theguyonthecouch-I think what you are descibing as experiencing is when a person hit's their"sleep spindle". The sleep spindle is what causes you to enter, and stay in deep sleep. Perhaps those with hypnogogia, like myself have some malfunction?
From the Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_spindle
Quote:
Sleep spindle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Sleep spindle is burst of brain activity visible on an EEG that occurs during stage 2 sleep. It consists of 12-16 Hz waves that occur for 0.5 to 1.5 seconds.
Uses of Sleep Spindles
Sleep spindles are one of several measures employed by the brain to keep a sleeper in an unconscious state. This pattern is produced during sleep to inhibit the processing of unnecessary information, which would especially interrupt stage 2 sleep. This is why they are defining characteristics (along with K-complexes) of stage 2 sleep. During deeper stages (3 and 4) subjects are more difficult to awaken (with the exception of the transitory stage 1).
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I've experienced these too. They mostly don't bother me anymore, but when I was a child they would really frighten me. Now tha I'm older I can deal with them better.
However, they do still bother my bed mate. When I am caught in that twilight time haze, and things are "out to get me", I try to scream, but because of the sleep paralysis, they come out as these deep gutteral moans from somewhere in my body. It freaks him out every time!=)
But don't let this article scare you away from lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is alot of fun when you are in total control. Sometimes I will be having these really mundane dreams, and I think to myself "This suck's", and I can liven it up a bit.