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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
Re: what do we have in common
By the way I'm Kym. I've posted several times on here. All my SP experiences started when I was 11.. So I feel like there may be some sort of link there. I'm not absolutely sure. As of now I had no further episodes but for how long? I pray every night. I've accepted GOD 100%. in the past, I lost my faith .. And gained it back.
I never smoked & I seldom drink. I do stress out a lot.. Anxiety isn't new for me. Maybe that's the link .. Stress
stress and sp
Yes Kym
I agree with you on that , I think stress, feeling a little low has something to do with it.
I had a episode 48 hours ago...i was able to se the presence a moving shadow thats all it seemed to bang my eye lid shut
i'm pissed off with this thing because it's too physical for my liking let me know if you have seen anything while haveing sp ...thanks angela
My first experience of SP
My first experience of SP was when I was 16, I saw this dark figure come over me and pin me down, it felt as if my chest was being pushed into the bed. I was unable to move any part of my body, or say anything. When I started praying for God to save me, it stopped. I was horrified to go back to sleep.
Every time I experience this phenomenon it feels like demons are trying to take over my body and every time I get that fuzzy-numb feeling I pray for God to save me and make the evil go away.
I had a very traumatic childhood; I was constantly battling for stability and love. Now that I’m older (21) I have a wonderful life and I couldn’t imagine me being happier. I don’t know what’s bringing this on...
I’m so thankful I found people that have the same experiences as me (almost identical). This has answered a lot of questions for me.
SP. (from Kym)
I haven't had an SP episode as of now. I pray each night and recite the 23rd psalm. My nerves are calmer. I feel less anxiety. I've read a lot of responses and I know it can be terrifying. I honestly can't predict the next time SP will happen.. As long as I remain strong, unnerved, and calm I should be fine. If I have any more experiences (most likely I will).. I will post on here
sp
I have suffered sp on and off all my life, some times frequently and sometimes not for ages, I haven't identified a pattern but I am quite an anxious person. I don;t recall any spooky beings or the feeling of being touched by anything but sometimes just an unpleasant feeling that I can't explain.
It is very scary but I just have to trust it wont last long, If i let my breath out I tell my self the next breath is the one I wake up, some times this works and others it takes a few attempts but it usually works eventually.
Sleep paralysis
I am so glad to finally know what this "thing" is that has happened to me over the last several years although not frequently or consistently. The first time I had this happen I was 38 years old, I am now 42. I have never told anyone of what happens to me during the night except for my husband, as I thought people would think I was out of my mind. My experience is much the same as what others describe. It seems that I am awake, I can see everything in my room, see the trees moving in the breeze outside the window, hear the train, etc. so I just knew I was awake. The really terrifying part is the feeling of an evil presence either in the room with me OR lying next to me holding me down or with its "arms" wrapped around me. My heart is beating out of my chest, I cannot move and as much as I want to scream I am completely incapable of making any sound at all! I have always attributed this to an evil entity so each time this happened I would pray and keep praying. My thought that it was an evil entity seemed correct, as this only happens to me when my husband is away overnight for his hunting/fishing trips or for traveling for work. This has never happened while he is home. Subsequently, I am extremely scared whenever he has a trip coming up and I know I will be sleeping alone. I sleep with the t.v. on and a night light.
awake while asleep and into SP within a min of eyes closed.
OK. about 4 years ago i had my first scary as hell experience. terrifying to be more exact. im 23 now and im male of english origin. i went to bed in my brothers room when this happened and i think this was the first time i slept in his room. i have my bedroom on the ground floor and the rest of my family sleep upstairs. why i slept in my borthers room, i really dont know.
so i got in bed had the covers over me and the hall light was on with the door closed. i was lying on my right side half on my front, my head facing left and in sight of the door to the hallway. i was awake for sure, this was not a lucid dream or anything like that. i have had lucid dreams before, many of them and when i have had them i know im dreaming. but this was just like being awake. i had been in the bed probably an hour or so, i dont know but i slept a bit and woke up, slept and woke up, i was having trouble sleeping.
so now this happened. i woke up, i didnt move my body but i opened my eyes, because the bedroom door opened, thats why i opened my eyes. i perfectly remember that i heard the door open and i opened my eyes to see who it was, naturally just like you would if someone walked into your room and you were awake with your eyes closed. i heard the door open and opened my eyes to see and by that time the door was closing and almost fully closed, so i saw the door close that little bit before it was totally closed. my vision my perfect, just like how i see now as im typing this. at that moment i knew, just knew someone was in the room. boy im getting shivers and watering eyes as im writing this.
to help you picture the scene better ill try to describe the layout a little more. as you enter the bedroom the door opens in take a step into the room and turn 90 left and your pretty much touching the wall. the room is square. the left side of the bed is 2-3 steps into the room. with the headboard on the wall to the left.ok so turn around 180 after the 90 left and your looking the same way as you would if you were on the bed on your back looking down the bed. walk 4 steps and your at the bottom of the bed. turn 90 left, walk the width of the double bed and turn 90 left and walk 4 steps and your at the right side of the double bed. the side i was lying on, on my right side, half on my front facing the door. ok hope, if your interested in this detail, it has helped.
so to carry on. i knew someone was in the room and i heard, very clearly, footsteps walking the same way around the bed to the right side as i have just told you above. as soon as i heard the footsteps i called out "mum", i thought it was my mum just checking up on me. but when there was no reply and the footsteps didnt stop, a fear came over me like nothing i had experienced or have till this day. i mean nothing. ive walked in total pitch black, through woods on my own and being a person who was terrified of the dark after watching the film alien when i was about 8 years old, never have i been so scared.
i couldnt move. paralysed complete, but i could hear, see, speak and cry. i could open my eyes and move them. but because i was lying as i was i couldnt see in the direction where the footsteps stopped. they stopped at the right of the bed. i was crying by this time. terrified. then this weight came on me. like someone big knelt on the lower left part of my back. i felt it, so real. it came slow, first feeling the covers pushing more on me and then the weight. this didnt effect my breathing, my heart was beating crazy and tears i felt coming from my eyes. then, and from this next part i knew it was male. and now ill call it he. he started masturbating over me. at this point i could see through my eyes, feel the tears coming out my eyes, feel a heavy weight and hear this masturbating. how i know he was masturbating because i masturbate and i know the sound it makes. i tried to move, it wasnt the weight that was stopping me, i couldnt move my arms my legs my head or any part of my body that didnt have his weight on me.
from the time he started masturbating till the time i finally managed to move was no more than 20 seconds. in that time i was repeating to myself over and over. "wake up, wake up, wake up" over and over. and the last time a said it i woke up propelling my left arm in the direction of him. ending up facing were he was, but, nothing was there any more, no footsteps. i froze for a few seconds and listened, got out of bed, into the hallway down the stairs to see my mum. and ive never slept in that room again.
im currently in italy at the moment leaving with my cousin. and this SP thing happened to me again. this time within a minute of closing my eyes. it happened a day or so ago and so i started researching it. basically i led down closed my eyes and was paralysed no joke within a minute. a didnt fall aspleep. i just started to feel my body no more. this time i couldnt open my eyes. it was the same feeling that happened 4 years ago. and it came on really fast. as this feeling of no body came i became frightened and like last time i just repeated to myself over and over "wake up, wake up" its like i have to put all my mite, all my will power and energy into moving and waking up. its really freaky. ive never died before but whatever death is, from what i heard and read about it, all i can say is its like im dieing, and the nothingness gets heavier and more apparent if i dont wake myself up.
from the scientific research ive just read about sleep cycles, i dont believe it because this last time, just described above happened in less than a minute. this REM state happened before the NONREM state.
so mr scientist explain that one.
anyways ciao for now.
I'm 17 years old and I just
I'm 17 years old and I just had a SP I guess you would call it, this is about the 5th time this has happened to me in the past year, but for some reason this last experience made me have the urge to research about the problem because it was a lot worse compared to the other "episodes" I fell a sleep, but I could have sorn I was awake, and I was laying there I couldn't move I couldn't speak I could hardly breath, but the feeling was weird, something was different this time, every time I tried moving a burning sensation would go through my body, like a wave of burns, my head would feel so pressured that I thought my ear drums were gonna pop, then when I tried praying to god the feeling would get worse, a lot worse, then it would go away, and then the next time I tried calling for my dad, the feeling came back a thousand times worse, I tried sitting up but nothing happened it would just feel so horrible, its hard to explain the exact feeling I got, but burning is the closes thing to it, I think that something is really wrong, and I never want to feel that burning pain again, it was horrible
What do I do?
I know now that I suffer from sleep paralysis, but before I went to this site I had no clue what was happening to me. I am 25 and just got out of the Marine Corps. Before it had only happened 3-6 times and now it is almost an every night thing for me. We recently moved to an older home in the middle of the forest. And about a month ago I started hearing things. First it was just ringing in my ears (enough to give me a migraine), but now it is voices, footsteps, doors opening and what not. I'm not completely scared to sleep, but now I find myself finding ways to stay awake.
About a week ago I heard someone scream in my living room. It scared me enough to grab my riffle and bolt out of bed. Not more than a half an hour later I heard stomping. I tried to move but couldn't, I could barely breath and I was trying to scream for my fiancee to move my arms but I could not say anything. I could see everything around me and thought there was something in the living room again. Finally I could move and I again ran to the living room with my rifle and inspected my whole home.
I value my sleep and with this going on I find it hard to. Between my ears ringing and the voices I feel like I'm going insane. I go to school full time and I have a baby on the way. Is there anything I can do or take to prevent this from happening. I've tried everything and nothing has worked, my finacee thinks I should call my doctor but I would really like to consider that a last resort.
I think I got it.
Hi , I have been reading through all of you people Replies. I too went through sleep paralysis , and it's freaking crazy. But , by reading through all your replies , I have discovered something.
Some of you claimed that during sleep paralysis , you see weird or terrifying figures , hear weird sounds and etc , but as soon as you called "GOD" , the paralysis is over. Calling out "GOD" also used to work for me. But listen.
Some of you also said as soon as you read this forum ,the sleep paralysis has stopped , and some of you also claimed as soon as you know you are going through a sleep paralysis during your sleep paralysis , you begin to control your sleep paralysis into something fun.
This means , this is not something caused by the devil or isn't any spiritual activity. The Fact that you believe so much in "GOD" , saying GOD during your SP removes you from SP ( Like a wake-up call from REM ) , it's like a reality check during a lucid dream or something. Your belief to escaping a SP is the key to escaping your SP. It's like you had registered a password to an account , and the only way to enter that account is by entering the valid password.
Trust me. Try what I'm about to tell you :
Every day and night remind your self that " in-case I'm paralyzed in bed , all I have to do is scream "SP ACTIVATE NOW!! " 3 Times or More , very loud ". This would work if you believed that saying " SP ACTIVATE NOW" 3 times , very loud , would wake you up from any nightmare , dream or especially a SP.
You may also try this one. btw , this one is a fun one :
During SP , if you see a terrifying figure that you think may touch you. During your SP , try transforming your body into something which you believe is ten times stronger than that figure. Like into a transformers bot , a roaring lion , beast or a supernatural. Believe you can transform.
AND BOOM YOU ARE AWAKE!
I guarantee this will work.
Please tell me your results.
Thank You
Scared to sleep alone :(
I've read one page of other people suffering from SP.
The first time I encountered Sleep Paralysis was when I was 14 years old. I had gotten home at 4am from road trip to a church convention and 'fell asleep' by myself at about 4:45am; when all of a sudden my brain woke up, yet I couldn't move. I tried moving, then kicking or screaming but nothing would come out. I didn't even move a centimeter. After 2 long minutes i woke up. (i told my parents and we started praying for the 'demon' to leave me alone)
Now im 20 years old and it still happens. It happens about 3-10 times a year. The last one i had before two weeks ago was in October 2009. I don't even sleep by myself anymore. I sleep with my little sister in her room. It's only happen in my room and my lil sis room. (dont sleep no where else)
One night i was 100% sleeping when i was dragged about 1 inch down. I was sleeping on my back. It wasn't 'somebody' because i didn't feel no pressure in my legs or no where; it was something.
My lil sis and i been sleeping in her room ever since i was 14. Tonight was suppose to be the second time i sleep in my room by myself (unless i go to sleep on the phone, i go to sleep by myself) We went to our own room around 2:30 am and Around 2:50 am i heard growling/roars coming from the attic. (where the air conditioning comes out from) Immediately i called my lil sis on the cell to come to my room which is right across the hall. i uncovered myself and ran to her. She saw my facial expression and was scared to go in. i told her what i heard and she just told me to pray. I'm not the type of person that hear or sees things.
My mom tells me that the devil is mad because i go to church and want to get me.
I have wondered the same
I have wondered the same thing, if I don't read my Bible or think too much on God it doesn't seem to happen but it really happens the more I read my Bible and think on God. My mom tells me the same thing. I don't know if this is demonic or not, I am like the rest of us trying to figure it out. I am really hoping it is not demonic so it will take some of the fear out of it. It usually starts for me too when I am all alone. I have never been brave enough to just let go and face it, I fight it with all I have. When I wake up I tell myself that next time I will just face it calm but that never happens.
happend 2 me!
ok this has happend to me i no i was awake but closed my eyes couldnt get up felt like something was pushing me down i can hear myself screamin for my mother in my head but ino i wasnt yelling it then it feels as if i wanna force my self up but cant and its pitched black my eyes are close & finally ill get up OMFG this is scaryyyyy!!!
seeing things while sleep paralysis takes action
its scary i know. Ive had this for years. a few weeks ago i noticed something strange and most certainly scary. I couldnt move, talk or really hear anything. i could open my eyes andi saw a very dark shaddow perfectly outlining the figure of a cat sitting on my hip because i was laying on my side and i saw the cat right on my hip. anyone ever seen this before? its ears were kind of back and i couldnt see its face, and dont know why but i have seen alot of these cats and dont know where they are coming from or why they are showing themselves to me. Another time about 5 years ago when i was 15 i saw this cat on top of me as i was laying down when the sleep paralysis took over. The light was on in my room, andi saw this black cat with dark yellow eyes and a waving tail. His eyes went from normal too looking really mad, then a few seconds after staring at me i saw him pounce on my face. Please dont call me crazy. i was not on any sleep meds or drugs at all. its weird. anyone see any strange things when they experience the paralysis?
Actually I don't think you're
Actually I don't think you're crazy at all if anything far from it,, I've had the SP only like 3 or 4 times in my life it all started when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I didn't see a black cat or a cat for that matter. I saw a human figure like a shadow eyes were yellow. I was in my bedroom sleeping on a bunkbed on the top one as well this shadow came from the living room though although it didn't enter my room, I just remember seeing it not being able to move talk scream roll off the bed (trust me I tried, just to make sure I was a wake or not) it was weird cause I could only move my eyes. Scary as hell the last time it happend was probably about a year ago I'm almost 28 now. but ever since that first night that happend to me I see things that come toward me and dissipate. I got used to it though still feaks me out if you can help me on that one I would appreciate it. I thought I was the only one with this thing going on though. until I desided to research it and everyone has pretty much the same thing as I remember or can describe.
Cats
Yes I've also seen cats, it happened all time when I first started getting SP. One would always walk over the covers towards my face, but I couldn't clearly make it out as my vision was too blurry. I could stroke it though and feel the fur as if it was real. I love cats though so never got any evil feeling from them
Hello i got sleep paralysis
Hello i got sleep paralysis to sometimes.I had 1 recently saw 2 puppets they were like puppet socks i googled them there called 'grays" there from a 3d world, u probally think im physco im not, we see them when were asleep only or in paralsis becuz our brain is awake in our imagination so basically theres always there but we cant see them.Anyways I think the 1st time u get sleep paralysis is either because of lack of excerise or sleep deprivant or bad eating,also consitiening changing sleeping schedule like i had 1 tonight cuz i went to sleep at 1 and woke up at 3. and had it, but anyways as i was saying don't be scared don't panic thats what i did if your in bad shape and get that you can become in cardiac arrest also i think another reason after we find out about sleep paralysis we get them because we think about it to much go for a jog or something workout before u go sleep for 20-30 mins dont make your self tired just get a breather.
SP can be fun
I am a 23 year university student who has been experiencing SP for about 2 years now. I've noticed that this frequently occurs when i have not been well rested (too much studying) and take "naps" during the day. During my firs SP i hallucinated footsteps and voices which were very familiar to me, but at the same time quite eerie. I was quite afraid. I consciously noticed my heart rate go up and my breathing was very slow (like i dying). At this point i was in extreme fear, and tried to break out of this spell. But i couldn't move my any limbs or scream out for the life of me. After this experience i have done a heck of a lot of research on this topic and have even experimented with it. lets just say the second time it happened it was actually kinda fun. I have found out that SP is a method one can use to induce intense lucid dreaming. Now i look forward to my SP fits because i have learned to control it and not fear it. To me SP is just a very easy way to get into a cool lucid dream of experimentation, without using other methods like WILD (wake induced lucid dreaming). Also i believe that SP has nothing to do with supernatural beings and that sorts. It happens mostly when you've broken a sleeping pattern, or sleep when your not supposed to, or are under lots of stress. Everyone who does experience extreme fear during these SP do wake up in about 3-5 minutes if they try, because your brain can sense stress and your body slowly reboots. all that physiological stuff you feel when you get SP is just the way your body is when your sleep (unless you panic). and its the panicing that wakes your body up.
Dont be afraid of sleep paralysis.
I was reading an article on
I was reading an article on astral projection recently, and its basically self induced SP. You just have to learn to leave your body comfortably so you can lucid dream. The easiest way is to "roll" out of bed.
I just had this nightmare
I just had this nightmare literally 20 minutes ago. I was taking a nap, I probably fell asleep at 3pm and woke up at 3:30pm. I only recall having this type of dream three times. Before today, the last one was two years ago and I remember that one well because that was the first time I told my dad about it and he had no idea what it was about. I told him it happened once before and I also told him it usually happens when I sleep on the couch---that was true then. But today, I was sleeping on my bed and this one was by far the worst dream.
I could hear my dad's footsteps from the hall and I could hear the noise outside from my open window, but I could not wake up. I knew in the back of my mind it was still daylight, but in the dream it was dark. I could see a figure, just a weird floaty windy figure that sounded like a man. I cannot recall what he was saying but I was really terrified. I kept hearing my mom's voice even though she's not home. I kept trying to scream for my dad but nothing came out. And I knew too that there would nothing because while dreaming, I could recall the last time I had a dream like this. I kept trying to open my eyes and it would not work. In my dream, I continued to try and wake up. I would think I'm awake but then felt weird and knew it was just my mind. Every time I tried to lift my body off my bed, I kept feeling like I was leaving something behind, like it was just my spirit getting up.
I kept telling myself in the dream to not fight it and go back to sleep. I could not.
Eventually I did snap out of it and woke up completely scared. My heart was beating so fast and I'm really afraid to go back to sleep. Last time I had this, I managed to look past it. I read about it and accept it. It never happened again, until today.
How can we prevent this?
I have wondered that too,
I have wondered that too, could our spirit leave our body and walk around? I know that sounds dumb but after having such real dreams you can't help but wonder if you were really there in spirit. Just a crazy thought to try to figure it out.
Sleep Paralysis
Don't worry Mocha. You are not alone. The exact situation you are describing happned to me three days in a row except it was in different places and I heard differnt noises. Before those three days I would get sleep paralysis about once a month but now three day in a row. To be honest, I am getting tired of this siituation I just wish I didnt have this sleep paralysis. Every time it happens to me I am afraid to go back to sleep and for some reason my brain feels really tired after the sleep paralysis. Maybe it is because of all the struggle I do in order to wake up. I have tried to control but it is kinda hard for me to do it and I always panic and start screaming which of course no body can hear because it is not real. Every time I end up screaming for help, trying to get out of the bed and wake up sometimes I manage to get out of the bed but after a couple of seconds I realize I am still asleep . I have not waken up yet then I try to wake up again . Sometimes this cycle continues for 7 times until I eventually wake up in real.
Another one happened to me about 10 mins ago I did a research and stumbled upon this form.
Lucky me this never happened
Lucky me this never happened to me
Finnaly i have a somewhat
Finnaly i have a somewhat answer. i am 18 years old and ever since i was a little girl i have ben seeing black and white shadows by my door and i have moved from house to house as i grew up and i thought the shadows just follow me where i go the only person that knows about this is my mother i dont want to tell any one because i dont want them to think im crazy. well anyway i have recently moved into a new home and i have for the firs time experienced this Paralysis where im awake but cant move or talk i opened my eyes and i was frightend i heard growling under my bed and i could only slide my arms around but couldnt get up i wanted to screem i even started to cry then all of a suten the growling stoped and i could move again and i ran to my mother even she got scared and she thinks that some one that died in that house or area is trying to tell me something and for the past few months i have ben going to bed with the feer of feeling this awfull sensation but this artticle has braught me some confort.
Not convinced either....
I know any firm believer in Science will probably scoff at my "explanation". This use to happen to me SEVERAL times a night. So much so that it would disrupt my sleep. I was living in a very stressful environment at the time. I had asked all of my friends if this ever happened to them and they all thought I was crazy.
One day I happened to be watching Montel and Sylvia Browne was on. She's a world renowned Medium. (You can roll your eyes if you want). Somebody asked her about these exact symptoms. Sylvia's explanation was one I hadn't heard before. She even had a name for it, Astral Catalepsy. She said when we sleep our body sends our soul out to help solve problems, visit past loved ones, or simply go where we can't go when in human form.
Often times when we are startled awake in our body, the soul hasn't had a chance to get back yet so there's a "waiting period" until it gets back. There is a more in depth explanation, you can google it if you want. I'm not asking you to believe this explanation...I wasn't completely sold myself. BUT she said to solve the problem, simply pray to God...or whomever you prefer to call IT "Please grant me (my soul) a fast exit and a Fast entrance."
I thought I would try it because it was becoming a problem and I was very uncomfortable with it. I said it once that first night and it STOPPED. I was amazed. I went from having it several times a night to maybe twice a year, which was usually because I asked for it to happen. So please...anyone suffering from this. Just TRY IT. The only thing that can happen is it won't work....but if it does...won't you feel better?
I have experienced sleep
I have experienced sleep disorders since 1998 not often, but enough to make me feel scared. When I first experienced this it was only a weight holding me down. I would try to lift my body up off the bed and open my eyes and speak only to find nothing. When I prayed it left. Then a few years later it was back. This time I could hear voices and footsteps no weight holding me down however something trying to pull my pants off and me fighting to keep them up. This brings tears to my eyes. I have been tormented with this. Just a year ago again this took place this time the weight was back just like the first time. This time I could see black spears flying around my room. I felt like my legs were being lifted up only this time it got its way. I woke up sick mentally and confused I felt dirty I felt rapped. I want to believe this didn't happen. I don't understand why these events happened to me. It hurts talking about it.
xanax withdrawal and SP?
lately i've noticed a connection between taking xanax and sleep Paralysis.. I also take suboxone (4MG qam) and never had SP until I started taking Benzos with my suboxone....coincidence?
i''m not sure what it is but it's scary
i'm writing this for anyone who might have an idea as to waht this could be to let me know.
i noticed that my dad, when sitting relaxing..he would have these strange movements with his hands and face.. it's like he's fighting with someone and he's really angry and it would last for less than a minute.. sometimes it happens again.. but unless you interupt him i don't know if he knows what's happenning.
my mom has asked but he always denies it.. does anyone have any idea..i've been trying to get some info but not having much luck at all. it's very scary to look at when it's happenning.
Apnea
I have had these same symptons for 20 years not dead as of yet and I refuse to believe there is something more powerful than God! Although I cuss these dark ghostly figures out on a nightly basis. Scary as hell but I always come out of it. The sad thing about the whole thing is how do we know if anyone is dying from this if they are dead they have no way of telling us because NO one is studying it and keeping records. I have also been told thisa could be Sleep Anea bringing this on so my suggestion all of us get a breathing machine and report back your findings once you start using the machine it could help us all.
I've only had this one time,
I've only had this one time, basically I was lying in my bed and I heard chains hitting my wall, like they were coming from next door, and there was banging, and i tried to go upstairs to my mum because i was scared but i couldn't get up, or even roll over and put a pillow over my head, it seemed to go on for at least 5 minutes.
My boyfriend has had a worse experience, he dreamt that on the coat hook in hes room, there was a cloaked figure, like hidden almost as if it was a coat, it had glowing red eyes and then it ran at him and my poor boyfriend couldnt do anything at all, poor guy, apprently he never hung anything on that coat hook again.
same thing
iv had simplier exprinaces umm with me i couldnt move my hole body i asked my mother wtf was happaning and she told me what it was as u call it evil sleep its was very simpler to what my mother told me i dont belive its siantifik becuz i have tried just staying there trying to move or blink or anything it dsnt work but the scnd i start to read prayers in my miind then i am able to move a fuw times i read a little in my head and got up 2 move and stop reading i fell paralized agen so persnaly i belive it has 2 do with something non scientific
Re: same thing (from Kym)
I was about 14 years old when I finally told my mother about my Sleep paralysis. She specifically told me it was a "witch riding my back". There's folklore about the "old hag" and I think these stories are meant to give us meaning to what happens in our sleep. Yes, I believe that Sleep Paralysis is just part of what we have. We need more clarification. I just find it odd that we are experience the same things. I know it can be terrifying. I still couldn't allow myself to deal with Sleep Paralysis fully because I'm afraid I won't awaken.
Sleep Paralysis?
I have experienced what seems to be sleep paralysis on numerous occasions. It tends to happen a lot of times after I have eaten something sweet and fall asleep shortly thereafter. The experience of 'sleep paralysis'(if that's the case) is very frightening and seems to always have some kind of plot to it. What I mean by that is most times I always seem to be awake within a dream, however still unable to move, unable to talk, and sometimes difficulty in breathing. During this state I feel the want/desire to just close my eyes and go to sleep, but I fear that it will in fact be the end of me and I may never wake up. I never let my eyes close within this state but I fight hard to try to get a handle on my body so that I will wake up by a slight movement or something. Eventually I feel like my effort worked and I do wake up, but of course after the experience I am reluctant to go back to sleep. During the fighting and waking up process, I feel myself going through different stages in slow motion it seems. For example, I may manage to move a finger slightly, then a hand, and so on, all in slow motion until I finally awake. Another occasion of 'sleep paralysis' I seem to be completely aware of my surrounding. For example; one morning I woke up and was awake for about 30 to 45 mins watching a movie, there was a fan going in the room also. I dozed off and dreamed I was at a baseball game, I was about to sit on the bleachers and I slipped and was falling but about to catch myself and I awoke to non-movement however I saw everything that was happening in the movie that I fell asleep on and the curtains were moving from the fan being on. I was aware of all of these things but I was unable to move, I called out to my cousin (he was the only other person home) but my voice sounded raspy and very very faint. I later asked if he heard me, he didn't. That was the very first time I had experienced it and I too thought there where evil spirits lurking and what not, but now that it happens more often I'm not sure if that's still the case. Perhaps I should do a sleep study or something, because it happened again last_night-this morning. First I went to sleep late about 4am or so. I dreamed I was in another room but I couldn't move and everything was telling (psychologically) to just go fall asleep because within the dream and paralysis state I felt really sleepy and just wanted to close my eyes and sleep. Still I felt if I do this, it would be the end of me therefore I fought through it until I woke up in reality. When I awoke parts of my body where numb, my arms fingers shoulder. I was really sleepy when I awoke in reality and nervous to go back to sleep. This time I could not fight it, I dozed back off and the soon experienced the same thing. This happened a total of three times within a two hour span. On the third one I was awake in my room and fighting to move, trying so hard not to fall asleep, it was so tough fighting the sleep, but I managed. Still during this time I was just facing the wall my mouth was open and I felt my body just shutting down I seriously thought I was a goner. I was just praying I wake up and get out of the state I was in. I finally woke up and I'm not going back to sleep at the moment. I have an 8am class that I may be late for, due to this comment I'm posting. So I am pushing on about 1-2 hrs of sleep. I woke up around 6:30am and been up since then. I just wanted to share my experience after stumbling across this blog. I am opened to any statements or suggestions if you all have any.
sleep paralysis
I just wanted to reply to this post,I am very scared to go back to sleep, your story / symptoms are the very same as mine, I fight to keep my eyes moving for fear that I wont wake up, I am on alot of meds and am concerned if maybe this is the problem, I am aware of everything around me and I heard some voices and cant quite remember what they were, But this is starting to scare the hell out of me, I did have a severe spinal leak 3 times in the span of a 6 week hospital stay for back surgery, I have spina biffida, and some other issues, since I have had the surgerys I hear a surge of water or blood in the back of my head behind my ears, it happens when I am awake too, I wonder if this has anything to do with the sleep paralysis, this has happened 3 times now in the past two months and it is very scary, like all of the other posters I to am scared I will not wake up, Please protect me my Lord. I dont want to die like that... I will prey for all of the posters on here and I hope you all prey for me.
Thanks Carrie
I FEEL LIK ITS GOING TO KILL
I FEEL LIK ITS GOING TO KILL ME 1 NIGHT I HATE THE FEELING THT I'm AWAKE BUT I'm SLEEPING ND I CAN'T GET WAKE UP IDK WHT IS REALLY GOING ON
Common occurrences
I have experienced SP on several occasions. I usually have this happen when I nap in the daytime. I will "awake" with full awareness of my surroundings, unable to move and when I try to scream it comes out as a quiet moan. Usually I will drift back to sleep and incorporate my real visual surroundings into my dreams. After I told my wife about my episodes, she usually wakes me if she hears me moaning and sees my eyes opening. This has saved me from the fear associated with the paralysis. Something else that has helped me (when no one is around) is to remind myself that this is part of dreaming. Usually I can calm down and "go back to sleep". I always wake up with full motor functions at the end of my rest.
Hope this helps
Andy
yay
Your experiences sound similar to mine.
and yes reminding yourself your dreaming really helps . My last time was even awesomely fun.
Jan
I'm an atheist and there are
I'm an atheist and there are never any spirits or angels in my sleep paralysis sessions just me either flying out the window and down the street (which feels very real) or sometimes my landlord's wife and family will come into my room and crowd around me. I think these sessions touch on things that make us uncomfortable or things we fear happening. I'm not 100% fond of my landlord or his family or the fact that they have a key to my apartment. Someone who dreams of evil beings and devils or angels is probably preoccupied with that in their waking minds. I always know after a little while that i'm asleep and I go with the ride. The only thing that frightens me is that i might stop breathing because breathing is very shallow during these eps and i sometimes feel like i'm choking
SP and adderall?
Ok I just started experencing this only a few months ago. I am 28 years old and I just woke up from 1. I couldn't find a connection but I recently od from taking 2 much adderall in one night while studying for finals.(my ex introduced me to them) Ever since that happened is when I started experencing the episodes of feeling paralyzed while sleeping. I calmed down on taking them and I took them everyday like half of one before I worked out so I could go longer. Well this wknd I took a few 2 stay awake from going 2 a party and working 8hrs then having a bday party to go to right after that. So from Fri-Sun I only had 8hrs of sleep. I crashed last night no problem had anormal day today and didn't take any adderall then bam I just had 2 back to back episodes of this and it sux. Well just wondering if it can be cause of all the past abuse of adderall any info would help
My Daughter has feelings of leaving her body
Hi Please can someone help or advise me, my daughter is 13 years old, i lost me dad 3yrs ago to cancer, and she said he comes and talks to her, recentley she has started like going into a trance, is the only way i can describe it, then she starts shaking and gets scared, the only thing she says she can remember is as if some one is trying to take her from her body or she leaves her body, its scaring her now, she is wide awake when this happens, we were in the shops the other day when it happened, and she ran out, because she doesnt know whats happening to her, she believes there is life after death and can see and here messages from the other side, whilst in my dads bedroom after we lost him, mum had said she had lost something ,out off the blue my daughter said nanny grandad said you will find it in the draw in the bathroom, we went to look and there it was, mum had been looking for it for weeks.please can some help or give advise, so we can cope with this, Karen
Someone is touching me in my sleep
Sleep paralysis is the closest explanation for what I experience but it doesn't completely explain what happens to me. I have been experiencing sleep touching since my first memories. As a child and on into adulthood it happens to me fairly often that I am being touched, massaged, caressed, bitten, pinched, held down, choked, prodded at and tapped on by some exterior force. I am either very scared or very angry depending on where and how I am being touched. I also have horrible nightmares, repetitive dreaming and I am so blessed to have great dreams too, flying and breathing under water and cherished and loved by angels and family, friends and strangers. The Koran has the Jinn as a very good explanation... being that they are mean spirited and pranksters who like to cause trouble and fear for us humans. It is not unusual to be touched sexually in my sleep as well in my adulthood. There is a movie called the Entity based on the true story of a woman who was sexually assaulted by a spirit repeatedly over a period of time... that has not happened to me on that scale but definitely I have been touched sexually. One thing different from others is that I never open my eyes.... too scared to see what's going on I guess... I usually try to scream or cuss at it as hard as I can. I rarely cuss in my daily life and rarely if ever get furious like that. I believe it happens more often during periods of stress or unhappiness, but recently it is happening to me a lot but I am not stressed or unhappy. Three times in one 6 hour night it happened last week, then every night this week and this morning it happened between 5 and 7 am... started with fingers pressing on my hips and butt moved to my waist and up my body till it choked me. I know I am awake but cannot move or scream "no!" like I need to! I am not asleep, I am not dreaming it... I believe in God and we have a good relationship... I am an optimistic positive person and I am not battling any demons in my spiritual, physical, financial or emotional life... I would just love it to stop.... I am going to work on not getting mad or scared and I am going to try and astral project as that sounds awesome! Anyway, thanks for listening... take care and sleep well with sweet dreams.
Re: Someone is touching me in my sleep
Believe me, the koran has it right, it has it ALL right. Keep reading, make sure you take refuge in Allah. If this should occur again try to say out loud, or in your head if you're unable to speak "Allah hu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest).
this will help, but may or may not be a permanent solution.
I would strongly suggest you
I would strongly suggest you try burning some frankinsencse and myrrh. It is a Middle Eastern method of freeing your room or entire house of the jinn. Don't sleep naked either.
hard to sleep
it just recently started where i can't move or scream but something is choking me and the more i force with it the less i can breath i just started praying that helped if you ever find out what is going on let me know thanks for listening.
so, i just had a episode or
so, i just had a episode or sleep paralisis and i was looking for some conforting and explanation and so read this article. i already new what it was, but it kept saying stuff like "seeing ghost figures" and "hearing voices" which didnt my already freaked out brain. and then, they say that you can die from this! i hope to god this isnt true... i have to work tomorrow buyt im too scared to go to sleep and die!
Evil Dimensions?
I believe our minds are more powerful than we relize. With that said, we don't give oureleves enough credit. We can't believe our own brian can produce such a hallucination. We blame God or aliens or evil spirits. I myself have wondered. As I became more educated I understood how to control my awake dreams by focusing on my surroundings, what stress was in my life, all the way down to the position I sleep in. I havent had one in years, I've had them start, but I pulled myself out using my mind and remaining calm. I think we start to feed our imaginations and make the dreams worsen when we hand over responsability to some other worldly entity. I think it also discredits those of us who have looked for a way to understand and over come these horrible night terrors. People think its a joke or we are crazy. I believe in God, I believe he created our complex brians, and that he gave us control, we just have to learn how to control it.
Cat
This never happens to me at home. Well tonight, for the first time, it happened at home.
I know the rules:
You are aware.
Don't think evil.
Don't panic.
Well my cat must had noticed something and came to my rescue. In my SP I was laying there and my cat came up to me and looked at my face concerned; I saw him - I have never seen anyone before in a SP; not even my wife beside me. I then watched as he went about the room doing things and I felt so calm as if he was taking care of the problem. I woke up, for real (not a false awakening), later and my cat was next to me sleeping. I wasn't sure I was awake though, cause those damn SP dreams seem so real. I turned the tv on and hung out with my cat for a while. My wife slept; never knew.
I find it weird that you were
I find it weird that you were able to see your cat, I can see the house layout like I am awake. At night the only light in our house is in the kitchen and one night I had SP and the house was dark and the only light was in the kitchen and I thought that was really weird, almost like my eyes were open and I was sleep walking. It is hard to go back to sleep after having one of those dreams. Most of my dreams are crazy and don't make since, but these dreams are so real and so scary that you will think about them for days. I thought until yesterday that only my family had these horrible dreams.
sp
after carefully reading everyone comments the summery about sp i am a little bit relief but i am still scared because i have never experience nothing like this n my life and its very scary i can b sleep and all of a sudden i wake up and cant move my body i can hear my child awaking me to get him ready for skool and i can hear my boyfriend leave off to work but i can not awake myself n now that i know its evil sprits im even more terrified because im home offly alot by myself n i fill like im dead when it happen to me i told my boyfriend when he c me sleeping please call my name n shake me because as the days and weeks go own it become worser n im scared i thought it was a health problem so i got blood work done test ran and nothing happen so i started going to church n praying every nite n still nothing change much so i explain to my boyfriend n he look at me as if i was crazy until he experince the same thing n it frighten him but it has only happen to him once n it still continue to hunt me n scare me it first stared when i move into my own apartment n i would b sleep on my stomach n i can fill something on my back n i can hear my boyfriend snoreing but i couldnt awake or move myself so now i sleep on my back n now i can fill something on my stomach n cant awake i always seemto cant breathe n i find my self wanted just bust out crying asking the lord y is this happen to me is a sign have i done something r is it a ghost r a evil sprit
I experienced this for few
I experienced this for few years occasionally at 17.i felt like someone was on my chest. But will disappear once i start chanting prayer. It always happened when i slept alone, even during day nap. I never experienced this if i slept in hall near my parents .