Had it myself from the very first time I could remember dreaming (about the age of 3-4 can't quite remember now) until I was 25, every single night without fail (well mine occured when I woke even several times a night if that was the case).

I felt something was there many times, but only after I became a Christian did I actually start to see 'Shadow People' visibly, face on. Before that I occasionally saw 'corner of the eye' shadows, but they were never as bold. All of them up until three nights ago (when I forgot to do what I've done since, I'll get to that in a minute) were the cloaked cowled kind. I had a top-hat dude for the first time and TBH it was a lot worse since I could see its face, it came straight from the doorway right over to the bed arms outstretched and then I turned the light on, it looked that it moved so fast it almost teleported to the shadows outside the door. One has come so close I could see its hand (it was a grey colour, but othewise remarkably human, no overgrown nails, no mad hair, just a reasonably well manicured human hand, except it was flat grey tone, even the nails and hair) and one actually helped me off to sleep by rocking itself back and forth rythmycally on a loose floorboard.

Pictures, nope, they seem to REALLY dislike the light, even a flash and will often move away if they know you are awake anyway, so trying to capture a shot is like trying to video smoke going into a giant fan.

I generally sleep with an iron bar, some salt and vinegar and a bible, the iron and salt seem to be the main components, they make them disintegrate in some way as they get nearer with the salt, and the iron makes an almost physical barrier, they can't seem to come within about 8' of it and will back away markedly if you run at them with it.

It stopped after the iron, the bible helped some, but they came back after a few nights, so I thought "hmm, faries/ghosts etc might be related, lets try the salt/iron" and its worked ever since unless I forget to put them near the bed before I go to sleep.

What i'm finding more and more about sleep paralysis and people is that these "figures and shadows etc,etc" remain to be visible and alive even after the person has come out of the paralysis.

This must mean there is huge connection between what we percieve and "what is". I truly think that even if our mind is inventing and creating all of these expiriences out of pure emotion, and imagintation, or if we are witnessing beings from other dimensions, there is a way to make them become reality.

I believe sleep paralysis is something that connects us to our spiritual side or altered state, and if we can find a way to control it, we'll be able to create a response that will ultimately affect how things work in our physical lives.

There is still a vast mystery about what happens while we sleep, and not to sound like a hippie or anything but I think its a big key to finding how this world works.

Oh there certainly still there, providing there are shadows for them to 'stand in', I think there is something about them that they can't stand in the light for some reason, and I think they use it perhaps as a means of transportation, but I'm guessing here, but they generally always go back to the darkness.

As I say, I didn't see them totally for a long time, but after my conversion, they now appear 100% in my frontal vision and the ONLY thing that keeps them at bay is iron/salt, not the bible (so they either aren't spiritual or they are sent to test me, since it did work for a couple of days, but most stories I've heard say that rarely does the bible work). I'm a lot more secure now that they can't come near me and the paralysis ONLY happens when the iron isn't there, but they're certain still trying to get at me and I can still see them.

Thanks for the topic. I have never had the visions, but yes I have had the jet black dark figured a couple times, with a clear human outline. Other then that all of my experiences have mostly been more 'noisy' and you guys know what I'm talking about.

I have never heard of the iron/salt/vinegar solution. I cant so much as make my arm twitch when under sleep paralysis, I have no clue how I would be able to run at one wielding an iron ore.

No no, my interests are particularly in farie lore, so I knew about them, and having delved DEEPLY into the occult I thought perhaps these things were sent by someone to do me harm, so I started salting around the bed, windows etc and 'laying down' pentegrams and so forth, but I noticed that as soon as they stepped on the salt they would sort of go like static and disappear.

So, I reasoned that the iron might also work. You need some of what was originally called either 'cold forged iron' according to the 'lore' but iron, so long as its not coated, plated or oxidized too much regardless seems to work, they just CANNOT get near it.

What I did the one night (after they appeared in the 'flesh') was pretended to be asleep, with the iron bar under the covers, they 'knew' it was there, they couldn't come closer but I guess they thought I was asleep and when I'd waited a good five minutes I just tried to get as close as possible with the iron. Up until then they'd seemed very incorpreal (aside from the one that rocked on the floorboard) but the one that saw me actually ran backwards hands up in fear, and bumped into and nearly knocked over a cat stand but then vanished completely.

Try it, even an iron nail (no galvanised, etc plain iron, or some plain old iron ore, horeshoe etc) and a spoonfull of table salt (rock or plain sodiul chloride, no potassium chloride 'Lo-Salt'). The vinegar is also related to spirits, but I just keep them together, it doesn't seem to be as useful as the iron and salt.

I find it odd that ONLY after I became a Christian did I see these things fully, but I was heavily into the occult for many years, so I think perhaps I was given the ability to see them, and I've tried many times just reading to them from the bible, sometimes they go and seem a bit 'fearful' other times they sit and listen.

I've seen at least 30 DIFFERENT cloaked beings, cowl, big monk-like robe, all different, can't say how I know, but they aren't the same one, there have been several times the same one has come, but there are at least 30 different 'personalities' that visit me. All of these have had BLACK cloaks, once I had a red one, who was very persistent and could actually come to the foot of the bed, but the iron at least worked around me, but I thought then they'd broken my 'fix'. The other day as I say, asleep with my other half I woke suddenly because I felt cold to my bone and there was the 'top hat' variety arms outstretched walking towards me with the most MANIC grin you've ever seen. A bit like something I've seen in a movie once, maybe Bram Stoker, Dracula, but not quite, definitely had a long-tailed coat and top hat on though,

I still left out the answer in some way - basically, it seems to be a physical and mental effect that these creatures create to paralyse you - the iron and salt cancel this out because they seem to need to be near you for it to affect you, perhaps even need to touch you, but until then you're asleep.

So, ONLY with the iron can I move with these things - they come anyway, but the iron keeps them 8' away, I'm not saying they don't try, but they really can't get to me anymore.

I had many experiances of sleep paralysis and it has been new to me.
My body is froze while my eyes are open.
Ones with aliens, frequte at one time, clearly seen in front of my eyes.
Ghosts, and been able to see my partner and not been able to speak to tell her am in pain.
not sure what it is. it has scared me before, every thing on the body was froze

I'm new here guys, so bear with me if I sound a little ignorant.

I've had only one or two incidents of sleep paralysis and that was when I was a child of 12.

I didn't see any "beings" either evil or alien. Of course I didn't know about squinting my eyes or anything else. I was just scared of the feelings of doom I was having (and of course scared of not being able to move!).

About 6 years ago I started having night terrors. I think you all understand what I'm talking about so I won't try to describe the dreams. These horrible, horrible dreams were making me physically and spiritually ill. It was like not getting any sleep at all. During the day I lived in fear of the night when sleep would come.

Anyways, I used prayer to help me out of what I saw as my imminent demise.

I didn't know about using iron or salt, or the combination. But anyways, The terrors haven't come back.

Thanks for sharing your information!