I'm looking forward to getting back into lucid dreaming and astral projection! I have also been in search of information on a recurring situation that would happen to me for years.

I was a natural lucid dreamer as a child, but this was unfortunately accompanied by intense, recurring, and really painful episodes of sleep paralysis. I became terrified of sleeping and suffered from sleep paralysis episodes nightly. They decreased in frequency and I had my last SP episode at age 17. Typically, these episodes would consist of a feeling of intense fear, and a shadow figure entering my room and brandishing its long fingers before forcefully poking me in the sides until I got impaled. It sounds a bit stupid, but it was incredibly physically painful. ocassionally the situation would change, but this was the typical SP episode I would experience. My first OBE was when I got so angry at the shadow that I felt myself separating from my body to try to attack it.

The reason I bring this up is because fear of this happening again has been blocking my progress I believe. I am unable to lucid dream at will anymore, but I have had a few short astral projections. I want to know the psychological causes of SP, and possibly ways to protect myself in the astral?

My most recent experience astral projecting also ended really painfully. which is why I am approaching this with caution. I am willing to give more info if anybody asks.