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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip
Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Hiro Takahashi
A person may wake up and find himself unable to move or speak as if he is frozen. He also may hear footsteps, see a ghost-like creature, or feel someone sitting on his chest. Throughout the history, people considered this phenomenon as work done by evil spirits. However, the modern science can explain the terrifying event as a Sleep Paralysis.
A Sleep Paralysis is possibly a hereditary disorder in which one experiences very frightening seconds or minutes of total body paralysis with little respiration and eye movements (1). A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2). In addition to the immobility, the common symptoms include feeling choked or suffocated, hearing strange noises like footsteps and voices, seeing beings or dark shadows, and feeling an existance of someone in the room (1). Although these symptoms often direct the victims to believe in ghosts, mistransmission of neural signals in the brain causes Sleep Paralysis. When a person sleeps, his brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contraction (3). If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed"(2).
In order to understand how a body becomes paralyzed while the person is awake, it is necessary to understand sleep cycles. In a mammalian sleep, the brain activity undergoes two different states called non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, which differ very much from wakefulness (3). NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically through the night; in human, about 80 minutes of NREM sleep starts a night of sleep, about 10 minutes of REM sleep follows, and this 90 minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times during the night (3). During NREM sleep, a body produces few movement, but the body has capability of tossing about in bed and producing some other motor events, such as sleepwalking and sleeptalking (3). The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2). During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3). The eyes move rapidly because most dreaming takes place in this period, and the sleeper probably "look" at the moving objects in a dream (2).
The brain's control over muscles during REM sleep points out that in this period, a body is normally in the state of total paralysis, called a "nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis" (3). Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2). Although some peripheral muscles, such as the muscles of the fingers and face, still twitch, the large skeletal muscles become relaxed, or "paralyzed" as a result (3). Some evidence supports that the motor paralysis of REM sleep protect against the acting out of one's dreams. A patient who suffers from rare syndrome called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder lacks the normal nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis, and he acts out violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (4). For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4).
A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2).
While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5).
How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations.
Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.
Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5).
Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.
WWW Sources
1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis
4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder
5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Comments made prior to 2007
I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006
I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific.
About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006
i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007
I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child. It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past. I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep.
Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up?
It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines. If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine. Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works. Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have. I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me.
I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo. A migraine in 5 seconds. That is how they can occur. I wake with them otherwise. I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't. I have a clean bill of health otherwise.
Thanks for your time. Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007
I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one. Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep? The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath. My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes. I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all. What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep? I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me! Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007
I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;-) Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
Hi...empathy from a stranger with a similar story.
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.
I'm glad to know it's not just me
I am a 25 year old woman and I have been experiencing this sleep paralysis for about a year now. It used to be an every now and then thing, but for the past five days I have had the scariest dreams I have ever had in my life. I notice I get these dreams when I am stressed out, go to bed with a lot on my mind, or in fear of something. Right now I am more stressed then I have ever been. My mom's stalker ex-boyfriend is getting out of prison in a week and there are other things going on as well. I figure that the high level of stress is why the sleep paralysis has been happening everyday. Anyhow, the main thing that I experience is the whispering in my ear. I never understand what the voice is saying, but it feels like the person is over me trying to suck the life out of me. My body is shaking and my ears are ringing. I am too sleepy to wake up and when I do my heart is pounding to where I think I might have to call 911. The other day I fell asleep and I heard someone pounding on our front door and trying to break in. I look up and see my mom's ex-boyfriend sitting on my legs with a bottle of poisin. He was whispering something but I couldn't understand what. Just when I thought he would poor the poisin in my eyes, I woke up. It felt so real that I checked the front door and checked on my mom. In my latest dream I saw an old man's hands trying to choke me. I could hear a voice and I was trying to turn my head to see who the man was but I was too sleepy. It wasn't until after I recognized the voice and hands were my grandfather's did I know it was a dream. I forced myself to wake up. That was the first time I ever knew I was dreaming while dreaming. I am not as scared as I once was now that I know I can somewhat control it, but I don't understand why I would dream about my grandfather trying to hurt me. We are very close and he has never done anything to harm me. I just wish these dreams would stop. I pray to God that they will :-(
finally!
I've been searching through all these posts to find a story just like mine so I can feel ok. The banging you speak of, as if the door is going to be broken down. I've never felt a presense so real and terrifying. When I fully awoke the noise still rang through my ears and what felt like my entire apartment. I reached for my phone, hands shaking, to call 911 but gave myself a second to think clearly. I checked my front door and noone was there. I have had other experiences like this but that was the most unsettling.
Thank god I found this site,
Thank god I found this site, I have been so worrid these last few days thinking I was having some kind of mini stroke or something.mine started about 2 months ago I woke to hear my door being kicked in really loud but as I tried to get out of bed I couldn't move but after a minute I got up and went outside about 2am but nobody in sight.it was playing on my mind for weeks that someone was trying to break into my home.just a few nights ago I heard this ringing/vibrating in my ears getting louder and louder, I opened my eyes in panic but couldn't move and I was really struggling to breathe, I had this terrible feeling that I was going to die it really freaked me out.last night it happened twice, I heard what sounded like water swirling around in my ears so loud for about 5 seconds and again I couldn't move my body, I tried to talk but nothing happened it was really weird.the next one seemed to last less than 10 seconds struggling to breathe again.I have been thinking all day at work I need to see my doctor as there is something seriously wrong with me but thought I would just google my problem and I find this site. I am surely relieved that I'm not alone on this, I haven't seen any shadows like others on this site have but if it does happen then at least I know what the hells going on
you can conquer this
I am native american woman and am very spiritual and am a Christian. I have had these experiences and this article is just someone's opinion as are all books. A non-spiritual person can easily believe answers based on scientific analysis. Science is good for some things that are tangible but when it somes to spiritual things they cannot prove anything.
my brothers hallucinations
My brother would have these episodes of hallucinations. He would tell me that he saw evil things staring at him at night. Something sitting on top of him and he would try and scream and could not do anything. He would always be so scared. It got so common that he would come to my bedroom and bring his pillow and cover and sleep on the floor. It probabley happened once a week. My brother was diagnosed with schitzophrenia. I don't know if its this scientific sleep paralysis or really evil spirits but I would always tell him to pray. My mother recently poured holy water all over our house, when she got to his room our dog started houling. It was really freaky.
I'm used to it but this one was FREAKY
I felt it last night, I was sleeping on my belly, I'm used to it....it happens now and then.i know im awake and aware at my surrounding but i can't move. But this onne was the scrariest one.Happens more when sleeping on my belly. It felt like i had three arms, I couldnt move and a female voice was talking to me. I was sleeping on my left arm unable to move and standup.My third arm was like a soul able to move through my bed, doing so I felt a leg of a person under my bed, The voice of the girl kept saying "Pretty isnt it " repeatitly when i tried to move my lips witch was the only part of my body that was able to move, I heard the voice growling at me , letting out an evil laugh and then i was finaly free from the paralysis.
it happens to me almost once
it happens to me almost once a week i dont know wat i should do and it freaks me out sometimes but my eyes arent open when it happens and it lasts about 2-3 mins at a time and when i do wake up for about a an minute and i go back to bed right away it happens as soon as i close my eyes and last about the same time but when it does happen it happens about 3 times a nite but if i stay up longer it wount happen again so wat should i do ????? can anyone give me some answears or something
Feels like someone is pullin me off my bed!
After readin some of these stories, i realized that i been experiencing this for awhile. Then first time I can remember this happening I was about 10yrs old and I awoke to dozens of spiders crawling all over me, my bed, and the ceiling but wen i closed my eyes and opened them back up they were gone. The next time was about a few months ago, but unlike everyone else i didnt hear any strange noise or see any ghostly figures or anything like that. I was layin in bed, on my back tryin to fall asleep and the next thing I kno, I feel like someone is pullin me off my bed by my feet! And wen I tried to yell for my boyfriend nothin came out and I tried to grab him but cldnt move. Then it just stoped and I was layin exactly how I was befor it happened. Then a few minutes later I am havin the same feeling but instead of being pulled off, i feel as if I am being flipped over my boyfriend off the other side of the bed..unable to move or yell again! And this had continues to happen a few times a month! I havent read any other story of anyone else experiencing wut I have experienced! So if anyone else has been thru something like this can u please let me kno! its to the point where i am scared to go to sleep and my anxiety is thru the roof! thanx!
same sort of thing but more evil
This was one of the first times these night scares happened to me. It was one of my first nights in my own apartment, I was laying in bed, no one else in the house. I feel like it was just seconds after I closed my eyes, I opened them seeing my room exactly as it was when I had closed them, but I was being lifted up by my throat up my wall by something I could not see. I struggled and tryed to scream but couldn't so I fought uselessly for what felt like an eternity. Finally it stopped and I came back to consciousness, very startled and very disturbed.
This has happened to me about
This has happened to me about 3 times. I feel like someone just grabs my hands and starts dragging me across the room but somehow I feel like the room is like never-ending, and he just keeps dragging me across the room on and on. On two occasions It has happened to me that I "wake up" and I see like a kind of white mist in my room, and It's always daylight when this has happened to me so no demon like things have happened, two hands reach out to me and pull me out of my body and started kind of like dragging me in the air like if I was flying it felt great no scary. But yes I have experienced the dragging. I don't know what to do about it all I can say is don't FREAK OUT it's the worst thing you can do. I'm sorry If this doesn't help you I just wanted to share that I can relate to the dragging thing you went through.
I have a very similar experience
I have been having sleep paralysis episodes since I was 19 (17 yrs ago). I generally have 4-6 episodes per month. The type of experience varies but most often it feels as you describe it - a dark force spinning me around the room, I used to think that some entity was trying to remove me to another dimension. It is sometimes accompanied by vivid music that I can clearly "hear"!! The most important thing to do when this happens is to relax. These days I just go along for the ride, realising that I am actually awake & that this will soon pass. As Stephanie says - don't fight it, it will make it worse. It used to frighten me - now I kind of enjoy it.
That's partly my experience!!
I felt like I was being picked up (kinda by the back f my knees) and my legs were being put on top of my boyfriend. I even kept asking him (once I felt like I was awake)... if he heard me or felt my legs on top of him. He's like, "Ummm, no? What are u talking about?"
Happened to me
This happened to me last night. Not quite the same, but it scared me too. I am currently staying in a hotel for work so I am alone (no partner or friends in here with me). In the middle of the night I felt someone lying on my back. (I was on my side at the time or a little on my stomach). I felt terrified and tried to force myself to wake up. I couldn't move but i opened my eyes a bit and realised i was in the hotel room. I never really fully woke up but I did have my eyes open and decided it was safe enough to shut my eyes again. Almost instantly the heavy pressure came back onto my back and it was like someone was spooning me from behing but it was very heavy. Then I felt little footsteps at the end of the bed "run" past my feet.
At some stage in the "dream" or whatever it is called I decided i had to accept it because I couldn't change it as I had already tried by waking up and it hadn't worked. I dont remember anything after, other than kind of "accepting" that it had happened and then i went on to decide to turn the figure behind me into a positive part of my dream and a familiar person. With a lot of effort it did work I think. At first In my dream state I went to turn to the person or thing behind me and it was horrible looking. I stopped and said to myself "no, you are going to have to be nicer than that or else I cant cope" and it changed to be nicer and i felt calmer and there was nothing ugly there anymore. But the dream still went on. It was just a lot less physical.
This was my second experience like this. The first was about 4 years ago and was more like something evil pulling me into my bed and growling deeply at me. When I woke up I was quite sure the voice had been real and that I had heard footsteps. I now think I have more control over it than that, but I was worried last night and that is how i ended up looking it up and finding this site. I do think the brain explanation is a good one as I managed to turn my nasty presence around in my dream.
Maybe try to take mental control of it if you think that is possible? I know physically you will feel paralysed. It is horrible but remember that lots of us go through it and my life is quite normal usually!
Night terror, paralysis, etc
I've had similar instances to happen to me. Sometimes I can tell before I fall asleep if I will have a bad dream. While lying in bed, not yet asleep with my eyes closed, I'll sometimes see an image that's scary and sometimes not even scary. Sometimes it could be the back of a person and not their faces, or maybe a hand, but they are mostly scary faces. When this happens, I try to stay awake longer so maybe the image will leave my mind before falling asleep. Lots of times I'm lying on my side where I can't move my arm. I feel helpless. I struggle to break loose and it seems I not going to. I think I'm screaming but so far no one has heard me. In the dreams I'm trying to get up from bed away from whoever or whatever. When I think I've stood up or sat up in bed, I stop trying to fight, then I realize I haven't even sit up. Sometimes it's even people that I know. I am terrified of dogs. I'm not sure if it's because of the dreams. Sometimes it's dogs attacking me. When it's people in the dream, they are sometimes doing awful things to me and I can't fight them off me. Sometimes when I get up and walk around, I won't fall back into that dream. I feel like I am trembling and my teeth are chattering. At times I catch myself falling off to sleep and going directly into a bad dream. I'll try to wake myself up as much as possible. Sometimes it works. Even in the dreams, I'm thinking to myself to ease out of the dream because I'm scared that if I strained too hard, I might burst a blood vessel in my head. Because when I awake, I have a slight headache, my heart is racing and it scares me. It has even been a car passing by (happened this week). I'll get a feeling when I see these images and I know what will happen if I fall asleep. It's sometime the simplest things but I will get the scared feeling. I don't understand these dreams, but I do wish it would stop. I'll go 2 months without one, then I'll have 1 or 2 a week.
night terror paralysis, ect.
My name is erika and I'm only 20 yrs old I get this alot I actually woke up today trying to yell and scream but no one would here me...the lady next door told me that its the evil spirits and I need to go to church. For as long as I can remember everyone has try scaring me since I'm scared of the dark and I think I was starting to believe it to the point I couldn't even take a shower In peace and always rushing when I did because I felt someone's watching me...I started having this dreams again after I had anxiety and was pregnant from my first child.....after I had my second child I kinda stop but my anxiety hit more .. recently I've had like 2 every 3 months but reading this makes me feel so confronted that I have not felt
people who think this is rubbish, just go away?
look , scientists may come up with explinations to try and back up this particular thing, and maby it is true for some people, but some people actually experiance paranormal activity, and if you havn't seen it yourself, then shut your gob, because you can't just say to people that it's 'rubbish' when you havn't even experianced it yourself. it's really quite frightening, and i'm not saying that you have to believe it , but what people are saying here are their experiances's , and simply replying back and saying that it's 'rubbish' just gose to show that you are one of those people who don't believe in something that is true. and this page is particualy for people to comment about their experiances, and not for people to come along and buzz kill their comments. so use the word 'respect', next time you want to comment on this website.
Rubbish
No paranormal activity has ever been proven or shown to give a better explanation than science. Gullibility has plagued this world since the age of man, and we have no reason to continue. Rather than believe in the paranormal with no reason, try to understand your surroundings with logic and reason.
I too have experienced sleep paralysis on a number of occasions, and can objectively narrow down why it occurs for me. To attribute this to ghosts, demons, aliens, etc IS rubbish - unless you can prove otherwise. If you can, I will eat my words. We don't need to hear another quack story, so instead of littering our ears with yet another bunkum theory, try and think first.
If you want some evidence for
If you want some evidence for it being paranormal rather than science, i have some. I found this website because I just was taking a nap about an hour ago, when i became paralyzed for the first time. It was one of the strangest things i have ever experiance while sleeping, and i was so confuse as to why i couldnt move, and i couldnt even open my eyes. I would think i had opened my eyes, but then realize that i hadnt. anyways it only lasted about 5 minutes (i think)because I decided to pray to God. All i said (in my head) was "God I believe in you and love you" and imediately i was out of it. Im not a really strong christian, but i just decided to pray in case something bad would happen. Anyways, i know that not proof thats its spiritual, but you have to admit it is evidence.
sp??
two years ago in the middle of the night i experienced a paralyzed state of consciousness. i awoke on my side with loud evil noises and sounds behind me as if i was in hell or something. i laid there for a good minute or two desperately attempting to scream for help and move to ward off whatever was behind me to no avail. i just laid there on my side stiff, muted, hopeless and anxious. i was definitely awake which horribly terrified me. when i finally came to i sprinted to my cousin who happen to be awake in the next room, when he too shared an experience of a similar occurrence??.. on a different occasion of course. I’ve yet to reoccur this phenomenon which i'll never forget. any input is appreciated. thanks in advance for your insight. peace be with all of us.
sp
just stumbled upon this site and i'm glad to see so many stories about sp.. it has been happening to me since i was 15 yr of age i am now 26 and it still happens.. only know i start to hear voices and objects bend such as my door and the edge of my bed.. when i was younger i got several visits will in a sp state one time a women was standing over me waving her hand over my body.. another there was a man skipping around my room before coming to lay next to me i could keep going but i will be here all night.. all the times that sp. has occurred i have been breathless and not being able to move my body.. Now that i am older and it happens i try and go with the flow as i know its happening,try and see how far i can take it until i get worried and try and brake out of it. which is not an easy thing to do..
cant sleep help!!! :(
when i try to go to sleep i feel like im awake but im really asleep trying to wake up out the dream trying to scream for help but when you scream someone is covering your mouth and u cant really breath it very scary i hate this what do i DO!!!
Sleep?
Contrary to popular belief this is strictly scientific. Of course religion and faith for some reason or other keep wanting to claim a steak in this condition. Do you have a large amount of stress in the day? Do you think about it a lot during the day or feel anxious before bedtime? If so, I would suggest you try aromatherapy and relaxation exercises first. Also, some mild over the counter sleeping agents should help you get into the REM sleep stages faster. Don't worry , because it makes it worse. Ultimately, you want to have a peace full rest full sleep, and get to REM sleep as fast as possible to eliminate these episodes.
Clay
EP,ES,NSCA-CPT*
This happens me quite a bit!
So when I woke up this morning I remembered this piercing whizzing sound inside my head in the middle of last night. I remember being frightened during the time and unable to move as if I were shrinking into my body. But I didnt think too much about it today because I have had several of these experiences but never really thought about looking into what it was...and sometimes I wondered if it actually happened at all or if it was just a dream. Last nites one was mild as it was just the noise. Sometimes I have had that noise in my head accompanied with a sensation of being physically pulled out of the bed and me fighting really hard to stay in the bed....scary. Or that noise accompanied by full body paralysis and the feeling of me trying with all my might to scream for help but when I openend my mouth nothing would come out....really scary. I really thought a few times that it was a near death experience. So this is the first time I have looked it up and I dont really know why I did, its not like I was thinking about it all day. I just googled "loud noise inside head" and as it took me to this. Its so weird, I really thought it was just me that this happened to. Has anyone spoke to a doctor about this or would you recommend getting it looked into. I am a little afraid going to bed now as its late and I hope after reading all this stuff it doesnt set me off again.
This is totally new to me
Last night was the first time I ever expirienced Sleep Paralysis and even though it scared me, I can say that it wasn't as bad of some the expiriences I have read. It was late at night and I was exhausted. I layed on my stomach and expected to fall right to sleep, but it took awhile, and all of a sudden there was ringing in my ears and I couldn't move. I tried to call out, but it didn't really work, and I tried to get up, but that didn't happen either. O few minuted later I could get up and I have to admit that I was a little freaked. My college roommate was sleeping in a friend's room, so I had no one to be there with me, and it was three in the morning, so I didn't want to wake anybody else up. I knew they would have told me it was a dream, which I knew I was completedly awake, so tried to go back to sleep. About fifteen minutes later it started again but this time I was on my back. I couldn't see anything because it was dark, but I tried my heardest to get up. I thought I was actually doing it. I could hear a man talking like I was hearing on a tv or my Ipod, but I ignored it and continued to get up. I thought I had heading for the door. I thought my feet were actually moving, but it seemed more dreamlike than anything because I still felt paralyzed. (As I was doing all this I was praying like never before, asking God to help me through this.) The next thing I know, I'm still laying on my back in the same position I started from, able to move. I didn't go back to bed after that. I waited until seven in the morning, and then just crashed and slept the day. I wanted to research it, and I found this. If it happens again, which I pray to God that it won't, I will be as calm as posible, which I really already was, I didn't freak while it was happening, only after it happened. I also hope it won't get any worse. I realy don't know what I'd do if I had anything evil or demonic happen in my hallucinations. If anyone can give me any tips, anything to help me get through this if it ever happens again, please let me know. :)
I've had that feeling a few
I've had that feeling a few times and it only seems to happen to me if I sleep on my back... I don't normally experince it when I sleep on my side or on my belly that's the only tips I no of hope this helps :)
Finally an answer!
Thank you so much for this article!! I feel a little sense of peace for the first time in a very long time. It freaks me out so much, but it's always been such an irrational fear that's completely off the wall crazy that I never wanted to bring it up to anyone. I just figured I had too much of an active imagination....and started looking into other worldly things as an answer like spirits visiting me because they had a message or my soul struggling to get away from my body (as some claim it does when you sleep or die). I've tried to accept it into my life and see where the experience takes me when I'm in the middle of it, but I'm terrified the whole time so it makes it hard. If I struggle hard enough though I can force myself awake, but sometimes it's too much and I have to let it overtake me--all the while I'd be thinking to myself 'what do you want of me'. I don't just have the pressing on my chest, but I also get it on my legs or next to me as well as if someone just laid down next to me. I used to wake up and reach out thinking it was my cat, but there was never anything there. During these brief moments of feeling that something was next to me or on my legs I didn't even feel like I was paralyzed though (very eery feeling....just talking about it gives me the creeps). With this I just got to the point where I stopped reaching out to pet her because it was better to think it was her then to realize there was nothing there cuz that just made me feel like a ghost was sitting next to me. I wrote my parents a letter just now after reading this telling them about my situation (I have never told them or anyone abt it b4 now and i've been having it happen since I was a little kid - am now 23). I think I need to try to get help for it since there is an actual logical explanation for what I'm experiencing so I think I will start seeing a doc or pshychologist/pschiatrist. My one question still is tho, why are the experiences always evil in presence?? Besides what you mentioned I've also had times as if I'm being lifted off my bed, like I'm literally floating a couple inches above it except my head is pressed firmly into the pillow and when I come out of it I literally felt like I just dropped onto the bed causing me to reach out to catch myself. When this happens I feel like I've been holding my breath the whole time as well cuz I come to having to catch my breath and jittery as shit, not to mention scared. Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007 said he has these experiences when he's been awake and wondered if anyone else had....YES! I had it happen once!...last summer. I was sitting on my bed leaned up against the wall listening to the music on the radio and all of a sudden I went tunnel vision, I couldn't hear the music anymore, my ears started ringing and I felt like I was being pulled off the bed, but yet could still feel everything around me. I was even able to move my fingers and I remember thinking to myself "I can move my fingers, I don't think I'm dreaming"...and then it just vanished. I could hear the music again, the tunnel vision was gone and I was back to normal. It was so weird I was like, I don't know what the hell that was, but I'm out of here. I went into the kitchen and started helping my mom with dinner while being left in a perplexed state of what the hell just happened?! I even started to try to force it to happen again. I'd lay on my bed in the middle of the day with my family in the house(cuz it wasn't as scary then, just a really off the wall experience), but I find I can't exactly will it to come on it just comes on its own accord. But I did have a similar experience happen one night when I had just hit the sack and with that one I tried to go with it....I don't really remember what I felt tho because I think I fell into a dream shortly after and I totally forgot abt this till just now. I have started getting ringing in my ears on a very regular basis though through out the day. It lasts a few second - few minutes then goes away. I'm sure that part is probably related to my hearing, or lack there of. I feel like I've gotten substantially deafer over the past few yrs and I'm only 23. I wish I would have known about the sleep paralysis earlier because it's too late to change my habits now. From the time I was little in order to deal with my fear I would put my head phones in my ears to drown out any noises I might hear besides the tunes and I would bounce my head against my pillow till falling asleep so I wouldn't see anything. It subdues the frequency of experiences I get and this way I only experience my paralysis in the middle of the night (and only on some nights) instead of on a regular basis when I first go to bed.
when you were awake..
I believe the time you were sitting on the couch and had your experience you were having a brief and mild panic attack. I suffer from SP but also have frequent panic attacks. The signs you are going into a panic attack are loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, dizzyness, weakness, confusion and or panicked feeling. Then they stop sometimes quickly, or sometimes it takes hours(as did my very first panic attack). Its all stress related so worrying about it makes it much worse. I hope this helps in some way.
Hallucinate?
Why do people hallucinate demons and not other entities such as leprechauns, bats, Santa Claus, rabbits and care bears... Does this suggest DEMONS are REAL??? Join the discussion at Facebook.com/SleepParalysis
New paradigms of science
Leading Scientists like Stephen Hawking and Neil Turok have also suggested the existence of Multiple universes. The following website has some details on this:
Away from mainstream science and medicine, there is new paradigm of science called the science of consciousness and science of trans-dimensional electronic systems, which is purported to be able to create more energy than is put in. Dr Steven Greer has spoken about this.
Scientists are still making discoveries everyday so I think that there is still a lot to be discovered in modern medicine to better explain sleep paralysis.
It happened 30 minutes ago
Hi, im 15 years old and this happens to me alot, actually it happened 30 minutes ago. I wake up to go to the bathroom and then lay down again. I knew it was going to happen because every time before it happens I hear a fast and loud noise in my head, I sleep anyway then after a while I wake up, couldnt move or talk and I had that feeling that I coming out of my body, not too scary for me because this happens to me alot and its quite nice. Then I manage to move but every time this happens I want to sleep so bad that I cant resist is like it drag me to sleep even if I was sleeping for 12 hours. The first time this happened 1 year ago I saw a white figure go out from the window. All my family has experience that. Sorry for my bad english, im Greek!
I cant deal with it
I've been having sleep paralysis since I could remember am 21, I don't know how u don't panic. Last night I had it and completely panic. About a couple nights ago I just didn't do anything and I completely stopped breathing my girlfriend had to wake me after she noticed. I hate it. I need help
sleep paralysis
i'm 39 and its been happening to me off and on since i was 15 i always feel some sort of stranger or presence in the room and a few times thought i was going to be sexually assaulted, usually a figure standing at the foot of my bed. i'm always lying on my back. the only thing that wakes me is me trying as hard as i can to kick with my legs. i have thought about demon possesion, astro travel, ghosts,ALIENS its scary the way i deal with my fear and it seems to work is i pray to god or i CALL UNTO THE LORD TO HELP AND PROTECT ME SOUNDS STRANGE BUT FOR SOME REASON IT SEEMS TO MAKE WHO OR WHATEVER IT IS DISAPPEAR AND THEN I WAKE. (ALSO I NOTICED IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN I FALL ASLEEP ON MY BACK, AND USUALLY RIGHT AS I FALL INTO SLEEP I HEAR A WIERD STATIC/OR FUZZ FEELING IN MY HEAD, AND THE BACK OF MY SKULL IS NUMB.)
sleep paralysis
I'm 40-year old male and this has happened to me in the past. The most frequent period was when I was 21-27. Just as I started to fall asleep (lying on my side or back), I would hear a high pitched fuzzy whizzing type sound. The sound would come to a crescendo and kinda pop. Once this process would occur, I may hear voices like fast whispering. The sound of the voices would be evil sounding or kinda mean in nature, however I could not really tell what was being said. Once the sound ended, I would become paralyzed. Usually, I would sense a presence in my room or as if something was coming down the hall very quickly. I would attempt to wake up by pushing and trying to lift my head. Praying to God did seem to help. Sometimes, I would feel as if an entity jumped on me, maybe like a dog. At first it would lick my face like a friendly dog, and then become very aggressive with growling and rapid licking and slobbering. I usually woke up by praying and concentrating that I was going to break out of the paralysis. Sometimes, I would wake up to the paralysis instead of entering it while falling asleep. If I woke up to the paralysis, similar events would start to transpire, like the feeling of an entity coming down the hall. Also, the voices may be more clear and I would hear things like "I am going to get you" or similar type of taunting. The events stopped in my late 20s (27-29). I have heard that children that grew up in dysfunctional families are more susceptible to this. Both my parents (mom/step-father) were alcoholics. I was severely emotionally abused by my step-father. I would consider myself to be very successful in life, and have come to recognize how my early childhood has formed my thoughts. While I didn't associate these events to my childhood experiences, I now believe they may have had something to do with them.
i love all of these! these
i love all of these! these stories helped me so mutch!!! thank u all!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Sleep Paralysis
I used to think I was losing my mind and was embarresed to even mention this to anyone. It used to happen quite offten, but seems to have subsided quite a bit. I'm asleep but I can hear every thing going on around me. Wife or daughter talking in another room, tv on , sounds outside, but I just can't move or breath or say anything. I can mutter smalls sounds like trying to call my wife so she can wake me up.The only way that I can come out of it is by wiggling my little finger, which happens real slowly at first, then gradually gets faster, and eventually i'll jerk myself awake, it's been happening for many years, and it still scares the shit out of me
intense pain
I experience intense chest pain in my sleep paralysis experiences, like my heart is beating so fast it HURTS, or like something is trying to tear my heart out. I have experienced this since I was 12 years old. I'm 21 now.
night terrors?????
please help??? I have this happen to me many of times. It starts when I fall asleep or have been asleep for a while. It is the most horrible feeling in the world. It always starts off with someone under my bed pushing the bed up and down. Then it starts to crawl on the bed and I could feel someone looking at me. It sometimes tries to pull me out of bed and I can feel it coming under the covers and pull on my legs and feet like it's trying to pull me out of bed. It also bounces my bed up and down. I am not sleeping or maybe I don't think I'm sleeping. My eyes are open but, I can't move. The last few times this has happened to me I woke up screaming. I also saw something in the corner of my room. It was a black thing with red eyes. I would like to know if anyone as ever experienced this. At this point I do not sleep in my bed room anymore. I did sage my bed room, I sleep with a bible under my bed, in my bed and a cross over my bed. I also blessed my bed room and burned candles in the four corner of the room and it still goes on. If someone can please help me. I wouldn't sleep in my bedroom anymore, I'm too scared. PLEASE HELP
Modern Physics and Eastern Philosophies re Sleep Paralysis
I'm sorry that you feel scared and know how terrifying it can be. Modern medicine tries to explain this as some sort of neurological condition. I have not noticed anyone talk about this from a modern physics or eastern spiritual standpoint so I would like to share my observations in the hopes that it may assist or comfort others:
1. Reality is not confined to the physical world or the five senses.
2. There is a spiritual realm/dimension to our existence of which many are not aware of - this is referred by many eastern religion/philosophies as being caught in the 5 sense illusion.
3. Many eastern religious/philosophies (Buddhism, Sant Mat Meditation, ECKANKAR, Qyan Yin Method of meditation, Inner light and Sound Meditation) talk about the spiritual world in detail.
4. With regard to modern science, physicists now believe that the universe is vibrating. They talk about about parallel universes, how many worlds represent reality and that we have decohered from these other planes of existence. Some have even admitted that they don't like to teach this to chemistry students because people would get upset. This branch of physics is called the modern interpretation of the quantum theory. One top physicist who had spoken openly about this is Michio Kaku (co-founder of the super string theory).
5.According to Einsteins theory, matter and energy are one. Physicists believe all systems in nature have their own particular way of vibrating. Each oscillate at its own unique rate. Rocks vibrate very slowly at speeds that are imperceptible to us. Living things like plants, animals and man vibrate faster and appear to be alive. The same hold for thoughts, feelings, events and words spoken - each carries its own vibration. If all in the universe is taken down to its simplest form, it is just energy. (I got this point five from Dr Rita Louise's radio show on BlogTalkRadio.com)
6. Often in these so called "sleep paralysis" episodes, many people experience/hear sound, buzzing, vibration. This experience of sound, buzzing or vibration is the vibration mentioned in point 4 & 5.
7. If you hear sound, buzzing or vibration, then you are experiencing the audible vibration. Some people see light. When this occurs, then they are experiencing the visible vibration. This vibration is also referred to as the inner sound or silent sound.
8. This sound, buzzing or vibration is also referred to as "The Heavenly Music" in all holy scriptures of different religions such as the "word" in christianity, the "shabd" in hinduism, the "heavenly music" in buddhism, the "tao" in taoism.
9. Many spiritual/meditation groups, like the ones above, meditate on on this inner vibration. These groups often advocate a "purification" of speech, actions and thoughts as these all affect our personal vibration. By "purifying" your speech, actions and thoughts, individuals are able to raise their vibration and protect themselves or escape/avoid encountering these beings with an evil presence. (Generally speaking, physics theory behind this is that we are cohered to notice or experience things within a similar vibrational range to ourselves).
10. These unpleasant beings vibrate at a lower/coarser frequency, which is why many people feel uncomfortable in their presence. These beings are also spoken of eastern religious/philosophies for those who are interested in doing research.
11. Typical examples of purifying speech, actions and thoughts include refrain from harming any living being, speaking what is not true, stealing, sexual misconduct and using intoxicants. Generally speaking, it means being a good/loving person with good intentions/thoughts.
12. Another way to protect themselves or escape/avoid encountering these beings with an evil presence is to remember, think of and/or want to know about God or what some call the True Self. This is one of the reasons why when many people following an eastern or western religion ask for help from God, Jesus, Quan Yin Bodhisvatta, Amitaba Buddha, Krishna, their True Self or some other Fully Enlightened Spiritual Guru they are immediately assisted in their experience (just like it is stated in the Bible "Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"). From a physics viewpoint, focusing on God helps to raise an individual's vibrational frequency.
13. Apart from having a physical body we also have what is called a astral body. This is why an individual can clearly see another being present even when they cannot physically open their eyes or may be very short-sighted. This is also why people can leave their bodies and walk around the house or do other kinds of astral travel.
There's a lot more I'd like to share but I'm out of time for now. I hope you or others my find my comments useful.
sleep paralysis
I haven't had an episode since 2006. The first time I had an episode was when I was 17. I'm 30 now. I believe that my search for God is what keeps the "devils" away from me. I always wondered what would happen if I had let the sleep paralysis continue instead of forcing myself to wake up.
somthings watching
i feel like somthing is watching me 24/7. it scares me all the time i dont feel secure about going to sleep and one of the things that realy bothers me is i dont know what or who it is and that realy terrifys me! i have a pengilum ( a crystl that can connect with the spirit life) and it said i have to spirits in my house one good one bad> it scares me to know i have a bad spirit but it kinda relifes me to know i have a good spirit in my house.......... but i just alwase feel like im bieng watched and its realy bothers me i have to run from my room or any other rooms that im in to get to the room i want to be in! but somthing eles that realy scares me is my 4 year old brother " talks " to the " shadow people" in his room at night and he has fights with them he 9is scared to sleep in his room because of them if anyone has any thing to say or report please PLEASE feel free to reply!! GOOD LUCK
Motion.
I woke up to a dark human figure staring right at me as I slept, I frightenly sat up backed up and came at it from right field but once my fist reached it, I had punched midair, it was gone. Can sleep paralysis explain motion like that?
The same thing happens to me,
The same thing happens to me, but it is weird I am dreaming about something different when all of a sudden I think someone is in my room I can never see there face but I can move and I turn on the light and it is gone. And it happens like twice a week the same thing thinking someone is in my room and I have not yet dreamed about someone in my room it is starting to freak me out.
(for all those who are asking
(for all those who are asking for help on this fear) like most ppl who want help from this or some advice, although i have never experienced some allucinative situations when i experienced ESP so for me i question the whole thing of those seeing figures, but in an experience, i woke up physically, and the shadow figure that was in my dream, i opened my eyes, and he was still there, but one thing that will allow you to get used to it, is to think to yourself "this is only an allucination" and think of it as facing your demons of your life, if you can get through that without being scared then technically its like a personal feat, thats how i get through my experiences, and by using that method, i have never really been scared of any allucinations. give it a try next time it happens. if it doesnt help, then try thinking of some ways on how or why you should deal with it.
...
I'm having trouble relating to the stories, I had my first experience with this a few nights ago. I heard "voices" talking to me, there was a male and female voice, and I cannot recall what they were saying. I was talking back to them, and do not remember what I said either. My eyes were fully open, I could speak, I had my perception of time, and I knew where I was (though I couldn't understand what was happening). I remember it was going on for 10 minutes or so. The whole time I had this feeling of dread. I eventually started yelling (I was home alone), and finally was able to kick my legs up and shake it off, I blacked out after that. When I woke up, I couldn't accept what had happened. Earlier today I told a few friends about it (first people I talked to about it), and since then I can't stop thinking about it. I hope it doesn't happen again, it's pretty fucked up.
Only 17 years old
S.P. but without allucinations
ive been working with meditation with my pineal gland, and the nights i meditate before going to bed i get the S.P. issue the morning after.. for example:
today, i had 2 encounters with S.P., first one, i had this lucid dream where i was pinned down by giant spikes and thinking to myself "why dont i feel any pain from this?" , then suddenly i wake up in the exact position as my dream, i cant move like in the dream, but i dont sense any presence, i didnt feel like anything was choking or holding me down, and i didnt see or hear anything, i just layed there without being able to move, then when i was able to move i rolled over and went back to sleep, then i had no dream the 2nd time i went to bed, i just woke up into another S.P. state but same results, so i havent experienced any allucinations yet for some odd reason, does anyone know why?
2 times during a nap
I have had it to be about 4 times in the past 2 years, and yesterday I expereinced it twice while take a nap. I was dreaming about being in a cave, and in my dream I became stuck in between to rocks. I remember waking from the dream and I could see my bedroom clearly but was unable to move my body. My breathing became faster and panic started setting in, but since I experinced this episode before, I remember telling myself "Everythings ok, your only dreaming" I keep repeating that until I can finally move. The first time I had it happen to me was during when I was running a fever. I was laying on the edge of my bed asleep and all of a sudden I was unable to move. I can recall seeing my girlfriend in front of me standing up and looking at me. I was trying to tell her to help me but was unable to move or speak. When I finally woke up, I asked her if she saw me and she said "yes but you were mubbling". I explained clearly what I saw and she kind of freaked out because, I knew exactly what she was doing when I was calling her for help. Its like I could see her with my body being completly asleep. Guess kind of like an out of body experience. Glad to know I am not the only one
sleep paralysis
i think there is something more to this,S.P. Because i have had it off and on my whole life and sometimes with out a doubt i am able to kind of stretch my self out of my body and look around it's a little freaky but you can get past the freaky part you will find that you can move around while your body is laying motionless. i have verified it a few times by seeing people come in to the room where i was sleeping. I was able to explain to them what went on (there actions) while i was asleep and there is no doubt in my mind that we all must do this we just don't remember for whatever reason i don't know but it does happen.
Hey there, that is very
Hey there, that is very interesting. In my last experience I fell "asleep" I guess, with my head down on my arms sitting on a chair at work (on my break ;)), even if my eyes did open up there was no way that physically I could see around the room, yet while on my "state" I was able to see the door and other parts of the room and even saw the door open and someone look inside and close the door again. Later my co worker told me it was him, but he left after he saw me resting, how can I see him from that angle?
Demons during Sleep Paralysis
Does anyone encounter Demons and hallucinate? I have just researched something in our brain called the Pineal Gland... People have been telling me about spirit guides and it seems sleep paralysis is the gateway to the spirit world.. there is a support group at