Weird dreams...not sure if this is sleep paralysis or not!

Hey! I am new to this site. I read a little bit on the links for sleep paralysis. I don't know if the dreams(?) I have had are such. Sometimes I am dreaming...and I know I am dreaming and I try to wake up. I try to open my eyes and I can't...I can only barely open one halfway...and then I try to scream and it sounds muffled and deformed...like it is happening in slow motion and no matter how I try to wake up...I can't....can't force my eyes open or anything!!

Eventually my body relaxes and I am able to open my eyes. When I finally awaken, I am totally calm and relaxed (meanwhile fighting to wake up makes my heart race...etc.) Anyone have any idea what this is? Help!

just relax its probably your brain waking up before your body does. dont freak out cuz you will go crazy

I dunno...this has happened a couple of times in my life and I never know what it is. If my brain is waking up before my body...that is a LITTLE scary.....

Who knows. Anyone ever have this happen to them before?

Originally posted by Anthsbabe
Eventually my body relaxes and I am able to open my eyes. When I finally awaken, I am totally calm and relaxed (meanwhile fighting to wake up makes my heart race...etc.) Anyone have any idea what this is? Help!

Its probably not Sleep Paralysis. Sleep paralysis happens when you're awake and not while you're dreaming. The realization that you're dreaming in your dream, is lucid dreaming. Try searching on that. Here is one thread that has a similar discussion:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
I found it using the search feature of this site.

The way this has happened with me in the past is that I am sleeping...and I realize that I am dreaming but I want to wake up. I try to open my eyes and only one eye opens very slightly...it's like I cannot move or open my eyes. Then I try to scream...and it comes out in slow motion and muffled.....everything moves in slow motion. The more I struggle to open my eyes and wake...the harder it gets to do it. I feel my heart pounding and I get very anxious. Then when I finally do wake....I open my eyes and my body feels completely calm and relaxed. Does not make any sense. I hate when I have this happen.

Originally posted by jp1111

Originally posted by Anthsbabe
Eventually my body relaxes and I am able to open my eyes. When I finally awaken, I am totally calm and relaxed (meanwhile fighting to wake up makes my heart race...etc.) Anyone have any idea what this is? Help!

Its probably not Sleep Paralysis. Sleep paralysis happens when you're awake and not while you're dreaming. The realization that you're dreaming in your dream, is lucid dreaming. Try searching on that. Here is one thread that has a similar discussion:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
I found it using the search feature of this site.

Actually, sleep paralysis often happens when one is near a dreaming state (entering or leaving REM). When one is in this state, the body is paralyzed to prevent it from acting out dreams (people who talk in their sleep or walk in their sleep for example, are not usually doing these things when they are in REM). If you should begin to awaken (for any number of reasons) during this REM state, you are very likely to suffer sleep paralysis.
Additionally, in my past, lucid dreams (before I realized what they were) would often startle me so much, that I would awaken, paralyzed for a brief time.

However, what has me confused is the statement 'Eventually my body relaxes and I am able to open my eyes. When I finally awaken, I am totally calm and relaxed "
This is not normally a symptom following sleep paralysis. Even for those that are "used" to its effects, it can be an alarming and disorienting time, even after you fully awaken.
So perhaps this is not sleep paralysis at all (although it really sounds like it to me. despite the "calm and relaxed" state afterward)


Odd
Very odd