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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep

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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

2)The Body During Sleep

3)Basics of Sleep Behavior

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

Marquis Harris's picture

Sleep para or is it a curse or gift cont.

Dont know if the music helps or not because it happened to me while the music was playing which let me know i was awake and it wasnt a dream i left out in my other ones that when i was in 3rd grade i used to come home and i had my own room when i would go to sleep in that room i would see green evil looking things float over me laughing and poking me tried to tell my mom but she didnt believe me she still had me sleep in that room where i was tortured and weeks later i threw a knife in the back of my brother's head because i went into a rage over something small and as i threw the knife felt like someone else was making me do this so im going with paranormal on this one call me crazy but science cant explain anything to me but ignorance

Serendip Visitor's picture

Sleep Paralysis For Years

I have had sleep paralysis since I was about 16. It got very bad in my early - mid 20s. Now, I have less hallucinations, and it has decreased in frequency. I'd say it happens about once or twice a month now.

I've seen all sorts of crazy stuff. My bedroom dresser turned into a spaceship while this vibrating humming noise tickled my spine. I've heard an intruder open the front door, run through the house and stand right outside of my door. I was so frightened, I refused to open my eyes for fear of what I might see. I've watched alot of scary movies - so who knows what sort of image might be buried in my mind.

I've heard whispers. I've heard voices. One time, I woke up and became paralyzed - of course I could hear the TV faintly downstairs. Then I heard someone or something moaning in the closet. It then started laughing. Then it started banging on the closet door. I was terrified. Since I'm an SP pro, I said to myself oh that is only Todd (my husband). Then an evil voice growled at me and said in a growling voice "I'm not Todd!" Then it started growling again. (That goes down as the worst).

Another time, I saw a shadow hiding from me. Geez! The list goes on and on.

For a long time I believed 100% that it really is just my dreaming mind making sense of the fear that I feel when I abruptly wake up without the ability to move. But, I stopped being afraid of SP years before the closet episode. So, I don't believe that it really was just my "fear" feeding my mind to create visual or auditory hallucinations.

Maybe one day I can participate in a sleep study to get to the bottom of it. My husband says that when it's happening, I just have this stare and I start convulsing. The first time it happened when I was with him, it scared him so bad. He said my name. I just looked at him and tried to say "help me." I saw the look of horror come over his face. Then he stepped a little closer, then he went to go get his sister to help out. I know it really scared the crap out of him. Of course when I came out of it, I told him all about it. Now, it's sort of a joke and he knows just to shake me if he sees it happening and I'll wake up.

Golebraki's picture

"I said to myself oh that is

"I said to myself oh that is only Todd (my husband). Then an evil voice growled at me and said in a growling voice "I'm not Todd!" Then it started growling again."

Reading that gave me chills. Reminds me of a time I had SP and saw a shadowy figure right outside my door. I said to myself "Oh that's just my brother." and the voice read my mind and replied "I am not your brother." or "This is not your brother." (Though not angrily).

Serendip Visitor's picture

Thank you, yes anything is

Thank you, yes anything is worth trying at this stage, because its taking over my life and i dont want it anymore.

Thank you

Nikki Gatlin's picture

Question ?

Damn, I'm so glad I found this site! But idk if this is the same thing as what I'm having, but sounds pretty close! K so this is what happens to me. I'm asleep & I "wake up", well first I wake up & my WHOLE BODY is shaking, or well idk if it's shaking, hm, tingling, like you know when you leg falls asleep & you move it around & it tingles, that feeling. Throughout my whole body. My head, feet, stomach, everything. & it feels like I'm floating, & I hear a very LOUD ringing noise in my ear. & it scares the crap out of me! Is this the same thing? My eyes are awake, they sometimes close to go back to sleep, but I "wake up" again. & I often try to scream, or move, or do something, cause it's scaring me. :( & I kind of thought I was either
A. Being taken over by a Demon.
B. Being taken over by Jesus.
C. Having a seizure.
LMAO. Glad to know none of those are possible.. But like I said, yours sound different. Weird though, where you were talking about the growling voice thing saying "I'm not Tom", I remember thinking to myself, once when this dream thing was happening, "Everythings gonna be okay, just wait." so I wouldn't freak out. & I HEARD THIS GROWLING VOICE & it said "YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE DEVIL!!" it was so insane. I almost crapped my pants. But I hope you read this & get back with me, cuz I would like to know what the heck is going on with me. IT really scares me! :(

The most unsuperstitious person ever's picture

I get this often. When it

I get this often. When it happens I cant move (of course) and logically try to break down whats happening to me. I always feel a overwhelming presence inside of me. Like im at constant war of logic vs fiction, and that im fighting to keep my body from someone. I dont believe in god, ghost, or spirits. But when this happens to me and im having uncontrollable RAW FEAR shoot up and down my spine like someones playing my backbone like a piano hitting horribly sensitive nerves every stroke. Last night I actually slept on my side, and had this issue which only occurs normally on my back. It surprised me so much that it effected me on my side that I began to freak. Which was a mistake because then something happened that never happened before. I began to hear a song, that turned into whispers saying "Kill them" over and over louder and louder. Not in my ear but in my neck. I dont believe in anything but this scared the SHIT outta me to where I want to go to church, get a dream catcher and call the mother fucking Ghost busters. What a horrible experience.

Serendip Visitor's picture

i got mine aswell from a very

i got mine aswell from a very young age, mine is like a prediction that is gonna occur, like when i was in a care accident a couple years back and indeed it did happen, now everytime i get this something happens, death or just seriously hurt incedents, its is so scary, some nights i dont wanna go too sleep and is in tears but doesnt wanna show my weakness, i aswell at one stage last week when i got it very bad thought it was demon related but when i found this site im more at ease, everyone differs to the other and maybe someonce is not the same as the others but it all has the same start with the numbness and not being able to make a sound, i have looked this up and gave it a great deal of thought and it is the body is asleep but the brain slips up and r awake and this scares u not being able to move but awake and then the other things that happen with that follows is just ur scared mind playing games on u, i think there is a a solution to this problem due to the fact that i think ur nerves to the brain and the part of ur brain that should tell u to not wake up is not working together due to stress levels that might trigger it, well this is just my view on this probelm, maybe to set myself more at ease but i will crap myself if i found out it is demon related

darryle fields's picture

SP

WOW I'M GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE...i was have the same things happening to me..scary. i would first start with the chills, then as i start sleep the earthquakes happen. i cant move,feels like someones in my room ,in my bed, seeing spirits flying around, with seems like eyes open

JO's picture

freaky

I have these dreams every few months sometimes more than once. I always feel wide awake, if the tv is on I can hear it and even tell you later what was on, then I start feeling liek something is lifting me from my bed, pushing me up into the headboard. I mean I literally feel the butterflies in my stomach like when you're on a rollercoaster, even when I snap out of it I can feel the butterflies. I'm always trying to yell for somebody but nothing comes out or if it does it comes out in a low grumble like something has taken my voice from me. It's happened so many times that now I know when I'm in one of these "dreams" and know to yell stop and leave me alone, like I said it barely comes out. I'm always aware that my dog is asleep on the floor right next to my bed so naturally I always call for her to try to snap me out of it. Usually I can't move during all of this, but last night I'm almost positive I managed to get my hands up in the air. I wish I was able to get a witness to all of this while it was happening. My mother has witnessed the screaming in my sleep, she woke me up asking what that sound was I kept making, since in the dream somethingis keeping me from screaming like I want to it just comes out as a scratchy yelp, I could feel in my throat upon waking that I haed been screaming so I knew whatever I was trying to do in my dream I was actually doing in my sleep. I was glad to at least have someone witness that aspect of it so I knew I wasn't going crazy.

Serendip Visitor's picture

Demonic spirits

This is great to know, but scarey as well. I have the same question as others, how can you say this scientific, but the evil presence is there and you have to pray to awaken? It seems this occurs when my room is pitch black and no music. I feel like I would die if I didn't pray to wake up. Please help!

Eman 's picture

Interesting

This has just happened to me for about the third.time ever and has only recently started happening in about the last year. I've just experienced one and decided to stay awake and research this as its quite a scary experience but definately not on the level of some others that i've read on here... I do however find that mine only lasts about 10 seconds and i think/say to myself repeatedly 'i wanna wake up' andi've only seemed to have experienced it when im in a nightmare and want to be out of it which is why i can understand the the scientific.explanation. if however i started experiencing the sounds and images then it might.be a little.different.... i do think.it just depends on how long your body takes to.catch.up with your conscious brain and would love for more research to be done on this...

brennan mckinney's picture

Wide Awake SP?

So I went to my friends house yesterday, and we got there really late. It was an hour drive from where I lived. We got there and hung out for a bit, until around2-3 AM. I started feeling very tired and I was awake. everytime i would stand up or even move a muscle, i would feel like i was going to black out. i was weak, very weak, but when i stayed still i was ok. I was hearing my heart beat and excess noise that al sounded internal. I was clammy and very ill looking. Without complaining to my friends i used the little strength I had to grab a blanket and just go to bed on the floor. I lied down feeling weak and dizzy. My eyes where open and I had control of them, I could move my body, but I felt as if I was in a Deep sleep. I didnt think anything of it until i heard my name from my freind kyle. It was very faint and it sounded like he was whispering even though he was 2 feet from behind me. I had little control of my body but I looked up at him and saw his face. my head was up and turned, and I heard what he was saying, yet I had no control of my voice, i couldnt answere him no matter how hard i tried to foucs in and do it. I was freaked out thinking to my self why cant I answere him, why cant I speak. I just looked at him. He started to get angry, and he had no idea why I was staring at him with no reply. He said I was cenile like an old man and laughed but I could not do anything about it. it was no joke, a few minutes pass as i am sitting there thinkin what i could do to speak and i tried to yell. at this pont my friend is worried, and I could not focus on what he was saying anymore. Its lits like parts of my brain where turning off and on. it was like i was in a coma, unable to speak, but I could move, barley but I could. Another thing that happened was that as I was laying on the floor I coukd feel my kidneys twitch, and all of my internal organs. I could not breath well as if my body parts were shutting down from the inside out. sp or something else very serious?

Alex Carter's picture

Not alone!

This happened yo me once. I woke up and could move talk,I couldn't even take my eyes of one object and then I heard my sisters and my mom screaming and crying. They where saying:don't leave me! While that was happening I felt the ground shake and I was all numb and I couldn't feel a think. Then I felt someone pushing on my chest. This scared me alot because I was really young. Can anyone please help me. Thankyou :)

Simon 155's picture

Advice for repeat sufferers

Some advice for those suffering the dark figures based on my limited personal experience. Below, summarises my last experience of it and comments!

The state feels like a mixture of being asleep and awake. I began to wake up, and at the time felt I had woken up. The first noticable sensation was a strong static sensation, bordering on pins and needles, but initially felt like it was limited to my brain. This registered quickly and caused a little curiosity. This was followed by a feeling of pressure. As the static sensation grew it felt like a sense of approaching "evil". Terror started to kick in, but couldn't move.

Moments later I could make out two short dark figures at the end of my bed with glowing red eyes. The urge to hide / close eyes etc kicked in but thankfully some degree of reason did too.

It shouldn't seem important now as it wasn't real, but I reasoned the sense of "evil" was purely due to static or polarisation etc (The effects of which I'd heard about recently at the time). It took little effort to take pity on the figures. I imagined myself as one, greeted with fear and horror everywhere I went. I felt concern for them. Evidentally as far as emotional response is concerned, that was sufficient to swing the balance.

The negative aspects and "evil" sense disappeared instantly and things immediately became positive before I drifted back to a normal state of sleep.

What's potentially useful to know from this?
============================================

Well if you get the dark figure symptoms and sense of "evil", it may be that very perception of "evil" that makes the dream worse for you and keeps you it's "victim". Now, we all know it's not real, but when you're asleep that doesn't help much, so try to pre-program an emotional response that you can use when you sleep, as you will most likely believe they are real while in that state.

Example:
Imagine these figures are "visitors" or whatever you wish. Imagine their presence causes static in the air, which for our primitive brains creates a sense of fear. For our visitors, the effect is not intended. They come with good intentions, but whoever they see recoils in fear and horror. They now travel lonely and rejected looking for acceptance and love, finding none. If that scenario is enough to generate pity or consideration while you next experience it, it may well do the trick.

Let me know how you get on ;)

Ooohhhhhhh.'s picture

Really comforting knowing I'm

Really comforting knowing I'm not alone. I came upon this site while trying to research what was happening to me after seeing the Edward Norton Movie STONE. In it, the characters would hear a ringing noise which got louder before some sort of revelation.

I can't speak to the revelation (freaking-out? yes) but I can say that each and everytime sleep paralysis has happened to me, it was preceeded by an increasing ringing tone which got progressively louder in my ears and then I couldn't move. I thought i was having a out-of-body experience and just couldn't move my astral body because I hadn't advanced enough to unanchor myself (I had chanced upon some paranormal stuff earlier in life and swore that this was what was happening to me).

I will say this, the first time it happened I had to be about 12-14 yrs old and I saw a dark figure (my eyes were open, just couldn't move) 15 ft in front of me in my living room (viewable from my bed. No features just a black outline looking at me while I was looking at it...freaking out but unable to move. I'm glad some of these comments have included seeing figures/characters as i thought i was freaking out!!

I never saw the figure again (but was always scared I would.) But the monotone ringing, followed by the temporary paralysis, had always been a mystery to me. Thank God for the Net.

Hasn't happened in several years. We'll I'm off to sleep now. If anyone has experienced the ringing followed by the paralysis, see the movie STONE. It's the ringing i experienced and led me to my search tonight.

Serendip Visitor's picture

Sleep Paralysis - Ringing in Ears

I used to have the ringing in my ears. I could actually feel the ringing vibrating through my spine - if that makes any sense. I also have seen a dark shadow too. I've seen other crazy stuff though too.

But the one time that I saw a dark shadow, it was outside of my bedroom door and it would crouch down then stand back up again. As if it were trying to hide from me.

Big Papa's picture

Sleep paralysis and Hypnopompic Hallucinations

The hallucinations you see and feel after waking up into sleep paralysis are actually the result of Hypnopompic Hallucinations. They're leftover hallucinations from when you were previously asleep/dreaming. They can be scary, but they're not real. I would suggest trying to use your sleep paralysis to enter a lucid dream.

Omar's picture

Waking up with paralysis dream transitions

This happened to me about a hour or 2 ago. It has never happened to me before, and before this phenomenon, I earlier went to sleep at 7pm and woke up at 4 am. I had nothing to do so at 5 am I got into bed and went to sleep. During this sleep, I started having dreams, usually in which would end with being stuck somewhere, drowning, quick sand, being locked in a room. What would happen is I would be in a dream, and finally wake up. When ever I woke up, I couldn't move at all and instantly fell back to sleep back into another creepy dream. In each of these dreams, I felt like I already woke up, only for it to end up being a dream. After about 20 of these, I realized what was going on and I panicked. Every time I woke up and was paralyzed I kept trying to wake up, but I ended up falling back to sleep into a dream. A few dreams after I realized I was stuck in my dreams, I tried moving my arm desperately, and it moved, so I got up and out of bed and got out of my room, questioning if I was still asleep. After showering, I'm siting here believing I have awoken, but I had to prove to myself that it wasn't a dream etc. Hopefully I actually woke up, and this is the first time I had anything like this. I'm 16.

josh  smith's picture

paralysis

dont worry baby girl i was scaryed ass shit to but i woke up but try to fight it but dont be scaryed just do it dont let it take over you

Roberto Roman's picture

this happened to me every day

this happened to me every day night and morning i used to get out of my body but is to dangerous because you don t know if you will come back to it or somebody else take it from you

Peterson's picture

TIPS for SP, my own experiences and theories

I've been experiencing SP since I was about 12 years old (I'm 21 now). The first time it happened, I was having a nightmare during which I saw myself being buried alive. My entire family thought I was dead, but I knew I wasn't. I screamed but no one could hear me and I couldn't move.

After this first experience, it happened while I was wide awake and watching tv. All I could move were my eyes, and I felt as if the whole bed was shaking. I got scared because I thought it was an earthquake, but when I asked my parents later they were extremely confused, they obviously hadn't felt any shaking.

As the years went by, I started having creepier experiences. I would hear voices, sometimes very deep, sometimes it'd be a woman singing to me, and I would always feel a presence. One time I even saw a little boy, standing right next to my bed, just staring at me without saying a word.

I began getting used to all of this. As creepy as the experiences were, I knew they'd pass. So I started experimenting and seeing how far I could go. I discovered this:

1). YOU can get out of it by yourself. When it happens, just relax. Let it happen for a little bit, take a few deep breaths (as deep as possible), and make a FAST, sudden movement with your head. I always move my head to the left. If it doesn't work the first time, just relax and try it again. Sometimes it's taken me up to three tries. Through this method I always wake up having to catch my breath.

2). Try MOVING. As I experimented, I remained paralyzed for longer periods of time each time. With a lot of concentration, I started moving my finger, lifting it up. Then, I was able to lift my entire arm for like 5 seconds before it became too heavy to control. It's interesting, fun and empowering.

3). YOU can CONTROL it. About a week ago I decided I was gonna try to turn it into a dream. And, since I would know I'm dreaming, then it'd be a LUCID dream. When I started experiencing SP that night, I transformed the noises into familiar things and imagined a scenario I'd like to be in. I see anything, no images, but thinking of the noises in a positive way helped. As a matter of fact, it was the FIRST TIME that I've gotten out of SP without using the technique described in #1. I kinda just woke up from it.

Following up on #3, two nights ago I decided I'd do the opposite. As soon as SP started, I told myself I wanted this one to be "creepy". Sure enough, I immediately felt the "presence" in my room and pressure on my chest, as if someone was sitting on my chest.

4). Once you get out of SP, DON'T go immediately back to sleep!! As soon as you close your eyes it will most definitely happen again. It's happened to me up to 5 times in a row. If you can, TURN ON THE TV and remain awake for like 5mins. Talking to someone for a little bit also helps.

I used to think that SP was my soul leaving my body. Some sort of out-of-body experience. Obviously, I don't expect anyone to ever prove this. Yet, about 3 weeks ago I had my CREEPIEST SP ever.

I was experimenting cus it had happened twice that night. I fell back into it and all of a sudden I opened my eyes in the middle of it. This woke me up, but something felt just wrong. I literally felt as if my soul hadn't made its way back to my body. I felt empty and all of a sudden felt a cold rush throughout my whole body and I felt really weak. I swear I thought I was gonna die. Then, I went back to SP with my eyes and mouth wide open. I immediately felt another rush, as if my soul was finally coming back.

IDK if this has ever happened to any of you. I'm gonna keep researching and experimenting to see if I can come up with anything new or maybe an actual OBE. I hope my tips and experiences help any of you having a hard time with SP. I like to think that nothing can actually hurt me, so just take it as far as you'd like, but concentrate and don't freak out.

Good luck!

Simon 155's picture

Try my tips above

Try the tips I suggested above.

If you twist your fear into concern / love etc you'll find the imaginative part of your brain will work with that.

I was able to go straight back to sleep. Granted I did find some very realistic images coming back, like walking into a buffed up star wars set but that's part of the fun of it, and all in all it's relaxing at least.

TC knorps 's picture

my experiences

I have had SP for many many years, I am 53 and remember having the problem when going to high school!I relate well to what you are saying about tricks of getting out of SP. Waking continues to be my biggest problem. What happens to me is that I am in it,(SP) typically when it is time to get up in the morning. It is hard to get out of bed! , I can move my eyes. I can stare a pillow or suchlike for hours! But, I am a tenacious sort... if I am trying to get up and I try, try and try again to snap out of it. If I keep trying.. by trying to shake my head or moving a limb, I will eventually get out, but sometimes it takes two hours, meanwhile I am late for something! I see you have a similar routine. If someone shakes me it helps. Also having alarm across the room that keeps ringing, although I can sleep walk my way to turning them off and continue where I left off. You too seem to sink back in. It is as if I am controlled by another. I am not scared of SP for the most part I actually enjoy the feeling most typically and I get it 3-5 days out of seven. It is very relaxing and all the tension in my body floats away. I am a Lucid dreamer and can enjoy overcoming the forces of evil. (whatever they may be) I also can have other-world dreams , some take me to other times,(dimensions.. I dare say), often I am living anothers' life... or observing it. (!!) Interestingly, I have looked up historical facts, that I didn't think I knew and they seem accurate. Then I had a fright. So oddly, it is like a past life regression. I put this down to subconscious state, although I am no expert. it is a justification of my state. I have gone to sleep clinic and they said 'you have no REM'... and that I have restless leg. They said I do not have narcolepsy. Which could be the problem for some. I didn't have the best sleep there for sure and I did not go to SP during the study. So... As you have... I have had this feeling that I did not make it back in to my body and to me it feels like levitation. It feels like a carnival ride, like when your stomach is left behind and your heart is beating furiously. I might them get the chest pressing along with that, but not always. Once I did see a hallucination of a massive Canada Goose on my chest. It is really strange because the ancients who had SP, saw birds too and incubuses. I think there is a lot that is unexplained about the whole experience. I also will raise my right arm in the air and sleep that for hours as if defying gravity. You know I can handle it all, but sleeping too long and being unable to awake is really messing with my walking/waking life!!! and no-one understands... glad you do!
Please write if you like.
cheers and good luck..

Serendip Visitor's picture

Sleep Paralysis

Thanks for sharing your experience. half an hour ago SP happened to me, sypmtons were exactly the same as yours. Scares me a lot when this happens, my husbands uncle passed away in his sleep and this thought sometimes crosses my mind. Thank you loads for sharing your experiences, now I feel I understand whats happening to my body, the article in SP also enlightened me+++. ms

athleticartman's picture

Shared SP Experience

Is there anything as to a shared SP, or vertigo experience? I was in a room full of people and I began to feel the room move and then it seemed to reset itself in a matter of seconds. Another person standing right next to me actually asked if the room had moved and then looked at me as if I was going to judge her as crazy and wierd. I said right away, "I felt it too." These people are my students in my classroom so I was not dreaming, or imagining what I experienced. It was about 10:30am about 1 hr into class.

Serendip Visitor's picture

sleep

im 15 and i kinda have the same thing it happens during the day most of the time when i fall asleep for 1min then wake up i cant move i cant open my eyes or talk and i cant hear anything all i can hear is like a screaming noise i try really hard o move but i cant so i just lay there and it just dont fell right so i just keep trying until i can move again

James Taylor's picture

I think it might have a deeper meaning

I just experienced sp about ten minutes before posting this and so far no one has had happen to them what happens to me. What happens to me(btw I'm 14 and this has been occurring since I was 12) is I will wake up from a dream I seems as though I can see but I know my eyes aren't open my breathing is fine and I'm not being suffocated but there is always some shadow being sitting on top of me holding me down with it's hand over my mouth I scream to it let me up but it replies no. It's then that I try to yell for my mother but no words will come out so I just relax turn to my side and If fully wake up. It freaks me out because it's always the same shadow being and one time I felt as though it was dragging me down my hallway into the bathroom covering my mouth but never suffocating me and when I fully wake uP my breathing is still normal but my heart feels like it is going to pound out of my chest. After the being dragged into the bathroom scenario I couldnt even go in that hallway for a week. Does anyone know if there is medicine I could take to stop this because it really freaks me out I never fell like I'm going to die from suffocation but that the spirit shadow or whatever it is, is going to kill me slowly as my family sleeps through it and I can't do anything about it.

Marquis Harris's picture

SP

yes i had that happen to me without the dragging down the hall and the man with hand over mouth i was in sp but being able to breathe because i was calm but i still couldnt move at all but i still felt something watching me i have different types of episodes one time i cracked a smile and was acting loopy to get out of it

Jeff R.'s picture

This sounds more like a

This sounds more like a "night terror" than SP

josh  smith's picture

sleep

weed helps drugs are bad but it helps me

Kevin's picture

That is quite an Erie

That is quite an Erie experience. I don't like all the, its just scientific talk. Did it ever occur to anyone that what we explain away as science, could actually be paranormal or spiritual. Just because we can assign an explanation to something doesn't mean its any less spiritual. It's funny how overtime someone mentions paranormal or spiritual people think your crazy or there has to be a scientific explanation. We were built to be very intelligent, we have the capability of defining things very well. People will always find a way to explain away the extra normal by claiming its normal. Especially doctors, and scientists... let's agree to disagree and say that, just because you think there is no such thing as the paranormal doesn't mean there isn't. I experience this all the time. I experience the shadows, the voices, the cold air over my body... here's my point, it may be a brain hallucination but does it occur to anyone that its the spirit world communicating through our brain since how the help else would we understand. It's like being blind, sight is all brain activity, does that make the things we see and experience everyday any less there than they actually are. Reality isn't an absolute being or not being. It's perception. Everything starts with and ends with brain activity. Play nice people.

Serendip Visitor's picture

Sleep Paralysis and Alien Abductions?

I"m with you on this...I suffered from sleep paralysis starting around 8th or 9th grade -- all through college and up until my late 20's. I figured out how to control it, but no matter what type of research they do, and I do believe the science behind it, I do also think there is a paranormal aspect to it. Only people who go through this will understand it. I heard incredibly loud screeching noises each time and it was almost always accompanied by an unnatural/eery, if not frightening, presence. Other strange things happened to me during this time...i just don't talk about it so I can avoid the ridicule. Strange enough, probably one of my smartest friends, an engineer from MIT, shared with me this happened to him, too, and he told me I was being kidnapped by aliens -- crazy sounding, but not so far fetched to me anymore. He researched this with a harvard professor and apparently, it happen a lot in your teens when you are most fertile.

Stephanie_Ramos's picture

this may not be true.

I somewhat believe this, but at the same time I don't because one night this kept happening to my sister, it also happens to me so I know how scared she felt, and she asked me to go sleep in her room with her. It was still early so only she fell asleep and about 10 minutes later I saw her breathing really hard and kind of twitching so I shook her a little and she woke up. She told me it had happened to her where she couldn't move. If aliens had took her wouldn't she have been gone?

Mario's picture

Its all in your head...really

I have had this experiences before and of course the first time I was really afraid...and why? because the first thing that came to my mind was the "devil" "demons" and other scary stuff and sure why not if that is what most of us would think of after an experience like that. I have nothing against religion, if calling the name of Jesus or saying a prayer helps you then that is great, but remememebr you control the brain not the other way around.If you think about the devil and demons or maybe other scary or traumatic events that is what your brain is going to give you. Only you have the power to control this experiences, I dont know how to really make them stop but I have learned that forcing yourself to wake up is actually the wrong thing to do, it takes longer, well at least in my case. What I do is I tell my self "wake up" and then I GENTLY, noticed I said GENTLY, its hard to do I know but GENTLY close my eyes if they are open which in most cases they are and then I open them as I say to my self "wake up". Please try it and let me know if it works.

CONNIE JONES 's picture

CONNIE JONES

I HAVE EXPIERENCED THIS LOTS OF TIMES STARTING FROM ABOUT 14 OR FIFTEEN FOR YEARS, IM NOT GOOD WITH EXPLAING OR WRITTING, BUT WHEN I HAVE MORE TIME ILL EXPLAIN MORE ANY HOW THERE WAS SOMETING STANDING OVER ME STARING ONE TIME, I EVEN SEEN MY BROTHER I WANTED TO SAY HI FREDDIE BUT THEN I THOUGHT TO MYSELF OK IM AWAKE I CAN STILL SEE MYSELF LAYING DOWN I CANT MOVE, NOTHINGS COMING OUT MY MOUTH BUT HOW IS IT HERES HERE, WHEN I KNOW HES IM PRISON,HE SLOWLY PASSES BY ME, KEEP WALKING TURNING HIS HEAD AS HE WALKS STARING AT ME JUST SMILING AT ME HE WAS GOING TOWARD THE REST ROOM IT WAS THAT DAY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MYSELF GET UP GO TO THE KITCHEN AND POUR WATER ON MY SELF,I SAID IF I HAVE WATER ON ME WHEN I WOKE UP THEN THIS REALLY HAPPENED TO ME THATS HOW SCARED I WAS AND I NEW IT WASNT HIM AND I WAS IN TROUBLE I HAD TO DO SOMETHING NOW TO WAKE MYSELF UP, SO SURE ENOUGH I DID THATS WHEN I TAUGHT MY SELF IN THESE EXPIERINCES TO SAY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER IN MY MIND TILL IT CAME OUT MY MOUTH, I REBUKE U SATAN IN IN THE NAME OF JESUS CAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A DEMON AND THATS WUT I THOUGHT IT WAS CAUSE I KNEW THEY COULD CHANGE INTO HUMAN FORMS. THERES LOTS MORE TO SAY BUT I DONT HAVE TIME AND LOTS MORE EXPIERIENCES TO FOR ME ITS EASIER TO TELL SOMEONE BOUT THEN TO WRITE!
BY THE WAY I ALMOST WAS TO SCARED TO SLEEP AND MY HEART WOULD BE RACING WHEN I WOKE UP AND MY EX HUSBAND ALWAYS WOKE ME UP WHEN SCREAMING WAS FINALLY ABLE TO COME OUT MY MOUTH!

Jorge's picture

How do you explain your bed shaking and u having intense chills

I can see how science can explain the part where you can not move and the visual hallucinations. How about the physical part? why does my bed shake, why does my body get intense chills as if it felt the presense of someone or something, if your body is asleep there should be no reaction in your body right, that is why you can not move, I'm not trying to be smart or anything, serious question, I would apreaciate a response.

Serendip Visitor's picture

Reply to: how do you explain your bed shaking and you having...

its all in your head. your bed is not shaking, just like your not seeing anything and no one is standing there. just pray and tell your bed to stop shaking, and relax. its not really happening, you need to tell yourself that. dont let it get the best of you. be strong!!!

Serendip Visitor's picture

Scared

Ever since i have been little i have had nightmares, like an old scary man would be banging on the door trying to get in or weird shawdows and scary noises, when my daughter turned 2 she was waking up screaming to the top of her lungs and she wouldnt come stay with me in my room, she told me there was an old man standing by my bed wanting me to eat and she didnt want to go home, i was so freaked out that i moved out of the house, she could barely speak, but she said it so clearly. Recently i have been sleeping to wake up not being able to move like someone is holding me down, my heart is beating fast where i feel like i can not move, i feel like i am dying. I hear all kinds of noises like there is someone there with me. The last episode i had i woke up to all the lights on with my sister sitting right next to me, i try to ask her for help and nothing would come out of my mouth, it was horrifying, i woke up to a pitch black room with no one there, i feel like i am going insane, i have been taking sleeping pills because i am scared to sleep, so i guess i am forcing myself to sleep. Im scared and dont know what to do.

alex's picture

Has happened to me for years

I’ve had SP for years and never knew what it was. I guess I never thought about it much because I tend to forget about it once the day gets going and all memories of it vanish just like dreams. I don’t recall it ever happening on a regular basis; I’ve never kept a log of the occurrences. But I may start one now that I know what it is. What happens to me is I will realize that I’m awake but cannot open my eyes nor move my body. I’ll struggle to turn my head in an attempt to fully wake myself up and it will feel like the most impossible thing to do! I’ll usually panic because it feels like I’m going to die if I can’t get myself to wake up. I’ll strain and strain and can get myself at least enough awake to try to sit up. Sometimes if I don’t get right up I’ll go back into this stage and go through the same motions trying to wake up again. I’ve known times when I’ve gone repeatedly back into the cycle over and over until I finally just sit up in bed and make myself stay awake. But what I’ve noticed is that it happens mainly when I’m sleeping on my back. Even though it has happened once or twice while sleeping on my side, it happens mostly on my back. My husband used to have this too. In fact I could see his face struggling and quivering in an attempt to turn so that he could wake himself up. When that would happen I would shake him awake and he would always tell me that he had been struggling to wake up. But neither one of us ever experienced negative demons. I can see, however, how this could be linked to SUNDS, Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death. Each time this happens to me I feel that I will surely die if I can’t get myself to wake up. And, luckily, I’ve been able to wake myself up. I don’t ever recall just going with it to see what happens if you don’t struggle to wake up. But one reader here said that you can squeeze yourself through and have a true out of body experience glimpsing down at your physical body.

Serendip Visitor's picture

an experience

hey everyone i have had this experience before... it was unexpected as i was on my way back from a four hour journey waiting in the car alone i found myself falling asleep... so trying to keep my eyes open and fighting to stay awake i suddenly realise that i am already asleep with my eyes open unable to move and having the fear that it was a ghost or something as i have had a experience before. so in that state i thought it couldn't be, so i wanted to test this state that i am in. i then started thinking about thing such as my brother opening the car boot and yes the sound of the boot did open. i was a bit unsure of it so i tried again thinking about many people talking and amazingly i started hearing voices from in front of the car voices of alteast 10 people getting louder as if their coming closer... after that i thought of a human. and yes suddenly a human figure did appear and it was a shadow. right after that i forced myself to wake up. my head started feeling as if being crushed and all the energy taken away. what i believed was that with my brain asleep and my eyes visualy looking around and unabale to move what i started thinking of was some how it was projected to my vision or sounds to my ears. as if i was controlling my dream but with my eyes open so what we are actually seing or hearing is actually not happening it is because we are thinking too much that it happens its somehow just like hallucinating. it was realy weird and amazing as well knowing what our human brain can do knowing that it is realy powerfull. if anyone came across something like this reply me back or something....

Serendip Visitor's picture

Funny thing you all need to

Funny thing you all need to understand is that all of these occurences have been going on since the begining of time. The word hullucination came after the experience. First was the occurence and then science came along and put a name to it. You all keep saying, its all in your head, its not really happening. Well riddle me this, if your brain dead on a machine having it breathe for you. That's all in your head too, its all in your brain but guess what. No matter how bad you may want to, you cannot sit up and stand and walk away. The points this, the brain need only think something is real for it to actually be real. I mean lol, if the brain thinks your dead, guess what... RIP, let's remember one thing when we put science over everything and say everything is just in your head.

Jada's picture

Another day in my Life.

I've been experiencing SP since I was 12
(I'm 27) so for a long time I didn't speak
To anyone about what's going on, I just kinda
Expcepted I was going crazy & my former house
Was prob haunted!

So when I finally opened up to some familyy
Members about what I've been through I.e
Feeling of being sat on, strangled, suffocated,
Things crawling over my face and body, and
Being lifted and kinda thrown around whilst
In the SP phase. I started getting some
Answered to do with SP.

I feel very bad for thoughs who've experience
A more sinster time. Evil voices and laughing
Ect. That's sounds like some scaring s**t!

Surely with so many people experiencing this
Feeling of being half & half (awake & asleep)
There would have come up with a way to help
Us.

I have had my SP on/off for all these yrs
And as my last experience was around an
Hour ago (as I've been up reading all ur
Post) I'd like to invite anyone to email
Me if they feel they need someone to talk
To about this... Maybe urs has happened
Only recently?
My email is

I have my own theories for the different
Experiences I've had over the yrs.

Btw I do believe in pararell universe.

josh  smith's picture

thankyou

we all need help is this a bleesin or a curse i dont know but im happy im not along

Sean's picture

sp

I started having experiences like this maybe 2 years ago. I wake up and cannot move, If I try to lift an arm it is like it is being held down by weights and will not move. During this state I'm aware that I am barely breathing, and it feels like someone is holding a pillow over my face suffocating me, and I freak out thinking that if I don't snap out of this paralysis I'm going to suffocate and die. So far I have not seen or heard anything in the room with me, which I am definitely grateful for after reading the other posts here. It started about 2 years ago and would happen a few mornings in a row, then go away for 2-3 weeks then start again. Then it stopped for about a year and I was relieved, but suddenly it started up again, leading me to research and find this site. As soon as I read the first paragraph I knew that I had found the right place, that this was what was happening to me. I've never heard of it before, but being so scary and apparently affecting quite a few people, I can't believe not much is known about it still. I definitely feel it is more than a scientific experience.

john's picture

i have just started having these experiences

a couple of nights ago i had this ringing in my ears getting louder and louder i opened my eyes and tried to get up but couldn't move, i could barely breathe and thought i was going to die i was totally freaked out.i was worried sick over this and again last night it happened twice, i had been asleep on the sofa then went to bed really tired but couldn't fall asleep but this time it wasn't ringing in my ears but like water swirling around as if i had gone under water or something, i tried to move but couldn't and struggled again to breathe and about 5 minutes later it happened again were i could not move but only for about 10 seconds then i was fine.all day i have been thinking i need to go get checked out at my doctors thinking i've been having mini strokes etc, i just thought i would search the net see if i can find out what's wrong with me and i find this site and must say i am well relieved now.The funny thing is about 2 months ago i woke to my front door being kicked in and thought someone was trying to break into my home but i felt so tired that i couldn't get up out of bed to look through the window for about 3-4 minutes but was aware of trying to move but couldn't and felt really shocked at the time that i was paralysed through the fear of someone trying to get in, i finally got up and even went outside in the early hours to see if i could see anyone hanging about.It just all falls into place now after reading many stories of other peoples experiences on here.i haven't seen any shadows as of yet but now i understand what is happening i can sort of deal with it now.I haven't been sleeping too well on the run up to all this with plenty things on my mind when i go to bed and i get up for work about 4 and 5am each day so most nights i have been having less than 5 hours sleep, maybe that is one reason why these things are happening? anyways so glad i found this site and i'm not alone....thankyou phew!!

Serendip Visitor's picture

Happened all my life till a year ago.

I have had paralytic dreams all my life. Anywhere from one a month to three per week. When I was little I thought I was dead. I thought dying was something you did and come back from all the time. When I was six I was in a paralytic dream and my mom was in the kitchen. I knew enough by this time to know that screaming wouldn't help, but I tried anyway. After some time she did come over to me. She looked at me for a long time. Then she walked away. I saw everything clearly, including the dish towel in her hand. I realized two things 1)I wasn't dead and 2)my eyes were not open. After I awoke I questioned my mom about the event and she confirmed that she had come to look at me but saw nothing wrong. I continued to think that there was a supernatural cause. I should include here that I see dead thing, or at least I did. It was not until I was in college that I learned about paralytic dreams. After learning the term I studied everything I could about it, and allowed myself to be studied. I participated in dream research studies in the hopes of finding a cure. No cure yet, but hopefully one day. Over the years I have learned good maintenance. When in a paralytic dream I do not waste my time screaming. I concentrate on trying to move one body part, usually my hand. If I find myself with an aggressive being I DO call out for help. Not to an mortal in the room but to God. It does seem to help. If I am having a hard time waking up I go back to sleep. Sometimes this is easier because you do not have to focus on you lack of ability to move. You simply "close" your eyes and breath. I know someone above said to not go back to sleep, but it had become my standard course of action. If I am afraid that I might have a bad night, but really need to rest, I have a loved one watch over me for a few hours. If they notice any abnormal breathing or jerky body movements they wake me up. Often times having someone wake you will break the cycle and allow you to sleep through the night. I believe that paralytic dreams are caused be natural processes, though I believe that those processes are often times brought on by spiritual contact. To ridicule anyone for what they believe scientific or otherwise is immature and uncalled for. Whether someone finds hope in science or in spirituality doesn't matter. All that matters is is that he or she finds hope. Without hope to give you strength you can't manage paralytic dreams. Good luck to everyone.

This leads me to a question. Over a year ago I became pregnant with my first child. Shortly afterward I stopped having spiritual contact. This may sound insane, but the dead ones I knew came to say goodbye. All but three of them. Since that time I have only had one paralytic dream. Does anyone know what might be going on? Any advice or suggestion here would be very helpful. To tell the truth I am a little lost.

abdullah's picture

Jinn

READ THIS
What you guys are all experiencing is actually evil spirits called jinn. They live in an alternate dimension to humans and they are the only other creation created by God that has free will. Thus there are righteous jinn and corrupt jinn, just like there are good and bad humans. Just like it is forbidden to humans to do certain things like lie, kill unjustly, etc, it is also forbidden for both humans and jinn to make contact with the other dimension, and the jinn that bother you in your sleep are disobeying God by making contact with you. People that get possessed are possessed by jinn. Also when you hear of devil worshipers, they are worshiping jinn. Basically all this paranormal activity that can't be explained by science usually is caused by jinn messing with our world. one of the big misconceptions is that Satan is a fallen angel, when in reality he is a jinn that was downcast by God for disobeying Him. This makes a lot more sense because the angels were created without free will, like the animals, so no angel could ever disobey God, while all the jinn have freedom of choice like humans. This is all taught in the beautiful way of life that is Islam, which means submission to the will of the One True God, Who has no partners. This life did not happen all by chance, there is a God Who created us and gave us eyes, ears, life, the sun so we can see, created us in pairs to reproduce and get benefit from each other, and so much more. God also sent prophets on this earth to tell the people that there is only 1 God, not to worship graven images or their own desires, and that God has a way that must be followed, ie don't lie, steal, kill, disobey your parents, drink alcohol, etc. All the prophets, from Noah to Abraham to Moses to David to even Jesus, peace be upon them all, all preached the same religion and way of life, that is to worship God alone and do righteous deeds and stay away from falsehood and sin, and that is what leads to eternal Paradise and protection from Hellfire, whose fuel is men and stones.The last prophet and messenger sent by God is Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who preached the EXACT SAME message that the prophets of God before him preached, which is to worship the one Creator and submit your will to His. The difference is that the other prophets were sent to their specific nations and people, while Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was sent to all of humanity, as he is the last prophet, and the way of life that he preached is the only remaining way that is in existence. Moses peace be upon him preached the same thing, but after he died the Children of Israel corrupted their religion, and the original Torah is nonexistant, and it has been altered. Jesus peace be upon him also preached the same thing, that he was a prophet and not God or the son of God, but when he was raised his way was also changed. These prophets were given miracles, Moses with the stick that turned into a snake, split the sea, etc, and Jesus curing the blind, the leper, etc, but we cannot see these miracles today. The miracle of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is the Quran, which is the literal Word of God, exactly as it was revealed over 1400 years ago. God states in it that He will preserve this book and not allow any falsehood to come to it, unlike the other books revealed to the other prophets. Not a single letter has been changed, this is historically proven, and today millions of people have the entire thing memorized. How many people do you know that have memorized the whole Bible? The Quran is in its original language. It speaks of God, His attributes, what a believer must believe in, heaven and hell, past prophets, basically it is a guide and healing for mankind. Look up the scientific facts of the Quran, as God talks about His creation, which is completely in line with science, with many things revealed over 1400 years ago only recently being discovered in the past 100 years, such as the development of the fetus in the womb. In it God challenges anyone to make a book equal to it, or even ten verses. He says that all of mankind could not do so even if they worked together. The Quran is the Word of God revealed to the last prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, who came with the only way of life that is or ever was accepted by God, and that is submission to God. You can read the English translation of the Quran here: http://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_Translation_of_the_Meanings_Quran.pdf. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself with an open mind, with the intent that you want God to guide you to the truth no matter what it may be, and He will guide you. We will all die, and we will all be raised up after we die. Islam is the religion of Allah. Allah is the personal name of God, the one Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Giver of Life, Giver of Death. The First, the Last, The Ever Living, The All Hearing, The All Seeing, The All Knowing, The Most Wise. That is your lord. If you have read this far it is because God has allowed you to read this far. And everything happens for a reason. I want to help you with your jinn problem. The only way is to submit to God and to read His Words because the evil jinn have a hard time attacking the body that recites the Word of God. Far beyond that, I want to show you the way that leads to eternal salvation, when we are all resurrected. Use your head. Just because your parents told you this is the only religion doesn't mean it is. And God doesn't accept all religions, how would the Creator and Giver of Life accept if someone directs his worship to other than the one who gave him that body and life to worship Him? The Message has been made clear, through the will of God, for all of mankind to see. Take off the veil. Question everything until you find the Truth, and seek help from your Creator. If you have any questions email me 321abdullah123@gmail.com. I ask Allah to guide us all to the straight path. Ameen.

surfingsrt's picture

Fing Stupid!

Dude get a life there is no way people are coming from other worlds and messing with us when we sleep....why would they not mess with you when your awake? because your mind does crazy wierd things when we sleep, thats why we dream, in adream anything can happen. Its not anything but your mind working over drive....go smoke some more weed or in your case a little more meth and maybe you will be able to join your "jinn"

clayton's picture

scared to death

it was a couple of days ago when it happened I felt like I was in a gravitron you know like when it spins and you stick to the wall anyways I didn't know what was happening where I was or who I was I was half asleep and couldnt move the only thing I could think was that my friend was sleeping behind me and that I had to touch him I wasn't moveing in real life but in my head I touched him and that's the last I remember of it I just feel back started breathing heavily again and slept i cant stop thinking about it my mom has narcalepsy and won't talk to me about it cause my dad will get mad i just want some answers thanks

Mystified67's picture

Scariest one Ever

I have been getting these on and off since I was around 12 years old. I know about the scientific part of the phenomenon but I can't help but think there is something paranormal about it also. I feel the paralysis first then feel something try to enter my body with kind of a tingling sensation. That's when I begin to half pray to God and half shout at the being that I demand it to leave in God's name. It's what works. But last night "it" took over with much more force than I have ever experienced. My body felt like it was rising and it started to shake everywhere. It was much longer and took much harder convincing for it to go away. Also, I've noticed that it happens to me only in the spare bedroom which I retreat to when I want to stretch out (have a bad back). It doesn't normally happen when I'm in bed with my husband and if it does, I can come out of the state a lot quicker. Good luck everyone. Science explained or not, it's very real and very scary.