Sleep Paralysis. I Get It. You Get It. We All Get It. Let's Talk About It.

I get sleep paralysis. Often. My first experience was around 15 years old. I thought there was literally a hand on my chest holding me down. This had been the first time ever that I had felt something like this so it was natural to think it was someone doing it.

It increased in frequency about the time I moved out on my own, about 19 years old. Then came levitating off the bed, flashing lights in the room, the feel of wind rushing to my face and "dancing specters" swirling around my body. I immediately attributed it to 2 things.....the apartment I lived in was haunted, or my new found interest in UFOs has been taking a toll on me.

It was about this time that I was researching UFOs extensively and obsessively. I used to see lights in the sky, they'd follow me, I'd follow them. Almost always I was alone and no one else reported on anything strange. (maybe all in my head?)

There are recent times where I will wake up several times in a dream only to experience sleep paralysis on every level before "waking up". And yet I am not waking up, but "false awakening". Kinda reminds me of Inception in a way.

Never had sleep paralysis in my life so count me as one of those who don't fit the thread title if this is some sort of numbers research.

2nd

Originally posted by Universer
I don't think it's accurate to say that everyone experiences sleep paralysis/night terrors.

I've experienced a few times. It's a symptom of low levels of serotonin in the brain, I believe. I fixed my sleep problems including night terrors by taking the supplement 5-HTP for about a year. That was at least ten years ago. Never happened again.

Interesting that you attribute it to low levels of serotonin. I personally believe it's due to a flood of serotonin and melatonin and some of us are just wired to experience this.

I used to believe that I had sleep issues so I started taking melatonin supplements. Big,and I mean BIG, mistake. I started having really vivid dreams in technicolor. I was really tripping.

Originally posted by Frater210
reply to post by acidsweep

 

Thank you, AcidSweep. Great post.

Would you mind telling us what culture these traditions you are sharing come from? I am very interested. Thanks again for sharing your story.

I am Vietnamese, and we mainly follow the Mahayana Buddhist traditions. Many other beliefs are closely related to, and taken from Chinese culture.

Originally posted by Chewingonmushrooms
reply to post by acidsweep

 

Interesting. I have read about succumbi (spelling?) and incubus and old hag tales so I am somewhat familiar with paranormal explainations, but I have never heard of what you speak of. One thing is certain...the best way to deal with is to try and stay as calm as possible. When it first happened to me, I freaked out and was tense as hell (no pun). After a few minutes (or it seemed that way) I screamed out "Jesus help me" because being brought up Catholic thats all I knew (no longer Christian). When I did that I sensed extreme anger on whatever I thought was causing it, followed by a eventual release. A few years later after going through a period of reading and studing, it happened to me again. This time knowing I wasn't Christian I decided to try a few shielding techniques that I had read such as the light sphere or egg along with a demanding by my free will for it to cease. This also angered it and I was attacked more fiercely, but I didn't panic and held with resolve. The attacks soon stopped after that (almost like it knew it couldn't win if I didn't fear it) and I rarely get one anymore (one time in the past 5 years).

Of course this could have be all in my head and still to this day I have no clue if it was real or not.

edit on 1-8-2011 by Chewingonmushrooms because: (no reason given)

edit on 1-8-2011 by Chewingonmushrooms because: (no reason given)

Yes, I've read about succubuses, it is sort of related but sort of not. There are actually many different types of SP, the first one I mentioned is most common, almost every Vietnamese person I've known has experienced this. Most shove it off, because it usually doesn't happen often enough. This first SP is called "mọc đè" (without quotes) in Vietnamese.

For those that experience this routinely, like I did. It's no good. You can be 'caught' for different reasons, first, being at the right place, and the right time (usually during the mid of night). The spirit that follows you, for whatever reason (usually because of your scent and/or looks) which catches their attention. It could also be because a relative is suffering on the other side, and kind of sold their living relative, well, maybe not sold.. but gave permission to take the son/sis/neice/nephew/etc..to be able to survive in the underworld (they too need food, clothing and shelter... i guess they also get desperate?), the reason why they believe they can do this is because way back when, the majority of Asians had fixed marriages, reasons for those marriages vary. This is called "bị người âm chấm" in Vietnamese.

I could probably write a paper on what I know about this.

Even though there are supposedly many reasons why they follow/catch you.. and do that to you. There are many cures. The Buddhist way, is by having a monk perform a ceremony to get the divorce done, the Buddhist way is much more forgiving, and peaceful. Although, many Buddhist don't go for this resolve. Instead, many go to the older traditions, actually very dangerous ones. You usually have to go very far, and meet with the mountain/jungle people in their temple, where the ceremony is performed. This is where you will be dressed up with paint all over your face, then they summon the spirit and talk to it, and try to convince it to leave the person, they also offer it food offerings, and burning paper money to bribe it.

If you had any other questions feel free to ask, I'll share what I know.


oh.. and these ceremonies can go up in the $1000+ range.. and it's not guaranteed to work the first, second, or third time either. The stronger the spirit, the harder it will be to fix, because you need and equally strong or stronger 'master'.

This whole thread is kind of a joke to me. Sleep paralysis is not some mystery. Your body shuts down temporarily so it can dream, without you flailing your arms and legs while you are in the dream state. Do you know what happens if your body doesn't go into SP while you dream? It's called SLEEP WALKING. Be very thankful for SP.

Why do you go from dreaming to lucid dreaming, then finally find out you can't move? I am not sure. But I am beginning to think, that you never actually wake up when you experience the terrifying SP. You're actually just simply lucid dreaming, and you can't move. Next time you have SP, observe the room you're in, VERY slight details are off. Therefore you never actually woke up.

I for one do experience SP. Is it "scary"? I guess. Is it something to fear? No. It's normal, I'm pretty sure everyone experiences it (more or less).

I'm not some skeptic, okay? I'm just informed on this subject, as I got really into dreaming when I was in my late teens. The above post is a mere summary of the "phenomena", look it up for more information on it. It's not a mystery.

EDIT: I just read more posts, and you guys seriously think demons or some # is doing this to you? Grow up guys. Not EVERYTHING has some sinister or big mystery behind it. My advise, take a break from ATS. It's making you paranoid of every little thing. ---- Are nightmares a work of demons, no, and SP isn't either. It's really ridiculous someone would say something like that.


"and it's not guaranteed to work the first, second, or third time either." That's because it doesn't #ing work in the first place. If it does happen to work, that's because they "cured" you with positive energy or it's just a placebo effect. There is no such things as demons or ghosts or angry spirits. Only negative and positive energies. The problem lies with YOU. YOU. YOU. YOU. If you're an angry person, than you will harbor negative energies leading to "paranormal" activity.

Let's just think about this for a second... if demons were real, is giving someone SP for 5 minutes seriously worth it? "I'm a big bad demon.. FEAR ME or I'll give you SP for 5 WHOLE MINUTES OMG" Again, grow up. #in religious nuts. I suppose the nasty smell of the # I just took is a work of demons to, huh? -- I don't mean to offend you, as negative energies do exist, but there is no consciousness behind the negative energies. And even then, negative energies don't have anything to do with SP. You're just simply waking up out of a dream and your body hasn't had time / doesn't realize that it needs to stop the full body paralysis.

Seriously, I can INDUCE sleep paralysis at will! It's a tool to enter a lucid dreams. End of story.

Again, I'd like to say I am very far from a skeptic, I'm not trying to debunk this, because there is nothing to debunk. SP is no mystery. In fact, believe some demon is behind SP is a form of ignorance! -- Why don'y you just go make some blood sacrifices to appease the spirits while you're at it... hahaha.

Originally posted by Motumz
This whole thread is kind of a joke to me. Sleep paralysis is not some mystery. Your body shuts down temporarily so it can dream, without you flailing your arms and legs while you are in the dream state. Do you know what happens if your body doesn't go into SP while you dream? It's called SLEEP WALKING. Be very thankful for SP.

Why do you go from dreaming to lucid dreaming, then finally find out you can't move? I am not sure. But I am beginning to think, that you never actually wake up when you experience the terrifying SP. You're actually just simply lucid dreaming, and you can't move. Next time you have SP, observe the room you're in, VERY slight details are off. Therefore you never actually woke up.

I for one do experience SP. Is it "scary"? I guess. Is it something to fear? No. It's normal, I'm pretty sure everyone experiences it (more or less).

I'm not some skeptic, okay? I'm just informed on this subject, as I got really into dreaming when I was in my late teens. The above post is a mere summary of the "phenomena", look it up for more information on it. It's not a mystery.

EDIT: I just read more posts, and you guys seriously think demons or some # is doing this to you? Grow up guys. Not EVERYTHING has some sinister or big mystery behind it. My advise, take a break from ATS. It's making you paranoid of every little thing. ---- Are nightmares a work of demons, no, and SP isn't either. It's really ridiculous someone would say something like that.

edit on 2-8-2011 by Motumz because: (no reason given)

Believe me you are awake.

Originally posted by Gazmeister

Originally posted by Motumz
This whole thread is kind of a joke to me. Sleep paralysis is not some mystery. Your body shuts down temporarily so it can dream, without you flailing your arms and legs while you are in the dream state. Do you know what happens if your body doesn't go into SP while you dream? It's called SLEEP WALKING. Be very thankful for SP.

Why do you go from dreaming to lucid dreaming, then finally find out you can't move? I am not sure. But I am beginning to think, that you never actually wake up when you experience the terrifying SP. You're actually just simply lucid dreaming, and you can't move. Next time you have SP, observe the room you're in, VERY slight details are off. Therefore you never actually woke up.

I for one do experience SP. Is it "scary"? I guess. Is it something to fear? No. It's normal, I'm pretty sure everyone experiences it (more or less).

I'm not some skeptic, okay? I'm just informed on this subject, as I got really into dreaming when I was in my late teens. The above post is a mere summary of the "phenomena", look it up for more information on it. It's not a mystery.

EDIT: I just read more posts, and you guys seriously think demons or some # is doing this to you? Grow up guys. Not EVERYTHING has some sinister or big mystery behind it. My advise, take a break from ATS. It's making you paranoid of every little thing. ---- Are nightmares a work of demons, no, and SP isn't either. It's really ridiculous someone would say something like that.

edit on 2-8-2011 by Motumz because: (no reason given)

Believe me you are awake.

Alright, I will willingly accept that. It just means your body hasn't had time to undo the SP it has induced your body to go into. Nothing special. Here's a tip, stay calm, and you can willingly 'wake up'. Freak out, and it will just prolong your "suffering".

Also, my edited post above probably makes me sound like an asshat, but don't take it like that. I'm not trying to offend anyone, but when you hint at the suggestion that demons are behind SP, it seriously turns this thread into a joke.

Also, we should try a lil experiment. Have someone watch you go into / come out of SP. If you claim you are awake, but the witness says your eyes are closed, than you're dreaming. If you're eyes are open, than I will admit, that is a bit weird. But again, you're brain can mis-take the REAL environment as a dream, and keep you're body locked up.

reply to post by jimz360

years ago when i lived at home mum/dads
for months (which felt like years) just as i
was about to fall asleep i would get this
very load bang in my head
no that was very bad as it happend about 15/20 times
every night

i wonder as anybody else had this happen to them
and does anybody know what may cause this

many thanks
philware


on the sp
when my partner was carring our first born
we had just found out that we were pregnant
we had just made love and as kirsty fell asleep
i lay there just looking at her on my side
and i felt that there was someone or something
in our bedroom there was this nice smell
and i did not feel it was evil i thought it was
kirstys mum come to see her baby
(kirstys mum died when kirst was 16 )
i tried to turn round to look but as i did
i felt two hands on my back stopping me
from seeing her and i tried to shout to kirsty to wake
but could not speak then the smell left and so did
the feeling of hands on my back and i could now
speak i know for a fact i was not asleep but
was told thats sleep paral by family members
and yes i did wake kirsty up and told her
that her mum had just visited us
and when callum was born he would just stare
at the corner of the room as if someone was there
smiles and chuckles until we moved

I think a lot of the alien abduction scenarios can be blamed on sleep paralysis. It's really un-nerving the first time it happens to you. However, if you learn to go with it, you can really have fun. Next time it happens, see if you can force yourself to get up. You just might find you are out of your body and into the astral realm.

There have been times when I have been caught in a looping dream with SP and there have been times when I was fully awake. If you find the topic or thread absurd then simply do not post in it. This is one of the few forums where people have opened minded disccusions about different subjects with respect, it would be nice to keep it that way

Originally posted by philware
reply to post by jimz360

 

years ago when i lived at home mum/dads
for months (which felt like years) just as i
was about to fall asleep i would get this
very load bang in my head
no that was very bad as it happend about 15/20 times
every night

i wonder as anybody else had this happen to them
and does anybody know what may cause this

many thanks
philware

Yes, this is normal. Happens to a lot of people as they enter the dream state, or lucid dream. Also happens during SP. -- On a side note, this can also happen when you leave you're physical body. Having done all of the above myself, I am very familiar with this "popping" sound. Also, this loud sound can be different to people. Some people might hear it as maybe a lightning strike or some other loud noise they're familiar with. It's 'normal'.

Originally posted by Chewingonmushrooms
There have been times when I have been caught in a looping dream with SP and there have been times when I was fully awake. If you find the topic or thread absurd then simply do not post in it. This is one of the few forums where people have opened minded disccusions about different subjects with respect, it would be nice to keep it that way

I am opened minded, and I am aware of SP. It's real. but when people say demons are behind it, don't you think that is a little too much? It is not only close minded, but ignorant, also it is absolutely NOT intelligent discussion. We're almost to the end of the age of ignorance, people seriously need to toss out the idea of demons. The misunderstood energy is, well, just energy. Nothing to it. It's complicated I guess? Not to me, but I mean once you knowledge it's there, it's not hard to understand.

On another side note, I can literally see and feel energy. Energy emanating off people mostly. but when I step into a house that is filled with negative energy, I can feel it. On a very literal scale. Sometimes see it. -- You can say that what I see is B.S. but you're just prolonging you're existence in ignorance.

I guess I'll stick around and see what other people think is responsible for SP, but I remain stuck on the truth on SP. There shouldn't really even be a discussion, there is very very credible articles you can read about how it works, why, and when this phenomena most often occurs.

reply to post by Motumz


i just added to my reply give me your thoughts on that as well please

reply to post by Chewingonmushrooms


when awake is it called awake paralysis
just a thought

reply to post by Motumz


first of all, this was sharing an experience, second I never forced anyone to believe anything, as I know it's hard to believe. This is also where you beliefs fall into place, one man's "mystery" is another man's "science".. well no crap. but YOU have zero evidence that it does not have to do with anything paranormal. you should grow up and open your mind. If your so confident, bring your 'research' forward and help the world. Otherwise, you whine and bicker all you want just because you don't understand or believe something..

funny world we live in. the world aint flat sir. What you believe is true, might not be, what I believe might be wrong also. But honestly, who gives a flying crap. We're just sharing.

open your mind, you don't have to believe, but try not to bash on other's thoughts and experiences, which I'm sure many in this thread have experienced the SP phenomena, and still haven't got a real clue. Obviously, the answer to SP isn't obvious.

reply to post by Motumz


I think you are jumping to conclusions regarding peoples interpretation of "demons" in their accounts of SPs. I've had an SP that had demon like entities, yet at the same time I do not proclaim that demons exist in reality. People here are describing their personal experiences in which many include entities or apparitions that appear sinister or demon like. Maybe this is because SP invokes negative energy and fear. Just because a demon like creature is sensed or seen in the SP doesn't mean a persons believes in demons in real life. These SP experiences seem lifelike to many yet that doesn't mean they are. Like the thread is titled, people are openly discussing these SP experiences and attempting to understand them.

My main question is why are SP events always ridden with fear and apparitions that seem to want to do harm? Is this some kind of negative manifestation of the subconscious or lucid dream state?

I also wonder if it's related to OBEs since they seem tied together.

Since you sense energy, do you sense negative and positive energy or is the energy you sense neutral at all times?

reply to post by matito


If you are into this kind of thing then I would start with researching the pineal gland. I've been doing some reading on this after being led to it while researching another topic. Anyway, the pineal glad secretes melatonin and serotonin, 2 very important chemicals when it comes to the wake/dream states. My opinion, as I stated before, is some people are just wired with experiencing sleep paralysis. I suspect others can have episodes of it but I'm speaking on people who are chronically experiencing sleep paralysis.

And yes, I do believe it is associated with OBEs and AP.

reply to post by Motumz


Everyone has their own beliefs which are biased by their upbringing, culture, lifestyle, philosophy and indoctrinations. Material Realism isn't superior in any sense, it is simply a philosophy (with conclusions) based on measurements and observations of the physical world that is limited by current technological tools. Who are you to tell a person that has lived with voodoo all their lives and have been affected by it (positive or negative) that it isn't real when through experience is has been very real to them ( regardless if it is through placebo, self fulfilling, psychosis or real phenomenon).

Not trying to flame here, but NO ONE knows the answers to the mystery of life. Do I believe in demons and angels? I'm indifferent personally, but I would not be so arrogant as to tell someone that does believe that they are dwelling in fantasy land and state it as a FACT and not as an opinion.

What's interesting is that you yourself claim to "detect" or sense energy both negative and positive, but what proof do you have that such thing exists? Absolutely none. The irony here is that I use to believe the same thing, about there being no such thing as demons and angels and inter-dimensional beings, with I must add, there being only negative and positive energies. Since then I have come to the conclusion that I do not know anything and what I was basing my beliefs or philosophy on was simply a different ideology (New Age) that was no different from any other religion.

Oh and for the record if I were to form an opinion on the subject matter, my choice would be the scientific explaination because it makes the most sense. But just because it makes the most sense does not mean that it is the true.

A word of advice, if you want to tell people what they believe is a delusion or something based on fantasy or a fairy tale, then it's best not to speak about your own fairy tales ("energies"), it comes off as a bi-polar OCD patient calling a schizophrenic patient a loon.

Originally posted by philware
reply to post by Chewingonmushrooms

 

when awake is it called awake paralysis
just a thought

edit on 2-8-2011 by philware because: (no reason given)

Hmmm not sure why you quoted me, but I'll respond nonetheless. The whole thread is about sleep paralysis which means waking up (or right before dosing off) and not being able to move or speak. You are truly awake most of the time (some of the time your mind believes you are awake but you are not), and the feeling of not being able to move is quite scary. There is no such term as "awake paralysis", even though if you wanted to be literal then you can call it that. But no one would know what you are talking about lol. If you mention sleep paralysis they'll pick up automatically on what you mean.

reply to post by Chewingonmushrooms


Thank you, ChewingOnMushrooms, for your most cogent post.

And your screen name.

Glad to see a thread started on this subject.

I'm 26 years old and I have SP on an average of 5-7 times a week. That's an average. There will be some days/nights when I'll get SP more than 3 times, back to back. My SP is very unusual in that respect. I'm well aware that I'm in my surroundings ][ depending on where I'm sleeping ][, but my eyes turn the objects in my field of vision into entities that you would normally find in a dream. Sometimes it's very frightening, sometimes it's very uneventful. The only way I remove the SP, is when I forcefully put myself into a slumber for a split second and then immediately wake up.

The frightening part is when I can feel my body moving or when I can clearly hear voices around me. When I feel my body move, it's a feeling that I'm being tilted, as if my mattress is being lifted up on side, but I don't see my bed moving. This does not only happen at night, but also during the day when I nap. I'm not aware of how it happens but I'm very annoyed with it. 90% of the time, it occurs when I'm alone. On the few occasions that it happens when someone is with me, they're not aware of me struggling to move and wake myself up.

Just recently, on the night of the Aug 1st, I could have sworn that I was staring up at a bright red dot on my ceiling in the living room. ][ It was too hot to sleep in bedroom, so I decided to sleep in the living room. ][ I heard what sounded like a conversation taking place right behind my couch, but I kept telling myself that I must keep my eyes as closed as I possibly could so that these entities were not aware that I had my eyes open. But this is the part that is really weird. Instead of forcing myself to fall asleep to remove the paralysis, I had automatically snapped out of it, but my brain had interpreted that I was just waking up from a dream even though my eyes were already open. But the moment I came out of it, my girlfriend that was laying next to me had just woken up as well. I thought that was weird because I've never experienced a coincidental "wake up"

I do remember when I was a teenager, my SP would create images of individuals standing at the end of my bed, and at the side of my bed. Most of the time now, my SP usually only occurs when I'm looking straight up at my ceiling, or my eyes are focused on a wall from laying on my side. It no longer happens when I'm looking off into an open space. When I'm looking at my walls when this occurs, I sometimes see shadows dancing around them.

I've definitely considered seeing a doctor about my sleeping experiences, but I'm not sure I could afford it. I'm really at a lost as to what I should do before I fall asleep. Because if this really is indeed a complete trick of the mind, I really wanna find a way around it. If it's not entirely a trick of the mind, and perhaps the work of a force outside my mind, well, what can I really do about that? I am very firm believer in the extraterrestrial as well as the paranormal. But I don't like to jump to conclusions.

I've experienced 2 kinds of sleep paralysis, it happens maybe 3 to 5 times a year. The first kind of paralysis is being wide awake but unable to move muscles or anything other than my eyelids, I believe ithat's the same as what most people describe. The first time it happened I was very scared as it was accompanied by the feeling of some presence while there was no one there, I remember how I started to sweat out of fear soaking my bed in what seemed just a few minutes. After several years I stopped being afraid of it and out of curiousity tried to remember and describe everything as best I could trying to make sense out of it.

The second kind first happened years later, which is basically the same kind of paralyzation of the limbs but with an added sensation of a gust of wind coming from behind my head. It's like standing in the wind, there's no other way I can describe it, but the air molecules would be bigger and sort of water like. There's also the sound of the wind gushing in my ears, it's a very odd experience. The 2nd kind only happens when I wake up in dreams and try to return to my physical body, not like stepping in a car going from A to B (which would only make me go further into the dream as B is not outside the dream) but as if my mind folds in it self.