Are These Other Beings or My Own Subconsious?
I've gone in and out of lucid dreaming for many many years, and have a very limited understanding of what's *really* happening. Lately I have had a series of strange encounters during sleep.
In the past I have both purposefully but only temporarily lucid dreamed, and astral projected (the astral projection I never fully left my body, but I was able to turn around, sit up out of my body, move my arms and legs out of my body, but never left my body entirely.)
I have had a series of un-intentional either astral or lucid experiences (I cannot tell which as they happen unintentionally). I always start asleep. Then I "wake up" in my bed where I am lying. I seem to be in sleep paralysis, but I can look around my room; it seems to be the same, except I see other people in it. I can move my head and limbs outside my body (I presume this is what is happening because it is like when I did so before purposefully.)
Sometimes they do not interact with me, sometimes they do. Twice they spoke to me intentionally (came right up to me, or when I awoke they were already right in front of my face) Sometimes I catch them seeming to simply walk through my room or around it. Some times I am the one to catch and call their attention. Sometimes we do not interact at all. Sometimes they look very much as a real person would, sometimes they do not.
This has also has only happened since I have moved into my new apartment, which I also find strange. When they *do* interact with me, and their energy seems to 'touch' or move towards me. I am overcome with a tingling sensation all over and cannot move at all anymore. This sensation usually ends the encounter (or my awareness of it) and wakes me up.
Now, my understanding of the astral world and lucid dreaming is only very basic. I am unsure weather I am interacting with beings outside myself, perhaps on the "astral plane" or energies that just live in the house. Or I am still dreaming, if somewhat vividly, of my room.
I don't really expect you to be able to provide a 'yes' or 'no' answer, but any insight you have would be much appreciated. Has this happened to anyone before that you know of? Where can I go to figure out the answers? I'm not sure the right questions exactly, I'm just trying to understand exactly what is happening. Thank you very much.
Rebecca says: I have had experiences which touch on the things you describe. For instance, I've woken up and been unable to move, and seen a face standing in the bedroom doorway. It was staring at me very intensely, then zoomed in (without really moving...) to rush at me. It quickly went away and I could move again, and I felt surprisingly calm considering what just happened. I put it down to hallucinations.
Another time, when I was trying to induce a lucid dream with the OBE teleporting exit, I felt myself roll around - spinning, even - in my body. I had no vision at all at first because my eyes were closed, but then I started getting scrambled vision - perhaps this was just my imagination? In the end I heard an immense roaring noise (known as OBE vibrations) and felt like I had spun so far out of control and fallen out of the opposite side of the bed! When I opened my eyes I was lying perfectly still in the same position I started...
To learn more about OBEs and the visitors who appear on the brink of sleep paralysis, I recommend you check out Ryan Hurd's Sleep Paralysis Kit. It explains how to interact with your visitors (who Ryan believes to represent part of your unconscious) and go on an amazing lucid dream journey.
About the author
Rebecca Turner is a science writer, illustrator, explorer of consciousness - and founder of World of Lucid Dreaming. She is currently studying for a biology degree in Auckland and blogging at her site Science Me.
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