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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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Comments
It happens to me too but different
I happens to me too 2-3 times a month,i wake in the middle of the night and can't move i tried to strugle(kinda fight)and then it just stops and i fall a sleep again right after that,but i don't see anything,no hallucinations nothing.Maybe it's because i always sleep with my face down on pillow and when that paralysis starts i have my eyes closed.
?
Ok so this happens to me all the time but I wake up with scratch marks on my arms legs and torso some times even bleeding it also happen at school and my friend told me that y I had a scratch mark on my fore head, and that's no half I also see three of these http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&gl=us&biw=569&bih=53&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=dark+shadow+figure&oq=dark+shadow+figure&aq=f&aqi=g-s1&aql=&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3..0i10.7388l15789l0l16068l17l17l2l0l0l1l257l2399l0j7j5l12l0.frgbld.&mvs=0#i=1 and just right now one grabbed me and took my son away I woke up about an hour later (my girlfriend woke me) and she said what's wrong I said why u put him in the crib and she said noise didn't u did I heard u and I said I could not move how could I have can any one answer me I called my mom and she laughed at me I hanged up on here she thought I was playing and I told her about the scratches and she said pray? What can it be I can't sleep i scared and can't sleep im 22420 and no one grabbed takes me serious Help me please
I had said a succubus earlier
I had said a succubus earlier in my previous post but I meant an incubus.
I have experienced this too
I have experienced this too many times to count. Now reading this I am more frightened then before. I am Glad I have a scientific explination for this but there are still things that I believe are due to evil spirits due to this never happens to me when my boyfriend is sleeping next to me. This only happens when I am sleeping alone so it makes me think it is still due to a sucubus preying upon me. I can relate to the scientific point that was presented to me in this article but there are just too many unanswered questions I have. the most horrifying experiences that I have ever had. I am Glad that there are others that are out there like me. I Also know this has happened to other people that I know that have lived in the house I live in the same house as I live in so is that a coincidence I don't believe it is but if so that is just crazy to think so many people in the same home have this happening to them. Then again I am a person that believes in spirits and the dead walking amount us. I guess I am just confused so I will have to research the scientific point of view more. This article was very helpful so thank you.
strange..
Whats weird is that we all see shadows i see a little kid. Could it be a surpressed memory stuck in our conscious? Or could we have some sort of supernatural power. Almost as in the movie insidious.
I too see a child!
The first time this ever happened to me was at a high time of stress when my husband had moved to another state for a new job and left me with three small children to raise until I too could move. I was napping in my recliner and suddenly, I was awake in my mind (I knew I was in my chair napping, laying on my side and that it was day time). I was awake in every aspect of my mind, but could not move! I then saw, through fighting to open my eyes,, a little girl standing beside my chair and laughing! A type of ivy started to grow all over my large entertainment center. I fought to open my eyes, I could not, then tried to wiggle my fingers, raise my arm. It was heavy and I kept slipping back deeper into sleep state regardless of my fight! After a few minutes, I was able to wake up and was scared to go back to sleep. I was taking Vikatin at the time for bad strep throat and I thought it was a side effect of the medicine, so I stopped taking it. It had been about 2 months ago, but it happened to me again last night, with no medication.No halucinations last night, but I knew where I was, but could not move.
night terror
last night I had gone to bed I must have only just dozed off but as I was turning position. I turned to my side where straight in front of me I saw a black shadow but it was like a man of big build I immediatley sat up and just behind my headboard was the the light switch, which I put my hand back searching for all the while to afraid to take my eyes off this "thing"as I thought if I looked away he might do something. at first I thought it might have been my boyfriend playing a prank but that soon changed when I heard him shouting up the stairs to see was I ok at this point I was absolutely terrified (still trying to find lightswitch) I screamed even louder eventually I had to turn my head away from the figure to turn on the light nd when it came on the figure was gone. by this time I was shaking and sweating in a bad panic. after all had calmed down I came to the conclusion my mind was playing tricks but it felt so real at the time and I was wide awake so I'm not sure if there was some1 or something in my room last night but it was enought to keep me awake with the light on last night. and I'm the kind of person who loves horror films and love having nightmares but this was something sooo different as it certainly felt like it was real! spooky! has anyone else experienced anything similar to this. I have 2 small kids in the house and am on edge thinking about it.
I've experienced this a lot
I've experienced this a lot of times. I'm now 14 years old and every week it would happen. I would usually feel like a strong cold wind, and i just hear myself scream, but no sound comes out. I rarely see weird shadows or anything but there's like big white dots when i move my eye and i can't even move anything. Sometimes it would last hours and i wake up with a migraine.Now i'm really scared to go to bed... It happened to me yesterday, like always 10-30 minutes after i go to bed(i always sleep facing my alarm clock), and it was the worst because this time i felt a pressure on my chest, and an eerie very loud buzzing sound... I could feel like a cold hand touching my face.Since that i always thought it was a paranormal experience. Thanks for posting this, now i won't be so scared anymore.
-Kevin
TO MANY TIMES!!!!
Iv had this expirence for quite somtime now, where im sleeping andi cant move but my eyes are open and i try everyhing to call my mums names or someones, but the wprdfs dont seem to come out, i try everything to move or wake up, i usually always see a shadow,but tonight it was a man in a black suite holding me down, i tryed everything to get up, i even tryed my all to turn to my right side to call my sons name out, i manage to drop to the floor in my sleep but, as soon as i got close to him, he starts talking in a deep scary voice, and thats what woke me up, still on my bed..... i was to afraid to go back to sleep afterwards..... i get scared every time it happends, i do belive its evil but why me?
Is There a Treatment for Sleep Paralysis
I just experienced an episode of sleep paralysis and just prior to struggling to wake up. I had a dream that there was a man at my back door. So I stood up with a pencil in my left and and growled at him through the door. I opened the door and I tried to stab him but my left hand was paralyzed so the man put the pencil back in my left hand...I know, weird. I've had sleep paralysis several times in the past and I always struggle to move and breath to come out of it. Tonight, I intentionally fell out of bed which cause slight urination. On another occasion, I struggle to fall out of bed and I hit my lip on the side of the night stand. I know, too much information, however, I'm a born again Christian and I want to be a light to anyone who has this same problem. I've read sleep paralysis is a form of epileptic seizure.
My question for all you all (Texas speak for plural), is there a cure along with the stripes of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Is there a medication created by God that works.
Philippians 4:13. Danny Graham
I hate it.
It happens to me almost every day. It usually happens during naps during the day, but also at night. I sit there, sometimes able to open my eyes, sometimes not. I hear children laughing, my sisters screaming, circus noises, men whispering, and very strange noises. It scares me a little bit, but what really bothers me is the tingly feeling I get all over my body. I breathe in, then breathe out, then keep breething as hard and fast as I can. That usually allows me to twitch a finger or open my eyes and I jerk myself awake. My aunt, my sisters, and some of my cousins go through the same thing. I wish it would go away. I hate it so much.
sleep paralysis
Hello
I am saddened to hear you and your family go through this horrible experience. I help people every day with this problem. Please email me.
Love and light
Ruth
is there anything else i should know
This helps a lot because now i understand what is going on more. I've been having these attacks since i was 7 or 9 and i am 18 now. They've been getting increasingly more violent. and also they happen in shorter interval. for instance i was just taking a nap and had a really bad one that was suffocating me and i felt like somethign was pressing on my whole body and my body was, well it felt like i was vibrating and my eyes were opening and closing. but it happened during a nap that was only 20minutes long. is it natural for me to be entering sleep so fast? I its been happening a lot in short periods more often such as this past one.
Someone Please Explain!
This is seriously scaring me. i thought i finally had it under control but i finally collapsed! I tried to stay calm last night and pray myself out of another attack. But i crack and got scared again and i could hear whispering and feel a tickle by my ear. i tried to turn by head or make it fall to the side as i was lying on my back but i couldn't. I swear i try everything! i eat healthy i sleep at 8 or 9 at night. someone help me. im done with this. i just want it to stop. i don't really believe in any spirits or ghosts but i feel that something is trying to possess me. and i always see the same figure every time. dark, tall, almost floating, in front of me moving at me, then away. anyone who has any advice or anyone who knows what about evil spirits please help me!
Wow. Well it sounds really
Wow. Well it sounds really weird but at least I have a glimpse of what it is. I'm Zarah and I'm 17 and I have been having this problem since I was 13. Now it's just gotten worse, I used to have it like every other couple of months. Now I just have it every other week. I actually just had it about twenty minutes ago. Which is what caused me to do the research because it's never been this bad. Well now I actually understand it and the next time it happens I will know what it is and can stay calm and wait until I wake up. Thank you
happening again 03/28/2012 @ 12 15 am
This happened to me when i was about 7 to 9 years old ,i would first hear a ringing or buzzing sound knowing the monster was coning and going to freeze me , one time it felt like his body and his face was 1 inch away from my face, i could not move ,it would last a while and when i would wake up i felt so scared , since then it only happened maybe 10 times in 40 + years, now i am 52 and it happened last night and last week , i work shift work last night got home at 1130 pm ate 2 slices of pizza read the daily news on the internet , stay up about 45 mins went bed as soon as my head touched the pillow and closed my eyes BANG paralyised counld not move or yell for help , while i was paralyisied this time i said JESUS JESUS help me GOD nothing worked so this time i made a fist and was ready to punch and fight this monster when it was over , but then all of a sudden i wake up and looked around and saw nothing everything was normal, then i had a hard time sleeping because i was scared it wounld happen again ,i am also scared that at my age i might have a heart attack when i try to force myself to move while being paralyised , also when i was young i used to put baby powder on the floor to see if the monster left foot prints ,thats how real it felt ,back then my mom would say it was just a dream it's nothing ,my whole life i would tell people and they thought it was funny.
Second time I have experienced this "paralysis sleep" thing.
Only started to read about this until it happened again about 6 hours ago. I thought it was just a one off but clearly not. Just before I was about to wake from my sleep everything just went into slow motion and the thought of someone in the same room as me was terrifying. I looked over my left shoulder and seen like a black shape/ blur and I couldn't help think it was someone just standing there. I tried moving but the more I tried to move I just couldn't move. Then I started to yell my mums name and it seemed to awake me from my sleep. I thought I'd share my story like everyone else and was hoping for some feedback if possible. Such a scary experience and one I don't want to experience again.
Thanks :-)
sp
Just woke up from sp and as soon as I liftd my head it came right back its the 3rd time in 12hrs a hand was on my forhead and didn't get woke till my. Girlfriend came out the bathroom thank god she slamd the door its way to scary
This has been happening to me
This has been happening to me for some time now and I absolutely hate it, I can remember on specific time when i was lying in bed with my sister talking when all of a sudden it happened I was trying to call to her saying her name again and again , it was only when it went i asked her if she didn't hear me calling her name and she said I just been making breathign sounds out y mouh. It went away for a while and I felt safe because i'd been reading the bible but it came back last night and itscared me silly because normally I'dfall alseep properly and the 'force' would pin me down but this time the moment i lay on my back I felt my arms pin down and it actually felt like two hands were holding my wrist and there was somthing on my chest I had to struggle to wiggle my toes before it left. I also recall anoter time when i tried to open my eyes I'm unsure if I did actually open my eyes but either way i saw a scary old lady with black holes for eysa nd long sharp teeth sitting on my chest shaking me, and only today while i reserched about it do i hear about the 'old hag syndrome' being not true which must be a lie if i saw her and idn't know about her until now. I'm unsure if all this is related to forces and demons or if it actually is just sleep paralysis either way i want it to go away NOW!
i've never really seen the
i've never really seen the old hag like that before. but the dark figure with no face but its as if she has coals as eyes. standing by me, or whispering to me, or siitting on me, or by my door. or even trying to possess me it seems
im 18 now
Ive had SP before when i was younger im sure but can only remember till when i was around 16 it happened when i was in school i was in a classroom with my sister and my head was down on the desk when it happened ive had it befpre that but thats the one i remember the most i couldnt move at all i could bearly talk i was actually only able to say 'hmmmmm' as i was mumbling. A while back my sister was getting ready for school and and were leaving out the door when i went into that paralyzing state and clearly heard someone in the bed behind me whispering i did not pray simply try to move my body . Today it happened again and its been a while only this time i saw a shadow by my door bit i tried to ignore it i was trying so hard to move but i couldnt im certain that what im about to say was mr dreaming. So after i saw the shadow of a kid i tried to move but i couldnt i somehow stood up and went into the litchen now it feels like i was physically still in bed but my spirit was in the kitchen . So i tried to walk down the stairs into my neighbors apartment and ask for help but as soon as i know it im back in the bed trying to move. Whwn i saw the shadow i did ask god to help me even though im not a relihious person or much of a believer and now im questioning if it was a spirit or simply it all on my head. Could i be seeing things because i was afraid of them or though about them?
s.p awake
My mom has had certain symptoms like s.p when she was younger, awake and asleep, I have only had s.p when asleep. I wouldn't wish s.p to my worse enemy. I have learned to cope by thinkn good thoughts through the ordeal,and praying to the true God. To think there is someone out there greater than this awful disorder helps alot. I also think of my family an I try to go back to sleep an hope to wake up again without being paralyzed, and most of the time it works, but sometimes it takes a few times before I can wake with mobility.
My mom and I have gone
My mom and I have gone through similar experience
stay calm
i didnt have this problem until i forced my body into this state. Now it has been every night the past 2years, but i have a different experience than you guys. When i was 12 i had really problems whit my zombie nightmares, so i started to take controll of my dreams. So when this dream paralyzis experiment started i traind my brain to controll it. Just remember that during your sleep the brain produces a drug. And like all other drugs they have side effects, just remember to stay calm, and that you can controll it. I have had so mutch fun whit this dream state,one time i walked right out of my body and went to the living room and it was at first filled whit creapy shadows and ghost like figures, but then i stoped and told myself that it was my dream and the ghosts was butterflies, and guess what they said poff and the living room was filled whit gras and butterflies. And if it gets to scary to handle just hold your breath, then you will awaken. Why let the fear the unknown? It will just scare you and it wont stop, try to be calm beacuse its your dream, and you are the master of your mind. Its the same when you walk into a dark room its nothing there other than what your mind is saying.
this happen to me a lot back in the philippines
in the philippines at my old house i always dream and wake up not being able to move my body ,open my eyes or anything but i can hear , i can hear my parents talking and someone walking , but no one can hear me screaming, then i can feel my fingers move a little.,and i can also feel someone pushing my chest. so what i do is pray and pray and say hallelujah lord hallelujah jesus , please pt me back to sleep and let me wake up again and be able to move. then i calm down and fall asleep. and when i woke up. i told my parents about it they said where my room is and where my bed is , is where my grandma died. and i just found out that after having that room for 14 years.
Sleep paralysis
As I woke up this morning looking into the mirror I had a strong and vivid flash back of my concious sleep paralysis. It had to have been about my 7th now, very frightening all I recall is 'waking up' or sleeping but either one still dreaming while feeling completely awake I remember trying to scream for my mom to come help and I couldn't I felt so stiff and my breathing began to aside from me causing me to feel as if I was going to sufficate, at one point of the dream I managed basically to crawl to my moms bedroom door where she was getting ready for work (even tho everything was as it would have been in reality, it was still a dream) as soon as she saw me I dropped to the floor where I coldn't even explain to her what was going on with me. Although idk what point of the dream this happened I looked in front of the mirror and specifically remember my pupils being almost the size of my actual eyes, in a split second one of my pupils went to the size of a dot while the other stayed larger than normal. Very weird and different, but at that point I was able to walk around somewhat obviously, so it confuses me how I go from being completely paralyzed to crawling to possibly walking. And how everyone else has said it almost does seem like an evil spirit, about a year ago I had my first of these dreams and everytime its me thinking I'm awake and everything in place as it would be if I really was awake. What happened was I went to sleep on the couch and I (thought I was awake) but was dreaming and again was paralyzed only this time somehow I was able to crawl somewhat easier after finding the way, I remember my plan was to crawl about 10ft to the front door so I could fall down outside for a neighbor to take me to the hospital, the second I made it to the front door I fell to the floor with a sudden migraine begininng to hear actual multipal voices at once basically yelling in my brain. It was by fat the worst experience of my life waking up from those dreams really make you uncomfortable with yourself, I just now found research on this topic after having another one of those dreams last night I'm glad I'm not the only one. The only part that has me worried is the SUNDS because everytime I go into those dreams it is very difficult to breathe.
Im so glad im not the only
Im so glad im not the only one.
Wow I just read something
Wow I just read something some1 said. It is a NASTY experience!well put!!
Same thing.
Last Night i found myself dosing off but everytime i would dose off my body felt completely numb i couldnt move my arms anything i tried to scream but nothing was coming out i was trying with great effort! And eventually i would awake again but the same would keep happeneing over and over but the next time i felt as if someone was sitting on my arm and then i could see something looking at my face it is a very nasty experience
Wow, good to be able to share
Wow, good to be able to share these thoughts with others too, I used to dream these nightmares a fair bit. Sometimes I managed to force myself awake not to fall asleep soon after with the same nightmare. And each time I couldn't move, it felt like something is leaning heavily one, like a dead weight one. Such a horrible feeling to be a prisoner of your own body. There was even one instant when I dreamt of being raped in one of these dreams. Usually I would pray when attacked by these dreams and most often than not, the dreams would fade away and reality would set in. I find that prayers help with these nightmares. I don't know whether it was evil or pure science but I do know that our Lord helps me in times of needs. He never fails and I am glad I d t have these dreams anymore for almost 5 years now.
frighten to go t sleep at night
I been having this paralyze dreams since my teenage days but as i get older its becoming more and more that i can have them twice in the night i have not seek medical attention but i am about to do it. the last paralyze dream i had was I was trying to sleep and finally all of the sudden i found myself in pitch black unable to move or speak and was scare like crazy than i hear voices talking in other language that i cant understand than they stop and there was silent and i was panic when i heard the presence walking towards my bed and i hear scraping rugs footstep so that's when i say in the blood of Jesus let me wake up and that's when i wake up and i wont sleep again till the next night and feel terrify to close my eyes, so i do believe there is something evil on this matter.
there is something evil about this
I am turning 26 this year and have had this problem my whole and eveytime I think I've found a solution to this, It comes back again, I have recently become a Christian and what I have noticed is whenever it happens and I mention Jesus' name, it goes away and I can feel things running away. When I wake up to go get something to drink in the kitchen I always notice that there are windows open in my house and I always close them. I have experienced a lot of different scary things, from being choked to hearing train sounds in my ears, etc. The more it goes on, the more I discover something awkward about my situation, whatever time I go bed at and no matter how tired I am, each time I wake up from this condition, the time is always around 3am in the morning, at first I used to stop it by changing the sleeping direction, then later it years later, it started occuring again even after changing sleeping positions and then I had to go sleep in another room so it could stop but sometimes it would go on until I had to go sleep with somebody in their room and then it would stop but then the next time that happened, the person chocking me was more stronger and aggressive like they were angry I had ran away the prious night then I was scared to sleep alone and eventually abondoned my bed for my brother's and then it started happening again in the form of a dream where I was alone with this creature, sometimes I would recall I was next to someone but couldn't reach out to them as I couldn't move, nor speak but in the morning or after managing to escape, my sibling would tell me I was dreaming just now and speaking in a language they couldn't understand but sometimes calling their name like I was reaching out for help. Then last year I decided to join church as reading the bible or praying before sleep didn't seem enough to stop this condition. Just after joining church, it stopped completely, somebody asked me why I had joined a church and I explained my situation to them and that I mo longer experienced anything ever since joining church and then a few days after it came back but the funny part is I before the suffering begins, I am slowly able to pray and the I see the object slowly turning backwards before eventually running away or dissapearing but the funny part is I always find that either somebody has opened my bedroom windows or one of the bathroom window and door are wide open and when I close them, I will sleep peacefully until morning but two days ago, this creature woke me up but before it could torture me, I managed to say a prayer, it came back about 4 times and I prayed until I saw it was gonna bug me until morning and that's when I went and joined my sibling in his bed again. I have moved about 5 places and the funny part is after moving, nothing happens for a while but once it begins, it never stops and if I make sure the windows are closed everynight, whenevr it starts happening again, my roof is leaking and the funny part is it's always my living area and my bedroom and so I am certain it is evil spirits because the creatures only seem to fear Jesus and nothing else and they attack me around the same time no matter what time I go to bed or how tired I am and also beause I mostly find my windows open and the other time, I had a visitor sleeping next to me suffer the same thing for the first time in their life and they were very freaked out the following morning and it's never happened to them again after leaving. I doubt they can manage to overpower my weapon this time around
couldnt wake up
so saturday night around 2am i fell asleep and i was having a night mare i guess but in my dream i was telling myself to wake up and couldnt i saw myself in a mirror but on the other side of the mirror i moved a little freaked me out and my mom also showed up in my dream but she just kept telling me to pray and which i did and woke up and well this has happened to me more then once but never a dream ive just been asleep and im just telling myself to wake up and cant feel alot of pressure on my chest and chills while im asleep and when i wake up finallyy my bodie feels really weak.
hey
Please tell me how I can get it to stop. I can't stand it once a week it happens and then stay up all night
become relaxed and somewhat apathectic
i finally found away to control it. it still happens but now its shorter and less scary for me. i try my best to overcome the anxeity and pull through. i have it once every month or so now. which for me is great, i used to be afraid every night that it would happen and it did. my worst one was when i fell asleep in the afternoon and was staring at my wall. i knew it was my wall and i was somewhat awake becaes i could see and read every detail of my wall. but i could not move, i watched a shadow wave up and down the wall and i felt a presence behing me. then it fell over me and the sadow from the wall came down and all of it, the shadow and the presence felt like it was sucked into me. then it was released and i could see the shadow and feel the presence again. and just as i was about to wake up a dark tall cloaked figure stood over me i could not see its face but it was frightning. when i awoke it was the same wall same position just no creepy shadows. now during those dreams i try to think nothing as soon as a realize i'm paralyzed. i try to move, realize i cant, stop there and relax and not fight it. after a few days of trying that, i stopped having them for a week.
The shadow man
Everyone who has experienced this problem please read. I'm 15 and I have had this problem for my whole life. But ever since I was little I thought it was just a bad dream. I would have it once or twice year, but ever since I turned 15 it happens almost every week. This past month I did an experiment to test if I was truly conscious during the sleep or not. So I put in some earbuds and started listening to a podcast every night. Then later that week it happend, but it was so powerfull and lasted for a good 5 min. The whole time i could hear the podcast in the background. But I saw a shadow of a man in my room, and I was so scared. I instantly felt like I'm going to die, so I start praying to God. And it calmed me down. When i finally woke up I was really thirsty and i went to the kitchen to get some water. But on my way to the kitchen I looked outside my window into the front yard(chills). And I saw the shadow man again, and it floated behind one of the trees in the front yard. I was so scared I just ran back to my room. I truly belive that the ghosts we see are not just our minds playing tricks on us. After reading all of the other posts, it seems that praying to God is a pretty common way of getting out of this "sleep paralysis". And I dont think that's just a coincidence that God helps us out of it. I believe that these are real demons messing with us in our sleep. If anyone has had an experience like this while they were awake like I did, please reply.
the shadow man
hie guys
I also had a similiar experience last night, l heard my phone beep so naturally l thought it must be a message from someone however when l looked at my phone it seemed as though the battery had died because it wasn't lighting up then l saw a shadow of a man with a black hat so, at first l thought nothing of it, l thought it might have been my eyes playing a trick on me. Then l must have drifted to sleep when l felt as though l was vibrating, as funny as it might seem and heard a weird buzzing wheezing like noise and l also felt a presence. Having experienced this before, l mouthed out Jesus, Jesus, Jesus help me a number of times,because l coludn't speak or shout, the more l called out to Jesus the more l felt the pressure and the buzzing eerie noise and then it disappeared, l was scared straight. I study psychology at school and we have come across this phenomena a few times.
I always see this shadow man
I always see this shadow man when I have sleep paralysis. its scares me so much i just wake up crying!
i have, i was asleep and
i have, i was asleep and heard whispering, chuckling, three people were sitting by my head. i was paralyzed staring at the ceiling when one looked me in the face. anytime i see one of these creatures they're dark and kind of cloudy i can never see a face. i prayed to wake up and i di. i sat up in my bed to clear my head so i wouldn't fall back asleep into the same dream then i heard whispering by my ear. i felt the presence but didn't see anything and i was awake and not paralyzed. i started to cry then i heard nothing but my fan when i calmed down. i didn't sleep again that whole night. i was fourteen then. im 151/2 now. and i have dreams that seem to last longer. mine came more often and more scary by fourteen for me. i wish you good luck in your dreams!
OMG you are not alone. i try
OMG you are not alone. i try to explain this to people but they look at me like im crazy. And yes when i start to pray i finally wake up out of it. I dont know what this is.
why don't the lucky people free of this curse not listen?
for some reason people look at me like i don't know what im talking about. they act like they know. they try yo say," YEAH, i had a dream like that! i had a dream where i though i woke up, i went down the stairs then i woke up and i was really in my bed!" they try to relate like that or "I had a dream that a man tied me up then yelled at me and i thought i was awake too" or they just look at you like you're making it up, or they say that you're not paralyzed, or they try to tell you that you're crazy and that no one else understands what you're making up. it suck. at least i get a lot of that. i haven't met one person in my life that has this except for on this site. and its really helped me. and helped my loved ones understand what im going through. i always prayed to god to stop punishing my and tried to ask him to forgive me or save me. i even told someone i felt as if i was being attacked by the devil. i felt so weird. i still do. you might not have gone through all that but i have and i understand when people just think we're making up such terrible life changing tortures.
Wow!!I just read what you
Wow!!I just read what you posted!!!that's f..in crazzzzy!!!Are you sure you saw this??I'm so scared now!!!!This has been happening to me for almost 15 years!!I wish we knew exactly what it was??How old are you??Do you sleep alone??Don't you just hate this!!I'm kind of releved it happens to other people!Your story has got to win!!How are you these days?Has it happened l8tley??It happened 8 days ago and I know it will happen again!!I hate knowing that!!Write me back so we Dan chat. Love Erika Lynn :)
Stay strong and aware
Hey Erika, just wanted to reply to your experience in the SP state.I've been going through the same evil presence and SP all my life.I've read hundreds of people testimony for the last 2yrs.It comfort me a whole lot knowing that I wasn't the only one going through with sleep paralysis.I gain more support in listing and reading the different experiences from people on this site.From religious point of views and spiritual point of views(experiences).The most important thing to yourself is not to be afraid anymore.I kno it's hard to do,but you can't be a prisoner in your own body.When it occurs to me (and it hasn't for about a yr,and when it did I came rite out of it with no problem)I realise that I'm In the SP state and try to gain some control.The contol is being aware that you are in the SP state and don't panic.Now realise where you are and decide what's next for you.Keep this in mind and reply back to me and let me kno how that worked for you.There are more steps and experiences you have to go through to understand how you become familiar with your situation (SP)good luck.Patrick
I just had another sleep
I just had another sleep paralysis this morning. I get them about 3 times a week and gradually becoming worse each day. i read what everyone commented about this topic and i noticed most of us experience dark shadows. i too experience that. i would sometimes get out of body experiences. i never see myself sleeping when this happens, but i see who are in the room with me while im asleep. this out of body experience usually happens right after i feel paralyzed, then when i would try to move or speak i'd suddenly get up and think that i am awake. i would see and hear things that are happening around me and when i would try and interact i realize that im still asleep. then i would suddenly wake up and notice that the dream like experience i just had is consistent to what i was hearing and seeing when i have truly awake...My sleep paralysis would often happen multiple times a night, where i would have woken up from one and would slowly dose off and occur again and again. It's really bothering me and i want it to stop..i would sometimes wake up from one and tell my brother to wake me up when i would fall asleep again. Im not really a religious person and very skeptical about spirits and the devil. After experiencing all this, im starting to question the scientific explantion that i have read in this article. i am not crazy. lol. ive never had any psychological trauma in my past
I am pretty sure it sounds
I am pretty sure it sounds weird to most people; but I think you are right. In my country, people say "pray when you see them", if something has a place in a culture, it's usually true.. I experienced in a different way, in my dream (or nightmare, whatever) I opened a window, then I felt something (in gaseous form) which surrounded me and pressured to my chest, when I pray (I am not a religious person), it has gone... interesting, but true...
sorry for my bad english, just wanted to help, hope it helped
FINALLY!!!!!
Wow,That few paragraph article just explained the worst part of my life.Im sorry, but I am SOOOO glad to see everyone else going thru the same things.With the internet,I am suprised it took me so long to Google it.
When it happens to me, it feels like there is a "thing/person" sticking its hands in my sides and squeezing my kidneys.(I NEVER have ANY problems awake or going pee :) One time stayed at a friends, and of course, IT kicks in...This thing grabs me, rips me around the room, and pushes me up into the corner of the ceiling, by the kidneys,of course.It was so painful and frightening.I can feel the pain for a while after I wake up too.Its not as bad as while its happening, but hurts still....That was probably the worst time it happened.Being "physically abused".I think it was all black and was super mean and growling and shit man...Freaky!!! But it usually happens on an every-other-night basis now.I will just be laying there trying to go to sleep and BAMM Kidneys getting squeezed like play-do.I get the feeling of someone/thing in the room watching me too.My eyes are closed, but its like its in my periphreal vision just watching and waiting.I have to keep forcing myself to move.Thats all I try to do.Mainly my right foot.That is what always breaks me out of it.I dunno why but hey, it works.
Now, on the religous/spiritual aspect.I really do not know what to think.If it IS really spirits/demons attacking us in our sleep like some Freddy Krueger type shit...Not cool.But a KEY common ground in almost all of our stories...God.When I BEG God to help, it starts to fade rapidly.Like God is saying 'back off you freaky freddy guy!!!' lol Seriously,maybe thats just a "calming" word/phrase to make us calm down.(Like others saying 'calm down' to themselves)But it works.I havent been to a Church in like 18 years.So I am not super religious.But I do believe in God,some SUPER crazy shit happened to where I had no choice, but thats a whole other story.But I think it might be paranormal beings,I really hope not.
But THANK YOU Hiro Takahashi!!!!You have shed some light on whatever is happening to me.There is a few things your scientists are "Not quite sure" of, which may very well be spirits/demons, but your article might help me sleep better at night.
WOW
This is very strange but surprising to me, I'm 16 but I believe this had started happening to me since I was about 14 but during the age of 14 and 15 it only happened a few times but now that I'm 16 its been happening more frequently. I don't believe I had a weary presents whenever it happens but everything else has happened to me. I would wake and would see what is before me and would try to move but for the love of God I could not move. I'd try to yell for help from my parents or whoever is in the house but nothing would slip through my lips. I would hear voices I assume it was my families voices in the house. Yet the last time it happened to me I started breathing heavier and I guess I broke the "paralyzation". I'm just relieved I've found an answer (sorta) to the problem I've had for some time, I'm also relieved to see this was happening to other people. If there is some sort of spiritual thing to this I hope and pray nothing happens to anyone that has this problem, because I hope the next time this happens to me won't be the last time I would be able to move again. I hope that won't happen to anyone. Each time is a frightful, and chilling experience no matter how many times it has happend.
sleeping paralysis
It happened to me one night. I was exhausted, and my mind was over active. I don't remember falling asleep, but then I was in my room seeing these shadows, coming so close to me. I tried to move and scream, I could actually feel the words forming in my throat and nothing happened. It happened a while ago now, and it's terrifying. This makes a lot of sense, it fitted what happened to me to a tee. I think my father may have the same problem, as he does not sleep often or a lot. And when he does sleep, only when someone else is near and awake. I've also noticed he sleeps with his eyes open, I think he has got it. But he won't admit it. I hope this won't happen again, but I have a feeling this won't be the last of it.
my experience
well...i too have been experiencing a lot of sleep paralysis since class 9 . the thing that bothers me the most is the fact that while we are in this stat , why is it that an evil spine chillin feeling fills us.I had shared my very first episodes with my family, yes i do feel it is hereditary but what suprised me was the same experience i had in my first episode , feeling like falling into infinite space, my predeccesors had it the same episode too.true that it may all come down to a scientific explanation . thats what we hope for but i do think its more to do with the supernatural.Till now i have read more than 50 articles coming closest to this topic and have had conversations with many clinical doctors, it seems to me there are things which science cant always answer.
I do hope there is a cure or way to improve it , it really gets horrifying sometimes.
I am only 14.I had this
I am only 14.I had this happen to me 5 times within the last few months.Is there a medication I can take for this to stop?My mother doesn't quite understand this and doesn't think its such a big deal.The more it happens the harder it is to wake myself up.It really scares me.