Any Ideas about my strange encounter?

My first thread ever so please forgive any missteps in form. This event seems to linger since it occured and I wonder if it has any significance,,,, to get into it: I was sleeping soundly on my sofa when suddenly I was wide awake and aware that something was near. As I rolled my head left I looked straight into the eyes of what appeared to be an older oriental woman with her hair pulled back and a strange kind of tattoo like lines on her face sitting no more than 3 feet away. At first I was mildly taken aback so I asked myself "am I awake" I thought to myself "Maybe if I turn away she will be gone..I did so and maybe a minute passed and I looked back and there she was again her distance was only maybe 3 feet from where I was. I wasnt sure what to say or do, or if I did I cant seem to remember if anything else occured.
I do remember waking up the next day and felt more rested than I have in quite some time. Im asking anyone that could have any insight into this in order to learn if it was random or had some significant meaning..any thoughts ideas on this would be appreciated

Welcome to the club.

I'd like to ask ye some direct questions:

Do you have any Asian descent in your heritage?

Have you ever had any other paranormal experiences that may relate to this? Perhaps dreams where you are meeting complete strangers, and then when you wake you feel 'rested'?

This is pretty interesting. Including my girlfriend, there have been many accounts of past family members / ancestors who have come for a little visit in the night.

I am not sure if 'night-time' has much to do with it, rather that your senses above the 5 basics are more heightened due to you having been in the 'Dream Realm' seconds before you awoke.

reply to post by ThinkingCap
I have had paranormal ep before..usually I understand some of what has occured but this is something that has haunted me so to speak...I feel theres something there to be gleaned but for now its hidden from me. I dont have any Oriental heritage but am a practicioner of several "energetic modalities"

had anything changed
or did it just seem like a dream
was any thing different the next day,anything no matter how small or was it back to life nothing changed nothing happened

OP, I had sort of a similar experience years ago. Except what I had seen what not even human. I have spent that day onward looking for answers.

I, too, went into a restful sleep after my encounter and woke up very puzzled. I was not afraid seeing it, but wanted to know what it meant. The total lack of fear at seeing a non-human (or anybody who wasn't supposed to be there!) is really strange if you ask me. Did you feel afraid? calm? puzzled? tranquil?

I had a wise, wonderful person tell me years later that he thinks this is something like our guide or angel or whatever term you like. He said they appear strange to us and that's why we rarely encounter them. This was just his wisdom+speculation though. After all, we can only speculate about these sorts of things.

Did your encounter happen near an important time in your life? Mine actually happened before I was diagnosed with a very aggressive case of cancer. I was literally days away from shutting down and dying. Would you say your life changed in any way after the experience? Did it "push you" in a certain direction? What affects did it have on you--what was your emotional response to it?

I think answering these questions about ourselves during the experience and after the experience is the key to unlocking it.

As for me, seeing something I could not explain started me on the path that led me to ATS and all manner of truth-seeking. It also gave me a lot to think about when fighting cancer. I would say it urged me to be the very best person I can be for the good of humanity. Compassion became something I learned and held to the highest esteem.

I still don't know what it was, what caused me to see it (it was not a dream or hallucination, I know that much), or what direct significance it had, if any.

Over the years I have pretty much ignored it and lived well to the best of my ability...but it still lingers in the back of my mind needing an explanation.

Good luck in your search for all answers to life's mysteries.

What triggered my interest was your feeling the next morning, of having been affected by the encounter. This parallels with my and my wife's experience. I have shared this recently somewhere. But after any of our experiences we feel and in fact sleep soundly towards morning and are very groggy on waking up.

A few months ago I too was wakened as I could feel something going on inside myself, like with my life essence, rolled over and saw this tall woman slightly glowing beside the bed. I felt no disturbance at her being there and was told within my mind to close my eyes and let go, relax, and then profound energy flowed through my body and I went out. Two weeks before that, My wife was wakened and saw an orb come out of her forehead and hover above us. Both times, we had that morning after feeling of knowing and it effected us in some tangible way.

Did you feel paralyzed while this was happening, or could you move around any?

I've experienced this many times, being paralyzed in my sleep, and suddenly "feeling" a presence near by.. or hearing someone speaking to me who wasnt there.

But the entire time, my body laid paralyzed -- as much as I tried to get up, fight it or figure out what was happening, I couldnt budge!

I also remembered it in the morning, and was terrified to sleep for days

reply to post by Isabelx


No paralysis or fear for that matter but I did kinda think "Wow!" initially when I looked directly at it. I even had the ability to move my head or turn away initially and ask myself if I was dreaming. I then looked back and there it was still sitting and staring at me. I have been a seeker all my life and cant help but feel there is a message or there was an interaction I cant seem to recall.
I want to thank you for responding and may you and yours be eternally blessed!

reply to post by Isabelx


I experience sleep paralysis on a regular basis as a symptom of my sleep disorder, narcolepsy. It is also known as hypnagogic/hypnapompic sleep. It is a terrifying experience--and it has left me afraid to go to sleep so many times. The most interesting aspect of sleep paralysis is the "presence" most people feel that is with them or watching them. Sometimes the presence is malevolent, sometimes it is not. Still very interesting and difficult to explain (I don't buy all the scientific explanations just yet as there is MUCH study to be done in sleep medicine).

Some tips on how to end the sleep paralysis episode that almost always work for me (and others):
1)Try wiggling some fingers or toes--this is usually enough to break the paralysis and actually wake up from it.
2)Also, avoid sleeping straight on your back--most of the time, sleep paralysis does not take hold if you sleep on your side (why? who knows--I have my theories).
3)Do not be afraid to call on a source of comfort. I personally say a mantra a few times and the paralysis breaks and the presence "goes away". There is another poster who urges this technique for alien abductions (This is why I believe it's really sleep paralysis he/she is talking about). Above all, don't succumb to fear and the episode usually ends quickly. This is tough to do as the amygdala -fear center of the brain- is highly active during sleep paralysis.

There is also some who believe that the sleep paralysis experience is a prelude to astral projection or OOBE. But, now we're leaving my area of expertise..

OP, If you aren't paralyzed and asleep in bed...then I don't know what those "presence" encounters are all about. Wish I knew