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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
That is exactly what happens
That is exactly what happens to me. I cannot open my eyes for anything! It frightens me when I feel like something is watching me or breathing on me and I cannot see what in the world it is. It happen to me today when I was trying to wake up from my nap. Couldn't move, talk, or see. I panicked (which they say to stay calm until it passes) and I got all paranoid and my heart was racing. I could here weird things around me. It doesn't happen as often to me as it does you, but when it does it scares the shyt out of me. My advice, try to get lots of sleep, and keep your schedule as regular as possible. Hope that helps... And don't feel alone, I can relate :)
when it happens to me, like
when it happens to me, like you said you feel like someone is gonna hurt you. i feel like im kinda gettin sucked into a hole and if i let my self go all the way in ill die. ): i get so scared. you said you rock your head bak and forth to make a movement. i try to move but it doesnt work. so i try to make a sound. never works. all i can do is breath. so i breath as loud as i can and wen i get a really big breath then im free. and i usually try to stay awake too!
I believe they are spirits, I've been through too much!
I have had this thing happen to me for a long time & completely disregard scientific explanation for this for multiple reasons:
I have had the sleep paralysis thing(many times last night & alot over my life). And everytime I feel hands on me alot of time strangling & have seen ghost silouttes. Like the guy above I found praying got them to stop & got me moving again.
I have also seen ghosts after fighting off a strangling feeling, fell out of bed, crawled backwards without taking my eyes off of it, turned on the lights & it was still there, it looked at me & ran off. My state of being awake never changed from before it attacked me while I was watching TV, through it attacking me, till after I turned on the lights. Needless to say I did not sleep at all that night.
I've had doors slam in my house & water dripping from my ceiling when it hadn't rained for weeks & there are no pipes above my room. I wiped the ceiling, it was wet, then poked it with a knife & the dry wall was bone dry. It happened again as soon as I layed back down, I repeated the the process of checking everything out & I eventually got my mom to check it out & she witnessed it too.
A couple years ago during a long period I went with out seeing anything or having sleep paralysis I was sitting in my car (now living in a completely different state) waiting for a friend outside his house & decided to snap a picture of myself with my new phone(I had never had a camera phone before) to see what the functions of it was. When I looked at the picture I took I was freaked out by what I saw in it, a ghosts face clear as day next to mine. I showed it to my friend when he arrived without telling him what I saw, he freaked out too. I then sent it to a bunch of friends with no text to see there reaction to it & they all bugged & were wondering who was in the picture with me & that it was freaky.
With all the things that I have been through over the years & the picture I forever have to prove it, I 100% believe that what we experience are spirits trying to communicate with us. Although I accept what it is, it is still a very frightning experience every time.
Anybody have similar things happen to them, please contact me.
DEMONS
Hi I experienced the same thing about two years ago. I was paralized in my sleep and I saw a black demon looking at me and would fall to the floor and jump back up in my bed. And would get close to my face and I could feel it breathing on me. It was horrifying. It would run to my feet then back to my face to see me straight in my eyes breathing at the same time. It happened to me again this week a got paralized opened my eyes and was so scared thinking of the same demon that I saw last time. I felt as if it was coming to get me again felt the presence in the living room I was asleep in my bed but, I sleep with my door open. I started praying before it got to me and I woke up. Prayers do work..
Picture
I read your story and my wife and I recently had a similar experience. The difference being that I was awake and witnessed the SP that she went through, and I am convinced of some kind of spiritual intervention. Science has a tendency to throw up it's hands at the mere reference to a spiritual relm, but I am convinced of both. The look on my wife's face had a very strange look to it and she was chanting something very strange. She remembers the entire event. I will go into more detail if your interested. Could you send
me the photo of you and the spirit person?
Best Regards,
Thomas Lloyd
yes i always feel as though
yes i always feel as though they are trying to communicate with me but because i am so scared and trying to wakr up properly i do not give them a chance. I always see figures or outlines or people sitting or stansing in my room. i often think if i wasn;t scared they would communicate with me. I want to think it is just sp and over active imagination but a big part of me kind of knows that it is not. How did it attack you? if you have accepted it what do you think they are trying to tell you? all different things? have you tried to embrace them and ask what they want? I did it once and i felt like i was getting somwhere but again i was too scared and it stoppped. i find it very ionteresting although very scary. could i maybe see this picture?
many thanks
all i can say is keep god in
all i can say is keep god in your life! I hope its all a past experience for you and hope its gone or will soon be gone. i havent seen anything in my room since 6th grade, i am now a sophomore in college. but i still get "sp". i hate this. and i really feel for you in wat you have said. again i hope it all gets better for you! God Bless! :)
Finally.
Ive been having the same thing happen to me . I will just be watching a movie and the next second I cant breath and I have a pain in my chest like someone is hitting me, also I can feel my eyes trying to open and hear everything going on around me ,I can even see. I saw I black figure once and during this particular SP episode it lasted longer than usual. I was trying to scream for help and praying but nothing worked. When I finally woke up I asked my friends who happened to be up watching a movie right next to me if I had move or they had heard me scream. They told me I hadn't made a sound or moved for awhile. Ive had these for a week straight now. Anyone have any advice?
not advice, sorry. jus wanted
not advice, sorry. jus wanted to tell you once when i was in fourth grade, im now a sophomore in college. i could have sworn i was yelling out "ashley help" which was my friend with me. as loud as i could but wen i asked her the next day she said she heard nothing. and my brother also said he never hears me. sometimes i try to say god help me. (only wen i remember, im usually to scared and i forget) but wen i say that it usually stops. my mom told me to do it. so i did. not trying to make this a religious thing or push religion on you, but definitely if you are a believer, you should try saying "god help" maybe it will work for you too! :) i guess i did have a little advice?
This has just started for me...
I don't know if anyone can help but is there a way to avoid this as such?...Ive NEVER had this happen until two nights ago except ive had it happen the last two nights...the first night I was driving my car and then i was veering off the road and then I crashed but instead of waking up I could not move AT ALL! I could move my eyes but my eye lids werent opening and then I couldnt speak either it has frightened me bigtime.. After reasearching wat the hell is going on i stumbled along this forum.. if anything has worked for anyone please repost on here cos it happened again last night and I dont no how some have you have lived with it for years cos the past 2 nites have freaked me out!...
I do not have any sleep
I do not have any sleep disorders, but I would like to try doing this. Does anyone have tips on how I could learn to induce a REM state from conciousness?
It wont let me sleep.
Hey im Demetra.Im glad im not alone at this..and im realy seeking for some anwsers.I very first had this experience when i was about 4-6 years old.Only once.I remember myself waking up not being able to move or open my mouth.I could remember myself screaming "mom" but there was no sound since i could not move my lips.I got so scared!.Now im almost 19 and few months ago..it came again.It was the period i was about to give my entrance exams for University.I had this experience one night and i thought there was someone behind me..and when i came back to "life" i screamed for my parents who they told me it was just a dream.I did not believe them by the time i had my eyes opened during the paralysis and im 100 % sure that what i felt was real!
When i left home for University,i went to live with my grandmother.And from that moment almost every week and about 1-2 days i suffer the same!Once my grandmother had left for a week and i was alone.I had the longest paralysis ever!It seemed that it lasted for ages!I would be there lying still for more than 1 1/5 minutes breathing so fast and being panicked..I was pretty sure i was going to die..and when i woke up i burst into tears.I told my mother and she explained me that it was a form of anxiety.For many days i was scared and realy reluctant to sleep because i was afraid of not waking up again cause of SUNDS.This week i had it once.Two days ago when i was in the middle of a bad dream,a scene scared me so much that caused paralysis to my whole body while waking me up.Im under stress - anyways im this kind of person.Even the most trivial thing will stress me.
But as i said im glad im not alone :) i got used of it and im expecting it every night i fall to sleep.I pray to God and i say that if it is from stress let it be,it will pass when i relax after my exams again..but help it go fast.If you have any more clues about what is realy happening or how to prevent this,please contact me at
tray to put some thing metal
tray to put some thing metal under you head when u sleep may be u wll see the déference
funny
trying to up the dials?
may be i can help
hi my friends i was paralysis on my dreams since a longe times and everyday i tray to live with it realty its hard no bady can go out of this planet its realy very bad experience for every bady whats happend to you all happend to me . and im happy and not happy to find peopel young saffring im 27ans im sick of this i lost my job becaus i cant sleep at night my girlfriend i cant sleep withe here in normale times like she like it. bay the way every bady has he is spirtit with him and we born with it i wll telle you whats going on ;if u are good looking and peopel loking at you moste of the times and if uare speciale or déffrent be sure w ll have the seem problems like ass we cant see them but they can .sometimes i cant sleep for 2 days becaus of this deep and rare sutiation its happning onley for the good peopel i find my own médesine its onley i smok wed or (hachich) nothing happend to me thats the thing keep me a life sorry but thts the best thing i do becaus realy im sick of it i went just to be normale thnx my friends your good poepel thts why we safre becaus devil he wants to change ass for wrrong peopel
Hey guys, ive read through
Hey guys, ive read through everything. Im still confused as to what to think. Last week this happened, i was sleeping then all of a sudden my eyes were open but i was still sort of a sleep in my room. My tv was playing. Then an old women walked out of my closet with some young guy. I spoke with god when this happens and i was asking for help but i was trying to stay under control and not scared. I had a convo with these people. The guy and old lady sat down beside me. I even managed to sit down on my bed. Then after 15 minutes i found myself lying on my bed looking to my side. I couldnt move at all again but this time something dark was jumping into my face as if it wanted to punch me. I then was able to move, i was in shock. So i stayed up the rest of the night and got some sleep in the morning. I spoke with my parents, they laughed it off. I declared it too be just some silly weird dream i had.
Tonight, i fell a sleep at 1;15 am approx while watching tv again. Then around 1:45 my eyes open, i cant move and something weird was happening to me. I was also petting something as if my dog was beside me until i realized my dog was upstairs. This whole time i felt so awake yet i couldnt move. I even had time to glare at the tv to see that a mazda commercial was playing. I tried screaming at the top of my lungs and i tried with all my strength to move. Then i got scared because i thought i would see more ghosts again. I felt some sort of spirit or presense behind me. I then tried asking god for help. I managed with all my strength to get my arm free and i bolted up stairs. I now find myself on my computer.... Now im not crazy because obviously other people are experiencing this. But, i really believe that if i didnt break out of what was happening that i was gonna see another ghost like last time. Not just some shadow neither, a talking ghost with answers and everything. I even remember some of my convo i had with the last ghost. Im not saying what i saw was ghosts, maybe i was just dreaming but holy shit did it manage to scare me.
Hello everyone
I can't even remember the first time I had this experience. Up until now I thought I was special. I read an article about "Lucid Dreaming" it was something about an ability of a dreamer to control and alter the contents of his/her dream. When I sleep and dream of something and suddenly realize that something isn't quite right, I know I'm dreaming. From then, I can make things happen. I know it sounds ridiculous but whatever I imagine will happen in my dreams. There was also a time that I dream of something and later that day happened in reality. Sometimes, a few seconds before my phone alarms, I will wake up knowing that my phone will alarm in a few seconds. It's almost as if I can see what is going to happen in a few seconds/minutes.
The latest experience that I had was when I fell asleep while I left the T.V. on. I had a dream and know that I was dreaming. I can't move though, gasping for air, and forcing my body to move. The weirdest part is that I know before I went to sleep that I was watching a stand-up by Dave Chappelle. When I forced my eyes to open (kind of twitching though), I saw Dave Chappelle still doing stand-up, I can even hear a little bit of what he's saying. When I finally forced my self to wake up, I knew I was right because the show is still on.
I know everything I said sounds ridiculous, even my girlfriend don't believe me because I had told her that whenever there is a time I don't call or text her, she should come over and check on me. I call this experience "Inception moment". Sometimes when I wake up, I don't even know if its real.
-the man's shadow-
one night I woke up I saw a man's shadow.the man had curly hair.it looked like he had a suit on it was hard to tell...he walked toward me and just sat there I never did see the man but I saw his shadow.the man on the wall looked like the one on t.v that I was watching..i closed my eyes and kept say lord help me about five times when I opened my eyes it was gone I stayed up all that night scared the sad thing is I'm only ten years old :(nifht scate
me too!
I have experienced similar stuff! One time I woke up to my alarm and I turned on the lights and turned on the TV but I laid back on my bed and all of a sudden it was as if something was holding me down... I was had to try really hard to open my eyes a little bit and everything was blurry but I could see the news on the TV and I could hear it as well! I was trying to run out of my room but something was pulling me back, I was actually prying the fingers off of my wrist! eventually it just pulled me back to my bed and I "woke up"... I'm not sure how much of it actually happened, like if I actually had gotten off my bed or if I had just dreamed that much. Ever since then I have had about 3 more experiences, though that first one was definitely the most vivid and that most terrifying
Wow i never knew what this
Wow i never knew what this crazy thing happening to me was called, I'm 35 years old and everything that everyone has written it's as if i wrote it. For me this happens a lot, i notice it seems to happen when i get to much sleep. I wake up and can see the TV playing see everything in the room and cant move, but i can make sounds. I try to relax my body and then give it a big jolt to wake myself, most of the time I"m "stuck" like that for 10 mins and longer, very scary.
Ian 31
My first experience of SP was about two years ago,it was the scariest feeling of my life,i was fast asleep in bed and my brain just suddenly wakes up but my body doesn't not even my eyes,my body was in a total state of paralysis, it was like i was having a panic attack in my sleep but my body didn't respond,i was honestly awake inside my body pushing to open my eyes!at first i thought it was related to alcohol because i had being out drinking with my friends and didn't get to bed until the early hours,so initially i blamed it on my body being dehydrated and fatigued but my brain was still active.
it has happened about 10 times since then,and each time it occurs its last for around 10 sec,recently they have being more frequent.
Im starting to see a trend they usually only happen when im really stressed or have something on my mind thats weighing me down,if i go to bed stressed or over analyzing something SP is more likely to happen
My concern is that i may not be able to push myself to make my body regain movement because sometimes it feels like its easier not to fight or panic and just continue sleeping.
I've heard a lot of people dying of Sudden Death Syndrome in there sleep i just hope that SP isn't the cause???
Why us?
Why us and no one else i know get this? It makes me wonder why Im differnt from most people and i wonder what us lot have got in common, that could be the answer!!!
not dreams
I have been going through many thing in my sleep since I was little. one of the first was that I felt sleepy and fall asleep but as as I close my eyes I feel like something out of me come out and wanders around I feel very afraid when this happens because I feel is my spirit coming out and I get afraid if somebody wake me up and my spirit is not in my body. It is like Im going through a trance. I try to come out and I cannot move I try to scream and I cant do it either I feel like someone is holdng my body down. lately something happens very scary. I got the same situation happened to me but this time I saw like a colorful light look like the space and I saw something and I knew that it was something I wasnt suppose to see and i had been scare to sleep at night a=nd when I sleep is when I take some medicine to sleep. the same week my granddaughter awakes unresponsive and was taken to the hospital real fast she was dead but the paramedics got to revive her before they got to the hospital but died as soon they got there. sometimes I see people in my dreams is not like you imaging I see real people. not long ago i was in my computer in my livingroom but I can see behind me through the monitor one day I looked at the monitor behind me I saw like I was in another dimension I saw people with real old times clothes and since them im scare of the night.
I have wondered the same
I have wondered the same thing for a long time because no one else in my family or anyone else I know has this stuff happen to them. I believe we are just more open minded to the world around us & spirits can feel that so they try to get our attention.
any ways to help avoid these?
I woke up from the worst one I've had yet and haven't went back to sleep. I went to bed early cause i was real tired and went into a dream. I was drunk in my dream at my house and my football coach was there which was weired. he was pissed cause i was drunk. Next thing I know I am in my bed and I have no control and cant move. I was deep into it and it felt like something was dragging me back and forth around my bed. I came to a little more and i could feel myself breathing so hard it felt like i was choke in a snoring way and my heart was pounding out of my chest. i wanted to say something but couldnt get the words to come out. i finally got myself to move my right hand and pull myself out of it only this time when i did, i opened my eyes and saw what looked like a man moving around at the end of my bed. i was a shadowy looking figure of a man. then i looked around and the whole room was full of these shadowy figures moving around. I really thought i had evil spirits or demon controlling me like i was possessed. I started praying after that and havent went back to sleep yet. Im kind of scared to. my hands were shaking ten minutes after all this because it was so intense. it scares me because it had so much control over me. i have never had a feeling that strong and it felt very evil. It seemed a lot more to me than science can explain. I'm glad I'm not alone though.
serendips exchange
Is there anyway to stop it.this ha been happening to me for a week straight.
Hi
Hi ive just read about your experience and it sounds very simlar to one i had when i was 12 years old. I dont think there is a cure for these sleep paralysis as it is still not totaly understood by any scientist. When I was 12 it happend to me, it was a sunny morning and i was in bed a sleep when i felt the most terrorfying feeling i can only explain as been an evil sprit presence. I felt like i was no longer in my body and i was been wragged violently up against my ceiling. There is no words to describe this intense evil feeling or can not stress enough how scary this really is unlike any feeling you can feel in reality. I was out of my body and lost all movement and could not scream for my mum. Then all of a sudden i felt my self go back into my body, it enterd throgh between my legs (not mouth. Then i could move and my screams came out. I legged it down stairs petrafied. This experience still bothers me to this day and im 28 now. No one understands or believes me, my mum just said it was a bad dream but i know different.
nightmares
I have just woken from a very scary episode, i recall paralysis once in my teens, my mother was talking to me as i even had had my eyes open. I couldnt move talk or move my eyes as i recall. For years following that i knew when i would experience a nightmare as it was always preceeded by a high pitched ringing in my ear and i'd fight not to sleep as i knew i was in for a hard time until i could force myself to wake again. Since reaching my 30's the ringing has stopped and the nightmares have become less frequent however the most worrying part is that when i do have them i see vividly events occuring in the room i fall asleep in and think i have woken several times before i actually do. My brother woke me once as a teenager, i remember this one most of all. I dreamt my bed was spinning in middle of room and i kept trying to hit the wall to get someones attention. In the end my brother heard me shouting and managed to wake me. I've never really discussed this before as thought my sleep issues were somewhat unique.Whatever anyone says this will always be an unpleasant experience and the guy who says he just stays in his dream now and tries to control it is a dick! It's a brain not a DVD. You dont choose your nightmares they choose u and they decide when to let you go. Spirits? I dont know. I believe the demons are of our own creation influenced by thoughts, words, sights, experiences, fears, anxieties, worries, storys everything influences the imagination and when you look at what man has achieved over time the depth of our imaginations are boundless! Sleep well people, nightmares cant kill you.
Hearing whats going on around me
Im 25 & I usually have these crazy dreams often when i take a nap,these dreams usually last about an hr or so....Frighting?Very,It just happen to me yesterday in the late afternoon...So i decided to take a nap i suddenly feel sleepy as if i could just pass out anywhere,I go to my room and lye down bam im asleep...my husban is in the living room playing with our 2 young children i can hear them running back and forth in the hall way laughing and screaming & can also see them fr the corner of my eyes when they past bye but I can't look at them directly because im always to stiff to turn my anypart of my body I can see my bed right in front of me and my Tv as well....suddenly i began to feel so stiff & i can feel my body get weak & i wanna gasp for air to breath...or maybe scream so someone can hear me but usually Im so scared so nothing ever comes out my mouth 4 that reason i guess anyway i push my legs and arms and give it my all to try and wake up and as i did bam in my paralyis state someone through a sheet over my face and pushed me down to stay asleep....then i repeated the step with my legs and arms and finally woke up....Scary feelings these dreams r i guess its just a mystery not shure what going on exactly?
what's going on?
Hi my name is Wyman. Yesterday I was looking on the internet, and I was trying to figure out what was the name or if anyone ever experienced what I had over 10 years ago. And I found it. it is sleep paralysis. I had that experience a few times and it is quite scary! my whole body couldn't move and I remember crying, and I heard a evil kind of laugh. I think I saw my bedroom door swang open and I see a bright light. I felt I can wiggle my fingers and I swing the huge weight that was on me (I guess that was when the body shuts down) off and I would sit for a few minutes wondering what just happen..if I was dreaming or not..finding out what this is known as, I feel relief. Just something I like to share.
Another episode last night
Hi, I'm a 27 yo old female who has been experiencing SP on and off for abt 10 years. I totally respect the scientific explaination but I do feel it's more spiritual than most ppl aren't willing to believe. Here's my story: I started having demonic dreams when I was 18/19 and everytime I woke up from 1, i would be in a frozen state. I could see my surroundings but i couldnt move, finally i would snap out of it, but it would be 10 minutes b4 i did. And when I came to, i was terrified. At the time I wasnt living right & the apt I was staying in was heavily oppressed by demonic spirits. Have u ever gone in somewhere & could feel the oppression? This apt was that and more. As I aged they would come and go, until I moved back in with my mom when I was 23. My mother is a Christian & was not privy 2 the things i seen going on. (just a note: I'm saved & have been since I was 15 but I'm what is considered a carnal christian due to the fact i was not following the Word) Anytime time I slept on her couch I would have nightmares & wake up in SP, once i heard some1 calling my name while i was in SP and when i ask my younger siblings they said no1 had been in the living room while i was asleep. I believe I was also attacked by an succubus/incubus while i dreamt. I was not close 2 God @ the time and I think because I wasnt I opened myself 2 be attacked. Time passed and SP didnt affect me that often and I continued unaware of the truth. The past couple of months I've been pulling myself closer to God, I'm coming to realize things that eluded me in the past and it's making me shy away from everything i once did. I'm realizing that the media is sending subliminal messages to our children that's promoting unGodly things and while i'm ralizing all these things and pulling back from my old life and vowing 2 make an impact, the SP comes back. I had an episode last night that was different from all the other times. I was up late playing cafe life on FB and i went to bed around 2a. i closed my phone & dosed off around 2:19a, I don't even remember falling asleep but i must have b/c i was dreaming of a different place. and even in my dream I was frozen, and when i realized what was going on I started to pray. I was pleading the name of Jesus and telling whatever it was to leave my body, I said it abt 5 or 6 times and all of a sudden it felt like something moved across from my body..it started @ my head and i felt it move all the way to my feet and as soon as it was gone,I was awake.It was 2:47a. Usually I snap out of SP it's quick and immediate..this however was completely different. I called my mother this morning and she told me something that clicked instantly. When u became an effective Christian, u pose a problem to satan. his job is 2 take as many down as he can, and if ur fighting against him then u will b attacked to try 2 make u ineffective. An ineffective Christian is abt as useful as tits on a bull, understand? One thing pastors don't tell u when u get saved, is that u just pissed off the enemy and he's sending something after u. U must arm urself with the knowledge of God to prevail..hope this helps some1 in my situation. TC and God Bless <3
Hi im Sonja 28 female,
Hi im Sonja 28 female, although I am of no religion I also believe this is a spiritual act. I have a few mild episodes once in a few years but my worst was when i was 12 years old! It was a sunny summer morning and I was still in bed when i felt an evil precence take my soul out of my body and wragging me arround my bed room ceiling, my body was still on the bed and could no move or shout. There is no feeling in reality like this it is the scariest feeling ever. Its nice to read peoples stories so i know im not the only one this happens too, no one else seems to understand or believe me. You have also made me wonder if i pose any kind of threat to satan or what he might have against me, as i do believe in god but have not been christend. Sonja.
iv had this a few times and
iv had this a few times and it was so scarey! the first time it happend i fell asleep for a while then suddenly woke up but i couldnt move, i had my eyes open but i couldnt move them and i couldnt move my whole body, i suddenly heard children laughing and could feel myself floating up to my ceiling i thought i was dieing!!! finally i forced my self to snap out of it and i was like omg i thought it was a near death experience. After that i was too scared to sleep for days, i remember trying to scream for my mum but nothing would come out. so scary! and its weird coz now i can atually feel it coming on.
Glad I'm NOT Alone!
I just woke up from a Sleep Paralysis episode an hour ago. But let me start from the beginning.
Last year I was dating a 27 year old guy. He had these almost every night so one day we researched it. No big deal, kinda freaky, but whatever. We broke up in April of this year. It wasn't really a concern to us we never thought of it...it was just interesting for a day.
So fast forward to October of this year (2010), I was sitting in my car at the college studying...got a little tired. Set the alarm on my phone for an hour, and drifted off into a nap. I don't remember what I dreamt, if I dreamt, but I woke up...and I could see a distorted image of my steering wheel...I tried to grab it, and realized, I can't move...I can barely breathe, and I can't scream!! I was terrified, I concentrated VERY hard on moving my arm to my steering wheel, and that woke me up breathing very heavily like I had been suffocating. I don't recall images or noises, but I knew exactly what this was from reading stuff from my ex.
Ok, fast forward to tonight. My new bf is out on the couch sleeping ((I still live with the parents as I'm 19)) and I come into my room to go to bed at about 3:30am...dead tired. I get all ready and look at the clock, 3:36am. I lay down, on my side, and I close my eyes. I feel myself drifting in and outta sleep...then I guess I start dreaming? It wasn't that vivid at first. I was in my room, watching TV, but it was blurry and my TV was different...on a shelf that doesn't exist...anyways, I kept feeling something pulling my in my dream. Then all the sudden I start sliding/gliding off my bed and as whatever-it-is pulls me off my bed ((in my dream still)) I start to float toward my bedroom door. In my dream, I knew this was gonna be a nightmere and I didn't want to have it so I told myself NO WAKE UP! OMG... :'( I woke up all right!! In Sleep Paralysis State!!! My eyes flew open, I was laying flat on my back looking up at my ceiling fan...I couldn't focus on it...I was seeing 3-4 ceiling fans and I felt dizzy. I tried to scream HELP ME!! But my mouth didn't move. Again, I concentrated on moving my arm and it woke me up panicked and breathing as if suffocating. Again, I don't recall images or noises. I looked at the clock, 3:47...I had only been asleep 11 mins. I ran into my Mom's bedroom frantic. I had told her of the time in my car and she makes fun of me for it, saying there's no such thing. I was trembling so much when I got into her bed, I think she believes me now. I have been up for an hour now sooo scared to go back to sleep.
Sleep Paralysis:
I have been experiencing sleep paralysis for years. I am 27 years old, and it scares me to death. I would love to speak with someone who can relate to my experiences. Please email me.
Thank you!
----------------Stacey
Hey Stacey, how are you? I
Hey Stacey, how are you? I have had alot of crazy experiences with this & then some. I have also had experiences with getting drug backwards out of my bed my throat & even caught a spirit in a picture with me on my camera phone. Alot of encounters with strange stuff 7 it scares the shit out of me too. I'm the only one I know who has this stuff happen. I'd love to hear some of your experiences. Take care!
Vinny
hi Stacey, I have had some
hi Stacey, I have had some really creepy experiences. email me if you want to talk
Hi Stacey I had the same
Hi Stacey
I had the same experience yesterday as if someone is sitting on my chest and trying to strangle me. I have been going through a bad phase in my life on the family front at this time and this might be the reason.However it hs been happening to me for several years and I ignored it..
Canyou tell me more about yours?
Scary!!
I have been experiencing sleep paralysis since i have been 13 years old and it happens to me every time I take a nap.. It just happened to me as my boyfriend was going to nap with me and since i was sleeping for a good 2 hours i wasn't tired but i kept trying to sleep but waking with the sleep paralysis, every time it would pass i would then try to go to sleep again and it would happen again four times and on the 4th time i was trying to move my hand and it kept.. i want to say writing movements.. anyways it's been happening to me for a long time and i just want to make it more apparent that it happens to more people than we probably know. I think that it doesn't have anything really to do with spirits even though it feels like you may be possessed. i have never heard footsteps that were not there and there was only once when i was first experiencing this that i saw a light come into my room and become brighter before i could move but i think that it was the light post tricking my eyes. i hope that no one that experiences this lets it consume their life because it may be the reason why it may never go away.
sp
i've been reading everyone's post and find i can relate to alot of the different experiences in some way or another. its 11.30 and ive been awake for half an hour trying to figure out what the hell it was about, most weird scary experience ive had... feeling of restriction and terror.
the start of it was seing my mother come into my bedroom and as she did there was a different reflection of her in the window, i pointed it out to her and was releived to hear that she could see it too, phew i thought but minutes later after we were both looking out of my window at it, it were not my mum anymore and she wasn't in my room either and this is where i started to get scared. i tried to sit up shout anything, i could hear everything going on around me like my mum and dad trying to get in my room while im struggling to get words out in a muffled manner, i could hear my fragile, weak voice saying HELP and HURRY but were coming out quietly like it was just not loud enough for anyone to come to my aid which is even scarier i thought i was in hell, when they entered the room i was awake and shaken up and nothing more than confused. its the fist time ive had it and the only probable cause is how my life is in the worst state its been in ever though depression and low self asteem. i hope i get better! wiggling the finger next time it happens ( if it does)
sleep paralysis
I have also experienced sleep paralysis. For me it always happens shortly after i go to sleep. I feel like my eyes are open and i see my room around me and feel awake but cannot move. I often hear voices and see shapes. At first I would break out of it by focusing very hard on moving my hand. I would look at it and think about it and this would wake me.
However now I try to stay in the experience and see if I can control it more. I've found that the fear i had from the first couple experiences has subsided because of knowledge of whats happening...who knows though i still wonder if its evil spirits too
Intense Vibrations....and short story.
This would happen to me a couple times a month ever since I was in my early teens. I would wake up and can't move or talk. I'm 29 now. The last 6 months has been intense. It has been happening so much more. I wake up, can't move or talk...then all of a sudden I would feel INTENSE vibrations through out my whole body. Sometimes the vibrations would get so bad, I felt like my veins were going to burst. The vibrations didn't start till about 5-6 months ago. The past dozen times, I have tried to fight it during the vibrations. I would try different things such as relax during it, try to get up, or talk. Nothing seemed to work.
Quick story....
Couple of months ago I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep. The point between me falling asleep and my wife walking into the room to put laundry away in our dresser, I'm not to sure of what happen. I must have drifted away. Well my wife walked into the room to put clothes away, opening up and closing 4 drawers then walked out of the room. I heard 4 steps on the carpet before her foot hit the tile floor.
Once she left, I realized that I was in sleep paralysis. My eyes opened. I couldn't move or talk....then the intense wave of vibrations come over me. I try to fight it. I'm trying with all my might to move my arms and legs. Felt like several minutes have passed with no luck of being able move. I knew I wasn't gonna win, I told myself to just screw it and snap out. At that moment, I got right out of bed and walked into our living room where my wife was. I asked her if there was anything strange going on with me while she was in there putting clothes away. Her reply was "No, you were knocked out cold, snoring".
That's one of many strange stories that I have with sleep paralysis. Being the last 6 months being pretty frequent for me, so frequent I can induce sleep paralysis now. I'm very curious and may sound weird, but I'm also kind of excited about it.
Thanks for reading.
I've only had this happen
I've only had this happen once, and until recently I just thought it was a random glitch in my system. It happened I dunno, 4-5 years ago, maybe a little less. Took a nap, before I knew it, my eyes were open but I couldn't move my body at all.
I don't remember seeing any figures or hearing any voices, but I was very freaked out. It's scary, not knowing why you can't move for what seems to be no reason. Everything was very foggy, like, I could look around the room but I couldn't move.
I broke myself out of it by struggling as hard as I could for atleast two minutes. It got to the point that it was like breaking through a barrier placed around my body. I was able to move after this but I felt pretty sick and my body was quite limp.
sleep disorder
i had the same thing happen to me at first i didnt know what the hell was going on if i was alsleep or awake it has happened to me before and waking up from a dream.. its hard to explain .. i dont known if i was awake or not or what but any way i had to break out of not being able to speak or move( mainly arms and legs) it took me about 2 mins maybe longer i didnt know what to think just blew it off. .and now its happened to me three times
Sleep Paralysis vs. Spirits
First off, I would like to thank you for this wonderful/to the point scientific piece. It really got me to understand why my body and mind acts the way it does when this occurs. Now, I may have to relate to what Abel 2006 says on page 1 "why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase". I do get this a couple of times throughout the years, but every time this happens, there is always some type of figure in the dream. Although I may not hear the footsteps but I do hear other weird sounds such as, what it sounds to be, someone whipping a pair of jeans. Now don't get me wrong, I believe it is both spiritual and scientific, but whenever this happens to me I will always have this piece of yours lodged somewhere in my head so I can remember it. Once again, thank you!
awaken in deep sleep
my son is 15 yrs and is diagnosied as suffering from schizophrenia and is administered with apprizole medicine with dine.
every night 1 hr after he goes to deep sleep, he gets up from sleeping position and either moves around in the bed, bends on his legs and he in sitting position. I almost everyday intervene and put him back to his place and then he sleeps. He does see me during this course but cannot remember anything in the morning. Is this happening due to disorder or due to side effects of the medicine. If it is due to disorder, will be overcome this in the due course by the medication
This is Spiritual.
Hi there everyone. I just want to post my experiences on here, bc i came across this site and it applies to my life. In the bible, the lord speaks of spiritual gifts. I believe to have spiritual eyes, which means i can see spirits, feel them, and so forth. So i been experiencing "Sleep Paralysis" for many years. During the SP, theres a figure, always a dark male, and in one occasion a female. Sometimes, the figure "disguises" himself as someone i know, like brother or uncle, etc. Usually someone going through a hard time that i love. But since i know these figures are in fact evil spirits, they get angry. I am a christian growing up and still am. These things happen to me when im most closest to God, or deeply in love with praying for my family and the world. Of course, i am only human, and i suffer sadness and so forth, and usually thats also when these experiences happen. However its also in the bible that as christians, or better yet, believers in Christ, when we practice sins of the world, with the knowledge that its wrong, we open doors to these spirits. And ive noticed usually when i ignore god and go my way and sin, i open these doors to these attacks. But i know what to do every single time it happens, i say i cover myself in your blood, in jesus name i pray, and instantly the dark figure flees. In the bible it says, if you pray in jesus name, no demon can stand those words or prayer, even if its said in your head. Also if you pray that you cover yourself with his blood, in jesus name, no one can touch you or harm you and you are protected. God is that powerful. When i am closest to God praying for the world, these things happen too..and i find it bc these spirits get angry and want to disturb me bc i love the Lord. In the bible these dark spirits are said to be 'fallen angels' bc they are dark, faceless, and disguise themselves as other ppl. As far as the female spirit that attacked me once, god told me that this was a spirit that was taking control over a part in my life. The reason why i knew was bc it was a thin skeleton dark figure that got on top of me and wanted to choke me and kill me. During this time i was suffering a eating disorder and struggled with body image and weight obsession. After i rebuke these spirits and pray in jesus name they flee like cowards. I am not afraid of them, i just know that i am safe w\god and all in deeper love with him, bc all this is testimony of his exsistance. I understant how it can be scientific, everything works in a scientific organized way, but also some things, like this are mysterious. And i know God works in mysterious and we dont have the capacity to understand everything, he is organized and perfect. Turn your life to him, he is loving wonderful father and he will never abandon you..i hope everyone who reads this feels peace and can see through my words how in love i am with my heavenly father and no spirit or disturbance will ever take that away. Peace and Love, God Bless you All. :)
My names amy warren and i'm
My names amy warren and i'm 14 about to turn 15. I too suffered from anorexia when i was about 13 and thats when i would start waking up in the middle of the night, half asleep, half awake couldn't move scream or open my eyes but i could think. I would feel like someone was sitting on my chest or choking me and i couldn't breath. If i tried to move or scream, it would strangle me harder and harder until i would relax and it would stop. One night, it happened again and i told it in god's name to leave that it's not welcome here anymore and i heard it make a noise like it was screaming in pain as the sound faded out and i could sense a peacful preacence. It hasn't bugged me sense until this year. And sense it started again, it normally starts with a nightmare about god or a ghost and then i would wake up and feel like im getting suffacated with something holding me down. Then last night, i had a dream that me or someone was saying that they are more powerful then god. And i woke up in the state where i couldn't move or scream but this time was diffrent, i could only move my head and i turned my head to the left and saw a dark figure in the shape of a humun but all black facing me and it turned around, took two or three steps and disapered. That was the first tine i've ever seen a ghost/demon. Yes, i'm a christen and i told it to leave last night but i still felt it watching me and i prayed to god over and over but i still felt it's precence. I just need someone to help me and pray for me that this will stop in god's name. And when i had my eating disorder, before i became a christen, i was basiclly possessed, feeling a demon following me, causing me to hurt myself purpously and make me depressed. I don't do that now but i still want prayer that this will stop
for amy...
Hello amy warren, I hope you are doing well. I wanted to share with you that I battled anorexia and bulimia for 2years. I've known christ since I was baptised around your age (14). After my healing I experienced this attack and it was the most visual and intense attack I've ever experienced, so strong where to this day the anger. And hatred from that spirit makes me realize how much the enemy wanted to destroy me. Also like u said that u felt something always following u when u had this eating disorder, I too didn't feel complete peace and like something had control over my life. Well thanks to the lord, that spirit is cast and I am free. I will make a prayer for u tonight and just know that u are always protected by jesus christ and if u experience another attack its bc the enemy wants to destroy the lords children, whom he loves most. Pray and seek his council, he's always with you. I feel afraid at times too bc I have suffered so many attacks but I take comfort that they could never harm me and everything in jesus name is all more powerful and great. God bless n take care :)
wow
Those are powerful words from you, woman. God bless you and your family