Sleep Paralysis: Awake Awake But Still Asleep 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) (1).. A victim in this state feels awake, but he cannot move or speak (2) (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) (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) (3).. If he comes into consciousness before the brain sends signals to activate muscle contraction, he cannot move his body, and consequently, become "paralyzed" "paralyzed "(2) (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 (3) 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) (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) (3).. The cardiac-muscle contraction and breathing occur at a uniform rate, and the eyes move slowly (2) (2).. During REM sleep, on the other hand, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary (3) (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) (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) (3).. Probably to prevent a person from "acting out" a dream, the brain sends signals to inhibit any muscle contractions (2) (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) (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) (4).. For example, a 60-year-old surgeon dreamt that he was attacked "by criminals, terrorists, and monsters who always tried to kill [him]" and fighting
against them in the nightmare, he was actually punching and kicking his wife who slept in the same bed (4). A nonreciprocal flaccid paralysis during REM sleep is accomplished actively by postsynaptic inhibition of motorneurons (3). Although the exact process of motor inhibition is not clear, some neurotransmitters and hormones are known to generate the many components of REM sleep. Aministering physostigmine, an inhibitor of the catabolic enzyme, increases the concentration of acetylcholine within the neurons in the pons, making it possible to artificially generate and start REM sleep in the middle of NREM sleep (3). Carbachol, the cholinergic agonist, produces a period of REM sleep in cat when directly injected into the pontine tegmentum (3). The hormone melatonin, a "master hormone" (5) that mainly controls circadian rhythms, also seems to play an important role in enhancing the REM state; the level of melatonin secretion by the pineal gland reaches its lowest during REM sleep (5). Such neurotransmitters and hormones probably activate or inhibit the activity of second messengers, which then activate or inhibit the third messengers, and so on till the last messenger inhibit the synaptic transmission or cause hyperpolarization of the motorneurons. And if, for some reason, the nervous or endocrine system continues to release the neural inhibitors, a person may experience Sleep Paralysis as he enters awakefully into or awakens directly from REM period (2). While the modern neuroscience can describe the state of Sleep Paralysis as some errors of the neural transmission in the brain during REM sleep, a person who has seen or heard ghost-like figures/voices may easily believe that eveil spirits fully controlled his entire body. However, the images or noises, which the victim believes that he has seen or heard, are most likely hallucinations; and hallucinations, too, can result from the brain activity. In the 1960's, the Canadian neurologist W. Penfield introduced that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can cause the auditory hallucinations in the wake state (5). The buzzing or ringing sounds in the ears and other auditory hallucinations are closely associated with the activity of the auditory cortex and involves the temporal lobe (5). During the early period of sleep paralysis, the activity of the temporal lobe increases significantly, sometimes inducing hallucinatory sense (5). Similarly, the visual cortex generates internal visual stimuli, causing the victim to "see" terrifying figures during the paralysis (5). How an episode of Sleep Paralysis induces visual or auditory hallucinations is still not clear, but it seems to have a significant relationship with anxiety (5). For anxiety is a neurocognitive event closely related to both psychological and physical processes, the extreme anxiety or panic may cause the release of several different signal molecules that trigger all kinds of physical events (5). A person experiencing Sleep Paralysis feels mortal fear or extreme panic, and hence, the brain generates and releases internal visual or auditory stimuli, producing hallucinations. Also, hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis may happen, for one keeps dreaming even after some parts of his brain wakes up directly from REM sleep. Since the nervous and endocrine systems continue to release the neural inhibitors which sustain the paralysis, it may be possible that those systems keep releasing the neural activators that stimulate dreaming. Thus, a person continues to "see" the images and "hear" the noises produced in the dream that he has just had in REM sleep from which he has awaken.
Understanding more neural concepts of Sleep Paralysis, some researchers now hypothesize that a very rare condition called Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) may closely relate to Sleep Paralysis (1). Upon the death, a SUNDS victim produces no body movement even though he experiences a myocardial infarction and strong breathing difficulties and should straggle in agony (5). The death may be caused by the extreme muscle atonia during Sleep Paralysis, which is so severe that even the cardiac muscles and the diaghragm paralyze (5). Until I started researching on this subject, I have believed that the total paralysis of a body is due to an evil taking absolute control over the body. However, the interactions between neurons in the brain can explain this seemingly mysterious phenomenon in a scientific way. Although the explanation is not complete yet, for there are many unclear processes about Sleep Paralysis, the current hypothesis appears to reject the possibility of ghosts on this matter. Of course, it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of "spirits", "minds", or "God" affecting one's behavior. Nevertheless, like Sleep Paralysis and SUNDS, many or the mysterious conditions and behaviors which are only explained in supernatural terms probably result from brain.
WWW Sources 1)The Evil's of Sleep Paralysis 2)The Body During Sleep 3)Basics of Sleep Behavior 4)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder 5)Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Comments made prior to 2007
I have been trying to figure out what was going on in my sleep untill i read this.Now i am happy to know what my body was expeiencing. It's quite scary your first couple experiences of sleep paralysis but now i'm gonna stay calm when it is happening to me and try to get my own understanding of the experience ... Jeremy, 21 March 2006
I have had sleep paralyisis at least once per month for the last 8 years. I am 29 as of this writing. I just had the experience about 1 hour ago and thus has caused me to do reasearch about it on the net. I noticed that many Dr.'s contribute this to anxiety, stress and other factors. My question is ... why is there always an evil presence in that concious yet body is still asleep phase? Today I
heard a loud static sound, and opened my eyes to a spider crawling all over my arm. When I prayed to God, or said His name (Jehovah) the spider would start to disappear. I finally went thru my mental prayer when I awoke. This leads me to believe that it is more of a spiritual occurence, because I never have positive images while in this paralized state. I know there are many things in which our ancestors thought it was demonic rather than scientific, only to find there was a scientific explanation. However, I think this is different and cannot be simply written off as "scientific". There is not enough proof to show that it is scientific. About a month ago I had another episode of sleep paralysis and I saw a small presence in the room with me. It was dark, and I could not see it's face (I am getting chills typing about it right now). My question is, why is there always an evil presence not only associated with my episodes, but so many others I have read about? ... Abel, 24 August 2006
i was thinking it is evil who do that during night but now i find out why. I am suffering from sleep paralyze possibly every nigh spicily when i have dinar ... Salah Nasser, 28 January 2007
I used to have this sleeping disorder when I was a child. It has come back once or twice with adulthood, but otherwise, it is in the past. I used to, with great effort, move my hand to my face and pull an eye open, which would wake me up, but sometimes the struggle was too much and I would go on into a deeper sleep. Since the brain can do this to me, can it also cause me to get migraines just as I am about to wake up? It seems, as I have discovered, if I get less than 4 hours sleep a night, I do not get migraines. If I get 6 hours or more, it's about a 90% chance I will wake with a migraine. Later in the day, I get an hour or two nap and that is the routine as it works. Doctors just sort of treat the migraine and don't get into the sleep thing I have. I take MaxAult for the migraines when they do get me. I woke one time, and just as I woke, I felt this white-hot needle going into my head... bingo. A migraine in 5 seconds. That is how they can occur. I wake with them otherwise. I figure it my brain doing things it shouldn't. I have a clean bill of health otherwise. Thanks for your time. Have a good day ... Jay, 11 February 2007
I have a question, and hope someone out there has an answer, it has been months and I have thus far failed to find one. Has there ever been a record of anyone receiving the effects of sleep paralysis without having been asleep? The reason I ask this, is a while ago, having not slept in a few hours, I was sitting at my computer, and it seemed to have happened to me. Within seconds I was too tired to hold up my own head, and my breathing got very difficult. Then I began to feel a
sort of dizziness as my limbs lost feeling, and dropped to my side. after this, the dizziness turned to near blindness. I could see, but nothing would focus, and everything I tried to look at seemed to dart around like a mosquito. By this time I had no feeling in my entire body, could move nothing without quite a bit of concentration, and I could barely breath. My mother heard me try and make out some kind of cry for help, and found me there spilled into my computer chair. She rolled me to my bed, and poured me into it. Within about 10-15 minutes I had regained everything I once had, but my sea legs did not ware off for another ten or so minutes. I went to the emergency soon after. I had an E.K.G. and a C.A.T. scan, with no results, and I piss less in a week then the amount of blood they took that night. After basically telling me I was lying, the doctor told me that my symptoms did not fit anything at all. What I do know, is I have been researching the issue ever since, and can only base my problem on Sleep Paralysis. All the symptoms match. And again, my question....Has there ever been a record of someone under the effects of sleep paralysis without ever having gone to sleep? I hope you can shed some sort of light on this subject, as it,...well, it freaked me the hell out, and no one has been able to answer me! Thank you for your time ... Mitchel Henderson, 7 December 2007
I used get this "evil paralysed me" feeling when i was paralysed and usually saw a ghost. i tried to shout or move but no sound escaped my mouth and couldn't move at all. it happened again yesterday and was almost convinced that ghosts/evil spirits were getting the better of me. But, me being a practical and logical guy, erjected this theory and started researching on this phenomenon. I came across this research paper on Sleep Paralysis. This greatly helped me in alleviating my fears. And next time i "see" a ghost during sleep paralyses, ill just laugh at it ;) Thanks for the research ... Siddarth, 10 December 2007
I find this unlikly.... Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Sun, 05/20/2012 - 7:12am. I have had this happen too many times to count, just in the past hour it has happened 3 times. It used to happen to me as a kid and i remember being so scared but dont remeber seeing anything. The worst time ever was when i was around 19 and i had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs. When i woke the tv was on but muted and the whole room was dark. Then all the sudden it was so bright on my stairs it,looked like the roof had a skylight or something. Then i see my sister coming down the stairs except her hair was way to long. I couldnt move or speak and the thing that,looked like my sister kept coming and just staring at me. I knew it was evil and i started trying to talk, to yell at it. I dont,even know if the words actually left my mouth but i kept saying your not welcome here in the name of jesus christ i command you to leave(haha to many exercist movies)but finally after probably only a few minutes but seemed like forever the thing turned and went back upstairs then the light,was gone but downstairs was brighter and the tv sound came back on. I totally believe i was awake and it was something evil. Then just tonight 3 different times in an hour, that doesnt even give me this 90 min. Cycle they are trying to push off as REM AMD NREM sleep. And the very last one it felt like someone had their arm over my mouth and i was kicking and trying to pull this force from my mouth because it looked like my boyfriend was coming down stairs to answer my calls for help but when i finally got,the arm off
and got up, that time i was still asleep... this is not only scary but when it happens so frequetly in a night i dont even want to go back to sleep, and there is no way i can believe this is "scientific". Im sure its demons or the spiritual world connecting somehow.
sleep paralysis Submitted by rei-michelle roome (guest) on Sun, 05/20/2012 - 4:44am. about 6 months ago i fell asleep on my sofa and awoke but i couldnt move my body was paralysed i could see blurred vision it felt like it took ages for me to finally get out of that state i never thought nothing of it untill i read this artical i recon my brain was in anxiety because i was worried about picking up my son from school in time that was the first time it happened then about 2 months after i got very drunk on a night out and during sleep i would wake up not being able to move again it felt like i was sinking into my bed and a strange feeling would come over my body but it wasnt a nice one this happened about 7 times that night and in the end i got up as i was to frightened to sleep i blammed it on the alcohol i honestly thought i would die if i went back to sleep then last night i went out for a meal with my partner and kids i drank about 3/4 of a bottle of wine i wasnt drunk just a bit merry all night was the same again i couldnt move but i was awake this time i thought i could feel something in the bedroom with me it felt like something was moving on the bed covers it was terrifying i thought i was being posessed i got hit in the face twice by something and i tried to call for my partner that was sleeping next to me but couldnt when i finally got feeling back in my body i noticed my head really really hurt like i had a bad migrain my niece suffers with epilepsy and after a fit she complains of terrible head ache could i have had a fit and hit myself in my sleep all i know is that was the most frightening experience i have ever encountered and does alcohol make it worst because in my case it seems more apparent
Never could explain.... Submitted by Brenda (guest) on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 2:37am. I am happy I came across this article because for the last 3 or 4 years I have been experiencing what I now know is sleep paralysis. It's very scary for me at times because I know that I am up from my dreams but can't seem to move. I' ve heard people in my apartment and I feel myself starting to scream but no one can hear me. At times I hear myself saying to myself "please wake up" and although I don't wake up when I want too, but my sleep paralysis ends quicker. I usually get sleep paralysis during the mornings when I wake up but now it is happening when I take naps. I don't know when it's going to stop but I hope soon because I use to love dreaming but now it's a pain in the you know what now. I think that I'm going to start mediating or taking yoga because as in the article, sleep paralysis relates to anxiety and I get nervous a lot. Again thanks for the article and also thank you to all of these stories because I know that it is not just me.
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my positive experience with sleep paralysis Submitted by peter (guest) on Mon, 05/14/2012 - 7:29pm. i have had sleep paralysis frequently throughout my life upon awakening. i actually have sleep paralysis every time i awaken. i have had sleep paralysis once upon falling to sleep(which actually happened yesterday three times in one night.) my most recent sleep paralysis was this morning and i didn't even realize it happened. until i read this article did i realize that when you wake up in the morning you should be able to move, i thought everyone woke up paralyzed. i have hallucinated many things upon awakening including floating bananas, family members (including dogs), and a small spider (this was the worst for i am arachniphobic.) last night i hallucinated my family members walking into my room. i am so glad i read this article i actually enjoy my sleep paralysis.
My reality dreams Submitted by Boat (guest) on Mon, 05/14/2012 - 2:37am. I just woke up from one.I'm 20 years and i've been having this for years.Mine is kinda different reading all those other stories on this site.Mine starts like,I'll be in a whole different dream then wake up from that dream.I open my eyes to see my room as it was just as i went to sleep.Then i can move or speak,i see things i haven't seen in my life before.This is really scary for me since i explain it to my parents and they don't think it's possible to witness the things i talk about.My experiences only happen when i sleep in a particular room in my house,outside that room,i haven't experienced it anywhere else.The environment that i see these scary things is alwasy my room since that's where i wake up.I hear voices and all the other things talked about on this site.NoW I JUST DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
maybe just dont sleep in that Submitted by daniel (guest) on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:53am. maybe just dont sleep in that room? haha
immobility Submitted by Yavor Penchev (guest) on Sun, 05/13/2012 - 11:03am. It first happened a couple of years ago when I was 11-12;it continued on for a about 2 years happening roughly once a month or two.It then stopped for a year.I wake up in the morning,feeling conscious and aware of the room environment and even my body position while laying in bed-I then struggle to move,being able to do so after forcing myself a couple of times.I try to move my eyelids and fail to do so.I could barely move my body and could not speak.When I succeed to move a bit,I become frozen again and become very anxious and feel that I have to move.This time was different as I heard vaguely my brother and father talking and laughing for a moment.I then started regaining mobility
Why Submitted by Pedro (guest) on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 10:41am. Why is it that all around the world we all experience the same thing and and not different illusions catered to the individual?
Dreaming a reality Submitted by Pedro (guest) on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:36pm. I have been dealing with this issue for about 22 years now, and it has went through its stages. It began with fear. I have seen many different things and through the years of shadows in the dark of people and animals it evolved to full color pictures of things in the day light and audio. Conversations sounding like different frequencies all at once. My level of control has become very strong but it still is unsettling. The more I experiment with it thinking I will learn to make it stop the more it converts itself into something more complex and detailed. At one point while in the realm of listening to 7 or 8 different conversations all of which are not aware of each other one entity will realize Im there and then it gets a little nerve racking. This is a phase I went through a few years ago. Now I am at a point where this thing happens mainly when Im very tired. It would seem like my soul is separating from my body and some sort of travel is interactive with any of the experiences of this dream state. For those who are still figuring it out, try not to fall asleep on your back when very tired. Change positions after you go through this state. The more you fight it the more your body gets stressed and the harder it gets. Your actual brain does not go through paralysis so try to keep some sort of sanity. Shake or move something small until you can move something big. With everything said, who determines what is reality or when you are dreaming or not? What you see can not just be dismissed as a scientific explanation. After all there is a spirit in this machine and our brains are holographically connected to the universe. inducing this state while awake is something to ponder.... Submitted by Zahid (guest) on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 9:12am. I am 34 years old i have been experiene the same kind problems during sleep since many years, and some time they increase when i have any kind of anxiety or depresion, i also like to inform that i have ocd as well, any how the below is my experiece during my sleep i feel that my self wake up and see that whole enviroment of the room in actual with the close eyes even my right actual position in which i am sleeping, then i tried to move my body parts and open my eyes and try to say some thing but found unable to do so, some time i say some one like a ghost or some thing else and try to move speak etc and finaly wake up some tiem with voice, I also thought that it is might be due to some evil sprit. zahid
Actually astral/lucid dreaming Submitted by irving (guest) on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 11:16am. Some of you are over thinking it.. most likely no one will read this comment but to those of you who will. Im just letting you know that it is not evil i would over think it too. Every person goes through this everyday actually we all astral project ourselves everyday but we dont remember it unless you can control it. On youtube look up spirit science 9 it isnt available to see on mobile but can be seen on a computer guys if you read this comment just know theres thousands of people who can do this. In regards to the people doing research on this for there class go on youtube aswell and check it out. You can contact me
evelyn Submitted by Cornelio (guest) on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 10:51am. Hi evelyn..I can share with you my experiences or you can refer here our experiences here..
sleep paralysis Submitted by Phil G. (guest) on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 1:45am. This just happened to me about a half hour ago. The first time I experienced this was about a year ago. It was pretty scary. Its happened about 4 more times since.
Experienced this all my life.. Submitted by Troy Rampolla (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 6:31pm. I've experienced Sleep Paralysis for as long as I can remember. Sometimes it happens a few times a month, other times I can go months without having an episode. Speaking with my mother, who is quite religious, gave me the typical evil spirit taking over my body. As I am not a religious person, or believe in a higher power, I did not believe what she was telling me. I've recall having crazy, alien like hallucinations along with mysterious shadows in the room as I struggled to wake up. I've also heard vices and conversations taking place as well, but when I wake up, there is nobody there. At times I would be so tired, when I finally wake up from this state, my body feels so weak and lazy that I fall back to the paralysis state with in a matter of seconds. This normally happens if I over sleep! I've also had trouble breathing during these times as well having a hard time swallowing if I have saliva in my throat. I always had to start moving the small parts of my body such as fingers and toes and until I'm able to move something larger to get me out of the paralysis state.
I'm glad I investigated this and know that I'm not the only one who experiences these episodes. USA Pennsylvania
Presence in my bed Submitted by Serendip Visitor Virginia Jones (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 5:29pm. I have read all the material here on sleep paralysis and my problem does not seem to match. I can wake up and "feel" someone moving around in my bed even though I am sleeping alone. This has been happening now for several months. I feel somewhat scared but not overly so which surprises me. I would like it to stop. The movement actually caused what seemed like a hand on my shoulder at one point but I prayed so hard that that has not happened again. That did scare me. I can feel someone "leave" the bed. I am a senior 78 years old and have always been of sound mind and still work part time. I wake up several times a night for bathroom purposes so I know that I am still awake when I feel this. There have been times though when I seem to be in a very deep sleep, feel the "movement" and go right back to sleep.
My Brother's & Sisters. Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 2:41am. Here's the good news, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior so when you have an episode of sleep paralysis, pray to God our Father to heal us of the paralysis by the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I don't think sleep paralysis is a serious condition, I do believe that Satan will attack you with this condition and give you nightmare dreams. The solution to sleep paralysis it to pray to God our Father to heal you from this condition based on the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Wow, my sleep paralysis attacks have diminished. Submitted by irving (guest) on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 11:19am. Theres no such thing as satan... haha just thought you should know... Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 10:56am. I agree with you I just awoke from this described state and when I started to call on JESUS my daughter woke me up!
Sleep Hours Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 2:25am. I try to get at least 8 to 12 hours of sleep and rest in my bed. I time it. That keeps me refreshed and my body rejuvenated. Even if I wake up, I won't get up until I have clocked my 8-10 of sleep and rest. I have opined not getting enough rest and sleep will help trigger sleep paralysis, but what do I know, I'm not a doctor, I just play one on T.V. :>).
Fight Sleep Paralysis Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 2:18am. I always tried to struggle to wake my body up when my brain wakes up. Another sleep paralysis victim sez he just goes back to sleep. I've never tried that, I just struggle to wake up my body. I fear going back to sleep and I don't know why.
Sleep Paralysis Submitted by Nancy K. (guest) on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 8:15pm. I have had instances of Sleep Paralysis since my teens & I am now 50 years old. My sister who is a year older than I has had experiences as well. I have never thought of this as something paranormal, it never felt that way to me. However the experiences are extremely frightening to me because when this happens to me, not only is my body paralyzed, I cannot breathe either. As it occurs, I am fighting to wake myself up by trying to move or scream or shake myself awake because I feel if I let myself go back to sleep, not force myself to "wake up" I would die. It takes every ounce of strength I have in my body, to force myself to wake up. If I happen to be spending the night at someone's home & I have an occurance, I try to yell their name so they can wake me, but I cannot move, I cannot speak, and as I said I cannot breathe. And when I do awake from this horrifying state, I sit up and try not to fall back to sleep for fear that it will happen again. I have tried to figure out exactly what causes this and have just assumed that it occurs when the mind awakes from a deep sleep and the body has yet to. All I know is that it is one of the most frightening experiences anyone could ever have.When I first began to have this, I never told anyone about it, not even my parents. Then when I was 21 & my sister was 22, we took a car trip up to Cape Cod. My sister was sitting in the backseat & had fallen asleep. She awoke a shirt tiime later and became hysterical. She had just experienced Sleep Paralysis for the first time. She was yelling at me, "Nancy, why didn't you wake me up????? Didn't you see that I was struggling?" I knew then that I wasn't crazy, that someone else had gone through the horror of what I had before. While dating my husband he mentioned something that had happened to him whenever he donated blood. He has a very rare blood type and donates when ever he can. He was very tentative when he was telling me about his experience for fear i would think he was crazy. His experience was similar to mine, except that it seemed to happen only when he donated blood. When I shared that it has also happened to me, he almost started to weep because he knew he wasn't insane. I have asked other people if they ever had this happen and the vast majority denied it and some looked at me as if I were demented. I am so happy that I have found thru the Internet that is is more common that I had ever believed. I didn't really ever believe that it was some how paranormal or alien, I do believe it has something to do with the brain & central nervous system. I m curious to find out more definitive proof.
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Falling back asleep Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 2:10am.
I just got a comment from a follow sleep paralysis victim who said they just let it happen and they fall back to sleep. Gosh, I've never tried that technique. I always struggle to wake up my body. Humm, anyone else try that. Perhaps I can get more sleep.
re:Falling back asleep Submitted by DaveH (guest) on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 9:51am. Having 'suffered' from sleep paralysis since I was in my late teens - I am now in my early 50's I've probably experienced everything that people have written about. One thing that can happen if you allow yourself to go back to sleep when experiencing sleep paralysis is Lucid Dreaming. To me, there's nothing better than a Lucid Dream since you know you're dreaming and it is like you have entered another world where the laws of our natural world have no meaning. When in a Lucid Dream, I am able to move things with my mind or do things I would not do in my waking life. I tend to think of them as my 'power dreams'. While it used to be very terrifying to find myself awake and unable to move, now it is mostly just a nuisance. There are times that I force myself to wake up by mentally working smaller muscles in my body until I can finally get my whole body to move and then get up and I only do this when I am having a difficult time breathing. The times that I realize that I am in sleep paralysis and not having any problem breathing, I will chose to go back to sleep for some Lucid Dreams. My recommendation is you try it at least once and see if it happens to you.
Submitted by irving (guest) on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 2:00pm. Finally someone who understands lucid/astral dreaming :)
I suffer with sleep paralysis Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 7:37pm. I suffer with sleep paralysis I've noticed that the later I go to sleep the more chance I have of it happening. Or if Im extremely tired, I feel its yourself telling yourself you need more sleep. I'm terrified everytime I go to sleep I hate it how any1 could enjoy this really surprises me!
I started getting this around Submitted by tarah (guest) on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 6:40pm. I started getting this around 8 years ago i hate it but have learned to control it by focusing on moving my toes as soon as i do it the rest of my body relaxes it makes it less frightening when u feel in control i found that when i panicked the longer the episode takes.
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My Experience Submitted by grindael (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 9:54am. Thanks a lot for this article. It was very informative. I am 54 years old, and have had this condition for many, many years. I thought the account of having detailed dreams was very interesting, I dream, but my dreams are seldom anything I can remember, and not anything like being in the "real" world. I was also struck by the story of trying to contact a partner, that was interesting, and also trying to relax and then shake it off. What prompted me reply today, was just having an episode, and then looking up the details of what was happening to me. When I was younger, I absolutely thought it was evil spirits, but do not any longer. (Even though I'm a believing Christian). I know that today, I was very tired when I dozed off, and was asleep and dreaming (a dream I can't remember - which is usual for me) and then I slowly "woke" and found myself paralyzed. This is what usually happens, but this only happens to me sporadically, about three or four times a year. When I do realize I am frozen, I gather myself together, and with all my might try and move. Usually, it doesn't work the first time, but it makes me more aware, and then on the second try, I can move. When this happens, I always have great feelings of sheer terror, like someone is holding me down, and sometimes, my wife tells me I mumble, or on occasion scream out loud. I know that on occasion I have woken in this state, and thought myself "possessed" and the instances of the shouting or mumbling is me "talking" to whoever is the adversary in my dream that is doing it to me, and then with effort I awake and have movement. I had a work injury three years ago,and have had two operations,and am on heavy pain medication now, but that has had no effect on the episodes. I have learned to live with this, and don't know how anyone can change this happening to them. It was good though, to read all the experiences others have had.
***Did my Spirit leave my body ***** Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 8:45am. I experienced this just last night. I awoke scrared and was saying the lords prayer. I was not awake but thorugh I was I raised up out but knew I was not really awake I even walked to my bed room door to close it but I couldnt. This is when I knew something was weird. Then I tried to wake again and I couldnt talk my tongue was tingiling and the side of my face was doing the same. I got up went to my spiritual table got florida water wiped myself and went to sleep and slept very good. MY question is next time when this happends should I not fight it just let it happen?
lucid dreaming and astral projections! :D Submitted by irving (guest) on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 1:02pm. Dont fight it. Demand that you want to leave your body and it might just happen! :) This is great you will be able to fly go to any place you desire. Mayne at first nothing will occur
but when you stary reading more on this and doing research you will find ways to do anything with it. On youtube look at spirit science 9 It tells what were able to do it is NOT EVIL.
protection Submitted by Marianne (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 12:19am. Many people think that they are saved when they are not, and they are attacked just the same as a nonbeliever. One must have the Holy Spirit in them. It causes a shield of light to surround your body, and anything demonic just bounces off of it. Just ask God to bring His Holy Spirit into you, and you will never be bothered again. I know this because black magicians have told me that they cannot touch some Christians or send demons into them because they have a protective light surrounding them, and I ceased to be attacked when I received the Holy Spirit. God Bless
amen my friend Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 12:39pm. amen my friend
I've read some these comments Submitted by Carolyn (guest) on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 4:27pm. I've read some these comments & I can relate to some of the experiences. You feel as someone is sitting down on your chest & you're trying to scream at the top of your lungs but no voice comes out of you !! I've been experiencing this over the past week & I'm pretty much sleep deprived to a max of 2-3 hrs sleep! IDK what to do anymore to sleep . I fear that I might not wake up this is some scary shit I can't seem to understand.
Sleep Paralysis Submitted by stephen williams (guest) on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 4:58am. I have been having sleep paralysis since i was 15 years old and i am 53 years old now and i can remember the first time it happened and slowly over the years it has got stronger and stronger to the point that i dream and am convinced that i am awake and not asleep i have read many things that relate to my condition including lucid dreaming where i am in a dream and afterwards i know i was dreaming but at the time i thought i was awake so to give you one example, i came home and i went to sleep on the couch i then woke up and the sun was streaming in through the window so i got up and went to look out the window and i could see trees and little green hills with a early morning mist and little bunny rabbits hopping about it looked so peacefull and i
remember looking at this scene in front of me thinking this is great the most fantastic feeling of peacefullness, i was not concerned with the fact that the previous night when i went to sleep on the couch that through that window was a carpark and not what i could now see, i was not afraid and as far as i was concerned i was fully awake, then as i am looking through the window i can hear someone knocking on the front door so i go to answer the door and there is no one there now they are knocking on the back door and when i go to that door there is no one there, so i sit down and start scratching my head and my brother walks into the living room with his friend and i say, :what are you doing here and he says to me i brought paul to see you then i look at the clock and say oh my god i was supposed to be in work at six oclock, then in a instant i was in complete darkness and i could see myself asleep on the couch, even though it was dark i could see myself very clearly and felt as though i was floating face down and was floating down towards my body which i could see was asleep on the couch all the time this was happening i was convinced i was awake, then i was conscious of trying to move my body and the more i tried to move i could hear thousands of birds chattering away in my head the more i try to move the louder the birds got and the my breathing got shallower and shallower to the point that i thought this is it i am going to die, so i somehow accept what is about to happen then i calm myself down the noise in my head gets less and i get control of my breathing but i still feel like i have no arms or legs so stop trying to move and once i am calm i move as fast as i can and in a instant i am awake and i am on my feet standing by the couch in darkness within a second the alarm clock starts ringing for me to go to work, now that is just one episode of many and i have never written it down before but can remember every detail like it was yesterday when in fact it happened 30 years ago, the reason i came on here to post was because i had a episode last night and over the years it has become more scary to the point i am convinced something pure evil is trying to get me so when i am paralyzed i try to make noises for my partner to wake me up and that worked last night as far as lucid dreaming goes i once read that ( a person who can go into a dream and control the dream then this person will control his whole destiny ) i believe this is true as i have gone into dreams and said out loud ( this i my dream and i can do anything i want) and i do but when it is time to wake up i get the paralyzed thing so that is the only down side to that, maybe the sense of evil thing is because you are paralyzed you are at your most weakest so open to attack i dont know but i would like to think there is a positive side to all this i would be interested to know if anyone has had the same experience as me also i have had many dream that have come true, so sort of believe dreams are there to guide you through life
Last night Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 2:29am. What a horrible nights sleep i had i went to sleep around 2 30 and i was dreaming i couldnt breath move or do anything was so hard to wake up i was asleap but awake everytime i mannaged to wake i would fall back to sleep to the same dream and the same would happen again scarry really scarry thanks for this site was really worreid still am a little but least now a know what it is, ive had the whole not being albe to breath b4 but ive woke up from it then gone back to sleep and been fine but last night this lasted around 3 hours
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very unpleasing Submitted by 19mdboy (guest) on Thu, 04/26/2012 - 9:43am. This has happened to me often times but I never kept a record of it. Sometimes it happens to me while I am napping and I can hear my family and everything around me but I cannot respond or awake, however I tried to move the part of my body that I felt was loose and my mother said she she seen me moving but she thought that I was just pretending to be sleep.....Then there's the time when this is occurring and I am always dreaming a horrible scary like dream. Usually zombie like creatures trying to attack me or some out of the ordinary crazy scenes... I usually try to jump out of it but it's too powerful, so then I try to just ignore everything and go back to sleep witch is usually my easy pass out of it lol.
scary shit Submitted by yes scary as hell (guest) on Tue, 04/24/2012 - 10:14pm. my name is Joe, im 20 and have had this happen to me since i was young. i have read a good amount of these comments and have had a number of the same experiences. ive seen people idk walk into my room and stare at me, ive seen scary ass images of demonic things stabbing me, or biting me, ive tried to yell and nothing came out, ive tried to move. one of the scariest things that had happened was i woke up got out of my bed walked to my bathroom to turn the shower water on, as i let the tub fill up i went back to mm room only to see my self sleeping in the same position i had just woke up in. This crazy intense feeling of fear came over me and i started screaming and shaking myself. only to wake up on in the same exact postion i had saw myself sleeping only to be surprised by the sound of running water in the bathroom. i ran to the bathroom and the tub had overflowed about an inch or so over the tub as if i had really been both sleeping and awake... i dont sleep walk and have never had a history of sleepwalking. what the hell happens to me when i sleep? i dont wanna see a doctor im affraid something is wrong with me. but its to the point where i only get on average 2-3 hours of sleep a night. someone talk me off this sleeplessness edge please im really not a crazy person until it comes time to sleep then my head fucks with itself
Experience Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 8:49am. I havent experienced it like this WOW. I am no expert but form reading the comments I think this happends when we dont get enough sleep. An avergae of 2 - 3 hous of sleep is not enough try sleeping the normal hours I think 6 - 8 and it usually stops happening. You are not crazy many people experience this.
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what we have here is the power to lucid dream Submitted by irving (guest) on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 8:55am. Go to youtube and look up 'Spirit Science 9' What we have is a good thing trust me :)
Thanks Submitted by Serendip Visitor (guest) on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 9:16am. I love the youtube link, I am so researching this now. Thanks for the link.
astral projections :D Submitted by irving (guest) on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 12:23pm. This is very fun. People might think im lying but i have no reason to lie. I dont anyone will read my comment though. What we have is amazing and we cant get hust by it its not evil in nature we think what we want and it comes to reality. To those of you who think sleep parylyzes is bad go here it is amazing i promise you ive done this many times! On you tube look up spirit science 9 Theres even books on this. It is NOT EVIL
im used to it, now i know the term "sleep paralysis" Submitted by garnet (guest) on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 8:15pm. It happens to me i guess 3-4 times a month. Actually it happened few hours ago while trying to get a nap during my break time. Before, a friend told me that it happens because of my sleeping position, i dont think so,. Every position i had during sleep still, im having these series of sleep paralysis. I can see evrything, my friends chatting, my sister sleeping beside me but, there are these evil creatures, scary creatures, and i feel that they wanted to kill me. As i was saying, few hrs ago, i felt like they are pulling my leg and i can see my own body lying on nthe bed, im used to fighting it. Then i see ghosts ( or from what i believe bad spirits disguising as one trying to scare me , as if they can ) i will try to move a finger on my foot, then i can feel that im kicking but still cant move or breath, someone so heavy is lying on my back,sometimes chest ,choking me.. then ill try to scream but i cant.. after several attempts,, trying to struggle waking up.. when i finally say.. " in Jesus name ! Leave me alone. I'm not scared of you. i only fear one thing. That's my GOd!" then followed by a prayer.. " then i can finally feel my blood flowing normally.. im awake,, though sometimes, after waking up,, count few seconds i can feel my eyes closing again although im trying to fight it,, but felt like someone is making me fall back to sleep ,, and it continues,, so what will i do? well same thing call out GOD's name :) tried and tested..
Serendip Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 3:06pm. Hi Serendip: The only way to God is through His Son Jesus Christ. When you pray for healing from sleep paralysis, ask God that you be healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. In Christian love, Danny
Danny Submitted by Addie Jo (guest) on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:29am. Amen !
Amen Submitted by Patrick (guest) on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 3:43pm. Amen
Luke Submitted by Danny Graham (guest) on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 3:03pm. Hi Luke: I haven't read that sleep paralysis is dangerous, however, I read somewhere that it might be related to epilepsy. I haven't told my doctor about it because I suffer sleep paralysis and I can usually wake myself up. I'm afraid let my brain go back to sleep. As with epilepsy, I'm sure there are some meds for this condition, but I'm just not into drugs. Luke, if you're have sleep paralysis often, you might want to start with a neurologist. Lastly, seeks God first and ask for healing.
Paralyzed Submitted by Visitor (guest) on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:15am. This recently just happend to me this morning I had a dream and ended up waking up and I went back to sleep for 3 seconds and I found myself paralyzed not moving but I can see everything somehow I woke myself up I felt a presence like something trying to posses me but I ignored it and tried waking myself up and I did few minutes later I went back to sleep and found myself in
the same situation but this time I said dear god and I started to shake really fast than I stopped and 1 minute later I woke up now I'm writing this it . It was so scary.
It just happened to me : Submitted by Luke (guest) on Sat, 04/21/2012 - 8:47am. Lately its been happening to me alot, but i realize that it only happens to me when i go back to dleep.. Usually my boyfriend. Wakes up early for work, so i would wake up to help him and go back to sleep. Thats when trouble happens. It feels as if every source of energy is cut of and ten my body gets into a shock mode, i dont know if its because im fighting to wake up or if its because, like now i can fall asleep again :( but i think its a form of seizure, do people die that way? I dont think teres an answer for that as of yet . But here is the wrost part , when it happens im completely out out control, im half awake and i cant move, my face was inside the pilloww amd i couldnt move or get up to avoid shoking to death, i prayed god. The woke up but barelyz zzz Advise anyone?
This happened to me about an Submitted by visitor (guest) on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 6:24pm. This happened to me about an hour ago. I was fighting so hard to move and occasionally felt like I was doing it, but reality would could crashing down and I would be lying in my bed again. Awake and mostly aware of my surroundings, except for a series of strange hallucinations/dreams. I tried to scream and move countless times but couldn't which was really scary as I was very aware that I was lying face-down, with my nose and mouth pressed into the pillow. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and maybe I couldn't but I didn't wake up until about 10 minutes after that realisation. I like to believe that the body would wake up once you can't breathe at all. I'm not sure, but I think I woke when my face was so pressed into the pillow that I couldn't breathe.
This happend to me once Submitted by Omar (guest) on Fri, 04/20/2012 - 11:09pm. This happend to me once I thought I was awake but actually I was I heard a voice that said "he's asleep" so I tried to wake up but I couldebt move or talk this help I was really scared
