[sFs4aOok]

Glad you found us and shared. Reaching out when something scary happens is a good call.

Here's my take:

1. That "voice" was either your own inner, higher-self attempting to walk you through your experience, or some other unseen entity working to assure you that all was okay. No matter the source, the advice you got was sound--"do not be afraid" is among the most important rules all must learn when taking on Soul Travel by practice or accident.

2. Fear is fuel, and if you did in fact encounter an entity with malicious intent, fear is granting it license to keep working you over. And if you did in fact encounter an dark entity, consider it manure for your growth. That's the way it works.

3. Encountering fearful situations like this is common, and as CFTraveler once assured me, these things often take place so we can deal with the biggest obstacle to exploring the Astral: fear. Fear shuts down experience here, there, and everywhere. I'm not sure if you are attempting to take up OBEs out of interest, or if this just randomly happened to you, but know that if it happened once, it'll likely repeat until you learn to stand it down.

4. If you get paralyzed again, fluctuate your breath. All other muscles are locked down, but your diaphragm is not, and if you inhale and exhale in a jagged manner, you will break the paralysis quickly. At least, it works that way for me though I rarely have sleep paralysis of that nature any more.

Soul,