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[atomicwinter]

So I slipped into bed about 20 minutes ago. I am laying there feeling fully relaxed and as if I am starting to drift off to sleep. My body is getting heavier and heavier almost like lead. I feel as if I am falling into a darkness sort of, like another dimension. My heart feels like it is beating heavy and slow, I guess it felt like it was racing sort of. I feel this intense buzzing sensation throughout my body. I mean like a real euphoric feeling like being buzzed on alcohol or weed, but it felt more intense. I feel almost as if something is wrapping itself around me and holding me tightly against it like I'm being hugged or something. I got out of bed because I am afraid it is the onset of a sleep paralysis episode, of which I experienced many times a week for a few months about a year ago and made it impossible for me to sleep because its so terrifying. I feel like I wanted to lay there and just embrace what was happening, but I'm too afraid that it was the start of sleep paralysis. I am kind of afraid to go back to sleep now.

Can anyone help me make sense of what just happened?

[Eagleon]

Sounds like the beginning of an OBE - out of body experience. It's perfectly harmless, an illusion of the mind, and it can be quite pleasant if you learn to embrace it. I believe what happens is that you start dreaming before you completely fall asleep. I used to be able to trigger them when I was younger, but I haven't had one in at least six years. You aren't insane or sick or anything. Just go back to sleep, and if it happens again either let it, or tense up a little and it'll go away.

[Tcei]

Sounds alot like what happened to me many years ago. Turns out (for me at least) it was a combination of REM Paralysis and a moderately severe  panic attack, do mostly to massive amounts of stress I was experiencing during the day at the time.   You could try some form of mediation or relaxation technique to unwind and let go of the days problems before bed.  This also helps some if you're prone to nightmares

[x2yzh9]

Is there a way to manually trigger one of these?

[Eagleon]

The complete relaxation without sleeping is key. There's a technique for relaxing all of your muscles by tensing each of them from bottom to top, and that helps a lot. You want to be just on the very edge but still fully aware. When I was doing it, I would pay complete attention to the weight of my body pushing into the bed, using that to keep myself awake and focused, and I would gradually start feeling it as slow falling. This was just after the buzzing sensation the OP described.

When I first had it the buzzing freaked me out so much that I sat bolt upright in bed, it was that strong. After I 'left my body' it just turned into somewhere between a lucid dream and a hallucination, essentially, and the buzzing was gone - I woke up from it, so I know you fall asleep at some point, but I couldn't say when. It might even be kind of something else from what the OP is experiencing - the wrapping and holding doesn't sound familiar, but the rest is dead on.

[Astral]

I've said something about this before in the Lucid Dreaming thread, but here's a Wikipedia for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

In addition, the paralysis may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger.[9] Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual because of the vividness of such hallucinations.[8] The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since completely fanciful or dream-like objects may appear in the room alongside one's normal vision.

Is there a way to manually trigger one of these?

What Eagleon said. The gist of the matter is laying in bed, trying to relax as he described and not moving while keeping your mind awake. I've gotten to the hypnagogic stage, with some vivid colors, but never (in the last 10+ years, at least) been able to achieve paralysis that I couldn't easily break. Some nights I've been able to stay in this state for an hour or two before drifting off (mostly from boredom, although it's fun to play games in your head while you're occupying yourself), but I haven't been able to transition from this stage to a dream or an OBE, whichever the case is.

[nuker w]

Nooot to sure i'm right, but you MAY of reached "the point of absolute relaxation", where all your muscles give out and it gives the feeling of falling. Sadly, as soon as this happens, many peoples brains sense this as a loss of control and spasm to make sure its all still there.   

[Astral]

I mean like a real euphoric feeling like being buzzed on alcohol or weed, but it felt more intense.

One of the reasons I've never done (illegal) drugs is due to the fact that I've been able to achieve this state since I was about ten years old and I would likely hold every experience against that. It's amazing in certain circumstances; being perfectly clear of mind, yet with a relaxing/interesting/pleasant full body sensation. Results vary from person to person, and even night to night depending on how tired you may be though.

[Ricky]

are these any bit dangerous to your body, health, mental health, ect?

[Cthulhu]

I agree that it sounds like you were about to have a wake-induced Lucid Dream.  I had one this morning actually.

[Astral]

are these any bit dangerous to your body, health, mental health, ect?

No. Perfectly natural. Some people actually try to induce them as a form of meditation (like myself)

[Akura]

Nooot to sure i'm right, but you MAY of reached "the point of absolute relaxation", where all your muscles give out and it gives the feeling of falling. Sadly, as soon as this happens, many peoples brains sense this as a loss of control and spasm to make sure its all still there.   

Happens to me sometimes. It feels like I just fell about six inches really suddenly.
Sleep paralysis too, usually when I decide lay in bed for awhile instead of getting up in the morrning. Can't move my arm(or anything else) no matter how hard I try to push it, but I can still feel it. I might panic a bit if I start thinking that I'm having trouble breathing(which might be when I'm face-down).

[smjjames]

To give a much simpler answer, maybe its anxiety related?

[overmyhead]

The sort of thing you experienced is not so uncommon, particularly with people who meditate.  You might want to read about jhana (Buddhist meditation term).  Make sure you read about both the form/material jhanas and the formless/immaterial jhanas.  Fear is common.

[nordak]

Is there a way to manually trigger one of these?

Enough weed to get the paranoia going then add a bit of insomnia.  Then prepare to fight off the imaginary darkness attacking your feet.