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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip
Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Hiro Takahashi
A person may wake up and find himself unable to move or speak as if he is frozen. He also may hear footsteps, see a ghost-like creature, or feel someone sitting on his chest. Throughout the history, people considered this phenomenon as work done by evil spirits. However, the modern science can explain the terrifying event as a Sleep Paralysis.
A Sleep Paralysis is possibly a hereditary disorder in which one experiences very frightening seconds or minutes of total body paralysis with little respiration and eye movements (1). A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2). In addition to the immobility, the common symptoms include feeling choked or suffocated, hearing strange noises like footsteps and voices, seeing beings or dark shadows, and feeling an existance of someone in the room (1). Although these symptoms often direct the victims to believe in ghosts, mistransmission of neural signals in the brain causes Sleep Paralysis. When a person sleeps, his brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contraction (3). If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed"(2).
In order to understand how a body becomes paralyzed while the person is awake, it is necessary to understand sleep cycles. In a mammalian sleep, the brain activity undergoes two different states called non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, which differ very much from wakefulness (3). NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically through the night; in human, about 80 minutes of NREM sleep starts a night of sleep, about 10 minutes of REM sleep follows, and this 90 minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times during the night (3). During NREM sleep, a body produces few movement, but the body has capability of tossing about in bed and producing some other motor events, such as sleepwalking and sleeptalking (3). The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2). During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3). The eyes move rapidly because most dreaming takes place in this period, and the sleeper probably "look" at the moving objects in a dream (2).
The brain's control over muscles during REM sleep points out that in this period, a body is normally in the state of total paralysis, called a "nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis" (3). Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2). Although some peripheral muscles, such as the muscles of the fingers and face, still twitch, the large skeletal muscles become relaxed, or "paralyzed" as a result (3). Some evidence supports that the motor paralysis of REM sleep protect against the acting out of one's dreams. A patient who suffers from rare syndrome called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder lacks the normal nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis, and he acts out violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (4). For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4).
A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2).
While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5).
How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations.
Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.
Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5).
Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.
WWW Sources
1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis
4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder
5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Comments made prior to 2007
I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006
I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific.
About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006
i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007
I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child. It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past. I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep.
Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up?
It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines. If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine. Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works. Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have. I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me.
I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo. A migraine in 5 seconds. That is how they can occur. I wake with them otherwise. I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't. I have a clean bill of health otherwise.
Thanks for your time. Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007
I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one. Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep? The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath. My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes. I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all. What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep? I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me! Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007
I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;-) Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007
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Comments
Samething to me
wow i thought something was going on with me when this happened. i thought it was evil spirits. Every time this occur to me i would start praying in my head. its like i want to wake up and move but i cant. i start feeling a heavy weight pushing me down. when i start looking around, i see scary things. Forexample i seen the scary faces, I have felt like someone is pulling my sheets. i get chills when this happens. Its a horrible feeling.
oh lord i am going crazy
ok let me think ,it all started a few weeks back when during sleep i couldnt move my left hand as if its paralised, i had difficulty breathing , i couldnt open my eyes, but i did heard noises, it was a horrible experience. then the next day, i fell asleep, i was so damn tired i dont know why, i didnt have any control on how i slept , my mind was wandering uncontrollably, i was paralysed again , i felt someone in the room, it was talking or laughing adding to my fear, i felt cold all over my body, i struggled a lot to escape from this creature, i thought i tried to cry but my mouth wasnt opening
i think i managed to lift my upper body a bit tried to punch, but couldnt wake up from sleep, then again i fell asleep so tired, i was seeing these so damn realistic incidents like talking to my brother or making coffee, then after waking from sleep i realised that i didnt make any coffee, it was hard to differentiate between real world and dream world. i felt very sick , i was afraid of going crazy.my brain was making dreams one after another for me to see, there wasnt an escape from it, only if the dream ends.Somebody tell me why everyone under sleep paralysis have similar experiences, like seeing a dark creature.very spooky indeed
Oops I did it again.
This exact thing has tormented me for years. It happened again, last night. I'm glad to read about this from others, because I really thought it was something personal. I was having a pleasant dream and then suddenly, this black shadow, grabs me by the hair and drags me across the ceiling and slams me face down. I tried to get up and it kept pusing my face to the floor and it started attacking me with huge thorns and thistles on my hands. I could actually feel the sharp ends entering my flesh. Now, if this is sleep paralysis.....it's pretty damn intense. I usually call out the Lord and I pray really hard for this thing to go away. It works, but my concern is the physical pain it caused me. My hands hurt. Can anyone explain this?
i start havin sleepin
i start havin sleepin paralysis since i got hit by a fork lift truck.. i had a 4cm gash to my head and since then i feel this sh&* a lot.. can someone tell me if this could be due to the accident i had.. or i would have sleeping paralysis no matter what??
Accident Induced
I was involved in a horrific accident when I was 20 years old. The person driving the vehicle was drunk and the car flipped into a ditch upside down. I was the only one conscience and was able to roll the window open and crawl halfway out. I was also extremely lucky that a fire house was right there less than a block away and the firemen pulled me out right before the car erupted in flames. The 2 others in the car could not be saved and were burnt beyond recognition. I had 7 broken ribs and a collapsed lung and was in the hospital for a month. Eventhough I was not responsible for the accident I felt agonizing guilt. Immediately after I was released from the hospital I would have horrifying dreams, and felt that I would wake up and then go into a trance. Nothing in the room was distorted but I would see and experience strange things just like most of the other people and I was always on my back and alone in the morning. I would have these types of dreams for almost 3 years. I still remember the 1st one and the last one, which occurred when I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter. My daughter will have her 32nd birthday Saturday. I have told my husband about these dreams and just recently thought that I may just be awake but in a trance. I searched the internet tonight and am so relieved that I have found this site and am not alone.
So im not crazy after all my
So im not crazy after all my grandmother use to tell me thats the evil spirits holding me down and i'd say well thats not good. that didnt comfort me at all it had me scored to go to sleep some times i first expierenced this sleep disorder when i was 14 i am 25 now as of 2-10-2010 and every one i told said that i was crazy and i was starting to think that i was i even went to UW medical hospitl and they related it to narcalepse but i knew that wasn't it then some how i googled my condition and this popped up word for word of everything that happen i had to check and see if i was in sleep paralis lol... but thanks goodness for the internet. i am not alone.
I am glad I am not alone
I have had this happen to me on and off. It feels so strange feeling awake but actually being asleep. Last night it happened again and I knew what was going on. So I wasn't so scared when it happened. I saw 4 round faces with green eyes. I just turned my head and was like whatever! Then it happened again. I was dreaming I was getting dressed and I went to put the coffee on like normal. It was just really jacked up the way my legs felt like they wouldn't move to do it though. I had a pretty stressful day at work. Maybe this contributed to it. I agree. It is strange that most of my problems stem from some evil thing. I have had experiences with feeling like I am casting out demons in my dreams, I chant scriptures and such.
Anyone else have one's where you go to turn on a light and the light bulb burns out? That is is one that i get often. What about your teeth falling out? I've also had the incubus hold me down with dark shadows (only once though). I do believe this is all about stress and anxiety. I have a lot of both in my life.
Experiance of morning normality
i often get sleep paralasis maybe ever twice a week, i also feel asif im getting ready or on occation even in work when i wake up, it scares the hell out of me however this site had brough thery to it,
I know how to get out of sleep paralysis
Alright. ive had sleep paralysis since i was about 13 years. i am now 22. we all know and hate the feeling. yes i cannot speak , or breathe properly during sleep paralysis but i taught myself to wiggle my toes and my fingers and have my eyes move side to side while slightly closed because i found out thats all i could really do. the more forcing movement the better you could get out of the phase. dont fall asleep on your back for a long time. i know sleep on my side. because i never really had any sleep paralysis sleeping on my side.
so.. just remember to wiggle your fingers and toes and move your eyeballs side to side and keep breathing even if its hard . sometimes it'll take me a couple seconds to get out of it. its better than being in that state for more than 20 seconds to a couple minds. jeez louise. okay so i hope that helped
Too many SCARY reports to have scientific explanation
The first time I ever experienced this was when I was 23 years old. I was living alone, and was in my room sleeping (on my stomach). In the middle of the night I awoke and saw a large, dark figure (masculine) standing at the edge of my bed, seemingly staring at me, only it had no eyes, no face. Before I could gather my senses, it was on top of me, pressing me down, and I clearly heard it whisper "don't f*ing move". Then it was gone.
A friend, who is a psychic, told me that it was an
Incubus - a demon in male form supposed to lie upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have sexual intercourse with them. She told me to sage myself and my home, and so I did.
It has been 12 years since that happened. I've recently started seeing this figure in my room again (different home). I feel his HEAVY presence around me. I will be totally awake, sitting up in bed and hear a faint talking (almost like a radio being played, but barely audible). I will see the figure in the corner of my room. I have seen a small boy (almost demonic) standing next to my bed and staring at me.
The other day I was lying on my couch and had fallen asleep. I kept hearing what I thought was my sliding glass door - to my backyard - opening and closing repeatedly. I felt that someone, or something was coming into my home. I could not move. I knew that I was "sleeping", but I had forced one eye open and was trying to scream out to my boyfriend to wake up. I remember trying to nudge him with my foot, but couldn't tell if I was really moving or not. I tried lifting my left arm and couldn't budge at all. I felt helpless, weak, in danger.
I believe that there may be a scientific explanation for this phenomenon, however, it seems that there is entirely too many negative, maybe even EVIL, experiences being reported about it. Why do we all feel terrified and feel that something bad is surrounding us? Why can't this SP be a pleasant experience for anyone?
Sleep Paralysis
Hi there.
I read your experience and I must say, this is by far one of the most extreme cases of sleep paralysis I've ever heard of. I believe this phenomenon is entirely involving the spiritual realm. I've experienced this myself, actually I went through a terrifying event a few hours ago, while I was napping. It's the worse helpless feeling anyone can ever experience. The feeling of being fully conscious but paralyzed. There's not enough science for me to back this up as just being a common pattern. To me, I feel like it exposes that there is a spiritual realm. When there's evil, there must be good as well. Everytime this happens to me, I pray to Jesus and mutter His name under my lips. I'm convinced this plunders the work of darkness because I slip out of this trance after a quick prayer. Please be encouraged by this. Praying for you!!
I had this happen and I said
I had this happen and I said Jesus help me three times very quickly and it stopped. I didn't think it was evil ... I just knew I couldn't move ... I didn't get afraid until I felt someone move my body and whisper in my ear. God doesn't walk in shadows ... and always tells those who He is and not to be afraid. Anything that provokes fear is not of God if it doesn't clarify it comes in the name of our Lord. Jesus rocks!
NOT FUN
I too, have never researched this weird experience that I have had happen to me since I was 19 (I am 33 now). It happens to me a few times a year, but it is NEVER fun. I hate it. Although, thankfully, I have never seen other people or things in this state. It is just a scary feeling not being able to speak or move for what seems like eternity! It really feels like there is HEAVY air weighted on my body. Sometimes, I managed to open my eyes. This usually happens to me when I just go to bed. Once I know that I am in this state, I always force myself to get up and sometimes it takes, what feels like a few minutes, to awake. My fear is that what if I don't force myself to get up once I am in this state, and let it defeat me?
I am writing this now because one of the most dreadful sleep paralysis' just happened! I awoke in this state and had my wife lying on my arm! It's already a terrible feeling but to have your wife on your arm at the same time made this SUPER unpleasant! It took an unusual amount of time to get up too, about what seemed like 5 minutes! She awoke while I was trying to get up and said that is seemed like I was laughing but trust me it was ANYTHING but laughter.
Well at least I feel a bit more comfortable about it knowing that others suffer this same abnormality.
i found a way to get out of sleep paralysis
i had sleep paralysis in the past but not anymore, i had the same symptoms like any other person having a sleep paralysis.I found a way to wake from it, actually in sleep paralysis you are conscious and can imagine things, and you cant die in dreams, you are in full control during sleep paralysis, you have full control of your thoughts. i imagined jumping from a building and poof my nightmare came to a halt , i remember smiling in that phase because i knew it was a dream, and i am not afraid anymore. you had to keep asking questions then you will know the difference between dream and reality.But i know those dreams so real and scary, but still if you will show some courage you can get out of it forever. i never had an episode of sleep paralysis again. i am quite well informed about sleep paralysis through internet, maybe thats the key.Hope this works for u.
iv had this alot of times.
iv had this alot of times. but one time it was completely different. in the SP i woke up and sat up but things still wasnt right, and then i woke up again and sat up and this happened at least 4-5 times until i really woke up. was the craziest thing ever.
it happened to me yesterday
i was starting to sleep when i heard a voice told me found you opened my eyes saw a shadow in top of me got scared tried to move or talk couldnt start hearing voice of door opening but my room door i lock it wasnt posible to be opened and the door dont make noise when u open it couldnt move for ten minutes hearing noises when i could was with difuculty everything was normal only could read in my mind parts of the holy kur2an till i went back to sleep woke up in the morning with streach musele ace in my neck and right sholder
Thank God I'm not alone
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one in the world that has this. I've had this since I was about 9 or so and im 30 years old. The problem is when it's around 3 or 4 am it will happen if I think about it.It's like i'm attracting it's energy towards me. I hate when I wake up in the middle of the night and it's like 2 or something close to 3 am and i have to hurry to get back to sleep because I can start to feel the strong energy about to happen. When it does I do most of what most of you said I'd pray about it, I'll get mad and fight it off consciously I'll talk shit... I try to explain this to my husband , but he doesn't understand what the hell I'm talking about and THANK GOD finally I've come accross this website and got some answers. I believe it to be something evil. If you prey on evil or negitive thoughts then this will have a part of what goes on. Once upon a time I was just so positive and happy go lucky and sure shit I didn't have this in my life for like 3 years and then had a baby and gain weight , and just felt like i'm a fat piece of crap and life is good but still having a pitty party for myself i felt negitive and guess what came back...this NEGITIVE ENERGY that took over my sleep!!!! it's time for me to take my life back...time to start thinking positive again cause i hate this shit... ok thats my story
my life
Im 21 years old this has never happend to me till now i had my son back in sep.1-2009 i been like this since everything that has happend to you is going on with me the thing is that i ask god to help me i dont pray when this going on i just say jesus jesus help me and i can not move i feel like some one is holding me down i can not move at all what is scary is that my 5 month old sleeps with me i have no fear for the evil im not scared of anything not even dieing but i am scared of it doing some thing to my boy
same thing
I have experienced the same thing. It usually starts when I wake up around 3 a.m. in the morning then I feel the fear of paralysis happening to me. Then I doze off. Then it happens to me between 4 and 5 am. Before it happened to me twice in a row. This morning another episode happened but the difference is my eyes were fully open and I could see my room. I cant move, breath and I was trying to shout but I cant. I felt a buzzing in my ear and I was fighting it off to get out of my body, then theres like a force holding me down on my bed. I am actually scared to go back to sleep coz it might happen again. I prayed a couple of times. These episodes started when I turned 30. I used to sleep walk when I was a kid but never had paralysis back then. I am glad that there is the scientific explanation for this but I still think that there are some supernatural forces or spirits involve. It is a common fact that we are not alone in this universe. I think Science is great but personally I dont think it could explain everything!
I had no idea so many people had this...
Hello all, I just spent the good part of an hour reading all of these posts... Some of which were just posted two days ago... I cannot believe how many people have had this happen to them... This has happened to me more than a few times and I just thought it was some random unexplainable thing... I thought that I was having a stroke or dying the first few times... I just convinced myself that I must of had actually been dreaming... For me it is always the same thing... My eyes are open and I can see the room I am in, like I am just waking up and its a little blurry but when I try to move I cant... It feels like all my limbs weigh a million pounds and I try to talk or yell but I cant... I have never had the feeling like someone was in the room though... This usually happens to me right when I am waking up or if I just take a little nap... Creepy stuff...
Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (can this escalate?
I experience it so often now, once or twice a week. Everything that anyone of you has mentioned has happened to you on here. Has happened to me on a regular basses. I'm 22 I've had SP since I was 12. I see different things each time:; evil ghost taking me over, extreme pain like someone sticking me with barb wire, suffocating (this happens often), aliens coming after a weird deafening buzzing noise. Two of the strangest one are when my eyes are partly open and I can see and know everything thats happening to me, because sometimes the person next to me is awake. I know this because I describe everything they did when I awoke. I've learned that I can not wake up during this stage, so now I just breath really hard and tell my partner to wake me up. This seldom ever works.
I've recently experienced one of the strangest ones I've ever had. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A TRUE STORY.
"I was sleeping one night when my alarm woke me up at 5:00 am (I set my alarm at weird times to study and forgot to turn it off), I opened my eyes and tried to get up to turn it off , but I was completely paralyzed. I laid there eyes wide open unable to move, I still felt a little drowsy. My alarm went off for a second and then turned off. Suddenly I felt my left hand being slowly lifted to the point where I could see it there just in front of me. It felt like something had lifted my hand. I felt something below it, like an energy. I have no idea what it was. My alarm went off again, and my hand dropped to my side. I felt myself able to move again. Whats crazy and how I know I wasn't sleeping was because my eyes were already opened.
I read above that this could explain sudden deaths in your sleep. I always feel very close to death when I"m in this state I wonder if this could lead to my death.
Its a little sick but although I wouldn't wish this on anyone, I really am glad that there are other people out there who have experienced this. I guess this isn't a big enough problem for anyone to have groups or meetings about it. I really wish I could talk to someone, who didn't think I was just talking non-sense. This is really hurting my relationship with my boyfriend, and I think my relationship is going to end, because I honestly don't think he understands or even tries to understand just how truly terrifying this is for me.
Thanks for reading. I hope they come up with a solution one day.
I can relate to you 100% when
I can relate to you 100% when you said when you're in this stage, you feel as though you're very close to death. I've had this sleeping problem for as long as I can remember and each time I'm in this stage I feel the need to hurry and get myself to move before it's too late. When I can't move, I feel like I'm close to death something bad might happen if I don't hurry up and get myself to move. I hate it. Sometimes when I'm finally able to move, it just pulls me back in I get so sleepy. It pulls me back in sometimes, but most of the times I'm able to overcomeit. I wouldn't wish this on anyone either. Good luck to all of thos who has this problem.
hello i have also have
hello i have also have experienced it all to it started when i was about 24 years old i am now 35 cant say much about it that u havent read but it is one of the most terrifing things someone has to indure. and i would like to offer u some advice on how to treat it because it has work for me. just by some dumb luck i have come across something that has totally stopped the sleep p one day i woke to a normal day at least i thought it was normal but all of the sudden had an anxiety attack that i never have had in my life well to make a long story short a doctor put me on zolft for the anxiety and sure enough i havent had a eposide for years when normaly i have an eposide about every night the zolft has changed something in my brain chemistry that was causeing this sleep p anyway i hope this helps in some way might be something to talk to ur docotor about good luck
i too saw my body move
The first time I had an episode I was 22 (about 5 years ago) It took place after going to bed and after a few days of not getting much sleep. I suddenly woke up and could not move. I had a terrible fear as I lay there unable to scream. I tried as hard as I could but realized it was no use. Then I saw my covers raise off my body. then I felt my body raise off the bed and i felt like i was floating. all the while my covers looked like they were 6 inches or so off my body. I was very scared but after coming down and what felt like a minute or 2 i was able to get a word out. i very softly, basically whispered help. i then came out of the paralyzed state.
when i tried to explain what had happend to me, everyone had the same response. oh yeah, ive had dreams where i felt like i was awake. then i had to say, no, ive had what you are talking about, but this was different. then you try to explain to them that you were awake and that your eyes never opened and your mind never changed thoughts.
I sort of got over my experience and then a couple years later it happened again. only this time i saw shadows running around the room. I went online and found out some information that has made it possible for me to not feel the fear and thoughts that something supernatural was taking place.
Just got through an episode of sleep paralysis...
I have only had sleep paralysis a few times and each have been scary for me. I just had obe tonight which made me look this up. This was my experience. I was toggling in and out of a sleepy stage, when it happened. I felt it coming on, that was the weird thing. I just laid there and did nothing about it when I got a full on episode. I could not move, I could not look around, I could not talk I just laid there. I felt a buzzing noise in my head as well as it felt like my heart was pounding 100 beats per second. I felt unsafe and terrified. I then said a short prayer "dear Jesus Help me" and immediatly the syndrome stopped. I then immediatly checked around the room to see if something was in the room with me. This is weird because In my oppinion something more is in the works other then science here.
Now i kno im not the only one
Wow having to expirence this is really scary. the first time was horrible because i couldn't breath and the weird thing was that it felt like i really didn't need to. i guess i was tripping more about not being able to move. also i saw a shadow near me but it was just standing there which made me panic. i tried to scream but i couldn't i could only hear myself in my mind. but after i had expirence all this it happen to me like 5 or 6 times withing this past year. the only good thing was that it wasnt that intense as the first time. also i do think its spirital too because i felt a evil presence the second time it happen i close my eyes and saw a woman walking towards me in like an open forest place with a church and she said "let god be with you" and i said "as well with you" and i woke up breathing heavily n i was able to move, but the first time it happen i try to make a cross with my finger and n try to pray and felt like somthing was hold my arm down like if it was preventing me from doing the cross. so this info here is really helpful cuz i have been really stressed out this past year. i'll recommed you to relax yourself before going to sleep to take out any anxiety u may have, tea might be good or yoga/streching.
This may be different ....when i sleep i FIGHT to wake up.
This is the second time this has happened...Its just happened now during the day.
I had a perfect nights sleep last nite, i got up this morning made breakfast, put my feet up to read a book and suddenly my arms went limp, i dropped my book and just gave in to relaxing my whole body cause thats all i could do. My body felt exhausted. I fell asleep for what felt like a few hours and when i woke up I couldnt move my arms i could raise my head but that was it , i panicked and lay down back down again. I lay feeling SO awake and thinking how im gonna get my body to stop feeling paralized! I raised my head again thinking it had worked this time that i was truly awake only to be looking down on my face which was asleep! It was like i was now coming out of my body.
To cut a long story short, i kept doing this over and over until finally my arms began to move with me and i jumped up. Now im sitting feeling totally drained and a bit scared to go to sleep again.
Has anyone else experience this? I just dont understand how i couldnt wake up. Ive no anxiety at the minute, in fact my life is great, im 32 and healthy.
The same happened to me
I have had this like 6 times now in the past year.
I had one on Sunday morning, I was lay in bed and what felt like I was in a real deep sleep, but as though I was in and out of sleep, I could hear all of this noise which sounded like my mum outside my room like shouting, and then something appeared at the side of my bed, which felt really evil and was breathing right near my face very loud too.
I had one last night too, I could hear something tip toeing in my room, so I paniced, i was facing the wall in bed, and then I tried to scream but no sound was coming out of my mouth, and also tried to bang on the wall to my mum and dad but I couldnt move. and then it felt like it took me about 10 mins to open my eyes, then I could feel my body relaxing, as I was all tensed up. It is horrible.
I think I may have just
I think I may have just experienced this for the first time, I'm 22.
I wasn't having a very good night's sleep and kept waking up and as I'm off work, in the morning I continued trying to sleep, letting myself drift off. I was having a horrible dream that I was at one of my old jobs and someone had stolen my computer and my desk and then my vision started going really blurry and even when I put my glasses on I still couldn't see and it was getting worse and worse. I struggled back to my seat and all my co-workers were laughing and then I found that all my things had disappeared as well, so I ran out still not being able to see where I was going and crying and then I 'woke up' or did I really?
I wasn't dreaming anymore, I was aware I was lying in my bed and I thought I was awake but I was blind (because in my dream I'd lost my vision). I then realised that I couldn't move anything and that I was paralysed, and I tried to cry out but my mouth wouldn't move. I was desperately trying to move my arms and thought that I was but I actually wasn't. I was convinced I was having a stroke and trying to make myself move or talk because I know the effects can be lessened if you recover yourself asap! Then I felt my hand touch my face but I didn't think I'd managed to move my arm, and I was managing to say 'hello' (but I don't know if I actually was saying hello or just imagining it?) and then I just snapped out of it and woke up properly, got use of all my limbs, opened my eyes etc.
So it was like my mind was slowly waking me from the dream because I was definitely conscious and there were no dream images or anything but my eyes and body parts were paralysed so I couldn't move!
Very scary but even more scary now I've read about those hallucinations! All I could see was just darkness where I was awake but my eyes were closed!
whoa this is some creepy
whoa this is some creepy stuff. i've been experiencing this for the last year its weird but i havent seen any figures jus the paralyzed state but when i was paralyzed i was able to move the slittest bit. the state only lasted for about 5 to 10 seconds
Wow
Well then... Sleep paralysis eh? For a second there i thought i had a demon stalker. I've been kinda playing around with this awake form of sleeping. I wasn't terrified, mostly curious whenever this started happening. My mother had it too when she was younger and she told me that it scared the living shit out of her too and she can't understand how I am so easy going with the subject.
I decided to take a nap and hour ago and while falling asleep I actually willed this to happen. I awoke 5 minutes ago with complete confusion.
What just happened: I felt hands on me and realized at that point that it works when I want it too. I remember trying to keep my eyes closed because I know it disappears when I open them. I stretched out one hand and felt a hairy leg... lol so like a mans leg. The weirdest part of this even was when the guy climbed on top of me and started breathing and sniffing my face... For a second I thought he was gonna kiss me but I knew I can kinda control it so I willed it not to. Instead he just kinda surrounded my body with his and all I heard was heavy breathing. I became super warm too, it was as if I really was covered by a man... I stretched out my fingers on the other hand this time and grasped an unknown pinky and squeezed it as hard as I could (I expected it to deflate because of a previous experience with a hand doing exactly that). LOL anyways, I'm 20 (this started a couple weeks ago to my knowledge, even though I remember odd dreaming experiences as a child) and right now I'm honestly just having fun with it, see how far I can take this. The weirdest part of this is feeling things that aren't there... Like spikey hair, and as mentioned before a hairy man's leg... even though I've never touched one in real life. I'm gonna keep observing, if anything new and crazy happens maybe i'll update this comment.
PS if you "suffer" from sleep paralysis all I can say is stay Logical about it. It's not real, just observe it, and push it to its limits. It can be a total adventure if u remind yourself that it isn't real.
weird weird weird.
Alright, so my parent's room is right next to me. And for the past few nights, my dad's been waking up screaming. Not a loud scream , but a shout. So, i asked him what happened. And he described this god-awful dream .And, for the past three days i've been trying to figure out what its all abouttt.
So, i'll just put it as if it were my own dream. I'm laying in bed, and it's my room. To the T. Every detail is correct. There wasnt anything weird like a waterfall or anything. And its dark. Then all of a sudden, i feel something grabbing my left leg, then my right, then my stomach, cheast, face, two hands are holding my forhead, two at my chin, one at each cheek. then more start grabbing my legs , and then all i can see are arms comming at me. and i can't see theyre faces , all i know is that they are wearing brown gloves, and brown sleeves.
what does this mean ?
sleep paralysis and the paranormal
sleep paralysis has happened to me at a few times in my life...it's interesting that I've read 2 other comments on people who have seen spiders while in sleep paralysis. but what does it mean? i remember seeing a huge spider drop from the roof on a string of web at the foot of my bed..It appeared so real to me that when i broke out of SP i jumped out of my bed only to realize it wasn't really there? Other times while having SP I would feel a presence in my room as well..one frightening instance i had the feeling some force was pulling me from my bed and felt myself slightly sliding from my bed...can anyone explain to me the fact that all the hairs on my body stand on edge and I get the chills as well..i'm open to all explanations and would definitely prefer it to be scientific...I've read paranormal articles that state humans are vulnerable to spirits when we're asleep because we are less conscious and have less control of our bodies when we are in a sleep state...the fact that the event happening during SP does not match any scary dream i may have been awakening from makes me question if it's all scientifically explainable
you can fight back!!!
it happens once in a while, when it first started i scared the !@#$ out of me. I could always fight my way out, once in a while one would be super strong, or i would play a bit and let it in more till it creeped me out then would fight it off. ok so here is my opinion, we as the living have powers too and i believe more so than those nasty little things that have to hide in the darkness, when you fear them they feed off it and what they enjoy least are those that get pissed off and fight back (i have kicked some off, put nrg on my arms to push off them suddenly move to kick, can think of god, and the best is once a super strong one was holding me down and in my mind i told myself i was he man then i could force it off as if blowing off a leaf. 2 nights i was asleep and was making out with a girl in my dream, then i got a bit lucid, could feel a mass of flesh on my hands but knew it wasnt mine, i freaked for a sec but had to stay calm and not lit it know that i knew (they cant read minds) then all of a sudden i grabbed it in my hands really hard then it started shaking my body, i couldnt move or scream (as usual), could hear myself growling like a dog (i was pissed) then it went away... mmh im into revenge and when i die i will track each one down and kick its ass...
i have fought witches in dreams, killed 2 before (oh after that i had the best luck for a week or so), my point is we can fight back, we the living are more powerful so long as you dont give into fear cause fear is the card they they play best...
AGAIN! and AGAIN and AGAIN
Im starting to see a pattern here, if i play video games late at night before going to bed and then continue playing the games in my head when i try to sleep this can happen. But im not sure about this at all.
Ive read the comments here and im surprised nobody is experiencing very loud ringing noises in the ears, very loud. Ive never had a seizure but i imagine this is what it feels like.
It is like my brain is getting electrocuted, if i try to fight it, it gets worse. If i kinda drift into sleep while in this state the buzzing, ringing uncomfortable vibration stops. But its hard to do that.
Lucid dreaming is very easy from this point, you just have to be aware. When you get up from your paralysis and walk into the kitchen for instance to get a drink, and suddenly the fridge is missing, you might want to consider the possibility that you are in fact having a lucid dream.
"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 "
Yes!! This has happened to me! I was awake trying to fall asleep after a long gaming session. I can relate to the mosquito eyes thing, its like my eyes were bouncing around like crazy, couldn't focus, and when i tried to open my mouth to speak it was also vibrating crazily. Couldn't even open my mouth. Then the very loud ringing started (this was a different occasion than what i wrote above) which got worse if i tried to move. Eventually regained control of my body only to have it happen again moments later when i was trying to sleep again.
I didnt go to the doctor or anything, but when i searched on google for "loud ringing noises while falling asleep" i ended up here. I guess sleep paralysis but i am not sure, symptoms seem to fit though.
it doesnt sound like sleep paralysis
I'm not sure what happend to you, but to me it doesnt sound like what myself and others experience. In sleep paralysis you are awake. its not lucid dreams or anything like that. you are just awake and can not move and sometimes you hallucinate. for me its happend when ive woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. sounds like others get it in the morning.
About that whole spiritual thing...
Hey, I'm Jessy, I'm 19, and I've been experiencing what I am sure is sleep paralysis for as long as I can remember. With me it's usually when I'm starting to wake up. I become conscious before my body is willing to move. It's a really scary feeling every time, but I usually manage to get a groan or a mumble out and both my mom and my boyfriend now know to tap me awake if that happens. Most of the time, I don't detect a presence of any sort nor do I feel like anyone or anything is sitting on my chest. But when I was 16 I had the most frightening experience I've had yet, with presences and all. I am not one to believe in evil spirits and other things as such, but what happened to me that one time really got me thinking about it.
It was late at night, probably around 2 a.m., and I was up studying for a biology exam. I became tired and decided it was time for bed. I don't remember if the experience occurred as I was falling asleep or while I was was regaining consciousness, but I do remember not being able to move and seeing a dark feminine figure approaching me. All I remember about the woman is that she was rather thin and had short dark hair. Unable to move I could only watch helplessly as she hovered over me, wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to strangle me (or so it felt). I struggled to breath and suddenly she was gone. I lied in my bed for a long while after really confused and still unable to move. I wasn't sure if I was really seeing my bedroom (paralyzed with my eyes open), or if I was simply dreaming about being paralyzed... or dreaming while conscious/paralyzed. However, the woman seemed to have been driven away by something or someone... so I thought maybe my mom had entered my room to check up on me.
But it wasn't her. Instead, I saw my grandfather sitting at the foot of my bed protectively with his hand on my leg. Feeling safe with him there, I quickly fell asleep.
My grandfather died early October 2006. This occurred November of that same year.
I know this could have very well been only a dream, but since it took place in my bedroom, at the same time, and in what seemed like just a few minutes, it was all very real to me. When I woke up in the morning I was shaken. I still don't know what to think of the incident.
Very creepy...
Hi I'm 12 years old. I woke up at around 5:45a.m. I went back to sleep. I had this dream that I was looking up in the ceiling and there was a hole to the attic. For some reason, I got so creeped out. I immediately woke up, but when I woke up it was a struggle to even get my eyelids to open. As soon as I got them open, I started to see a hand opening my door. Then I started to dream that there was an earthquake. I live in Southern California, so there are many earthquakes. In my dream I got up. At first, it was so vivid, then I was back in my bed paralyzed, but I was shaking. It was me shaking, like if I was in an earthquake, but I was not experiencing an earthquake. Then I had this weird thought that if I bit my hand that my nerves would "come back alive". So it was a huge struggle for me to pull my hand all the way towards my mouth, but I did.I bit my hand. I took a few seconds, but I suddenly could move again. It was an awful and rather frightening experience, but I have to admit, this might sound a bit weird, I WANT it to happen again so that I could experience it again without any panic.
Not alone
I'm 13 years old. A few nights ago, I had a hard time trying to fall asleep (I have a bit of insomnia). All of a sudden, I couldn't move, speak, or even breath. Frantically, I tried to yell out, but nothing came. Somehow, I managed to move 1 inch. All my senses came back to me, and I slept on.
A few days later (otherwise known as today) I asked my mother about this. She told me that it can happen during adolescence, so this is pretty much natural for you and me.
SP
I'm a 28 year old Norwegian guy who for the first time has tried to seek an answer about this kind of phenomenon.
I recognize the feeling of someones presence in the room, something that feels evil, like a shadow often standing by my bed or more like just a feeling of something standing over me, big and masculine.
I have no idea of what this is, I remember getting scared in my teenage years, but now I just get PISSED OFF and fight it before falling back to sleep, managing to "stand up" against it. Sometime I even break loose, getting my head off the pillow and upper body up, funny enough I also use "God and guardians" and I don't actively go to church. - I'm a skeptic...
There's many sides of explaining this phenomenon, but writing this down I come to think of a few unexplainable happenings from I was "too young to have such a vivid imagination" and trough out my teenage years. What I am saying is that SP hasn't been the only "thing".
Interesting it is indeed, but maybe we just want to believe that there is more to it than just our minds playing us for fools with it's deep and mysterious "corners", - it's what we all dream of, that there's something more than "just" our physical life here on earth.
- Isn't it?
- Boo -
for so long now, some advice
hello guys,
whats all this crap about spirits and evil and stuff, sorry i belive in free speach and every thing but this is crap, i have had many many sp dreams and have now learnt to deal with them.
im 23 and have been having them for a along time, i unlike most people i read on here, sleep on my belly and still have it, it happends about 10 or 15 mins after feeling very sleepy or just driffing of to sleep. the static noise happneds and then thats it, you cannot move at all and its hard to breath, or so you think.
a few things that you can try doing if u have these and things that i have done to keep me calm, i have to be very strong minded but it really dose help. when u feel it happening you mind will be totaly awake but your body will be asleep, just remember this is all it is nothing else at all. try to concerntrate on one thing on your body, i use my big toe or little finger and try to move that 9 times out of 10i can and i just concertrate on that and it helps to make u not panic becuase u know something is moving.
as for your breathing u need to breath how ever your body is do no try to change it, if i notice your breathing is the same it just feels differant for some reason, i have had so many and i realy do belive your breathing dose not change its just the panic of not being able to move, trust me just concertrate on moving something, if u cant move it keep trying and soon enough the sp will stop and you wll wake up with a jerk, if u can moveyour tow or finger just use that and it will keep you occupied also untill the sp finishes, in all the time i have had them it has never hurt me, please remember that when ur having one. try to have a regulated sleep pattern becuase it helps alot, not sleeping makes it somuch worse and sleeping out of sink also dosnt help. if you want to chat about anthing i am very happy to help or chat to anyone about it, email ben and please sleep tight people :):)
Hi Ben, I have this same
Hi Ben, I have this same experience too - it only happens every so often but it seems so real..
It's like im asleep but trying to wake up and im sure one of my eyes is open as i can see things in my bedroom or so i think i can, sometimes i even think im getting out of bed and walking around the room but my partner said i never have, i usually find that if i jerk my body real hard i wake up. Its so scary to me and freaks me out!!.
Lou
Its like nothing I have ever experienced
This has been happening a lot to me for the past 8 or 9 years. It slowed down for a couple of years but seems to be on the rise again. It is the single most terrifying thing I have ever experienced.
It usually occurs when I am lying on my back, my body will go into a super relaxed mode, nothing scary about that, I will lay there for a few minutes trying to fall asleep (though I'm probably already asleep and just don't know it yet). Then it happens, I hear a static sound, it's a sound that words could never describe (kind of like a mixture of static, electricity, and fluttering of wings or something). I have taught myself when I first start hearing this to wake up and usually I am able to before I enter the point of no return. I always snap out of it paralyzed, feel pressed in the bed, no idea at all where I am, and feel the presence of someone or something in the room with me.
This has happened to me while I was awake also, I am the projection manager at a movie theatre. And a couple of times after I have started my last movie for the night I would sit at my desk and do paperwork or just wait for the night to be over. A couple of nights while sitting at my desk my body started to go numb, then my vision went (I could still see, it was just hard to focus on things and everything was very grainy), then my hearing went, started hearing the static sound that I have come to hate, I think that one scared me the most because there was nothing I could do, I was awake when it hit, not to mention I was in a dark room that already gives me the creaps because there is a grave yard not even 50 feet beind the building.
The first time it hit, I had no idea what to do, layed there, my body became paralyzed, heard the static, it got louder and louder until I found myself in a mall like place with lots of people. It seemed like I blinked or turned around or something only to find that in that split second everyone vanished and I was the only one there or so it seemed. I started hearing the laughter of little children, and it started getting louder and louder til I forced myself to wake up. I remember trying at first to open my eyes, when that didn't work I tried to move and that didn't work either. I remember talking to myself in the "dream" telling my body to wake up, when it wasn't happening I remember telling my body to scream because I knew my mom would come to my rescue. I woke up screaming, only nothing was coming out, my body would not allow me to scream, yell, talk, anything but it was enough to get me out of that place. I had to get my bearings together, had no idea where I was, had no idea why I felt like I was being pressed into the bed, I remember looking at the alarm clock sitting next to the bed, and having no idea what those symbols were that i was looking at or what it meant (when it was only the time i was looking at), its like my mind was wiped clean for those couple of minutes afterwords. after lying there telling myself it was only a dream for about 10 mins I decided to fall back asleep. BAM!!! the second my eyes were shut I was right back where i left off, heard the static and I knew right then and there that i had to get out of that place, its almost like i "know" if i allow myself to get past the static again, i will not be able to come back, it was so hard to get back the first time, its almost like the feeling I felt that night is what death feels like and it scares the crap out of me.
I am sorry for such a long entry but I have been holding this in for a very long time.
Sleep /anxiety disorders
Sorry for the long reply .I suffer from what was said to be anxiety after trips to the ER for not being able to breath...I have thought I was having a heart attack .They found nothing according to the doctors it is an anxiety disorder.These stories make me wonder if I should have told my doctor when he asked '' Do you experience what you think to be paranormal or do you hear voices'' I instantly said no I dont want to be considered crazy or something.I never thought my unusual sleep patterns or my inability to fall asleep could possibly be what is causing all of this not to mention the experiences that have scared the hell out of me .When falling asleep I sometimes feel like I am falling or like I cant breath so I wake up panting with chest pains its scary .I can recall almost every paranormal experience I have had and it has always been me either waking up to something or while I was falling asleep .Most recently I woke up in the middle of the night as usual but this time in my doorway at the foot of my bed I saw black figure no features just a black shadow like figure I lifted my head up to see and it just slowly walked out of my room for some reason I was not terrified I just layed back down and fell asleep .I remember when I was a teen everything being at it worst hearing voices and unusual happenings always late at night when I was trying to fall asleep and couldnt usually it was past 2 am .I was once falling asleep and heard my name wispered fast over and over I tryed to jump out of bed and couldnt I was pinned to the bed .Another time I was laying in bed and I had just dosed off I am shocked awake hearing the sound of kids running away from my bed and saying in a shes up It was soo scary All of these things have happend in different houses.I am definatly starting to associate some of the things that have happened with a sleep disorder.I do believe in the paranormal however I thing somethings can be explained .If anyone has the same issues please feel free to email me I would really love to know more or know other people can relate to me and I am not a crazy person.
Sleep Disorder
I have experienced these symptoms for a very long time but i also have had fear of the dark or think there are ghosts that are following me from each place i have lived because of hearing different loud noises at night even footsteps at my parents house and no one was home.
Last night i was dreaming (eyes closed and could not open them) but felt awake at the same time and then i could not move (paralyzed) and it was hard to breath so i started to scream out my husbands name over and over but i could not get a sound out and then i felt a presence over me and i started to pray to god to please send me angels to protect me while i sleep and i heard a voice and then i woke up but it was definately a struggle.
More than science
I am 17 Years old. &my name is Karen.
I have been experiencing these kinds of "dreams" 6 months- nearly a year now.
I do believe it has to do with your brain and anxiety,
but i also do believe in my case that I have it in a spiritual way as well. A mix of both worlds.
[In the beginning of these episodes my vision would go back where i can see the out line of my pupils and whats only in front of me. I have no control over my body, i can see perfectly around me, and in other rooms, night or day time it doesn't matter. The chances I do get to move which rarely happen but can accrue I'm in intense pain.] (once my head was being pushed further back than it possible can and also another time when my joints where all backwards?, i can't explain it)
My first experience was one of the worst I've ever had,
all in all there was a tall dark man telling me he wanted me.
In one episode I actually started to pray to myself;
I killed it. This man, this thing? But then there was one more thing out there that watched me. However for awhile these episodes had stopped. I think it lost me because I was moving to different locations frequently.
After moving around so much, I then felt it had lost me.
These episodes where not so strong, I could control
going into different dimensions.
Months after having these episodes of being awake when asleep, without this spirit or "hallucination" I've then seen this man looking at me threw my bedroom window one night.
I have also seen this man awake.
Now, recent episodes of these dreams I can not control it like I use to you. In the beginning I could control switching to different dimensions; but now i am literally stuck like this. I would wake up; when really I'm not. Then again... I would wake up, when then I'm really not. I would try so hard each time as I wake up, I truly believed I am awake but then I'm absolutely not.
Not to long ago,
this thing has found me. I woke up crying.
and had an eerie feeling around the one house,
where this all began.
Before any of these- sleep paralysis, I've experience spiritual shit in my room. Its hard to explain.
But Over All I believe its a bit of both.
Any stress I have builds it up makes these episodes stronger, but then also helps this spirit to connect with me when so.
My story can go on..
I just wish there was someone that felt this way too,
I do not believe its all scientific.
The weird thing about this man,
it had happen to my boyfriends ex. Only she was seeing him more frequently awake. than asleep.
the funny things is ; He hadn't told me this until after this was starting to happen to me.
So it wasn't one of those things when you see/hear it an then it happens to you in your dreams.
its spiritual
well.. I have been experiencing these things since i was a kidd too.. m now 23 year old male. it is scary. and i dont believe for once that its scientific. I followed the advice of a religious scholar and I think i have control now. I still feel that stuff happening to me, but I can make it go easily. I believe its due to the help of Allah and Allah promises reward for the people who ward off evil.
There are a few Quranic verses which help a lot. I can share.
happened again, but this time someone was on my side :o
Hey! im 15 male, had this happened bunch of times as a kid but recently had this twice last week. I am a christian and recently started going to church every sunday, well this happened last night AGAIN. I heard a weird noise this time its never happened the last few times.It didnt help that i watched paranormal activity lol. IT sounded like a different language it was horrible, or it was the door opening. This is common to hear noise as I have read. Well anyways before this I had a lucid dream where i was flying and jumping on sky scrapers but I am guessing i had overwhelmed myself while lucid dreaming so i woke up. And whe n i woke up i was paralysed sure enough i heard the strange noise. My eyes were sleeping and i thought it was an attack by something evil.
My cousin told me so inspiring it brought happiness to me, he said that if it was a demon he knows it shall not harm me because, I am a son of god and no harm shall come to believers in god. So what i did was calm downed prayed to jesus christ and his father and sure enough I woke up and went back to sleep 5 seconds later peacefully as if an angel watched over me.
If you have had SP i strongly suggest to:
1. Realize you are experiencign SP.
2. Calm yourself any images you experience or sounds you may hear is very normal in SP.
3.If you want to manipulate this and try to lucid dream, its amazing thing to experience in ones life.
4. If your christian like me or religious, know that a demon will not harm you, because you have god and his angels with you.
5.Praying will sure enough help you wake up, anything such as chanting jesus name will wake you up and If your like me the angels of heaven should put you back to sleep peacefully.
IT JUST HAPPEND!!! WHAT WHAT!
im 20 and this just happened to me for the first time like 20 mins ago. by far scariest moment of my life. i thought i was going crazy haha. glad im not the only person that this has happened too. what is worse though is that i watched that stupid paranormal activity movie. didnt scare me when i saw it but sure as hell scared me tonight after that happend. haha worst moment in my life. the end.
WTF It Felt So Real....
Ok Just like Caleb here Im 20yrs old and this just happned to me like half and hour ago....I still can't belive this wasn't real but this is what I was doing before my First Episode.
I was playing a Online Computer Game, on and off for like
10hrs straight. And since i Usually get up for work at
3:30Am every morning, this time i was off, so i decided to
go to sleep at 3ish. So right before I tried to fall asleep
I was thinking of the stupidest thing. "Close Encounters Of
The Fourth Kind"(If you have'nt seen this then see it and
you'll know why not to think about it at night) Anyway I
was remembering the parts of the movie where its dark and
my door was wide open, and I SWEAR TO GOD HIMSELF THAT when
i was thinking to myself, "Oh Just like i am now about to
fall asleep 'THEY' Make thier Move" and right as my last
blink occured before i fell asleep BAM!! I Was Paralyzed,
Concious and everything with a Black looking static to my
left and a clear view of my darkned room on the right.(The
whole i time i was sleeping sideways, rarely do.) I heard a
semi-drill like sound about 4 times then my eyes dragged
down but didnt shut completly and i immeditely gained
control and ran to turn on my light. And tried to find any
cuts or bruises.
And no Mucscular figure or any voices that others have encountered, just that Black Static surrounding me. And I SAY THIS TRULY I DO NOT BELIVE IN ALIENS But this was like.....I Don't know but I hope it never happens again.