How to Overcome Sleep Paralysis for Lucid Dreaming

Sleep paralysis in lucid dreaming is a common occurrence, but it can be dealt with effectively.

Sleep paralysis is a natural physiological mechanism the brain uses to stop a dreamer from acting her dreams out. Without being temporarily paralyzed, our bodies would perform all the actions we perform in our dreams.

Of course, this could be dangerous for many reasons; and so the brain shuts off our abilities to act, act, speak or move. But experiencing sleep paralysis while in a dream can also cause anxiety for the dreamer.

Many people attempt to learn different lucid dreaming techniques to prevent sleep paralysis. These techniques may also help you to better control your lucid dreams.

Lucid Dreaming Aids

Dream Supplements

Sleep

Dreaming

Creativity

How It Works:

• Increases acetylcholine activity for vivid dreams
• Promotes REM sleep stage
• Improves memory of dreams

Dosage:

Varies Depending on Product

Safety:

Varies Depending on Product

Top Lucid Dreaming Aids* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Lucid Dreaming Sleep States

The three primary states of being are wakefulness, non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and REM sleep.

As these three states are not mutually exclusive, overlap between them can exist. Different components of these states can manifest simultaneously in a number of combinations.

Some examples of the results of such overlaps include narcolepsy, sleep-walking, sleep-talking, lucid dreaming, astral projection (out-of-body experiences), sleep inertia and sleep terrors.

Sleep paralysis is a normal element of sleep; when it becomes disrupted we can experience sleep-walking and sleep-talking.

However, for lucid dreamers, experiencing sleep paralysis can be frightening or disturbing. For some, the fear can cause them to wake up and interrupt lucid dream states.

What causes Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is a temporary condition marked by REM sleep and muscular atonia (weakness). Atonia specifically refers to a lack of muscle tension. REM sleep is the phase of sleep associated with dreaming.

Sleep paralysis during lucid dreaming occurs to protect REM sleep. The brain shuts down nerve impulses directed to the muscles in order to incapacitate motor movement.

This also protects those around us from flailing arms, kicking legs and other dream movements.

Normally, REM atonia occurs during hypnagogia and hypnapompia. Hypnagogia refers to the process of falling asleep. Hypnapompia refers to the process of waking up.

Sometimes, people experience sleep paralysis upon waking. It can be very frightening, even if it lasts only for a few seconds before subsiding.

Many people report hallucinations during sleep paralysis. These are often based on terrifying events like being asphyxiated, stocked, imprisoned, robbed or hunted.

Because the dream is still occurring, and the body is still paralyzed, strong emotional reactions, mainly fear, often occur.

Sleep Paralysis Before Lucid Dreaming

There are various techniques, devices and medicines used to help induce lucid dreaming. One of the more popular, and reportedly effective, techniques is called WILD (wake induced lucid dreaming).

Like several other techniques, WILD relies on a dreamer’s abilities to recognize hypnagogic states of consciousness without falling fully asleep.

Hypnagogia is marked by feelings, sounds and imagery associated with transitioning from wakefulness to sleep. The brain is shifting from being awake and functioning, to sleeping, healing and rejuvenating.

Those who want to become adept at lucid dreaming are encouraged to be patient and diligent while they learn to control their impulses to awaken fully when they experience overlaps in states of being – like hypnagogia and hypnapompia.

By recognizing hypnagogic states, an aspiring lucid dreamer can become more effective at inducing a lucid state.

Research shows that lucid dreaming is a process that can be practiced and improved on. For some, the process is very natural to learn and enhance. For others, it takes years of trial and error with different lucid dream induction methods.

Regardless of the lucid dream induction method used, all successful lucid dreamers have to learn how to deal with possible disruptions – including sleep paralysis.

How to Stop Sleep Paralysis during Lucid Dreaming

Do you want to practice lucid dreaming induction techniques, but are afraid of getting “stuck” in sleep paralysis? In most cases, there is no need to be.

Except for in cases of severe, rare sleep disorders, sleep paralysis is completely harmless. In fact, sleep paralysis is integral for high quality sleep to occur.

In healthy people, every time we sleep, we enter sleep paralysis. Every time we wake, we exit sleep paralysis. The key to stopping sleep paralysis from disturbing your lucid dreaming efforts is to remember that it is harmless.

Lucid dreaming experts recommend to anticipate and be ready for sleep paralysis. Successful lucid dreaming is accomplished by learning to be aware of your dream states.

Likewise, being aware that you are experiencing sleep paralysis, and that it will not harm you, is one important key to achieving lucidity.

To stop sleep paralysis from disturbing your lucid dreams, it is best to avoid stress and be relaxed before entering sleep.

Many lucid dreamers encourage pre-sleep relaxation with meditation, visualization, calming teas, a supplement called galantamine and/or deep breathing exercises.

If you become aware of sleep paralysis during a dream, then it is key to maintain your relaxation. Part of the art of lucid dreaming is to train yourself to recognize possible disruptions, and then deal with them without becoming fully awake.

Conclusions

Many lucid dreamers state that they use sleep paralysis as a stepping stone for enhancing their lucid dreaming efforts.

There are various techniques used to transform the recognition of sleep paralysis into controllable lucid dreams. These techniques are often individual-specific and none have been validated clinically.

Lucid dreaming induction techniques, devices and supplements are not guaranteed to produce results. Some methods do have higher rates of success, but results vary significantly for different individuals.

Learning to control sleep paralysis during lucid dreams is one step of a more complex art.

Rate This Article

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5, rated)