Hello, this is my first post so please forgive me if its poor or in the incorrect spot or what not..

Okay, so,
Ive had these dreams, well not really dreams because they always occur when i'm waking up. I'm conscious that i'm awake but i cant get my body to wake up. I kind of open one eye and try to sit up but it doesn't work so i generally just lay down, relax myself, steady my breathing and try to go back to sleep again and hope that next time i wake up it will be for real.

This has happened a few times and its nothing out of the ordinary. Except for the last time it happened. I was waking up, but i couldn't, so i decided to try sleep again, i did, and i woke up again a little later but still couldn't get my body to wake up this time.

I don't know why but when i was laying there conscious this time but still asleep, i saw form the corner of my eye what seemed to be a shadowy figure standing in what seemed to be a semi-light doorway.

I was aware of this figure and kind of started to freak out. My breathing and heart rate increased so i tried to calm myself (the figure had somewhat disappeared a little by this stage) and just as i was calm again the shadowy figure made some kind of noise or feeling towards me in a very threatening manner and it scared the hell out me!! It was like i was intruding and it didn't want me there.

I was shaking, kind of like having a fit or something, i don't know. But i know it was enough to wake me up. Which i was glad of. But i still don't know what it was, just a dream, or something else? I had never heard of or experienced anything like these shadow people before this encounter and it was only by chance that i stumbled upon them while browsing the net soon after but i haven't really looked into them that much. Was it my imagination?

Does anyone have an opinion on this? Or seen something similar? Or can offer any more advice?

Come to think of it, i have had a similar dream, though this one was not as i was waking up, just a regular dream. I was in a dark house, very dark, all i could make out was the doorways and walls and again there was a dark figure in the house with me, but this time just the presence of the shadow person was enough to wake me. This happened about a few weeks befor the other one.

Thanks for you time. Look forward to hearing from you all.

It sounds like you are having a rather obvious bout of hypnogogia. I could provide an in depth explanation of it here but it would be easier for you to google hypnogogia and sleep paralysis. I don't believe its anything paranormal at all.

Originally posted by DrJay1975
It sounds like you are having a rather obvious bout of hypnogogia. I could provide an in depth explanation of it here but it would be easier for you to google hypnogogia and sleep paralysis. I don't believe its anything paranormal at all.

Agreed, hypnagogic hallucination. I will even go as far as to say that every case of shadow people, ghosts, or other paranormal phenomena are hypnagogic or other types of hallucinations (either brought on by lack of sleep, drugs, or genuine mental disorder).

I had a similar shadow person dream. What happened for me was that it was early morning and I had already woken up once and drifted back to sleep. I was dreaming I was in some kind of old textile factory, brick walls and wooden floors, and there was a shadow guy there and as I became aware of him, he became aware of me and came rushing over, very fast, and put his hand on my shoulder and shoved me hard, at which point I woke up. The impression I got was male, grinning, and "you should not be here!" I woke up and I was very startled but not really frightened. I felt more belligerent in response to being shoved. I felt I had been "shoved awake" by the shadow man, but I couldn't move. I got that feeling you are describing as shaking or seizure - I would describe it as heavy vibrations - it was like throbbing adrenaline rushes pulsating through me. I fell back asleep and back into the same dream. This time, I was in a hallway outside the room I had been in earlier. Again, shadow creatures "noticed" I was there and came rushing over, but this time they were small and very animated. This time they just sort of bumped into me, at which point I began floating up and to the right. I managed to control the floating only for a moment or two, then woke up for good.

There was a post about a year ago where somebody said something along the lines of "that is the 'watcher at the gate'" and that was really the impression I got. Like at a certain state of consciousness the shadow guys can see you and you can see them and they feel we should not be there and get us out or away as fast as possible. Mine seemed both amused and scolding towards me. The small animated ones were more scary at first, but less effective. When I thought about it later, they reminded me of what a dog would be like if it noticed you and came running at you barking, but with no sound and only shadows (i.e. no clear facial characteristics).

I in no way shape form or fashion believe everyone of these is attributed to a mental illness. I believe some are legitimate. I believe this one isn't paranormal.

Originally posted by DrJay1975
I in no way shape form or fashion believe everyone of these is attributed to a mental illness. I believe some are legitimate. I believe this one isn't paranormal.

To each his own, I suppose. I've yet to see any paranormal phenomena which can't be explained using scientific reasoning.

Whether paranormal or purely psychological, it is certainly
an interesting experience when it occurs.

If it is simple chemistry or brain phenomenon, that doesn't
make it any less startling to the person it happens to.

Originally posted by gwynnhwyfar
Whether paranormal or purely psychological, it is certainly
an interesting experience when it occurs.

If it is simple chemistry or brain phenomenon, that doesn't
make it any less startling to the person it happens to.

I will agree with you there. In some ways, it doesn't even matter if it's real or not -- it's certainly real to the person experiencing it. But on the other hand, if you know what you're experiencing is all in your head, then you don't have to be afraid of the Boogey Man getting you.

I was startled, but not afraid. My reaction was to respond
to the shove by feeling agressive in return. As I said, I felt
belligerant. In earlier days I might have just felt frightened
but I am more inclined to stand up for myself these days,
even against the unknown.

Perhaps the OP will read my account and not feel fright
next time...

Hypnogogic hallucination suck, I've had them since I was young and I actually had it happen to me last night. I see that damned "hat man" standing across the room from me, in his trench coat and wide brimmed hat, glaring at me. I can only breath just enough so that it feels like I'm on the very edge of suffocating and the sense of terror is extreme. Even if you're somewhat aware of what's happening, like me having gone through it hundreds of times, it still scares the living crap out of you each and every time.

I usually experience it a couple times a month. The best way I've found to reduce the frequency of it, is to sleep on my side instead of on my back. It barely ever happens when I lay on my side. Experiment with it.

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus
The best way I've found to reduce the frequency of it, is to sleep on my side instead of on my back. It barely ever happens when I lay on my side. Experiment with it.

Yeah, that generally seems to be the experts' opinion on how to reduce the frequency of this phenomenon.

Originally posted by LiquidLight
Yeah, that generally seems to be the experts' opinion on how to reduce the frequency of this phenomenon.

Wish that were true for me, mine occurs when I sleep on my side. My other half has suggested I sleep on my back, but I find that impossible sadly

there is a phenomena that is very similar to this, im not not sure what its called, but basically its the feeling of being paralized and semi awake. sometimes with the feeling of something putting pressure on your chest. there is an old folktale of a little goblin like creature sitting on peoples chests at night which causes this occurance.

i myslef had something very similar happen to me. i too woke up at night feeling paralized, and to my horror saw a man with a very hairy face and odd facial characteristics. standing right beside my bed, and he was squeezing my throat. whats even scarier is that a month or two later. my brothers girlfriend spent the night over where i live, and she said that she woke up and saw a strnge man in the room, which was my brothers room. (she tried to wake up my brother but his a real heavy sleeper). i hadnt told any one about what happend to me, so when she said that,i almost couldnt believe it. i think there may be a ghost in my house.

As earlier posters have stated, I agree that it has a lot in common with sleep paralysis and hypnagogia. The being unable to move that you describe, and the shadow creature, show a similarity with some of the symptoms involved in these conditions.

However, If it makes you feel any safer, pray to god, chant the rosary, do something to banish negative spirits/energies.

I woke up once from a lucid dream that had one uncontrollable aspect. It was some person that attacked me at the end and I woke up but couldn't move anything except my eyes. I had this intense feeling of anger so I tried to calm down and I saw a very tall figure sit up next to me and then stand to start moving away from my bed. I would say it was a shadowy type thing, but really it was like...darker than dark if that makes any sense at all. I was able to sit up the instant it was out of sight. It wasn't anywhere I could see but when I looked at the pillow next to me it still had an impression in it as if someone had been laying there for a long time. Don't know what it was

Originally posted by fossegrimen


i myslef had something very similar happen to me. i too woke up at night feeling paralized, and to my horror saw a man with a very hairy face and odd facial characteristics.

The man that attacked me in my lucid dream can be described very accurately like this

Strange things...I was really, REALLY high ( I love marijuana, so let it be known) but I saw a figure like this shadow person you describe for just a brief second in my bedroom doorway. My girlfriend swears up and down that she has also witnessed this apparition.
Another oddity that I might add, sometimes I will hear, oh I don't know...let's call a "clamor," in the kitchen and I will go to investigate. Strangely and subtly each time has a kitchen drawer been just slightly opened. Just enough to really give you that uneasy feeling that it was just barely ajar for optimal visual effect.
But then again...I do smoke a lot of weed...

Originally posted by gwynnhwyfar
I was dreaming I was in some kind of old textile factory, brick walls and wooden floors, and there was a shadow guy there"

There was a post about a year ago where somebody said something along the lines of "that is the 'watcher at the gate'" and that was really the impression I got.

I signed up to reply to this post. I been searching for these kinds of posts because of dreams I had. I had one last night in which a tall shadow person like 12'tall was standing by the road. It was sort of smokey looking and the smoke sort of vibrated or moved. It was humanoid with large shoulders. The face was what stood out. It looked EXACTLY like the heads on Easter Island. As I drove by, it sort of rocketed forward with it's body becoming a long contrail and it's face still visible but moving like a rocket would. It came straight to my driver door and came through the door and entered into my back. It was very painful and I was screaming and yelling and I woke myself up screaming and flailing and trying to grab at my back. The pain subsided in a few seconds but I could still feel it. No idea what it was but I'm an avid dreamer and I usually know when it feels more like I'm in another reality than a standard dream but who knows. Dreams to me are just experiences in another reality anyway.

The other thing this post reminded me of was a dream years ago in which I was in a factory with brick walls and wood floors. I was wandering around and noticed a large black mass at the other end of the factory and it was HUGE! I thing it sensed I was there and sent out large black smokey tendrils that came at me. I ran out the door and down a long road outside the factory. The tendril just kept "snaking" above the ground and I could feel the terribleness of it's energy. I could hear in my head that it was the watcher at the gate and I jumped in a car and tried to leave. It wouldn't go so the only way I could figure out of it was to wake up so I began trying to wake myself up. It broke the window out and started creeping in getting tendrils around me when I finally woke myself up!

Other odd story is from a friend who said she was 14ish and a black figure walked through her closed bedroom door. She said it had glowing red eyes and looked at her . She screamed bloody murder and it ran out the other door to her room, out the back door (screen porch type door). Her parents rushed in and all she could get out was "man in house" "ran that way" and her parents thought it was a real man. They all ran out the other door to her room just in time to see the porch door swinging back closed and a chain that was hanging (used to hang flowerpots in summer) was swinging where it looked like it had been hit to make it swing. She said she never told her parents about the shadow part with red eyes, she just let them think it was a man. She said she never told anyone before but we were on those kinds of subjects and she decided to tell the story.