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Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip
Sleep Paralysis: Awake But Still Asleep
Hiro Takahashi
A person may wake up and find himself unable to move or speak as if he is frozen. He also may hear footsteps, see a ghost-like creature, or feel someone sitting on his chest. Throughout the history, people considered this phenomenon as work done by evil spirits. However, the modern science can explain the terrifying event as a Sleep Paralysis.
A Sleep Paralysis is possibly a hereditary disorder in which one experiences very frightening seconds or minutes of total body paralysis with little respiration and eye movements (1). A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2). In addition to the immobility, the common symptoms include feeling choked or suffocated, hearing strange noises like footsteps and voices, seeing beings or dark shadows, and feeling an existance of someone in the room (1). Although these symptoms often direct the victims to believe in ghosts, mistransmission of neural signals in the brain causes Sleep Paralysis. When a person sleeps, his brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contraction (3). If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed"(2).
In order to understand how a body becomes paralyzed while the person is awake, it is necessary to understand sleep cycles. In a mammalian sleep, the brain activity undergoes two different states called non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, which differ very much from wakefulness (3). NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically through the night; in human, about 80 minutes of NREM sleep starts a night of sleep, about 10 minutes of REM sleep follows, and this 90 minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times during the night (3). During NREM sleep, a body produces few movement, but the body has capability of tossing about in bed and producing some other motor events, such as sleepwalking and sleeptalking (3). The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2). During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3). The eyes move rapidly because most dreaming takes place in this period, and the sleeper probably "look" at the moving objects in a dream (2).
The brain's control over muscles during REM sleep points out that in this period, a body is normally in the state of total paralysis, called a "nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis" (3). Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2). Although some peripheral muscles, such as the muscles of the fingers and face, still twitch, the large skeletal muscles become relaxed, or "paralyzed" as a result (3). Some evidence supports that the motor paralysis of REM sleep protect against the acting out of one's dreams. A patient who suffers from rare syndrome called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder lacks the normal nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis, and he acts out violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (4). For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4).
A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2).
While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5).
How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations.
Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.
Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5).
Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.
WWW Sources
1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis
4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder
5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Comments made prior to 2007
I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006
I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific.
About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006
i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007
I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child. It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past. I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep.
Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up?
It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines. If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine. Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works. Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have. I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me.
I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo. A migraine in 5 seconds. That is how they can occur. I wake with them otherwise. I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't. I have a clean bill of health otherwise.
Thanks for your time. Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007
I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one. Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep? The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath. My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes. I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all. What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep? I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me! Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007
I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;-) Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
sp forever
I am a 44 year old male suffering since small 5 or 6, in early years it was always, i mean every night sleeping was like a fight to make it to am paralysis was intense sometimes in concious state other times in deep rem struggeling just to twitch to wake up episodes often included feeling of others causing condition often dark figures apearing demonic, i did go to catholic school. Being older and smarter is paralysis side effect of et activity? it would make sense why it only happens to some repetedly and most never. it is so real 4 so long . but was so much scarier and intense when young gd luck w it young people it has gotten less intense as i am older, maybe just learned how to deal w it
I jus had another episode
I jus had another episode about 15 mins ago two times back to back atleast 10 mins apart, i heard a real deep and scary voice but i couldnt make out what was said, but i felt my eyes rapidly blinking, its 4:00 am now, I been having sp since I was about 8, I never researched it until now, I'm 25 and I hate it when this happens, it's very scary and I want it to stop....help....
Dual purpose
Perhaps its your imagination. Perhaps not..
I felt like there was an evil presence there too but I guess I lost my fear. I felt pity for those feared and despised. Compassion for the hunter perhaps. Then I found something else. Without fear they were no threat. Actual concern ffor them perhaps was a massive swing in emotional state but to me it felt like surprise. Like you feel about children. Perhaps memories stirred but I felt love returned as children would love a father.
I dont know if it was real. I havent had a nightmare even once since. If there is truth to this though, and if voices are heard, call me ;o)
They are children. The Scared. The Lost. The Alone. The Feared.
What else do they know? They want to be acknowledged. A reaction. To feel real.
Perhaps its in the mind, but its hard to see it that way when it sets in. Perhaps the answer is in your mindset.
try this
I have been experiencing this for about 3 years, and yes it's very frightening I read before that sleeping on your back triggers this, obviously not everyone or else everybody would be experiencing this, but I tried it I havn't slept on my back for about eight months now and hadn't experienced it again until last night when I decided I could sleep my back now and sure enough it happened to me again,I don't know why this triggers it but if sleeping on my sides can help me avoid this then I will not be sleeping on my back again. Try it people and let us know if this works for you too!
Sleep Paralysis
Yeah, SP is not fun, absolutely not. I don't know how many times I have had the episodes of SP. I wasn't taking the count, and didn't even know what it was, until today that I decided to do some research and fell on this blog. Now, I know that SP has caught me at least twice, where I couldn't get out of it until it had fully exercised its power. Fortunately for me, I was able to dodge the latest episodes by sensing their approach and trying to move my feet and hands as soon as possible before my eyes completely close and my body paralyses.
Each time it happened to me, I found myself sleeping on my back. So far, I would speculate that avoiding to sleep on the back might prevent SP episodes from happening. I don't remember ever sleeping on my side and having an episode of SP.
And yes, I remember praying during at least one of the episodes.
Good luck to all of us.
yes...... Exactly I hav
yes...... Exactly I hav Experienced today...... nd many times Before...... i thought this is Due to Some Evil Sprits... bt M still Confused... How 2 Deat with it....... as my eyes are open... I can see Everything in the Room..... But fails to speak.... to scream......
sleep paralysis
I wanted to Comment on this topic. I have had sleep paralysis since I was 21- I am 32 now... When it first started I thought I was attacked by demons, aliens etc; however, now I realize that it is the result of my disorder. I wanted to comment on my triggers to let everyone know and compare:
1. First, my body temperature is always scaldingly hot. Hot baths, being in the sun too long, hot food, spicy food trigger. Acupuncture to drain heat out of my body is the only thing that helps. Moving to FL was a challenge
2. Eating and laying down immediately
3. Sleeping on my back
4. Alcohol (also warm)
5. Oversleeping
6. Sleeping sitting up
what does it mean?
hi, im 13 and I first had this when I was about 10, I havnt had it lately (which im glad for, their freaking scary :/) but in mine, its while im falling asleep, and I had it multiple times a night. so ill be falling asleep and suddenly I feel like im half awake, im lyng like I am in real life and I sometimes see someone(normally my mum ) walking down the hall, and my bedroom door is open. I try to call to them and I realize I cant speak, so I try to scream but I cant so I try to move my hands and they wont budge. eventually whoever is in the hall mst walk out but I don't notice them because I realize that I cant breathe, and so I go ointo a giant panic attack and start freaking out and its like im about to die and cant breathe, and I somehow, right when im about to suffocate or something wake up gasping. if this happens it happens atleast twice. is this normal? I think maybe it stopped cause I have moved, but I moved back last week and im afraid maybe these dreams will come back :( lol so just wondering if the not bwing able to breathe/panic attack was normal, cause I didn't see t mentioned lol thanks in advance!
Sleep paralysis???
I've had these kinds of occurrences since I was a kid and I'm much older now and they're not as often but once in a while they torment me. They are in no way welcome but that doesn't seem to matter. If they want to happen, they do! I can't move either and I can, at times, see someone, (usually a family member), walk past me and I'm trying so hard to tell them to wake me up because I do know I'm in some sort of nonresponsive state. They don't hear me. I feel fear, a hard-to-breath situation, can't move and no matter how hard I try I can't wake myself out of it, and sometimes when I try to, it just gets worse and the fear really overtakes me while I fall back into the deeper state of unconsciousness or sleep. Whatever it is. I feel like if I let myself go back to the sleep state that I'm not going to be able to wake up ever. I have no idea what's going on. I've never been able to figure this out and I'm not sure I ever will. I do also feel an evil presence and it's lying down next to me, behind me, and I can actually "feel" it up against my back. I finally realize in my stupor that I need to bring God into this and I do start praying to Jesus in real earnest and that will wake me up but it's terrifying while and after it happens. It takes a while to get me to relax and go back to sleep. Next time this happens, earnestly pray in Jesus name that He fight the battle for you and help you wake up. It has worked every time for me but the prayer has to be very earnest, and let whatever it is (whether it be evil or just a scary-feeling state) know you mean business when you pray because I truly believe whatever "it" is it's not a good thing and Jesus has to fight the battle for you. Trust in him to see you through. God bless you!!!
Im also experiencing that
Im also experiencing that kind of phenomenon. I was so scared everytime it happens ,scared if what if I can't stand to struggle movements to wake up anymore. feels like something is pulling me.
what do you think I can do?? I was only 16 and had experiencing it since childhood.
replies would be of great help.
thanks . GODBLESS ? fernel 16
MAY 23 2013
Tulalangmulat I share the
Tulalangmulat I share the your exact sentiments. I have had numerous episodes of sleep paralysis throughout my life as well. One thing that I have come to realize from my experiences is that this phenomena usually occurred when I either forgot orwas too tired to pray before going to bed. Like everyone on this forum who has had this experience, it always involves a supernatural evil presence. I can recall that at one instance in my life that my episodes of sleep paralysis were so frequent that I was actually afraid to sleep because for fear of death. This is because, when my episodes occurred, I usually stopped breathing. It was like I was being suffocated, it was only when I called on the name of Jesus Christ that I actually woke up and got some relief. My friend, I encourage you to pray, pray harder than you ever prayed before. Futhermor, please do not go to bed in fear, because the devil uses this to his advantage, trust me I learnt this from experience. I hope and pray that things will get better for you.
Sleep paralysis
Well my friend, I have been experiencing this too. I'm 15 right now I just had it happen to me. Sometimes it's bad and sometimes it's not that bad. One thing I have realized is that this thing is more then just science. Once I had this feeling of something pushing on me and I was awake but couldn't move. Later on I said some religious word and it seemed to have slowly fade away and the more I spoke in the name of Allah, the weaker the sleep paralysis got be I was able to wake up and free myself from this thing. Battle this thing with religion is my answer. That's the only way to win.
My answer from my spirit guide
I had the same or similar effects as many people on this site. However, while I couldn't open my eyes I could see the thing that was hovering over me (bubbly in deep crimson reds, blues and greens) in my mind. It was weird and scary as hell. I didn't pray but did cuss at it numerous times in my head and eventually it went away up into the ceiling. When I was sure it was gone I opened my eyes. To this day it was the scariest thing that has happened to me, it never happened again and it happened 25 years ago. I'm 45 at the time of the writing.
Fast forward a decade. I was with a couple female friends of mine who told me they were medians and talked me into a session with them to meet my guardian. I thought, hum...Ok, why not. During this session of "guardians only" I was introduced to mine. As I got comfortable with the session, keeping my personal knowledge very limited, I asked if he (guardian) recalled the episode. He stated that he did, he was there, it was evil and helped me win. I thanked him and he finished with "it my job". I wonder if he got paid overtime for that? I didn't tell my friends what happened with the "evil" until after the session.
There is obviously much more to this but that is the jest. If a scientist states it is all in your mind I will say he's correct because it was. It was in my mind. If someone else says it is "evil" I would also agree. It was something more. It is this one episode that started me on a path searching for clues to both spirits and the afterlife. I've concluded that there is a fine line between what is reality and spirituality and sanity from insanity. Much of it is relative. Pray, believe, don't fear and stand up to it every time. Someone has your back to help you.
Special note: My guardian told me he was with me when I was born and will be there when I die. I've learned to trust the voice I hear that tells me to turn left instead of right now only learn I avoided an accident or something. Some people would call it intuition, a spirit guide, luck or an angel. Either way, listen and trust the answers you get. I'm much better off in life for it.
Regards to all, Rich
May really be scientific
My reasoning behind agreeing with this article is not only due to my biology background, but also the fact that I watched a frightening movie (Smiley) last night and had a horrible nightmare about it. When I awoke suddenly from the dream (and into the sleep paralysis/old hag syndrome), that was exactly what was in my room. This, at least most certainly appears to be in accordance with the above explanation (e.g.: that the neurons stimulating the dreams themselves were still partially active).
I have been experiencing SP
I have been experiencing SP for years. I, too, attributed it to evil spirits. Odd, it only happens when I'm on my right side and on my back. More so on my right side. I never hallucinate, it's only that I can't move or speak. I try to move my arms and it's as if I'm bound and I'm not able to budge. The more I try to move the more I get more panicked. I will try to remain calm.
It's very frustrating.
someone?
hello, today i was taking a nap and all of a sudden i felt like my brain was just pulsing, i tried opening my eyes but all they would do was flutter. (this has never happened before) and i thought i felt my mom and sister in the room(which they weren't) but there was ringing in my ears, and it seemed like i couldn't wake up. i swear i saw someone reaching in the couch cushions. idk its hard to explain but will someone please explain what is going on here!!! -bre
It's happen & scared the crap out of me
This has happen 2 me since I was very small child, Everything you all is saying just hit home , I think I have had the worst if not panic attack not being able 2 wakeup my breath slowly feeling like it the last & its leaving my body screaming loud as i can & no 1 hears me darkness & hearing uncommon noices and shadows unfamiliar , My heart racing faster and this is the most scariest thing a person can encounter , I always thought it was evil sprits @ times I've cried and felt the water rolling down my face as I screamed for help ..Scientist are right this your brain & body not correlating together ,however I do believe that those r sprits bothering u because your weakend call me crazy , But when it's happen I just start asking god 2 make it stop & every single time I have called god to make it stop I woke right after & cut the Tv on & this is very late at night ..Not sure who believes in god but try it there is a higher power whether u call on the universe or god it worked everytime I called on my god ..I don't knock the scientist there very very right with regards of their analogy, But this evil likes 2 come in at a weak point .. Hope it works ..
It happens to all the time
It happens to all the time and like others i thought it was evil. Its like Im awake i can't move nor open. my eyes but i can hear everything around me (like if someone is around me and they are looking at tv) i don't see ghost or objects nor is the rom dits a real scary feel because as soon as you do wake up its hard to stay up its like it sucks you back to sleep and it start all over again. I find myself just get all the way up(on my feet ) just to stop it from happening. I wish the best to everyone this is happening to.
I had before few minutes. I
I had before few minutes. I was lying on my back without pillow and suddenly i woke up and not able to move my legs and hands. I was seriously trying to get my mobile but to no avail. I tried to change my body position also but not able to do so what i can remember is that i was awake and it was completely dark. Brain signals received but not transferred to any part of body. Anyway after few seconds or minutes i stand up and i find that may be because of the fact that from last few days i m not regular in sleep and not resting .
Weird Stuff
I have been experiencing sleep paralysis since I was in sixth grade. I don't want to bore you with my experiences as they are very similar to the one's mentioned above. Well I just woke up and something that's never happened before occurred. I took a nap, it was a pleasant nap, but then I heard like an electrical sound coming closer like a train. Still pretty ordinary for me, except this time I didn't feel choking, no pressure on my chest, just like I was being rocked from side to side. It was strange. I could only open one eye, I know this happened while I was half asleep, but my other wouldn't open. Anyways I felt something rocking me back and forth, I can't move, and I feel something lifting my hands and putting them over my chest. I heard a voice say, in the middle of the noise, "Hold me". I freaked out since it was a male voice. No one was around. This is friggen strange. I am 16 and..... This is too weird. Please reply if you hear something similar.
Dream
Yes, it had happened to me. I heard this noise that gets closer n closer and finally all I heard is a loud noise, well there's is 2 but hard to explain. Anyways on one side I heard ppl, especially children, that are cry like an evil spirit asking mercy and other side I heard calm, n peaceful environment... Idk what exactly is , but I give part of the credit to scientist and the rest I thinks is personal perspective point of view(evil n good)
By the way I'm agnostic, but when that happen to me. It make me believe that there is inexplicable things out there.....
Yeah its kinda weird. Mines a
Yeah its kinda weird. Mines a bit like that too but I find you can will yourself to move. I willed my head all the way up and I kept it there. Willed my eyes on a fixed spot and looked em right in the eyes as friends.
It may just be imagination and a semi dreamlike state playing on ya but I find it works wonders. Never had issues since. I know some people will never believe its not real so the best thing I can say for them is this. You will your head up and you show how long you can keep it there. You do it and you win. Youre stronger.
Just dont assume evil is as easily identified as you think. The real victim may be in front of you.
PLEASE HELP ME!
im still 13 and im not really sure if this is my case but its somewhat similar because in my dreams
1. My body is very light but i cant move my body yet i can um.. its hard to explain its like for ex.. my hand is resting on the left pillow and if i move it to the right there's this some sort of weight or force likes its forcing it to not move and just stay still, but since im determined to move it the right side i force it and slowly move it but when i finally reach it its back to the left in a second.. no matter how many times i transfer it to the right it always goes back to left!
2. my eyes is like similar to what happens in my body but in my eyes im focuse on single spot like when im looking at a tree thats what im only looking at and when i look in another direction my vision becomes blurry and sort of spins and so i close my eyes for a second to fix it but when i open my eyes im back looking at ahe tree. and also i dont see ghost or creepy stuff just the place where i sleep
3. the fisrt time i experience this i can hear voices but not creepy ones or unknown, its the voice of the person thats in my room,for ex. my mother is in my room with my sister talking and i can hear their voices,but after a couple of times i start to hear this strange noise in the middle of the dream and the paralyzation starts happening..
4. i dont always feel the presence of someone
yeah so is what happening to me still sleep paralysis or different,please reply to my comment im starting to get really afraid..
S.P
hello,
Thank you for responding, Even though you are light and hearing sound but not seeing creepy things , thats still a case of sleep paralysis I think.It may get worse or you just might not experience it as bad as others.As for me i work night shift and about a hour ago, i took a break and decided to take a power nap.Right on the verge of just about to wake up I felt that feeling of knowing its about to happen and this time like many times before I just shook it off and got up quick.Sometimes I cant do that but Glad I did this time.i dont hear sound like i use to when I was about your age, Im now 35yrs old.Its like the older i got I see more things and feels its prescence in the room.But im not afraid of it and it still happens.but it messes up my sleep pattern bad.Hope yours get better.
Idk what to believe.
When I was 14 I had my first episode. I woke up and felt like someone was sitting on my chest, couldn't breathe or move. I saw black shadows in the room straight in front of me. Well I'm 32 now and had a second attack last night. I was laying on my stomach and couldn't move. My body felt a little tingly, but I wasn't able to move or talk. I remember trying to say my boyfriends name, but couldn't get it out. My grandma told me the experience I had was a nightmare. I don't know if I want to believe it was demons or SP which explains exactly how I felt last night. Then it scares me because I was reading about SUNDS. I do know yesterday I had a very stressful day.
I just had sleep paralaysis
I just had sleep paralaysis and this time it was worse than the other times. Not only could I not move but it felt like I was going to die that how hard breathing was for me and when I finally gained control over myself I felt something shaking me and it really scared me so I ran out the room but why is it always bad things happening when I got into this state
Fuck me, of all days on my
Fuck me, of all days on my fucking birthday, I'm beginning to understand this whole thing now, mind tells body to go to sleep but forgets to tell the mind to turn off. So as your struggling to move you pass out but are totally aware that your sleeping because of what just happen, then bam lucidville and when you wake up part of you mind is still in lucidville now your bodies awake but your mind is in rem state. so when your seeing freaky shit thats you just freaking out watching all those horror films didnt help, the next time it happens just dont think of demons and shit, try to relax even tho it feels like youve just been sliped a roofy.
Not again
This evil s##t happened to me this morn 1:30am it attacked me so fast paralyzed me I could do nothing about it but wait fir it to stop thank god my husband was sleeping next to me heard me making noises but in my mind I was hoping he heard me & he did he actually shook me so I could get up & I did he asked me if that evil thing was happening & I looked @ him & thanked him becuz I was scared!
Guys... look... it's not
Guys... look... it's not demons, alright? I'm gonna start off by saying yes, I believe in demons and yes, I believe in spiritual influences on the physical world, but sleep deprivation, like schizophrenia and other things that could easily be misconstrued as demonic influence, is a scientifically observable phenomenon. I experience sleep paralysis COMMONLY, and I am not in any way convinced it has anything to do with demons because there is scientific proof that it has an observable explanation.
And I'm not gonna lie, it makes me mad when believers in God/Jesus go out and bad-mouth science like it doesn't mean anything. As an agnostic, I have no concrete opinion on God's existence, but I know for CERTAIN that when something is scientifically proven, it's fact. 2 + 2 is 4, God or no, and sleep deprivation is exactly what it says in this article, God or no. It is a frightening experience, yes, but don't go out and tell non-believers that you're being influenced by demons because you experience sleep paralysis. Because, honestly, you're just making a fool of yourself and you're further convincing them that all believers are crack heads with no understanding of reality.
Thanks.
sleep paralysis
if it is no demons or evil spirits, why is it that every time it happens to me and i pray it always go a way and i fully wake up and muscles in ma entire body can now move
heres the thing
Ive had sp 4 times in my life im 24 now the last time occurring when I was 19 or 20. all 4 times I could not move or yell but was awake. 2 of the times I saw a ghost and the 1st time I saw a woman. I would always get a glimpse of her at the corner of my eye from time to time. She is very fast. But when I had SP that time I saw her and she was more scared than me. like she didnt want to be seen. she ran in circles around the room way faster than human as if she was confused than finally ran into the hallway. I never sinced evil in her and was more scared that I couldn't move than seeing her. but then my last SP was in my old apt. that one scared the shit out of me. I was stuck as usual but this time a transparent skinny looking grim reaper was standing over with its thing drew back as if it was about to take my soul. I finally jerked up and woke my girlfriend up and told her what happened. So all that said my theory on SP is for some reason you wake to early and see things your not meant to
SP
Yeah this thing has like been just apart of my life and When mentioned about the lady running in circles, Im remined of when i was young alos around 11-12 i went to sleep in my moms bed and she was sleep too, i woke up and couldnt move and i saw there young girls like skipping in circles in the bedroom and they were actually poking my chest and i wasnt afraid i was just mad i couldnt move and freaked me out. two of them looked liked my twin sisters.I have many episodes of this. Sp or whatever but as for my experience since I was raised in the church and my faith background.Hwen i always called on jesus name the room gets darker and feels as though its bout to shake and even makes me get weaker.I even actually fought and got up couple of times, and when it happened i woke up and was laying down smh.pisses me off when im trying to rest.
Ok. You want to tackle it
Ok. You want to tackle it that way.
Ignore what you "see" when it starts. Its deceptive. Ignore the sense of "evil". That too is deception. Relax.
Close your mind to all else for a moment. There is just you in the void. Now feel with your mind for anything around you. it has a focus on you. Space, distance is nothing to you. Closed in an instant.
You will feel there a sense of fear. Weakness. A sense of being lost or unloved. Take pity on it and extend love.
All people have strength. True weakness comes from feeling weak, alone, detached from others. For some of those, they crave any chance even just to interact or get a response. A negative one suffices because they still feel they are at least being responded to. They need people.
So teach, show love to all and correct them. We are all children in some sense at least. Consider others your children and hold concern for all. There is no fight here other than that you blindly create.
So... what is your true nature? How would you judge yourself?
Yea they do need people but i
Yea they do need people but i have no interest in them needing me or to show them love nor do i have an interest in entertaining the demonic. They only deceive people.
People need to wake up and
People need to wake up and understand the real deal about these nightly visits where they feel like their fighting something off so they can breathe. There is no sleep paralysis these are demons and they will manifest in many forms which goes back to people claiming to be abducted by aliens, the abductions may have been real but it wasnt aliens they were demons. Everyone should google incubi, succumb, then try googling demons are aliens and tell me what they really think about this SP bull. People need to understand why the flood from the bible really took place and why so many different cultures have an account of the biblical flood- Google nephilim then google what are fallen angels. The nephilim and the watchers. Then i cant wait to hear your comments. The devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy. So please wake up and get right with Jesus......why do u think when you call on him your able to come out of these attack. Cant wait to hear some comments
believer
I believe u...email me...
Spiritual war
Yes this is a spiritual war between the living and demons. We must learn to pray at night before bed and ask the Holy Trinity (God the Father, Son Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit) to guide protect us day and night.
These things no longer scare me because I've learned that each time you call out to God for help everything stops.
Some times this happens to my mother aswel.
My mom told me that one night se as she was laying in bed she couldn't move. She was laying on her side and saw something at the foot end. As she struggled to move, the thing came and stand behind her as she lay in the back. Room was dark. And as she prayed the thing sweared at her and yelled because it was angry and all because she prayed. While she was praying the thing just disappeared. She told me the thing yelled at her: "Your mothers c*nt!".
This is demons and no sp!
It's time that the world should stop looking for scientific explanations and realise that these things are living amongst us.
Spiritual warfare
Yes I know its a spiritual battle and Scientific explanations just wants to fool folks,just like most rather believe there isnt a God or jesus was just a man or a prophet. The battles that we are facing will get stronger, yes we pray and it stills attacks us but we must hold on to our faith and trust God.I remind them the word says at the end we win and when i say that ogh boy, they get pissed and i cant move at the same time lol.Us that are experiencing these things must be gettying us ready for something we will be able to see in the spriritual realm that others cannot see and i want and will be ready for what plan God has in this, He's allowing this to happen for a reason.
Thank God somebody is on the
Thank God somebody is on the same page im on. Why is everyone so blind to the truth
because
The greatest Trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he never existed, so those that are professionals and all Use scientific methods and give a pill or sya to focus on good then rather being scared of it while laying there. fact is Im not afraid nor do I think about demons or scared of anything, It happens unexpectingly in my life since I was a child. Why folks rather say its nothing there when actually you are feeling a evil prescence in your room and seeing a shadowy figure but still say its not real, thats just plain Foolishness.I know its real because when it 1st happend to me I was just a little child.Born and raised in God because my mom is a Christ-like Mother :-) "Praise God, I told my mom that I was sleep an woke up but couldnt move but felt something bad in my bedroom.I was afraid at that age.so she said when it happens again call on the name of "jESUS, until it leaves.and the next night it happend again and when I said "JESUS help me, it felt like the very Atmosphere Shook and I heard as if it was Hundreds of voices at once in a growling lion manner and it left.I never experienced that type again but now its quiet but i see a 8ft like tall figure or shadows moving about quickly and when I begin to sing praises to God in my spirit it gets ,ad and then leaves...I have many more testimonies of knw=owing its a spiritual thing...
Brilliant lol. Thats the
Brilliant lol.
Thats the single reaction least wanted haha. Have you noticed a running theme here? The goal is fear and to be convinced its real. For someone to recognise the deception, its a bit of a blow and pretty much buggers any chance of influence working.
When you see it, question what it is and why its there. Think about how it works. Disregard and images and focus on how they are being formed. I suspect you'll crack it :)
Think of it as a seal. They are at risk if they try to cross it. You might say its policed. Instead this is just a means to manipulate it to try and influence in safety. They see a danger now ;)
My experiences...
This has happened to me 4 times but I can only clearly remember 3. The first three were when I was 14 or 15 and they happened in the same week. I remember waking up at night paralized the first time I saw a goat head hovering over me and it didn't look real it looked like a hologram with a tractor beam of 3 red spirals locking onto my face but this goat head told me to do something I remember this being me first experience and I was terrified I mean the only thing I could do to even attempt to flee was breath louder and harder or close my eyes and bear threw it, I chose to close my eyes and fall back asleep. The next night the same thing happened but it was a blue blurry face with blue spirals were locked onto my face and it told me to cross the river and to this day I have no idea what that means unless it want me to go to east st. Louis but anyway me being me, I was angry at whatever was happening so I tried my hardest to talk back no longer in fear and said F*ck you then instently I felt under pressure my blood was boiling and I couldn't talk anymore and my breathing was minimal. It felt like being pushed inward from everywhere like I was shrinking as it was screaming. I fell back asleep terrified and told my mother. She blew it off like nothing and I figured I should to. Until this most recent one, I'm 18 now and this experience was unlike any others I can remember. I woke up paralized the same as usual except the fact it was morning when this happened and I wasnt scared but curious I was laying there just looking up at the kitchen then everything went to a darker tone and I saw ripples in the air in front of me. These ripples were like when you drop something in water. But without the water it was grey and 2ft off the ground and 5 ft from my face and then I instently tried to move to see if I was still paralyzed and I was so I looked more closely at it and then when it occured to me that this was completely real that it was happening again i felt under pressure again. I heard voices not any I've heard before I can't even describe them but I felt like I understood them when in reality it wasn't a language I know but I knew they were destressed that I could see there ripples. So I was just laying there for about 2 minutes curiously looking at the ripples that were shrinking then while I was paralized my head instantly jerked to the right as if trying to snap my neck. I had no conrol over it and it happened again right after the first one then i blacked out and woke up normal and told my mom and she ignored me and I did reserch on it and found this and I just want to know if anyone has had similar experiences or knows of help or anything.
Try calling for Tinky Winky,
Try calling for Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Lala or Po the teletubbies. We need to establish if it has the same effect. For this to be a viable experiment we need to set up a series of DIFFERENT tests and controls and compare the outcome. Then we can establish commonalities and make some progress understanding it.
Report results:
1. Initial experience symptoms.
2. Reaction / name called / act performed / thought.
3. Reaction
4. End mental state / result.
All give this a try please. Try different approaches.
really?
Man... where do I start?
Thats like saying fleshies will all kill to protect themselves. Its like saying the nature of the livinv is to cling onto life and hate their predators. None of them would break ALL the rules would they.
Stereotypes are a very silly thing. The blind man knows only the man he felt and the man he heard. To assume all men looked and sounded identical or that there were just two would be plainly silly.
The rules do get broken. You speak of the spirit. Its a powerful subject. It can be equally surprising when one reaches out in love for that which knows none. We are all sealed into molds. The seal can and has been broken.
Lose your fear
A feeling of panic or fear is what exacerbates your problem. ANY sense of comfort or reassurance you can focus on will alleviate the problem to some extent, whether it is based on reason or religion etc.
However you may find it significantly more effective if there is no opportunity at all for fear of any form to take a hold on you. To achieve that is actually very simple. Start by asking yourself what it is you fear. Many claim feelings of ill will are first perceived. Ask yourself why that ill will should be present. The process of reason faced with fear will already loosen its hold. Next move on to what it is you most fear. That is after all the worst that could happen. Most consider death. Acceptance is next. Suppose death is inevitable. What is there then? If what you are experiencing now is real, there is more than life so no cause for concern. If the spirits etc can indeed influence the living your deeds are far from done. Indeed unconstrained by form you may be able to achieve far more. Why should you fear death anyway? What is time? What are we all? What is space? Suppose we are all linked. You will change on death but now will always be here framed in this moment.
View it however you like but ultimately with acceptance there should be no fear. With no fear to fuel your nightmares and the worst case imagined and imagined long past there is nothing left to take its toll on you.
Agreed .
This is true . The whole fear thing .
When I started experiencing this "sleep paralysis" I was very scared , too scared to sleep . I'm 17 now , its been happening for like +-3 years . Its not something I'll ever get use to , or accept . But when I'm in a state of sleep paralysis I try to calm myself down . I just woke up from it now , so I decided to do some research .
When I had it now , I calmed myself down , it made me less dizzy , and then when I got tired of trying to wake myself up . I told myself "IM NOT SCARED", and immediately my eyesight got better and I woke up .
Aniway , that's all , goodnight ..
HELP ME!
I'm only 14 years old and I've been very scared by this.
It started happening to me about 3 to 4 years ago and for the past week it's been happening to me every night which makes me afraid to sleep and I haven't slept in two days because I'm afraid of this happening.
As the passage said that the brain is late sending the signals to the muscles to move.
In the state of being paralyzed it only should take a couple of seconds to a minute to have the brain send singnals.
Tell me why I'm being paralyzed for over five minutes...
I see ghost like figures and I can't breathe.
About 3 years ago I pushed myself up with all of my force and something pulled me back down.
I could see my grandma sleeping on the other side of the room and I could hear the television.
I was also gasping for air..... I need help guys, this is no sleep paralysis!!!!
Your absolutely right its not
Your absolutely right its not SP. Its a demonic presence. Im 27 now and have been experiencing these episodes since i was preteen. The episode i had before last night was m y scariest i was held down and choked and i could actually make out a face with the look of death. When i finally fought it off i cried because i had never experienced it so bad. Last night i had another episode where i felt some fondling me or attempting to have sex with me but i prayed to Jesus and it finally left me alone. These spirits are demons honey and u shouldnt be scared because they feed off of fear and as long as that fear is there they will keep attacking u. All u have to do is call on the name of Jesus, rebuke those spirits in Jesus Christ name, and believe in your heart that he is greater than these evil spirits. The next time you have an episode call on God to deliver you. I really wish people would understand we're at spiritual warfare in everything thing we do because we are God's special prized possesion and the devil hates that and will do all he can to get you further away from God. I would like to hear from you again and know how my advice has helped you.
The real deal
People need to wake up and understand the real deal about these nightly visits where they feel like their fighting something off so they can breathe. There is no sleep paralysis these are demons and they will manifest in many forms which goes back to people claiming to be abducted by aliens, the abductions may have been real but it wasnt aliens they were demons. Everyone should google incubi, succumb, then try googling demons are aliens and tell me what they really think about this SP bull. People need to understand why the flood from the bible really took place and why so many different cultures have an account of the biblical flood- Google nephilim then google what are fallen angels. The nephilim and the watchers. Then i cant wait to hear your comments. The devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy. So please wake up and get right with Jesus......why do u think when you call on him your able to come out of these attack. Cant wait to hear some comments
I agree with everything
I agree with everything you've said Tina. These espisodes cannot be scientific. .. they always try and say it is but its not. I know this because I too have had these so called "SP". To the people who say its scientific... why can't it be a good "SP", a happy "SP"??? But they never are though... they always seem to be bad and scarey. I too have seen a dark figure above me and wasn't able to move or speak. The first thing that pop in my mind was JESUS! Just the word JESUS and it went away and I was able to move again. I've had more then one episode and everytime its happened. I've ask God to help me in my mind because I could not speak. He always comes to my aid when I call his name! My most recent episode happened about 3 weeks ago... I was in the living room and I could feel some bad presence with me.. the room was dark... I went into that so called "SP" you scientific people call. I then heard evil laughter of little kids down the hallway. I could hear their footsteps coming to the door as I stared in that direction. The footsteps got closer and closer until they were at the door... I was so scared I thought I was about to have a heart attack if that door open. I started praying to God as I heard the door knob twist and turn as they tried to come in, but God saved me... I know deep down God didn't let them in. He is our Savior. Now if you want to still call this scientific, go ahead... we our free to choose. But I also believe on the other comment I read earlier... this is happening to us because we are getting prepared for what others cannot see. We are building our faith our strenth when we call on him when these things happen. God Bless