Sleep Paralysis has anyone had it?

Ya, woke up with a a etheric octopus stuck to my head with its tentaclies going down my spine, i grab it and all the little tuby things on the tentacles start popping off. funny thing is i didnt wake up out of a dream and was able to touch it, but not after i initially grabbed it. that a paradox

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?
I was 19 and sleeping in an Army barracks in KY

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?
It still happens to me off and on, but mostly only during stressful periods

3. What you saw (if anything).
a shadow blocking out a light coming down the hall and I know it's looking for me

4. What happened?
I woke up and noticed my radio was on but the music was distorted and impossible to make out what song it was. When I tried to turn my head it wouldn't move. Then I tried to sit up and couldn't. That's when my eyes picked up movement from the doorway that a shadow had blocked out the light and was coming towards my room.

5. How long did it last?
Probably no more than 30 seconds

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?
Not for the first few times. Once I researched and learned about SP the occurrences still happened and but they became shorter when I recognized what was happening.

7. Are You a religious person.
I'm a Christian, but never felt this was a religious experience

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?
Just my distorted radio sounding like it was on. Which was always off after the event.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.
Definitely negative.

10. Were you left with any after effects?
It was rough going back to sleep for a few minutes.

I also noticed that if I lay on my back with my arms crossed like I'm a mummy then fall asleep it will almost certainly happen. I can almost bring it on by will now. Sounds crazy to have experimented but I thought it was interesting. The Army did a sleep study on me when I told them I kept getting SP. The doctors doing he study almost wet their pants with joy when I told them I could do induce it and made me do it like 6 times that night. I hope that by me subjecting myself to dozens of electrodes and forcing myself into bursts of shear terror that night that maybe it will help the medical field understand and treat this problem for those that it affects.

reply to post by RevelationGeneration


i had them when i was younger. i would be able to hear everything going on around me like people talking, tvs etc.. but no matter how hard i tried i couldnt wake up. I would also feel like i couldnt breath and wouldnt be able to move. I would have to will my brain to try to move one little bit then i would be able to wake up. I feel it may have been health related. I had a thyroid problem and some vitamin deficiencies. Once i took care of them it seemed to go away. But they were so scary

first time i was about 12 woke and there was a shadow person above my bed couldn't move or speak so in my head i prayed and it disappeared me and my family had many encounters with shadow people around that time.
second time it happened i was 21 visiting my family back at home and in my dream there was a Sasquatch looking creature pacing around my bed so i reached for its neck an was going to say i rebuke you in the name of the father but i couldn't get the words out at that time my girlfriend woke me and said i had my hands up and were speaking backwards or gibberish i had felt like there was negative energy in the house the week i was home prior to the dream the encounters were in separate homes

Yeah I've had sleep paralysis before. When I was in my late teens living in LA a relatively small earthquake (like a 4.5 or something) woke me up from a dead sleep in the middle of the night. I had sleep paralysis through the quake and then for sometime after. (no more than a minute or two) I lay there in my bed with the bedroom door still shut from when I went to sleep, staring at the ceiling paralyzed. I heard my family shout through out the house "everyone ok?" I think I managed to say "I'm Fine" but i don't remember. Nobody came to check up on me which I guess I was expecting my mom to go around the house checking up on the kids. But nobody came. while laying there still paralyzed I had a horrible thought which I believed to be true for a minute.

What if that earthquake was the big one. the part of the house I was in had collapsed killing me. I only thought the earthquake was small but it wasn't, I'm dead, those arte the voices of my family and nobody is checking up on me cause the house has collapsed.

Anyways that was one of my sleep paralysis experiences. I usually got around that time more hynogognic hallucinations than slep paralysis. but man it's a hell of an experience if you've never felt it before. you literally can't move much more than your head or eyes. you wouldn't know you had arms if somebody showed you a photo of yourself with arms, because you can't feel them. like you never had arms. it's hard to explain but no amount of will would allow me to move my body. it was like I had to let the chemical that induces sleep paralysis to wear off for a moment. later I got up walked around the house. my sister said hi and to my relief I found that I was still alive.

reply to post by RevelationGeneration

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

Three or four years old,and i was in California at that time.

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

I remember my first experience at an early age,but i really didn't take notice till i was in my early twenties,and yes it frequently happens...two or three times a month,sometimes more.

3. What you saw (if anything).

The first time I was transported to a gleamed corn field, i was on my tricycle. There was a drainage ditch/ creek that ran across the field and across the the ditch was a dark figure dressed in a hooded robe.
The next time in my twenties is when it started to happen very frequently with different results..I would see a vortex or a wormhole open and feel and hear a buzz just before i would go into PS..(it has happened so many times that i now know when i will experiences this just by laying my head on the pillow and before sleep)

4. What happened?

Depends..each time it would happen there would be different experiences ,sometimes i couldn't move and it felt as though something was holding me down, in some those cases when i was held down i felt surgery being done and one time a Colonoscopy.< (a very horrible feeling ) Other times i could break free from this force,but still be stuck in this other realm/dimension/astral dream with some freedom,but still couldn't wake out of it.

5. How long did it last?

Hours..sometimes the whole night. I went as far as having my wife observe and take data and to slap me out of it.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?


I could put it in remission if i smoked marijuana before bed,but the New job i have prevents that


7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

No...more spiritual than religious

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

Nothing was ever said,but i would hear buzzing sounds or sounds of high winds or like a hurricane.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

99% negative

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

Yes..physical and mental exhaustion.like i did a forced march or ran a marathon.

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

It first happened when I was 21 years old in a room in a farm house i lived in in Ixopo, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

It went on for 2.5years and was almost weekly at it's worst
I now get it when I'm alone (live with my GF so when she's out)

3. What you saw (if anything).

I've had many many nights where I would see the same three bald headed african men who where very tall, well built and carried crude whips and batons, I've also seen countless shadows of three men and a couple of times a
young lady

4. What happened?

Mostly I'd "wake up" paralysed and relax until it left but I've had an incident where I had a huge nightmare involving me looking into the mirror and seeing my reflection as the devil - i ran in my dream out my room (flat to the farm house) outside and woke with paralasys, once awake my door was wide open.

The other one that sticks out is feeling somebody sitting on my chest punching me, but the punches where waves of pins and needles, i initially thought as i woke up i was being punched and it was my bodies natural protection and i was about to die, it was a very clear feeling where i prayed to God as if i was on my way out.
Woke up with sleep paralasys.

5. How long did it last?

Some seconds and some felt much longer but wont hazzard a guess

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?

After a while if it wasn't accompanied by a dream i relaxed and let my body come back to me
.
7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

At the stage I was Christain and looking into spirituality, using incense trying to contact angels etc.
Now I'm Christain

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

Never contacted, always watched

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

Always negative

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

I often had a clear head afterwards and felt my senses where a touch sharper for 5 min or so.


*** the OP in his opening statement statement that he believed it was related to aliens.
My personal belief, and through my experience alone believe that it has something to do with the spirit world

reply to post by RevelationGeneration


Hello!

I'm "Gadsden" I just joined ATS today. I have experienced Sleep Paralysis quite a few times before, and the topic really interests me. So here is my experience below.

Best,

"Gadsden"


1. I don't recall how old I was when it first started, I'm in my late-ish teens...so at least for four years. It usually happens early in the morning, when I am in bed.

2. I guess it has been happening for at least four years. I also associate it with poor sleeping habits I used to have. (I.E lack of sleep.)

3 One time I saw out of the corner of my eye some kind of "Scorpion" thing. And it was about to sting me. Other times I just see shadows out of the corner of my eye.

4. Okay so here is the "play-by-play." I wake up and realize that I can't move. I try to move my foot, but I am unsuccessful. Then something really weird happens. I shut my eyes and all I can see are bright flashing lights,loud voices yelling/talking, followed my the worst feeling in my head ever. It feels like a strong vibration within my skull rattling my brain, and I feel like my head it going to explode, or that I am going to die. Once it get's to that point I fall back asleep, and then wake up normally.

5. When I am paralyzed it feels like hours have gone by. However I think in reality it lasts for five minutes.

6. No not really. I tell myself to stay calm and breathe, and that slightly decreases the intense "Vibrational/Brain" part.

7. No. I grew up with "Re-constructional Judaism." But I don't practice it anymore. Honestly I don't believe in god, heaven, hell etc.. I guess I believe in some kind of "Eternal Consciousness"

8. Well like I said sometimes I hear voices. But I can't recall what they were saying.

9. The experiences are negative. I am usually very shooken up afterwards.

10. I have a slight headache after the episode, it goes away after a few minutes.

Thanks for listening/reading and researching this!!

Has anyone on ATS actually experienced the phenomenon known as "Sleep Paralysis" ?

The reason i ask it here is because its usually accompanied by some sort of alien encounter...

No, it isn't.

Sleep paralysis is caused by coffee - in nature, coffee uses caffeine as it's natural defense mechanism, because (according to Wikipedia): "..it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants."

I am not saying that some people, who have extraterrestrial contacts, wouldn't have sleep paralysis from time to time in this context, but really.. saying that it's (not "its") USUALLY accompanied by some sort of "alien encounter" (whatever you mean by this - and isn't it quite crude and barbaric to insult higher beings than us by calling them 'aliens' - especially after the movie with the same name came out?), is a bit far fetched and naive - and simply not true.

I used to have quite a lot of them - no E.T. encounters included, ever - and it was always scary and horrible. But since I stopped drinking coffee, I haven't even had one sleep paralysis (and that was about eight months ago).

Coffee causes sleep paralysis. Stop drinking coffee, if you suffer from sleep paralysis, and chances are, the sleep paralysis will simply disappear from your life for good (until you start drinking coffee again).

Case closed.

reply to post by Shoujikina


Over the time I had sleep paralysis I was drinking little to no coffee, redbull etc as I was living far from the nearest town, I drank green tea.

I think there can be a link to caffeine and sleep disorders and over active imaginations (people thinking they have sleep paralysis) but it's not the sole cause.

reply to post by RevelationGeneration


ANSWERS AFTER EACH QUESTION



1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located? 33 or so. Houston TX

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen? i am pretty sure it was 1 time that i remember vividly

3. What you saw (if anything). i remember seeing a light afterwards but since i couldn't move i couldn't tell where it was coming from or where it went. the property out that window was nothing but forest so there was no reason for any lights.

4. What happened? sound asleep and all the sudden i woke up eyes wide open, couldn't breathe and could not move, scream or anything. it freaked me out. even after i could move i was awake the rest of the night in fear.

5. How long did it last?it seemed to last for several minutes before i could wake my boyfriend and tell him what happened. he did not believe me.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it? no

7. Are you a religious person? born of no faith in particular. went to church of christ, pentacostal, friends were baptist, married a catholic, divorced and wasn't welcome after that. i believe in God but don't go to a church now

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say? no did not see any figures. i have had many many nightmares of being visited by them but none of them were while awake. i would wake up gripping the side of the bed in fear. i did notice this seemed to happen more when i was stressed. it doesn't happen anymore now. thank God.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative. - neither. just uneasy.

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself) i have felt different since my 20's. there are lots of spaces in my childhood that i don't remember. could be due to abuse or this, i don't know. i don't like thinking about it much but it was so very real. if i do think about it, i tend to not sleep and a little paranoid about it. almost like i feel if i think about them they might come back again. i hope they are done with me.

A few years ago, I was having them pretty frequently. No aliens, just couldn't move. I would wake up and be able to move my eyes, but nothing else. I would struggle to move a foot, arm, Anything, because that seemed to break the paralysis. I found out the cause, but they still happen from time to time. Matter of fact, had an episode this morning.
This is the sort I have -
www.webmd.com...
During sleep, your body alternates between REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. One cycle of REM and NREM sleep lasts about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and takes up to 75% of your overall sleep time. During NREM sleep, your body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM, your sleep shifts to REM. Your eyes move quickly and dreams occur, but the rest of your body remains very relaxed. Your muscles are "turned off" during REM sleep. If you become aware before the REM cycle has finished, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.

reply to post by DAVID64


I really hope that it is really what happened. I have had enough bad stuff happen while I am awake to not need it when I am trying to sleep. :-)

Yeah I have had sleep paralysis quite a number of times. Almost all of my family suffer from it and I find it very interesting, so I'll share my experiences with you.

1. I was around 17 when it first happened. I mostly get it in bed when I am falling asleep or during the night

2. Its been going on for three years now. It happens every couple of months or so.

3.One time I saw a little boy sitting at the bottom of my bed. He was extremely pale and I vividly remember seeing his dead blueish white arm reaching over the blankets to me. Another time I saw a scaly demon like monster sitting beside my bed. Mostly I just hear things.

4.Usually I just wake up and realize I am paralyzed. Or I am about to fall to fall asleep and suddenly I cant move. Its a horrible feeling and I really feel like I am awake but just can't move. Then the panic sets in. I either hear something like footsteps or a voice, feel something touching me (though that only happened once) or I open my eyes and see something.

5.It only lasts a few minutes or seconds.

6. In the beginning I did not understand what sleep paralysis was, but now that I do I usually attempt to move to try and wake up. This has lead to some very interesting experiences. Like I try to get out of my bed. Every part of my body feels so heavy and it is struggle to move but sometimes I actually get out of the bed. I drag myself across the room to the light switch or to a specific area and suddenly the sleep paralysis feeling comes over me again and I "wake up" back in bed. Another time, as I was trying to lift my heavy arms, I opened my eyes and could see two ghost like arms rising from my real arms which lay by my side on the bed. I proceeded to sit up, leaving my paralyzed body beneath me body. Then I woke up or whatever. I researched this and it kind of seems like astral projection but maybe not.

7. I was raised a catholic but I am not a religious person.

8. My first sleep paralysis ever, I heard a mans voice right beside my bed say "Relax, everything is going to be okay, this will only take a second." Also, I have felt something wrap itself around my body, sort of like a snake or something.

9. Almost always negative, I am always very scared when it happens and want it to stop.

10. Not really. Sometimes, I just fall back asleep and then the next day I realize what has happened and freak out. Sometimes it happens twice in a row and I am then afraid to go back to sleep because I think it will happen again. It just feels very real, it doesn't feel anything like being asleep or dreaming and its definitely increased my interest in the subconcious mind and belief in everything paranormal.

reply to post by wildeyedjoker


That sounds like an amazing experience. I myself never had sleep paralysis, I've read scary stories about it though. If something like that should ever happen to me it would definately be life changing. I've heard you could use it to Astral Travel, would love to try that out, but a lot of dedication is needed.

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

I would guess about 10-12, i'm not really sure and i'm from the UK.

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

Well i'm 25 now, so awhile and yeah it still happens occasionally, every couple of months.

3. What you saw (if anything).

I've only ever seen something once and it was quite recently. Every other time i've had sleep paralysis it was just that, the paralysis, being unable to move for a couple of seconds.

4. What happened?

I woke up and opened my eyes, realised i couldn't move my body, then i immediately noticed a giant black object right above me on the ceiling that appeared to be in the shape of a spider. Now i'm short sighted and didn't have my glasses on so the object was slightly blurred, but it definitely appeared to be a spider, it had 8 legs, and it was huge, i would say 3ft wide at a guess. Anyway I obviously became a bit shocked by this and object seemed to become aware of me, because it seemed to panic and suddenly scurried away behind the top of a wardrobe. Its movement was very robotic as well.

Anyway after I was able to move, I got up and checked and nothing was there, so I can only guess I was still dreaming, but why a spider I don't know, I don't have a fear of them really.

5. How long did it last?

10-15 seconds I would guess.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?

No, but the object/spider didn't do anything to me, so there was nothing to stop really.

7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

Not really, if anything I am agnostic.

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

No.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

I wouldn't say either, I can only guess it was a dream, though it looked very real.

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

Not really, maybe a little more nervous about sleeping and seeing something again.

reply to post by RevelationGeneration


1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

I was 21 and I was living in Birmingham,


2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

It happened a few more times when I moved back to the north east of England and the 'energy' I felt the first time was the same every time as though it was the same force behind it each time.

3. What you saw (if anything).

I was lying on my left side in bed, it was really dark, about 2am when realized I was awake (which of corse I wasn't) I was starring across the room lying very still and noticed an office chair, it didn't seem too odd at first it seemed like it belonged there as it had a pile of clean folded laundry on it ready to be put away with a coat slung over the back.

4. What happened?

I hadn't realize I couldn't move yet and I have a very childish imagination and thought "I wonder if I started at with with intense concentration I could make it move!?" thinking back wen I was young lying in bed with the landing light shining through the door way and thinking the door was slowly opening and closing of corse I realized when I was older it was a trick of the light and tired eyes. Holding this feeling from when I was little I starred and concentrated as much as I could and sure enough the chair started to move ever so slightly so I tried harder and harder and harder it seemed like an hour had passed and the chair was steadly turning. Happy with myself that I could do this I tried to make it stop. But it didn't. It got faster and faster and that's when I realized I couldn't move! I tried with all my strength to turn my head and scream out to my partner lying next to me but no noise was coming out and it was like my head and whole body was made I stone! I Was terrified!

5. How long did it last?

I'm not sure how long it lasted, it felt like hours but could only have been moments.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?

Not on this occasion but it happened again when I was back in the north east. I was lying looking at the wall facing me it had two posters on this wall but whilst lying there I noticed a small poster/picture in between them and new straight away what was happening. I tried to move first but again my body felt like stone. Next I tried to shout out but couldn't. "Bring it on!" I shouted in my head. "we've met before I can feel you! Tell me or somehow let me know what your here for!" the picture moved slowly towards te ceilling and started to rotate so I shouted out (in my head) "I'm not scarred of you now! Why are you here!? And it flew out o the door!

7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

No.

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

I know whatever energy behind it has always been the same if anyone can understand what I mean by that?

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

It felt negative, like it was feeding on fear and I think with me standing up to it and telling it I was not afraid and I didn't back down and it hasn't been back.

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

No.

If you have ever had a real case of sleep paralysis please post the following:

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

I was 10 years old

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

It has happened to me twice

3. What you saw (if anything).

Nothing
4. What happened?

The first time it happened to me I was very young. I woke up to what felt like a shock. I was sleeping on my stomach and felt a sharp "shock" sensation in my neck. I couldn't move and thought I had been struck by lightening. I kept my cool and decided to just sleep and if I was paralysed in the morning, someone would find me and help me.

The second time. I had fallen asleep watching Mythbusters. I woke up and couldn't move but could still hear the Mythbusters on my laptop in the background. I felt a very strange feeling in my head. Like as if it was extremely heavy. I knew immediately what was going on and tried to experiment with it. I kind of closed my eyes and went with it. I kind of dreamt that I had walked around my apartment. The odd thing was the strange feeling I had in my head. It was much weirder than my first encounter.

5. How long did it last?

It didn't seem to last long.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?

I just tried to keep sleeping
7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

Agnostic. The universe is so mass that the idea of something that human beings can consider to be "God like" not existing, is impossible.
8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

No

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

It was a very neutral experience.

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

During the first encounter my neck felt like it was shocked. 2nd time I felt a very strange heavy feeling in my head. It's very tough to accurately explain.

I've had it so many times but maybe because i'm older I rarely have it.

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?
It happened when I was young, maybe 11 or younger. It was in NYC

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?
For years and stopped but the last experience was the scariest and happened 2 1/2 years ago.

3. What you saw (if anything).
Well the earliest memory of it, I was dreaming that I was back in an area I used to live when I was very very young. I remember seeing a man and running towards him. He just stood there and smiled and as I tried to run after him, it felt like time slowed down and everything was spinning. I tried my hardest to run but it was impossible. Then I woke up in my bed unable to move and freaking out.

The recent one was that I was sleeping and I (thought) I woke up. Everything was the same as my room, nothing had changed except for a purple hue that covered my room. I realized that this man was sitting on my bed. He was completely shadowed but I could see the shape of a human. He even sounded like a man even though I couldn't see his face or know if he was speaking. I was scared and he leaned in close to me, not menacingly but I felt panicked. Even though he had no eyes, I can tell he was staring right at me. In a hurried, frustrated manner he said to me "Don't you know, there are different dimensions (said my name)?" and on the wall that my bed was against, appeared this circle with symbols on it. He leaped right into it and that was when I freaked out.

4. What happened?
I tried to wake myself up and tried to scream but no sound was coming out and I tried to bang on the wall but my hands wouldn't move and no sound came out. I tried to pound my head into the wall so I could wake someone but it was no use. I tried to use my entire body but nothing happened. I didn't have the spinning sensation that usually comes like my other sleep paralysis experiences. I jolted awake by screaming from the top of my lungs and jumping out of my bed, running to the living room. My mother woke up and freaked out, asking if I was ok. I stood there dumbfounded pretty much.

5. How long did it last?
It felt like forever.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?
No way. Whenever I have these, its out of my control.

7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)
Not at all. I don't believe in Gods.

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?
That man was the only time I saw something that directly led to my paralysis.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.
Now that I think about it, I don't think it was negative, I was just really scared. Wouldn't you be if someone was above you, freaking out on you and jumping through walls?

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)
I woke up and I was in college at the time and I couldn't not focus on anything. All I was thinking about was that "dream" if it was a dream. It felt SO real. Disgustingly real.

Reply to OPs original post:

1. How old was you when it first happened / which area was you located?

I experience sleep paralysis (as well as sleepwalking, night-terrors, and confusional arousal many times as a child. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. My first time experience sleep paralysis (that I can remember) as an adult was while taking a nap on my mother's couch in Montreal. I was 23 at that time.

2. How long has it been going on/does it still happen?

I've had occasional sleep paralysis as well as other parasomnias since I was a child. Most went away during puberty, but came back when I was a young adult. (Around the time I started drinking and doing drugs.) I recently quit drinking and started smoking a lot less marijuana, and since then most of my parasomnias have dissapeared, although I do still occasionally experience sleep paralysis and confusional arousal.

(Confusional arousal, for those who don't know, is a parasomnia characterized by suddenly coming to in a state of confusion or panic, often accompanied by rapid heart rate and the sensation of difficulty or inability to breathe.) It also sometimes includes incoherent babbling, twitching, and rhythmic movements. It is common in infants and rare in adults. There is no known cause, and it is not considered dangerous in itself or indicative of any other health problem -- although it can be very terrifying, and can trigger panic attacks in those with underlying anxiety disorders. It is suspected that alcohol can increase the severity or frequency of attacks, but it is not suspected as a cause.)

3. What you saw (if anything).

The time I was napping on my mother's couch I had the visual impression of a human figure standing in the window and looking down at me. It's worth noting that my mother and her husband were in the room with me at the time, and were able to observe the entire sleep paralysis episode.

4. What happened?

I came to, and was aware of suddenly being conscious although my body was still asleep. I could not move my arms or legs, or turn my head. I felt a sensation like pressure on my chest (as though a cat or some small animal were crouch on my chest), I felt a little bit panicky, and did not feel as though I was in control of my breathing, which gave me the sensation of suffocation or asphyxiation. The room seemed more brightly lit than it should, there was a ringing in my ears, and I had the sensation of a presence looking down at me from the window.

5. How long did it last?

The episode seemed to last for several minutes, but my mother and her husband nearby (who witnessed the entire event from the moment my eyes snapped open) told me that it lasted only seconds (5 or 10) from when my eyes came open to the point at which I became fully conscious.

6. Were you able to do anything to stop it?

Nope, just had to wait it out.

7. Are you a religious person? (elaborate)

Yes, I'm a christian.

8. Were you contacted by something, if so what did it/they say?

Nope, no contact. Just the physiological sensations and impressions.

9. Did the experience feel positive / negative.

I have always found sleep paralysis to be an unpleasant experience.

10. Were you left with any after effects? (Feeling sick or different in yourself)

I was drenched with sweat when I woke up, and little shaken up, but otherwise no different. These symptoms faded within minutes.