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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip
Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Hiro Takahashi
A person may wake up and find himself unable to move or speak as if he is frozen. He also may hear footsteps, see a ghost-like creature, or feel someone sitting on his chest. Throughout the history, people considered this phenomenon as work done by evil spirits. However, the modern science can explain the terrifying event as a Sleep Paralysis.
A Sleep Paralysis is possibly a hereditary disorder in which one experiences very frightening seconds or minutes of total body paralysis with little respiration and eye movements (1). A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2). In addition to the immobility, the common symptoms include feeling choked or suffocated, hearing strange noises like footsteps and voices, seeing beings or dark shadows, and feeling an existance of someone in the room (1). Although these symptoms often direct the victims to believe in ghosts, mistransmission of neural signals in the brain causes Sleep Paralysis. When a person sleeps, his brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contraction (3). If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed"(2).
In order to understand how a body becomes paralyzed while the person is awake, it is necessary to understand sleep cycles. In a mammalian sleep, the brain activity undergoes two different states called non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, which differ very much from wakefulness (3). NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically through the night; in human, about 80 minutes of NREM sleep starts a night of sleep, about 10 minutes of REM sleep follows, and this 90 minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times during the night (3). During NREM sleep, a body produces few movement, but the body has capability of tossing about in bed and producing some other motor events, such as sleepwalking and sleeptalking (3). The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2). During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3). The eyes move rapidly because most dreaming takes place in this period, and the sleeper probably "look" at the moving objects in a dream (2).
The brain's control over muscles during REM sleep points out that in this period, a body is normally in the state of total paralysis, called a "nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis" (3). Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2). Although some peripheral muscles, such as the muscles of the fingers and face, still twitch, the large skeletal muscles become relaxed, or "paralyzed" as a result (3). Some evidence supports that the motor paralysis of REM sleep protect against the acting out of one's dreams. A patient who suffers from rare syndrome called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder lacks the normal nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis, and he acts out violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (4). For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4).
A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2).
While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5).
How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations.
Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.
Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5).
Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.
WWW Sources
1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis
4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder
5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Comments made prior to 2007
I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006
I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific.
About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006
i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007
I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child. It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past. I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep.
Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up?
It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines. If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine. Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works. Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have. I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me.
I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo. A migraine in 5 seconds. That is how they can occur. I wake with them otherwise. I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't. I have a clean bill of health otherwise.
Thanks for your time. Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007
I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one. Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep? The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath. My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes. I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all. What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep? I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me! Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007
I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;-) Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
same thing
nearly the exact same thing happened to me last night. it was terrible. and the scary thing is, i saw some evil spirit in my room before i even went to sleep. then after i had gone to sleep that same experience happened to me. finally when i was able to wake up, i forced my self awake because i didn't want it to happen to me again. it was terrifying and it kind of made me scared to sleep.
Glad to see this page is still here
I've been managing my sleep paralysis ever since I was 11 years old. Now that I'm 32, I haven't had many episodes. The last one occurred sometime in September. My only fear of SP is how will I be able to deal with it when I'm in my 60's and 70's?
Are there any people over the age of 50 that are still dealing with SP?
Is it more traumatic?
I hope someone answers.
Just put "RE: Kymmie" so I'll see it.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences
Sleep paralysis
RE" Kymmie.
I just had a sleep paralysis episode. I fell asleep on the couch, was trying to get up, I dreamed I was getting up and nothing could move then I finally got up just fine.
SCARED me so bad. I did not experience sounds or hallucinations. I've experienced this a couple of times before but not as bad. What can I do.
What causes this?
Over 50 sleep paralysis
Hi. I decided after a bad experience this afternoon to see if what happens to me and my daughter actually happens to anyone else. I had a bad episode this afternoon and was talking about going to talk to my pastor about it because of this one. I literally was awake and felt something like electricity in my head and a force I can not explain pushing my head down sideways. I was fighting as hard as I could to keep my head up and my eyes open. I have had this before and my daughter and my grandson knows what to do if either of us are making a sound that is worrisome. I knew he was in the other room but my door was shut. So as loud as I could make a noise, I can never open my mouth, I was trying to yell. It was more like loud moaning but he heard me and came running. I watched him come into my room and he took my hand and kept shaking me trying to bring me out of it. Usually just someone touching me will stop it. But the last 2 I have had were not like that. He finally was yelling at me and his mom heard . As soon as she walked into the room it stopped. I am a Christian . I pray in my mind when this happens. The last time it happened I was watching tv in bed while my husband napped. It was almost like today but this time my husband was slapping me trying to bring me out of it. But I saw someone standing beside his bedside. I felt it was looking at my husband and I was saying " I rebuke in Jesus Name " over and over as well as I could. It scared my husband because he had trouble getting me to stop. HE asked what I was saying and I told him. That was the first time I ever saw anything . But I have felt things before. I read what the preacher said on this line, Anthony. I was glad to see other Christians go through this and understand what I'm talking about. I know I can not be processed , I do not fear that. But I do not think this is just something to do with the brain. My mother had this,my daughter and I recently found out my son does too. They all have seen things when it happens. I hate when these happen and I haven't been through this for a while till today.
"RE: Kymmie"
Hey Kymmie,
I'm a 66-year-old Baptist Ministry. Yes I still have SP. Since I began taking my Bible to bed with me every night. I go to sleep with more peace and confidence. The next time you come here type my name into the search engine, and read my original testimony concerning SP. ANTHONY WILLIAMS. I think you'll find it very interesting. SP is horrifying. I actually cuttle to my Bible like it was a small child. It makes me feel closer to God, and offers a great deal of peace. Please try it, and keep in touch. Please turn to II Corithians 5:21, and read it over and over until you're certain you have a complete understanding. I'll be more than happy to help. You may contact me at my email address if you wish, but I'd rather use this forum for all to read. Who knows who might receive some relief, and how great that would be.
Thanks, and A Prayer For You,
Anthony
Hey my name is Ariel
I am going threw the same thing, and my brother just got done one night before me, telling my mother about this, and it happened to me way before him, how he heard a demon girl constantly talking to him, well i read about a girl God, who was once with Another God named Zeus, and she constantly talked to my brother, i cant remember her name, but to warn you, things in my life now put me in danger, i fell inlove with a God, and things gotten worst and yea i been having what you all been having, but now i feel as a snake hiding away, i get bullied in school. People act as demons wich makes me hide in my room all night, so i fall alseep and wake up and this happens to me, i felt as someone rubbing me kept getting thoughts of it being Jesus, because i kept calling his name wanting to be in heavan. He was rubbing me but i was so scared i prayed and i cried and screamed. I know what it's like being a cute lil jesus girl with brown curly hair, and girl's always being jealous of me, treating me bad saying im treating them bad, disrespecting me alot, and it's always diff color people. They say how they are jewish, im like okay, i start studying about this alot. Along time ago this happened to me and it was a man in front of me, and like a spidery thing behind him. Guys we are identical, we got to pray, if we see demons, let us pray, because i read so much about this, and if you dont pray your stuck there forever. And i mean dead!!!! Be safe guys, and to be safer is being there feeling Jesus c rubbing you, but when i felt it it felt like too much rubbing to say, but oh well pray guys.
Hey everyone, I was having a
Hey everyone, I was having a nap waiting on my boyfriend to get back I was in deep sleep I heard a sound of keys I fought it was my boyfriend but I couldn't speak or move I was abit happy because I fought he could help me get it up until I realised it wasn't him I felt someone against me holding me down and I was trying my best to get up but I couldn't so In my head I'm calling out gods name help me then I decide to call out my late grandmas name in my head which I did then I saw women's figure then remember closing my eyes then I woke up it was so scary it felt like someone was in my room with me I phoned my mum 20mins after she told me it's evil sprit I need to start praying and go church and so on after came off phone to her I decide to research it on google the same thing my mum said I saw on this website it's actually got me thinking I need to put god 1st in my life and all these things will stop so my advice to everyone is to start praying before bed for god to bless and protect us before sleeping hope I helped many thanks god bless xxxxx
experiences with sleep paralysis?maybe..
i have had the same experience i never knew what it was, i'm 16 and have had them ever since i was 5. My relatives say its the dead climbing on your body, other people say its sleep paralysis, others say its a demon. I really don't know what to believe in and when it does happen to me i get really scared ,what i would do is open my eyes slightly and then try to move my fingers with all my strength, when i do, i get full control over my body again. i really do feel an evil presence even though i have done research and everything about sleep paralysis.i feel comforted knowing i'm not alone and others experience it.
This just happened to me too
This has happened to me a few times in my life and It just happened to me again. I was sleeping and I woke up I was able to open my eyes and I had my baby sleeping next to me. I could not move no matter how hard I tried . I tried to scream for help and wasn't able to make noise.. Every time his happens to me I swear it is a demon as much as I would like to believe otherwise.. I also felt difficulty breathing and was very frightened. I have heard of sleep paralysis before and it is a very reassuring explanation. I also found that praying helps .. I ask God to wake me up , it works.
First time - very disconcerting!
I was waking from an afternoon nap, yet found i couldn't roll over, speak, open my eyes or move my arms. After a minute or so of 'mumbling murmering sounds' in an effort to get help I became 'actually' awake and body movement returned; much to my relief!
I was sleeping. And I know
I was sleeping. And I know I'm awake, but dreaming at the same time. I am able to control my dreams. Could hear my heart beating loudly. I can't move and suddenly I couldn't breathe. I know I stopped breathing, OFCOURSE I knew that I will die off just like this if I don't do something. I tried breathing, tried to wake up, I don't know why or how this could happen. Just tried my very best to move my body to wake up and breathe and I just did it. It was hard. Didn't know what was happening so once I woke up I started to google about what has happened to me. This is really interesting, but it's scary too. It's the first time I'm able to control my dreams, the first time that I know that I stopped breathing and was trying to breathe during sleep.
How to wake up from sleep paralysis.
Well I'm 17 and this has been happening to me for over a year now.
I was freaked out at first because I was more than convinced that I'm awake .I could see everything in my room the way it is but I couldn't move. I kept trying and trying but nothing happened later I started to panic .It felt like I was being suffocated and I felt something move don't remember much after...
The next few times I made it a point to remember that when this happens I need to understand what's happening to me.
If I can't move or make a sound but I feel like I'm awake , I'm still dreaming.
The things you should do to wake up are.
1) Understand and believe that you are still dreaming and nothing can happen to you because you control your dreams.
2) Force yourself to wake up. I do that. I wake up in no time. Try shaking your head or lifting your body knowing that it's just a dream and I have to wake up no matter what.
3) Relax , if you still don't wake up then don't look around. Keep your eyes closed when you wake up in your dreams and believe that this is just a dream. Breathe , think of your parents and your loved ones , chant a prayer cause remember you are always in control of yourself and if you believe it's possible. Cheers!
it happend to me 3 or 4 time in one night
That happend to me last night a few time I could only hear a heart beat but it was 10x faster and I saw black and white stripes and I woke up moving my legs and breathing hard
Sleep paralysis
Wow..i am so glad to find out that I am not the only one experiencing it. It happened to me in the last four years and I could not find any best answers on internet. All I used to see on Google is pictures of aliens sitting on people's chest while they're asleep; gosh it freaked me out so I decided to stop reading further. But only a week ago it happened to me again while my partner was still up watching tv in the lounge around 4am. I cannot move I decided to ignore it as I was shattered that night. But It was a bad idea. When I ignored it it turned out worse. I felt like I was diving to reach the ocean floor and it caused my ears to ache for a couple of days...What was weird was as soon as I managed to open my eyes and able to move I heard my son laughing in his sleep in his bedroom. What I find to work out best for me is to slip the Holy Bible under or beside your pillow and sleep..For a reason it really works. But thank you for this research it is really informative.Jane-13th OCT 2013-VANUATU
RESPONSE TO SLEEP PARALYSIS
Thanks for the head's up on using the Bible. I'll try that tonight. For the guy who thought he saw Jesus with wings; I'm a 66 year old retired Baptist Minister with a degree in Biblical Theology. Trust me, Jesus has no wings. I'm going to leave a long reply to this subject at the end. Hope it will be helpful to others. I wish you all well. This is a horrifying experience.
This has happened to me!!
Wow his happened to my sister when she was younger like about 19 and now she is 25 and I am 12 so last night I was about to close my eyes and I felt like I was awake and all of sudden I saw a flash of shadows and movement in the room and my body starting shaking and I felt heaviness on me I couldn't talk or move, oh my god I just realized this happened to me before when I was 9 years old I saw a figure and I couldn't move or speak or yell out for help I. Thought it was my dead aunt but I just realized this is the problem thank u so much
Why panic?
Why the panic? Look at it this way. If its real there are spirits and more for a fact, so big deal if you move on. Chill and feel positive. If spirits are trying to attack your body screw em. Perhaps they are at it even when youre awake. You just dont notice. If the most they can do is hold you down while you sleep they really arent much are they. Ill bet if rather than fighting back you grinned at them then focussed on blasting them off you itd work.
If its not real... no harm done really. May as well just enjoy the show and make shadowy friends hehe.
it lasted for ages and couldnt turn any lights on in the house
Just had one of those dreams. I couldn't wake up for ages. Before i actually went to sleep i had a roll up cigerette and my body and brain had some strange tingely feeling that i hadn't experienced since a young age. So that aside... here's what happened in the dream... I thought i had woken up in my bed in the dark. i went to switch my bedside light on but it wouldnt work. a dark figure who looks like a housemate walked over to me then disappeared. the light still wouldnt work. I got out of bed and was about to go down the stairs. I realised i was wearing only my black hooded jacket. i knew it must've been a dream but i was scared as i couldnt wake up. through the whole nightmare i'm trying to wake myself up by shouting but its a struggle. i feared i may be sleepwalking so i went back in my room and put a towel around my waist. i then slowly walked down the stairs holding the sides in case I was walking downstairs in real life (i didn't want to fall downstairs). i seen another housemate at the bottom of the stairs. i was struggling to say her name and was tring to ask for "help". i grabbed her arm. i was whispering but trying to shout. she looked at me like i was really weird but also looked worried. i asked her to put a light on but when she did it was still dark. "take me to the living room" so she did. i asked "put the light on"... still dark... the whole house was how it normally is except for the living room which had a slightly different layout. the next thing i remember she was lying on the couch and wouldnt move. i continued to struggle to shout "help... i can't wake up". i headed into the hallway towards the phone "i need an ambulance... phone an ambulance" i stumbled over to the phone to call 999 and eventually i woke up hearing myself groaning "help" and making panicky noises. luckily i was still in bed and not downstairs. it took a few seconds for me to wake up properly. i put my light on and was in some sort of shock. I put some comedy on my laptop and searched the internet for some logic. i read your stories and now i'm wide awake typing this. the whole nightmare seemed to be in black and white. it was horrible and felt completly real. gonna be a while before i'm back to sleep
My experience is similar to
My experience is similar to yours , but it felt so real it's hard o believe that I was dreaming and that's scary. I remember saying a prayer before me and my partner went to bed . I snuggled up to him and the next thing I know I felt like I was going crazy I was hearing voices from the tv but I knew the tv wasn't on I also kept seeing my boyfriend sitting up looking at me then laying back down , he was also sleeping saying I'm so tired. I was yelling at him calling for help because I didn't know what was wrong at some points I was trying to wake him up but couldn't . Then I reached for my phone to look up why this was happening. I guess I finally woke up and called for my boyfriend . I remember telling him what happened and if he heard me asking him for help . He said no you must have had a bad dream . Then asked him wasn't I just typing on my phone . But my phone was charging on the table way away from me so that's how I know I was sleeping but still awake I guess I'm so confused I never woke up that frightened and upset in my life I thought I was going nuts. What do you think , should I see a doc ?
Paralysis + talking
hi ! I'm 26y old now and through my life ive had several occasions with sleep walking and talking, usually it is connected by alcohol consumption. I would come home from a night out and go to bed (not necessarily drunk) and wake up standing in the kitchen or even one time outside my house in my just my undies(!)
Anyways... the walking part has stopped due to less drinking but these last weeks ive started sleep talking instead. This isn't just mumbling either.. my girlfriend wakes up and if she talks to me i literally talk back, like I actually respond directly to her.. i even have my eyes open at times and look her in the face and respond. when i wake up my memory of the event is very faded.. with me having no control over what i said. this also affects my sleep greatly as i am usually very tired the following day of sleep talking.
Another thing that happened for the first time today was when i was on the couch just catching a 30 minute nap as i had some trouble sleeping last night. I fell asleep with the TV on and i woke up in a dreamlike state, but it was very real... the tv was still on and i could hear everything going on with the tv.. but when i tried to wake up it was like my whole body was paralized. there was no other person in the room (in reality i was alone and in the "dream") time in the dream-state felt like 1:1 with real-time and it took me like 15 minutes to finally be able to wake up. It was getting really hot and i had trouble breathing. i was covered with my blanket (which i could perfectly see/feel but i couldnt remove it) after a while i started thinking that if i dont wake myself up maybe i will be stuck here forerver. Why i finally woke up i dont know.. it's never taken that long to get out of a dream. But this one was different.. i could see what was going on in the room.. hear the noises outside my window and on the TV.. but i couldnt get up!
Does anyone know about lifestyle choices that i can do to prevent this in the future? Talking/ paralysis etc...
As i said, im 26yrs old.. im a full time student at university and also work on the side. i work out 3x a week and i would say i have a healthy diet. i have a very moderate alcohol consumption and dont smoke.
Erikk
i have had this happen to me
i have had this happen to me twice now, both times were within a week about 2 years ago, me and my older brother had these suspicions that the house we were living in was haunted blah blah blah. we had both had our own "encounters" as some might call it... my brother decided to 'tell' what ever it was that he would try and communicate with it via a weegie board, which was probably the worst idea he could have done, the "encounters" became more frequent (at the current stage in time i believe it was our fears playing tricks on with our heads)....
anyways after all that happened. one day i was playing my PS3 i went to sleep at around 11-12, i remember the dream i was having before i "woke" in the dream i was alone in my backyard not much was happening i was with my family as we had this old table down the back. i woke up...well my eyes opened...i felt a presence.. it was hard for me to breath... i began to panic... trying to talk to my brother (we shared a room).... then the ringing started... it sounded like static...sorta? its hard to describe, the static seemed to get louder... from the corner of my left eye i saw what i would call smoke forming which then made its way above me where it continued to form... it formed a human shape... eyes which were glowing a reddish purple... teeth started to form when i managed to wake myself... i sat in my room for a about 5 minutes as my eyes and mind adjusted to the reality... i went back to sleep... i told my brother of this in the morning, i was expecting him to laugh... but he told me that he has been having similar experiences....
the second time it happened was the next night i believe.. i was on my bed this time not the couch were i was playing my PS3, i was facing the wall, i woke up... couldn't move at all, the ringing began this time however i woke up much faster, i began by moving eyelid and managing to blink... although coming out of the blink was a little bit unusual as i my own arm around my next chocking me unluckily for me my arm was dead so i had to use my left arm to remove it.
this could be coincidence or some form of activity far greater then we will know... this happened 2 years ago now i haven't had any more of these SLEEP PARALYSIS episodes...although i wish i did so i could understand them more....
i leave anyone who has shared similar experiences to stay calm when they happen stressing will only make things worse...
One more member to your family :)
I had this experience for almost 10 times in ma life.I am 30 years old now.
2 years before,When I wokeup in sleep, I heard someone taking bath in my bathroom but I couldn't get up and see who it is...
I thought that I might have dead by then .I tried hard to getup and finally gave up and slept again.
One thing is for sure...This happened whenever I am not having proper sleep/under stress.
2 days before, I had the experience again.
This time I heard my friend singing a song and I wanted to comment on him .
I tried to get up but somehow unable to open my eyes.
I was unable to breath so I howled and woke up to find out that my friend is actually singing the same song.
Here are the tricks that I usually use for waking up.
1.Try to howl or make sounds..usually your sound wont come out..but try hard and this will make a noise and someone will wake you up.
2. Take it easy and enjoy the show...realise that its a dream and not all people have this luck to see such an amazing show..:) ..You will wake up normally after sometime when your brain gets enough sleep.
Good Luck..!
sleep paralysis does this get better?
Okay this has been happening to me ever since I was eight and im 16 years old. All I have to say is im really tired of it. When I was younger (or well im still young) is I thought it was just bad dreams but now they happen very offten at least once a week in two in one nignt or day. For example I just had it right now and all I wanted was to take a nice nap before I get started on my homework. I told my parents about these occurance and they thought it was some evil spirit which I thought it was also because at eight years old I thought brilliant dumb idea that if I didn't sleep at my house and sleep somewhere else like El Paso that the nightmare wouldn't get me....well it did. And when I was paralyzed in my dream it laughed at me! ! Like some deminic voice. Freakin freaked out of me out and that was the day I told my parents. They had the house blessed and helped for couple of months. They would occur but not as frequently and when they do I pray to God my mind to get me the heck out of the dream. When that doesn't work I try my best to move.
So what im askin is to people who had this way longer than me? Does it get better?
Oh I also watched insidious the movie scared the crap out of me btw but now thinking about it does that have anything to do with SP. Just askin.
what can I do to make it stop
I've also had this since childhood.
I remember my first which occurred in my room and I was frozen on my bed while this dark spirit began approaching me from the closet very slow. I fought hard to wake up before she touched me. Of course no one believed me so I was scared of the house my entire childhood. I just now woke from one which is why I'm looking for answers. It was the worst one for me. I was laying on the couch frozen again and I saw my son and husband walking by and doing there regular routine and I tried to get up but couldn't for a long time. I heard my 8 year old daughter screaming so hard I panicked and began yelling for someone to shake me to get me out of my frozen state. It took so long I thought that It must be the way people feel before dying and didn't know that they were dying and now I was one of them. I finally woke by holding my breath and blew out really hard. I thought I was gonna wake up in the hospital. I want to know why do I stay frozen even after I realize that I might be dreaming and I need to wake up, and why do they each feel so real even when I wake. I mean this time I was out of breath my chest is still tight. What can I do?
Same issue as everyone else.
This morning I had the same issue as being posted here. I've had these sleep paralysis before. The worst it's been was a few months ago I was sleep. Then I started to wake up but couldn't move. I started hearing some people talking extremely loud outside my bedroom door. Then I heard a woman yelling to someone. Then it sounded like someone was dragging something heavy up my steps. But our steps are carpeted and the banging was on completely hardwood steps. This situation seemed to last about 5 minutes or so. During this time I didn't have any pressure on my chest I did as a child or even a headache. But when I finally came to. I got up and checked around because I'm the only adult at night and my kids were sleep. I didn't see anything out of the norm it just tripped me out. This mornings issue was slightly different. I could hear someone talking in my room and it sounded like my TV was on. And this time it was guy. I was sleep paralyzed for a few minutes and I could see my bedroom fully. But no TV was running and no one was there. I don't know what causes this outside of reading peoples similar experiences. I hope there's a way to prevent this.
im 12 and this happens
Yesterday i was sleep and I felt something on me and I woke up but it was just a thread from my cover then I went to sleep I was trying to wake up but I couldn't I was scared I felt like there was someone watching me touching me breathing on me I had thought I was moving my body but I really wasn't and them my body finally cam e back to life and I could hardly breath so I went on the google and I found this and now I want o talk to my doctor and she what she thinks is going on
I had this a few years ago
I had this a few years ago and always remembered it happening, i woke up in the middle of the night and there was a man at the end of my bed laughing at me. The whole room went green and i tried to scream to my parents but i couldnt move or speak. I am now 16 and it has started happening again. I wake up and i cant move or speak, the other night it happened and the hallucinations were crazy! my door flew of the hinges and was thrown at me, my wardrobe doors were opening and closing, someone was poking me and i couldnt see who it was. They kept whispering in my ear and lostprophets was being played loudly through my speakers. Also a man wearing a cloak was flying over my bed causing my whole room to shake. Then i woke up and it has been happening ever since! The hallucinations are different every time. Last night the man in the cloak caused a tsunami in my room and my entire room started to fill with water. I woke up when i couldnt breathe. The fact that i couldnt breath kind of scares me a bit.
here's what I do to wake up during my sleep paralysis.
I've been having this since I was a child now I'm 27 years old... sometimes when I have sleep paralysis I felt like there is some evil presence around me and I can see them but I can't move. Then one time I saw my brother was in my room and I can't move then when I finaly move and woke up he is right there exactly what he was doing when i was having sleep paralysis. So I don't know if the evil spirits I saw was also real but it doesn't matter to me now. All that matters to me now is I get to wake up if sleep paralysis happens to me. So here's what I do, I stay calm and keep breathing then try to move my head side to side, move my pinky finger, do the sound of humming. Never shout or panic it's just gonna make your heart beat faster and you will be tired. When you feel like your tired and things you do doesn't work to wake you up. Stay calm again catch your breath and repeat cycle. You should be up by then or someone's will finaly wake you up. Usually I wake up by myself but now I'm married my wife wakes me up. One time I tried to choosing not to fight it and I am afraid not to wake up the next day if i dont fight it and try to wake up but I did wake up the next day.:) but it is still good to wake up during sleep paralysis. One thing drink plenty of water before you go to sleep at night.
Also I Had a talk with my
Also I Had a talk with my wife so if she see/or feel my feet moving then she wake me..
I fell asleep on the couch
I fell asleep on the couch and felt something sit down by me and I felt like I couldn't move or speak and I just kept hearing breathing over me I really don't know if its a disorder or what but I'm freaked out at this point.
man I have produced remedies of this...
This is a process in which our minds part of thinking and feelings is awake but minds controlling part is asleep . To get rid of it u can try below things in ur sleep.
Try to speek or humm as humming is much easier to do than speaking in this condition and some one will wake u up n u will be out of it.
Other is try to move ur neck left right as u can do it and it will wake u if u vigoursly moved while in this I tried these my self. N these both work well n end it up fast
I'm not alone
Am I dead this is the question I ask myself a few time this happen to me, but its good to know it is just a disorder"sleep paralyze". This happen to me very often when I was a kid growing up maybe because I play a lot its a very scary feel knowing your awake but cant move, breath well or speak and having the feeling that there is someone or something in the same room with you. I remember being so tired and wanted to sleep and every time you try to sleep its like your being suck into the paralyze state, but sleep usually win and you just got to give in. Over the years after constant panic I fond a way to get out of the sleep paralyze state by stopping you breathing completely and with a great burst of strength jump up it always work for me so I'm not so afraid any more.
Weird
This happened to me for the first time last night. It was probably the scariest experience I've ever had in my life. The first thing I did this morning is look up what had happened to me. The first thing that came up on google was this article. Thank God there's an explanation and others that have experienced this horrific event. I was on my stomach and I simply could not move or speak. There was a loud white noise, kind of like an ocean I guess now that someone's mentioned it, and I felt pressure on my body. I was trying to scream or say my finances name but nothing happened I simply couldn't get any words out. So instead, I started breathing heavily and fast thinking it might wake him up and make him shake me awake. Unfortunately, he's a great sleeper and did not wake up. I think the heavy breathing helped me rid of this paralysis though because it only lasted maybe 2 minutes. I kept my eyes shut because in my mind, if I opened them, I would surely see a spirit in my room. Thinking about it now, who knows if I would've even been able to open my eyes even if I wanted to. Oh well, thanks everyone for sharing your stories, it made me feel less horrified by what happened to me.
I've had this since I was a young child
Gina, it is very scary and to this day I have to deal with it. Fortunately, as I have gotten older, it doesn't happen as often. I just wish it would stop.. I already suffer from anxiety and it just makes it even harder to get out of it.
Started in my twenties
I am glad to see I am not the only one that suffers from this. Last night was particularly bad. It is almost always the same, I can't move, I can't breath and I begin to panic as though I am dyingl, i usually hear things that seem sort of normal like someone is in the room opening a drawer or watching tv. I see the room as it is, and it usually feels like there is a presence in the room although I can say that I don't usually see anyone. Sometimes I try to scream for someone to wake me up but no one hears me. I usually start moving my toes and fingers first then try to shake it off as fast as I can.
Last night I was really tired and wanted to go to sleep so badly but each time I began to fall asleep I immediately fell into the paralysis and panic. It happened about 10-12 times even when I got up to walk around the house a little hoping it would stop. I definately believe it is anxiety related as I have alot of stress in my life this summer and it has definately increased lately. It doesn't happen all the time but I wish so much it would just stop. Doesn't anyone have a cure for this? I am almost convinced that I do stop breathing and maybe my heartrate stops too but I couldn't know since no one seems to have been awake watching me or noticing that it is happening to me to tell me what it looks like from the outside perspective.
I just wish I could relax and let it flow away, but I am always afraid I am dying because I can't breath during these episodes.
I've had this since I was a young child
I have had these since I was a your child. I'd say since I was 6 years old to the present. With me, I can actually feel it coming on before I fall asleep. Never while I'm sleeping. I know this is going to sound stupid, but hear me out.
At first (during the day or just when I get into bed), I'll hear the ocean in my ears. As if I'm holding a shell to my ears. My eyes are still open and I try to move but I can't. My eyes then will close shut (I can still hear the baseball game on the TV and everyone still talking), I can't move. I start to struggle, trying to move my arms and sometimes I feel that I have my arms above my head, I feel a figure around me, with my eyes closed I can see a shadow come over me and sitting or lying on top of me. My heart feel as if it's going to jump out of my chest, I'm dying inside and I'm awake and there is nothing I can do. Finally after i start to relax, I start to come out if it and once I am, I am still in the same position as I was when I went into it. My arms never moved when I had thought they were above my head.
I'm wide awake when this happens. I'm not in any sleep states at the time.
Sleep paralysis
I know what you mean by hearing the ocean in your ears, it sometimes feels like my ears are clogged too when i hear it and they feel like they're gonna pop!
I've also had the feeling my arms were above my head. Only my eyes were open & i thought i was moving my arm in front of my face but i couldn't see my hand at all and thought my arm was missing like amputated! The reason i wasn't seeing it is because i never moved them! I just thought i did! Sometimes i will feel my mattress sink in as if someone sat on my bed next to me while i'm laying there paralyzed. But when i come out of it, no one is there!
Sleep paralysis
I am still in high school and almost every night I have this and it to me is terrifying I have severe lack of breath and I feel pressure on my chest unable to move I feel like my body is a shell and I'm squirming to escape from it and in the same night I think that I wake again but yet I'm still in sleep paralysis an it has happened like that maybe 7 times in a night I've never had any of the "spiritual" stuff happen to me really just since I was like twelve I've had this almost everyday and yet I will never just be able to let it pass over I don't know why I just can't figure out I've tried to just sleep through it but then I feel like my life is slipping away I know it sounds weird but I get really scared and anxious
Black figure on top of me 5:15 am
I wasn't asleep yet, just drifting off on the couch, but the inside of my head sounded like someone changing the radio dial, going from one station to another. I was thinking how cool it was that my mind could do this.
Then suddenly very powerful chills covering my entire body, starting at my back as if something came up behind me. This was followed by a second wave of equally powerful chills. Oh no, I thought with dread, something is here. In a split second I was totally paralyzed. Yes, I was on my back with one arm over my head.
My eyes opened and black figure hoovered over, blacking out the nightlight in the hallway. Total darkness. No matter how I fought, I could not move or speak. I tried in vain to hiss at it, thinking I'd scare it away (pretty funny now).
I mentally protected myself with God's white light, said the Lord's Prayer, and repeated this process 3 times, each time trying to move my arms but failed under the enormous weight bearing down on me. I asked God to protect me and banish this darkness, then in God's name I commanded it to leave, and it vanished in a split second.
I knew it was gone and that I could move once more. I instantly felt normal and wide awake, no pins and needles, no weakness at all. I could see my hallway nightlight shining again.
I thanked God for helping me, but don't like that this has happened. I know this wasn't a dream. I was awake and saw what I saw, and felt what I felt. This was not a physical state -- it was supernatural one. Period.
Does anyone know how I can protect myself from this thing returning?
i know how to stop it
Hi I am Jaimee I am a 29 yr old female, posted on this site a few years ago, have experienced d.s.p since I was a teenager, my sister who is 18 months older use to as well, it started happening more in my 20s. I ranges from just be paralyzed and freaking out to spirits visiting, I have seen angels with good messages and as you describe the black evil figure, for me this was the last straw, so getting my house blessed by a local spiritualist, placing black onyx in the furthest 4 corners of your house (if your unsure what this is its a semi precious stone - can be brought online or at magical/spiritual shops) burn white sage regular, pray to the universe before sleeping to have a restful undisturbed sleep, and even wear a beanie to bed to cover your 3rd eye. in fact it is in your control to control this, you are attracting spirits to yourself like a moth to a light, so stop thinking about anything negative, stop watching anything horror or negative and be positive and try what I have mentioned. IT WORKS!!!!!!!!
I can grantee I have had 100% success. Now its up to you.....
OK
I've experienced sleep paralysis and so has my sister, as well as the dark figure on top of you. I think you're taking this way too far. It's all in the mind. You're making yourself think all of this is working. I mean, third eye? Really? I've had nights where I sleep fine. This has only happened a few times. And I do nothing to "prevent" it from happening. You're wasting your time and money. Unless you like to do this for fun, it's DUMB.
SP
So many people with same experience is comforting but same since not resolved. ..to be groped and feeling of being thrown around the room and half conscience is hard to say its my dream and SP...I can feel myself falling out of bed and looking up from the floor only to fight to wake up in bed...ive researched ive prayed myself awake ive cryed came close to saying I must need to medicated because this isnt normal...SP is the only answer ive found and theres no medication for it...but what so many people see and feel how could you not say it has nothing to do with supernatural. ..the voices I hear the touching I remember for days after and being drained after every occurance. ..ive told my husband after it happens with such emphasis but it happens so much now that all I say is I had another one of those dreams...and I feel like crap the rest of the day....I just wish it would go away
Sleep Paralysis
I have had this same dream many times but when I wake up I feel normal after using the bathroom or whatever I go back to sleep. I am 24 and have had the dream where I am pushed out of bed and am on the floor by an "evil presence" exept when I wake up I'm not on the floor and it's disorienting. I used to have a dream where I felt like my bed was being tapped from underneath and that was scary but I haven't had that dream for quite a few years.
This just happened to me half
This just happened to me half an hour ago for the 6th time over the space of 8yrs.(im 30 now) its gotten worse each time.
1st two times it happened just got a buzzing noise in my ears couldnt hear, move or speak but didnt get any hallucinations or see anything first time . i thought at the time it was aliens doing tests on me.
Then it happened again. I had all earlier symptoms but also heard a man run down the stairs into the sitting room where i was sleeping. He stood at the door and grunted (didnt see him). felt like screaming/jumping out sitting room window when i heard him running down but i was paralyzed.
Next time was paralyzed and i heard a man coming into my house through the front door, footsteps really loud and slamming presses or doors in the room nxt to me. was on my own in the house.
Then there were two children standing behind me laughing at me and at how scared i was.
my sons father my ex and v good friend died two wks ago.he was only 32. iv bn wanting so much to contact him if he is there in spirit and have bn thinkin about it non stop. just half an hour ago woke up frozen on the bed but could feel some sort of energy raising both my hands up for a few seconds and for the 1st time out of all the times this happened i saw something, a black figure sitting on the bed opposite me with its back turned to me shadowy with a type of cloak with a hood. i was frozen tried to speak but couldnt, my ears were buzzing so loud. i got a strong feeling of sadness and shame from the black figure for some reason even though i couldnt see a face. it was really sad sitting there hunched over.
i dont know is my mind playing tricks as the doctors would say but seems a bit coincidental that so many others with this hear footsteps, see dark figures with their backs turned as well and other spirit/ghost like things.
dont know was it my sons father or something else but strange since iv bn so desperate to contact him. who says good spirits should be white in coulour. they could just as well be black. Maybe they dont want to scare you too much and thats why they hide their faces. who knows?? will have to wait and see what happens next time. hopefully not tonite if i fall back asleep. have had enough for one nite :-)
Wanna hear something freaky?
First off im glad to hear the scare factor is normal, i was thinking it was bad spirits. i've experienced SP about six times. i recently took a trip out of the country and got majorly jet lagged for a week and while i was trying to recover i got SP about four times in two weeks. the only difference is that i got it in the morning while trying to wake up, rather then at night while trying to go to sleep. first time i got it, i felt myself going into it, my skin felt like it was on vibrate and super at peace. thats when i realized i couldnt move and started freaking me out, i couldnt speak, but i KNOW my eyes were open because i was paying attention to details in my room that i wouldnt remember in a dream. i started seeing shadows above my head, and then i saw a SUPER SCARY honestly.. demon face, it was black and purpleish with red eyes and fangs and i would see it trying to get closer to my face and when it would force itself on me my body would feel a vibration, almost like a force field was protecting me. even though that really freaked me out, i wanted to experience it again only for the peaceful feeling. it wasnt a while till it happened again, but when it did nothing scary happened. the next time was just SICK i got while laying on my stomach and facing the door, i hallucinated and saw my door open and then READY FOR THIS i saw infants with blue one-z's crawling into my room one after the other and then they stood up and walked toward me and climbed on the bed and went over behind me. since i was on my stomach and couldnt move i didnt see where they went i just knew they were attacking me, and it was over. FUCKING CRAZY. recently now when its happened ive hallucinated my niece being there everything was completely normal even her conversation to me. ive also felt something holding my feet which has scared me because it felt pretty real, the grip, the movement, the clamminess of a palm. im kinda hoping it stops now because the hallucinations are just too much.
I comment about my experience
I comment about my experience I had about 6 months ago. The only way to keep yourself safe is to.pray to god to forgive you for your sins and ask him to protect you. Demons and angels are among us. When you fall asleep you are in a position to undergo a demonic possession. God will hear your prayers and protect you and will not let anything harm you. I.have yet to hear a scientific explanation as to why feel things touching them sitting on thier chest. I had every hair on my body staining in the air and static on my body when a black shadow came down to ky body and i just then finished praying to god and said amen when a breeze of wind blow on my body and through my sheets that gave me the worst goose bumps I.ever had. Rebelations 7:1 about gods seal speaks on evil angels/ probably demons now. Science doesnt explain the physical asspect well enough for me. Yeah lucid dream my ass. Whatever if you ever seen some of.the.shit some people have seen on here I dont think you can phatom scientifically understanding the vividness and surreal aspect.without going thru it. Trust in god he will protect you , you make pray and get gods attention and your prayers will be ansered. I know its scary and can be just know god will prevent any harm amoung you.
no answer for my terror
I had experienced this sleep paralysis only once in my life before and it was pure terror. I heard screaming and could see fast moving flashing lights of many colors and moving dark shaddow fifures. It happened several years ago
And never again since, thank god. Having experienced sleep paralysis or night terror, i can not explain a sepperate event
That happened to me also only once. My oldest daughter kept having horrible nightmares in her room about a man that kept trying to grab her out of bed. It was so bad she would wake up running from her room screaming and coming to me. Id hear her scream and run out to her she looked genuinely affraid looking behind her as if there really were a man in there. I checked and there was nothing. I allowed her to move in and sleep with her sister in her other room. The nightmares ended. The old room i kept the same with her things in it. Shed get dressed but would never sleep or play in
that room again. Months later i was renovating my room and closed off the back of the house. I moved myself to my daughters old room and slept one night in her old bed. This was my experience. I woke up, fully alert around 3-4 a.m. I felt very thirsty and hot. I got out of bed and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and turned on my ceiling fan and off the light as i walked back to bed. I had just laid my head down on my pillow when all of a sudden, fully awake, i went paralyzed. I couldnt move. My eye balls were staring open as i felt a tightness in breath. I felt like i was on fire i was so hot and all i could hear was a loud rushing water static sound. I felt someone big in the room with me walking around the bed. I was all of a sudden felt two hands on my back and bottom as i was laying on my side and the hands i felt slid me from the left side of the bed about half oner to the right side of the bed. As if moving me over to make room. i felt the blankets and sheets under my body pull and bundle up from the weight of my body. I was frozen about a minute or two after being mived. When i could move again i sat up and burst into tears. What was that? I left that room and slept on the couch. I would not sleep in that room again ever. I felt pain for my daughtet all the times i told her she had to go back to bed and that it was only nightmares.
Thank you
I am so relieved that I know what is going on now. I had these episodes when I was 3 but it just started up again when I was 9 and again a year ago. I'm 16 as of July 11th. The first time it started up again all I could do was cry when it stopped. I actually ran to my moms room screaming and crying. I was terrified I had no clue what it was. My mom thought it was night terrors because I used to have them also. I knew it wasn't but she didn't believe me. Thank you so much I finally know what is going on.
scary as hell
I don't even know if people are still going on the because the post is old but I am happy I came across this and know I am not the only one with this problem. Have been reading comments and over and over people are saying the same things that I experience. I have only had 2 episodes but both were extremely scary. When I get sp I wake up and open my eyes and see the room around me, cannot move, speak bit can still hear. My first time I didn't hear anything but I guess I was still kind of dreaming that someone behind me had my arm and was slowly dragging me off of my bed. I didn't hear anything but I can't remember when I woke up, or if I fell back asleep. The second time, I was in a fairly dark room, when I opened my eyes the same thing happened, except this time I was seeing shadows and faces around the room almost talking to me. I don't remember what they were saying or what they sounded like but it was by far the scariest thing that's ever happened to mey mind knew exactly what it wanted to say and just couldn't get the words out of my mouth. It has been at least a year since the last time it has happened, I am just glad to know its nothing evil, or anything like that.
My solution
I am a security officer, I do sleep on the job every now and then. the first time I had sleep paralysis I was scared to death, I was so terrified and was fighting for my life. when I couldn't fight anymore I just give and a few seconds later I am awake, sweating and tired as hell. It happened to me a few times after that and I was of the view that it was work related because it always happened when I am on the job. what I did is just relax and allow myself to wake naturally, just don't fight it. that's my solution not sure if it will work for everyone.