An Interesting Article on Sleep Paralysis

I ran into an article on sleep paralysis today. Thought it was interesting and that others here who may have experienced this might want to read. Is sleep paralysis just a case of your mind playing tricks on you? Does this explain some of the alien abductions that some people report?

Science News - Night of the Crusher (The waking nightmare of sleep paralysis propels people into a spirit world)
As a college student in 1964, David J. Hufford met the dreaded Night Crusher. Exhausted from a bout of mononucleosis and studying for finals, Hufford retreated one December day to his rented, off-campus room and fell into a deep sleep. An hour later, he awoke with a start to the sound of the bedroom door creaking open—the same door he had locked and bolted before going to bed. Hufford then heard footsteps moving toward his bed and felt an evil presence. Terror gripped the young man, who couldn't move a muscle, his eyes plastered open in fright.

[edit on 12-7-2005 by dbates]

Thanks for sharing that article. I experienced sleep paralysis as a child and the information w\in the posted link gave me some answers to a few lingering questions. Very interesting read.

Excellent read dbates.

I have suffered this a few times, both in a fully woken/aware state and half dreaming still. Most notable of them was when someone, a dark shadowy figure, was walking around the bed rubbing their hands together as in anticpation, looking at me but I couldn't make out the face in the shadows. Only that the features did not appear totally human. And there was an air of terrible foreboding.

It was not pleasent at all.

But! I am a person who values greatly rare experiences such as this and when properly awake was fascinated by it. I do remember the very first time I had this though I was really very concerned. Lately it hasn't take long before I realise what is happening. That is not to say though that those short period cannot be terrible, only recently I remember trying desperately to call my girlfriends name and ask her to shake me, to wake me properly from this horror of semi-concious nightmares (which makes it seem all the more real). It's always the way though that by the time you regain enough control over your body to call/ask for help you are awake.

Fascinating subject, and once you are aware of what's going on and not so terryfied just as fascinating an experience.

Do I think this could play a role in some Alien abduction recollections? Damn straight!

Jak

[edit on 13/7/05 by JAK]

Originally posted by JAK
Most notable of them was when someone, a dark shadowy figure, was walking around the bed rubbing their hands together as in anticipation, looking at me but I couldn't make out the face in the shadows. Only that the features did not appear totally human. And there was an air of terrible foreboding.

That's freaky. I imagine it was quite real at the time. If you hadn't read anything about this before it would terrorize you for years. "O no! When are they coming back for me again.

They only time anything happened to me was when I woke up a few weeks ago and both my arms were asleep. The rest of me worked just fine though so I don't think it was really sleep paralysis. The only shadowy figure I saw was my wife pushing me telling me to quit making so much noise.