Sleep Paralysis, A Sleep Disorder or Gift?

Sleep paralysis is often a very frightening event to those who do not know much about it. If you have ever heard stories about others who believed they were abducted by UFOs, or saw ghosts/spirits, many of those others experienced those events during sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis normally occurs either before the onset of a dream, or right after a dream. Most spontaneous occurrences of sleep paralysis occur immediately after a dream. What will happen is a person will wake up out of a dream, and find him or herself unable to move, or better put, completely paralyzed. This is the state of sleep paralysis. This should not be confused with sleep apnea, which is a serious condition that requires medical attention immediately.

I will begin by giving a brief history on my experiences with sleep paralysis. When I was young, I used to experience sleep paralysis maybe 5-6 times a month. Every single time I was terrified, and in most cases I felt there was an evil presence in the room. I would feel the presence moving closer and closer, but I could never see it. The presence always seemed to be just outside my field of vision. Back then I always thought of these as just another bad nightmare that I had on a regular basis. I had no idea that there was actually a scientific explanation this reoccurring event.

When you dream, your brain shutdowns your muscles so that you do not act the movements of your dream. The delay to reactivate your motor muscles while waking up results the state of sleep paralysis. Not only can you not move, but sometimes you will have auditory and visual hallucinations. Because you are "fully awake", you may still be partially dreaming in this state. Heavy hypnagogic imagery may manifest itself into full blown hallucinations right in your own room. The end result from those who have frightening experiences may be an abduction by aliens, or a visit from dead people. I have never experienced these thankfully, but I have however had some very cool, interesting, and even trippy hallucinations in sleep paralysis. The auditory hallucinations however, have not always been so pleasant.

An easier way to induce sleep paralysis is to use the alarm clock method. The onset of sleep paralysis itself is usually abrupt, lasting only a few seconds. From my personal experiences with it, I can suggest that usually you will begin to feel very heavy, very quickly, at the onset of sleep paralysis. Having a feeling of collapsing into yourself, or feeling of freefalling is also quite common. Once you have completed the initial transition into sleep paralysis, the first few moments are a bit odd, and difficult to describe. It is as if you are just a spec of existence in nothingness. It is definitely an altered state of conscience. This can last anywhere from a few seconds up to a minute. You may begin to feel wave like motions, or surges jolting through your body. These are known as "vibrations" and usually mean you are on the verge of entering a lucid dream. Sometimes they may become powerful, overwhelming, and painful. It just a matter of becoming used to these (initially) awkward sensations. Vibrations are not always present, so do not worry if you do not experience them. When it comes to auditory hallucinations, you may hear a high pitched whistling, loud drum beat, buzzing, static, and etc. Just remember that nothing is out of the norm when in sleep paralysis.

While in the state of sleep paralysis, some people may find themselves "stuck" and unable to enter a lucid dream. If this is the case, you must will your lucid dream to begin. There are a few ways you can do this. One way is to imagine yourself rolling off your bed. You must really try to feel it. If you do begin to feel yourself rolling, try not to be too alarmed. Sometimes it feels so real that you may be tempted to wake up just to make sure you really are not rolling off your bed. Within a few seconds of rolling, you should find yourself in your dream room, ready to begin your lucid adventure (or out of body experience depending on what you believe). Other ways include imaging yourself floating upward, willing a dream scene, or just waiting. Sleep paralysis on its own can be experience, so sometimes there is no reason to rush.

Hopefully for those searching for advice on how to get rid of sleep paralysis may be having second thoughts. Why have a panic attack during sleep paralysis when you can have a lucid dream? One of the biggest challanges of sleep paralysis is overcoming the feeling of fear and vulnerability. But overcoming this challange will give you a reward well worth it. Not only will your feelings of sleep paralysis be at ease, but you just may end up looking around yourself while in sleep paralysis and find yourself in your dream world! So try to think of it as a gift. If by whatever means you still feel you need medical attention, by all means go do so. Just be sure to give yourself a chance first. I hope this was helpful to all.