Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
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
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.
About Student Papers
| 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. |
What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio
A Random Walk
New Topics
-
4 weeks 15 hours ago
-
4 weeks 3 days ago
-
4 weeks 3 days ago
-
4 weeks 4 days ago
-
4 weeks 4 days ago
Comments
Hauntings
After reading your story I notice that you talk to the entitites. In the bible it says to never communicate with spirits... All spirits in earth are demonic and talking to them is like tellng the devil you want to be his friends. Never talk to them, ignore them and or get your hose blessed.
Please search what I've told you and I hope everything works out,
god bless
hurricane irene has just
hurricane irene has just passed and i was up all night worried about my house and family. im 18 years old and a year or two ago i remember feeling completely paralyzed and freaking out trying to wake up from my sleep. i didn't think anything of it, i thought it was only a bad dream. last night i woke up 3 times or so i thought i did to a loud scream as if someone was in danger. i could not get up. i remember trying to get up and yelling for my mom but nothing worked! the only thing i could move was my toes and then finally i guess i went to sleep. im so happy im not in this alone and what i experienced is a real thing. if it does happen again ill be sure to take everyones advice. im just very scared to fall asleep
Couldnt move...SCREAM or move a muscle!
I am 16years old and lastnight I have experienced sleep paralysis and it wasnt to great..my body couldnt move, I tried to scream my sisters name out to help me but I couldnt say a word. The weirdest thing happend, I felt as if someone or something was holding me down! My arms started to move up.. But I wasnt moving it, something was in control of me it was so scary. My head was pounding my heart was racing so fast I felt like I was going to die, and the most weird thing is was I couldnt really breathe well it was hard for me, and my eyes were slightly open but I felt realllllyy tired and weak. Everything was shut down in my body it was so scary. I didnt see anyone or anything.. As soon as i started praying to god in my head I got straight up, and I could finally move agian.. this happended to me a couple of times,But I also think maybe it was a dream, or could the other times be real???????????
NO evil spirts
I only get sleep paralysis when i nap during the day, i'm able to open my eyes and hear everything around me
but cant move at all, its only scary because i feel a little claustrophobic but i dont see shadows or anything scary,
usually i start hallucinating seeing people that are not there,
last time I saw my brother using the computer infront of me and i wanted him to wake me up so I starded snoring really loud but he didn't care, he made a comment and didn't do anything when i woke up i noticed he wasn't even home..
the few ones that are scary are nightmares and they occur during the night, I paralyze but the setting its not my house. but if i'm aware that its a dream or SP then it doesn't scare me.
I've been suffering from the
I've been suffering from the same thing for years, almost exclusively during the day. Never gets any less scary. I always fall back asleep wondering I'm going to die. I've never experienced any hallucinations, but then again, my eyes are always shut. Sometimes I can see light through my eyelids, if the room is bright enough.
The first time it happened I thought I'd had a stroke. I'd woken up from a nap with my heart beating rapidly, couldn't move, tried to call out for my mother and ended up passing out again. The same thing occurred a second time during the same nap.
This has gone on for a number of years. I'll typically wake up unable to move, struggle to get up or cry for help, and inevitably fall back asleep. I eventually came to suspect it might be thyroid-related, after I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. But I'm undergoing treatment for that -- my bloodwork looks marvelous -- and still having the same problem.
I've also experience sleep
I've also experience sleep paralysis too. One time it happened in the morning around 8. I remembered being really tired but was awake b/c I heard my mom going into the bathroom. I fell back to sleep instantly, n then it happens. Something was on me and from the corner of my eye I can see a black shadow. At this point I knew that my eyes were twitching b/c I can see my mom from the bathroom. I tried to call my mom but nothing came out. I couldn't breath n I just feel like my body was super heavy that I couldn't even lift a finger. I wasn't scare bc I saw a shadow I was actually mad bc I couldn't move my body n I think bc I was mad enough I was able to toss my body to the other side of the bed. As soon as my body was toss my eyes stopped twitching n it were wide open. I then shouted for my mom n she came in asking what i want I asked her did she hear me calling for her a few minutes ago.n she said no she heard nothing. But she did say she hear me grunting n thought I was murmured in my sleep.
the 666 incident
i apparently had sleep paralysis that night i woke up and coudnt move or speak i was paranoid and could sense that there was something dark in the room i used every ounce of energy i had to try to move but nothing happened i tried to scream but only a whisper came out then eventually i tried to close my eyes for a few seconds and when i oppened them there was a 'person'(but i couldnt really see anything it just looked like a floating jacket)sitting with its back facing me wearing an off white jacket with the numbers 666 written in black in the back..the next night i slept with my parents and my mother dreamt that demons had caught me..
Responding
"In Jesus name flee" is the only way to get out of this kind of dream. You are not tripping. Pray and next time that happens just say Jesus name. Read Ephesians 6:10-24 before bed from your bible. :)
How I become from fearing it to looking forward to it!
I have experienced sleep paralysis hundreds of times and I've become from fearing it to actually looking forward to it. Many who have experience it asks why is there always a presence of evil? It's because you're panicking and the evil things are manifestations of your fear. What's worst is that everything you manifest feels very very REAL!
At first I was also panicking and always see/feel evil things. It happened to me so many times that I decided to analyze and experiment it. I know for the fact that I don't feel the evil presence at first, I just can't move and I'm completely awake. The evil presence just comes when I start to panic. So, I said to myself the next time it happens I'll stay calm and just try to move myself.
Then it happened, I woke up at 2am and I can't move. I said to myself, ok stay calm and just try to stand up. I tried and tried hard to lift my body and then after a minute, I succeeded. I was now sitting up on my bed and saw my brother and sister laughing. I ask them "what are you laughing about". They didn't notice me so I shouted at them... they still can't hear me... then I realize I'm still in the dream world.
I laid back in the bed and instantly I can't move again. I tried to lift my body again then after a minute I finally succeeded. I went to the kitchen to get something to drink because it got me thirsty. I then notice that our maid was ironing our clothes. I said "that's odd, it's 2am in the morning, she should be sleeping". I pinched myself and I can't feel anything. "Geez I'm still in the dreamworld".
I went back to my bed and laid down and again I'm back to where I can't move. After a minute, I got up and saw my bed in the middle of the field. I lay down again then got up and found it's in the middle of the dessert, laid down again then it's floating on a river. This time I got worried and started to panic. I thought "What if I never wake up to my real world?"
I laid down again and then this time it was different. It took me about 10 minutes of shear struggling to just move and then, finally I woke up. My bed was in my room and it was all dark, the way it should be. I pinched myself and I felt it. I got up open the lights then when I turn to my bed, I saw my body still sleeping! The immense shock finally woke me up for real.
From this experience, I learned three things, I can get up and still be in the dreamworld, It feels very real, and it will be evil if I start to panic. With these knowledge I said to myself (with a grin in my face), "next time I know what to do".
Then It happened again. I struggled to move and then surely I was up again. I pinch myself and I didn't feel anything. I started walking and nobody notices me. So what do you do when no one can see you? Basically anything, it's your dreamworld.
In short, If you panic, you'll manifest evil things, If you say fantasize, you'll manifest good things :)
-Read-
This happened to me last night, its august 25th 2011. I remeber waking up, and not able to move my body, speak, hear or see. I wasnt scared atfirst, i just really thought i was dieing. But 5 seconds later my one eye opened, and i could see my fan. I wanted to move so bad or open my eyes more but i coundnt. Now i was really scared i thought i was having a stroke, But then out of no wear i was able to move my body, hear speak once again. My heart was still poundin and i was out of breath. I Didnt experience any Evil stuff but its really scary, words cannot describe.
Narcolepsy and Sleep Paralysis* Please read*
I found your paper to be quite interesting, however I was a little surprised to see that you never mentioned this is one of the main four symptoms in the sleep disorder, Narcolepsy. I wonder how many people on here may even suffer from this particular sleep disorder? I have been diagnosed with Narcolepsy for almost twenty years now, and I can say I've experienced hundreds, maybe even more of these episodes. In Narcolepsy these episodes are called Hypnagogic hallucinations. Sleep Paralysis and Hypnagogic hallucinations often do go hand in hand, but not always. I have copied and pasted the definition to both Hypnagogic Hallucinations and Sleep paralysis..........
Hypnagogic hallucinations may be present in up to 50% of patients with narcolepsy. Hypnagogic hallucinations are dream-like experiences that occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, whereas hypnopompic hallucinations occur during the transition from sleep to wakefulness. These hallucinations may involve hearing, vision, touch, balance, or movement. They often incorporate images of the patient's environment into the dream-like images. The hallucinations are frequently vivid, bizarre, frightening, and disturbing for the patients. As a result, the patients may become fearful that they have or will develop a mental illness.
Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis may be present in up to 50% of patients with narcolepsy. Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or talk that occurs during sleep-to-wake or wake-to-sleep transitions. Episodes of sleep paralysis may last seconds to minutes. They can occur at the same time as hypnagogic (or hypnopompic) hallucinations. During sleep paralysis, breathing is maintained, although some patients may experience a frightening sensation of not being able to breathe.
Cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis in patients with narcolepsy are referred to as REM related abnormalities because they are caused by REM sleep intrusions into wakefulness.
Google Narcolepsy and read up on both these symptoms and the disorder Narcolepsy itself. If you suffer from excessive day time sleepiness, then chances are you may have it.
when i was little
I remember just waking up when I was 5 to 12 years old and trying to yell for my mom. I would say mom..mom..mom over and over and nothing would come out until finally I could barley make a sound and each time I would say it I would get louder sometimes I would give up and go back to sleep other times miy mom would hear me eventually and come check on me. During these times I couldn't move either. I don't remember being scared it was just weird.
So scary
yes so last night i had expierienced what everyone calls sleep paralysis for the first time.
i was having a good sleep and i woke up several times during the night feeling a strange presence.
So finally i woke up from some sounds on the tv and couldnt move my head and then i heard someone parading throughout the house
i couldnt move my head to turn to see what was making the noise and was stuck with a view of my hand i then tried moving my hand and i couldnt then i was horrorfied so i yelleed at the top of my lungs my mom but nothing came out and then i caught out of the corner of my eye something walk in front of the TV.I then felt fingers on my neck and then I was really terrified i laid there with some noise of nails on a chalk board in my head for a long time. i then got up and ran to find my mom dead asleep I was still confused so i asked her if she had been up and through my room and she said no now go to sleep now im terrified.
Hi: I have had several
Hi:
I have had several episodes of sleep paralysis-with an evil presence. It is a very terrifying experience. While science tries to logically describe the mechanism behind it, they fall terribly short on presenting any empirical evidence to back their explanation for this phenomenon. They describe the symptoms, compare it to other sleep patterns, correlate it to an explanation of alien abductions or ghostly encounters, because they simply have no idea what it really is and in their need to understand, give it a simple label. I can say... the feeling of total horror, terror and that of an abject evil presence has never been more clear and vivid than during this experience. If this is a hallucination, than how does one label a mundane daily experience that can be passed off as anything? I do not even concede the underlying premise that what I have experienced is sleep paralysis. The only way I can regain any sense of safety, and dissipate the real and impending threat is by praying internally incessantly over and over until I sense that the evil presence has gone. Just last night this very matter occurred, before that about a year ago, twice in quick succession, and then before that a long time ago. I have noticed that it seems to occur at a time in my life when I am spiritually growing, closer to God and leaving my self destructive and negative habits and life behind me. I am not sure if something is reaching toward my soul, a darkness to threaten or scare me, but whatever it may be, it does not like when I pray to bind its influence over me, becuase it quickly goes away.
Hi Dan, I too have had this
Hi Dan,
I too have had this extremely frightening experience in which you desribe. I am currently reading a book called "The Third
Man Factor" which explores hallucinatory episodes believed to be brought on by situations of extreme duress. Mostly in life or death survival situations. However, it does in one chapter, briefly explore sleep paralysis "hallucinations" which reminded me of my own terrifying ordeal several years ago. Like you, and so my others, I found my own experience to be that of a deeply evil presence.
What struck me about your response was your comment about this taking place at a spiritually or emotionally transitionitory time in your life. As was the case with mine. It was a time of stress for me as I had a very negative relationship with my mother, whom I lived with at the time. I was quite young during this time and was living my life in a self destructive way, however, I was coming to the realization that my actions and people I associated with were harmful to me and I was ready to make changes. As I began to drift off to sleep one afternoon I was awoken by the sound of someone entering my bedroom. I then was startled to discover I was not able to turn my head to see whom it was although I KNEW with certainty there was someone there, I recall that I tried to move and speak and could not. As I felt it move to the end of my bed, somehow I managed to ask "it" who it was. Whether I did this through thought or I managed to get a few words out I can not recall. However, the presence answered only by saying "what do you want?" I recall being confused by this question and wanting only for "it" to leave. Then as I felt and heard it leave my room, my paralysis left as well.
It was only afterward that it occured to me that it seemed to have been making me some type of offer in asking "what I wanted". I recall "feeling" but not seeing that it was some type of black mass. I have never been a religious type of person, though I would consider myself spiritual. I realize that this would sound very cliche but it seemed to me to be wanting some kind of a trade. I believed that it sensed my personal vulnerability at the time. I agree with what you said, science has perhaps explained the causes of the paralysis but has done little to explain this dark phenomina that accompanies it. If you are open to sharing I would like to hear more of the details of your experiences.
I was sleeping and i heard
I was sleeping and i heard someone or something stomping in the hall way. It opened my door and was stomping in my room. I couldnt wake up. I could hear this but could not open my eyes, move a muscle or even speak.. something felt like i was hit on my back. Still couldnt move. Then i heard my phone vibrate and finally i was awake. My back and chest hurt now. I was thinking something demonic did this. After a couple hours i decided to research what happened and came along this site. Crazy
Thanx to who ever written dis
Thanx to who ever written dis research paper ...i too had same experiences heard some growling sounds n as feels like as if some one trying to take control of my body ..n yup all dose symptoms of not able to move my body n wake up ..now i knw it my brain playing wid me :D ...don't know its spiritual or what but asking God for help really helps :) ...i have one question is there any cure for it ???
s
i woke up once not able to move or speak at all all i could do is lay their as i was trapped in my own body the weird thing was i herd this loud ring i quickly freaked out for a wile and then finnaly with a desperate loud gasp of air stood up right and gained cotrole of my body its a scary thing to have happen to you not being able to scream or move as hard as you try i remember the first time it happening i herd a loud ring again and i thought it was the fire alarm and the when house was on fire freaking out in my own body i quickly tried to move but i fell asleep moments after then sometime later i woke up and looked around scared and freaked out i just laid their wondering what happend im gad im not the only one and that this is a real thing just thought i share my story and to say your not alone
Nightmares
It started when i lived at my home where i grew up for 20 years. When i was about 8 i began experiencing horrible dreams and also dealing with a ghost that lived there. I was so affraid of the dark and to go to sleep. One i had bed sheets up to my chin and i remember i was holding on to them tight and some1 at the end of the bed pulled them litterally off my bed hard and i jumped up quick and ran to turn on the light and no one was there. I searched the whole house to see if it was a family member playing a prank on me. But i found nothing and my mother was sound asleep. If it was her i would have heard someone run from the kitchen to her room because we had wooden floors with no tile and you could hear every step anyone takes when you walk threw the hallways or kitchen. Shortly after that i began to hear footsteps in the kitchen and it would get close to my room i would turn on my nitelite or lamp and the noises woould go away. I got so mad as a child that i even confronted the ghost once getting annoyed and went in the kitchen where it was dark and i could not see anything and said in the dark im not afraid of you so just leave me alone. It did it actually did untill i began high school i began waking up in the middle of my sleep and i would wake up frozen stiff,not being able to move,i felt choked up and not being able to scream for anyone. i could hear my self scream loud and no one could hear me. Eventually the feeling went away and i would end up being able to move again. I could breath and would be sweating and feeling like i was completely drained of my energy. I am 26 now and i am more mad then ever since i still have these horrible dreams. I wake up and see black shadows like if i know its the devil himself and i cant see myself but i just feel my eyes wide open like if i just seen a ghost, frozen stiff, and not being able to move..I scream at the top of my lungs scared like a child or i scream for help but lately i get some of my energy and i make a mean face back or yell at it saying to let me go mfkr or ill fkn kill u and with a snap it lets me go. im either in a sweat, wore out, and tired. I have told alot of people about my problems and no matter where i go or where i move too it happens everywhere i go. I have moved to El Paso and slept at friends houses and have it happen to me where ever i sleep. So i tell people this and they say that you have a demon following you. I ask to myself why? Why is this happen to me? What have i done to deserve this? I'm a grown ass man and i'm afraid to sleep. I sometimes stay up so late to the point where i can't stay up no more and finally go to sleep dead tired and i don't end up having an episode or anything happening to me. But if i think about it or talk about it to my friends or someone something ends up happening that nite. It's like once i think of it or give it attention it feeds on that it feeds on my fear of it and strikes when it knows im thinking of it! Or it could just be me and its true that i might have sleep paralysis hahaha. I mean i believe i might have that just too crazy to think that its not real and that its just ur mind. I think its just a professional word term they use instead of saying u have a demon after you or your possessed by demons or a demon. When i saw this page i never thought no one had this problem besides me. I'm glad to know that i'm not alone and i hope that you all will reply to this and we can become friends and i ask for help please if u can help me get rid of this somehow. I believe in God i am a christian and trust me my heart is with god but even though my faith and trust is with god this still happens to me! May God Bless you and i will keep you all in my prayers and i hope you do the same..
Christian solution
Try these: baptist, pray, always remember the god and bless the house. After that you will have a sweet and nice sleep paralysis.
Sleep Paralysis
One Night I Was Sleep And Then Tried Waking Up But My Body Wouldn't Move It Was Like Something Really Powerful Was Holding Me Down, So I Then Tried To Yell My Mom Name She Was Right In The Next Room But I Couldn't Yell, After That My Eyes Started To Close Slowly And I Stoped Breathing For Like 5 Seconds(When This Happend I Thought I Was Dieing Haha)Then I Kicked Really Hard One More Time And I Was Free.. Then I Hoped Out My Bed Ran In The Bathroom And Looked In The Mirror Trying To Figure Out What Had Just Happend
Mine wasn't evil....
I had never heard of this thing before... or had it happened to me, until today. I went to have a nap, and 15mins of lying there relaxing, I heard someone walk into the room. I thought it was my house mate, so i went to ask if things were okay, except i was unable to talk. I was unable to turn to look and i could not for the life of me open my eyes. After the initial shock... I layed there wondering what this was all about, and it spoke to me. It told me I was pretty. it was a male voice, some 20 or so years older than me, by the sounds of it.... and he sounded as though he knew me, and that this was the first time he'd seen me. I stayed that way, for a few mins... then when the 'it' had gone.. I was able to move again. I am not sure if this is the same as what is being discussed here.... because not long after while being awake, it happened again, and 'it' was back...... and it was ruffling something in my room. I did not feel threatend by it, I wasn't upset by it. He sounded pleasant.... I just wasn't sure why I couldn't move. Could this be different? I have never had that happen to be before.
scary sleep
First off I'm 24 and I have been having these experiences about once every two.weeks for the past 4 months. I don't recall having a similiar experience before. My story is the same "something holding me down...can't breathe....seeing something evil...then trying to wake up". The only difference is that I have been taking suboxone for the. Past 4 months. So I figured it might have something to do with that....I am a person with anxiety,have been my entire life. Maybe.the.combo of anxiety and suboxone is. Causing this.situation. or I could just believe.its my.grandmother who.died.in this house haha.
Ok. I have started having
Ok. I have started having this Sleep Paralysis thing for maybe 2 years. It started around my Junior year in High School. That is when things started to be stressful. You know because of college and scholorships. But my experience is slightly different.
When I have this Paralysis. I wake up from sleep but I cant open my eyes, I cant move any part of me; I cant speak. I cannot move and it is very hard to breath. I feel (during that state) that I have to take short fast gasps to stay alive. Everything is black. I do hear my mother come in my room ( I know its her because she always comes in my room at a certain time and I can recognize the sound of her walk) and I remember wanting to ask for help but I cant because I cant move or speak. Overall its a terrifying experience and all my parents could think to call it a nightmare.
What I do to get out of this state is just try to move my hand or my leg or something. I tell myself not to give in I force myself and then finally Im just awake. But Im not gasping for air. I get up calm. My heart is beating fast and I know that there was at least a few seconds of wait in between me feeling paralyzed and waking up but I dont remember how long it is.
Its happened a few times probably not more than 10 since it started. Im currently about to start my freshman year of college and i havent had it in a while but the feeling is so familiar. It scares me to hear that people actually see and hear evil things. I really hope that it doesnt happen to me and that everyone gets better that we find a way to explain it better or get rid of it all together.
But
sleep paralysis
I have only ever experienced this 4 times - always when waking from sleep or on starting to nap. Its really relieving to read about this I thought I was going mad! It happened again this morning - I needed the loo at 6am and on going back to sleep I suddenly felt very heavy - I noticed that I couldn't move, I think I was groaning/shouting trying to make some sort of noise because my reaction is always fear when I think I can'e move. It lasted AGES this time! When I finally woke up I was knackered from the effort of figthing it! It's so confusing, because my eyes are fixed at the wall (haha and my mouth was open tongue hanging out... )couldn't move, but thought that I was waving my hand infront of my face but that I couldn't see it?! It was like my eyes had "frozen" on the last image I'd see (bedroom wall). It hadn't of course, I was just imaginining moving my hand. Fought it for ages, and then for no reason it just stopped and I could move again Phew! and I had another episode dozing in the car (letting the fam do the grocery shopping!) I got very warm, and I knew it was about to happen - cos I get this weird but pleasant dizzy and comfy feeling in my arms and legs, My head started to spin, but I could have woken up if I had wanted to, by breathing deeply I made it happen! but then I was stuck and couldn't move again. I'm trying to control it, so that it isn't scary. I don't know why people get hallucinations with their experiences, Its not been so scary for me. I find it really interesting. Before it started happening I have always had a knack of when being interupted during a dream to make myself go back to sleep and continue the dream I was having. haha another aside - If you need to go to the toilet in the night but are worried that you will be too awake on walking about and putting lights on etc - I tried leaving one eye closed and It worked! fell straight back to sleep in moments. hah. I love sleep, never feel like i get enough. I could spen all day in bed. And I could read all night!
Test/occurrence
Has anyone who has constant reoccurring sleep paralysis episodes ever tried filming themselves to see if they can actually prove spirits or strange phenomenon happening? I've only had it happen to me once and in my case I opened my eyes to see all black alien figures standing over me talking to each other in some weird language. Then they grabbed me and I tried to move but a sharp pain ran through my body and my bed started to rumble and shake violently. Then there was a flash of blue light and they all disappeared and a minute later I could move again. Why is everyones sleep paralysis events either terrifying or violent?
sleep parlysis
i had the same thing happen to me i woke up and i couldnt move or speak and i was trying to shout for help but nothing came out the i move my eyes to the right and saw a black alien figuire with a big head like u hear in them alien abduction stories coming towards me with hand just about to cover my face and i said in my head u have no right being here in my home leave now over and over then i started to back off and suddenly it dispeared then i saw move worse experiance i had in my life.
Still have nigthmares
Im still having nightmares where im not able to move it happen to me 5 times now and twice in one day. And its just happen to me 10 min ago when i was sleeping i wasn't able to move so i was tryin to calm down and wake up so i did and i was tryin to screAm (only i didnt sream that loud and no one seemed to hear me) so i can get help because i was afriad only i was still in a dream so i was tryin to turn on my phone light that was next to my head but it would start to flicker on and off on and off so then i tried to turn on the light in my room only the switch wasn't there then i felt someone with my foot and i couldnt see who it was because it was dark and thats when i woke up. This only happens to me when the light is off. So now im afraid to sleep with the lights off. Can anyone help me because it get scarier and scarier every time i go to sleep.
Focus on good things!
Hi Maritza,
My name is Peter and I have had sleeping paralysis since I was 8 years old. I am now 32 years of age. What you are going through is I know very scary, but once you understand why your brain does it..you can overcome this.
I use to get it 8 times in one night, for months on end! But its slowly gone now, I only get it every now and then. Every couple of months or so.
First and formost you must understand that our brain has inputed into itself over many years, the ability to touch, feel, think, smell and see. All your senses will seem so real, even the flicker of the light switch will sound real to you.
But you must understand that what you are going through is just a hullicanitation. And when FEAR sets in your mind, it becomes worse. Your body will feel heavier, you will feel as though you are in a coma and no one can hear you.
So stay away from horror movies, bad thoughts or anything that is not good for you mind.
But be rest assured, you are perfectly alive and its all in your mind. Their is nothing out their beyond God that can hurt you in this world. We were never created to live in fear.
When you feel it coming, you will notice a high pitch noise.....thats okay..dont fear it, let it come. You will fall into a paralysis.
But when you do think of ONLY of good things. Dont fight it....start to imagine things you want to see in your dreams...whether it be a lovely garden by a river, or with family and friends. Or perhaps having a tea with your best friend. Breath and focus.
Youll be amazed at how powerful your mind is :)
The key point is to FOCUS on good things, memories that make you laugh, smile and joyful. Its when you start to think of these things that you FEAR will be subsided...and you WILL fall back into sleep.
The next thing you know, youll wake up in the morning and okay.
Be rest assured you can sleep with the lights off. Your brain, you mind....your control it.
Just picture yourself as a car, which unfortuntely at times the gears go in neutral but the engine is still running. All you do is put the gear back into position and off you go !
But in order to get that gear back -requires knowledge. And that knowledge is to understand this disorder. Once you fully understand it ( the same way a mechanic knows why a car wont go ) Youll be better eqiup at handling it next time it occurs.
Well hope this helps!
Peter from Down under Australia.
Nothing there ???? Not so!
I woke up - could not move/speak - but felt something getting off the bed and as I felt the mattress move upwards...
Then I saw something clinging to the wall, through a dim night lite ... it jumped across the bed and
me and landed on a chair on the opposite side of the room - I was finally able to move and heard
some noise under the chair - I turned the light on on my night stand and was surprised when I saw that
my cat was hissing at the chair and he looked like had gained 10 lbs of weight because his hair was straight out - he growled at the chair for several minutes - I realized then I had not seen something that wasn't there - unless someone is going to try to tell me that my cat was having the same dream as me
[ which I will reply RUBISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
This was an extremely strange experience and having a witness tells me something else is going on !!!
Curious - and a little frightened
Hi - its my first visit to this site and I'm really glad to know (in the nicest possible way!) that many others have been experiencing this too. I'm in the UK and remember my first experience was back in 2002 - it was only paralysis but frightened the wits out of me. Since then its been sporadic and I generally keep calm and try really hard to move parts of my body and wait for my body to snap out of it. I've not been to the doctor cos I wasn;t sure if its medical or treatable or what.....
Anyways, this morning I had my strangest experience yet (which prompted me to Google it for the first time and hence end up here). I'd been sleeping around an hour when I could feel the presence of a host of "beings" sat on my body and weighing me down. I was totally frozen and unable to move. My wife AND 3 year old were in bed next to me. I'm a practising Muslim so began to recite (in my mind as my tongue wouldn't move) certain verses from the Quran designed to protect you from evil spirits (Jinn) and the kind. It seems like I must have been praying for 5-10 mins reciting different things. Then I got a little angry (tho still a bit frightened) and thought I'm gonna fight these things whatever they are (probably jinn) - who the hell do they think they are - and I could feel my son next to me and I thought they better not dare try and mess with him. So I began to force myself to sit up and push them back off me slowly but surely - praying all the while - and I could feel myself sit up slowly. And I kept pushing them back and praying until I was getting off the bed at the foot end.
Now here's where the weirdest thing happened. When I came off the bed I didn;t land directly on the floor but began to FLOAT!! It was as if I was suspended in the air held up by these creatures who began to leave slowly and ever so slowly, gradually I could feel myself gravitating, falling toward the bedroom floor. I was still kinda frozen and my movements were very sluggish, slow and leaden made with great effort and so I tried my best to cry out and and call my wife so she could wake up and SEE me in this state - because once she's witnessed me FLOATING in the air - well that's all the evidence I (or anyone else) needs that there's some kind of extra-terrestrial beings involved here and it's not purely the result of "neurons interacting in the brain" or the "release of chemicals to induce a hallucinatory state". So I tried my best to cry out and call her and made some kind of noise because ...
...next thing she woke up and said "What's happened? Did you freeze again?" and she was there in bed next to me and I fully woke up and was in bed next to her so had DREAMT the whole experience of getting out of bed and floating. Though the paralysis was deadly real and something I experience on and off and the dream was extremely vivid too...
So God knows what this is?! I am a religous person but at the same time consider myself rational and scientific and am sceptical of jumping to assign supernatural causes to stuff which often has ordinary explanations (which is something that drives secular people nuts about religious people!) But clearly all the random people on this forum have been having all kind of strange experiences (which I've just spent the past few hours reading). Also all the great religous traditions of the world accept the existence of spirits, demons or beings that are different from us and inhabit another parallel dimension of existence (tho modern science rejects anything non-empirical, which this article inclines toward) - these are called "Jinn" by Muslims and I believe in them as part of my tradition. Whether this experience is medical or supernatural - I'm not sure yet, but I'm sure as hell gonna be keeping my prayers up before sleeping especially.
And, ultimately, for all you believers out there - try not to worry too much howver crazy your experience might seem, as NONE of these creatures can operate outside of the Power of God. If you turn to God sincerely and call upon Him then He responds to the calls of those who cry out to HIm. Spirits / Jinn do exist and can mess with you but ultimately are powerless before God. There's also people well-schooled in the art of exorcism and the like who may be worth referring to - though there's a massive amount of charlatans and fraudsters too who will steal your money. For me, I'll keep up my prayers and fight any presence if it tries to intefere in me or my families life.
I wish all you guys out there all the very best and hope your situations are resolved - just thought I'd share my recent experience and glad to know I'm not alone as I know it can be a real terrifying experience.
Peace
I just read your post and i
I just read your post and i had a spiritual expierence i was work and i work over nights and ii dosed off what seemed only 3 to 5 min but i really wasnt asleep but i had been asked by jesus if i was ready and i saw like a light beaming down with his arms opened waiting for me he said are you ready to come with me and i replied to jesus yes yes take me i didnt want to go to hell so i was floating into the air then i yelled at jesus saying no no no not yet my children i have to take care of them so he put back down nicely and woke up to that well i never did sleep cause i was at work. so i was kinda blown by this. i also had aprevious one too but not no more but left me thinkinking about this ugh
Last night
last night i was dreaming i was hugging my aunt but it was black all around us and she wudnt let go of me and then all the sudden i was awake, or so i think i was awake, and i felt something grabbing the side of my neck and i couldnt move, my whole body was frozen i tried to bite watever it was and right after it released me and i could move, i woke up crying it was SO scary im only 16.
i know the answer
i believe you for this problem has been happening to me since i was a child... but in recent years i came to master this art by starting to pray before i sleep.. this has never happened to me since then but it comes back if i sleep without praying.. i get up and pray then go back to sleep like a baby... i feel good thiz dayz because i can sleep anytime i want unlike before.. try prying to God and you will find protection from him!!
I have had this happen to me
I have had this happen to me more times than I can count, yesterday being the most recent. I am 24 now, has been occuring since at least age 16. My sister also describes the same experience in addition to seeing a dark figure leering at her.
I don't believe science can explain this. The idea alone that we all suffer from the same "illusions" is quite hiliarious, as it is so impossible. I mean, many of you have had these experiences, as I have, long before we even researched it online. And when you find this forum,.. and see that nearly everyone has seen the same figure... IF ANYTHING, this tells us that is far beyond human understanding or can be found out with a beaker and furnace....
I am a follower of Christ. I cannot believe we all suffer from the same illusion; but I can believe there are other inhabitants of this planet that have already been condemned and seek only to destroy.
Below is an incident that cannot be explained by science or rationale. Quite off topic, but a terrible experience nonetheless.
------------------------------------------
off topic:
one incident in a dream i had when i was about 10...(it still stands out like a sunny day at the beach): I actually had watched "The 6th Sense" before I slept. That night I dreamt of me and my family living in a white house, not too far from a children's park, and renting from a man called Mr. Davis. Well during the dream, I was playing at the park and suddenly was so frightened I ran home, went inside and my parents didn't know what was wrong. Then all i remember is a knocking at the door, and (best as i can recall/describe) the walls convulsing and we we're all in terror.
I awake, smelling something dead. I went to the living room, parents still awake; i was near tears and told my mom to come to my room, "i smell something dead". we returned, I could still smell it in there, she couldn't... for weeks I remember telling her if a house, "I don't care how cheap the rent is/how convient the location/WHATEVER! do not rent a house from a Mr. Davis.
About a month later she's reading through the paper, and she spots an ad.. and shows it to me about a house near a park, for a good price, for more info contact so and so Davis. I was freaking out, she was speechless, later my dad was speechless when he got home...... just to be fair I had never picked up a newspaper for anything but comics at that age and the paper was new....I told no one else and have asked my parents about it for years and know them well enough they wouldn't lie to me for years if they pulled a stunt on me to scare me.
When I talk to them about it it still has an impact on them, as well as me. I don't know what could have been, but that experience has stayed with me and my family forever.
--------------------------------------------------
There are forces at work in this world, my friends. They have been since long before the advent of Man into this world. When we pretend to be able to comprehend the mysteries and throw off the promises given to us, we become tools and toys for those long imprisoned in this earth that "seek only to destroy".
Understand, these creatures of despair have a master over them. When his trial begins, things will only get stranger and darker... be prepared my friends.
I have these too
I actually had one of these today while i was sleeping. I am 27 and I started having these ugly things when i was 15. I always believed they were evil spirits and I still somewhat do. sometimes i have 4 to 5 episodes in a row and i feel like i am going to die I have even had my husband stay awake to try and wake me up but so far that hasnt worked either. One of the scariest ones i ever had involved a little girl sitting on me trying to push my face into the bed and i could feel my boyfriends leg touching my arm but i couldnt move or talk to wake him up. EVEY TIME I have these there is always somekind of evil thing happing so it hard for me to believe that these can be explained away by science. Apart from praying and all that goes does anyone know if there is a way to get rid of these please let me know I honestly dont know how much more of it i can take!!!!!!
To be Scared or Not to Be? That is the the Question
I've had this experience happen to me several times over the past couple years - I'm 20 started at 11-. I've had it all! The feelings of some presence in my room, seeing the shadows unable to move, the most frightening of all is to keep repeatedly falling back into the dreams and wondering if i'm ever going to wake up or knowing before you fall asleep that your slipping into it again and much much more that i dont feel like going into detail about because its somethings you cant describe. BUT I HAVE THE ANSWER! The question is do you freak out or do you just tell yourself you're going to be okay! Prayer works for me every time! It calms me down and makes me realize that i am in this alter state but Jesus is with me and that's all i need. Lately i haven't had any weird visions. i'm usually in my room and I'm just waiting for my body to snap out of it. I think once you start to panic your mind makes up the image but the key is to stay calm. Besides i haven't read one story on here saying someone died or got hurt from being in this state. So just calm down and pray. RATIONAL thinking and believing that you are stronger than whatever is awaiting you when paralyzed helps tremendously. its all about how you manipulate your mind to think. and if your the type that thinks for the worst just keep praying your not going anywhere just remember you will wake up! :::::side note::::: If it doesn't work or you not a very religious person most of the time the unbearable fear will eventually jolt you out of your sleep so either way your waking up.... :)
Cowboys and sleep cycle changes
Wow, I am so relieved that this is a thing! I am 15 years old and I have recently started experiencing sleep paralysis. I was taking a nap just now and this was happening to me over and over. This is because I am usually able to pull myself out of it in a matter of seconds, then would try to fall back asleep and it would happen again... And again. I find it helps now to kick my legs to jerk myself awake... So then I googled this and here I am! I have read that most of you on here have had negative "dreams" but the first time I experienced sleep paralysis I had a positive one(or not a negative one, at least). I was taking a nap again and I heard a conversation between two cowboys. Then the conversation didn't sound right and it just sounded like Charlie Brown's parents. When I later described the experience to my dad, I started laughing just thinking about the ridiculous cowboys... "dad I was sleeping then I heard cowboys talking to each other then they started going 'WOHWOHWOHWOHWOHWOHWOH' ...then when I tried to wake up I was unable to move... Or breathe.... But isn't that funny?!" ...anyways can sleep Paralysis happen because of changes in sleep cycles?
non-evil experience
Hi there I just wanted to let you know that it is normal for the paralysis to be in positive circumstances and not evil or scary. I am 24 and have been experiencing sleep paralysis just occasionally since I was about your age. I am also intrigued that it happened to you whilst having a nap as it only ever happens to me whilst im napping and not during normal long sleeps (it also happens to me over and over like you describe). You may be onto something therefore when you suggest changes in sleep pattern are relevant.
I have no idea why all these people on here are having such scary, evil experiences - maybe it is more common for people who have really scary experiences to go searching the net and documenting it.
I have just woken from an episode now - I have a day off work and have been having a lazy day, I had lunch, did some reading and then fell asleep. I had been thinking earlier in the day that my mum might drop by and visit on her way home from work at 3.30 but I hadnt spoken to her and it was only a brief thought. I was dozing on and off for about an hour with the tv on and then I heard my front door open and shut (so clearly and realistic), I then heard someone coming up the stairs and stand by my bed and although I never saw her I could just tell it was my mum so it wasnt scary at all. The whole time I am completely paralysed - I can hear everything but I cant move or open my eyes but I am trying REALLY REALLY hard! The person only stood by my bed for a few seconds and I almost heard a light snigger (the expected reaction of my mum if she had caught me having a cheeky afternoon nap!!) and I was desperate for her to JUST WAKE ME UP!!! but she didnt and I heard her going back downstairs and wandering about the house and then it went quiet (although I could still hear the tv). It was all so real but because I have experienced it so many times before I wasnt sure if it WAS actually mum or if I was dreaming. Anyway, after what seemed like about 10 mins I eventually managed to wake up and got up and looked out the window first as my mums car would be outside, and it wasnt. I went downstairs and there was absolutely noone there and I then phoned my mum and she confirmed she hadn't been anywhere near my house.
So a little freaky but not really scary - people talk of dark shadows and strange figures but for me it is always someone I know - and I am usually able to recognise that I am just hallucinating. Like today, when I looked out the window to see if my mums car was there - I was 99% sure it wouldnt be as I had already realised it was just a dream.
The key is to recognise it is just another episode and stay calm.
WHy Me
i was "awake", i couldnt talk or move. i could hear footsteps and see alot of dark shadows..then i could feel someone standing next to my bed :'(
i have no stress, im not sad, no tragedies ((GRACIAS A DIOS))...in my 24 yrs de vida i rarely rarely dream (or rembr my dream). im not on drugs.!! wow..hallucinating Sucks :'(
thx to the spriritual/mental prayer i did...i was able to "Wake Up" and Move (I am still getting chills typing about it)
...so it was 330 and i was ready to crash out, the next thing u kno :"( *(God give me strength)* as ya kno, i live sola more than three years already. so tonite...as soon as i closed my eeyes, i started dreaming something so so real, 1) t...hat i was in a bus full of people/family and that the driver was speeding and driving all crazy (yet in my dream i knew i was tired and sleepy) so while in my dream...segun yo I woke up after falling over a big cliff y vi my tv and room and realized it was just a dream and continued to sleep. de repente, i hear noises in my kitchen, open my eyes: and i see alot of shadows comin into my room (in my mind, i knew it was just a dream, the first thing that came to mind was when i learned the devil/evil spirits come out at 0300) i wanted to pray SOO BAD, i no podia, i couldnt talk, no noise will come out of my mouth. next things u know, my room window breaks and my headboard starts moving...and thats when i start crying and crying in my dream cuz my phone just wouldnt turn on, and i knew my parents were out oftown and my bf was at work...but i just wanted to use y no podia. to make iit shorter, i felt those bad spirits knew i wanted help from God, i wanted to pray to the Lord to take them away and leave me alone. But i was laying down, stiff, unable to move i saw with my eyes wide open a big black shadow with a blk robe :'( laughing at me cuz i couldnt talk, call, pray, nada. and that thing told me, "just kill yourself" Wit that, i gained fuerzas to pray to God "DIos Dios por favor ayudame, please tu eres el unico Fuerte y Poderoso en este mundo, i know you can save me from this dream..or something like that.." EN ESE SEGUNDO, i realized it was all a dream, abri mis ojos with my phone in my hand. *(GRACIAS A DIOS)* It was ssoooo real, that all this time i could swear i was really awake. Trust me, i need someone right here with me now...im so exhausted pero ya no kiero cerrar mis ojos, no kiero, im scared. No se lo deceo a NADIE a NADIE> :'(
ive been a Christian since I was 5 and I don't know why it is happening to me...I am a true believer but I really do think it is the devil working. I just hope everyone who experiences this will start praying when this happens again. It really works!!
if u dont understand its because u have never experienced this. i talked to one person and he judged me as Crazy.!! :'( ... i know im not. my eyes are sooo droopy and i feel drowsy. IN THE NAME OF JESUS and WITH ALL MY TRUST IN THE LORD i KNOW i WILL be PROTECTED...so here i go...bt now i turned the tv on (i usually sleep pitchd black)
i dont know wat causes this BUT the next time you you go through a problem,pray!Call on the name of Jesus,and just watch how God starts to move.!believe and have faith in Him, God bless and take care.
I've had this since I was 16
Now I'm 20. I usually get them several times a year and I had one last night. It started out as being on a beach in paradise and it felt like I was really there with all my friends. Then all of a sudden I'm in my room and I hear this whisper. So I tried to get up (in my dream) while screaming to my Mom and go to her room but somebody takes my glasses and wraps it around my throat so I can't make any sound. It takes me back to lie down on my bed and I feel it on top of me. Then all of a sudden I feel this heavenly lift of my body and a few more minutes of buzzing and then I'm finally able to move. It seriously scares me all the time and I think it is demon related. Nobody understands the terror because they've never experience it but I'm so glad to have came upon these posts.
Another time I was sleeping on the couch in daylight and I heard a buzzing and really scary voices. He was coming towards me and at the time I started reciting the Lord's Prayer and praying to him real hard and it went away and I woke up.
I've been a Christian since I was born and I don't know why it is happening to me. I don't understand why everyone who experienced this has a scary demon like experience either. I am a true believer but I really do think it is the devil working. I just hope everyone who experiences this will start praying when this happens again. It really works!!
The Power of Prayer
Hi,like you,I have expierienced some disturbing evil spirits.I have first expiereinced this when I was 7 years old.I became a christian at a young age and when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior,satan had no more power over my life.I am about to turn 17,and praise God I have never expierienced a demonic spirit again.You're right.In the Bible,It teaches us that we can come and pray to the Lord at anytime when we need help,strength,comfort, deliverence and guidance.Thank the Lord for the power of prayer!Keep on trusting,following and obeying in the Lord,and He will keep providing,protecting and delivering you from the grips of the enemy.This also goes for anybody that suffers from evil voices,evil presenses and evil spirits.May God bless you all,and may He keep you in His Holy loving Word.Amen
PARRALYSIS
i have been having these " sleep terrors " , as i call them for about 3 years now , roughly about 1 or 2 a month , the weird thing about mine is i can feel myself slipping into them , the hallucinations that i have encountred are being dragged out of my bed and pulled around my room and on the 1 occasion through the window and around my garden, i have also seen evil figures such as demons etc, i then suddenly pull myself out of it, awake and then slip back into it when i drift off again, i then have to get up and have and keep myself awake for about half an hour before i go back to bed in order for it to stop. now in my eyes i feel this is a lot more than a mental problem or illness, i would like to no if anybody else has encountred the same hallucinations as me, if so leave a message
I have the same type of
I have the same type of problems. It happens to me almost as soon as I close my eyes. When I have an episode and I pull myself out of it I'm really tired and will dose right back to sleep only for it to happen again I finally learned after repeated episodes of this to get up get a drink or read for a while I could avoid another episode. I have insomnia issues anyway and this morning I finally was ready to sleep at 9:30 I set my alarm that's why I know the time and within minutes I was having an episode. It started with me being very mean to my husband and we were fighting which in reality we rarely even argue then I started to wake up I felt my entire back get super hot (I was laying on my stomach) and I heard an evil voice speak to me and I kept saying leave and finally I said it out loud and It was over. Needless to say I won't be sleeping til tonight. I have had these episodes for years now and I've talked to a lot of people about them and I really don't think anybody believes me they think it's a dream. I have even had my husband watch me when I tried to go straight back to sleep after one it happened as soon as I closed my eyes but he didn't see anything until I jerked myself out of it. It's weird because I really have to fight hard to get out it's like if I don't I'll die. It's so scary especially when everybody thinks your crazy!
i can help
i believe you for this problem has been happening to me since i was a child... but in recent years i came to master this art by starting to pray before i sleep.. this has never happened to me since then but it comes back if i sleep without praying.. i get up and pray then go back to sleep like a baby... i feel good thiz dayz because i can sleep anytime i want unlike before.. try prying to God and you will find protection from him!!
no sleep
finally i found out what was happening to me. this has been happening to me for a couple months. THANK YOU GOOGLE !!!! it was only a hour ago i chose to actually find out what was happening while i sleep. i can relate to every comment that i have read on here because its exactly the some as my experiences. i have a theory on the shadows i see while under paralysis. your brain is still functioning and processing your dreams, while you eyes captures your surrounding. the shadows are like part of your dreams over lapping onto what is being seen by your eyes. It is just a theory so do criticize me to harsh.
this sucks
finally i found out what was happening to me. this has been happening to me for a couple months. THANK YOU GOOGLE !!!! it was only a hour ago i chose to actually find out what was happening while i sleep. i can relate to every comment that i have read on here because its exactly the some as my experiences. i have a theory on the shadows i see while under paralysis. your brain is still functioning and processing your dreams, while you eyes captures your surrounding. the shadows are like part of your dreams over lapping onto what is being seen by your eyes. It is just a theory so do criticize me to harsh.
I think you're right
when it started happening to me i was about 7 and had the flu. In my dream was waking down the street next to a field, while laying there i partly opened my eye and my dream had a hole in it letting me realize i was dreaming, but i could move my body not even my eyelids would open or shut for a few minutes. it wasn't tell high school when this began happening again. i got home from school, grabbed a blanket and took a nap on the couch after staying up late the night before. when i "woke up" i couldn't move and as creepy as it sounds i saw a hand coming up from the blanket i 'shut my eyes' and felt it rap around my throat, i stopped breathing but after a few scary seconds of trying to move i opened my eyes again and took a breath. I THINK that the reason i saw that wasn't an evil spirit, i was just so scared i couldn't move that a scenario played in my head about the worse and scariest thing that could of happened at that moment after learning about Sleep Paralysis i havent had anything to scary but i do think it is brought on by Sleep Apnea when you stop breathing in your sleep. We wake up cause we cant breath but were still paralyzed which already has us scared. we just add to it cause were still partly asleep
sleep paralysis and shadows.
So here is my story... I have always slept with my eyes open, always but only happens when I lay a specific direction. For example if I sleep with my head to the north and my legs to the south and also when I lay with my head to the west with my legs to the east I sleep with my eyes open. When this happens I always see these shadows that people are referring to like shadows of people. I always get people never any insects or reptiles. When ever I see them they always look like they are going to hurt me. From some of the comments I have been reading and the sleep paralysis and I get that as well but it doesn't just go away in the 20 to 30 seconds for me it last till the object goes away. Also, for some reason I always have these hallucinations when I sleep next to my girl friend in which when ever this happens I panic so bad in my sleep by breathing really heavy that she has to wake me up. I was just wondering if people have found any answers yet on what I can do? I want to sleep so bad but can't in fear of this eyes open dreaming.
is this still sleep paralysis?
I have experienced this phenomena 5 times in the last 3 years (maybe more that i don't remember). I wake up but i cannot move, everything is exactly how it should be. in the most recent occurance i was wearing headphones and i heard what i thought were chainsaws on them. The reason that i wonder if my experiences were sleep paralysis is that last night (the most recent occurance) i managed after about 5 minutes of listening to very disturbing auditory hallucinations to sit up. I then, very drunken feeling, walked to my computer (the believed source of the noises) and fell flat on my face. I woke back up in my bed, paralyzed once again. This leads me to believe that it was all a dream. Similarly in almost all of my other sleep paralysis events, i will wake up and try to move, eventually get up, try to complete some singular objective (usually different, but always a simple directly accessible task. ex: flip the lights on, find someone i know is nearby, look out the window) and i will ALLWAYS fall down and immediately wake back up in bed. almost all of my experiences end up with me freaking out so hard that i wake up. i think.