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Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 10:03 pm
by 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?
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 10:25 pm
by 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?
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 10:31 pm
by 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.
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 10:49 pm
by 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!
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 10:53 pm
by 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.
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 11:00 pm
by nathalie
Don't get worried too much? Have you read my story ...
It was a horrible exprience

Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 11:01 pm
by 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
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 11:02 pm
by KopsTheTerminator
FromNZbrotha wrote:^ @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.
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.
Woeler1 wrote: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.
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. =/
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 11:07 pm
by nathalie
@ Woeler1: Sorry about that then

@ FromNZbrotha: Thanks for that, but indeed, I'm not Christian, so calling upon one's name is not really for me

(but I am having a look at the link you gave me)
I was pretty shooked up about it, I'm not at all afraid of the dark, I can actually only sleep when it's pitch black, hehe, but being 24 and having to sleep with the lights on for about a month, was quite the experience aswell :s
About 2-3 months later though, when I was living back at my parents after leaving my ex and all, one night I was asleep and suddenly there's a person standing in front of my bed, just laughing at me.
I'm not sure if it was the same thing as happened before, or if it was just a dream, but it wasn't pleasant eather :s
Re: Sleep paralysis?

Posted:
January 17th, 2012, 11:14 pm
by nathalie
All I can remember from then was, that I suddenly woke up, like you usually only see in movies, sweaty and gasping for air.
Afterwoods, I just kept thinking, it might have been an image of my ex laughing at me, because he got what he wanted (life without me, and a new wife and kids).
(that just seemed a way of explaining it to myself)