Sleep Paralysis- specifically describe the presence/witch/shadow/ghost etc

There must be hundreds of threads on the topic of sleep paralysis on ATS. However I want to start a new one discussing only the figures that some SP sufferers(?) experience.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f2ced9a62dfa.gif[/atsimg]

I would like to find out if there is a common theme or shape to them.

I got SP twice in my early twenties. I can honestly say it was the scariest experience of my life, as I'd never heard anything about it and to me it was a paranormal occurance that was very real.

Okay so to describe my attacker, not the whole experience:

It was a human person, but had no fixed shape, like it was all blurry (the closest I can compare it to would be looking at someone in the shower through that misty glass than some shower doors have), but I could distinguish a head and arms.

It lay across me and spoke in garbled speach- responding when I spoke(in my head) to it. It was grey/blue, I had the feeling it was female.

I'd like to get an idea of what other peoples presences were, from voices to aliens and everything inbetween, I'll read them all then see if I can give an overview of the types people have experienced.

Cheers, kiwifoot

Ive got spontaneous sleep paralysis around a year ago. I was in paralysis however my eyes where closed but i was aware.

Anyway what i got was more of a vision which half of it actually came true, the other half i hope never does.

anyway, it went like this.

i was in an old movie theater, walking down the center down a red carpet, red seat to my left and right. I went over an sat down next to a lady who was holding a bloody dead baby, and she was crying. Now this came true actually later on, not in the same exact way, but it was creepy. I went to go see my girlfriend at the time preform ( she sang ) and it was in an all red theater room at UA, i sat down next to a woman. Unknown to me this was her mom, who i had not met yet as we haven't been dating for that long. Well halfway into the performance, the woman began to cry so i asked if she was OK ( she was heavily sobbing ). She told me that she had an early miscarriage and was upset, because she would need to tell her daughter that night after the show ( she didbt say daughter, but for the sake of this ill say daughter, she actually said "i have to tell my BLANK" ). Thats when i realized who she was.

thats when my belief systems changed completely.

The second part, the part i saw right before i woke up was blurry and i dont remember it well. All i remember is waking up in a swear.

anyway my 2 cents. It felt like SP to me.

SnF


[edit on 24-7-2009 by phi1618]

I've had sleep paralysis for years. The first time was as a teenager, when sudden huge dizziness (from a problem in my ears) awakened me suddenly. I tried to get out of bed, but couldn't move a muscle. I thought, "Gee, I'm so young to be dying", and fell back asleep. No critters, no bodies holding me down, nothing but plain old paralysis.

I've researched this over the years. Apparently, everyone has this, but most of us are sound asleep when it happens. As we drift off to sleep, our bodies disconnect from our brains. That keeps us from moving around as we dream, keeps us in our beds. Sometimes you may feel this moment, when you have a huge jerk as you're drifting off. It's called the myoclonic jerk. That might startle you back awake for a moment.

While asleep, the brain has relinquished control of the voluntary muscles. If something happens to waken you suddenly, and if it's in the right part of your sleep cycle, you'll be momentarily paralyzed. This can be alarming, of course. Since you're half-asleep, you may try to "explain" the reason why you can't move as something sitting on you, holding you down. Some have called it the "Night Hag" or the "Old Hag". Many believe it to be a supernatural phenomenon, some entity actually sitting on them, restraining them, even trying to suffocate them.

Personally, I've never experienced an entity of any sort. Just the paralysis. I awaken suddenly, find I can't move, and then just wait a few moments. After a while, I'm perfectly fine, able to move freely as ever. I have this maybe once or twice a year.

What you described, a feminine entity, might have been considered a succubus - a demonic female spirit sent (by the devil) to seduce men. Those lost their popularity after the Middle Ages. I suppose they were used to explain why men sometimes had nocturnal emissions ("wet dreams"), or erections as they slept.

But I'm guessing your experience was more along the lines of your dreamy mind filling in the missing pieces - why can't I move? Something is lying across me.

Shadow People
I have seen the same blurry outline similar to your experience.
Sometimes I can see an outline of nose, ears and facial structure.
I normally see them at the end or the side of the bed.
I felt that they never meant many any harm.
I never understand any verbal thoughts, only feelings.


Evil entities
They appear more in a glob form than a human silhouette; I feel them more with my mind than my eyes. They are typically featureless and of dark black smoke appearance.
This is not always the case, but most often.

Side note: if you every experience these, the more you mentally fear, hate and scream at them the more powerful they become.


One time, I awoke to see two Blue/Green humanoid heads with full detail of faces. They were 10 feet away to my right side, close to the cieling. I felt a closness and goodness with them. I mentally heard their discussion about me, as soon as I saw them and heard what they were saying they seemed surprised of my awareness of them and they vanished immediately.

I have had many others not listed above.

I had sleep paralysis episodes from the age of five or six until about four years ago.

Asleep-dreaming of things coming to get me-waking up physically shaking and terrified.

I broke the sleep paralysis cycle about 4 years ago and actually began to dream in a lucid manner. I turned the tables and in the dream went after the bad guys with a vengance. I was actually at a friends house that night and she said I was yelling and fighting in my sleep. After that episode it hasn't happened again No SP for 4 years now.
I think it is a subconscious reaction to fears and can be broken but it took me about 35 years to do it.

TextText BlueText I had an experience of SP when I was about 18. I was lying on my bed asleep at my parents home in Liverpool.
I remeber my bedroom window was open and a breeze was blowing into my room. I awoke, in the sense I could see but not move a muscle in my body. This sounds bizzare but I could see a grey (you know long head big black oval eyes and about 4-5ft tall) and it was holding me down with both hands by my shoulders. I tried to move to shake it off me but couldn't. I was aware my younger brother was downstairs and tried to shout him. Although I was using all my effort all that would come out was a strained croak, I was hoarsley shouting my brothers name to come and help me. This startled the being that I think was a Grey, and it got off me and lept on to my windowledge and exited out the window. After what seemed like five minutes I was able to move again. I would describe the sensation in all my limbs as full on pins and needles. I had not experienced anything like this before or after. I consider myself a mentally stable guy and have no reason to make this up. I

Yes, I have experienced this.

For instance, the last time it happened, I was in bed, lying on my side. The presence felt huge. I couldn't see it, as it was lying down behind me. I couldn't move or talk. However, in retrospect, I think the presence was merely embracing me, giving me a hug. It was big and it was strong, so at the time I panicked. I wish I had reacted more calmly.

when i was 6 years old i awoke to find a silhouette figure searching through some clothes. since it was night i thought it could have been my mother so i called out for my mother the entity stop searching the clothes and looked at me. He had no features but as i stared at it a face appeared with yellow demon like eyes,it rushed at me as if it was attacking so being 6 years old i hid under the sheets and when i peeked out it was gone.

at that time i didnt have SP. I started to have SP in my teenage years.

At 17 years old i awoke to find myself unable to move but i remembered about REM sleep and paralysis that sometimes occur when u mind wakes up without your body (not the first time i had SP) however this time was strange because i could see my room with my eyes shut and it had a strange glow to it which was strange because i sleep in a pitch black environment, i couldnt move my body at all but i could see around my room; i could even move my vision around and i could see my stuff on the bureau i was a little scared but i thought it was cool too.

I saw no shadow beings though but i thought i was going to. the next thing i remember is waking up the next morning trying to figure out what that was cuz i wasnt dreaming i was fully conscious

The OP's one is kind of like mine. I only saw something during one SP experience. On my left side, the bed indented, as if a cat had jumped onto it or someone had put their hand there and rested their weight on that arm. Then I felt someone lean over me. It felt like the thing had sat on the edge of my bed, leaned over me, and put their hand on the other side. I couldn't see anything there, but I felt a presence that felt female, and I had the impression that she had long black hair. I heard a voice in my mind that said something like "Remember the time..." and the image of a field of wheat popped into my head and I saw two pairs of legs as if two people were laying next to each other. All I could see was the legs up to the thigh, though. The rest was hidden in wheat.
The female presence didn't make me any more afraid than I already was. I don't think she was malevolent.

I had SP 3 years ago, two nights in a row, and never saw anything sinister. Then a week or two ago i fell asleep and i cant imagine more than an hour later, i awake, or thought i was, and realise i cant move, then i realise i can! I start noticing im conscious! I think of that huge thread on ATS "Conscious OOBE...ITS REAL!!! I get calmed down, but am still too freaked out to go anywhere but around my bed. Finally when im waking up, I hear a big "whooshing" sound in my head, and then i get SP again, and see a dark figure start to materialize, then i said "In God's Name, please remove this spirit from close to me, and it dematerialized out! It was like pixels coming in and out of view! I then officially woke up and i was freaked out and realized i just had SP and a OOBE!!! NICE!

Hi, i just had sleep paralysis 2 days ago. My friend just moved into a new place and it was my first night sleeping there. I was laying in bed to fall alseep and just before you know it, i woke up not being able to move my body at all. Right then I knew I was in sleep paralysis because I had this before and this feeling you would never ever forget. You will know if you were in sleep paralysis of not being able to move. At the same time, someone was repeating the name Jon over and over. The feeling was like suppose to be a scary scene but I didn't panic. I just resist and fought back trying to move my own body and just before you know it, I got control and woke up.

i have had this happen a few times, the most terrifying was when i was sleeping on my stomach i woke up terrified, no reason to be then realized i couldnt move anything but i could somehow see everything in my room. it was as though i was having and out of body experience, watching this creature move toward me. the figure was small and dark and female i believe. couldnt see facial features. it sat on my back and i felt like it was taking the breath out of me. i was panicked and it pulled me off of my bed and dragged me down the hall. i remember trying to scream for my roommate...i could hear her t.v. on. next thing i knew i was awake laying in my bed and was strangely calm....fell asleep and remembered all of the details vividly in the morning. the figure always appears to me as a demonic dark female. usually at the end of my bed or coming from the shadows in my room. ive heard the "old hag" attacks the weak or depressed, also those with eating disorders...not too sure why that would be...but i read that somewhere very interesting phenomena regardless of whether its paranormal or psychological . great thread!

I can describe my experience which happend a little over a year ago, I think I made a thread on it before (on my old account).

Anyway here's what I saw

I honestly don't know if it was human per say, but I do know that it was like a humanoid. Could have been human and/or alien. And just like you, I could only see like a vague silouhette, so I can't describe it too well.

It didn't say anything or have like any conversation with me. It was completely still, and completely silent. But then after a few seconds of extreme uncomfort on my side (because of not being able to move), the being made a very loud noise all of a sudden as he hit me on the side of my face really hard two or three times.

[edit on 30-7-2009 by MArtinio]

To clarify: I do not and never have regarded it as 'sleep paralysis' and it irritates me no end that those with a vested interest in dismissing it as 'sleep paralysis' continue to describe it as such in thread.

Description:

It was at first towards the far wall. I awoke, saw it. It was dark and just a 'shape' at that stage.

Very swiftly it came to the foot of the bed and slid up on it, growing larger all the time.

It came up the bed and on top of me. I was not paralysed, nor was I asleep. I could see the hall light through the open door of my bedroom and could clearly see beyond my door.

It began to take a more human type form.
It was very powerful
It was black
It was male
It was a semi-beast
Muscular
A hunched back or seemed to be because of its powerful muscles
It did not form a distinctly human form at any point
It attempted to mentally create sexual desire. I resisted. I rejected it. I prayed, automatically, in 'urgent' mode.
It began shrinking and going backwards off my bed.
I jumped up and ran into my daughter's room, awakened her and spent the rest of the night with her in her bed. I was almost hysterical at first but grew calmer
I was in my early 40s
It's the only such experience
It made me angry, really angry, when I was calmer

I believe these things, or at least the thing I experienced, are low spirits who attempt to take advantage of people while they're vulnerable. I would have liked to have shot it or thrashed it to bits. Cowardly vile scum. I think it woke me up to frighten me because when we're afraid and caught unawares, or awakened, we're weaker.

most of mine were audio only because i was too scared to open my eyes. and most of the time they involved what i call "latin" even though i'm not sure what language it was. And usually on one side of me there would be a male voice and the other side would be a female voice speaking. There also would be hard core EVIL laughing between them. I used to experience this OFTEN too...especially in my early 20s

reply to post by oldgoat


Ohhhh

How did you stand it ?



[edit on 30-7-2009 by St Vaast]

I mentioned my shadow person experience in another thread and how they always appeared between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. and if I was sleeping on my back. It was an evil black hooded figure with skeletal hands. Don't know what the gender was - do demons have a gender? I would be paralyzed in my bed and the entity would try to choke or suffocate me until I recite the Our Father, then it would disappear.

Fortunately, I haven't had any recent encounters. I think it's due to having much more positive people in my life and having my cat sleeping next to me.

Hate these when they happen, love em after their done, (and then i hate em again at night if i'm trying ta sleep by myself, lol, ) , I do got a couple ta share, but I really haven't had one in years, probably cuz i always sleep with someone in the same room, or a dim light, idk,? Actually, it's probably cuz I moved to a different appartment and been here for a while. But anyway, here goes...

4-5 years old, or somewhere round there: Was laying in bed, about to go to sleep and a big bright white ball flew by my window, i thought it was an huge eyeball (i was little, lol ) No SP, not even scary, more like "whoa!" ,i just felt like including this since it's my youngest memory of something weird like that, never told nobody

5-7 years old (don't remember) : OK, this would happen all the time, you guys know, the "someones here" feeling , i would get it alot around my attic and my sisters room by the landing upstairs. Me and my sisters room were right next to each other, and one night I got the SP out of a dead sleep, which i really never woke up all the way from, but what made me think of this was the poster who was talking about sinister laugher, cuz thats kinda what it was. So i woke up to something right outside my room , walking down the stairs, and laughing or something weird but not outloud, just kinda in my head, or whatever, PLUS, i could kinda see stuff without my eyes, like that other poster was saying, and couldn't scream or even whisper. I think i've always had a instinct to just pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep, since forever, so that is just what i did (i think, no matter what i did, thats one of those things that always stuck in my head)

11- 14 years old (don't got that good of a memory it seems, lol ): Ok, I was at my friend ryans house, him and his cousin and me were all sleeping in the living room, and in my dream i saw a lady wearing a flowered dress. So, being retarded i guess, i sort of cussed this dream lady out for no reason at all, and i guess i got attacked, (which kinda woke me up, but couldn't move still). After I woke up, I cryed for like ever (like tears crying) trying to passive aggressively wake up ryan or beth on purpose so they could ask me why the hell i was crying, and when that failed i tried to wake em up normally... Which also failed, adding to the scariness of the experience.

I'm sure theres probably more, but the most resent (like 4 years ago or so, i was like 21) was at my dudes house, in a place called the northend It's old as hell, used to be a rich german part of town along time ago, entill this plant called chemdine blew up and lowered the property value of everything around it. Nows it's pretty crappy, but to the story: My dude and this other dude had fell asleep watching the matrix in the room across from where i was sleeping, which was his moms room(that she NEVER slept in). I fell asleep before they did, but only knew they were watching the matrix from when i woke up, I was alseep, don't know if i was dreamin or not, when i senced someone was down at the bottom of the stairs. Even tho it could of been a person, i knew it wasn't, cuz i got the "uh oh" feeling , even in a dead sleep!!! lol What gave me this feeling i think is how fast it was moving from nowhere to up the stairs to BAM in my room,... Now i know everyone has had that feeling that someone is right by you, or moving by you in your sleep, like, i mean when a normal person is messing around in your room when your sleeping or something, and you just note it and keep on dozin,.. Thats what i was doing entill this thing rushed at light speed up the stairs and ended up in my room. So there i am, frozen as hell, still kinda sleepin, and it feels like some is rollin me over. My bottom half moved, but my upper half didn't, and i can faintly remember the bed indenting, but i'm not sure, BUT THAT was the craziest SP related thing to EVER happen to me,.. woke up to the matrix dvd loop playing

[edit on 31-7-2009 by mariobrother]

On a sidenote, that last guys house was haunted as crud. Every fall or so everyone would hear little kids in the basement laughing and playing on something sqeeky, like a tetter totter?!? It was crazy, not scary, just crazy. ALSO, i do have one more , but i think ill post it somewhere else, cus it's pretty stupied.

I created an account just to post on this thread. When I was a child from the ages of 5 to maybe 14 I would have recurring sleep paralysis episodes in which I would wake up for a split second. Almost immediately afterwards I would get a sinking feeling like I was falling into myself. (Which, after the first time, sent me into a panic instantly) I would then open my eyes once more to the sight of my own room. This was a welcoming feeling until I realized I couldn't move, right after that I would feel the presence of something evil leaning on the bed to the left of me and my head would slowly fall in that direction. I would be confronted with a witch like face staring into my eyes maybe 5 inches away from me with a smirk. I couldn't scream and I felt a surge of adrenaline unlike anything I had ever experienced before. This same sleep paralysis induced dream recurred at least 50 times through my childhood. Even though I somehow grew out of them I never sought help as I didn't want to risk having them return. I still think about them frequently though and have had a few episodes in the last year. Terrified of them starting again I started researching online where I discovered I am not alone in this phenomenon. More startlingly to me though was the term 'Old Hag Syndrome' which was readily seen in my searches. I am not one to believe in supernatural phenomenon but I think it's amazing how the hive mind leads so many people to the same fears and conclusions.

What I really wanted to ask though is, has anyone here ever had anything similar to what I described? Most times it seems people feel as though a spirit or witch or demon is riding them but I've heard nothing of involuntary movement of a part of the body. I have had my mother actually witness and wake me after the turn of my head after I described it to her. (She stayed up and watched after I slept.) I did feel as if something had sat onto the side of the bed but how many people have seen things on the sides of there beds as well? Thanks for any responses. This problem of mine has lead to a lot of problems in my later social life (heavy drinking, insomnia, narcotic use) and I just want to find some closure.

EDIT: I just wanted to clarify some things. My recent episodes have not included the 'old hag'. I have had several other experiences including one that I would consider an out of body experience as well as a few where I would imagine the room I was in vividly only to wake and realize I was in a completely different house (on vacation or a relatives house). The only one which wasn't terrifying was the OOBE where I felt relatively calm.

[edit on 1-8-2009 by Avett]