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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep

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Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip

Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep

Hiro Takahashi

A person may wake up and find himself unable to move or speak as if he is frozen. He also may hear footsteps, see a ghost-like creature, or feel someone sitting on his chest. Throughout the history, people considered this phenomenon as work done by evil spirits. However, the modern science can explain the terrifying event as a Sleep Paralysis.

A Sleep Paralysis is possibly a hereditary disorder in which one experiences very frightening seconds or minutes of total body paralysis with little respiration and eye movements (1). A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2). In addition to the immobility, the common symptoms include feeling choked or suffocated, hearing strange noises like footsteps and voices, seeing beings or dark shadows, and feeling an existance of someone in the room (1). Although these symptoms often direct the victims to believe in ghosts, mistransmission of neural signals in the brain causes Sleep Paralysis. When a person sleeps, his brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contraction (3). If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed"(2).

In order to understand how a body becomes paralyzed while the person is awake, it is necessary to understand sleep cycles. In a mammalian sleep, the brain activity undergoes two different states called non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, which differ very much from wakefulness (3). NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically through the night; in human, about 80 minutes of NREM sleep starts a night of sleep, about 10 minutes of REM sleep follows, and this 90 minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times during the night (3). During NREM sleep, a body produces few movement, but the body has capability of tossing about in bed and producing some other motor events, such as sleepwalking and sleeptalking (3). The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2). During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3). The eyes move rapidly because most dreaming takes place in this period, and the sleeper probably "look" at the moving objects in a dream (2).

The brain's control over muscles during REM sleep points out that in this period, a body is normally in the state of total paralysis, called a "nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis" (3). Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2). Although some peripheral muscles, such as the muscles of the fingers and face, still twitch, the large skeletal muscles become relaxed, or "paralyzed" as a result (3). Some evidence supports that the motor paralysis of REM sleep protect against the acting out of one's dreams. A patient who suffers from rare syndrome called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder lacks the normal nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis, and he acts out violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (4). For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4).

A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2).

While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5).

How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations.

Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.

Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5).

Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.

WWW Sources

1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis

2)The Body During Sleep

3)Basics of Sleep Behavior

4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder

5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis

 

 

Comments made prior to 2007

I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006

 


I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific.

About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006 

 

i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007

 

I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child.  It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past.  I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep. 

Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up?

It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines.  If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine.  Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works.  Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have.  I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me.

I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo.  A migraine in 5 seconds.  That is how they can occur.  I wake with them otherwise.  I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't.  I have a clean bill of health otherwise.

Thanks for your time.  Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007

 

I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one.  Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep?  The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath.  My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes.  I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all.  What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep?  I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me!  Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007

 

I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;-)  Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007 

Comments

zia's picture

listen to this.

i am 16 this sleep paralysis thing happends to me all the time. sometimes even multiple times a night so i have lotts of stories.

once i woke up and couldnt move, i was trying to scream but nothing would come out. my body started twisting and turning in really weird, exorcism ways. like my head would be bent to my lower back and stuff like that. my legs were kicking like a madman and wouldnt stop. i than got dragged off the bed and my body started bending backward again. there were dead bodys all around me on the floor and someone was standing over me while a demon baby was eating my hand and i actually felt pain where it was biting me. i saw my grandma walk into the room so i thought maybe this was over and she heard me scream. but no, she would disapear and reappear closer and closer to me till she was standing over me than i woke up and she was gone. i was in my bed when i woke up so i know that it was just some crazy dream shiit.

i was too scared to go back to sleep after that. but this happeneds almost everynight so i have learned to roll with it and wait it out even though it still scares the hell out of me sometimes.

Emma's picture

It is very scary...

It is very scary when it happens. I thought I was the only one with this, but after some research on-line, thankfully I know I'm not alone. I'm 21 years old and this has been going on for about two years now. I'll try to explain what I experience. First of all I hear a noise. Not just any noise, but an awful screeching, or humming noise. Sometimes, this noise sounds like a chorus of people humming, or saying "ahhhh" or a vrum, vrum, vrum, heartbeat kind of noise. I've never seen anyone in these episodes, but I have certainly felt something was out to get me. The second thing to come is the paralyse. I see my head, and how I'm trying to lift it, I see that I'm trying to pick myself up off the floor, bed, or wherever I'm sleeping at the time. No matter how hard I try to snap out of it, I can't! It's so frustrating. The first time it happened to me, I swore I was dying or something. It felt like I was slowly slipping away to some other dimension and I couldn't control it at all. The third thing to happen is realizing I'm still awake! I hear my family talking in the next room... I'm screaming "wake me up!" But they can't hear me of course. Now, what I find really weird is this; I just woke up 10 minutes ago from a nightmare. I always have nightmares when I sleep on my back without my bedroom light being on. this is not SP or anything, just a random horrid nightmare when I sleep on my back. Tonight my dream was this: The devil was trying to touch me, he was shaking my bed etc, but all the while, Jesus was at my side, holding my hands as he knelt beside my bed. Now what is this? Could SP be more than just scientific? I believe it is. No matter how many times I experience SP, I don't feel OK with it, I don't get used to it. Will I visit a Doctor about it? No. My Doctor is God in this case. I'll trust him every time I experience sleep paralyse and hope that one day, it will leave me. I do have some advice for other people who experience this. DO NOT be afraid. I know it's hard. When you wake from it, ask God for help.... Trust Jehovah.

Markus Marken's picture

I first experienced this 2

I first experienced this 2 years ago.
That was when me and my friends where interested in ghosts and paranormal stuff.
I asked a doctor and told me about sleeping paralysis so i was ok.
I never truly believed it was a ghost though.
Im happy that i've got a spooky story to tell! xD

Anonymous's picture

Is this some kind of possession?

This is disturbing to me because this has happened to me several times however, three that stick out the most.Once i was laying with my son and i felt a huge bright light in the hall way but could not turn my head. I actually felt someone's hand on my shoulder.then when the light went away i was able to move. The second time i was watching the home shopping network and i was awake but had a sudden feeling of fear and could not move but the front door blew open and it was windy.I then felt evil. that was the same night my friend committed suicide. The worst however was when i felt a bit afraid before laying down so i put it on the christian channel and it happened again. Door blew open and it was windy and very chilling. then A black shadow of a man wiped me around like a doll as though trying to beat me up. this lasted for several minutes but I'll never forget that image and being thrown around. I felt as though the devil himself was trying to invade me.There has to be something behind these episodes.

Scott's picture

Things you can do to help s.p.

I have had sleep paralysis since I was a kid. I have experienced all the same symptoms you all talk about, evil presence, weird sounds, can't wake up, bla bla bla, I can go on and on. I believe that sp stems from having anxiety, stress, depression. I have always had lots of anxiety and I think this is what causes sp. I started taking an antidepresent for my anxiety a few years ago (lexapro) . What this drug does is it gets more serontonine to the brain. I have never had any more problems since taking lexapro, no more s.p. Also I noticed when used to drink alcohol it would cause me to get s.p. more often , so don't drink before you go to sleep. Also another thing that helps is sleeping on your side and not your back or stomach. I'm not sure why this helps, but I think sleeping on your side helps you to breath better while you sleep. Also don't watch anything stressfull before you go to sleep (horror movies, or thrillers) well I hope this helps you all . God Bless

jacqui's picture

i have also noticed that if i

i have also noticed that if i am extremely tired and i sleep on my back, i get this attack of SP. I had an attack about two nights ago and strangely for the first time i heard the voice of a woman whispering to me. i usually shake my head a lot to come out of it, i begin to say the 23rd psalm in my mind and i try to cry out on the name of Jesus. My friend was lying next to me recently and said he heard me crying out. I would like someone to be in the room with me and observe me at the time of this SP.

BJ's picture

I thought this only happened to me

I am glad to know that I am not alone in this (even though I hate to see anyone going through this). I started having SP in college, mostly when I was exhausted and napped during the day. I would wake up and couldn't move my body. I could see everything around me (the tv, dreser, etc.) I could barely breathe and it seemed like every breath I took was going to be my last. I would try to scream for someone to wake me or for someone to just come and shake me but no sound would come out of my mouth. What I would do is try as hard as I could to lift an arm or to rock back and forth so that I could try to wake myself up or roll off the bed. Usually when I do this though my body will get weaker and weaker and I would feel extremely fatigued. At this point I would rest a second and start rocking back and forth again. I've never experienced seeing images or figures in my room but this event is always frightening. I've had these episodes on occasions while in the bed with my boyfriend. He has told me that he would wake up and I'd be shaking my sleep (this was probably me rocking back and forth trying to wake up). I told him next time to just shake me and wake me up (he always forgets). I really hope that more research is done on this and that someone will discover a drug that will help eleviate this problem because it's the worst feeling in the world.

Anonymous's picture

SP

well, it happens to me very often, most of the time when am taking a "siesta" or napping, just before i wake up, I really dislike the feeling. it feels like am half conscious and i cannot move a muscle , i try to shout and i cant, then i try really really hard to wake up and move, normally i move my head to the sides and then i can finally move my whole body again. I too see things and people, normally hear loud steps and voices, even people i never seen talking and stuff, it feels very real and it always scares me. I wish there was a medication for that so that i dont have to experience it again.honestly i dont know what to do about it. any ideas?

Anonymous's picture

sp

I had this also i didnt even know what it was. I was really tired and tried to fall asleep but i couldn't becuase if i did i wouldnt be able to move. it took me about 12 seconds to move. i try so hard to shake myself out of it. I dont get it everyday though. i get it once in a while. if u think about it you will get it. I wish they had medicine for it becuase it is kind of scary. I never ever just tried to ignore it and fall asleep because im scared I wouldnt be able to get back up or moe up again.

Jason's picture

WOW thank GOD i found this

WOW thank GOD i found this website i thought i was alone. I suffer from Sleep Paralysis very badly when it happens. I first experience this when i was 9 years old. I had no idea what this was until now 30 years later. The last time this happened to me there were faces on the ceiling looking at me. A dark presence was knocking at the door, trying to break into my room, the faces were laughing at me. My eyes were open I could not move something was holding me down. I was been attacked by somekind of dark energy force that felt evil. I struggled my body was sort of shivering trying to wake up and snap out of it. But then i screamed calling out on the NAME OF YESHUA Help Me Please and the faces, the evil presences went away. I woke up my heart was pounding very fast i was scared. After reading through this website i am convinced that there is no real Scientific answer for this. This is not the movies for sure. Some how there is a devil, demonds, and YESHUA (GOD) because it would be impossible for me to call on GOD and experience this. Some how there is also a time warp of another dimension because i have experience falling off clif and never landing, i also struggle to wake up.

Anonymous's picture

I thought i was the only one

Well i had the same things happened to me and i always thought it was because of the bad stuff i went thru in Iraq but then i realized that it had happened since i was a kid.

I had this happened again 2 nights ago and out of fustration, i started searching this last night and found many answers.

I completely agree agree with you, this is no science, there's something taking over for sure. My experiences various at times, from faces to black shadows appoaching me, to hearing a loud noise right next to my ear, to seeing people walking towards me slowly like as if they were floating...i had so many different encounters. Well, im gona keep reading this page. Feel free to contact me if you want to share or have any questions.

budoshi's picture

ying n yang

Very often evil phenomenon appears out of negatives energy around the house a room or event someone in the house who hes always negative or always angry.try throwing a party or invite friends to watch sports or something to put some positives energy,it can help.

One other things that is really important is to never sleep in a pitch black room,always have a light source to light up the room a little.For me i let my window blind half open so the lights coming from the parking light-up my room.
A night light can also work.

I have myself experienced many phenomenal things in my life but pleasant and unpleasant , Before it all began i was only able to sleep in a pitch black room.faces appears in front on my face floating bright rosed lights passing for a side of my room to the next before fading, some long enough for me to sit and try to touch them before they just fade away as i did.

It wasn't really bothered by it, it was even a routine till one nigh something woke me up as i felt a presence around me,
then a saw my cat watching me sleep,but as soon as i realize there is no way he can be with me for my room door is closed the cat changed into some kind of black dog,scare me a little so i try punching it (my first reaction went these things scare me), then it just jump down my bed and disappear into the dark. since that nigh i can never sleep in a pitch black room anymore.

then things stopped for a while but lately im starting to see strange things again and i swear last nigh i saw a dog again changing from cat to dog watching my at distance in a darker corner of my room.

i can go on and on about things i saw but my main objective for this post was to tell people not to sleep in a place too dark if they are sensible to this strange phenomenon, i myself never experience sleep paralyze. u till last nigh i saw right in front my eyes an image of a blond women smiling gently at me and as i said hello it fade away but right before i saw her i was awake but i was enable to open my eyes no matter how hard i tried and i knew something was with me in my room ,i didn't like the experience one bit.

Again i dont stress this enough NEVER sleep in the pitch black.things can be worst.

Anonymous's picture

How to Induce?

This is no longer happening to me. It's been a few years. Diet or environment responsible? More/less serotonin?
Any ideas how to bring it back? I found it very exciting and I miss it.

Anonymous's picture

Well, mine went away for

Well, mine went away for about a 2 years and came back. I dont think there's a way to make it come back or go away. If you have it you have it and will happen at any given time.

Anonymous's picture

i had sleep paralys 5 times

i had sleep paralys 5 times firts 3 times i was scared next times i was ready in 4th time i wake up easy and in 5th time when the ghost atack me i moved and catch the ghost and start kicking her ass she scream and scream and then i wake up and never more hawe sleep paralys again. And when you boys and girls get sleep paralys dont be scared the ghost cant do anything to you but you can kick his ass :D and try to move your body with your braiinnn ... Sory for the bad english :)

Anonymous's picture

This has happened to me my

This has happened to me my whole life ! dont know much about it. i have had just about every experience that is on this page in some variation or another.

Jose's picture

Am I possesed?

05/14/10

Today I had a my first sleep paralys that i can remember. My body was facing my closet and my head was set on my computer screen. I felt really tired thirsty. As I tried to stand up it felt like my blanket was 10 tons and i could not get it off me. The feeling of being trapted make me panic and gave me a burst of adrealine and i was up. However, everything but my Bed was gone in my room. In the corner i saw a figure like of a lepercon, but it did not have hat and did not have green clothes. Quickly my heart started beating and pounding. I rushed to it thinking i could overpower it, but it was that same second it smiled at me and in a blink of an eye i was back in my bed. At this point i thought ok this is just a dream so i can change it. Me being the geek i am i started thinking of the World of Warcraft and thought i was in a huge battle. I cant remember exacly how it ended or if it really began, but again in a blink of an eye i was back in my bed stuck under my blanket. I heard things falling and moving all over my room. The struggle of opening my eye felt like trying to open a locked door. Suddenly my anger grew and my body felt enpowered with this new power. The moment I tried the movement of getting up this ungodly sound over my body emploded, almost like a a very low toned static boom. With that horrible sound my fear grew into terror and my body was completely frozen. This made me revert into a stage of my childhood where I could speak with demons and satan himself(or so i thought). To help you understand when i was a little kid I had very strange things happend to me, but the one thing that made me completely terrified was when i was about 7. Just so you guys know I do not remember any of this since I was very young, but my aunt was able to remember this all very clearly. My aunt was in one room and i was in another; I walked into hers and i told her in these words " They are going to kill you and take you back." This story gives me chills till this day. Any ways back to the main story. So i was still awake and could not move as much as i tried. I heard movement outside my door so i thought my mom woke up. I started yelling "MOM!" in my head but nothing came out of my lips. At this time there was nothing i could do; I was defeated. After i accepted my lost it all blurred out and I woke up.

This is probaly going to be in my mind for a long time and i will not be able to sleep. I hope some one can relate to this and has a real answer other then religion, everything i bring god into my paranormal problems things get worst.

TONY's picture

I SAW THE SAME

Hello just like to say i saw the same thing goblin type of creature, also saw grim reeper at the same time.
i'm not crazy but i know what i saw.
Once i woke up in that parilised state , only to break out of it
but it grabed me the second time, then i swung my elbow around
& freed my self,then the third time as i was leening up to eventally get out of the room it grabbed me that 3rd time,
i managed to free my self running to the front room were my
gradmother was sitting.
my granmother said it is evil spirits, & time to time they follow you, god knows why?
I BELIVE IT COULD BE A FORM OF ABDUCTION, HIGHER ENTELLIGENCE
SOME TYPE OF EXPERIMENT THEY ARE CONDUCTING.

I HAD THESE EXPERIENCES SINCE I WAS 4

Tomas 's picture

I have This too

Wow I Let me say That I'm really that I'm very very very happy to see other people are going threw this just as well as I am see what I go threw is just a little different my eyes are closed I can't move or somthing one part can move and nothing eles can I don't recall having any bad dreams but I have to say and admit that when I sleep and do get frozen I am awake and sometimes I can hear things or I feel somthing breathing on me trust me I get really scared theres a ton of other things that have happaned but the most scareiess thing i remmeber is i was stuck in one spot and I was in some type of room all black and I couldn't breath that well and everytime i was taking a breath I felt like i was loseing air after every breath then all I heard was a knock on the wall then I woke up to find my self with my face all the way in the pillow weird really weird this had to have start happaning with me made when i was in middle school going in to highschool so I guess about 14 15 and now im 22 and this sleep ting still keeps going on it has lessin it self from not being able to breath or move to breathing and just not being able to move and I have red some of the posts and to be honest I'm not sure which to believe im starting to think that it really is both demons and just Sleep Paralysis I don't know and i can't tell you honestly what it is but I'm starting to think everyone here on this post or fourm is gifted with the same thing I have why I call it gifted is because I can see some of us on this either speak to other people or see them threw this or see things before they actually happan like seeing something when its actually happning and not being able to interect or stop it and then others I just see where its just way to frightening to speak about it I'm really starting to think that this is a talnet or power that we all have and we have to live with it my honest opinion is i really don't want this gift or talnet anymore because I'm not sleeping right because of it and now that I see and hear it actually happaning to other people and hear some of these horrible scray storys I just don't want this anymore but as I can see there is no cure for this it is just a simple disoder that were going to have to live with now that i know a way to move when I get frozen what im going to try to do is when it happans I'm gong ot try and make my self laugh because wen you notice when you laugh yout lungs and most of your muscles move when you do so that my plan thanks for listening peeps wish me luck :)

George's picture

D@mn its scary!

Hi all, I'm George, 20 y/o from Greece.

I have experienced 7-8 times SP episodes but it was like I was too lazy to wake up or move my body, but with much effort I could move and they all lasted a few seconds.

But 4 hours ago I experienced another SP episode which lasted around 1 minute and it scared so much ! My father called my name while I was sleeping and although I heard him - wake up, I could't move. I replied him "What?" and after that I paralyzed.

I tried to call my father for help, move with all my force but I couldn't even move my eyes. I was breathing slow and didn't get much oxygen, which scared me more..

slamar's picture

cnt sleep too scared

There are night where i'm sleeping and when i wake up i cant move. my whole body is frozen. i usually try to scream but no one can hear mee. sometimes i fell like there is someone over me keeping me down. making sure i wont get up or i wont scream when i scream i usualy scream for my mom asking her to help me. i am the only one that gets it in my family no one else gets it. i've asked everyone and they said no so it can be hereditary. when i do wake up and i can move again i usually say a prayer or i'll sing this song called wtap me in your arms and i fall back to sleep peacefully. sometimes i can feel it coming so i wont sleep and i'll pray. i get this frequently. do i need help?.

nicci's picture

definately asleep but awake

I honestly thought i was going mad or something supernatural was occuring.My first experience was a yr ago.It starts with a noise in my ears like a moth caught flapping its wings, i now know whats about to unfold.it happened three nights in a row.All i remember back then is that i was terrified beyond belief.I saw peoples faces as clear as a bell, people i didnt know.The faces morphed into demons.I felt myself screaming but there was no noise.I couldnt move my arms and there was definately an evil presence in the room with me.I told my sister and mother but they didnt take it seriouly at all.About 2 weeks ago i was going through a very strssful period in my life and work.It was around 5am i woke and fell back asleep.It started with the noise in my ear and i feared it was about to happen again.I remember feeling my eyes moving as if having rapid eye movement but i couldnt open them.My legs were pinned down and it felt as if something was sitting on my upper body.The faces approached me changing into the most hideous demons.I heard a menacing voice say "close the door"It then became sexual which hasnt happened before.I felt the presence enter me, i felt it sucking on my breasts.I could hear it making noises.It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying.I woke and tried to compose my thoughts only to drift off and had a repeat of the demon faces and the inability to wake myself up.When i got up i felt totally disjointed as if in a surreal state,I felt as though brushing my teeth in the mirror my reflection was going to change.Honestly i questioned my sanity, was i going mad?I told my mother and partner "i'm either going mad or something supernatural has hold of me.A few days later i googled 'asleep but awake" and there it all was, i'm a text book case for sleep paralisis.It is comforting to learn i'm not alone, i can understand the scientific explanation but why dont we see sweetness and light?why so dark and terrifying and why so similar?Thanks to all that posted, at least next time i will be somewhat prepared and hopefully not as petrified.

Anonymous's picture

I'm a first timer just last night - WOW !

I am having a stressful time and am bringing to light sexual and physical abuse. But first I must say I have told everyone in my family for years and well... they don't care. So, finally my Mom asked acouple of questions while I was intoxicated and I let it roll. description and all. Her face told the story. I am an alcoholic and had treatment and am on the mend. I know that seratonin plays a big part in the why besides family history. So, finally my Mom, now divorced called my father and said come down for a meeting. He agreed and said he was pissed but.... That's the background. So last night I was dozing off and woke up to my eyelids so incredibly heavy. I did not feel drugged or high - I just could not keep them open and then the same sound like amplified butterfly wings or a wet reed hitting something but not too noisy (weird) At first I thought it was the overhead fan but I woke up hard and listened, then my eyelids were coming down and that same sound you describe. The first and second time I went "down" I felt the bed spread fluff up in different areas around my ankles and I thought I opened my eyes and this black filmy clound was to my left - FREAKED OUT. Woke up. (My mom was with me) I woke her up. Third time I sort of knew it was going to happen again b/c of the wing noise, a deep depression to my right shoulder and for a second I thought it was mom then I felt this shaggy fluffy "thing run off the bed. I thought it was a dog and told Mom the dog is on the bed. I woke up again and my Mom is totally asleep. Woke her up ask her if she heard or felt anything. Nada. Tried to stay awake NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. thwap thwap thwap I knew this time it was in my mind and I needed to control the fear. I heard a thunderstorm clear as a bell. There was a dark figure of a man outside the blinds and turned to tell my Mom but she was not there. I woke up again and said OK I hear it coming make it pleasant. It turned sexual and FREAKED ME COMPLETELY OUT OF MY SKULL. I woke her up again (she getting a wee bit grumpy and said that's my foot) I was thinking Uhm no no that was not a foot. And again it came this time I looked up and a tiny orange light from some sort of orange metal light saber thing and I looked back down again and then all of the sudden I heard Louis Armstrong singing La Vie En Rose and the thunderstorm (which I usually love and makes me sleepy and cozy) played perfectly. I woke up and not a sound - no music, no storm. Felt the wings coming and said now that was good. It started up again both sounds and I have been so thankful although I soaked my nightgown through, but I think if you say you want something pleasant and get past the ghouls, funky man at the door and please oh please the sexual stuff you can actually turn it around to something pleasant TRULY pleasant. I must thank you so much for your description of the wings. i went through quite a few description of SP but yours was the first I could say AHA b/c I told My mother about the thwap or flap noise.

My stomach is finally unclentched. Best Regards.

Anonymous's picture

dreams

When i was 12 years old i used to smoke.. the so called nightmares felt like i was suffocating.. thats because anyone who smokes is or will expererience this at any night.
The dream is like your rolling on spiky surface and feel like being crushed from above.. once u start breathing just like normal the dream changes to flat surface no more pressure from all sides and then usualy you wake up.

( that may be also caused by my face set into pillow so you can't breathe at all or not sufficiently.

Ross's picture

:/

I hate it when i have this!! i have it occasionaly. I must admit it is terrifying, But the thing i do to wake my self is try and take deep breath's and concentrate on moving a finger or toe. It does take a few seconds or maybe minute or two its does work though. Hope this helps somebody.

Anonymous's picture

yeh im the same the first few

yeh im the same the first few times with me were scary! now when it happens i just keep tryin to say my partners name or mine until i finally mumble it out! at first when it happened i didnt know what was happening or what to do now i realise straight away that its happening and try my hardest to struggle out of it

stephen's picture

sleep paralysis

Im so happy i looked this up. This has happened to me a few times now and twice recently. One time i awoke and couldnt move but then a clear shadowy figure came out of the wall and bit my neck. it was like some sort of vampire. when it went away i tried to move but couldnt so i tried to sleep and ignore it. eventually though i got up and was freaking out. i knew tho that it had to have been some sort of dream like i wasnt completely awake annd still dreaming.

Mark's picture

Bizarre Dream

I had a dream once where I woke up(I assume I woke up in the dream) and looked at the ceiling - the light coming from the outside and reflected onto the ceiling resembled someone's head, but it was very indistinct.
Then there was an indescribable noise - perhaps a mechanical drone, I'm not sure - and I found I could not move. I recall thinking, "Well, let's see where this goes"(I wasn't afraid).Then the transparent shape of a person was hovering over me in the same positon I was in (On my back with my arms at my sides)and soon lowered itself "into" me. There was a weird sensation.The noise stopped and I woke up.This never happened again...

frank's picture

i need help...really

Every night when i go to sleep i have similar things happen to me my whole body feels numb, like if i can feel my blood inside of me, usualy i fight it before it gets really crazy but sometimes i cant and then i start spinning in circles downward but still in my bed and cant move or breath or anything, i know im prolly not spinning but its feels too real cuz when i stop it feels like i was awake the whole time, most of the time i cant sleep it happens too much and when its over i gasp for air,i just want it to stop

Anonymous's picture

i had a dream like this but

i had a dream like this but diffrent i was ready to sleep i put my head on my pillow an as soon as i did that i fall right into a deep sleep but i was like my eyes are stll open but i cant move or speak but there was this woman siting on me and i can see her its a sprite why i know this its because i saw her in another dream of mine but i can see her clear as day its like watching HD tv i got my head to move and i watch at my little finger i touch my bed and she fly right off and i jump out of my sleep i also had a dream its was clear as day as well i was on a battle field it was the revolutionary war i was a general in the war i was riding on a horse commanding troops i look right next to me and on a horse also commanding troops was greorge washington our first president i saw him clear as day and the battle he said something to me but i cant remember i also had a dream i just rob a bank and i kill alot of people in the process robing the bank i got away to the jungle with a helicopter some saw me and report it to the local police the came and search me but the find nothing so the let me go i went into this house i was staying with some people that i never seen before in my life the help me hide my guns and everything this was clear as day the people and everything was so real but i dont know who these people are in my dream.

Anonymous's picture

same thing

that's very interesting! I believe you had a dream about what you were in your previous life! my sister had a dream/vision like your. clear as day and she wasn't sleeping. she was in the kitchen doing the washing up and went into this stage where she was holding a knife over the sink and ut was all bloody and her clothes were 1800 like clothes and she looked behind her and saw her husband and her kids, not her actual family but she knew they were at the time. then she was in the street being hanged and she said she could she me and our other sisters but we weren't family. when she was hanged was when she came back to reality. so the dream where your a comander I would say is what you did in your previous life :)

the woman sitting on your chest I had that dream last night, well sleep paralysis it was awefull but I'm used to it now it happens a lot. but when it happens to me, it lasts for a couple of scones to a minute or so. then I wake up and fall back into that state and this happenes up to 8-11 times before I actually fall asleep. be glad it's not like that.

Anonymous's picture

I have been getting these

I have been getting these more often, they used to be once a month but i've had 3 or 4 a week now. i get the feeling that someone is creeping to me, i loose all control and i cant move. My eyes are always open. Last night i thought i could hear someone throwing objects in my room, i couldnt move or scream,i could barely breath, it felt as if someone was holding me down. i have also been getting sick during the morning/day since my "episodes" have increased, i get dizzy and throw up. i also have horrible head aches and shortness of breath. I don’t know if any of this is connected to the sleep paralysis but i feel that it is. maybe these are symptoms of something bigger?

...someone help?

liz's picture

Hi there, i have experienced

Hi there, i have experienced the same feelings...after i abruptly wake up from an episode of sleep paralysis, i feel extremely fatigued! it's like i never got any sleep at all! i also experience shortness of breath and an elevated pulse rate. this is by far the most horrific thing that happens to me, which, by the way happens at least 5 times a week... it really drains me out.

chris's picture

help

im 15 and this happend to me the first time when i was 8 and ha just started happening alot. i dont think its normal because this happens every night more than 3 times a night.
i get really scared but try and stay calm and i start breathing really have then take a quick big breath and that usually wakes me up but this just happened to me a few minutes ago and when i tried to do my deep breathes it felt like it took so long and while my eyes were open i was haveing a dream while i was looking around i dont know what it was but it was of 4 normal people at work and 2 decided to play a little joke and scare the other workers and after the joke they found human blood? this is really starting to freak me out i dont know what i should do

Anonymous's picture

sleep

try to get a dream catcher and put it ontop of your bed
or if you are cristian put a cross next to your bed or pray.

Daniel Foxton's picture

Sleep paralysis possibly linked to ADHD And othe rtheories

Hello, My Name is Daniel and im 15 years old i often suffer from sleep paralyisis and on theory i have is ADHD i suffer badly from ADHD thats why im up at 5:06am with an exam in 5 hours :) but a basic overview of ADHD is that one side of your brain works faster than the other Now im thinking it may be possible because my brain is moving at such a pace is it possible that when im sleeping due to this disability is my ADHD making me experience these things the only proof i have is when i was on a low dose of Ritalin i had sleep paralysis and when i came off it for 6 months there i had sleep paralyisis but when i was on the full dose before and now i dont expierience sleep paralysis is this because my brain is working at the same speed?

Theory two: Do you knotice how you can see pictures in your head when you think even though your awake and these images are being projcted somewhere that you can se them even though your staring at something else E.G when someone describes something to you you build up a mental image but whilst still being able to see well i think sleep paralysis may work like thi sbut in reverse so that when we become concious what we project in our head feels like we can see hear and feel this.

Theory 3: Lucid Dreaming: for those of you that dont know what lucid dreaming is, lucid dreaming is where you are acctually in the dream what goes on inside your dream what you feel what you touch what you smell these can be very good dreams if you want to fly you can and you can feel the wind rush against your face all the same i have had these a few times as well but the theory is are we just conciously lucid dreaming are we still locked in the dream whilst awake maybe were not halucuinating at all maybe we are just still dreaming lucidly but because we are concious we belive it to be real there for were locked in a dream so our body is locked in paralysis

P.S. these are my theories and i know they probably wont make any sense but i havent slept in two days ive been on a coffee bing so if you need me to clarify anything up E-Mail me

Dupree's picture

Go Daniel!! thats some clever

Go Daniel!! thats some clever thinking for a 15 year old.In the article above they mentioned anxiety as one of the factors that people have in common. When I have experienced
S.P now I know something is bothering me in my waking life and therefore very quickly
am able to disengage from any fear during an episode and go back to sleep. In the morning
I have a good look around my waking life to identify anything that may be bothering me and acknowledge it. I wonder if having adhd causes you any anxiety? Or if perhaps the anxiety
has something to do with adhd? The good news is, all anxiety passes and can be overcome
by talking it through, but hey, lay off the coffee. Best wishes.

carolina's picture

This has happened to me a lot

This has happened to me a lot of times and actually two nights in a row and about 4 times per night. Before ever reading about this online, I always feel a presence of someone on top of me along with a buzzing sound and my body vibrating, so I know for a fact that is not my imagination. After looking it up online, which I didn't even know this was a sleep disorder, the scientific explanation doesn't completely convince me and I'm somewhat glad that there are other people having the same problem as me because I was beginning to think I was going mad.

Kyla's picture

Iv read al the comments and

Iv read al the comments and im a bit irritatd. So its scientific? Have u tried 2 call out 2 jesus? Say a prayer? Mention God? Do that and c what happens. Whatever is holding u down or the prescense gets stronger. And ul find out that wateva it is wont let u say the name jesus or anythng relatd 2 God. Y? Coz itl then hav 2 leave u. Iv bin having these experiences 4 awile. Nd ppl thyr nt jus dreams. U always fil samthn evil is thre. I tel u jus try saying jesus. Nd i urge u to say ur prayerz b4 u sleep. Nd wen u gt thoes dreams, bind them in the name of jesus.

Anonymous's picture

This happens to me about 5

This happens to me about 5 times a year...sometimes more. I am awake but paralyzed in my bed, I see a shadow of a person come into my room then hovers over me. I try to scream for someone in my house to come help me but nothing comes out of my mouth. When I am able to move, the person is gone and my heart beats at an unusual pace. It is TERRIFYING. That exact sequence of events happened for awhile...then one night and the last night this happened to me, a person came in but this time they went to my feet. They held my feet and said in the creepiest voice( I will never forget it) "Kate". That's my name.

Steve's picture

Has any one had an "out of body" experience during one of these?

I have had only one of these types of experiences. It was over 20 years ago while I was in college. It was one of the most profoundly weird experiences of my life and it was many years before I realized this "sleep paralysis" experience was something sort of common (thanks, I think).

I had returned from class around 4:00pm. It was late October and it was getting dark early. I decide to take a short nap and I set my alarm to wake me at 5:30 pm. It was a digital alarm clock with numbers on the face as opposed to hands. I woke up before the alarm went off and it was dark twilight, but not night. I looked at my alarm clock and the clock read "5:00". I stretched for a moment and thought to myself whether to get up now or roll back over for another 30 and wait for the alarm. As I lays there, I heard two people talking outside my window. My bedroom was on the second floor of a house and we had a backyard. Our backyard was somewhat private, and I was curious who was out back carrying on a conversation. I could tell it was two guys talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. My digital alarm flipped to 5:01.

I strained a bit to hear what these two guys were saying and suddenly, there was a loud screech, like metal rubbing on metal. The sound terrified me. I lurched to get out of bed, but (as your were probably expecting) found myself paralyzed. This had never happened to me before and I was freaking out. While paralyzed, I watched the clock flip to 5:02.

The metallic screech subsided, but the conversation got louder, like it was no longer down in the backyard, but right outside my window. Then the conversation was in my room. I saw two cloud-like entities about 8 feet from me on the far side of the room. The best way I can describe them was that they looked like tornadoes, two distinct swirling fogs. They continued their conversation. It was clearly two male voices talking in a language I did not recognize, and it had the properties of a conversation; one of the voices would speak and then the other would reply.

I lay there watching them, terrified as my clock changed to 5:03. I was freaking out, but unlike others, I did not have a sense of "evil". It was more of a sense of danger, like these two fellows could destroy me, not because they were evil but because they were powerful.

I could tell that they were watching me and had the feeling that they were discussing me. My sense of dread was overpowering and I felt that I had to get out of there immediately. There was a light switch on the wall right near my bed that was within reach. I mustered all of my strength and sat up, reaching for the light switch. My arm went right though the wall, like a ghost. I sat there stunned. I think I must have surprised my friends too, because they stopped talking. I looked at them and got a sense that they were very curious about what had just happened, sort of a "well, my, my. isn't that something?".

I sat there with my arm in the wall. My clock had changed to 5:04. I slowly pulled it back out. It felt like I was pulling my arm out of warm water. I became very logical. I realized that I was dead and I wondered how I might have died. I remember thinking that the only thing that made sense was that I somehow must have ingested poison. I was a healthy 20 year old. Poison seemed to make sense. I also remember being somewhat embarrassed, thinking. "oh boy, they are going to find my body...my parents are going to go nuts", mostly silly ideas like that.

My fog buddies were quiet and then there was an overpowering pull on the back of my head, like a weight dragging me back. I could no longer sit I laid back down and the experience was over. My digital alarm clock said 5:05. I got up and got the heck out of there.

Dupree's picture

I did too, I came "out of my

I did too, I came "out of my body" and hovered above my bed, I thought somethinghad possessed me but I managed to control it to "fly" into my flat mates rooms and hover in the corner of the ceiling and shout at her "do you see me, can you see me, help me" because I was frightened and wanted someone to know, I remember thinking logically, if this were real
lucy could tell me or react to me. She didn't and I wolk up and went to ask her if I had just been in there. She said no. its the funniest thing when it happens, I really felt like I was being taken over, but i don't beleive in that stuff so was wanting proof even at the time lol.
No harm done. Once you've had one and you know what it is when you get past the initial fear factor you can quickly turn it around and go back to sleep. I think the fear fuels the darkness of the situation, the loop hole is knowing what happening quickly and going straight back to sleep.

liz's picture

My first episode of Sleep

My first episode of Sleep Paralysis was at age 11 i am now 22 and i have had 3 full OBE. I have floated out of my body and seen myself and my siblings sleeping around me. just recently i was able to look at myself in the mirror and my face was a bit distorted. i always feel like i should wander but an instant fear overpowers me and im afraid to leave my body.. i try my hardest to do whatever it takes to return to my body. i have never floated away from the room i sleep in.

Jose's picture

I did.

It was today. I got up but the second i do the thing throws me back into my body. The easiest way to stop this is to just remember that it cant hurt you try to think of something else and try to fall asleep. If you have a strong relationship with your religion try it, BUT this is a warning! Do not pray or try to get rid of it with religion if you have doubt because it will get worst.... From personal expirience. By the was the static boom you heard or metal, means that they have entered the room. i have had many of these happen to me so its pretty clear to me what that sound is. If you have questions or comments please get back with me.

Christina's picture

Yes I had an OBE

Dear Steve,

although your story might sound to a reasonable man "made up", I absolutely believe it! I can understand your feelings and your existential questions you had during your experience. And yes I had too had sorta OBE during one of those SP. It is always connected with fear and "wanting to stop being paralized".
I remember one instance (some months ago) similar to your case, where I, returning from my classes, layed for a while in my bed for a quick nap (I don't usually have naps after my classes, but that day I felt a little bit exhausted). I slept there for a while (don't remeber exactly how much I slept) and wanted to get up, because I also had to study (Note: The article says that, SP can also be caused by stress, so I wonder if thats why I had it). Then of course I found my self paralized. I remember wanting to get up to go to my chair and sit there, only to find myself again back to my bed, reasoning "What the...? Wasn't I just sitting on the chair now?" I repeaded that for 2-3 times and then, still in bed, I closed my eyes. At that instance I felt my body "drifting". Like it was ready to fly away. Then I remember that I was probably having OBE "again" and I knew that that would terrify me (it happened again in the past), because I actually DON'T have controll of my self/body when I have OBE opposed to what some guru specialist say about that (perhaps I have understood OBE false). I don't remember that much, what exactly happened next, but I do remember that I was hearing the voice of my mother and brothers outside of my door (that was awkard for me, because I live/study in Germany alone, while my parents and brother are miles away home in Cyprus). Then I heard my door opening, but I was "looking" (not with my physical eyes I guess, but what you called "third eye" in your post... I call it "the eyes of our soul") at the door and it was not moving. It was only making the noise of opening. Meanwhile I was still hearing my family getting closer and closer. I think they even "stepped in" to my room and my brother talk to me, but I was at that time with my eyes closed so I was hearing him without seeing him.
At the end I forced my self to get out of bed (since I though my family was there) and of course everything vanished!

PS. I posted twice in this article (I am that female who was forced to masturbate during one of those SP). And I didn't even tell all the cases I had, but it doesn't matter. I am only stunned and wondered! The only question that we all have is: Is our mind tricking us all that time, or is there an Invisible (Spiritual) War happening in this life?

Steve's picture

Thanks for the reply

Hi Christina,

Thanks for the reply. I can certainly see why my story sounds made up. I tried to tell it as a good narrative, but trust me, it happened just as I described. Part of me might have been able to dismiss it as a weird dream, except for the clock. I kept referring to that because, for me, it was central to what was happening. The entire event happened live and in real-time. I woke up normally at 5:00 and at 5:05, I left my room "normally". For the 4-5 minutes in between, it was terrifying chaos. The clock was visible to me throughout. I actually saw the time flip a few times(i.e. from 5:02 to 5:03, etc) while looking at the clock which was in my line of sight between me and my "visitors". Also the event seemed to take about five minutes, no sense of time compression or distortion. In any event, it was real to me - lol. I have had a few other experiences more like what you have described with the chair. I do have a perspective on this but prefer to keep it off-line. If you care to chat, send me a note to sgl25@aol.com

Jo's picture

We can't all be wrong!!

Just been reading some of the comments re sleep paralysis (SP). Its amazing so many people experience the same instinctive fear...question is to what!! I'm in the middle of a PhD in statistics and geochronology so like to think I have a logical, rational mind and I'm sorry, science really can't explain everything, even though it might be comforting to think so. I'm 40 something now and had my first episode of SP back in my teens, its a bit blurry now. Since then nothing memorable except for one episode about 4 or 5 years ago when I mentally woke up, sleeping on my stomach, and was completely pinned down with something large and heavy on top of me, thrusting up over me in a very sexual way on top of the duvet. I have no doubt, the sensation was the thing that woke me from a deep sleep, but was completly unable to move. Do we have a third or psychic eye?? don't know! but I could have drawn the thing, heavy powerful back haunches, human but strong forearms and skin covered in thick bristles. Was I imagining it?? I'll never know but it only stopped when I managed to turn my head to the side and open one eye to try to see what was there. Have no idea where the image came from but I'm certain science can't explain that.
Solution....ask for protection from the universe or what ever higher power you identify with before you go to sleep. I suggest you fight like with like!

Sally's picture

Hey im a 17 year old girl,

Hey im a 17 year old girl, nearly 18. This happend to me last night for the first time ever, I have seen figures before and the room temprature does drop but last night was the first time that I experianced that I was being choked and unable to move. I was so scared, when I woke up from it I was too scared to go back to sleep so I started listening to music from my ipod and tried to froget what just happend, dosed off again and the same happend so I just went downstairs and watched tv all night, I havent slept at all and still scared to go to sleep. Anyone know what I can do that would maybe help?

victor's picture

sleep paralisys

what we have is call sleep paralisys, i have been suffering from this since i was about 14 i'm 23 now and fuck the first couple of time i was so scare that i didnt sleep for about 4 days people in the house though i was crazy and i though i was crazy too i though i was being posses by the devil, i used to write every single details i could remember until i stared doing a lot of reading about it. i still get scare from time to time, and sometimes i even feel like if i get stuck in it for days its crazy but interesting, there is some times that i keep on having deja vu and they are so real that i can even guess what people are going to say next and i kinda freak them out.

carpe diem's picture

deja vu and sleeping paralysis

hey viktor, am having so called dejavu all the time ever since i was little + i started having sleeping paralysis since about 8-9 years ago, which did start with my legs trying to get out of my body and hearing + seeing people or such round me. the very first time i was so horribly scared that i didnt go to sleep the whole night and was scared to sleep the whole week after that. its a very upleasant experience.