How to Stop Sleep Paralysis |
 |
Sleep paralysis is a naturally occurring state that begins when we fall asleep each night. It arises before REM sleep to stop us from acting out our dreams. This is vital to keep us out of harm's way when we are unconscious - and if we want a good night's sleep. It is a basic protection mechanism.
You normally don't notice the paralysis happening because you are asleep. Your mind is either totally unconscious - or focused on a dream. And when you wake up, the paralysis is switched off in time with your conscious awakening.
However, some people become aware of sleep paralysis, feeling their muscles are partially or totally paralyzed. This feeling can be accompanied by terrifying hypnagogic hallucinations, usually of a menacing stranger.
If you are a sufferer, fear not. Dream research has revealed reliable ways for you to immediately stop sleep paralysis in its tracks, or to use this borderland state of consciousness as a gateway to vivid lucid dreams and out of body experiences.
Is Sleep Paralysis Dangerous?
SP is not physically dangerous. It is a natural protection mechanism. It is far better to wake up temporarily paralyzed than to be running around in your sleep. When people suffer from isolated Sleep Paralysis (iSP), they become conscious of their own inability to move. This can be scary and cause them to panic and fight the paralysis, which only leads to further struggling and greater fear. In extreme cases where SP lasts for 10 minutes or more, the sufferer may ache the next day from straining to break free from the muscle paralysis.
Hypnagogic Hallucinations
If fear takes grip during an episode, the sleep paralysis can be accompanied by a sense of menace or a dark presence in the room. There are many explanations for this, although no-one really knows what the dominant trigger is. It may be a combination of our evolutionary fears of being hunted and perceiving benign sounds or movement as a threat, plus our innate ability to see human faces just about anywhere: in the wood grain of a door, or a dark shadow in the night.
Either way, the half dreaming brain sees what it wants to see, even if it means conjuring up a hellish vision of a demon coming into the room.
This has been documented around the world for hundreds of years, in various forms. Consider the famous painting by Henri Fuseli of an incubus attacking a sleeping woman, in The Nightmare (right).
Often in cases of iSP, the nightmare figure approaches the bed and tries to harm the sufferer, by strangling or molesting them, or sitting on their chest. The experience can be heightened by memories of sexual abuse or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This also explains stories of alien abductions which share all the same features.
The Causes of Sleep Paralysis
Scientists know very little about the causes of this sleep disorder. As far as the paralysis mechanism goes, 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 leaves your limbs feeling waxy and unresponsive.
It's common enough that 40% of the world's population may experience this condition at least once in our lives. Some people report it regularly, in which case it is regarded as a sleep disorder (iSP). You may be more prone to it if you:
- Suffer from narcolepsy
- Suffer sleep deprivation
- Are under a lot of stress
- Suffer other sleep disorders
- Have frequent naps
How To Stop Sleep Paralysis
Here are some practical tips for helping to quickly dissipate an episode of SP:
- Relax your body into the paralysis - don't fight it
- Think peaceful, relaxing thoughts; pray or sing in your mind
- Wiggle your fingers and toes if you can
- Move your eyes and look around the room
- Focus on breathing deeply and moving your mouth
Once your brain realizes that parts of your body are still awake, it will shut off the paralysis mechanism and you will return to full wakefulness.
However, if you start to experience hypnagogic hallucinations, you will need to take the more advanced approaches described in Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide. This book contains valuable information on reliably transforming SP with hallucinations into positive visionary experiences and lucid dreams.
How to Induce Sleep Paralysis
Believe it or not, lucid dreamers attempt to induce sleep paralysis on purpose. When you enter SP deliberately, it is with a specific goal in mind. You are focused on your own internal visualizations and you know that the paralysis is a sign that it's working. So you don't react with the same fear as the unsuspecting victim who wakes up paralyzed in the middle of the night.
Without this fear, sleep paralysis can be the gateway to visionary states of being. You can experience out of body travel (whatever your spiritual beliefs) or vivid lucid dreams and inner journeys. Indeed, the father of lucid dream research, Dr Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University, once said: "[Sleep paralysis] ...is not only nothing to be frightened of, it can be something to be sought after and cultivated... Just step over and you're in the world of lucid dreams."
To learn the step-by-step techniques to induce sleep paralysis for lucid dreams, I recommend the instructional videos created by Lucidology. This fascinating tutorial by Nick Newport explains every aspect of the Mind Awake / Body Asleep method for going lucid whenever you want. It was with Nick's help that I had my very first Wake Induced Lucid Dream using an SP method; it was truly amazing.
For those of you who suffer from sleep paralysis nightmares and are just seeking answers, I urge you to read Ryan Hurd's breakthrough book Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide. It has step-by-step advice for controlling your fear and evolving your phantom creatures into angels, ancestors, spirit guides - or any other positive dream figure. He explains how they can then take you on a guided lucid dream in which you explore your own subconscious in a positive light. Sounds MUCH better than being plagued by your own worst nightmares.
Related articles
Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking
Copyright © 2010 by Creative Media NZ Ltd
RSS Feed | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact | Website Design by Cre8ve Media
Create Your Own Income Generating Website with Site Build It!