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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Dreams > Lucid Dreaming

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  #1  
Old 04-02-2016, 03:03 PM
Black Sheep Black Sheep is offline
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The gift of Sleep Paralysis...

Sleep paralysis, also known as REM atonia, often is referred to both the medical condition, as well as commonly used in layman terms in describing the state of "paralysis" induced during a WILD, which may produce a similar cluster of experiences though markedly less intense, spontaneous, etc. such as tingling, hypnagogic hallucinations(tactile, auditory, sensory or visual sensations), feelings of lightness, falling, etc.

The medical condition is a REM sleep parasomnia characterized by an inability to perform voluntary movements often associated with marked anxiety, fear, and occurs either at sleep onset (hypnagogic form) or on awakening (hypnopompic form).

It happens naturally, as a person is going to sleep, their body may feel paralyzed, though it doesn't affect the ability to breath, it may be a frightening experience. This is often confused with common dream images or sensations experienced while falling asleep. Though very different when experienced first hand.

It generally affects a minority of the population-7.6% general, more with sub-groups.

Personally speaking, I was on another forum, the thread was shut down in a heartbeat(taboo topic), but thought it was a fun topic to discuss openly. As someone who grew up with the medical condition, I understand how it can be confused with WILDs, and other such phenomenon. As a child, I thought of it as a curse...I literally feared going to sleep, the sensation of a shadowy figure touching me, the existential terror, the inability to move, etc. I developed techniques to fall asleep without experiencing SP.
>Wiggling till I passed out helped prevent it from occurring as I fell asleep.
>I discovered, it happened more readily if I layed in a supine position(flat on back) than say others. So modified the way I fell asleep. Though I would also wake up in SP.
>I also discovered, if I focused incredibly hard on say wiggling my toe, I could break the SP and move again.

It wasn't until I was older did I realize it was a gift. Now when I feel a dark shadowy figure nearby, I know I'm in a great state to LD. Some of the HH can be incredibly fun, I just changed the way I related to it, and my experiences began to change too. I've had many great adventures and opportunities for growth through this "disorder."

So my question is, if you have experienced SP, how so? And what gifts has it brought you?(And anything else you'd like to add)
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  #2  
Old 05-02-2016, 03:40 PM
Black Sheep Black Sheep is offline
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Hi, Beebeeb13.
I noticed they "temp" banned you! Turns out they are that petty. I didn't appreciate how the admins. of that forum(dreamviews) used such foul language with you. I can't send you any pms. So if you see this, ((hugs if wanted)). Pm me, or we can talk about sleep paralysis out in the open like normal people.

Also, I thought you gave some great advice on how you use SP, really universal for LDers. Loved it if you posted here.
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  #3  
Old 15-02-2016, 07:02 PM
Pleroo Pleroo is offline
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I used to have sleep paralysis quite often when I was younger. (Childhood through my 30s.) It never happened as I was falling asleep though, I don't think. I would be asleep and feel myself wake up and realize I was conscious but was unable to move. Terrifying. I eventually figured out that if I stopped struggling to wake up and just relaxed into it, I would come out of it and wake up. That wasn't easy to do! Now, the few times that I've tried to lucid dream, I've hoped I could put myself back into that state as I'm falling asleep, but I've never been able to. I've had a few lucid experiences in dreams, but not through the SP avenue. It's cool that you have had success.
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  #4  
Old 16-02-2016, 12:47 AM
Rawnrr Rawnrr is offline
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The edge of sleep and waking is an area I play around with alot. Whether while going to sleep or waking, both allow avenues where you can follow the progression of your consciousness into the different states.
I have had quite a number of SP events, but never with the terror many people seem to experience. Likely it is because my conscious awareness is still in a more active state, and I am intentionally exploring the experience rather than feeling a victim of it as someone who may "accidentally" fall into it may feel.
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  #5  
Old 16-02-2016, 01:08 AM
Bubbles Bubbles is offline
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Same here, I could only count on my fingers the amount of times it happened, and it was throughout the years. However this only happened as when I woke up and never as when about to sleep.

The first time it happened I wasn't sure what just happened, I told some people about it but nobody seemed to know what I was talking about and told me it was a dream. Heard it so many times that I started believing it, until it happened a second time some years later, right then I went straight on google and wrote 'sleep paralysis' and was shocked to see that this is actually a thing. I remember and see it as common, that when this happens, besides the panic, there is an attempt to scream loudly.

When it happened to me in the first times I 'simply' tried to move all my body's muscles at once and scream with the panic, and eventually I was ''breaking the ice''.

The last time it happened to me tho, it's interesting because I acknowledged what was happening from the first millisecond so to speak, and for just a bit I tried to experience it without fighting it back (prolly just one thought, and not an intention), but as my mind was racing, I quickly got raged on it (if this makes any sense) and I said "oh no, I ain't got time for this ****,, the fu*k". And I was able to move after that. It didn't happened to me after that, but I don't really think it had anything to do with how I managed to ''break the ice last time", such as instead of panicking of the unknown, to simply acknowledge it and ... well yea..

I think if it would happen to me again I'd still panic, because in those seconds you can't really know how much is this going to last, it could be easier for you to think this is something permanent rather than identify it, especially if it's the first time or after a long time.

What you are experiencing tho.. seems something like I did not experienced. It's strange how you describe it as a ''gift'', but I think that it's a good thing you see it as such, as you have embraced it, and when you do that... monsters turn into butterflies :-)
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  #6  
Old 16-02-2016, 02:45 PM
Black Sheep Black Sheep is offline
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@Pleroo, I know what you mean about how it wasn't easy to relax into it, especially as a little kid. I noticed too, how it happened with greater frequency when I was younger, but now older less common by accident. Wish I knew why. But it's nice how you have several avenues of LDing, sometimes it's not the car that matters but the road you take to get there.

@Rawnrr-Have you ever heard of Dream Yoga, it's big on that precipice of sleep-awake. Isn't it fun?! Not just for lucid dreaming but it's a great place to practice theories from work, create art as if IRL, lots of potential.

Quote:
Likely it is because my conscious awareness is still in a more active state, and I am intentionally exploring the experience rather than feeling a victim of it as someone who may "accidentally" fall into it may feel.
I wonder about this as well, I can see how conscious awareness being in a more active state would be helpful. Now that I'm more aware of oh, this is SP, this is the first signpost, next signpost, etc., I experience it with a more active/inquisitive state than that hapless existential terror of victimhood. Do you think state of mind helps in this regard as well?

Quote:
The first time it happened I wasn't sure what just happened, I told some people about it but nobody seemed to know what I was talking about and told me it was a dream. Heard it so many times that I started believing it, until it happened a second time some years later, right then I went straight on google and wrote 'sleep paralysis' and was shocked to see that this is actually a thing. I remember and see it as common, that when this happens, besides the panic, there is an attempt to scream loudly.
I had similarish, no one knew, depending on the library was ugh....theories aplenty, some fear-based(I needed to pray the evil spirits away), being "haunted," etc. Not till many years later, till well computers, and internet came about, I found out about SP, then oh, can't believe I had so many years of wasted opportunities.

Quote:
When it happened to me in the first times I 'simply' tried to move all my body's muscles at once and scream with the panic, and eventually I was ''breaking the ice''.

The last time it happened to me tho, it's interesting because I acknowledged what was happening from the first millisecond so to speak, and for just a bit I tried to experience it without fighting it back (prolly just one thought, and not an intention), but as my mind was racing, I quickly got raged on it (if this makes any sense) and I said "oh no, I ain't got time for this ****,, the fu*k". And I was able to move after that. It didn't happened to me after that, but I don't really think it had anything to do with how I managed to ''break the ice last time", such as instead of panicking of the unknown, to simply acknowledge it and ... well yea..
Makes sense. I've never raged on it before, though nowadays, I'm more like ugh...taking for.ever. to get to stage 2 SP(body/breath dissipates to an almost death-like sensation). I've heard anger is a very movement oriented-type emotion, so can see how that would break the ice, but feel different from panic/fear which is paralyzing(at least for me it is).

Quote:
What you are experiencing tho.. seems something like I did not experienced. It's strange how you describe it as a ''gift'', but I think that it's a good thing you see it as such, as you have embraced it, and when you do that... monsters turn into butterflies :-)
Ha ha, you're sweet! It's just part of my motto, everything is inherently neutral, it's how you regard it makes it a gift or a curse, thus changing the experience.

I noticed the images that arise during SP, and hypnagogic hallucinations also change, like an incredibly vivid bio-feedback tool in accordance to mental state or vibration level(higher vibrations tends to create geometric/fractal images of radiating light vs. lower darker/colder more concrete like jellyfish floating in the air or spiders crawling on the ceiling). Just a theory though, investigating personally, the whats and whys.

Thanks for all your inputs guys! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and experiences on SP! ((group hugs if wanted))
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  #7  
Old 16-02-2016, 05:02 PM
Rawnrr Rawnrr is offline
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Quote:
I wonder about this as well, I can see how conscious awareness being in a more active state would be helpful. Now that I'm more aware of oh, this is SP, this is the first signpost, next signpost, etc., I experience it with a more active/inquisitive state than that hapless existential terror of victimhood. Do you think state of mind helps in this regard as well?

I believe that ones state of mind affects the experiences on can have.....and is a likely cause as to why I have not experienced the terrifying aspects of SP....but this is only speculation because I have not had the experiences to experiment with
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Old 17-02-2016, 04:37 PM
Black Sheep Black Sheep is offline
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Quote:
I believe that ones state of mind affects the experiences on can have.....and is a likely cause as to why I have not experienced the terrifying aspects of SP....but this is only speculation because I have not had the experiences to experiment with
I was suspecting that. When I had terrible C-PSTD, the SPs were...well terrifying, though interesting to investigate. I've had a bit of opportunity to experiment with drastic/dramatic states of mind, but still feel it's only speculation as well, mostly due to the limited scope of my investigation(strictly personal).

I've read similarly, during deep meditative states(I find they have remarkably similar nuances to SP), those who came from say a less than "supportive" or "loving" household tend to fall into rather "negative" experiences similar to SP. Whereas those with fonder upbringings tend to "bliss out" and the images that arise are also affected suchly. Still my investigation is rather limited to those I know who practice.

It's nice to bump into someone who similarly enjoys the exploration/science of consciousness. I enjoy your speculations, mostly cause I agree with them. :P
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  #9  
Old 17-02-2016, 04:45 PM
Howla Dark Howla Dark is offline
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I've never experienced sleep paralysis.
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  #10  
Old 17-02-2016, 11:01 PM
Rawnrr Rawnrr is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Sheep
It's nice to bump into someone who similarly enjoys the exploration/science of consciousness. I enjoy your speculations, mostly cause I agree with them. :P


Indeed it is. I have had lucid dreams for as long as I knew what a lucid dream was..and likely before. But I have also had many dreams of many different types that it became clear to me that there are many different types of experiences happening during our sleep state, and the best way to truely understand them is to build the strength of our awareness during those times.
To that end, I have attempted and devised many practices to build that.

Rawn
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