so after having a recent conversation with a friend who has reached lucidity, i’ve been trying for weeks to do the same. last night, i think i almost did but i had to wake myself up because it really scared me. it was like i felt my body falling asleep but my brain was still active. my heart started beating really fast, and it felt like my body was sinking into my bed. then it seemed as if it were getting consistently darker as i fell more deeply asleep. that’s as far as i let it go, because like i said before, it freaked me out. so i guess i’m just wondering, was that sleep paralysis?? and if so, how do i get through it to the actual dream part without getting so scared?? i would appreciate any advice or thoughts from others. thanks!! 
Sounds like it could have been sleep paralysis. Many people find it scary, because it’s all a bit strange and they think their hearts are going to konk out, but it’s all fine. The way to carry on to a dream is to remain concentrated and calm. Try counting to keep your mind focused. I think the best way to remain calm is to have a good idea of what you’re going to feel as you go through sleep paralysis and hypnagogia. You may feel your body vibrating (it doesn’t really vibrate, it just feels like it is), and then you might get loud sounds in your ears, such as roaring, bubbling, whistling, or even more abstract sounds, and you might get bright colours or images swell in minds eye. Once the sounds happen it is quite intense for a few seconds and then you should be asleep, and able to open your eyes into a dream. If, rather than thinking “What the hell’s happening to me?” you are thinking “This must be the hypnagogia I heard about”, then you can remain calm and unfrightened.
I hope this helps you. Good luck.
thank you, that does help. i’ll try again tonight and see if i can get further if i’m able to do it again. i tried to remind myself last night that i could wake up if i wanted to, but it was just too intense for me, probably because it was the first time i’ve ever experienced something like this. i’ll try some of those methods next time it happens and see if i can get through it. thanks again!!
haha just pronouncing the word “hypnagogia” in my mind will keep me from being scared
hip-nah-go-gya =D
haha, the problem is i don’t know if i’ll be able to remember the word!! i can hardly remember it when i’m awake, so remembering it while i’m falling asleep will be a challenge!!
Standard sleep paralysis, yep. Definitely can be a scary experience if you let it–almost as scary as a panic attack–but like a panic attack, it’s not going to actually hurt you in any way. And it’s likely to fade away into a dream rather quickly, or so I’m told.