Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a natural state that occurs in all of us after we fall asleep. It arises during REM sleep to stop us from acting out our dreams - which is vital if we want a good night's sleep. So it is completely normal and works as a basic protection mechanism.

You normally don't notice this happen because you are asleep and your mind is either totally unconscious or focused on a dream. When you wake up, the paralysis is switched off in tandem with your conscious awakening.

What is Sleep Paralysis?

However, it is possible for your mind to wake up before your body. This can leave your muscles partially or totally paralyzed for a few seconds - or in some cases several minutes.

This sleep disorder may be confusing or disorienting but is not at all dangerous. If you are a sufferer, read on for ways to stop sleep paralysis and even turn it into a positive experience.

(Have you ever considered... that it is better to wake up temporarily paralyzed than be physically active while you are asleep? Sleep paralysis is therefore the opposite of sleepwalking and is far less hazardous.)

In extreme cases, you can develop REM sleep hallucinations which create a strong sense of fear. The unconscious brain may induce waking dreams to logically explain what is happening to the body. You may perceive an evil presence who enters the room and presses down on your chest. This is entirely psychosomatic - showing how powerful the mind really is.

Causes of Sleep Paralysis

Scientists know very little about the causes of this sleep disorder. There is a theory that motor neurons in the brain are inhibited - which means the signals to move the body don't get through to the spine as they should. This can leave your limbs feeling waxy and unresponsive.

Studies show that we will all experience this condition at least once or twice in our lives, although we may not all experience hallucinations, which are perpetuated by fear. Some people report it regularly, in which case it is regarded as a sleep disorder. You may be more prone if you suffer from:

• narcolepsy
• sleep deprivation
• stress
• another sleep disorder

There may also be an increased chance of sleep paralysis if you:

• sleep on your back
• have frequent naps or lie-ins
• make a sudden lifestyle change
• practice lucid dreaming

The state of paralysis is most likely to occur after waking up. It is completely involuntary (meaning you have no control) so the best thing you can do is remain calm. Read on for more tips to stop sleep paralysis.

The Stages of Sleep Paralysis

Let's walk through a typical episode and how the average person reacts when they don't understand what's happening:

If you've never heard of sleep paralysis before, you are likely to react with fear and panic and make the situation a lot worse than it is. The more you struggle, the more you panic, and the more likely you are to trigger REM sleep hallucinations.

At this stage, some people manage to get a grip. They suffer a few more moments of paralysis then gently break free. It's all over in seconds.

For others, the situation will become much worse. Being so close to REM sleep, they blend reality with waking dreams. The ordeal is always the same, across thousands of separate accounts:

Although it sounds terrifying, remember that the only truly scary part of this condition - the hallucinations and the pain - are entirely imagined. If you simply observe the effect of the paralysis, knowing that it will pass, you are more likely to shrug off the paralysis faster.

Research shows that the footsteps people report are often the sound of their own heartbeat, amplified in their head. Similarly, the intense crushing pain in the chest is either psychosomatic (created by the mind) or caused by holding their own breath for too long.

Understandably, this experience can explain many cases of reported alien abductions and ghostly encounters. Accounts of this sleep disorder go back thousands of years, and are illustrated in historic artwork such as The Nightmare by Henri Fuseli, which features the demon Incubus.

However, isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) needn't be the ordeal that it is. Now that you understand the reasons for it happening, you can calmly view the temporary paralysis for what it is: a simple curiosity.

I experienced ISP once, a few years ago. I recognized the condition immediately and with calming thoughts, managed to stop it in its tracks:

For more stories visit the sleep paralysis forum. Some of them are pretty scary... But remember these people probably didn't know what was happening to them and were completely "in the dark" (so to speak).

How To Stop Sleep Paralysis

If you are experiencing isolated sleep paralysis, here's how to stop it:

• don't panic - it will wear off soon
• think happy, calming thoughts
• wiggle your fingers
• wiggle your toes
• look around the room
• focus on your breathing

Research shows that African-Americans are more likely to experience terrifying REM sleep hallucinations because of the folklore surrounding "the devil riding your back". The effect is psychosomatic: they expect to experience evil and so they become acutely afraid of this harmless state.

Sometimes, waking up paralyzed can be a recurring sleep disorder. Medical treatments like Clonazepam and Ritalin can help. If you are suffering from frequent episodes of sleep paralysis and it is affecting you in a bad way, please go see your doctor for professional help.

Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreams

I hope I haven't scared you with stories of fearsome hallucinations. Because there is a bright side to sleep paralysis and you can learn to transform this state into something much more productive!

Fans of lucid dreaming and astral travel consciously enter this state of paralysis all the time. It is a necessary part of falling asleep consciously and need only last a few seconds before becoming fully lucid in a dream.

Importantly, lucid dreamers never report any negative side effects of the paralysis. This is because they induce the state voluntarily during meditation and understand exactly what is happening. So, if you plan on practicing the WILD lucid dreaming technique, or are trying to induce an out of body experience (OBE) you should get to grips with this.

If you practice other techniques, such as MILD, CAT and reality checks, then you will become lucid from inside a normal dream. This means you can bypass any awareness of sleep paralysis, just like a normal night's sleep.

If you are still worried, the best thing you can do is learn more about the sleep disorder until you understand exactly what happens and feel suitably prepared... So you won't be scared! Practice having your first WILD during daylight hours and when you feel in a happy place mentally.

The fact that you are reading this page means you are educated about the true effects of sleep paralysis and you know it is safe. I really hope the thought of it doesn't put you off lucid dreaming! Like I say, I have only ever experienced it once in ten years and it was not at all scary. People who report terrifying stories are fueling them with fear of the unknown. Unlike you, they haven't had the benefit of knowing this first.

And finally... In his book, Journeys Out of the Body, Robert Monroe presents the Mind Awake, Body Asleep technique for leaving the body. This is one way to experience lucid dreaming and astral travel by falling asleep consciously. To discover how to induce an out of body experience in this way, visit the paranormal page on astral projection.

Sleep Disorders
False Awakenings
Escaping From Nightmares
Sleep Paralysis
Sleepwalking