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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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Comments
Just my thoughts - physics/eastern philiosophy
When people are scared, stressed or have low energy their individual rate of vibration drops, thus making sleep paralysis more frequent or difficult to handle. This is why a lot of eastern philosophies emphasise being calm in every day life and/or when pursuing any form of spiritual practice.
Similar to you, also think modern media is a lot more influential than people realise, particularly on one's psyche. There is a lot more sensationalization of death, violence, sex, etc than in the past and this is all much more accessible as technology evolves. A lot of eastern spiritual groups advise their practitioners to avoid or elminate, where possible, watching movies containing a lot of these kind of things, as such contributes to lowering an individual's vibration.
FYI, I also posted "Modern Physics and Eastern Philosophies re Sleep Paralysis" and "New paradigms of science" to the forum on 3/17/2011.
yeah
hi thanks for sharing. i had my first one a while back, and was really really scared of it. It happened a few minutes after I lay down. I was absolutely convinced of a demon with me. it felt like there was someone pushing on my chest, I couldn't breathe or move, or make a noise. I was really frightened for a while, but it didn't happen again. then it happened a second time, same thing, no mavement/noise, but I tried to understand what was happening and going on, but after a few seconds I descended into panic and fear again. The third and most recent time it happened was in the morning, AFTER I had woken. I was stil very tired, and was in a state of semi-sleep, and it happened, but worse.I didn't talk to anyone about it until tonight, and I started researching it. It's good to know that there are other people who have it too.
It stops when I begin thinking. the first and second times I was in a blind panic but I started thinking about what I could and couldn't do, and what it was, and it slowly stopped.the third time I started thinking about food. it could be something to do with your brain's reaction to dreams and waking and inability to disconnect etc. but whewn it happened I was convinced it was supernatural
thanks
Ewan
North wales
freaking out
Hi
i had a couple of these experiences in the same month at my boyfriends apartment about 3 or 4 months ago. i was so freaked out i assumed his place had an evil spirit or something. a friend told me to burn a white gardenia candle, and willing to try anything, i did. it took a couple weeks to burn, but i did every night to ward off anything that might be there. i stopped having anything happen after that.. until today. i just awoke from a nap, and felt the bed shaking back and forth. i assumed my boyfriend got home early from class and had come back to bed with me. i was wondering what the hell he was doing and was about to turn over and look at him but then it stopped. i felt moving, and i felt him touch my arm. i thought he was getting up, and then i felt very strange. i had a very loud ringing in my ears, i couldnt move, and i started freaking out. i tried to scream to him, incase he Was next to me sleeping. no sound could come out but i kept trying. i called on Jesus out of fear (im not religious but i dont Not believe fully either) nothing would help, i kept saying jesus help me in my head. i couldnt move at all or talk, i tried to reach out my arm to where my boyfriend would be, i managed to move it a little but it ended up scaring me more, because it felt like something was helping me move, like pushing my body up, so in fear that it would posess me and take me somewhere i tried to bring everything back in and lay down completely. i kept tryin to make noise and finally a sound escaped me and i woke up, terrified, dehydrated, my body feeling heavy and numb with a headache.
during all of these:
i am always awake/ aware of where i am, where i am in Bed, and that i just woke up.
i am always aware of something else in the room with me.
i can never move but i always feel someone either touching me, or a spirit coming into my body.
one time i started praying and it slowly left my body and i awoke
the next time i dont remember what happened but i know it was harder to wake up.
this time i finally woke up when i was able to make a noise maybe to "wake me up" but if i am asleep why am i so aware of my surroundings, and my thoughts are so free, not like in dreams. i always know whats going on and think omg not this again.
these are so terrifying, i just want them to end.
had this most of my life.. 7 now 19
I'm 19.. I've had these sp experiences since I was 7. Each experience is different. And I have the randomly. Sometimes weeks at a time.
Last night I felt as tho my spirit lifted and something unnatural was trying to encounter mine. So I couldn't leave anywhere. Not that I have ever tried.
I usually feel them getting stronger with age. Sometimes even good thoughts don't seem to help anymore, even having cats didn't stop them last night. I felt once I open one eye.. it kept trying to make my body tired to the point I couldn't open the other one..
Once I was fully away my body almost fell right back into sleep within the snap of a finger.. now being mornig my body feels completely drained.
I honstly don't know what to make of this...
I use to feel like I was falling when it would happen.. now as ur lef gets the tingle sensation when its coming out of a sleep.. that's home my whole body feels.. and sp synthoms fit.. but I feel its more than science..
Sleeping Disorder
My name is Keneisha. I am 24 years old. It scares me when I fall asleep and still feel awake.
When it happens I feel like I can see myself sleeping. I try to move but I cannot. I try to wake but cannot. I try to speak but nothing comes out. When I attempt to move my hand or leg I think i am doing it, I can see my hand or leg moving. But in reality I know it isn't really moving. I lay there still asleep hoping that this hallucination of my body movement would wake me. I was asleep a while ago and tried to wake up for a long while. What drove me out of my sleep state was my cell phone ringing loudly. And I am very grateful. It scares me when I feel awake and paralyzed. And knowing that the effort I but into moving my body turns out useless because I really cannot move. And while sleeping I feel I can see everything around me that would me there if I were awake.
Sleep Paralysis
I had this experience for the first time, may be 20 years back, and then I used have this experience frequently when ever I slept during afternoons to have a nap. I never had this experience during night. Now for the past 5 years, after marriage I have never experienced like this.
As per my experience I usually feel as though I am awake but I am not able to move. I keep hearing some noises around but they are actually in reality not there. But I know that if somebody really calls me or makes noise I can get up.
So I would be feeling all this in sleep, its nothing but a dream. When I wake up I find that what ever I was feeling in sleep was actually not happening around me.
Now that I dont experience this after marriage might mean that, before marriage because of the stress I used to have that. When ever I slept in the afternoons, most of the time I used to be alone at home. And I was expected to open the door to the housemaid, who usually came at that time. So I was under pressure not to go to deep sleep, the maid might come and go back. Another reason, in that room, there used be evening sun rays coming directly. That was not really comfortable. All these reasons caused for that disturbed sleep, and thus such types of dreams or sleep paralysis.
Now I know that its just a dream, when ever it happens I keep praying that somebody should wake me up, wake me up, wake me up.. and I decide its ok, let me not panic. I am sleeping in my home and nothing can happen to me, I will wake up when ever I really wake up, not to worry. I tell myself this and just try to sleep.
sp
i hv also the same problem i m afraid whn it happened thanx god other people also having the same problem this problem was with me from 2years when i was of 18 yr old now i m 20 i m fighiting with this problem
same here..
finally someone who has the same sleep paralysis experience. i read all the above ones but yours is the same as mine. actually i just went through it today in the afternoon while taking a nap. i coudn't move nor speak and no voice comes out and i'm also aware of me in bed and everything around me. most of all i feel the same as you, the feeling of me moving my hands and legs although i know in actual its not moving at all. But i also have this difficulty breathing almost like dying and panicking alot and me feeling so helpless and then somehow i'm asleep and wake up fine. thanks for sharing and letting me know i'm not alone. its weird how we have exactly same experiences during sleep paralysis. i'm a 23 yr old girl and have been experiencing sleep paralysis since i was about 16.
3 episodes again in 1 night
I recently posted a comment on sp.....apprantely its gotten to the point where I have a feeling that I might be having one. Last night I woke up a couple times, just in general I usually have an episode where I can hear myself talking in my sleep or have converstaions with my gf but not knowing it until she tells me I did. But I posted a coment like a week ago stating I had 2 in one night. I ddnt understand the feeling it scared the mess out of me.
Now a week later, this event happened again 3 times...I'm just sooo concerned idk if its telling me something, idk what. But my 1st episode cought me off guard, I was tryin to wake up but I thought nothing about it. Then a minute passd I was trying to move I suddenly felt paralyzed. Nothing could come out of my mouth...I could not make no noise for my gf to hear me...so she can shake me out of it. All of a sudden it stopped. The 2nd episode, I don't kno the intervals of each episode
The second one I had this feeing in my gut that I was having this episode comming. For some reason I manage to wake up b4 it started to happen. I woke up my gf and told her I was hving the same feeling I had last week. She quickly kept rubbing my leg. The feeling left. I felt better. So I thought!.....the last episode was not intense as the 1st 2. But I did have this paralyzed feeling. I did not panic. Since I knew was it was...I had no scary images nor voices. I just felt like I was being watchd or something was trying to posses me internally.
The main reason I wrote another comment is because I feel the more I talk about this condition, the more I'm able to cope about what I have and understand that I'm not alone.
Wow yeah sp is very scary and
Wow yeah sp is very scary and I thought I was totally alone. People thought I was crazy when I explained to them what I was feeling. It feels really good to know that there is other people out there that gas the same thing :) thanks for the piece of mind everyone
sleep Paralysis ?
hi my names drake and i too suffer from this sp been having it since I was 8/9 I think it is inherited all my family have had it or have it
my experience is similar in ways to others I lose control of my body and see dark figures as well as feeling like something chocking me and i had the feeling of being thow around my room but it differs in the fact that I feel like I die it's wired every thing feels slow, I lose the sense of feeling, everything goes silent can only see is darkness than the next thing i know I'm awake in the same position I went to sleep in and the totally weird thing is when i get up and look at my mobile or clock it always 1 to 2 hours earlier so like i go to bet at 2am go though that sp die and wake up at it like 12.15
i got a few suggestions with sp i usably get sp 3 times a week at around 12-1 and 2 am so i tend to go to be after 2.30 am and don't seam to get it as much haven't had one in about 8 weeks doing this
also i found have a cat in the room stops it too for a while and having someone sleeping next to you tends to stop it too
i would like to know if anyone else has any experiences of this die-ing feeling and if anyone know of ways to stop it ?
Hey Im 23 and ive had this
Hey
Im 23 and ive had this for the past 3 years....All my family have it aswell. Very scary stuff! However Ive got some tips on keeping it away...Do NOT sleep on your back, this always seems to bring it on. Also..leave the t.v on, dont let it be al silent. And lastly ...i know its hard..it takes a bit of time to master but if u end up in this state...just go with, dont be scared...no that its going to end soon. It seems to feed of fear..
I need help...please
I have had 'experiences' from my teenage years and now they are getting worse at 40 years of age..I have never sought answers until now and want to share what has happened and hopefully there ar people out there who can help me.
I have suffered SP from around 15 years of age, i have the walking on the bed, hands round the neck, heavy weight on me, and one night when paralysed i said in my head jesus help me and a voice clear as day said...he can't help you...
I remember i woke up the whole house and the next day a priest came round and blessed the room etc....
Over the years i suffered SP without many major problems and just thought everyone suffered the same problem.
In the last year or so things have developed to a pattern and voices/people being clear and
i make a moaning noise which always happens when im going the SP....girlfriend always wakes me but all my SP's now are frightening.
They happen alot when i'm tired and as soon as i just start 'sleeping'...
I have read on here stress and anxiety could be an answer and i do suffer from both, but i am starting to think it's more sinister...
I could tape the noise i make when in SP and then people can make there own minds up..
I am a normal guy whose family and girlfriends family are very religious(girlfriends brother is a priest) so i have to keep this quiet due to ridicule etc...or the usual comments..its a dream, your stressed etc...
Sorry for going on but it's a weight off my shoulders telling you all!
Is there anyone out there who can help?
Colin
Modern Physics and Spiritual Point of View
Hi. I posted "Modern Physics and Eastern Philosophies re Sleep Paralysis" and "New paradigms of science" on 3/17/2011. Please have a look at this. "Sleep paralysis" and other so-called supernatural experiences are a very common phenomenon in Asia and many eastern spiritual groups. As a result, you can get a lot of instructions, information and assistance from these groups with a lot less ridicule and stigma (if that is what you want to avoid).
Also, in the bible, it says "God created man in His own image" Gen 1:27, 31. Also, in Buddhism, Buddha has stated that we all have Buddha nature within us. This all points to having some sort of divine essence/spark or inner strength within each of us (to help overcome obstacles). Trust YOUR SELF. Good luck.
Modern Physics and Spiritual Point of View
Hi. I posted "Modern Physics and Eastern Philosophies re Sleep Paralysis" and "New paradigms of science" on 3/17/2011. Please have a look at this. "Sleep paralysis" and other so-called supernatural experiences are a very common phenomenon in Asia and many eastern spiritual groups. As a result, you can get a lot of instructions, information and assistance from these groups with a lot less ridicule and stigma (if that is what you want to avoid).
Also, in the bible, it says "God created man in His own image" Gen 1:27, 31. Also, in Buddhism, Buddha has stated that we all have Buddha nature within us. This all points to having some sort of divine essence/spark or inner strength within each of us (to help overcome obstacles). Trust YOUR SELF. Good luck.
SP
Hey dude
My sleep paralysis started a couple of years ago. I like you have had the heavy weight on me, jumping on the bed, "feeling presences" etc. Im 23 by the way.During the start it was extremely scary!!(i have heard noises like footsteps etc but havent heard voices) Most of my family have this so here are some tips DO NOT sleep on your back! i find i have sleep paralysis when i am in this position. Also leave the t.v on when u go to sleep, again with me i find it occurs when i sleep in complete silence... Try these things...These work for me really well....Also i find "it" actually feeds of your fear so like if it still happens..then try to go with it and know thats it will pass..keep calm"..and last but not least if if you hear a voice that says there weird things then call out to Jehovah(God) (Im not a jehovah witness but this actually works dude) and this never fails.
Hope i helped
Until today, I never knew
Until today, I never knew what sleep paralysis was. I now know that it is definitely what I experienced. One night while laying on my back [something I never do because I have terrible sinus problems and I can only breathe comfortably while laying on my side] I heard an extremely loud noise. It sounded like an airplane was about to crash of something of that nature... I don't know, but it woke me up, physically. Weirdly, I could not open my eyes but I could hear the television that I had left on, so I knew I was awake. I tried to get up and move around but I couldn't. I couldn't even open my mouth. I was completely freaking out because I knew I was awake since I could hear the television, but my body was in an unconscious state. It felt like some kind of force was pinning me down to my bed holding me captive. I tried to yell for help but the only way I could do it was in my mind. That's when I prayed to the Lord to help me and with all honesty, as soon as I said "Lord, help me" I was able to move and open my eyes. It was so scary. This leads me to believe that some evil spirit was trying to take me over that night and Jesus was the only one who could save me.
The same thing just happened to me half an hour ago
I just experienced the same thing you did about half an hour ago.
I called on the Lord and got out of it.
Sleep Paralysis -Cured.
I also had this kind of Sleep Paralysis like syndrome. And It had been happening to me for more than 8 yrs. But now I have totally fixed it and it has not happened for last 2 yrs. To get rid of this I did some experiment and found some thing which I would like it to share with you.
There are two parts in our brain one which thinks and orders. you can say which is "US". The other part governs the physical execution of the orders supplied by the first one. Both the part work together. When we sleep both parts sleep together. What happens in Sleep Paralysis that the one part which supply the orders to execute wakes up but the part that execute the supplied orders does not wake up. First one does not receive any signals that its order has been executed. And we feel that we are waken and paralysed.
How did I cure it, I started enjoying this feeling, I tried to get up, stand up and moved in and around the rooms of my house and tried to see which object is kept where. And afer movement I come to bed and sleep in the same position. After some time I awake completely. Then I used to check that whatever I saw in the sleep, is really kept there or not. But it was not. It was never true at all.
One day while in SP I tried to find out whether I was live or dead. Fist I check whether my heart was beating or not. And suddenly I woke up. How that happened to me. It was amazing, I woke up. I did this experiment for 10 to 12 times. And after that it never happend to me. It was cured.
You guys can do this experiment It may help you. Please reply me if not, I would share some more experience.
paralyzed dreams
i too be having the same dreams, just over the weekend I thought I was awake but obviously I was not and there was a presence at my stairs and I ask my boyfriend well told him that some one or something was on the stairs as he went towards it, it started to go down the stairs and then my arm was out and it felt like something went thru and I begin shaking. As soon as I snap out of it I ask him why didn't you help me didn't you see me shaking. He looked at me as if he did not know what I was talking about. I thought it was just me. being as thou other being are doing this I know it's not just me. it terrifys me dearly. and everytime I have these dreams or moments it's always a ghostly presence there. I am in agreement to some of the other comments I believe it's something more to it.
First timeR
Hey I am 19 years old and I experienced this last night for the first time.what I think caused this was the fact that I slept 26 hrs on Sunday. Woke up at 5pm Sunday afternoon. And I tried to go back to sleep around 10pm. I didn't sleep until about 3am and I woke as my alarm to get up for work was going off at 4.30am. But I couldn't move my arms, it felt as thou they were really heavy or tied down. And I could hear my alarm going off (iPhone ringtone) and all I could hear was this high pitched ringing sound. I felt another presence didn't know what to do. So I closed my eyes and went back to sleep, I then woke up at 5am alarm was still going off and I was now late for work. As I was riding my bike to the train station I felt a massive aura as I went past a streetlight that had a broken globe. I then felt a sharp pain in my arm followed by pins n needles.
As soon as I got to work I google'd "waking up and not being able to move and hearing a ringing noise". I feel alot safer now :-).
Thanks heaps
Craig.
Sleep Paralysis or Being Haunted
I'm 39 and this needs to STOP SOMEHOW...This dreams of SP have been happening to me as far as I can remember I want to say maybe 3yrs old or 4yrs old, I thought I was a bad kid and the boogie man was trying to get me but as I got older they have been so real I don't know what to think anymore.. I had a freaky dream just tonight I fell asleep at 3am and as I'm laying on the bed on my back with the covers to my face I felt a heavy presence get on the bed walked over my legs and lower body and sat on me, OMG I began to pray,cry,scream telling my self it's nothing and all along it wouldn't go away not for a while I'm so sleepy I don't want to back to sleep I have this dream that some how haunts me all the time, it's all about being hugged so tight I feel being held against my own free will.. This has been the first dream where something either I dreamed or felt a presence of something slowly getting on my bed and sitting on top of me yet one other time I felt a something tried to have it's way with me from behind that happened during the day while sleeping on the couch at a friends house... Please if anyone reads this send me some info of a Dr. I may visit in the Houston,TX area.. Thanks to all for your help..
my best attempt at help
Aaron-
There are no doctors that treat encounters with a succubus or an incubus; that is what you are describing. I assume that you are female because being sexual assaulted by really hot women doesn't bother us men too much. I can understand why you are afraid. The next time you have an encounter try to move your arms. You will find that your arms physically stay where they are, but move out of your body. You can fight back if you are attacked. Grab them, they hate that. Also, you can speak to them. Say, "I know you are there. Who are you? Show yourself." If they believe that you believe they are there, they often respond. I have found them to be kind more often than not, although I believe they may be demons: maybe. I believe that drug use(even what you may consider non-abusable prescription) and alcohol use(I am a drinker)make people susceptible. If you want the sleep paralysis to stop, I would suggest that you abstain from all drug and alcohol usage. If you don't use or drink, I heard that God can help, but I've never tried that. I am also from Houston. Good luck
Lol seems like everyone who
Lol seems like everyone who wakes up a fwe times from SP goes and researches it. Anyone know how to prevent this? It scares me shitless and apparently its rly not going to get unscary after a while.
scared stiff
I always sleep on my stomach, and suddenly i get the feeling that somthing is sitting on my back and is going to kill me if i dont wake up, my eyes are open and i am screaming and shouting to wake myself up becoz i know i am asleep,, when i do wake up nothing has been desturbed the room, plankets, everythings the same as i went to bed.
I have this dream once every 6 weeks
and they scare me shitless
I have had a similar
I have had a similar experience last night, as if someone was pushing my back hard while i was sleeping on my stomach! I started screaming and yelling in my dream (as usual, as this is approx 5th time that has happened to me in last 6 months) I always try saying "help Help HElp" until my friend who sleeps with me can hear me! Yests experience forced me to check abt this on internet, as the frequency of this has increased in the last 6 months! This first occured to me 4-5 years ago, where i thought may be i twas a dream inside a dream inside a dream and hence i couldnt move my body... It occured again 2 yrs back where i could see (or imagined) the person who was in the room moving around... but she was actually sleepin on the other bed! when i woke up properly! Happened 3-4 more times last Yr - i could see shadows coming to me , moving around me! (positive ones! like they are around to take care of me!) But i still ended up waking yelling freaking out my family... !!
Not sure - why the frequency of this suddenly increased - i get this almostonce a month now... !! I t doesnt scare me anymore though, but it is really a bit strange how human mind works! how God(!) created dreams and dream disorders! Science will always come up with 100 reasons and 1000 new words that can explain such behaviour! But what really drives it???
Quite new for me
I've had this happen to me twice now, the first occasion back in october last year and once again last night. On both occurrences it's happened after an extremely stressful day and when I'm emotionally drained.
The first time I had my eyes open and was completely frozen, and it felt really difficult to catch my breath. There was a shadow on my door and I could hear screaming from what seemed like down the hallway... It probably lasted about 10 minutes (seemed a lot lot longer) and for the rest of the night I felt incredibly sick and shaken.
Last night though, was probably the worst experience I've ever had in my life, I don't think I've ever been so scared!
I was semi awake semi sleeping with my eyes closed, and then all of a sudden this wave of pain rippled across my body from my feet up, completely paralysing me. I could breath alright, but every time I would try and fight to move I just wouldn't budge. I couldn't open my eyes and everything was black, and there were voices from beneath the pillow saying nasty things but they were the voices of my family and friends. I could also hear a heartbeat in my ears, like it was trying to make me aware how scared I was.
It lasted 15 minutes, and I felt incredibly shaken and sick afterwards. I was too scared to sleep, and every time I tried I could feel my fingertips numbing so I'd snap awake.
I don't believe it's due to religious reasons, I'm a scientific thinker, but I just wondered what state of mind others are in when it happens? and is it a disorder of the mind if it's a regular occurrence? I'm really interested in finding out more about it :)
More than real
Hi,
I would like to thank the author of the research paper which I found really interesting and it was really interesting to read what everybody wrote here..
I have had sleep paralysis about once a year since I'm 19, I'm 25 today and it happened again last night which made me research about it once more. I found this website.
Any of you have developed triggers/techniques to be able to return to your body rapidly? something that worked for me once was to focus on a very positive and simple thought. Love. It does not always work though and it is very hard to remember to do it (or maintain it long enough) as you get caught by the experience. An example would be: you're projected by a powerful canon across a large distance. The natural thing to do is to look in front of you to see where you land (and you tend to freak out), so you'll very unlikely look behind :/, especially in this special state of consciousness.
When SP happens I tend to be dreaming (terrifying nightmare.... rather real. I also experience the evil presence and sense of aggression, feeling of beings around me) and I simultaneously see my room, my body from the inside and the above. I can even dream than I am having SP and confuse the SP in my dream with the real one happening which confuses me soooo much... it's insane! At the same time other dream scenes take place and I can hear very distant noises or anticipate them in time. For instance I would hear the noise of a door being opened from the other world few minutes before it happens in the real world and brings me back to realty. I would also hear very distant conversations, even through walls or obstacles, but they usually make no sense during the experience (it's possible to check after though).
During one particular sleep paralysis, in 2008, I was not dreaming at all (or can't remember the dream that caused the SP) but rather entirely in the room. My physical body was suffocating and sweating; my other body was buzzing/vibrating strongly as it always does during these (also I always have the feeling of a heart attack and very intense third eye activity; I can even feel my eyes having intense rapid movements or convulsions). During this "no dream' SP, I was just slightly next to my body but not really inside it, able to see and move in this other dimension and that was it (good luck and suffocate!). My vision was so fast and penetrating but my head would barely move. The screams coming out of me that I could hear so loud would in fact produce 0 to little useless, ridiculous sounds. As a result it was impossible to wake up my partner and I would feel so desperate. I remember having my legs and other parts of my "energy" body floating to the roof or through the walls like electrical dust clouds pushed by non controllable force flows/currents. It is always such a trauma and trying to explain it, when you come back, to the person next to you who was sleeping normally is ... a big pain. What can they understand of this although it could be a life changing experience for you.
I remember sending her energy discharges (I'm sensitive to energy in my normal body since I am young) and she would move the concerned parts of her body when I'd do it, in her sleep, but it wouldn't wake her up....to my grand disappointment and distress. and she would not remember it when waking up (deep sleep). Forget about trying it as the sensations are overwhelming and might make you panic/feel attacked even more.
Last night I've done bad, I could not come back and could not have a positive thought. I think I was very close from a heart attack or some heart "chakra" explosion, more than the other times. Pulsing/static sounds as others describe are real for me too; they were becoming more intense with every heart beat. this pulsing beats would occur both on the chest and the forehead.
I'm glad it doesn't happen often, but if it would I would at least have the opportunity to train to handle it better. What impresses me is that everybody relates terror and scary visions. I wish science would be able to explain it.
I think many people would describe me as easily anxious/stressed, although I am making big progresses lately. So that correlates with what the paper says. I've never had random nap problems though :) however my first SP was during a nap in the afternoon (I rarely do this), and I think I smoked pot that day (I was a heavy smoker at the time and would do meditation very regularly). I wasn't on the influence of drugs the other times and even stopped meditation. It still continues to happen. I don't think it is related to either of these as all sorts of people relate sleep paralysis experiences.
Each of these sleep paralysis left memories clear as crystal in my brain, clearer than my car accident, clearer than any other dream memory. I think they can cause serious subconscious traumas; I tend to look at SP experiences as spiritual challenges. What else can they be? I don't believe I am possessed by demons even if I feel presences.
Whatever I said I hope it helps someone somehow G luck everybody and respect to the ones who go through this every month, I don't think I could handle it to that point.
cheers
sleep paralysis
I have been experiencing sleep paralysis regularly for many years now. During this time I have felt and seen many things. I don't believe them to be hallucinations. I have been attacked by hands I could not see, I have been grabbed by arms that I could see, I have seen spirits so bright that the entire room lit up, and I have had conversations without physically moving my mouth. Many times I clearly have seen ghosts (I could make out their facial features) immediately following these episodes and well after I had awaken. It is true that these occurrences were often preceded by vivid dreams. I believe that sometimes spirits cause us to dream and have nightmares. It seems that science often discounts anything spiritual as nonsense and seeks an alternative explanation. I am here to tell you that sleep paralysis is caused by spirits who are sometimes evil but usually not. They are simply dead people. If in the event you feel that you were attacked by a demon or someone evil during one of these episodes, I assure you that you were. Science has not yet advanced in the field of dream science to explain sleep paralysis or even why we dream at all. There are no experts in this field, they just quote a 100 year old hypothesis.
Felt like I was going to die...
I remember having these experiences when i was a little boy. God, the first time it happened I felt like I was going to die. I was awake and I could see but could only move my eyes and it was hard to even do that. You just feel like theres this incredible weight on your body and you cant breathe and it scares the hell out of you. Although i have not had any experiences for many years. (maybe because i have had a cat for the past 13 years lol) i am now 17. However like some other people, i did not feel or hear any sipiritual people or things. Maybe me memory is a little fuzzy i am not sure, the only thing that constantly will stick in my mind is the fear I experieced those times.
Help me please
im 15 and i have expirenced sleep paralysis, i woke last night on my side to my body being violently shaken, then it would stop and restart, when it stopped i had no energy to move from my possition, when it started again i couldnt hear, my ears started going funny asif i was death, this is not the first time this has happened to me and i would like to know if there is some medication that could prevent it from happening again, i was scared but i was too freightend to move
response
I've never heard of ne medications.. once I a while good thoughts help while experiencing... I too am trying to find out how to stop these.. I'm 19 and have had them since I was 7.. I feel them getteing stronger with age.. :/
sleep paralysis
ive had sleep paralysis for yrs.the way i make myself come out of it is to start wiggling my toes and fingers and i come out of it every time.its a very frightening experience.the whole time i think im calling for my wife to wake me up but she never hear me,although i feel like she can
About the dog,,
Yah, I have read on here some people saying they want to get a dog to sleep with them, and sorry but that wont work. I sleep with a dog every night, and I still have them. I actually had a really creepy one the other night about a baby, she was running around my room trying to get me to hold her, but I wouldn't and it felt like she was scratching my hand when I would say no. I woke up dizzy and breathless. But the thing is, she look fimiliar, like I had seen her just on the street the day before or something. weird.
I found moving my bed to
I found moving my bed to another direction in my room tends to ward it off for a long time.
My wierd sleep paralysis
I have not had many of these before only 2, i am 12 yrs old and had my first when i was about 4 yrs old, i dreamed that i wa in this starnge large room with toys evrywhere. the was a toy airplane with the line of smoke behind it and it spelled some words. I called for my mom but no words came out. i didn't know what to do and was scared. but when i woke up and was relived. my second one was just this morning. i was in my bed, it was like i was looking at myself, but then i seen a blue box with yellow words and it had a pic. of blocks ont the front of the box. i tried to move my limbs but could not i tried to speak and open my eyes and also couldn't. i wish i knew how to prevent this. :(
help
email me need victims who has sp too. need to understand whats going on. scary to feel like it.
Ever waking up
I been Getting sp for about 6years it happens randomly it's strange because I could see everything As it is....I don't see ghost or anything...when it happens...but I can see what's happening while I sleep...pretty strange. But knowing I'm not the only one is a good feeling. Sometime It feel as dough I'm never gonna wake up..
Sp
I been Getting sp for about 6years it happens randomly it's strange because I could see everything As it is....I don't see ghost or anything...when it happens...but I can see what's happening while I sleep...pretty strange. But knowing I'm not the only one is a good feeling. Sometime It feel as dough I'm never gonna wake up..
Be strong,Become fearless,Walk with god
Ive had this same feeling also when i sleep on my back especially, ive had them once or twice over a span of 2 years and i just had one not too long ago, when i was little there was one time when i fell asleep i saw a dark being then it got super close then it breathed on me it sounded like multiple zombie voices in one but i just looked at it and had a little frown i wasnt gonna give it the satisfaction of knowing i was scared, it happened a few more times but it also happens to me during the day before but there was no presence during the day, so enough was enough i trained my body to become stronger then ever before so when it happens again i would have an iron will and would force myself to wake up i always thought i was alone in this but now we can overcome this together are we really gonna let some punk wrapped in darkness control how we sleep i dont think so, i never had to say gods name or Jesus names may peace be upon him, it was always up to me to save my own life show courage embrace the fact that there might be a evil spirit there show IT you have the strength to overcome and conquer, i had a bad life was a bully treated my family and people like shit, maybe that's why i have this SP, one time i even fainted and smacked my head on the ground but it will NEVER overcome me those dark being bastards ever since i showed courage it stopped for a bit, never lose faith in god he is the one and only and he WILL help you all you have to do is ask, but he also wants you to become strong off of these sleep paralysis experiences this is gonna be a battle for your soul, if this sleep paralysis is of scientific or spiritual in nature regardless the good lord will help you in order for you to overcome you need to genuinely feel that it is of no threat and that you can crush it, walk with god and never lose faith
sleep paralysis
Love your post, you are spot on. I wonder if the Dr.s are a part of it, saying "it's just scientific", a cover up.
Visited by Aliens? Please read, I need your opinion.
I have the strangest thing happen to me last night while staying at my parents house and while I don't really believe in scary stories and aliens, well let me tell you, I think I might start.
So I went to bed early yesterday, also because my little brother gets up early for school (stayed on the bottom of his bunk bed). I woke up at 2 and I couldn't fall asleep because he was snoring and I just didn't feel like sleeping. I just laid on my stomach and had an empty mind. I know I wasn't sleeping, my eyes were open. I remember starring at a wall and just thinking. I remember moving my eyes. It was 2:15 AM when I looked at my phone.
While being awake (100% sure I was) I started hearing this weird sound of a heavy plane or something. I live close by Midway so I didn't make much of it. But then the sounds grew loud and started getting close ( that is what I heard). I got up and went to see through the balcony door, but I didn't see anything in the air. I wanted to wake my parents up but I just went back to my bed.
I went to lay on my stomach again and a minute later ( I was still awake, I am sure!) I stared feeling really funny. I thought I was getting a seizure, but I realized something was wrong. I couldn't control my breath, my heart started pounding and I got a terrible headache. I also felt this enormous weight on my body. Then all of a sudden, I felt like my brain was getting electrocuted several times, one after another. Again and again. I seriously could hear it and feel it. It was like waves, crushing down in my brain. You know that sound of electricity that kind goes like "trssstrtstststst"? Well, that was it. I remember thinking that maybe my brain is getting fried because I am touching something. I remembering thinking that I was going to die.
This whole thing didn't hurt but I felt huge discomfort. If I was having a seizure ( I used have mild seizures as a child) I would be unconscious and I would scream. It was NOT IT. I was able to see my bed and the shelf but I couldn't move.
I suddenly couldn't control my body, I could only move my fingers, I could speak in low voice. I am not sure how long the whole thing lasted, maybe about 2 minutes. Then ( don't laugh) I started hearing voices that I could make any sense of. I was moving my fingers and eyes nervously, but overall I couldn't move. In the background, I could hear a loud noise of something heavy in the air, like a plane or something.
Finally, the electric waves stopped and I got up. Like I said, if it was a seizure, I would be not able to get up due to muscle weakness. Also If a person is having a seizure, they fall in a sleep or are incredibly disoriented. I usually just fall asleep.
I started counting and trying to remember where and who I was. I was able to do that. Then, I got up and turn on the computer, while ( I swear to God) I could still hear something heavy in the air and the damm computer would not turn on.
It was plugged and all. Then I finally I was able to turn it on.
Screen went from blue to yellow and started flashing and finally it all ent out when I was trying to google "aliens" .
Funny ehh?
I woke up this morning only to find out, that something is wrong with my brother's pc and that is not working. He cried, but I didn't say a word.What should I tell him? Well, I seriously think something came last night, stole my brain and flew away? Uh no.
I know about sleep paralysis and I also know that the computer could just broke over night. I had experience sleep paralysis many times in my life, but nothing like this. What I also know is that I wasn't sleeping when it all happened last night.
WTF could have happen to me?
I was wondering if anyone
I was wondering if anyone that has had these things to happen in their sleep, has things to happen other than when they sleep as well, like maybe seeing shadows, hearing noises for no reason, things disappearing and then reappearing later or found in a different place than you put it, dog or cat acting strange for no reason?
I'm 16 and this has been been
I'm 16 and this has been been happening to me for a few years now.. But the only time it seems to occur is when I accidentally fall asleep on my back. I say accidentally because i am quite afraid of falling asleep on my back and i am fully aware that an episode will likely happen. I believe sleeping on my stomach counters something and prevents it from happening. Does this happen to anyone else? Just this morning it happened because i got up early to shovel snow, came inside, and fell asleep on my back. I woke-up being able to look around, attempted to yell for "mom" or "dad" but no sound came out. I attempted to fight it by contracting muscles (which used to work, i could move my muscles very little and eventually snap out of it.) But now doesn't work.. Helpless Feeling.
Well I'm also 16 and let me
Well I'm also 16 and let me tell you the same thing happens to me and my mother (In her 40s)
I only get sleep paralysis when I sleep on the left side of my body, and she gets it only when, like you, sleeps on her back.
This seems to be a normal thing, maybe it has to do with blood flow?
Sleep Paralysis
You may be onto something there with body position, though for me it is more frequent on my stomach. I would tend to think it has less to do with blood flow than nerve compression though.
I had a small fracture in a cervical vertebrae years ago which at the time caused some temporary nerve impingement/damage throughout my neck, jaw and one arm. Ever since, I am much more prone to sleep paralysis if in a position which compresses those neck muscles, such as face down with head to side. Fortunately I have never had frightening or dark scenarios in at least 30 years with sleep paralysis and I am surprised to read about them...
not a lone
I have had the same problem since I was young and even at the age of 16 like yourself... I am 31 yrs old now and still have the same problem... My Father once told me that it was all my sins catching up to me.... this was when I was around 8 or 9 yrs how much sinning could I have done.lol My Mother told me to read the the book of Palms 91st chapter which talks about the evil pestilence that walketh in the darkness... I don't know about you but I always get the feeling at night when trying to fall asleep never during the day while taking a nap... It does happen quite more while sleeping on my back... but it's gotten worse as I have gotten older a much more terrying and heavy evil presence now opening my eyes won't make it go away I have to completely sit up... I use to be able to leave the room and it would go away now it follows.... sleep paralysis? maybe? but I think its something more! I also hear loud foot steps and sense a dark presence in the room... I thought that I was the only person affected by this.
response
Leaving as in when you fall asleep?
I had this so many times!
I'm 15 now and have been having this evil spirit thing .. Lay time I had it was at my cousins house it was the worst I was dreaming I went to my moms room and she turned out to be somthing else and was scratching my back and I could feel everything it was so long but I was used to it and when u woke up around 4 in the morning I felt so weak like it took all my strenghth out of me then I couldn't sleep again caz I was to scared
My advice is try get out of it that's what I do when I feel like it's about to come I start Turing my neck it usually works for me :) and don't believe in evil stuff cause that's what trigers it I think I dunno :P if it's you first time I'd just say get used to it and ignore it or just lagh at it :D I'm a girl by the way ...
what to do
I've been experiencing fot 31 yrs... and there really isn't much you can do but live with it and for me it's only gotten worse... wish I had a solution... try sleeping in another room use to work for me... now its folows me from room to room... it always happens when your really tired or just falling asleep... now it takes hold of me even when my eyes are open I still feel the presence and sometimes hear footsteps makes me feel really vulnerable terrified and helpless all at the sametime