Has anyone had a positive experience with sleep paralysis?

Considering the current popularity of discussing sleep paralysis, I figured I would start this thread for those of us who haven't experienced sleep paralysis as anything negative.

This particular thread inspired me to start this one, so I'll add a link to it. How can I get sleep Paralysis?

After reading through the above thread I noticed that practically everyone had a negative experience with SP and they were utterly surprised at the OP's questioning of how to go about experiencing it.

In my personal experience, sleep paralysis had never been anything horrifying for me. I've never seen any hallucinations, or shadow figures or things moving around the corner of my eye. I've experienced the initial annoyance of being awake and being completely unable to physically move... and I'll admit that is frustrating. It causes me to sweat, and if it lasts too long I get a feeling of panic. But it was never as dramatic as many other people who have experienced it have made it out to be.

So I'm curious... is this just me? Am I so stoic towards the experience that I'm unable to understand the horror behind it? Or are there others out there who have had positive experiences with SP? Or heck, even those who have had neutral experiences with it.

In general: I'd like to hear about those of us who have had positive experiences... since most anecdotes about it are negative.

I'll start with quoting my original post about my usual episodes with sleep paralysis:

Anyway, whenever I experienced it... it involved a feeling of extreme urgency. I could see everything around me and I desperately wanted to wake up. I would get all sweaty because my muscles were trying so incredibly hard just to move the sheets off of myself.
I mean, when I experience sleep paralysis... I don't see any ghosts or shadows, and I don't hallucinate. It's just normal. If anything, I think I leave my body. I'm lying there, with my consciousness (since it's the only thing that's awake) trying very very hard to accomplish the usual things I do to wake myself up. I put all my mental energy into getting the sheets off of my body, maybe trying to swing my legs over to the side of the bed (but since I'm paralyzed, all of this is futile.)

I feel that it's possible that my consciousness leaves my body during this time, because after my failed attempt at getting my body out of bed. I end up 'walking' around the room turning on all the lights (except, of course, this isn't really happening because my body is still lying in bed). And I always get frustrated, because none of the lights I'm trying to turn on actually turn on. Sillily enough.... occasionally my consciousness ends up in my car trying to turn on the engine so I can go to Dunkin Donuts and get a coffee. But, obviously, since I'm not really sitting in my car - nothing works. Eventually I am woken up naturally, and I find myself covered in sweat and just relieved that I've finally accomplished what I've been trying to accomplish all along.

So I'll admit... I'll experience weird things with sleep paralysis. And I wouldn't put it past the possibility that my consciousness has left my body. But I also wouldn't discount the possibility that I'm just dreaming.

But I still wouldn't classify my experiences with it as "negative".

So yet again... I'm curious to hear others stories of people's positive (or at least not-negative) experience's with this phenomenon.

I've had good experiences with SP, but after many years of it happening only. It is still scary as hell, but if you can be aware of what it is mentally, then you can play with it.

I often semi-lucid dream in it, where I can almost see things around me in the real world, yet am entirely immobilised and have this dream reality surround me.

it's always dim and hard to see, and impossible to control to any degree, but it's like the best... well, illicit hallucinogen you will ever EVER experience, and all from the contents of my legally occurring brain!!

I liken it to a lucid dream in that I am aware of my state, but unlike a lucid dream, I have very little control over it. I just go with the flow, so to speak, and let it do whatever it wants, but that feeling of 'something else with me' and the uncertainty of it all, always leads it to be a dark or sinister event - but as I say, go with the flow, know it's all surreal, and experience it. That is heaps of fun!!

reply to post by mainidh


Everyone always mentions the whole "feeling of someone/thing else being present" and for some reason I've never had that experience.

Well... now that I really think back on my last episode of it. I remember in my desperate attempt to awaken myself, I ended up visioning that I was trying to turn the lights in my bedroom on and for some reason I felt that a friend or two of mine were present with me. I guess that qualifies as a "presence". But it's never... malevolent or anything.

I am not sure what you mean by positive? To give an answer, the first few times I had sleep paralysis by accident I was very scared and knew nothing of the situation, plus I had some black figure holding me down into my bed as I span . However as an experienced meditator and astral projector I now find accidental sleep paralysis to be useful as it is a perfect shortcut to projecting. I think negative experiences are common because the brain has natural reactions, it is like asking has anyone held a boiling pot and had a positive experience, there is a reason your brain feels pain or fear etc.

Originally posted by OwenGP185
I am not sure what you mean by positive? To give an answer, the first few times I had sleep paralysis by accident I was very scared and knew nothing of the situation, plus I had some black figure holding me down into my bed as I span

. However as an experienced meditator and astral projector I now find accidental sleep paralysis to be useful as it is a perfect shortcut to projecting. I think negative experiences are common because the brain has natural reactions, it is like asking has anyone held a boiling pot and had a positive experience, there is a reason your brain feels pain or fear etc.

What you describe is something that I've heard many other sleep paralysis sufferers (for lack of a better word) describe themselves... but for some reason I've never experienced the "black figure holding me down on my bed" or any of the other apparitions that people say they witness during an episode.

So that's what I'm curious about. Is it just something weird with me? I mean, sleep paralysis is annoying... but not frightening. I experience the initial startle as I realize that I can't move or get out of my bed (even though my mind starts to mildly panic as it tries to instruct my body to move). But once I realize what it is... I just go through the natural cold sweats and then eventually drift out of it and finally am able to accomplish movement and wake myself up. (Which I am certainly grateful for at the time).

So yeah... I know sleep paralysis isn't exactly "positive" for people. But... I've never experienced fright or apparitions with it. So I'm curious if there's others who have had an episode of SP that isn't negative.

How many people experience this sleep paralysis? I don't remember ever having it but I've had a gazillion lucid dreams. I may be odd though because both my brothers sleep walk and while I don't do that, I might move my arms about and I know I talk in my sleep at times. One of my roommates in college experimented and found out you can have a conversation with someone who talks in their sleep.

I even had one dream where I was abducted and the alien instruments that are supposed to paralyze people didn't work on me.

I remember even sleeping with some kind of 6th sense on occasion because I woke up one morning and someone had crept into my dorm room and approached me. I was starting to swing my fist and came up about half an inch from hitting the guy's nose and then I woke up due to realizing my body was moving about violently. I was glad I didn't break whomever's nose.

This sleep paralysis thing sounds interesting but I'm thinking I won't be able to experience it.

Sadly, no. Actually in the past 4 months I have not had an episode of sleep paralysis. Although when I had it, I had an intense fear and I was too weak to fight it.

With what I know now, I kind of want it to happen so I can see if I can fight the feeling of fear and see what can be explored in that state. I believe once I get past the fear, if I can fight it, there will be a new experience to be had. Lets hope it comes back.

Always negative im afraid. On and off SP for approx 30 years and i have never managed to react in any other way than being completely and utterly terrified

they tend to be discomforting as my heart rate spikes to completely unsafe levels, but i have the most beautiful auditory hallucinations, piano, guitar, and cello usually. one time a woman sang to me with an incredible voice and intensity. i only had one as a child, atleast i hope i was hallucinating. i had a very fearful childhood (which is apparently common in kids who are autistic), and once in my room i almost fell asleep, then fear overwhelmed me and i threw my eyes open while sitting up quickly. i saw a HUGE multi-colored wormlike creature made of what looked like a combination of gas and electricity. it lunged at me, but disappeared before it reached me. it was green, blue, and purple.

recently i've been having panic attacks, and initially we couldn't determine the cause, but i believe they're being caused by nocturnal seizures.

it seems once i get sleep paralysis when i'm trying to fall asleep, i'll get it about 25-30 times in a row before i actually fall asleep. often times my jaw will clamp and release, or twitch open and closed a number of times without my control.

i'd say my experiences with it have been mostly negative, but i am happy that i've experienced it. it's like trying an exotic dish that you know is going to taste horrible, but you're curious anyways, and you want to be able to say "yeah, i've tried that"


ps. i also experience VERY loud noises, and a spinning or moving sensation of some sort.

I am not a paranormal / gifted person. I am just an ordinary person.

Now, i would like to share my experiences with sp in relation with your question of how do you get sp.

Of all my life, I've never experienced sp until that day I moved in a rented penthouse apartment at Sydney. It happens out of nothing, and it always happens around 5-6am, at about to sunrise. That was truly a frightening experience as I never ever had that kind of strange experience before.
And that happens every day or every two or three days once. I tried very hard to open my eyes and when it opened i just run away outside my room. I didnt saw any figure /apparition though.

2 weeks later, I moved to other room upstairs, and believe it or not. It stopped!!
And 8 years later to this day, I still have never experienced it anymore living in my original home.

In conclusion, I tried to assume, and based on asian belief, that it was a spirit holding our body down. And why did the experience just happened on that sole room?? I believed that room may have its own "resident".

So my guess is if you want to exp sp, you had to find a haunted house, and try to sleep on its rooms .

I am a spontaneous lucid dreamer and the couple of times i had experienced sleep paralysis (3 times only) it was never a negative experience. Someone previously mentioned that paralysis gets him in a semi-lucid state and i felt the same way. I tried to go with the flow and explore the state i was in, obviously trying to NOT wake up. It was very dark 'in there' but i wasn't afraid or anything because i was concentrating and focusing on one thing only - get lucid before i wake up. There were no monsters or shadows near me even though once i heard voices in the darkness and while trying to follow and get to that noise i woke up.

I have experienced SP a couple of times and my experiences always were negative. When it occurs, I am awake, but also realize and understand that I am experiencing SP. To be paralyzed and being awake is a dreadful experience (for me). All the previous times, except for the last one, about a week ago, my wife was next to me in bed.

My first reaction always is to try and wake my wife by trying to shout "help". Only once she woke up from groaning sounds she heard from me. She woke me up and I was fully aware of her shaking me to wake me up. She mentioned to me that she heard moaning and groaning from me and thought that I had a nightmare.

By the way, my wife is also experiencing SP from time-to-time, and we have an agreement that if one of us is making any noises or breathing faster than normal while sleeping, then the other one will wake him/her up. I have woken my wife from a couple of nightmares, but never from SP.

All previous times there were no feeling of the presence of an "evil" entity, but the last time I experienced SP - about a week ago, I was aware of black evil presence right over me. It occurred during the day when I was sleeping after a night shift. I woke up in a state of SP and I managed to open my eyes slightly. I immediately noticed a mushy "spider web" type black shape right above me - very close - almost touching me. I just knew this was evil and my fear of this black "thing" resulted in me immediately to start praying. I looked to my left and could see the light through the drapes and after some intense praying for about a minute or so, the black "thing" just disappeared and I immediately came out of SP.

SP is by far the most unpleasant thing that I have experienced in my life. I cannot understand how any person would wish to bring it on voluntarily or have the ability to just relax until it's gone.

I've never had a negative experience with it. It freaks you out for a few moments, but that's about it. Certainly nothing like what some people claim to experience. I'm surprised it leaves them feeling so emotionally shattered. It feels like your heart is beating out of your chest sometimes, it feels like you can't breath, but other than that, it's fine. I've only had one experience where it felt like there was a presence, and it was when I wasn't fully conscious, the other times I've been completely alone.

Have you had many episodes with SP ?

I've been having them for over thirty years and have only had two or three positive episodes.
The majority have been the normal paralysis and the feeling of panic.
But I've had some really horrifying things that have happened to me which have scared the sh#t out of me.

I have learned over the years however, to get my wife to wake me up.
Bit like a ventriloquist......unable to move my lips but able to make sounds that she can comprehend.

Probably sounds like " ake gee uck " ( wake me up ).

Originally posted by xFloggingMaryx
Has anyone had a positive experience with sleep paralysis?

Yes, unfortunately I had a difficult time writing it down cause I couldn't move or wake up.

Sorry I couldn't help it.

Sleep paralysis does not bother me one bit, it's part of a precursor/stage of OBE's and astral travel. People just need to relax and let their fears go, then all experiences will be positive.

Originally posted by Bob Sholtz
recently i've been having panic attacks, and initially we couldn't determine the cause, but i believe they're being caused by nocturnal seizures.

it seems once i get sleep paralysis when i'm trying to fall asleep, i'll get it about 25-30 times in a row before i actually fall asleep. often times my jaw will clamp and release, or twitch open and closed a number of times without my control.

Hmm, that is interesting to me because I tend to get panic attacks as well. And sleep paralysis is a regular part of my night (which might be why it doesn't faze me anymore).
But since I sleep alone (for some reason I can't sleep when there are any other people around; my boyfriend hates it, haha), I don't know if I get any kind of nocturnal seizures.

Also, I don't get sleep paralysis when I'm trying to fall asleep. I get it when I'm waking up. Maybe that's why I experience it differently.

Haha, I dunno, I guess I'm just rambling. I'm trying to figure out why I don't see sleep paralysis as negative whereas everyone else seems to hate it.

Originally posted by Bob Sholtzi'd say my experiences with it have been mostly negative, but i am happy that i've experienced it. it's like trying an exotic dish that you know is going to taste horrible, but you're curious anyways, and you want to be able to say "yeah, i've tried that"

I liked this. It's a good analogy for a lot of things in life.

reply to post by denissianto


Wow, that sounds like a crazy experience. I've never had any concretely paranormal experiences in my life, so I always like hearing about them.

But yeah, I never asked HOW to get sleep paralysis. I was just referencing the thread by that title which happened to inspire me to write this thread.
I get sleep paralysis all the time, I've never needed to figure out how to experience it. Hah.

reply to post by Ysterlong


Definitely sounds like a horrible experience for you. At least you and your wife have each other so you can wake up when you experience a bad dream or episode of sleep paralysis.

What you describe is very similar to what everyone else describes when they experience SP. So yeah, I'm still surprised that I've never experienced an episode even remotely similar. But maybe I see SP as something that you just have to calmly wait out because I've gotten it so many times.

But I'm also one of those people who doesn't really get nightmares. I mean, I have some pretty horrible dreams - but for some reason there aren't any negative emotions associated with them when I wake up. Maybe that has something to do with me seeing SP as something neutral - neither negative or positive.

Originally posted by Morgenstern89
I've never had a negative experience with it. It freaks you out for a few moments, but that's about it. Certainly nothing like what some people claim to experience. I'm surprised it leaves them feeling so emotionally shattered. It feels like your heart is beating out of your chest sometimes, it feels like you can't breath, but other than that, it's fine. I've only had one experience where it felt like there was a presence, and it was when I wasn't fully conscious, the other times I've been completely alone.

Exactly this.

I started this thread specifically because I was so surprised that everyone saw SP as something so horribly terrifying. I've never experienced it like that... and I've gotten SP so many times that I can't even begin to count - maybe thousands. And it never disturbed me.

Even before I knew what it was, I just put up with it and considered it to be one of those normal things that happens when you wake up. I didn't realize that it was abnormal to have it until I read some of those legends about demons sitting on people's chests at night.

Obviously I can manipulate my mental state better during an episode of SP now that I know what it is. As a child/teenager I had to just kind of wait it out. Sure I would wake up a little shaken and covered in sweat, but I wouldn't be emotionally or mentally distraught. I would just get up, shower, and start my day.
Now that I know what it is, my consciousness tries to wake myself up. It pulls the sheets off of me, tries to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but is frustrated because that wont work (since I'm obviously just lying there asleep). So then my mind starts imagining that I'm (or my consciousness starts attempting to) turn(ing) on the lights around the room. Obviously the lights don't actually turn on (which slightly annoys my consciousness). So I end up returning to bed, and that's when I actually wake up.

I'll admit, it's a weird experience. But certainly not negative.