Introduction
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Lucid dreaming is the awareness of being in a dream state and taking control of the dream itself. Some people lucid dream to stop nightmares, increase dream recall, or to practice things required of them in normal wakeful reality - like a job interview or speech. However, the most common reason for lucid dreaming is simply for the experience itself. Words cannot accurately describe the sensation of full control and freedom over ones reality and waking up in a world that your mind has created, where the only limitations are the imagination itself.
The world of lucid dreaming is a world in which you can meet anyone or do anything. Whether it’s flying, walking through walls, visiting distant planets or fulfilling some sort of personal fantasy. The only limitation is your own mind.
Though the experience is typically pleasant (if not incredible), there are instances when it can be unpleasant or even downright scary. Sleep paralysis is an example of a scary situation that can occur while trying to lucid dream, and that is the focus of this article.
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Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being awake but being unable to move and it typically occurs between the stages of a regular sleep cycle. Many people today experience sleep paralysis and the chances of it occurring increases slightly when a person is trying to lucid dream. For that reason, I believe that it is something to be aware of so if it does occur, the person does not get frightened or panic.
Generally, when a person falls asleep and enters the REM stage of their sleep cycle, their body becomes paralyzed. It does this as a protective measure. For instance, if a person dreams about jumping out of a window, they wouldn’t want there to be any sort of possibility of them actually jumping out of the bed. So to protect us from moving around too much while we are sleeping, the body relaxes its muscles to a point in which a mild paralysis occurs.
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Sleep paralysis occurs when the person is in a deep REM sleep and the body is paralyzed but for some reason the persons eyes randomly open and mind awakens. In such cases, the persons mind is awake and their eyes look around, but their body remains paralyzed.
Some people also remain in a dream state when this occurs and they have hallucinations that they believe are real. In this state, people often report feeling as though they were being choked or held down by an outside entity. Sleep paralysis has also been linked as a possible explanation for alien abduction encounters.
Do Not Panic: It will be over Soon
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Sleep paralysis is a very uncomfortable experience and can last up to a full 20 minutes depending on when it happens within a typical REM cycle. However, the realization of what is going on and remaining calm can be helpful if it occurs.
I have experienced sleep paralysis once, at a time when I was heavily involved in lucid dreaming. During the encounter, my body was paralyzed and I was unable to move but my eyes were open and I felt fully awake. I luckily wasn’t dreaming at the time, which I think would have added to the discomfort.
The most distressing part for me was the fact that my jaw was locked and my teeth were clench together and I could not separate them no matter how hard I tried.
However, I was aware of what was happening and I told myself that it would be over soon. This allowed me to stay calm and the experience ended after about three minutes. Afterwards I felt completely fine.
I believe being aware of the experience helped me a lot in the situation so I thought it would be a good idea to share it with others.
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Thanks for Stopping By
Feel free to share your experiences with lucid dreaming or sleep paralysis. I’m always interested in what others have to say.
