Sleep
paralysis happens to us everytime we sleep, if
it didn't we'd all be acting out our dreams in our beds, something
that could be bad for us and our sleeping partners. The impulses
are still generated in the brain when you move a limb in a dream
or lucid dream but that impulse is stopped from transmitting the
action to the limb. Basically the body is put on reserve power
and only the most primitive and basic functions required for life
(breathing etc.) are switched on.
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The
only thing the mind can still exert control over are the eyes in
dreaming REM (rapid eye movements) track the dreaming objects people
etc you are looking at and is the reason lucid dreaming was first
proved by using predetermined eye movements to signal to the outside
world that lucidity had begun. |
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Old
Hag
- Throughout human history across all cultures there are reports
of attackers that come at night, to crush or suck the life out of
the paralyzed victim. Vampires, demons, witches, devils all are
different names for the old hag, many cultures report waking in
the night, being unable to move and then sensing an evil presence
in the room or footsteps outside the door. The figure will walk
to the terrified person and usually straddle their chest crushing
the breath and life out of them or biting or sucking the life out
of them. The experience is normally short lived but can last upto
8-10 minutes, it has been blamed for many other reports such as
alien abduction and experimentation. |
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What's
happening is a similar thing to lucid dreaming, the dreamer may
"think" they have woken when actually they are having
a lucid dream about waking in their room and being paralyzed.
Alternatively they could have really woken in there bed but the
paralysis from sleep is still present their eyes can open but
the mind overlays hallucinatory hypnagogic images of the terror
that the mind perceives as it cannot work out what has happened
to the body and deep seated fears fill the mind.
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How to beat the
Hag ~ This condition seems to run in families and can without
scientific explanation effect localized communities for short
periods upto three weeks (some believe this is because dreaming
minds are linked and the fear is passed on). Sleeping on your
back is associated with this condition and changing position in
the night is encouraged.
If the hag does come
and you feel sleep paralysis you need to try and relax recall
the the words on this page, "this is a form of dream,
you are the dreamer you have the control". Many people
report when they relax and lose their fear the hag shrinks and
vanishes, some recite the a prayer from their religion if they
have one. The key is belief and you should also try to see there
episodes as something positive as you are one step away from becoming
lucid.
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Infact
It is possible to turn these unwanted guests into guides from the
Lucid Crossroads, if you can close the lids of either your real or
dream eyes do so, when you do think of the hag transforming. When
your eyes open it will no longer be a creature from nightmare but
a within the hags robe will be a silver blue guide from the Crossroads. |
The
guides are either male or female, they don't talk much, perhaps getting
as far as "follow me" or "become lucid dreamer". Their purpose is simply to
guide dreamers to the Crossroads, or protect them in times of trouble. The guides rarely
make an appearance at the Crossroads itself but can easily be summoned
to a lucid dream beyond the Crossroads doors if you need some extra
protection, all guides are masters of dream control and nothing
can harm them.
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Other relevant
pages at the Crossroads
Other
lucid websites on the internet
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