Sleep paralysis and associated temporary psychosis , page 1

Sleep Paralysis

Many people have experienced this - the terrifying occurrence when your semi conscious in bed - perhaps dreaming - perhaps not. You find you can't move and experience incredible psychological discomfort, terror and possible auditory, visual, and tactilary hallucinations.

In the past I have had the typical 'demon' experience described by many here and elsewhere...

I was lying in bed waiting to fall asleep, in a state of delerium, I suddenly found I was unable to move and felt an overwhelming sense of terror and discomfort. I felt what I can only describe as a 'presence', and a shadow in my room. I was unable to turn my head, although I distinctively remember being able to move my eyes around, but not close them. I saw nothing definitive, only moving shadows, and heard 'whispers' saying nothing I could pin down.

I then felt hands touching me, and something enter me from behind - a sensation I can describe as feeling like an attack of IBS - irritable bowel syndrome of which I am a sufferer. I'm not a homosexual and have never been a passive participant in sodomy.

I also remember an overwhelming suspicion that the entity sodomising me was my house-mate. (At the time he was in Australia so no, this isn't some elaborate drug rape).

I can remember struggling but not being able to move - and a sensation of panic. I also couldn't cry out which was also terrifying, but could make murmuring noises.

I distinctively remember that in the end I made louder murmuring noises which I believe somehow 'woke me up' and brought me back to consciousness.

I woke and remember that this wasn't a distinct moment, but a gradual, return to consciousness, in which I seem to remember the shadows receded under my bed.

I don't think this was a paranormal experience, but I would like to know more about what this is and why the physical paralysis, that can be explained by your body shutting down to sleep, is also accompanied by such awful, nightmarish, psychological phenomena...

A couple of nights ago I also had a similar experience, although this time, it seemed more dreamlike in that I was in an imaginary location - a school - living and imaginary life. I was a teacher, and I worked all day in the school - then at the end a terrorist-like gunman entered and killed some children. He then chased me, stabbing me whenever he caught me. As I tried to run, the paralysis kicked in, similar to the experience before. I couldn't cry out for help, only murmur.

In this second case I was finding it difficult to sleep as I was worried/nervous about an important work interview I had the next day. When I finally work, I also was suffering from IBS and had defecated in my bed. Something which I haven't done since being a small child.

Again, I'm wondering what it could be which produces such terrible nightmares that would cause me to do this - that is specifically connected to this well documented paralysis effect.