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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
Little different
Im 30 but I have been having this problem since college. It is a little different than most of these posts because I don't feel any evil spirt or something heavy on my chest. When this happens to me I am mentally aware of my surroundings but I can either barely move or can't move at all at first. However if I try to go back to sleep my head hursts. So I slowly move what I can until I can break through the barrier and become fully awake. It is a very painful and scary experience, not being able to move when you want to. It's weird for me though because its almost like a car engine that is having trouble turning on(over). Like i can move my arm and inch in the air and then i try again and again and again until finally bam i'll be able to completely move. This just happened to me in my car when I was taking a nap during my lunch break. I could hear my radio on but i could only slightly move my body. I tried about 5-10 times until i was able to move my whole body and completely wake up.
I have experience it also.
I'm 17 and I know exactly what you mean. It has happened to me a lot also. You can barely move your body and you actually have to use all your strength to move them. What I do is that I try to move my hand to my face and open one of my eyes, when I do that I regain control of all my body.
How to Wake up from Sleep Paralysis
I'm 58 and I also experience sleep paralysis. I've had these symptoms for at least 30 years. I plan to write about my complete experience, but I found your comment about waking up to be very interesting. When this happens to me, I start trying to move from my feet first, then my legs, then my body, then my arms and hands by moving them back and forth as quickly as I can. It gets easier as I go along, but the paralysis is so strong. I'm open to any suggestions anyone has on how to stop this when it happens.
I'll definitely have to try
I'll definitely have to try and remember to do that next time it happens. Hopefully it will work!
This can't just be sceintific
The same thing always happens to me, always. I must sleep face-down because if i sleep face-up i end up freezing. I can sometimes feel myself starting to freeze before i even fall asleep so i get up before it happens and stay up for a couple of minutes till i don't feel it anymore. When it first happened to me i think i was 10, i opened my eyes but couldn't move at all, i was just frozen but had nothing else going on. After many more experiences i started seeing things, feeling things, even started hearing things. I can either see a small figure holding me down (once i saw a brown figure it's face next to mine) i can feel something watching me or i start hearing voices getting louder and then turning into screeches as i start to wake up. It has happened to me so much that now i learned to wake myself up from it no matter how hard it can be. I can either move my fingers to the edge of the bed so my arms can go off the bed with the force that's already holding me down causing me to jump and wake up, i sleep face-down so if it does happen to me i can wiggle my fingers closer to my chest so i can start pushing myself up, and if not i just start showing confidence to whatever is around me showing less fear so that my breathing can go back to normal and i slowly get my energy back. When i used to sleep face-up i would wiggle my fingers close to my hips so that i can push myself up with my elbows. The scary part about my story though is that i was born on january 26 1996 10:16PM notice that the last digit of: Date, Year, and Time all end with 6 making it 666 if you put them together. That's one reason why i don't fully believe it has to do with science. Thank You.
I agree with you... it is not
I agree with you... it is not all science
Im not suffering it but i know who is.
My stepmother woke up today and stared at me... I called my sister and woke up my father my father put on clothes on her and my sister and i carried her outside . we called all her friends. She look at me and starts laughing and smiling like nothing is going on. But for a second i understood she knew what we were talking about but she cant talk! she opens her mouth and nothing comes out and she cant move. It's like she is dead and cant speak but shes awake?! I stayed home my dad and my sister went to the hospital i was researching what is this and is there a cure and i found that great article . I'm Neida From Boston, Massachusetts In the United States
Im not suffering it but i hope there is a cure for it.
What article was if I can ask
What article was if I can ask my son is 11 and I'm afraid for him plz help Ill do anything! Thank you
coincidence
Hello, My name is John and im 20.. There is no coincidence that we are all here on this site.. Im shure that most of us are in some way religious.. I have read all of the post befor my own. It seams like they all point at 1 thing. The thing that brings me here is the fact that I had an encounter with "SP"
I wont ramble on about my story that much.. but id like to asks some general questions to the public.. If any of you have any awnsers please respond here or to my personal email
First of all, All this stuff about RIM sleep and science talk... Not really buying it right about now.. Even though it may have a hand in getting to the state to have an encounter.. Im no doctor.. and im not in college for medical fields... but I do go to church and I do know about healing the soul.
The encounter I had last night was basicly this...
1.) I got in the bed and right away while awake, I started to hear clearly a ringing noise. Im a guitarist so I do know that the noise was going in and out of tune. like it was alternating between frequencys. A wave patern.
2.)I pulled the sheets over my head and with in about 10 minutes I started to have Visual images surround me in the dark. The images were images of a bad past. Slavery,Rape,Sex,Violence and Greed. It all showed it self to me.
3.)The next series of events that took place was noises around my room. Creeks,Taps and other mild movement.
4.) At this point I was still sleep but Aware of everything. I knew where I was and what was going on. I questioned the graphic images I was seeing as if something wanted me to take pleasure in the images. When I came to the point that this was no regular vision.. I mentaly put the brakes on the Visuals and said something on the lines of " No more!" or a "Stop!".
5.) The images stoped and with in 10 seconds later I "mentaly" turned my head to the right and saw a red light and herd what it sounded like someone walk up the stairs.. walk down the hall, open my door, Walk right up to my bed. At this point i was mentaly back under the covers and alert of my surroundings.
6.) The presence of some sort of dark being made it self clearly know to me. It just stayed there and lurked over me.. not moving.. no more noises in the room.. but I could feel it 2 feet away from me.. stairing at me.
7.) I was to affriad to pull the covers off of my head... The presence spoke to me in a low growling language Sounded like Latin or a version of Italian. It clearly made it self known to me.
8.) At this time I began to Pray to god for protection. I prayed the presence away. At the same time I was trying to move the covers to make a small peep hole to view the room... but I then really found out that I was "SP" I could not move not one thing in my body...
9.) I tryed as hard as i could and soon was able to break what seamed like a spell over my body... I came back to reality.. The sound of the room fans were sharper... I could feel the wet hot covers.. I was really awake .. but the presence faintly was still there.. Just not In this reality.
10.) I wind up going through this about 5 times in 1 night... I tryed to sleep for 10 seconds then wake my self up... It got to the point where I just stayed up and Prayed with my family.. and all was well.. Even missed chuch because of this today..
Now that was the story in short... Ive looked at all the storys on this form.. honestly I dont do forms... But Im serious... and I trust every story on this form.. I know it happend to you.. and whats funny is... the most common thing I got from this is
A.)A ringing sound
B.) Noises creeks and movement around the sleeping room
C.) A dark spirit/ Demon
D.) The power of Prayer fighting the Demon.
E.) SP taking place at a younger age.. perhaps more vivid.
Folks Im no doctor but in conculsion this is not due to some brain waves not getting to the body. This is a Trial between you and the Devil and its just that simple. wanna know how folks get possessed?
Heres my awnser.. When the body is in that state.. your close to another world... Your body is now just a shell... like its always been. Your spirit is the master of the shell... but since your in this rare state.. I think that your crossing over into a void of the unknown... Does any one of you know what you would of saw if you got up in your dream and faced that force??? do you know what would of happend if you didnt call god to help you??? You might not of been able to make it to this form if you had not of had that power of faith.
I think your body is up for grabs when your in that state. All demons want 1 thing. They want your body.. and over time if you dont know how to fight this force off.. they will get your body.. and your spirit will basicly be car jacked... aka " body jacked" What goes on when your body is takin and your spirit is wondering lost week and affriad in the unkown?? honestly my guess is that over time you will pass on and never come back to your body or you will come back to your body along with an uninvited guest.
tonight im going to go back and try on purpose to get into this state. I want to face this thing face to face... Using this sripture I found Psalms:23 4: "YEA THOUGH I WALK THOUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL: FOR THOU ART WITH ME; THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
im not shure what is going to happend.. but it seams like no one has tryed actualy standing up to this thing... any tips? anyone care to explain anything else?? i dont feel alone in this anymore.. 1 time of this is 1 to many... retrace your steps in your daily life... what is inviting this demon into your home .. I will be doing a Joint prayer for all at 7:00 pm EST every night.. please join with me...
I know
YEA i did stop struggling and faced it well i felt like pins and needles and then felt like out of body exprns then somthink said go to the mirror but i didnt was to scared , since can not stay still to see what happens , prvsly had this for 4yrs and though could see some of what was said like dark shadows after staying still I didnt get that scared feeling or see any think like that
Hi. I believe you, your
Hi. I believe you, your completely right. Its not science its all to do with the spiritual realm. I've had many experiences of this for many years and I've had a few whilst I am completely awake! As soon as I pray to God and command it to leave (in my head, I can't speak during the attack) it leaves straight away..every single time. For me the attack is usually the same thing, nightmare which feels very real then I wake up and can't speak or move I try to call out and can hear myself trying I sound like I'm in slow motion its very strange. But it goes away as soon as I mention Jesus name! Because it has to, evil was defeated on the cross that day. I have seen things too in my room which I wouldn't want to describe and feel like I'm being choked/sitting on my chest and once I had something scream in my ear as it left. Also for me it would happen when I listened to a certain type of music which I knew wasn't good for me. Its nice to know I'm not the only one here, I've never been to the doctors and told them because they wouldn't understand. It is scary but I belong to Jesus and he protects me :) x
Hi Gem I wanted to reply to
Hi Gem
I wanted to reply to your response because I found it uplifting. I experience this a lot maybe four times a week but could then go weeks without one. The only way it stops is, like you, if I mentioned Jesus name. These experiences scare me but you made it feel a little better when you said that we all belong to Jesus and he is looking after us even while we sleep. Thats a nice thought and it doesnt make it feel as scary now so thank you.
Pamela
Intrigued by your email
Dear John
I was intrigued about your message on SP and like you suffer really badly with it though I can go months without an episode. The coincidence I share with you, is that i am very spirtual and the only way I get out of the SP is if I ask God to help me and somehow come out of. I am so afraid that I have told my parents, that I think I might die in my sleep because sometimes I feel like I cannot even breath. They dont understand as they have never experienced it and they say on websites it can be heriditary. They also say to relax while you are in that state as you can have amazing dreams but I am so afraid I fight it all the time.
So maybe it is the devil and God is protecting me because that is the only way I get out of it is I ask him to help me. I have called my flatmate but nothing comes out of my mouth and God is the only presence in the room also so I guess he is the only one that can help me. I am just so confused about it all but was interested to read your experience so thank you for sharing it.
Pamela
we are special
Pamela,
I have had so many SP experiences and I am still here. I am not afraid of dying nor am I afraid of some spirit possessing my body. There is something special about all of us. This is a gift that feels like a curse. I will bet there are other things we have in common. When a presence holds me down I try to fight back. I am not afraid, but i get very frustrated that I cannot move. It is my efforts to fight back that wake me up. I wake up feeling tired . In the past I was afraid to go to sleep... not any more. I will not allow these experiences to take up any more of my energy. Do not allow these experience to hurt your faith.
Terri
Terri Thank you for your kind
Terri
Thank you for your kind response. The first few times, I had them I was so scared but I do try to relax. Sometimes they are not that bad and other times, I feel I cannot even breath and I am gasping my last breath so that scares me. I shall try to look at it as a gift and wont allow it to take away my faith. Thank you.
Pamela
sp
Pamela, like yourself I also am very spiritual. I believe in Jehovah God and have had this happen to me on several occasions...I just had and episode today. It was very frightening when I realized what was happening...once I was able to calm myself down, I began to pray and felt an overwhelming sense of peace take over me...slowly my body "caught up" to my brain and I was able to wake up. Whatever this is I have no clue....but I believe Jehovah God is there to help and guide us through it just as he does in all other facets of our lives...I'm just glad I'm not alone in this.
Thank you for your email and
Thank you for your email and it is refreshing to hear other peoples experiences as well because initally I felt so alone and wonder why this kept happening to me. I suppose it is because we believe in God which helps and he protects so we have to look it like that and its a good thing he is protecting us and watching over us. I asked God last night to make me understand why it keeps happening to me as I was so frightened and I didnt have any last night and the first song that came onto the radio this morning was Laura Story and her song "Blessings". Google the lyrics. I think it was God's way of giving me my answer.
spirits/ghosts
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 :-)
Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Thank you for this article, it help me understood this.
I have this sleep paralysis for a while now about five years or so.
I am 25, student. In my sleep I have suffer from multiple sleep paralysis in which I am awake, but I can move my fingers and toes, not any other part of my body, my heart beat slows down, but I try to force it, increase the breathing rate, trying to move any part of the body even though small as much longer as I can and tried to get out it i.e. wake up... It is very scary, praying to god is a very natural thing to do, I do that, but I still havent found any cure for it...
Also, It is very likely that your parents or friends or your beloved is not going to believe you, I tried telling them, and they made fun of me... gave me unacceptable or weird advice... In fact I went to doctor (General practitioner) Australia, even doctor didn't understood what I was telling... all he could tell me was take rest and eat well... bullshit.. I feel that no one could help me...
i started having these "bad
i started having these "bad dreams" a few months ago and though they were terrifying I never gave them much thought. lately I've been having them more and more so I decide to google "paralyzed while sleeping" which brought me to this site. in my experiences, I feel like I have woken up and I can hear footsteps coming up my stairs and the creak of my door opening. because I always sleep on my side, I try to turn over to see who is near me, but I can't move my arms, legs, or head. at this point I become panicked because I can hear the footsteps coming closer and I can feel a presence. I try to speak but I'm unable to. I can see a glimpse of my pillow and blankets but I'm not sure if my eyes are actually open or I'm hallucinating this as well. I'm not sure how long this goes on for but eventually I wake myself by sitting up. when I do finally reach consciousness, I'm still laying on my side. there's never anyone home while this occurs, but I do still feel the need to walk around my house and investigate. I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only person who suffers from these terrible paralyzed states. I think these dreams have been occurring more because I have been stressed lately. I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do to stop these dreams all together.
When Overly Tired
I have had this since I was a child, and my dad has it too. I am not 60, and he is 81. A neurologist diagnosed it as sleep paralysis when I was in my 20's, said there were medicines that might help, but being alergic to something in asprin (makes me jitterly) did not suggest I take the meds if my sleep paralysis episodes were infrequent to avoid the jitterly side affects
About 10 years ago, Dad told me it happens when he is overly tired. This is also my experience, not meaning one or two days of not getting sufficient sleep. But if I have stayed up late night after night, I am in fear of getting it. At that time, Dad told me a sip of wine puts it in abeyance for him -- meaning, if you wake from one occurrance, sip the wine before going back to sleep to keep it fromre- occurring. Or if you know you have not gotten proper sleep over a period of time, the sip of wine keeps it in abeyance. I thought taking the wine might have somethng to do with relaxingmy body so that I would sleep soundly and not awaken into this paralysis state
Not being a drinker at all, I tried a teaspoon of wine with no results, but over the years, I found that for me, taking about two table spoons of the wine worked. I was quite happy, meaning, if I get proper rest, I don't worry that I will get it. If I don't get proper rest, I will have a little wine before going to sleep.
I have had two occasions when the wine did not work, one a recently as this month. That bothered me, because my sleep paralysis is a miserable feeling, and I wake up from it exhausted from trying to "shake" myself awake. When I was married, I could muster up a few noises that would alert my spouse to shake me to wake me up, and I always woke up. I could also try real hard to shake my hands, as in make tremble like motions with them, and that would usually bring me out of it. When I wake up, I must get up and walk around (I always thought, to get blood and oxygen circulating to my brain, etc.), or I will go back into repeated bouts of sleep paralysis -- six,seven, or so until I wake up and get up.
Now, though, I don't know if the wine actually worked or if it was the power of suggestion.
I, like others, felt as if someone was in the room or if I was throwing off the covers to get up, but in reality, none of that was occurring. Sometimes I get the feeling that if I say paralysed, I will have a nightmare, but I wake up before it happens. I believe it is purely physiological, but quite awful. I have often wondered if as I grow older, I would be too weak to survive the exhaustion of trying to take up.
My internist told me eventually I would wake up and it wouldn't harm me, so I have tried to lay calmly and find that I do wake up. She has never had it, though, and I feel can't possibly imagine the misery of the experience.
I honestly have no clue anymore.
I know I'm still young (being 19 now), but I've had this since as early as I can remember ... which is age 6. Or perhaps sooner, I really don't know. I could go on and on about the stories that have happened, but I'm sure you all get what Sleep Paralysis is, so I don't have to say much lol. Anyway, I've been having Sleep Paralysis every 2nd or 3rd day every year that I can remember. It's not in relation to Narcolepsy, or any other sleep disorder (other than random Sleep Walking or Sleep Talking), but it still scares the hell out of me. Sometimes, I'll even have marks or bruises on my arms ... or wherever else I was being attacked during the episode. I've got mixed relations between spiritual and scientific. I always grew up believing they were demons, as I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. After going to my elders when I was a child, they said they were demons who wanted to harm me for being in the religion. They said to just say Jehovah's name, over and over again in my mind, and they will disappear. So I did. Seemed like it took hours for those little bastards to disappear, but they finally did. It didn't stop them from coming, but it made them disappear faster over time. Didn't seem like hours, it started feeling more like minutes, then eventually, seconds.
Part of me believes they were right, but I like to think of this as scientific. For instance, I say the name 'Jehovah' over and over again; they'll disappear. Why? Because in my mind, it's comforting, which makes me more relaxed knowing that someone else is looking over me to protect me. The marks and bruises that come along with the episodes (depending on what happens during them), are caused by me. I can't move, but maybe my mind thinks that they're so real, my body will mark itself. I like to think of it this way so I know I'm not crazy (it also eases my fiancée's mind as well. The bastard thought I was possessed when he first seen the encounters -.-). I've not tried pills or anything; I don't want to. I hear this doesn't last forever, and I'm still young. If they don't leave by age 30, THEN I'll do something about it. For now, I've learned to deal with it, and I'm not as scared as I once was, knowing that whatever happens, and whatever I see is all caused by me.
Really?
I am not trying to come at you all rude or anything.But you think that you can 'imagine' bruises and marks on your body?I highly doubt that.Maybe you are moving around or hurting yourself while sleeping.But if snyone believes that this is spiritual,it should be you...I dont even really know what a Jehova Witness is,but I know it has something to do with God........If it doesnt leave by the time your 30?!?!?!? I know there aint much we can do but dang,11 years??!?
Anyway good luck w/ your SP.I know its a horrible experience.....
My SP episodes have been few
I use to experience my SP episodes daily . Now it's down to once per month.
My most severe cases happened when I was a child. My first memory of this phenomenon was when I was 11.
My encounters were always terrifying to the point that I would stay up all night.
I'm not understanding how each & every one of us are experiencing similar things.
It's so strange.
Things I've encountered:
Raspy voices in an unknown language. It was almost inhuman in a way & seriously creepy.
Shadowy figures
Buzzing sounds
Something sitting upon my stomach, back, - basically a presence very close to me
I would hear footsteps
Whispers
Cackling
Could feel something near my neck or ear as I laid completely paralyzed
--
Back in 2003, I was laying down in bed with an ex of mines
He was asleep - but his mouth started moving .
A creepy voice ..
I couldn't move at all
It kept laughing at me
I tried to call his name to wake up but no luck
--
So now even though the SP is less
I still am afraid
I can't pin point when it happens
Exact Same thing.
Every thing in detail happend to me about 11 hours ago. ( 5am) It started off with me laying in bed fully awake.. I took note to hear a strong bell/ringing noise in my ears.. I could hear sound waves clear as day going in and out of tune.. then I drifted off.. My fan in my room has a constant tap noise to it.. When I fell into the Void/sleep. i could still hear my fan.. so I took it that i was still awake... I heard other noises.. Clacking... creaks.. even started to see graphic sexual images.. The moment I questioned all of this, I heard my mother (I live with my parents) walk up the stairs, open my door. go through my closet then herd her walk beside my bed and just stand there. When I went to pull the covers off of my head and talk to her.. I realized that I was in a "SP" .. What I thought to be my mom... turned out that it was not... It spoke to me In a strange language .. a low voice... demonic.. maybe Latin/Italian... I faught hard to wake... When I did ... I could hear the Fan making the Taping noice sharper... I could feel that i was reeally warm and wet all over...
This is not a coincedence.. I feel this is some sort of Rare Vail that we have got ourselfs into..... Im going to go back to sleep in a few.. im going to try and go deeper into this state... They say that we only use 10% of our mind... the other 90%????
-John. N
-age 20
-USA/Maryland
Sleep Paralysis
Whow - was just reading through all these comments and was shocked to see all this information about Sleep Paralysis. I had this happen last night and recall my first fight with it when in college. I thought I was the only one who went through this! I learned in college - I was raised Catholic but was no longer practicing it at that point, being a very brainy student - through one of these episodes that all I had to do was say the name Jesus and think of Jesus and my body would completely relax and I would wake up. It shocked me that was the cure as I had struggled with these episodes before that time and I would struggle and struggle to wake myself up by moving an arm or anything fast.
Here and there it will happen and I at first feel these like brain transmittors shooting off in various parts of my brain - it's an odd feeling - but first that happens which generally tells me I am about to experience Sleep Paralysis. So last night it happened, I could feel it, and then the next thing I knew is my body was frozen (I was on my back) and I struggled to wake up from that - I was having that last breathe and was fearful I would not have another - so I struggled and said Jesus and then could take a deep breathe and woke up. I was worried I could not get the breathe as my chest felt very tight like I couldn't breathe. Then the thing I have learned to do is to get up and walk around and massage my back of the neck a little and eat something - like pretend it never happened and try to fall asleep normally. That tends to take care of it but it is frightening -
Once I was under unusual stress - about 30 years ago - and I would lay in bed and stay so alert mentally that I would experience my body falling asleep. First your breathing gets very slow and then your heart gets very quiet and then you start dreaming these silly little snippets of the day that you just had. I would observe this - and then wake myself up. I saw a doctor about it and he told me to learn how to meditate and doing meditation had changed my life.
Hope this helps someone - and thank you for helping me -
I am not sure by now if I experienced anything other than the paralysis part of it when these things have happened but I wonder if your psyche then searches for what you are most afraid of - evil, suffocating, etc. - to get your adrenaline pumping to get you to wake up. I was curious last night if I should just go with it as I was thinking I might fall into a totally deep REM sleep and then wake up totally refreshed - I would love that to happen. I did take a short but good nap during the day which I already know can be a precursor to one of these episodes.
SP is it that or something else?
I use to have nightmares, couldn't move or scream, they stopped for about 4 years, now they are coming back, but more with an evil intent to it..My nightmares would be before that someone was hurt, my children, or being attacked..emotional and physical dreams, now they have come with I don't know how to explain it, but it all has evil to do with it, the first time in 4 years ago, which was 3 wks, I felt more than one on me pushing me wanting and forcing me to say I would join them, but with all my might I said I am with god, I will follow GOD, I couldn't say it but I yelled it in my head and that is when I woke up I was saying it! I was drenched..I do believe in God, but by no means do I go to church..yesterday, I was dreaming (note I don't normally remember my dreams) and I was in my old house and I was contacted by a woman and her guardian and they said I have evil in my house, they went into each room and could point it out and told me to make sure I was not alone..in my dream I am already terrified, and they were leaving the house and I was assualted, I tried to wake up and scream, nothing..until I woke up screaming, my daughter said to me that I was talking in my sleep and it didn't sound like me..this freaks me out..she is a teenager, doesn't need the additional stress of her mother becoming crazy...
I admit, there have been some significant changes in my life in since December, nothing I can't really handle, however, the first dream is still with me and last nights dream is just kind of in my head confirming somehting is wrong.. OH if I may mention, with yesterdays dream, the picture in my daughters room just fell its not a 2 x 2, its 5 ft by 4 ft and weighs very little....
Any support would be very much appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
terrified!!
hya! last night after 10 minutes of turning our bedroom tv off a was lying trying to sleep wen all of a sudden my body froze not even a finger cud move!! my eyes shut tightly and all i cud here was whispers and seen shadows wotever it was that was doin this made me say in a evil voice to my husband die i will kill you shes mine!! a literraly cud not stop myself from saying it! my husband jumped up and started laughing until he realised a was froze solid my eyes then opened and i was staring straight through him stil unable to move! a tried my hardest tp tell my husband to tell what ever it was to stop but i couldnt! the same thing happend 5month ago wen a found out a was pregnant but just not as bad...... am terrified to go to bed tonight can someone please tellme if thge same thing has happend to them???? :(
i had my first experience
i had my first experience last night. well i was cramming for a test and about 2 a.m. i went to sleep.( i have been reading how most of the people have this happen while sleeping on there back) well i was sleeping on my stomach. for some reason when i woke up i had the blnket almost covering my head.. and my face was in the pillow...well when i woke up i could move and then it felt like something was on top of me and hugging me tightly and wouldnt let go..then i started to hear laughing, once i heard that i tried to scream..and nothing came out, coldnt move of scream or anything for a min or so, then i swear i heard the voice say she s scared and then i came out of it and jumped out of my bed. by far this is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me..and now im scared it will happen again. i want to know if there any way to prevent it? like i said i always sleep on my stomach and it happened to me. maybe sleepign with the lights on? playing music? i dont know need some help.
I myself believe you lesson
I myself believe you lesson the attack oppotunity by sleeping on your side,foresome reason the jinn cant get a strong foot hold.sleeping on your stomach is the same as sleeping on your back..as I said in a earlier post they cannot physically hurt you ,they live on fear.
Sleep Paralysis
I Have suffered with this for a long time i have woke up and seen things,a boy sitting watching me, a women holding me down i cant move,talk i am paralised. It happens every other night i learned to not panic just be calm.
me too! what about the occult?
This happens to me too. I found those ghoasts in some pictures of mine. you know the spirit orbs? After I realized what they were this started happening to me. Then for a while (month or so) they are not. Then I just got back from New Orleans and toured the cemetary and saw a Voodoo crypt with the Xxx on them. Last night we got back home from our trip ans the evil paralysis happened again like 7 times. yes i was overly tired but wow it was terifying. my husband said it is because the evil still is in my subxonxious and comes out just like things do when you dream. i just want to know why this explains the paralysis.
I've had this for almost 2
I've had this for almost 2 years now.and I get it on the nights in which I take a nap during the day (anyone else gets it at this time too?) First,I wake up feeling paralyzed.I heard voices,noises; tried to scream,but my mouth didn't even open! After about a year ,this still went on. I'm 13 and I can't just get up and go to the psychiatrist and no one paid it much attention,besides me.I went to the doctor (NOT psychiatrist) and she didnt seem to take it seriously. I had the 'evil presence' goin on too. And I felt it even when I wasn't sleeping! During SP ,I'd see figures-once i heard two things having a conversation beside me,in a very disgusting voice and in a language I don't understand.And it happens anywhere I go too! I slept beside my mom because I just woke up from one, but I got another one because the previous one was interrupted! But,in this one,I was able to move my body, strangely , but i felt this weight on my back (i sleep on my back ),kinda like laying down on your stomach with a heavy bag on your back.I pushed my self up ,half way , and something pushed me down ,suddenly,and HELD me still . And every episode gets WORSE!!! Slowly,more terrifying things kept building up each time.And eventually ,the dark scared me. I have a phobia of it now. As well as sleeping alone. Up to now , I cannot sleep alone! I keep feeling this horrible presence. I'm very paranoid too. About half a year ago, I started to feel as if someone was touching me during SP (how does science explain this :/?) And recently,i had an episode that scared me and mentally affected me.That one was my last. I felt like..I was being raped!I've never been raped,but its the closest thing I can come up with. It's really scary and I don't what to do.Nothing I do works.I'm glad I'm not alone but I hope no one has it this bad...
Dear Kay Thank you for your
Dear Kay
Thank you for your posting on SP and it was refreshing to not feel alone in my experiences after reading yours. I totally understand what your saying, when I suffer from SP, I fell as if someone is behind me holding me with full force while been sexual with me. The hold is so strong, I cannot move and my chest tighens. Somethings I thing something bad happened to me in a past life and Im reliving it, I dont understand it. I have had an experience every night for the last four nights but I could go weeks without any at all so I am not sure where it stems from. I never lie on my back, I was lying on my side so I am doing everything I can to prevent it. I am quite spirtual like a lot people on this forum and I ask God to save me and he does. Its strange. I have told my parents, that I have a fear of dying in my sleep the episodes get so bad.
Sometimes though are not off a sexual nature but are still scary, like a man is sitting on my chest and I feel as if i am gasping my last breath and I hear voices in the room. I use to think the house was haunted but its only a new appartment. Its so horrible, I wish I could understand it. They say to relax during it as nothing bad is going to happen but the fear is too strong that I cant. It should be nice going to sleep but most days I dread it.
Terrifying!
I've had this for almost 2 years now.and I get it on the nights in which I take a nap during the day (anyone else gets it at this time too?) First,I wake up feeling paralyzed.I heard voices,noises; tried to scream,but my mouth didn't even open! After about a year ,this still went on. I'm 13 and I can't just get up and go to the psychiatrist and no one paid it much attention,besides me.I went to the doctor (NOT psychiatrist) and she didnt seem to take it seriously. I had the 'evil presence' goin on too. And I felt it even when I wasn't sleeping! During SP ,I'd see figures-once i heard two things having a conversation beside me,in a very disgusting voice and in a language I don't understand.And it happens anywhere I go too! I slept beside my mom because I just woke up from one, but I got another one because the previous one was interrupted! But,in this one,I was able to move my body, strangely , but i felt this weight on my back (i sleep on my back ),kinda like laying down on your stomach with a heavy bag on your back.I pushed my self up ,half way , and something pushed me down ,suddenly,and HELD me still . And every episode gets WORSE!!! Slowly,more terrifying things kept building up each time.And eventually ,the dark scared me. I have a phobia of it now. As well as sleeping alone. Up to now , I cannot sleep alone! I keep feeling this horrible presence. I'm very paranoid too. About half a year ago, I started to feel as if someone was touching me during SP (how does science explain this :/?) And recently,i had an episode that scared me and mentally affected me.That one was my last. I felt like..I was being raped!I've never been raped,but its the closest thing I can come up with. It's really scary and I don't what to do.Nothing I do works.I'm glad I'm not alone but I hope no one has it this bad...
Suffered all my life
I get this sometimes as i'm falling asleep or when I'm waking up. It usually happens if I've already been asleep and I fall BACK asleep because I haven't had enough sleep. My heart starts to race and I get this huge build up of pressure in my head - It basically feels like am gonna die of a brain heamourage or something - I just lie there waiting for the light in my head just to go out like 'Ping' - Meaning thats it. Gone - Passed on - But somehow I always manage to struggle and struggle and its like BANG you wake up. Like bursting through a door or something. And sometimes ya let out a huge breath when ya wake up. Does anyone else experience this same thing? I've learnt to lie and literally say to myself 'Stay calm, you'll wake up very soon, stay calm' And this does help 99% of the time. I'm so glad others are suffering from the same thing. I'm Chris and from Tyne and Wear in the UK
Evil voice talking to me and pushing down on me
I had this two mornings ago when a friend and her daughter came to stay. I had roused a little at 8.30 when i heard them getting up in the next room and thought oooh i'm too tired i'm going to take 10 more min ( i was really tired) anyway not long after snoozing off lightly, I heard her daughters voice and foot steps come into my room through the door which was facing my back (i was side lying)!! and i FELT and HEARDD her little arms fall on to the duvet covering my body and at that point as i was rousing into complete consciousness, the voice changed into a horribe distorted sort of voice saying " Wake Up" the voice was aggressive and unidentifiable in gender but i think more deep and then it continued to speak distorted while pressing down on my body! I was blooming terrified, i could not move, nor speak. I was panicking and struggling inside and 'willing' my eyes to open and at times my eyes must have been pulling open and shut because in between, i could make out the thing that was on me, it was dark so couldn't see features but could see it had a small round head ( i know but it;s not funny) and it was snarling and mocking me it seemed. My terror grew, at which point i got out of bed and was trying to speak the name JESUS and GOD HELP ME over and over but even my words were being supressed eventually i realised that it seemed to be my spirit that had left my body and the thing still on my body in the bed, at which point i pleaded god why don't you hear me! I then suddenly released and woke but the terror remained. I am explaining it as I believed it at the time and experienced it. What ever it is , i know for sure that what I felt was evil and did not like the name of God! Now thing is, i'm terried of going to sleep now and want to believe this is a psychological/physiological problem rather than superstitious belief. Thing is, why is nearly everyone experiencing the 'evil presence' why not a good one if it is a hallucination, why only bad????? Please help i need some answers and not disturbing ones please! I am worried cause i have a heart condition too!!
Sleep terror
Hello, I have been experiencing the sleep paralysis since I was a kid. At first it is a very scary experience BUT if you dont freak out and learn to relax it can be an amazing experience. I agree that sleeeping on your back brings on the half awake half asleep experience but when you are in it, if you can know that you are dreaming and RELAX! I actually have visual, auditory and smells when I have these experiences. I actually wake up and then go back into the same position that i was sleeping in and start to control the experience. If you are scared of these dreams then I reccomend you dont try it but for me I have been able to control most of the experiences. If you try you will eventually be able to control the fear aspect and enjoy the floating flying trippy parts! Happy Dreaming!
Has anyone felt tingles?
I have experienced this quite a bit - although I never thought they were evil, I did always think I was hearing/sensing spirits of some kind... or maybe that my conciousness was visiting a different plain (like in meditation).
This article explains a lot and describes most of what I experience; the feeling of a presence, hearing voices, people walking around my room or up and down my stairs, doors opening/closing, feeling touches (which tend to tickle as they are so light), I do tend to panic due to not being able to move (not due to a percieved evil spirit) and always try in vain to open my eyes and usually have to shock myself awake.
The last experience I had was a bit different and I wondered if anyone else had experienced this too.
One minute I was in a dream, the next I was in the described sleep paraysis state; I wasn't concerned as I had experienced it before - but simply tried to concentrate on opening my eyes. Then I felt a presence, heard footstops come towards the bed, felt the bed dip and then a sudden rush of what can only be described as tingles hit me all down my front. At the time I had a strong feeling that this was my dad (he died 4 mths ago) come for a visit and decided to lie in bed with me and give me a cuddle. I still couldn't open my eyes but I was able to move my arm in front of me like I was cuddling him back.
That was what prompted me to look up this phenomenon and find this article. So I am pretty certain that I experience sleep paralysis - but is it still possible that my dad visited? Has anyone else felt this tingly sensation?
Thanks
Hi, I had an experience like
Hi, I had an experience like that lastnight. I was laying in bed sleep and all of a sudden I was awakened to someone getting in my bed because I felt a dip in my bed right by my arm while I was laying on my stomach and I could not move. So I just layed there until it was over.
just had it
I just woke up after struggling for quite a while and instantly google my "situation". Glad to know that I'm not alone. Yes, I slept on my back. I'm a lazy bean, and I overslept today. I realized that this only happens when I had a long nap during the day, and forced myself to bed at night. I heard a stinging noise, and I can see my room just fine. I never seen anything but yeah.. No doubt sometimes you can feel 'someone' watching you. It is freaky but I managed to wake up with some prayers. Just trust in God, and nothing else can harm you. Change your sleeping position and wash your feet. I'm going to bed now with the light on. Cheers.
Control your own dreams
I have been reading the posts on this site for well over a year ,please learn to control your dreams don't sleep on your back if you can't...I'm over forty and have had sp all my life and I can tell you it will not hurt you phisicaly,turn it around and beat it...one thing that always works if you can't fight, is light sleep with it on. Anyone agree..don't forget your in charge.
i kinda hav a way out of it
The first time it happened, I was so scared, i couldnt move and my eyes were closed. I didnt hav any hallucinations i was just frozen. When i tried to move my body started to hurt. to make it worse, i was face down in my pillow. i seriously thought i was going to die. but when i started to suffocate enough i jumped up and i was ok. Its happened to me at least 10 times and im 18. luckily, i hav a brother at home and a girlfriend on campus. I told them both when i start to breath fast, wake me up as soon as possible. other than that, I'd b stuck like that for a while. Just try to get someone to wake u up and dont panic.
just had it an hour ago
So it kind of developed from a dream i was having. my dream was i was at school talking with my friends when when i was about to make a point, my voice dissapeared i thought it was the flu sickness and my friends thought it was pretty funny. then somewhere along the line i had a waking dream (sometimes when i try to fight the sleep paralysis im still dreaming) where i was trying to wake up from my bed. i couldn't speak or stand up, but i thought i was crawling towards to door way to get help from my parents. it was hard to make out what i saw (almost as if it was thought out of my head and didn't manifest well in this scenario) but there was decaying ghoul thing standing in the way of the door and i was completely powerless on the floor to get this thing out of way. then i actually woke up. im still having the sleepy spell over me right now and i am worried about relapsing into a paralyzed sleep again. i wasn't that scared of what i saw, but it leaves me wondering, when i have dreams like this,why when i ever see creepy stuff like this, its soo fuzzy as if i thought of it out my head? i guess its a problem i have in my waking life where i create my own demons and wasting my energy anticipating something bad to happen. that must be my real demon. i had a similiar waking dream in my room again, where i saw a small shadowy figure like a cat or imp scurry away out of my sight. i was in a huge mess in my mind because i was conjuring up this imagery to the point where i was absolutely sick of my self, then in my distress, i found my self being cradled by a person on my bed. i thought it was my mother ( which i dont appreciate because i am 18 years old) but i also thought it might have been someone like jesus because i thought it was his character to intervene with people in distress.
I think i had sleep paralysis
woke up in the middle of the night to my bed room door slaming shut i wasnt scared because i knew it was the wind anyway cldnt move at all tried yelling nothing happend i wasn't panicing but my heart started racing it felt like it was going to rip out of my chest it was beating so fast it actually hurt and when it started to hurt then i started to panic i didnt know if i was having a heart attack or what it slowly went away i stood up looked behind me saw my body sleeping thought i died :( so i layed back down picked up my mobile an i actually picked it up so i looked to see if i cld still see myself sleeping and i couldnt so that was a horrible experence for me
Sleep Paralysis ??
I have been experiencing Sleep paralysis for 3 days in a row. , and I agree with people here. THERES ALWAYS AN EVIL PRESENCE when I am sleep paralised I cannot move, although I try, my body starts trembling and my arms and legs elevating. a day ago I experienced an evil presence sitting on my bed next to me while I was sleeping.. laughing evily and trying to tickle me in a bad way. I knew I was asleep yet awake, and couldnt move my body trembled, my legs and arms started elevating, I couldnt do anything..but one thing... so I prayed in my head: "In the name of the lord Jesus Christ, I repel any evil trying to bother me in my sleep, in God's name Amen. I would finally wake up entirely, pray again these same words... i fell asleep once again , and Thank God, I slept like a baby.
Yes, I agree with this article, it is SCIENTIFIC, but ITS NOT ENTIRELY SCIENTIFIC,I believe theres evil and good.
But if you pray to God and truly believe in him, he will protect you from any evil.
Sully (pronounced Sooly .. from the Island of Puerto Rico) Feb - 3 - 2012
"Night terrors!" My past Experiences
I used to get these from when I was about 13, and they would also happen in the daytime, if for instance I was just sunbathing in a deckchair. They would start with a loud buzzing like a thousand wasps in my ears. A friend of mine also got similar episodes, so I didn't feel too alone when trying to describe them; that's the worst thing, you sound mad ! We did used to drink cider from an early age but I also have an older brother who suffered night epilsepsy fits and died aged 51 from SUDEP (sudden death in epilepsy) so was worried a bit there may be a connection. However, when I was married in my twenties (now in my early fifties) I got these episodes a lot and was in a terribly upsetting marriage, so wondered if anxiety may have also contributed to these. I also remember when I was 32, my current partner was having an awful time health wise and I was so anxious for him, one particular occasion it was bad; I went to bed one night after seeing him in an awful state at his mums house, and no sooner had my head hit the pillow than I must have gone straight "into" one; an ugly man who was crouching in the corner of my bedroom leapt out suddenly and tried to strangle me and I was struggling to breathe and fighting him for what felt like ages until I snapped out of it, and woke back to a calm, quiet bedroom apart from my heart beating ten to the dozen. When I was younger the epsiodes would vary; from figures passing me in the room, to someone sitting on my body in bed, to visions in a mirror, bedclothes being tugged at and sometimes, a full moon shining into my bedroom (when ther wasn't one) and the sound of soft piano music playing, or someone walking across the room i.e there was always a "presence". Now I'm older and in a good relationship (also don't drink lots or get over tired) I don't get them any more, so i don't know. I do get migraines now and then with "aura" which I;m told can be linked to epilepsy. One more thing, sometimes and out of the blue, I used to get like a sudden "crashing" noise in my head, or jump up in bed (on my own) after hearing someone call my name clearly. Just thought I'd share.
Lucid dream and SP
Lucid Dream
I just awoke from a dream and when I look around everything seems to be the same as before I went to bed. I turned on the lights, it turned on, but when I look at the mirror I cannot see myself and I cannot read the time in the clock. I knew that I am still dreaming and I am well aware of it. Then suddenly, I find myself again in bed with the lights turned off, same environment. I turned it on again and still cannot see my reflection in the mirror and then find myself in bed again. I was getting desperate to wake up. I was screaming in my head because I knew that I am in a dream and I cannot wake up.
SP
The next day, I turned on the lights hoping that the same fate will not happen to me again, but this time I awoke and I cannot move any part of my body. I can see with my eyes but I cannot move. I knew that I am in SP because I've experienced it before. And then I had the energy to roll myself from the bed to the floor hoping that the impact will wake me, but when I hit the floor I find myself in the bed again. I did it several times and it scared me to death because my attempts failed. Then on the last attempt, I was able to move my fingers after I woke up, I somehow know that I am in the real world.
I think the images ghosts and the fear of death are ways of our brain to make our heart rate go faster so that the delivery of anti-paralytic hormones to our muscles will be much quicker. We wake up before those hormones reach our muscles and therefore experiences SP.
Another thing is I didn't got enough sleep for the past few days lately because I was accompanying a friend in the hospital. I think sleep deprivation and the disruption of normal sleep cycles are also causes of SP and lucid dream.
Sleep Paralysis
I get this from time to time. The paper explains a lot about the brain. I do not get evil ,but I do feel helpless. I saw on TV
that if you move your eyes that you can wake up. I move my eyes from side to side or up and down. I will try prayer as well.
What Happens In SP
Hi My name is Mac Lewis... I am only 11 years old... I don't really know when I started having these symptoms but... Sometimes they actually scare me. I don't always get these but when I do I always have my eyes open for a few seconds and I don't feel like I can breathe. When this happens I try to yell to Mom. But when I do I am not even saying a word.. So when this happens I usually just sleep it off and I'm fine the rest of the night. This happens to me probably once very month (if this is good...I don't know?). I finally told my mom about what I've been having. When I looked up this online I found some great answers for example, SP, Awake but still sleeping and a couple of others. Of course I probably don't have to go to the doctors for this because now I know a lot of people get this. Anyways thanks so much for reading this... If you can tell me anymore please reply to me.
Thanks,
Mac :)