Thread: What to do when you enter sleep paralysis?

Allright guys, I've finally managed to enter sleep paralysis for the first time! I could definitely feel my whole body vibrating and could hear audio hallucinations. However, it lasted only for about 30 seconds to a minute, and then the sleep paralysis just went away. What am i doing wrong? How do i enter a dream from the sleep paralysis state?

Congratulations!

I can't see that you're doing something wrong, because I don't do anything special in order to enter a lucid dream from sleep paralysis. I've had the same problem as you, and that was because I got too exited. Try to keep calm and don't think about the paralysis. At first it's hard, but it gets a lot easier after a few tries.

Also, did you try to WILD with no previous sleep? I recommend sleeping for at least 5-6 hours before trying, or else it's almost impossible!

You're not far from success, so keep practising!

Originally Posted by OneiroMoon

Also, did you try to WILD with no previous sleep? I recommend sleeping for at least 5-6 hours before trying, or else it's almost impossible!

why? that sounds more like WBTB because you would sleep before WILD

Originally Posted by Howlgram

why? that sounds more like WBTB because you would sleep before WILD

A wild attempt can easily be combined with a WBTB, and it should indeed make it a lot easier to pull off (As OneiroMoon indeed pointed out)


That being said, I have the same problem as Naradien describes - my typical Wild attempts go something like this:

Wake up after sleeping for x hours
Try to wild
Fail because of trying too hard
Give up and just go to sleep
Enter SP, since I am no longer trying too hard (but still aware of my thoughts)
Get overly excited and accidentally end SP.

Therefore I'm currently trying to get WILD attempts in whenever I can, to relieve the excitedness.
I imagine that might help you too Naradien - if you haven't had a lot of attempts yet, that is.

okay, what i have understood is that you need to sleep but staying in the most light state of consciousness without getting excited (that gets you too conscious) nor falling asleep, i think that is the point where people need to stand

My WILD'ing is very random, I'll have a WILD every day for almost a week, and then I'll have a dry spell for 2 weeks or so (which is the phase I'm at right now), and one thing I can tell any complete noobie (since I am still new to LD'ing myself) is to not try too hard if you are doing WILD's, as they have never worked for me when I try too hard. And the question about sleep paralyis, you are either getting too excited and waking yourself up or not even actually in sleep paralysis.

The reason I say this is that by the time I have reached SP, it only takes about 30 seconds before I am up and moving in a dream, so there is no imagining or no effort involved once you get SP, you just gota remains passively aware. For the first reason (getting too excited), you need to gain more experience and get used to the idea of entering SP while fully aware of the process, so keep trying and one day you will get it.

Short answer for what to do when you've reached SP? : Absolutely NOTHING

Next time, whenever your SP ends, just open your eyes calmly. Most likely the moment you open them everything or at least Something will seem odd (ex. blurry vision, movements everywhere in the room, vibrations in the wall), but whatever you do don't think you've failed just because your SP ended. That's what happened with me, SP would come, it would end and I would think that I failed and end up waking up. Turns out they were false awakenings.

Now every time I do encounter Sp, I just wait till its over and when it is I open my eyes and I'll instantly know I'm dreaming because for me the moment I open my eyes everything is just blurry and messed up, but I always start off where I fell asleep. It just took a while for me to finally realize it because before there would only be Tiny hints that I was dreaming when my Sp ended, but as weeks passed and I started entering Sp a bit more it started becoming Painfully obvious that I was dreaming and it happens like that every time now, I still can't do it whenever I want however..it will happen like...once a week or every two weeks, but I've never tried a WBTB consiously, but its prob the same thing.

Originally Posted by Mosake

Next time, whenever your SP ends, just open your eyes calmly. Most likely the moment you open them everything or at least Something will seem odd (ex. blurry vision, movements everywhere in the room, vibrations in the wall), but whatever you do don't think you've failed just because your SP ended. That's what happened with me, SP would come, it would end and I would think that I failed and end up waking up. Turns out they were false awakenings.

Now every time I do encounter Sp, I just wait till its over and when it is I open my eyes and I'll instantly know I'm dreaming because for me the moment I open my eyes everything is just blurry and messed up, but I always start off where I fell asleep. It just took a while for me to finally realize it because before there would only be Tiny hints that I was dreaming when my Sp ended, but as weeks passed and I started entering Sp a bit more it started becoming Painfully obvious that I was dreaming and it happens like that every time now, I still can't do it whenever I want however..it will happen like...once a week or every two weeks, but I've never tried a WBTB consiously, but its prob the same thing.

How long does your SP usually last?
I have 3 failed attempts, and it didn't last for more than 15 seconds - but I think it was due to excitement/surprise.

Originally Posted by aerilith

How long does your SP usually last?
I have 3 failed attempts, and it didn't last for more than 15 seconds - but I think it was due to excitement/surprise.

Mine apparently lasts about 5 seconds, or at least it FEELS like it's only 5 seconds..

Originally Posted by MissLucy

Mine apparently lasts about 5 seconds, or at least it FEELS like it's only 5 seconds..

Hmm, guess I'll be sure to really confirm that I am in fact awake, not just having an FA.
During the last of the three tries at least, I did a nose-plug RC, so I'm fairly certain - but I didn't RC in the other two.

I guess it just takes pratice!

Originally Posted by aerilith

How long does your SP usually last?
I have 3 failed attempts, and it didn't last for more than 15 seconds - but I think it was due to excitement/surprise.

My Sp has never gone over 30 seconds, usually it will range from 5-20 seconds. It doesn't matter how long it lasts, what matters is that you at least do an RC when you think it's ended just to make sure. Eventually your mind will condition itself to do it on its own after so many times of trying and sooner or later you'll find yourself in a lucid state after every Sp you enter.

Now how long the Lucid state lasts is a totally different beast entirely. Sometimes the dream will last minutes, other times it will only last mere seconds, it all depends on how good your dream control is and whether you can stabilize it to make it go on for a prolonged period of time. The longest LD I've had thus far was after my 3rd success, and it lasted for about 30 minutes. All other times they have only lasted a few seconds though.

Keep in mind this is all based on My experience though, I'm sure it ranges from person to person.

Hi there my friend,
SP is also known as the transition phase or the portal into dreamland. When you experience SP, there are two possible options on how you can enter dreamland. The first one: Just go with the flow and wait for SP to fade off and stop, then slowly get up from bed and do an RC to check wether you're dreaming or not. The second one: While experiencing SP, use your imagination and construct the dream scene you want to be in, including the Dream characters and the plot in it. Keep constructing the dream scene until it's realistic enough, then try to imagine that you're entering it. Hope this helps

Hmm.. I think it also depends on how relaxed your mind is?
My reality check was my right hand had 6 toes instead of 5 fingers XD Dead giveaway, that one

Originally Posted by MissLucy

Hmm.. I think it also depends on how relaxed your mind is?
My reality check was my right hand had 6 toes instead of 5 fingers XD Dead giveaway, that one

You don't usually wake up in the night with swapped appendages?

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

You don't usually wake up in the night with swapped appendages?

..not since I quit smoking weed

How does it feel when you get a SP?
(what is a dry spell?)
In SP, do you get totally paralyzed? or can you still move like, your face or smile, or something like that?

A dry spell is (in this context) a period of time without a single Lucid Dream.

Originally Posted by MissLucy

A dry spell is (in this context) a period of time without a single Lucid Dream.

I have been permanently cursed with a dry spell then -____-

Lol no, it's like a period of LD deprivation between periods in which you did have a lot of LDs

Like.. ..sometimes in summer it doesn't rain for a while, but it did rain before, and when it does rain again, they call it "the end of the dry spell". That's where the term came from, I guess?

Originally Posted by MissLucy

Lol no, it's like a period of LD deprivation between periods in which you did have a lot of LDs

Like.. ..sometimes in summer it doesn't rain for a while, but it did rain before, and when it does rain again, they call it "the end of the dry spell". That's where the term came from, I guess?

oh i see, thanks
then i am at the sahara

Great Job!

One of the reasons why you MAY have not been able to retain your sleep paralysis is because you were too focused on maintaining it and the thought entering a spectacular WILD. What you have to remember is you need to continue what you were doing before-hand to enter the sleep paralysis. Whatever you did continue to do so as it can't be altered or change once you are in paralysis. You must maintain the concentration and relaxation.

This might help you a bit.

The short of it is that the vibrational state seems to occur, on average, twice before you enter REM and make the transition. Don't pay it any mind if the vibrations stop on their own. Just keep doing what you were doing to get to that point and things should take care of themselves.