Sleep paralysis?

[SlayerOfLight]

Ok any of you heared about this, or ever experienced it? Sleep paralysis or REM-sleep is said to be a state in between being awake and dreaming, which results in hallucinations and seeing, hearing, or feeling things that shouldn't be there. Many people report feeling something evil that is near them, and even feel all of a sudden a heavy weight pressing on their chest as if someone invisible is sitting on them, and pinning them down. Many believe they are being visited by a demon, or an evil spirit. Skeptics say it is just a hallucination, or something affected by the brain.

I myself am not sure, but I had something very familar like sleep paralysis several days back when I stayed over for the night at my friends house. I remember waking up in the middle of the night. I cannot say exactly if I was dreaming or not, but the creepy thing is that I was capable of thinking, which isn't in my normal dreams. I somehow felt or knew something invisible was present. I dont know whatever it was. I didn't see things or feel something/someone pinning me down, but I remember not being able to move or speak for some reason. But in my mind I prayed and told that invisible ''thing'' to leave me alone in the name of Christ. And then I noticed it was getting weaker, and eventually it left and the experience stopped, and I fell asleep again. (most likely, because I can't remember anything more)

I'm not taking any conclusions yet, and I myself am not sure if I were dreaming or not, but I just know it wasn't a normal dream. so what do you all think about this subject?

[KopsTheTerminator]

Sleep paralysis has actually happened to me. I was starting to have a lucid dream, and for some reason, I couldn't handle it so I got sleep paralysis... I didn't get hallucinations but I was stuck in a state between dreaming and being awake and I couldn't even move my body. It was REALLY scary, however... I felt intense dread and isolation.

I'm quite sure it happens because your body is actually paralyzed during REM sleep, since that's the stage of sleep where you actually dream, so perhaps it happens because the brain hasn't activated your muscles again?

[SlayerOfLight]

^ @kops thanks for your post. If I read your experience, then I guess my experience was more of a lucid dream then sleep paralysis. Because I didn't feel extreme dread, and neither was I too afraid. But it was still scary, because I was capable of thinking in a free will. I've never had lucid dreams before in my entire life, but since several weeks back I all of a sudden started having lucid dreams, and call me nuts, but most of these lucid dreams were about Satan. I also had a lucid dream that some girl who was posessed by a demon or something, tried to tempt me in having sex with her. but I rejected, and then I got attacked :S quit scary.

[Woeler]

They are common experiences among all people. Most alien abductions were in fact sleepparalysis and most out of body experiences were as well. It's the state in which your brain wakes up and your body does not while you are still dreaming. This can cause halucinations and even the feeling of objects touching you. The first records of sleep paralysis come from eastern asia, in the samurai era this was described in some books. Our brain can create illusions that are so complex that we accept them as true. I mean who hasn't had the feeling that a dream was real and after a few hours realised it was just a dream? Our brain can create super detailed halucinations.

[nathalie]

I have experienced one. I think it's still the most scariest thing I have ever experienced.

I was 24 at the time, and had just learned that my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me for already 5 months or so *sigh*.
So I was going through quite a rough time, lots of stress and anger.

I left him for a few days, was stupid enough to go back, and we were "together" for another 2 weeks.
During those 2 weeks, was 1 morning he was leaving for work, and I got downstairs, talked to him, had something to drink, so I was wide awake!
He left, I saw him leave, saw him close the door, I went back to bed (it was 4.30am or so), and I was in back in bed for just a few seconds, and I hear these footsteps on the stairs.
It couldn't have been my ex, I would have definatly heared the door, the key, etc ...
I wasn't scared at first, I kept telling myself it were just the noises of the house.
But I kept hearing them, and it sounded like they were coming closer and closer towards me.

I was lying on my back in bed.

And suddenly, it's like this person comes into the bedroom, bending over me, and pushing me down, holding my arms so I couldn't move!
My eyes were closed, I could feel that, and I wanted to open them, I wanted to move get loose and get this person away from me, but I just couldn't.

It was so real, someone was actually pinning me down.
I think it lasted for about a minute, and then suddenly I managed to open my eyes, immidiatly turned on all the lights, and there was just no one there, and no one had been there.

I slept with the lights on for about a month after it happened.
Thinking about it (or typing it down, like now) still gives me the shivers, and I hope I may never ever experience something like that ever again!

[SlayerOfLight]

^@woeler may be possible. even though I'm firm christian, that doesn't mean everything is to be declared ''spiritual''. I'ts still weird that I start having these type of dreams which I've never had before. and each time mostly the same subject as well :S and of course... this leads to many more questions.

[Woeler]

Don't get worried to much. These things are human. Everybody will someday experience this. I mean you are lucky it was invisible, there are some people who see things and then are traumatized for the rest of their lives.

[nathalie]

Don't get worried too much? Have you read my story ...
It was a horrible exprience

[SlayerOfLight]

@Nathalie I heared from many other people how terrifying it can be, sorry it happend to you as well =( and yes I believe you.

a little tip for you that might help: according to many people who had this kind of experience as well, the way to put an end to these experiences inmediately is to call upon the name of Jesus Christ. I know you might not be a christian, but it's worth a try in case it happens again to you. And it helped to many people.

http://www.thementalhealthsolution.com/ ... lysis.html

[KopsTheTerminator]

[quote="FromNZbrotha"]^ @kops thanks for your post. If I read your experience, then I guess my experience was more of a lucid dream then sleep paralysis. Because I didn't feel extreme dread, and neither was I too afraid. But it was still scary, because I was capable of thinking in a free will. I've never had lucid dreams before in my entire life, but since several weeks back I all of a sudden started having lucid dreams, and call me nuts, but most of these lucid dreams were about Satan. I also had a lucid dream that some girl who was posessed by a demon or something, tried to tempt me in having sex with her. but I rejected, and then I got attacked :S quit scary.[/quote]

That doesn't exactly sound like a lucid dream, either. If you had a full lucid dream, you'd be able to control everything in your dream and/or be aware that you're dreaming, not just be able to think it.

[quote="Woeler1"]I mean who hasn't had the feeling that a dream was real and after a few hours realised it was just a dream? Our brain can create super detailed halucinations.[/quote]

Gwahaha, off-topic but that reminds me of false-awaking dreams. xD The ones where you dream of actually waking up and doing whatever you planned to do that day. INCEPTION!

Also, I'm sorry about your experience Nathalie. I'd be traumatized if my experience was that intense. =/