Paralysis

Awake/SP, Lucid, [Commentary made while awake] I am in an elaborate, fantasy landscape. I fall over the side of a cliff and start falling down the side of a mountain, which has terraces in it and lots of trees, but the trees are all growing out of the side of the mountain. As I fall, I think, I could expect there to be a soft, grassy field below me for me to land on, and there would be one. I try to do exactly that, but it does not work. Eventually, I remember that I can fly, and fly back up to the top of the cliff/mountain. [That is all I can remember now of an awesome, detailed, elaborate lucid dream that was remarkably long for my first sleep cycle of the night. I was really, really determined to have a lucid dream last night, and my determination and MILDing worked. I also remember choosing to stay in and prolong the dream at least twice, but I do not remember any more details. I really should have taken a moment to write them down in my paper dream journal after I woke up.] [Later, different part of the night.] I feel, more clearly and with more awareness than I ever have before, all my major muscles transitioning into their paralyzed state. After a moment, a dream begins to form. Some Viking-warrior-looking guys who look like they came straight out of a movie by Aardman Animations are standing over me, watching me wake up. We are all in a big wooden hall. The dream is very weak, fuzzy, and indistinct, though, and although I try to focus on it, it fades away before I can get into it fully. This can be partially blamed on the fact that I am completely fascinated by the experience I have just had, and this novel feeling of being "stuck" in my sleeping body while still being consciously aware. Welcome to SP, I think. That was not so bad, was it? I lie still and observe the experience. Although I am conscious, in a way I never am in waking life, of my breathing happening automatically, I feel like I am not getting enough air. I realize that that is because I have my forearms crossed over my chest so that their dead weight is resting right on top of my ribcage. I can feel my left-hand fingertips touching the skin of my right arm, but I feel removed from the sensation. I hope for another dream to start, but it does not. I attempt to visualize a scene, but it is a very halfhearted effort and does not go anywhere. Also, I have my head tilted to my right at an awkward angle, which makes me think, I am going to feel that in the morning. After a few minutes, I get bored and decide to get up and use the restroom. I have no problem getting back to normal wakefulness. Side notes: I have always been afraid to try <PERSON> because I would never experienced sleep paralysis, and I was afraid that I might experience hypnagogic hallucinations or sensations that would frighten me. This was the first time I would ever really experienced SP. It was cool and weird, but not frightening at all, and I did not experience any hypnagogic hallucinations. Getting over your fear of something is always nice.