Hey guys,

long time reader, first time poster.

I thought maybe someone could shed some light on my experiences - sorry to sound like a beginner.

I have had several lucid dreams before, mostly DILD's with a few brief WILD's -and I've been attempting to lucid dream on and off for about a year now. The way I stumbled upon the community online as so many of us do- was from researching my intense sleep paralysis.

I have always experienced intense SP, even before i knew about or attempted lucid dreams. I often awake in bed, unable to move but conscious. It's scary sometimes, as I'm sure most of you know.

After learning that is is completely normal and that I wasn't going to die in my sleep (ha) I began to care less about it, and focus more on lucid dreams. I even started using SP as a gateway to lucidity, and started having fun there.

The problem is this - lately my SP has become overpowering. I'm extremely busy right now. I rarely have enough time to put the effort into attempting lucid dreams at the moment- but regardless I will awake with INTENSE sleep paralysis.

I get the usual heavy weight feeling on my chest. When this occurs, I tell myself that it is completely normal, and to calm down. But I need air! My lungs wont work! Sometimes, if I attempt to breathe, the effect intensifies and i feel like i am suffocating. If I don't breathe, i begin to panic because I run out of oxygen. Sounds weird huh? It is, especially since I thought I overcame this little hurtle.

Do you think it may be stress related? Alcohol related? (I'm a college student, heavy drinker)

Starting to freak me out. Any suggestions/techniques for converting intense SP into LD's?

I can't even think when this happens it's crazy!

Thank you in advance,

the alchemist