What do you think is the cause for dream paralysis?

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   Violet Flameposted 11 years ago

   What do you think is the cause for dream paralysis?
   
   Dream paralysis is a frightening experience. I had a lot of them when I was 14 and 15. I am just curious on what your take is on the cause of dream paralysis...

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2. 61

   LazyLucidposted 11 years ago

   Well I definitely believe that sleep paralysis is the body's way of protecting you from acting out your dreams. Some people believe that it is something more than that, I've honestly only had it a couple of times around the same age. It only frightened me once until I noticed how quickly it vanished. I don't know about dream paralysis unless that's another name for it which I'm presuming it is. I've been paralyzed inside of a dream before but it was only because I didn't know I was dreaming lol

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      Violet Flameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I've never had one that just vanished by itself, I've always had to kind of fight my way out. I've got some tricks up my sleeve now so it doesn't scare me so terribly.  Do you often know you are dreaming when you are dreaming? Wow....

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   2. 61

      LazyLucidposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I lucid dream rather frequently. Wow I've never had to fight it, I just relaxed and let it leave on it's own. I can lucid dream anytime I want but my issue is that I have to use a method to induce them. Deep breathing is supposed to work wonders.

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   3. 67

      Violet Flameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have a very healthy working relationship with my dream messages. But one thing I don't do enough is Lucid Dreaming, quite to my disappointment lol. Yes i would love to check out more of your hubs on that subjects when the school term is over ^^

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   jaredbangerterposted 11 years ago

   I get this several times a month and several times a week during the winter.  I don't know what causes it, but I do know that I am lucid and conscious during my dreams a lot.  Perhaps it has to do with consciousness during sleep.
   
   Anyways, I am frequently attacked by demons during my SP episodes and it's horrifying.  If there's some way to make it stop, I'd also be interested in knowing.  However, I've suffered with it for over 2 years now and my psychiatrist hasn't been able to help me.

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      LazyLucidposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      http://lazylucid.hubpages.com/hub/Lucid-Dreaming-Myths
      The demons are most likely hypnogogic images, conjured up by your mind. They cannot hurt you unless you believe they can. Try changing your breathing and relaxing.   

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   2. 67

      Violet Flameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Jaredbangerter, did you move house two years ago? did anything significant happen 2 years ago before you started ur SP episodes? if u r interested pls check my hub "energy purification and protection visualization."

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4. 60

   MzChaosposted 11 years ago

   I most often heard these referred to as Hypnopompic fits.  It is basically that your mind is awake and lucid...you are conscious, but your body is essentially still asleep. 
   
   You can wake up out of these, but it is very difficult for the awakened mind to re-awaken a body, when the body is totally unaware that it isn't awake to begin with.  I had one of these once where I repeatedly got up off of the couch to go make coffee...and my feet glided across the floor...my feet gliding across the floor became the signal that I was not actually up and moving...then I would see myself laying on the couch.
   
   So, I would be oh, I get it, I am sleeping.  Cool, I will just get up now and go make coffee and I did, and my feet glided across the floor.  It was freakish because it happened about 4 times before I could actually snap myself up an out enough to NOT have my feet gliding across the floor.  I felt really icky after that one too because it felt like my body had gone through some kind of strain.
   
   My personal take on this is that it is a way for your subconscious to teach you awareness in your dream state.  There are lots of places and spaces we can go in dreams but only if we are conscious enough to be able to use this space as a classroom, a place where we can learn about ourselves and what our truest nature is.  The subconscious provides many ways of reaching into this greater knowing...I believe this dream paralysis is one of those spaces.  The mind learns to live outside of "normal" boundaries, and we teach ourselves new things within the dream.

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      Violet Flameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's awesome MzChaos! I wonder whether Hypnopompic and Dream paralysis might not b exactly th same. Or maybe there r more then 1 type and 1 cause. It's simply because my experience is quite different.. Just love the bit about the classroom! Thanks!

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      MzChaosposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I find there are about as many types as your mind and imagination allow for.  I don't believe our world is about creating menacing presences, many times, I think these "bad" things are the minds way of exaggerating something so that we pay attention.

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      LazyLucidposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It sounds like what you just described are false awakenings not sleep paralysis. When you say you wanted to go make coffee and your feet slide across the floor it sounds like you were in fact dreaming. It is kind of hard to just "get up" out of SP.

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      MzChaosposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I do alot of dream work, and there is probably as many different terms as any individual comes up with, and variations of each.  Call it a False Awakening, a Hypnopompic fit, a dream paralysis. Thats the fun of playing with dreams.

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   Little two twoposted 11 years ago

   I had this once and it scared the be-jesus outta me. My doctor told me it is not a health threat and more often than not, not a underlying mental problem. It is more related to your bodies ability to move through the various stages of sleep.
   
   As you fall asleep, your body relaxes more and more, muscles start to shut down or go to sleep. This is known as non rem sleep (rapid eye movement) and is the first of two processes of sleep. Once your body feels restored (usually around 90 minutes), you move into rem sleep which is deeper and is when you dream. When its time to wake up, if your brain is still in rem mode your body is not able to respond (its still asleep). Once your brain kicks itself to non rem or more awake, you start to be able to use your muscles again.
   
   The key to helping prevent sleep paralysis is enough sleep, regular routine of sleep and less stress before bed. If it gets to the point you can't sleep (due to fear lets say) talk to your doctor.
   
   When I had it that one time, it was during a job change to new shift hours and high stress.

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   1. 67

      Violet Flameposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      could you believed i used to have it every other night when I was 14! It was so scary!!! You are so right about keeping the energy level up and not drive yourself to exhaustion! Good One!!

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6. 67

   Violet Flameposted 11 years ago

   I am by no means an expert on dream paralysis and I don't know just how many types there are. I know what I had experienced and what I learned from it. Through the retelling of my own experiences, I am hoping that someone else with the similar kind... read more

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