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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
Comments
sleep paralysis
When it happens to me I can hear my husband, he gets up for a drink or restroom and I want him to shake me to wake my body up, I can make some pretty horrible sounds but not speak clearly, it's slurred and I know I sound horrible but I feel like I can't get enough air to breathe, usually he will shake me, sometimes not and I suffer through it and am mad at him because he did hear me he said. I've done this all my life, once I managed to sit up and when I twisted around saw I was still lying there asleep, was afraid if I got up I wouldn't be able to get back in my body so I layed back down and kept trying until my body came with me. I've listened to the whole Price is Right show and couldn't move, finally managed to roll off the sofa, it hurt but at least I could move then!
saw yourself still lying there
I just read an article that also mentions sleep paralysis as part of Astral Projection. When you are getting up, which I have done several times myself, your spirit self is projecting out of the physical body. From what Ive read, you have no need to fear getting back in your body. We all have whats referred to in many spiritual texts as a silver cord that keeps us tethered to your body when we leave it. I may decide to write quite a lot about what I believe is going on after I read many more of these. I personally do not believe this article as being the explanation, exception that on the biochemical level, all that may be happening only because that's how the body responds to spiritual events.
believe what you like
Believe what you like. You already do. When you arrived here you did.
Do whatever works for you. If you believe a name is somehow magic shout it. For me a name is just a word. It has no power. If there is a spirit attacking me then I have a spirit for it to attack. I simply believe no spirit is strong enough to restrain me. Then? Then I dont fight back. I dont need to. I understand. I support. I heal. I teach.
Demonic Attacks vs. Sleep Paralysis
Last night I was under attack by a demonic spirit...fool yourself all you like by saying it's a case of sleep paralysis. This particular Demonic fiend snatch my arm and folding my body (not physically) in half and begin to apply his evil spiritual weight on top of my body and begin to suffocate me. As I struggle to fight the demon off me, he continue to hold me down...but once you call out the mighty name of JESUS...there no demon or sleep paralysis that's able to hold me down! This state of not being able to move in your sleep has nothing to do with REM, demons sometimes attack us during our my vulnerable state as a lion attacks it's prey...but having Jesus in your life will ensure you never will be a prey.
You have authority over all the works of the devil through the name of Jesus. Devils are subject to you through the name of Jesus. At the call of the name of Jesus evil spirits flee. That includes the spirit of fear. Fear is a spirit. And at the name of Jesus that spirit bows (submits). So take the name of Jesus and put the devil on the run. You should be commanding the works of the devil to cease. Understand your authority over the devil and use it. The devil obeys your commands in the name of Jesus.
Reference Scriptures:
John 14:13,14
Acts 16:16-18
Hebrews 13:8
Matthew 17:20
Acts 3:16
Acts 4:29,30
Philipians 2:9,10
Luke 10:17,19
2Timothy 1:7
Amen!!! I called for Jesus
Amen!!! I called for Jesus help and my experienced stopped and I haven't experienced anything since then.
Sleep attacks
I have talk to several people that get this attacks. I had them also since I was a teenager for a few years, then married also. I used to try to kick my husband and tell him "it is happening, help me!" but I couldn't talk, move or get out of this pressure that went more intense until tipping down, then I could move. There was a presence, someone. I knew it was nothing good, peaceful or joyful. It was frightening, attacking, pressuring me, taking me against my will. As my mother said to say "go away, in the name of Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You are nothing and I am not afraid". I prayed as it happened and ended at the moment. The attacks finally ended after I prayed every night, until I was not afraid any more, because there is no evil that prevails to the God's love.
sleep paralysis
i remember when i had a episode of sleep paralysis, i was in staying at my uncle house one night .. and out of no where i felt like i couldnt move .. then i saw a black figure coming towards me, so i tried to scream for my uncle to hear but no noise was coming out of my mouth & after that i jumped up out of my sleep & realized i was still asleep & not awake.
Creepy but not evil
Have had sleep paralysis very occasionally before in my life, Im 39, just had one episode 1/2 hour ago where I was dreaming and this girl said she wanted to marry me, I hadnt met her before but she looked quite nice and it felt like a fairly realistic dream. Then someone around her said I didnt have long to go and we can be together...ok that was a bit weird for starters I was thinking to myself, so I must have been starting to wake up at that point a little freaked out...was I about to die or something I was thinking as I began to wake up. I felt myself in my bed waking up then I felt someone crawl onto my bed and lie on top of me, I could feel the extra weight and I felt I was awake but couldnt move. It did feel more like a female presence (luckily) and didnt feel evil at all, in fact strangely calming, however it was so weird that I wanted to get it/her off my back but I couldnt move. Finally after much energy I completely woke up but was so freaked out I jumped out of bed and flicked the lights on.
My other experiences have been more evil in the past though, at least theyve felt more evil as a presence in the room or have felt in a very real dream as I wake up but with evil type entities around me or poking me etc. sometimes in a sexual way.
My take on it is that it is a spiritual event happening when still enough asleep to experience the spiritual world but in the lower vibrations of the spirit world where more evil spirits dwell together. I think this dimension of the spirit world is either easier to tap into while half awake half asleep or at least we are more open to evil influences in this state of sleep awakeness. It is always a bit creepy but sometimes not as evil as other times, however there is often some kind of evil involved from my experience.
Lucid dreaming is very similar (and still spiritual but you are more in control of the dream in a good way), however you feel like you are so comfortable controlling your dream and where you want to go that you dont want to completely wake up. All these events usually take place early morning around 6am onwards in my experience.
No Fear
There is no cause for fear. Fear of the unknown we have all fallen for at some point but all things share the same roots. They are no different to us deep down. What you think youre afraid of is just an illusion as so much is. You dont move because you dont believe you can move. The pressure is little more than air. I could move freely. The illusion is just what they do here. For me, real or not, there was response. Some logical. Some unpredicted. It suggests intelligence at work but one that expected a dog like unintelligent response from me. Anger is pointless and animalistic. As is cowering in fear.
Youre not going anywhere so take a second to think. Show reason and there will be no point trying to alarm you. Change the game. Friendship. Curiosity. Understanding.
I sleep well these days.
i just had an episode
i was half awake.. i couldnt move my body i had a really scary dream, i saw a women all in balck dress and a man. once, i heard if we can move our toes, we can get out of it, i could move my toes but still cant move any other parts of my body.. after a while i could move but i was just too sleepy i closed my eyes and again i was sleep paralysed... i tried to speak call mom but nothing came out, after a few minutes i could move again.. still wanted to sleep i changed my position trying to sleep with no bad dreams but i failed they always come back.. i had an episode a couple of times.. and here i am.. i ended searching in the internet trying to find reasons for this... the weirdest part.. i could break through,move and change my position and yet when i tried to sleep again i always end up in that bad dream...
i am still scared...
i first and only time i experienced this Sleep Paralysis was when i was 13 y/o and it still fckin scares me today (im 14 now). i saw a shadow in the hall and heard footsteps and it actually felt like i was about to die! i forgot to breathe and my fingers were just twitching by itself (giving me the feeling of possesion ahhh). But the shit tht rlly scared me the most was when i had no control over my eyelids. I was in the paralysis for about 6-7 seconds and my eyelids were just slowly closely by itself and then i heard a ringing in my ear (like a heart monitor sound). I was in tears when i woke in the morning cuz (1) I thought i was never gonna wake up after that.(2) I was glad all tht was over. (3) It was probably the most scariest thing ive experienced. I asked my mom if she knew wat were the scenarios and she was like "oh you were just dreaming" so yea bye.
terrible
Im so scared this has happened to me twice in a row. Its happeneded ramdomly before but these last two times its completly horrible i feel like somebodys holding me down by my back and i cant do anything about it the wort part was when it blowed in my ear im so fucking scared i really want to belive the REM expalintion but i just cant and im not religious so i cant call out jesus to save me and i dont whatto do i want it to stop. Btw im 14
you dont have to be religious to call his name
I'm not religious either. Try saying this before you go to sleep. "Jesus, weather you are real or not I dont know, but if you are, surround me in your protective white light and keep me safe from all entities that have a low vibration. I believe I am inside of a bubble of loving white light that is protecting my body and soul" There are many ascended masters like Buddha and Jesus. My belief is that Jesus is the highest one, but not because of christian dogma, but for other readings Ive done that have nothing to do with the bible. Use your imagination to visualize this bubble around you. Im sending love to you Nathalia. Let me know how things go.
That's why you are more
That's why you are more vulnerable to this because you don't believe in Jesus Christ.. We all live in spiritual battle with good and evil. Evil lurks with those that are week in spiritual beliefs. I guarantee once you call out for Jesus Christ for help this will stop and not occur anymore. I had similar experiences and was scared as hell but once I called out for Jesus everything stopped and haven't had any experiences since then. Only you can decide on your beliefs and how you choose to handle your experiences. I hope and pray in Jesus name you will be protected and not experience this again.
So glad I found this site,
So glad I found this site, cuz when you explain SP to people who never had it, they don't understand. I've had this since I was about 16 (I'm 40 now) and at the time I thought it was demons. I usually felt like I was sinking into the bed, and I heard a noise like a motor, it was like an elevator taking me down to hell.Then one time I felt like I rose up to the ceiling, and saw a devil face laughing really loud and evil, and everything was red and smoky, like how you'd imagine hell. It was very disturbing and I was convinced it was real. I'm agnostic, I don't know if I believe in ghosts or spirits, I'm actually very logical minded.
BUT I've had a lot of precognitive dreams, things that happened down to the tiniest detail, that I couldn't possibly have known. I dreamed that my son's best friend's father died on the morning that he actually died, and he wasn't sick at all, and I could go on with about 5 more experiences like this. Also, My son and I dreamed the same exact dream, details and all, within an hour of each other.
So I've become convinced that there's something more to the dreamworld than we can logically explain. It feels like another dimension.
The last SP I had a few nights ago, our whole family was camping out in tents. I woke up with a female voice whispering in my ear, then I felt like someone's hand was on my throat pressing down harder and harder, trying to choke me. Very scary. I kept seeing trees in blue colors, even though you couldn't see through the tent. I felt like my senses were very sharp and aware.
I was wondering if anyone else has had these precognitive dreams though, or shared dreams with someone else? I used to think people were just making it up, until it happened to me.
Now, I got to know what it is exactly..!!!
I'm experiencing this sleep paralysis since last few years. I always thought that it is something related to myth that your body is controlled by someone else.
In fact, I had one today evening when I had a nap. I live in a basement and I felt that somebody is coming downstairs and entered my room and sat beside me on the bed. I was trying to move my body and asked "who's there?" but, actually, I was unable to move and it was only a whisper. Then, I called name of my spiritual Guru and after a few seconds, I came out of this SP. Then, I thought to google it and now I find the answer that It is actually related to REM sleep and called Sleep Paralysis.
This has happened to me many times and every time it is scaring, freighting. You feel somebody's presence in your own room. Once, I called up my husband for help but he didn't listen because basically I'm not able to speak.
But, now the question is how to overcome this or how to prevent this occurrence? Its really scary...!!!
frightened!
Hi..
I'm Nikhil,I am 16 years old..
I am experiencing this sleep paralysis,I after a bad dream I wake up but I'm not able to move my body for few seconds and then I feel like someone is starring at me...
pls give me a solution for this,because of this im not able to concentrate on my studies....
Same thing
I recently just experienced-whatever you wanna call it and I was in my bed and I seemed to have my left eye kinda open but I couldn't move and I felt my body like I was awake bit I head someone open my door and then I knew that whatever this was wasn't any of my family members dice they were all asleep and my door was locked, so whatever it was got into my bed behind me and I don't how but I came to my senses and got up looked around but it was too dark to see so I turned on the light and nothing, so I looked up this phenomenon and now I'm here.
sp
I believe that the dream world is a different dimension totally.i have woke up twice and I was completely parilized and there were what felt like 3 beins on each side of me and they were pressing there big hands down on my chest and stomach. I felt as though I was goin to die and I was suffocating and it felt like eveil precence was there trying to either kill me or posses me. I still wonder to this day what it could have been since science cannot explain everything.
I have been having SP since I
I have been having SP since I was a teenager in high school and still get it occasionally to this present day in my late 20's. It was and still is very frightening. I have had SP both with and without hallucinations. Since I have had this happen so often I can usually recognize the state I'm in and usually try to struggle to rock myself awake or knock on the headboard of my bed to make a noise that can wake me up or my wife who will then wake me up. Sometimes those techniques work but its inconsistent. My shallow breathing during SP is extremely disturbing to me as it feels as though I will eventually suffocate but eventually awaken gasping for air. I've noticed that SP will almost always happen to me if I sleep on my stomach and although it happens significantly less, will also happen if I sleep on my back. I'm a little bit bigger of a guy so I wonder if the weight of my body pressing down on my lungs during sleep has something to do with triggering SP. Also, it only started happening in high school when i began putting on more muscle and weight on my upper body.Noticing this trend of when I got SP whenever I slept.on my stomach, I remembered that the recovery position taught in CPR class is intended to open up the lungs. I tried falling asleep in this position laying on my side with the arm of the side that I am laying on going vertically above my head with a pillow between that arm and my head and I have never had SP while in that position. I grew up as a stomach sleeper but as an older heavier adult I think sleeping on my stomach triggers my SP and after having a recent episode of SP, I'll be making sure that no matter how comfortable I feel on my stomach, I instead sleep on my side in the way I described above. I don't know if this will help anyone else but it won't hurt to try.
Something doesn't add up
I'm not interested in religious theories, just logic and reasoning.
Now from a scientific point of view, I've seen theories that attempt to rationalize experience of sleep paralysis. In my case, I wasn't paralysed. Interestingly though, I have experienced the shadow figures with the red eyes. Looking around recently I came across forums, which seem to suggest there are thousands upon thousands of people who have had experience of shadow figures. A colleague I mentioned it to recently admitted he's had the same thing. This seems to be a rapidly growing trend over the last generation or so.
Now many of these "scientific theories" appear to be the same manner of speculation as anyone else, and none convincingly target the commonalities and reasons for their presence. From my perspective, I see better than average in the dark, and don't find dark scary. The static sensation I reasoned against, realizing there's no such thing as an "evil feeling". The image in some ways seemed to be a typical stereotype. I reasoned this during my encounter, but I was also curious.
It seems to me that a massive number of people are experiencing these figures and I'm curious why that might be. Some theories suggest that we naturally look for human shapes, and will be inclined to create them in our minds where there is none to be found. Yet with that logic, why would we then create red eyes, in contrast with our expected norms? Why not have shadow spiders or monsters? Why not big gaping fangs and the like? When you consider the scope of human imagination, such a narrow stereotype appearing in such a wide scale seems slightly improbable.
Now if people were in a mindset where they created a "monster" to torment them, surely your imagination would be inclined to play the dream out in that manner. Yet a vast number report behavior consistent with curiosity. Many report toys being looked at curiously and put down, or study and watching. Rarely is there menacing behavior reported.
Frequently the "evil sense" thing comes into play, and the sense of "intimidation", all which one would associate with this strong static like tingle.
It crosses my mind perhaps there is a commonality. I prefer to retain an open mind, but I do entertain the possibility there is some form of study or contact going on.
As Germany’s well-known
As Germany’s well-known psychologist William Wundt’s view of “ the most common causes of the dream are indigestion, heart pulsation(palpitations or flustered),difficulity in breathing, as well as such symptoms.” For instance, students dreaming the examination before the pre-examination, is caused by the things about examination. The sense of urgent urination would give rise to the dream of looking for the toilet. In a cold night, thin quilt would cause one to dream the clothes are socked by water and thus make him/her feel cold. When palpitations occurs, people will have two most common feelings: one is tachycardia cause a feeling of seeming to be chasing ; the other is bradycardia or premature beat cause the feeling of heart suspension or heart sinking. Therefore, people in sleep accordingly will have the two most common nightmares : one is dream of being chased (occasionally hunting other people) ; the other is dream of flying in the air or dream of falling down. Persons who palpitation is easy to occur are easy to have nightmare, drugs can cause nightmare because drugs can cause palpitation. Females are easier to have nightmare than males, because palpitation is easier occur to females than to males. Women have a huge amount of nightmares during pregnancy because women experience more palpitations in pregnancy. Physical factors that contribute to bad dreams include fever as also sleep because fever causes an increase in the heart rate. If transient cerebral ischemia or fainting occuring during the day may result in some very terrible dizziness, palpitations, feelings of chest pressure, dim vision, tinnitus and a variety of neurological symptoms. As a result, all the people who are prone to cerebral ischemia or fainting frail corporeity, excessive fear, taking the quinidine which may lead to low blood pressure, as well as a excessive high pillow ors, error in sleeping style which may lead to the aggrieved neck, pressed blood stream. when they sleep in deep night, they will have the extraordinary corresponding horrible dreams, in the dreams, they do some kind of terrible Belial pressuring them or being hunted down, but they can not cry out or escape, which is known as sleep paralysis. .For a long time, due to the ignorance of physiological knowledge of syncope , ischemie cerebrale , slow beat, fast beat and so on, psychological illusion in people’s sleep generated by such physical symptoms i.e. the nightmare really has puzzled the psychologists, therefore they put forward a wide range of wrong even absurd views onthe nightmares, which both have no scientific basis, and could not be confirmed, even more were not self-consistent. For example, a medical expert Debacke drew the correct conclusion that the anxiety-dream resulted from ischemie cerebrale according to the physiological symptoms of the anxiety-dream of a boy of thirteen. Freud called such view was a ” medical mythology” in the book of Dream Psychology. Most important,the experiment confirmed the idea. For example, a place in country , there is a “haunted” bed which makes people have sleep paralysis or syncope every night, and it is this fact that the pillow in the bed is too high will reduce cerebral blood flow. Another example, sleeping pills are the treatment of nightmare of being chased of neurasthenia, due to the nightmare of being chased of such patients is caused by tachycardia, and sleeping pills can lead to slower heartbeat, moreover slower heartbeat sometimes leads to sleep paralysis or fainting for people of low blood pressure. Therefore, treating a nightmare with sleeping pills at times is not only invalid, but also it will instead increase the patient’s state of the disease.
Dream To Reality
Hi i'm 24 years old and I have had these lucid dreams since I was about 17.
Every time this type of dreams happen to me its always in my bedroom and I feel like if someone is there but can't see anything. I always try and move my arms, but all I can do is move my eyes freely while everything else is frozen. Interesting thing is that I have a digital cock on the far left where I sleep, and in the dream state, the clock seems to mall function and displays gibberish. When I am able to get "wake" I feel this breeze and suddenly I can move again like i just went from a dream to reality without closing my eyes. I really hope there is a type of cure or a way to not have these type of "wake dreams"
Hi there, I'm 24 and I've had
Hi there, I'm 24 and I've had this happen to me many many times. First was when I was 5 years old then it started to happen again when I was 19 and its been very regular since then. I had an episode of sleep paralisis last night and it seemed like I was completely awake but couldn't move or talk/scream. During the SP I was laying on my side looking right at my husband and it looked like his eyes were vibrating or bouncing. I could hear voices and tried to reach for him but couldn't. It felt so real and when I finally woke from it I let out a scream and woke my husband.
Real?
Well it seems real but so do illusions. So does TV sometimes.
There is no evidence for ANY religious significance to it. Certainly thee seems to be a fair distribution of those ecperiencing it being of a number of faiths and the more scientific minded not being. Those of different religious inclinations each demonstrate a tendancy to claim the event is of a religious nature, and mumbling certain magic words or names resolves the problem.
Unlikely to find resolve in such postings unless looking outside the box and disregarding specific groups.
Is it real? Well the short static ones "felt" like lost children. Looking back theres no logical reason I should be able to perceive their emotional state or needs as none was communicated. The dark rasping one felt weak and like an old man but slightly angry. Again none of this was communicated. Thus elaboration must have been imagined or proffered from each source.
Other reports dont include any reference to communicating emotional states. In some cases they do also suggest the ability to move freely however which is in common. The likely conclusion in regards to emotional state and personal details is that this was supplied as furnishing by my own imagination.
there is no logical reason to believe in any form of psychic activity on my own part as this is not something I demonstrate in normal daily life. Conclusion. Despite many commonalities ie waking, figures and awareness of a presence, the rest appears to be furnishing we supply ourselves. Including the manner in which we combat it within our minds.
I am terrified of going back
I am terrified of going back to sleep right now but I am SO tired. It happened to me three times last night. Everytime I thought I would be awake and then I slowly realize Im having one of these damn dreams. I can almost always feel another presence and I get scared so I start screaming and hitting myself(or so I think that's what I'm doing) & it usually works. But I ask my boyfriend if he heard me scream and cry for help and sure enough, he didn't. This occurred again this morning. I've experienced it off and on at the most random times in my life for the past 5 years id say. It's unpredictable and terrifying. Is there ANY thing that I can do to at least try and make it stop?? People think I am crazy
Possible explanation why we have hallucinations.
Hi iam 38 years old, and i do have sleep paralysis too. I find it very interesting, now that i know why it is happening. I had two episode last night. Yes its very scary and you feel helpless. But last night when it a cured i calmed down and closed my eyes and went back to sleep. I cant wait for it to happen again so that i can explore more in this state.
I believe now that when it happens to you your brain goes into flight mode and your biggest fears come into the form of hallucinations. When it happens to you at first. You panic straight way, because at first you don't know what is happening and we humans always wants to be in-control of our own body. So you panic coz you can not move or scream for help, you start hyperventilating and your hart rate goes up. You going into a panic state and this triggers the brain to believe you are near death. Thus all the symptoms a curs of fear and not understanding whats happening to you at this point.
For example how the brain works: (this actually did happen to me, but now it makes sense) When we have a near death experience our brains goes into overdrive and its trying to find a way into getting itself out of that situation as quick and safely as possible. Your brain goes into survival mode. That's why you see flash backs of yourself when you get yourself in a near death situation. Your brain is trying to find a way to get out by going back through your experiences in live. Trying to find some information of a similar invent .So that it can use that in order to get away. This is why people report (for example) before drowning or having a weapon held to your head, flash backs of there lives flash before them. Its just away your brain is trying to find a way out of that situation.
Scary , Happend to me twice
I read this , and i dont know about evil or not , but i had a family member my uncles wife who was into voodoo , she stole everything from the house, cursed us and disappeared , my uncle died before she did that . After a while i slept and saw a Black Shadow Choking a Girl , i was trying to move but i couldn't , i wanted to save the girl . When i tried again to move the shadow disapeared and i started to move . But the thing is it happened the second time . I was sleeping and the shadow was sitting next to my bed and sterring at me , i saw it but i couldnt move , when it disparead i got calm . i Just want to find out whats going on with me .
Sleep paralyze
This has happened to me quit frequently lately n it's scary as hell.. I get no notices or hallucinations just can't move I try to force myself to move one night I tried to say help n couldn't I tried to say my bf name n nothing just as I think this is it I'm dying rite now I'll snap out of it. I've suffered with insomnia for about. 3 years now only sleeping 3-4 hours if that a night but the last 6 months I've been having these very scary episodes now I'm terrified for bedtime.. Help!
I have had a fair bit of
I have had a fair bit of experience with SP now and usually when I visit such page's and share my views with a fellow sufferer, is when I've just had one and to check if there's something around the internet. My first experience was obviously very scary but after so many of them in past 5years since SP decided to trouble me, I've just got tougher. Just like you I've had no hallucination's. My earlier SP's used to last for as long as 10-15mins. At that time I tried everything I could to get out of it everytime it occured. I sleep on the side and that's how i usually wake up in SP. After trying everything during SP's, one day I figured out that I can induce a slightest movement in my thigh's & hips and repeating the same I could build enough movement to shun SP away. Again, there are many techniques but this one has always worked for me. I was able to reduce the time under SP but it was always scary and I never went to sleep not thinking and dreading about it, until a year and half ago. If SP's made my nights difficult then Academics made my day time equally hell. Somewhere along, one of my good friends advised me to meditate to enhance my performance in studies. I gave it a go and bought a smallest book there was in the market. Obviously meditation did not help me much in my studies but yes, it helped me to tackle SP. These days when I have SP's, I get out of them within seconds which i believe is because my mind is a lot calmer now -a result of my regular meditation session's. After those few second's, I am like ''Is that all you got SP''. The best thing is that the dread prior to sleep is all gone and I've accepted that SP's are part of my schedule now. I somehow conditioned my mind. I suggest you to be not afraid of it, figure out your ways to tackle it and be headstrong. Thankfully, our mind is working during SP and i've learned working on mind can make it a lot much easier. I wish you well.
Scary experience
This happened about half an hour ago now I'm still really frightened about it. I'm soo tired I could go back to sleep but I refuse at this stage. First I heard scratching noise at the side of my bed as if a cat was sharpening its claws, then it was as if a cat was running all over my bed on top of me. When that stopped it was as if someone was shaking my shouders side to side like someone was trying to wake me... but not really because I felt pressure near my private part.
Everyone keeps saying something about a bomb or white noise, or shadows and figures.. but I had this. I'm already so paranoid and now I'm crazy paranoid. Dont know what to do. I feel violated.
sleep
This has happened to me a lot and it started happening to me after i had a dream about a woman about her 20's in my moms room. In the dream she held me down And I started shaking. Now about every two days I start shaking in my sleep and can't move and barely breath. Now when I'm at home I can always feel that girls presence near me and sometimes i can hear someone whisper to me when I'm in my moms room
ghost n stuff
I just got this 10 minutes ago.. i heard someone scream for help and look to the side of me.
I tryed to shout, move, kick but nothing happend. It felt like the spirit i saw had sat down on my back and as if he said i was next.
How can i stop this? I get this often and i just can't stand it anymore!!!
I got scared
This morning I was laying down with my mother cause I was a bit tired, I had bad thoughts, then I heard ''we 3'' I thought I was going crazy. Then it just happened to me... (My mother was a sleep at the time) then I heard some footsteps I tired to scream. but i only made loud noises in my mouth. like my mother is a deep sleeper , so that was no help then i looked at my poster is had a scary look like, i was going to take it down but i was to lazy but then yeah but i think it was an evil thing leaking in my room it was hard breathing also. my friend said don't let it get to you. just we are not scared of you and yes i did say we. cause we know god is protecting us but anyways i just wanted to share that thanks for reading, god bless to you and your loved ones
I can predict having sleep paralysis
Does anyone have any theories on the relationship between amphetamines and REM sleep/seep paralysis?
I am ADHD and take adderall on a daily basis, and have for the last 6 years. I rarely every get sleep paralysis on days where I take my medication. Occasionally, I will not take any medication all day. It is on these days that it's 99% guaranteed I have an episode of sleep paralysis, and always the exact same way. I will usually fall asleep much earlier than usual, and after about one hour, I will start dreaming. After about 10 minutes, the dream will start to get "dark", and I get this strange feeling, as the dream environment slowly fades into my being my bedroom, as I realize that I've "woken up into sleep paralysis. I can always get out of this by wiggling my toes and feet, but if I don't sit up, I will fade right back into sleep paralysis.
Because of my ability to know when I will have sleep paralysis, I've done a few experiments. One thing I've always wondered about sleep paralysis is: do we have control of our eyelids during sleep paralysis or are we simply "dreaming" our bedroom? It turns out, through filming myself in sleep paralysis, that we DO have control over our eyelids. You can open and close your eyelids at will, as well as move your eyes back and forth, during sleep paralysis, although you can't open your eyelids all the way, just slightly. In fact, I've started to wonder whether or not this is a flaw with LaBerge's "proof" of lucid dreaming. If in fact REM sleep and sleep paralysis are indistinguishable on brain wave scans, perhaps his test subjects were in sleep paralysis rather than lucid dreaming when they supposedly indicated they were dreaming through pretedermined eye movement sequences?
Medication, REM and paralysis.
I am like you but I suffer from Panic Disorder and I have had sleep paralysis since I was 4 years old. I used to suffer from this paralysis about three times a week but since I started taking my anti-depressant medication they have been reduced to once a month at the most. It was very terrifying for me to experience this, especially when my face was covered by a bed sheet.
I can also predict when I will get it because if I try to reduce my medication they come back. I have made the conclusion, and I believe you have too, that sleep paralysis is connected to the serotonin levels in the brain. Medication such as anti depressants and ADHD medication contain serotonin inhibitors which reduce stress and help you concentrate. Perhaps REM, dreams and paralysis are connected to the serotonin levels in the brain. This explains why this article makes references to anxiety, as serotonin controls stress and concentration levels.
Through my experience I awake in sleep paralysis and I have absolutely no movement except for a slight finger movement. However, I am completely awake, which brings us to the discussion of REM. I have complete control of my eyelids and I blink like normal, as it is like I am awake except I cannot move my body. I believe that no one is still dreaming when they are in sleep paralysis, but the signals in the brain are confused which causes hallucinations. When I am in sleep paralysis I only have two options: try to wake myself up by attempting to move or make sounds with my mouth (or hopefully get someone next to me to wake me up), or attempt to go back to sleep. During this time it is very terrifying to me. I hear strange noises and see figures go in and out of the room like I was in a nightmare. However, this is not dreaming, as I have NO REM and I am completely aware of what is going on. I am fully conscious.
I agree with you in your experiments as to say that we have complete control over our eyelids during paralysis. This has happening to me since I was 4 and I am almost 30 so I am very experienced in sleep paralysis (I hate to use the word "experienced"). when It happens to me now I know exactly what is going on, am fully conscious and can move my eyelids, as I blink like normal. All is normal except for the fact that I cannot move. Sometimes I even slip into paralysis when I am trying to get back to sleep. I can feel a strange tingle inside my brain in the back of my head. I believe that sleep paralysis may also be connected to a certain part of the brain that is located at the back of the brain.
As in the discussion of lucid dreaming, I have often wondered if, because I have complete control of my eyelids, whether or not I am dreaming when I hear noises or see figures in the room. I believe that during sleep paralysis, that our bodies are more aware and have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and sound. I do not know how to scientifically explain this, but I have some examples I want to share...
I wear hearing aids and cant hear when I take them out at night. Once I went into sleep paralysis. My kitchen was at the other end of the house, and I could hear the tap dripping, really loudly, so loud that it was annoying me. In my head I could even "see" the tap dripping. The next day I checked and I found the tap dripping.
Another example is that once I went into paralysis and I "seen" two old greek women chatting and walking up the street. I only learnt three months later that they died a couple of years before.
The last example is that during sleep paralysis I thought I was moving my limbs and thought I got out of bed and opened the door and walked into the kitchen but something startled me (like a sound) and I "awoke" back in my body in my bed. These examples I cannot explain in the modern world of science, I don't know if it is hypocritical of me to say that what I experienced is metaphysical or spiritual.
I hope that this information has helped you and if you want to discuss sleep paralysis further I would greatly enjoy the discussion, as like you I am sure you do not know anyone else with this disorder.
Tara.
weird experience
This crap happend to me for the first time last night. I was sleeping good then my tapped me a couple times and I woke up angry because shes always interrupting my sleep and it annoys me. So i try to go back to sleep but I cant so i stay up for about an hour. Finally i felt tired and BAM, after tossing and turning i get comfy, and all of a sudden I hear this sound kind of like I just got flash banged or that sound in movies when a bomb goes off and they cant hear. Then I start hearing that creepy children laugh that you hear in scary movies, so i open my eyes and i realize i cant move!! I start freaking out and begin trying to figure out what body part i can move, and suprisingly im able to grind my teeth together, and my fingers start twitching. I was so paranoid that i didnt really notice my surrounding i just wanted to move again. Then bam i snapped out of it freakin out. I look at my mom and shes sleep, but i stay up the rest of the night too scared to go back to sleep. Then I decided to try and go back to sleep, but everytime I did I would feel this weird uncomfortable presence and hear that afterbomb sound, so i said forget it. Im a christian, but have been sinning a lot lately, and i believe in witches. So im going to just pray every night before bed because that was not a fun experience.
Dont freak out.
What you are experiencing is not due to sinning, so don't worry. When you experience sleep paralysis, it is made worse by your own anxieties and insecurities. I have been suffering from sleep paralysis since I was 4 years old so I know what I am experiencing. The sensations and noises and "bombs" you experience are caused by your brain being over active from your paralysis. I was exactly like you and I used to hear creatures and see figures passing in and out of my room. It has nothing to do with sinning.
It will help to pray because it will relax you. I also suggest you try this:
make sure you don't sleep with any blankets over your face or in an uncomfortable position. When it happens to you, try to calm down and try to close your eyes. Say to yourself: "what I am experiencing is sleep paralysis and is completely normal, I have not done anything wrong".
What I have found is I can either try to go back to sleep or wake myself up by making noises. In your case, I suggest you can try both. Try to make noises with your mouth or try to go back to sleep. But please, do not blame yourself or believe that it is your fault or that you are sinning because it will only cause worse hallucinations, as the more anxious you are, the worse it will become.
I hope this helps and please reply with any questions or comments you may have.
Tara.
Thank you
Thank u for taking the time to say that even tho it wasn't directed to me it helps I will try it next time it happens to me although I don't hear any sounds or havnt yet to hallucinate I just can't move speak n sometimes I feel like I'm about to die cause it's just scary as hell but thank u I'm going to try that next time..
This is insane
I had gotten into a fight with my boyfriend and I was very upset, so I decided to go to sleep. I was only asleep for nearly 15 minutes. I woke up(or so I thought) not being able to breathe or move. I couldn't keep my eyes open and I almost felt like I was drunk. When I could have my eyes open I saw a dark figure right next to me as if it were leaning over me in my bed. I kept trying to scream but I couldn't. I was trying to gasp for air but it felt like something was pressing on my chest so I couldn't breathe. I just felt this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. I heard something shuffling around or crawling on the floor at the foot of my bed, and then I felt the covers being pulled off of me. I kept saying "leave me alone" over and over in my head. I think I screamed "stop", but I couldn't tell if it was in my head or if I really yelled it. But as soon as I did, I saw something shoot across my room and I snapped out of it then I could finally breathe again and I was able to move... I immediately researched "waking up and not being able to move or breathe". This is the first page I came to and I'm really glad I'm not the only one here but I'm still really terrified. I can't stop reading about it but I want to know more. I know my house is haunted and my aunt has experienced paranormal things here in my room particularly. but who knows if it's truly scientific or paranormal.... I hope that never happens again.
Sleep paralysis
It happened again today. The first time I recall this happening was 14 yrs ago. It always seems to happen when I take a nap, never when I sleep at night. I am a side sleeper and during my episodes, I am aware of my surroundings (i.e. I hear what is on tv or music). The first time, it was as though someone was in my apartment, walking up the stairs, I heard the footsteps, felt something on me etc. I tried to move and thought I did, but I would look down and nothing had moved. I have never felt anything on my chest where I can't breathe though. Today's episode was strange. It felt like someone was trying to snuggle up behind me. I felt breathing on my neck and arms trying to wrap around me. I fought it off several times , knowing that no one should be in my home doing this and then the sheets started being pulled off me from the opposite side of the bed. I tried holding on to them but my strength was no match. I am a female and this is definitely a male presence. One other thing happened but I don't feel comfortable stating it on here. The only common factor I have noticed in my episodes is the napping. It doesn't feel evil to me but definitely scary.
Ghosts? Open minded. Dark?
Ghosts? Open minded. Dark? Not at all. Whats scary about grayscale?
choked out
Its 1:06pm Salinas California, I was falling asleep on my back relaxing until, I felt this strong appearance choking me out.. I felt like I was going to die. The trip on this,I'm writing this because this is now the 2nd time it has happened to me..whn I fell asleep I seen a black shadow run fast around my living room and laugh! And so quick it came n CHOKED me out...weird part is I seen his pants,army cargo pants. I asked my mom wtf is going on.she said its dead spirit....... great!!! dead fkn spirits n my house
I wake up feeling attacked
I wake up feeling attacked too but not for a very long time until recently. Felt like something trying to draw the life out of me. Same as before though the moment I resisted and fought back I could instantly sit up and overpower it. Felt relaxed then and went straight back to sleep. Was uncomfy that night and propped up, so might be something in sleep position.
Creepy, I'm that same boat.
So I'm having these dreams that feels like, I wake up from a dream feeling paralyzed with a dark figure standing next to me, I can't move or scream... I can't even make out the face of this figure. I feel like its taking all of my energy as I sleep and manifest into this figure that just stands there and stares at me while I'm trying to scream to wake up. The last time this happen which was a few days ago, I started to pray in my head as this was starting to happen, and slowly it felt like it was disappearing and I woke up.
It feels evil and not welcoming at all. I feel like I'm awake trying to scream, but it turns out to be just a dream. Its a horrible feeling.
fighting the evil
Wow just had that happen to me last night. Felt something trying to hold me down so I started fighting it. Kept calling out to my wife but she didnt respond. Finally woke up, with a terrible headache and my heart racing like crazy. Thought I was fighting a demon. I hope,no prey its just this sleep paralysis.
luis perea
why is this happen to me every single night
scary exp.. bt thanks..
Well.. years back i experienced this..n yes i thot it was some evil spirit or smthn.. it was scary.. i told my mom n she also thot d same..
Ive bren sleepin with my sister for a long time.. some months back ive begun to sleep alone in my room.. which gave me a feeling of loneliness..
Just few mins back same thing happend..sleep paralysis.. trust me i was hell scared.. i wanted to wake up but cudnt. I tried to get up bud cudnt. Then i closed my eyes so dat i dnt see nythn evil. But strongly felt a presence of something.. :(
I even saw a scene in which i tried to get upn switch on d light n my hair r open. Damn scary yaar..
Bt jst after i saw dat scene with my closed eyes i forced my body to get up. N suddenly i got up n switched on d lyt.. i went to d washroom n heard smthn. Now i know its hallucination. Went back to my room. Picked my pillow n came to mum's room. I wanted to know whether its smthn evil or smthn wrong with my brain.
First tym wen i experienced this i told my bro n he said its jst bcoz u dnt get good sleep. That made me curious to know more abt it.
Ive got mild migraine attacks. N cervical.
Today i had dat strange sensations happening in my head n headache too..
I hope im not gonna die bcoz of sm brain disorder..
Scared n worried.. :'(
surmeet kaur/f/25
SP
Surmeet kaur - your letter sounds fake. Also, this is a serious website. You need to study the English language - BIG time!
Need Some Help
Ever so often I have a situation that scares me to death. It usually happens when I take a nap, or have been sleeping for about 2 hours. Last evening, my husband was watching sports on tv and I had not interest in what he was watching. I went into the bedroom and began watching something on the tv in there. I fell asleep and when he tried to wake me up after the basketball game, I heard him calling me, but I could not move and could not talk. I thought I was having a stroke because I was trying to talk and trying to move, but just could not. The words were forming in my head, but nothing came out. Of course I was frightened and so was my husband. What was wrong?