want to comfort you that it is a safe “place” – it’s a world between worlds, and a great place to make an intention about “where do I want to go next?” as you say. there’s no danger of “hitting the ground.” I actually go to this zone on purpose to enter into lucid dreams.
Mr. Hurd,
Thanks for the response. Yes there have been added stressors in my life and I am also a transitional stage in my life where I am seeking (and achieving more) personal growth. I have recently relocated (regions accompanied by a myriad of adversely, unexpected events)within the past 6 months and am just now begining to get settled.
I took the sleep apnea test in the link you posted. It resulted in finding me at minimal risk. I was wondering about this “world between worlds” you speak of. My biggest problem seems to be remaining calm. How do you manage to not get anxious or scared while in this place? Since coming into the knowledge of lucid dreaming, I am very excited at the possibilites of the experience. I realize this adjustment will take take time, but since you’ve already been there I didnt think it’d hurt to ask. Another thing is when I 1st realize what’s going on, my mind begins to race in anticipation. What can I do to quell this affect? Its funny after all these years I was afraid of these “dreams” (w/out realizing they’re dreams), now I find myself chasing them. Thanks again for your help. Enjoy your weekend.
David
I do this thing sometimes when I start dreaming and I’m able to control them without effort but sometimes after i find it hard to move like sleep paralysis.
This after noon this happened to me:
So i woke up and i knew what position my body was in, I could see myself from my perspective, I started trying to move and stretch and realized “okay sleep paralysis again it will go away”. I really couldnt for a while then as soon as I shook myself mentally, I literally could feel being able to open my physical eyes even when i could see around me while i was asleep.
So i was like meh ok sleep paralysis whatever it happens but I got curious to see if i could go back straight to lucid dreaming/astral projecting (I used to do this when I was younger but I always woke up without being able to move, feeling stuck etc) whatever i know this sounds crazy but then I remembered what happened in insidious – and some of the stuff there were pretty spot on except for the dead people part and being possessed – so i started getting scared of going too far w the lucid dreaming then i was waking myself up I could feel myself like shaking but not physically, I literally was fighting to wake my body up but i couldnt move and then i heard footsteps so it took so much energy to try and wake myself but when i did up i woke up exhausted.
This is probably not related but then I remembered how i dreamt earlier (I didnt control this and this was before my controlled awesome monster dream) that I was in another era like old timey era w people who didnt look modern and shit. After the old timey dream I woke up and just told my boyfriend who was on skype (he lives in another country for now, 6hr diff) and told him I couldnt sleep yet bec I was still scared. I said I didnt want to talk about it. I decided to okay read some funny stuff to get my mind off it then proceeded to go the usual, sleep again and start making my movies in my head.
Now, 9am my time, and 3am his time, he wakes up tells me he dreamt I was trying to be possessed… which is probably from saying I had a nightmare right before he had to go to bed, then I told him about my dream. It was pretty similar – but not the same.
Later on I took a nap, not 3 hours later. I didn’t do what I did before I slept (I usually visualize something before going to bed, it helps me start the lucid dreaming process) I mean I was taking a nap – a 20 min nap supposedly – then I started lucid dreaming. Time for me to get up again but then I that’s when it all happened.
This used to happen to me a lot a few years back. I don’t know what this means. I’m scared but also really curious about what I can do about this.
Ok this may sound a bit weird,I started experiencing Sp since a copule weeks,It ussually starts like a fake awakening,I wake,get up from bed then something unusual happends then I,m pulled back to bed,I always fight and sometimes this force starts to move me around room and I hit the walls.After that I find myself in the tunnel,It has simple white circles around me,and Im falling with high speed then I hit my bed and I wake up.And 2 nights ago I experienced something new added to this,after Sp I saw my body transforming into the tunnel,starting from my hands,they transform into circular forms than all my body.And you say there is no danger of hiting the ground,then is it normal what is hapening to me?
Im quite scared since unexplainable deaths in sleep trought history.
Hi Ryan.
Last night I was reading about lucid dreams and I came across this article. Well, I started to induce sleep paralysis at about 9.30 ( I generally sleep at around 10) and after about 10 minutes, I just gave up. Anyway, whilst I was trying to sleep, I think it was a dream, I’m not sure, I saw all these colours, and I heard these voices – not scary voices, just normal voices. Occaisionally I would hear my name. What is this and how can I turn it into a lucid dream?
I find this hole thing so incredibly fascinating. Ive been trying for 2 weeks to have lucid dreams but so far it hasn’t happened….last night I do think I finally went experienced sleep paralysis because I woke up feeling my arms and legs restrained to the bed and not able to pull myself up but I didn’t feel anything sitting on my chest nor did I see any shadows or figures standing over me….I really really want to learn how to do all the things youve wrote about!!! Any detailed tips you can give me that’ll help me get to sleep paralysis and then eventually to lucid dreaming and obe??
uhhhh i don’t think you want to go into sleep paralysis… lol you can take mines please!
Your post makes me jealous busaece I used to loooove to stay up late and sleep in. But having to get Logan to daycare and fight traffic to get to work by 8am means that we are up by 630 every morning, weekend or not, lol. I think it’s really nice that you can have this schedule now, I would just worry about changes once Aedyn reaches school age…. but, you still have a couple years before you have to think about that. Enjoy it!!
I actually experimented a few times purposely forcing myself into SP and then bringing myself out of it. The tricks for me were–lying flat on my back (for some reason, I have to keep my right arm above my head and turn my head slightly towards that arm for it to work) deep relaxed breaths, and focusing on not focusing on anything. I usually start to feel a tingle sensation throughout my entire body, notice my breathing changes, and then bam I’m there. I always got frightened of going any further, so I would stay in that stage for a minute or so, then wake myself up by focusing on my fingers and trying to wiggle them. Once I felt one finger move, I would be able to move my hand, then suddenly my body would jerk to be awake again. Be aware though, for me the first few times I went into SP I thought I was having a heart attack because my heart was POUNDING at a very fast pace and like it was about to jump out of my chest. I learned to calm down though by noticing it and just breathing normally…then it goes away. Just be aware that may happen to you and it’s freaky! lol
This post was great, I know it sounds strange but for me when I’m in a sleep panic I think of what calms me and gives me peace of mind. usually when I’m falling asleep I’ll start picturing myself driving racing through turns and across pavement in the most beautiful place where ever my mind wants to place me and the car 😛 if not it’s playing an instrument or more X rated reasons, someone once told me that sexual visualization is the easiest and smoothest way to transition your self from real world senses to onset of lucid dream simply because of anyone no matter who you are or what your orientation a sexual encounter is always a key stress relieving and relaxing, option
also to add along with my post, during SP what if you try these different methods to take yourself from it but your body keeps tricking you I woke up 7 times last night in the same way, I felt the paralysis and I went with the melting away feeling but that turned into pain and I kept trying to wake myself up but everytime I woke up I was still dreaming, I could NOT get out of it, I’ve never been more terrified. I thought I was dead. reliving the same moment almost 10 times all in different ways (mind you I’m taking life brand name basic sleep aids the past week ) problem is i didnt take them last night and this has been happening way more since 3 weeks
I actually have only experience this once when I was around 9. I was sleeping alone in the lounge and then I get this weird sensation of me falling and getting strangled or tightened by the blankets. Luckily for me it didnt go long for me because my mum came to check on me and it also stopped then, which I was very relieved for. I was very frightened after the feeling, though all this seems very interesting it seems good enough to find more about it
This is so interesting. Reading most of these posts, I realize that people talk about how they’ve had sleep paralysis once or twice– I’ve had it consistently for years.
Since high school, I’ve bee a nap person. I love naps! But sleep paralysis started during my day-naps sometime around college. Now, it is consistent– every single time that I nap during the day (if there is daylight in my room), I will have sleep paralysis. It MUST be daylight and I can SOMETIMES avoid it by using an eye cover (but it’s really rare that I can avoid it). I’m writing this because I’ve just woken up from an experience (for the 2nd time this week)–which has caused me to look further into what’s really happening to me.
Every time it happens to me, first I panic slightly (although by now it’s more of a “NOT AGAIN” type of feeling rather than a panic), then, I tell my brain to relax and relax all of my muscles in my body, then I JOLT myself awake. It usually takes 5-100 times (the more times it takes, the more frustrating it is, but generally it depends on how deep I am into sleeping), and I ALWAYS wake up out of breath and EXHAUSTED. I find that the waking-up-exhausted part is the worst, because I just want to go back to sleep but have to fight to stay awake because I’m scared it’ll happen again. (it is by NO means fun for me ever). However, I really liked your post and thought I’d comment. I’m going to try to do this next time.
Thanks!
hello sir ryan,
I started lucid dreaming half a week before. I can control and remain in consciousness till I reach sleep paralysis. at that level I usually hear a buzzling sound and freaky paralysis. after that I either wake up or if I ignore the sound & get relaxed, the sound fades away. please help me to get over lucid concept.
Pranjal, do you know how to induce sleep paralysis?
Hey! I have RISP which means its happens alot…anways since ive learned that I need to relax and stop fighting it has helped me out of SP! But the other night 3x I woke up not being able to move and was freaking the 3x was just 1 episode of the SP then I got in control and said whoever is doing this to me “Im going to catch you” so boom im running after a women with looooong black hair but couldnt catch her so I jumped out of a window flying thinking what a perfect blue sky and hearing women saying what a good day everythings alright sooo I just was flying and it was amazing then I woke up because I calmed myself down plus I controlled my mind making into a lucis dream! Your 100% correct that you can turn a scarey SP into a lucid dream! Thank You for your time and concern about making this page and helping others!
*~JoDi~*
Ive had sleep paralysis with really lucid nightmares. In my nightmare I am fully aware that I am dreaming but I try to wake up and it feels like I wake up but it’s just another dream and everything feels so real it’s terrifying
those can be scary — they are called false awakenings. I wrote about them – and how to deal with them — here:
http://dreamstudies.org/2010/05/04/how-to-stop-false-awakening-dreams/
Ive been fighting sleep paralysis for years. Over the last few months i have accepted it and it no longer frightens me. At dirst i will wake myself up. I then fibd a comfortable position to sleep in. And let the paralysis tske over. I will begin thinking about where i want to be.(i usually back home in pittsburghPA) vut last night i was in the old west for a point and a hospital in deleware. Since acceptibg my sleep paralysis i have never had such vivid dreams and always remember them. At first i didnt yhink i was sleeping bug soon realized i was extremely rested everymorning. I must have darkness and silence though ie.
I love lucid dreaming and I frequently have sleep paralysis, can’t wait to go from sleep paralysis to lucid dreaming.
Hi Ryan I’ve experienced horrifying sleep paralysis and I can honestly say I would have to be insane to put myself through it again on purpose to lucid dream. Ive had horrible visual and auditory hallucinations during sleep paralysis. And I have to ask, is there a way to do it without being terrified of seeing monsters or hearing demonic like whispers?
I have been bedbound with M.E for 8 years and due to my illness I have a visual kaleidoscopic hallucination made of green, orange, dark red, purple colours, which move in a particuler pattern and is there every time I close my eyes. I also have permenant musical tinitus. These things are very difficult for me to deal with on a daily basis during the day, whilst being awake anyway. Whilst trying to sleep however, on four different occasions I have had the same very weird freaky sensation whilst sleeping. It starts off with me staring at my visual hallucination with my eyes shut and my eyes move from side to side slowly, then all of a sudden it feels like I’m moving into the centre of my visual hallucination and falling into it, like it’s a portal or tunnel. I’ve never fallen into my hallucination during the daytime. In my sleep I see my visual hallucination speeding up getting faster and faster as I fall into it further and my tummy starts to flip because it’s so frightening, then all of a sudden I come out of the tunnel into a black void of space with dark red blobs underneath and white stars and I’m just floating there and I hear a sound like being submerged in water as I come out of the portal. I also feel my muscles in my head start to relax, almost like I’m in a state of healing but I’m so scared by it all that I try to wake myself up but I can’t move or speak. The fear snaps me back to my original visual hallucination, which is the beginning of the portal before I fell into it and it won’t let me fall back into it, maybe because I’m too anxious? This same experience has happened 4 times and it’s more scary to me because my visual hallucination is showing me things I don’t think I should be seeing. I would love to know what it all means though?
Listen, I am very fascinated with Lucid Dreams and still new, I never had the chance to experience a lucid dream. But I have experienced SP but at that time I did not think of it as anything important. I honestly don’t know how I got there but I was awake and couldn’t move. As I said, I didn’t think if it as anything. But now I want to have Lucid Dreams, but I do not know where to start. I read about “the third eye”. The only one i tried was taking 10 minutes to imagine where I wanted to be and telling myself I was going to Lucid Dream. I was nervous so my concentration kept breaking because of what I heard about crazy hallucinations, and I was afraid I would end up doing something in my sleep that I won’t be in control of, like being possessed, my body being controlled with my dream. If any of you have any tips on what to do right as I’m laying down ready for a Lucid Dream, or even what you do after you tell yourself that you are going to Lucid Dream I would appreciate it.
I dont know if this has been happening to me for a long time or not but I first became aware of my sleep paralysis almost 2 months ago. Its been happening sometimes twice a week. Never even knew there was such a thing until today. Searched the symptoms i was having through Google and was amazed by how common it is. Last experience was a few days ago. Had my visual hallucination being an unknown (dark/evil) presence walking toward my bed. Freaked me out, but now that i know what this is, and the possibilities that come with it, I’m definitely looking forward to having some fun with it next time around.
I tried entering SP last night and I was able to get in the state of it where I couldn’t move but I wasn’t able to enter a lucid dream. I think I may have been dreaming during it cause I was able to see my room but my eyes were closed but no matter how hard I tried I wasn’t able to change the change that I was always laying in my bed. How can I leave the room? I pictured everything changing but it never did and my mind fell asleep a while after when the scene wouldn’t change. What should I do?
Hi,
I’m new to the whole lucid dreaming. I think I had a few when I was younger but lately I’ve had quite a few and one that really scared me. I sat in bed to watch a DVD and half way through it I became so exhausted and I could feel my eyes and whole body shutting down. The weird thing is I was entering dream mode but could still hear the movie and knewy exact positioning in the room, in the beginning it felt like my eyes were open but my body was paralysed and seeing vivid colours like hallucinations that transformed into people pulling me in. Eventually after fighting it I have in and a bald man appeared surrounded by white light, I got so scared, then all off a sudden I was being thrown around and through walls. I opened my eyes and realised I was dreaming and tried to wake up but I wasn’t allowed to so as I was being thrown around I kept on saying wake up, wake up, wake up now. Then my eyes opened and a voice yelled out no and my eyes shut immediately without my control. Not long after I did wake up completely freaked out thinking I was actually going crazy. I’m not sure what to think at all.
im sure most of you have heard of the lucid dreaming fast track, is it worth it and could i find a free version anywhere?
I totally recommend Rebecca’s fast track…. it’s a great introduction to lucid dreaming. There’s no free version available, but you can pick up her core ebook on Amazon under the title “the Art of Lucid Dreaming.”
Hey, I read your article and found it interesting! My situation is I have been having many sp lately. I can’t move or call out and yea it’s scary when the first few times it happend. But now I’ve been reading more and finding info about it and I’m trying to relax into the whole thing! A few times it happend I felt light like I was floating and saw my arm coming out of my arm but got scared and woke up, the next time again, and again! But this last time I told myself don’t be afraid and I was laying on my stomach but the feeling came on again and I let it this time and it felt like I was pulled out of my body at a high rate of speed and I could feel the wind on my face like your driving the highway with a window down and I woke up cause I got scared again! And that’s where I’m at right now! I just had a question though, I saw some people try and practice steps to achieve These sp, and I’m not even trying, why is that do you think? It’s been happening quite a bit to me, we’ll great post found your article useful thank you!
Hi Ryan, im glad ive found this website, I hope you can help, ive had sp since i was 13 im 31 now and still cant get past the vile old lady who terrorises me well think its a lady its dressed in black and once opened my eyes to see this horrid skull like face screaming in my face scared the hell out of me, i hadnt had sp for a few years apart from the odd occasion untill now ive had it every night for the past week and its near 10 times each night and again i have that stranger lurking around and what feels like trying to hurt me or stop me going astral,when I’m falling asleep I start hearing random voices and of different languages then all of a sudden it has to come and spoil that for me as we’ll with a screeching scream. I’ve been to a claravoant and she said what I have is special learn to not fear death and the doorway will open, how will I know if I’m not scared to die? I really want to get into the astral I’ve only managed to get a glimpse but to be dragged back by that thing again any ideas?
I’m 14. I have sleep Paralysis, but I always forget to open my eyes. lol. Now that everyone tells me they see faces and crap I’m not sure if I even want to LOL. Anyway I get it everytime im on my stomach. EVERY. TIME. Can’t I just imagine myself elsewhere and THEN open my eyes. Instead of risking myself into having a freaking heart attack. I’ve had it for a while now lol. So ik how to get myself out of it in seconds. Now that I’ve mastered that part…I just wanna travel in peace… o_O
Hey Ryan,
I’ve never had SP, yet I’ve been really close. I’ve tried inducing it before, and I even get to the point where I can’t feel my body at all, but then I get restless and have to move. Also, one time in my life I was sort of experiencing a lucid dream (where I know I’m dreaming, but I don’t have the same logic or consciousness as when I’m awake), and I was able to wake myself up and go right right back into dreaming on command. I also had another time where I was reading a bunch of lucid dreaming/sleep paralysis stuff before bed. When I started dreaming, I dreamed I was still awake in my room, and then I induced SP. From that SP I was able to go into a lucid dream. It was like a lucid dream within a dream!
I just started looking up sp and lucid dreaming because i get sp so often that it doesnt even scare me anymore, it used to terrify me especially when i had nightmares in it. i didnt know i could lucid dream while in sp but i thought if i could have nightmares in it, why not good dreams? now after researching it im glad to see that i was right! i almost got to the point of lucid dreaming last time i had sp but i got so excited i woke up and my heart was racing haha guess i’ll just play around with it more.
So I have a problem with sleep paralysis, except weekday I do is sleep on the edge of the bed, and as I try to move I fall off the edge except I don’t fall I just kind of float vertically, then I can kind of move my legs, like they’re asleep, then I move into lucid dreaming.
Hello,
I am writing this at 3am. I feel like sleep paralysis is what’s happening to me, but mine is always so scary. The first time it happend was about a year ago. I felt it come over me slowly creeping up my body and pressing me into the bed. I always know when it’s going to happen because I will hear foot steps and suddenly go from dreaming into being in bed in my room, with the foot steps approaching my bed. Usually it only happens when im alone so I make special efforts to try and make sure im always with my husband at night. Although tonight I was with my husband and I had a tall manly shadow standing on his bedside. I heard the footsteps come in it scared me so I tried to wake up, but always at this point it is too late. I tried to move but as usual I couldn’t and I broke into a cold sweat like I would faint. The man kept talking and laughing menacingly. Finally I willed myself to try and scream for my husband who I could hear snoring next to me, but I could only let out small faint yelps. The figure sighed and disappeared and I heard the footsteps leave them I woke up. These episodes of sleep paralysis are tough on my nerves, why are they always so scary, I am never in this sleep paralysis without feeling as if someone or thing has put me there. How can I make this stop, or at least stop the feeling of helplessness. Often times I get so scared I just pray to God that I can move (this always works), but I want this to stop all together. I am a naturally a chicken when it comes to anything spooky and these episodes are doing a number on the amount of hours my body tricks me into getting, if it were up to me I would stay up all night to avoid these dreams.
……………. i have experienced SP , may be 2-3 times, when i was first informed about lucid dreams….. so far, i have only reached the stage where i feel the vibrations and seeing this lights. I also saw the tunnel you were talking about. The only problem is that, i don’t know how to enter that tunnel. And this vibrations are very strong that it can almost reach my head, disturbing the focus of my eyes…. can you help me?
Hello ive had sleep paralysis for awhile and other types of spiritual experiences and last night i saw my self enter my body could you shed some light on what might have happened?
Hello ! Thanks for the post. I’ve been very likely to have sleep paralysis and induce it since I’ve been reading about it, but stress and lack of time tend to make it harder to achieve.
Plus, I’ve never managed to enter a lucid dream through that medium as I can never seem to relax, even though it barely scares me now. A few days ago for instance, during sleep paralysis, I felt a very intense pain in my teeth, as if something was drilling into them from both sides. It was the first time the feeling was so real, and I could even hear the noise, as if I was at the dentist’s !
I have SP quite often. And the one thing that is really hard getting through is just that Evil dark feeling you get. there is just an awful feeling and it is nearly impossible get it to go away. And this feeling just induces panic. Even when i attempt to relax, that feeling is still there. how do i get the feeling to go away?
When I was between the ages of 10 and 18, I had a number of SP episodes. Like 40-50. They were all terrifying and I was usually in my bedroom, in bed and conscious of what was happening. A dark presence is alway there, but not seen. I studied lucid dreaming some and have had a number of lucid dreams in my life. At some point I began having dreams that turned into lucid dreams and then SP. In these episodes I experienced the SP in my house, often standing up at the top of stairs. I thought I could wake myself but would only wake to another dream that became lucid then turned into SP.
I’ve recently begun to experience SP again. My life is heavily stress circumstantially. Tonight I had an evil presence in my room that moved around on the floor. It’s terrifying and I had 2-4 bouts of SP in a span of 1.5 hours. I don’t mind the body vibrations, but the sensations of breathing through water and the dark presence continues to disturb me. I will try the suggested techniques to redirect my episodes and fear. I don’t enjoy SP at all and hope this will not happen too often.
So I hate sleep paralysis haha. It manages to happen to me like 4 times a month and it is so annoying, just laying there, can’t move, try yelling and no noise comes out. So it’s happened so often I held it out for quote awhile or felt like and had a lucid dream and I didn’t even know that was possible at the time so I thought I was weird haha now that I know what it is, everytime I’m in SP I’m just waiting for the moment 🙂
This year i have experienced SP more than 3x & everytime has been very creepy. Lastnight was just so ironic cuz i was watching a documentary on alien abduction & was basically saying theres a possibility that you are being visited by ET (Extra Terrestrial) & said that the visions can be ET controlling your mind & it was weird cuz right after i watched it i feel into SP
& i can remember i was on my bed i couldnt move & my blanket was kinda floating on the left side of me & i seen a face & in my mind im screaming mom & i look up to the top of my ceiling & there is like a body floating then i remember actually getting up cuz i was fighting so hard & that was it but now i know to not fight & just go with it!!