Do you experience Sleep Paralysis?

[pj]

So - have you ever experienced Sleep Paralysis? I haven't, at least not in the way I hear it described. I get that "shift" that Clairity talks about. After a discussion, I'm wondering how many really go through this.

[Mes Tarrant]

I don't practice WILDs very often, which I guess is when you consciously experience it the most.. but whenever I do, it's the spinning/falling sensation, or I might perceive that the walls are rushing toward me. It's very random for me. I've never had a scary SP experience. Yet.

[sycross]

I never get SP, my limbs may feel heavy, but never SP. I'm used to be a sleep walker, so that might explain it.

[Seeker]

I know of only two cases in which I was conciously aware I was in sleep paralysis. However, when WILDing, I'm sure I'm in SP, but am too busy watching all of the HI and experiencing all of the transitional sensations to wonder about SP.

[pj]

Technically speaking, I guess, we all experience it because it is part of sleep. But what I mean by "experience it" is whether you have ever been aware of it. Thanks for the replies! Both of these polls came from questions from somebody who has become concerned about experiencing them. I never have experienced either the Old Hag or SP, and started wondering just how many others experience it. My guess is that not a lot do, but we'll see.

[yabber]

I haven't yet managed a WILD, but I experience mild sleep paralysis when I do. Usually I feel like I can move my extremeties, but it takes concentration. It feels kind of pleasant. ;D And I feel heavy, too, but not like there is "lead" over me. I usually feel random twitching in my legs, feet, and hands/fingers, as well. Do you guys not feel it at all, or do you feel it mildly like I do?

[ninja9578]

I rarely WILD, but I do feel it take over my body very rapidly in my DEILDs. Most of the time it's as if I was laying on a beach and a wave comes over me. Occasionally I feel extremely violent shaking.

[LuxAeterna]

Never. That is, if what you mean is trying to move and not being able to while falling asleep or while waking up or while WILDing. Hmm. Actually, strike that. I did feel sluggish while trying to "surface" from hypnompic images/sensations one time. It only lasted a few seconds, though, and I could feel it lifting as I made an effort to move. But I never felt seriously trapped in paralysis. But if you are talking about the attendant sensations, such as feelings of moving or sliding, or auditory hallucinations etc, then yes, every time I WILD. But not at other times. -Lux

[~Erin~]

For myself I would say Rarely it only happens when I fall asleep on my back and stay like that as I fall asleep and never move.

[arby]

When I do experience it, its usually off in the back of my mind. I normally VILD and thus I am trying normally to pay as little attention to my body as possible. I have tried some of the WILD techs floating about though and SP is... interesting. I always seem to be able to move my limbs if I really try. Like, they feel really, really heavy but if you focus properly, its like a hot knife through butter and the SP melts away. Thus, SP has never really been scary for me. Just a bucket full of cool weirdness. I'll play around with it again tonight =P.

[FreeOne]

i only ever had real sp once. It wasnt scary or anything it was actually kinda cool. I dont know what triggered it though.

[Torcher]

I get SP only if I don't take anything to help me go to sleep - melatonin, benadryl, etc. I don't like, and can't use SP to get me lucid. I try to avoid it, honestly.

[Magus]

I have never been able to WILD straight from being awake. But i experience SP about twice a week when i suddenly wake up during the night, which i use now to go back into the dream lucid. If i really want to wake up, it takes me a good 10-30 seconds to shake off the current and be able to move or talk. Its a really neat experience IF you get past the old hag.

[Moonbeam]

I have rarely experienced it; but I think it's been so long, probably before I started lucid dreaming, I can't remember exactly when it happens.

[Adam]

I think you should have changed the poll to the two types of sleep paralysis, PJ - I have spent a lot of my time reading peoples experiences of SP and it would appear most people experience hypnogogic paralysis, which is what you experience shortly before falling to sleep, hence you get this when you WILD But for me the real fun is in hypnopompic paralysis - the paralysis experienced shortly before waking up. This for me is a lot stronger and you are far more aware of the paralysis, to the fact you can force yourself to move, and still nothing happens, however do this when trying to WILD and you will almost certainly be able to move because your mind is far more aware before you go to sleep when WILD than waking up. Anyway, I get the hypnopompic paralysis, and it used to scare me as a child and even getting into adulthood, but now I know what it is, i use it to induce lucid dreams

[Bonsay]

The closest I got to SP was once I tried WILD in the afternoon. I didn't finish what I started, but I did get some SP in my right arm. That's it. Although I did "freeze" in LDs and some normal dreams (Which became LDs as a consequence to the freezing). Maby that was me feeling SP while staying in the dream (for a few seconds).

[FarSeeker]

I've been struggling for the last 4 months to perfect the SP/OBE technique of lucid dream initiation. I have achieved SP several times, but this weekend was the first time I was able to successfully exit my body. However, I have yet to replicate that success in the last few nights since. I think the SP thing is more of an art than anything else. You have to be just the right mixture of asleep and awake, willing to patiently lie motionless for a half hour or more, and able to keep your eyes focussed on an imaginary spot. And then once the vibrations starts, you have to be able to effectively visualize yourself out of your physical body. Various parts of this, however, can be practiced at other times in preparation for the real thing.

[Tsunami]

I have only experienced SP a few times. Only on one occasion it happened when I was trying to make it happen. I get freaked out every time, seems silly now.

[Redrivertears]

Hey, I've never experienced Sleep Paralysis either. I get lots of hypnagogia, and I can consciously experience my limbs feeling numb or feeling dissociated (like they're in a really odd and strange position). I do get vibrations or tingles as well. But I can always... always move if I want to. And attempting to do so instantly stops anything I'm experiencing. -Redrivertears-

[bro]

I voted "rarely" I'll get it once in a blue moon after waking from a nightmare or so and feel desperate to move, but just cannot...also, occassionally after waking and then sinking right back into sleep..if i'm relaxed, I can feel my body become "disconnected" from my brain....and then it's rather easy to enter a lucid dream, with focus and relaxed confidence.