A couple days ago I found a website about lucid dreaming. I have done it before and I wanted to do it again.
One day last year, I figured out how to make myself fall asleep. It felt almost like everything in my body was shutting down in a sense…starting at my feet, and once it hit my head I was asleep.
That night, my friend was having a party across the hall and I woke up paralyzed. Nothing really strange, I heard it’s not really abnormal since the body releases something (I think an enzyme) so that the body is paralyzed while dreaming. Unfortunately for me, my body had not yet gotten out of this stage and I couldn’t move for a couple minutes.
Remembering this episode, a couple nights ago I tried to make myself fall asleep again and was successful. I don’t really know how I am doing it, but whatever I am doing seems to be working. I was able to go from awake to dreaming and being there through the whole thing. I was not suddenly in a dream and recognized it. I was sleeping and I forced myself to go into a dream, and there was no transition really. I don’t know exactly how to explain it.
Has anyone had this experience before? I know it sounds weird, but I do not know what I am doing or if it is safe. I tried to do it again today and once I get to a certain point I can feel myself going into the dream state. This afternoon, I felt like giant hands were pulling me down, and it was very unconfortable. I tried it again and it happened once again. I know this may sound really farfetched, but I would really like to know if anyone has any ideas of what this can be.
Also, once I was dreaming and knowing I was doing so, I could not control the dream. Is there anything I can do to make this happen?
Just out of curiosity do you stay conscious through the entire sleep cycle?
The technique you are using is what we call WILD.
Try and think back to your previous WILD’s and I am willing to wager that there was a brief second during the transition where you might have blacked out. This may have only seemed like a split second to you but may have actually been a lot longer.
The sleep paralysis is nothing to worry about. Lots of us experience it when practicing WILD. There are numerous threads throughout this forum on this topic. Use the search function at the top of the page if you are interested in learning more about it.
Problems with dream control is a common problem new lucid dreamers face. This will improve with practice. When you go to sleep plan a head what you want to dream about in your next lucid dream. If you do find yourself in a lucid dream don’t try to make major changes to the dream. Just go with the flow of the dream and only change small things at first. When you make changes do it in a way that is easier for you to accept. For example, if you want an object then tell yourself that it can be found in a closet (or some thing like that). If you want to meet a person than try calling them or telling yourself that they are (behind the door, around the next corner you turn etc) As you practice this more and more you lucid dreams will quickly become yours to command.
You may be right, but from what I remember I made myself sleep and was immediately in a dream. I was walking around and trying to get things to work but nothing was happening…eventually I just woke up. From what I remember (although, it is hard to know for sure when it comes to sleep) I was conscious for the whole thing. I tried this a few more times. I had success each time in falling asleep and dreaming but sometimes I could not stay in the dream. Most of the time when I realize I am dreaming, I wake up whether I want to or not.
I think I may just be willing myself to sleep. Last year I woke up and I just really wanted to go back to sleep. My body felt all weird and I could feel it in my feet and slowly creaping up my body till it hit my head and I fell asleep.
I tried it again a couple days ago and it worked, but it seems to take a lot of concentration. If my concentration is broken by a door slamming or someone talking, I don’t need to start over, but it sets me back a little bit. My whole body feels really weird, almost stiff but not uncomfortable. Sometimes it helps if I try to imagine myself doing things…the other day I tried pretending I was diving down and toward my feet…hard to explain, but eventually I get into a mode where I know im about to fall asleep. I just let it happen.
One time I started to see pictures in my head of what I wanted to choose as a dream location. I picked one and it felt like I was being pulled down into my bed. It felt too weird and I had to stop.
I dunno if this helps. It’s really hard to explain since I’m not sure of what I am doing exactly. Just a stroke of luck that it happened once and I was able to repeat it.
I’d say to just try to shut down your body. I know it sounds odd, but that’s how I’ve gotten it to work. Try to keep your breathing steady and don’t think of anything else besides sleep. Think about falling asleep, what you want to dream about, whatever, just nothing else.
