A Recollection of Sleep Paralyses

From time to time I have experienced different variations of sleep paralysis, from the type that begins when one slips into slumber to the type that ends as one slowly awakens. I have even been able to encourage some with a breathing technique or simply just by relaxing. All of these however share a similarity, that is, they all coincide with a dream or phantom, that make the overall experience quite disturbing.

Those that begin as I, or my body alone, drift to sleep, leaving my mind exposed to reality without the aid or defense my constitution, inspire a dreadful sense of helplessness, but grant me enough latitude to shake myself awake; or they end abruptly since in such a state I cannot fall or remain asleep.

Those that begin when sleep ends are not so determinable, and usually repeat an event a few times over before I fully awaken; that is, for example, I may hear someone knocking upon my door, wake enough to realize that there is no one knocking, and drift to sleep only for the knock to occur again. I am unsure if an event like this qualifies as sleep paralysis, but the mind is surely awake as the body sleeps when this occurs.

This morning I experienced what I can only describe as a combination of sleep paralysis and a day dream. I was laying in bed and thought myself to be awake. There was a tug upon the blanket covering me - which I thought nothing of at the time even though I was alone. I pulled the blanket back and, moments later, the blanket pulled away from me again, but more forcefully and further off my body. At this point it occurred to me what was occurring, that I might have been dreaming, and woke myself (which was simple being partially awake as it happened), frightened that whatever was pulling the blanket would become angry and start pulling on me next. When I woke up, I found that the blanket was not even on me, but on the opposite side from which it was pulled.

I've had many of these experiences that range from scary to strange, with one of the strangest being a stream of electricity entering my mind through my forehead. The sensations that brought about were quite unusual and memorable.

I thought I would share my story and add to the collection of experiences here in the Philosophy and Metaphysics forum. I'll add to this thread as, or rather after, the sleep paralyses occurs.

I'll share one of my experiences too! Thanks for sharing yours.

I was living in Key West for a few years and weathered 3 hurricanes. During the one hurricane I was upstairs taking a nap in the afternoon while rain pelted down like lead balls on the metal roof. I woke up (well, thought I woke up) but was unable to move. All in the room was just like it should be, afternoon light filtering in the window, rain still hammering away, wind howling. The strange thing, besides not being able to move, was that there was a giant shark stuff animal on the bed with me and a dark form moved from the closet to the foot of my bed. It seemed like it sat on my legs and pulled the shark close to me. I tried screaming, moving, yelling, praying. Finally I woke up. The shark was gone. The form was gone. The closet light was off (it was on in the dream). It was still raining, still windy. Strange!

I can only assume that my fear of the storm translated into sleep paralysis. I'm not sure about the shark ... I've gone swimming in the ocean many times with sharks and never felt much fear of them. Respect, yes, they can easily kill, but not really fear.

Originally posted by MotherofBlessings
I'll share one of my experiences too! Thanks for sharing yours.

Thank you, as well. I've yet to hear or experience any thing good from sleep paralysis. The event itself creates a dreadful disposition - the inability to move. The ability to perceive, but your perceptions inspire hallucinations. The shark and the dark form sound interesting - I don't think I've had anything physical appear around me and move about like that. Perhaps with all the rain you thought you were underwater at the time.

This is in response to MotherofBlessings mention of a dark form. Reading that post instantly scared the crap out of me and made me run to open my blinds. I've had 3 dreams where a dark form attacks me and my paralysis was worse in each subsequent dream.

The 1st dream I found myself in bed and woke to yelling outside my door. The door was open and I could see my best friend & the person I was dating at the time pinned to the wall by a dark shadowy figure. I tried to get up and run towards them to help but I couldn't move my legs. Thats when some force threw me up against the same wall with them. I was a scared but more concerned for my friends & I struggled to break free, then prayed. As soon as I began to pray the figure disappeared & I woke up instantly. I was told by neighbors they heard me yelling.

The 2nd dream occurred 6 months later. In that dream the shadow got on top of me while I laid in bed & began pushing down on me. I panicked just as I did the first dream and tried to get up but was paralyzed from the waist down. What kept me totally sane in the first dream was my concern for my friends but this time around I was alone and I was a lot more scared. And as soon as the fear hit me the shadow increased the pressure it had on me. I then recalled my first dream and how the shadow disappeared as soon as I prayed so I put my hands together (while the thing pressed down on my shoulders and chest) and prayed. It disappeared and I woke up instantly. I had bruises on my arms.

The 3rd time it happened is truly the most frightening thing I've ever experienced/imagined. Just like in the dream before, I laid in bed when a shadow got on top of me and began pushing down on me. As soon as I felt pressure on my chest I woke up (in the dream) and saw these emergency LED lights I installed all over flashing. Again, I was paralyzed from the waste down. I tried to yell and I couldn't. Then I tried to pray and did so by trying to move my hands together and realized my entire body was paralyzed. At that point the shadow began to darken and had more of a defined figure, humanoid. I can't describe it but I could tell it took joy in knowing I couldn't pray or break free from it and its face got closer and it features continued to define themselves before me. Now pushing down on my entire body, it started choking me and I couldn't do anything or think (I was too panicked). I knew I was going to die and I remember thinking to myself why am I fighting it, just let it kill me. As soon as I gave up, in an instant I thought I don't need a voice or hands to pray- and I began to pray. The shadow disappeared & I woke up instantly but I'm almost positive when I awoke those LED lights where flashing like crazy still. Not possible without physically touching them.

My entire chest was bruised badly, my pillow was bloody (from my nose and mouth), I was sunk into my mattress and pushed up about slightly against the wall, I was soaking wet and couldn't stop crying or shaking.

After that night, I slept with all my lights, TV, and radio on. for over a year. And nearly 3 years since that last dream, I still can't sleep in total darkness.

A year ago I had the same dream except paralysis wasn't a factor and I was able to grab the shadow and throw it. With each dream I woke instantly upon the shadow disappearing off of me only this time the dream continued and I got off my bed and walked towards the shadow (which was on the floor and scared). It clawed its way into my wall. When I woke in the morning my dresser was cracked and broken & the threads on the screws where totally torn off. There were also black marks in the corner of my wall where the shadow clawed.

Not too long after that dream, I had yet another similar dream only this time it occured while I napped during the day & 2 shadows came for me. Again, I was able to throw them (this time against my window). When I woke, my blinds were bent & torn.

I'm kinda afraid to sleep now

[edit on 22-6-2010 by Ripper777]

If I could share one more dream, this happened just a few months ago. In this dream I was back home with high school friends and we were hiking along one of the creeks in my hometown. I fell in (though it was only waist deep and nothing really to be afraid of). I called out to my friends so they could wait up for me but I couldn't speak. I wasn't panicked at all like the other dreams but was having trouble trying to climb back up because the banks were muddy. Someone's hand came down (I didn't know whose it was at first) but I didn't want to get that person muddy shook my and hand as saying its okay, thanks though.

I tried to pull myself up again and slipped back then that person grabbed my hand and pulled me out. When this person grabbed my hand though I remember it feeling so real. In fact, this person's hand didn't let go of mine throughout the entire dream.

I woke up in the morning to move my car for street cleaning and as I pulled out my key card to get back inside my apt building I had dried mud all over my arm.

I may be getting off the subject here but the person who grabbed me out was someone I had a love interest with (and vice-versa) and we often dreamt of each other but weren't able to speak in those dreams (I could speak in the dreams of had of this person but they couldn't speak and I couldn't speak in that person's dreams either). This person later had a dream about paralysis and a dark figure attacking.

[edit on 22-6-2010 by Ripper777]