Night Terrors

Can anyone shed some light on the subject? or has some knowledge or experience with them?

I have had them on and off since my early 20's and i am 29 now.
They have no real pattern of when they happen it's just random but here's how they go...

I can now pretty much know when they are going to happen because when i am just drifting off to sleep i will get sharp electric type shocks/jolts through my body.
The best way to describe when they come on is that it's like when you have that falling sensation and wake up in a fright? but with me i stay in that state.
Then i get into a half asleep and half awake state of mind where it feels like something is pushing extremely hard down on top of me mostly my chest which makes it hard to breath and to talk and yes like i said im half awake stuck in the middle so i try to call for help.

So it is extremely hard to breath or talk and the feeling that consumes me while this is happening is panic and fear because it feels like something is trying to take over me almost? not trying to sounds like a whack job troll but it does feel like that. Having still a little control i can fight back which is pretty much me trying to sit up from my bed or if i manage to wake my girlfriend up with my panicing she normally shakes me out of it and i then gain full conciseness and i am gasping for air and sometimes sweeting.

Like i said it has been pretty random i went through a patch where it would be every night almost and believe it or not i started to study it and even leave myself in that state for a little longer to try and analyze but it was hard.
During that patch was when i also started to see black shapes infront of me which sometimes looked like wings flapping and also but only a couple of times a very low rumbling sound almost like a voice but im not sure.

My girlfriend when she has seen this happen says it's like im gasping for air and in a struggle with something or like im tied down.

Anyway there ya go haha im not a troll or making it up hope to get some good feedback.

Peace.

reply to post by EndWise


Don't fear it , stop trying to fight it and let go, relax & enjoy the ride...it'll turn into something interesting!

reply to post by EyesWideShut

I would but it feels like if i don't fight it i'll die basically haha but thanks

reply to post by EndWise


Weird how you're describing exactly what happened to me couple of nights ago..& strange how I was talking to a friend about it all.

The feeling of a pressure on the chest was new to me...I actually thought some kind of supernatural force was trying to attack me!

But after consulting my friend, she found out this is a common-ish feeling that people like you & I get.

The spinning sensation you get when you're in bed? (Feels good, doesn't it)

The feeling of weight on the chest?

It's exactly the same for me.

I've had this since I was a kid, however..

You call it night terrors , because the feeling you get is bizarre & unusual.

But here's the answer to what's going on: Out of Body Experience & Astral Projection

Sounds like sleep paralysis. Quite common, a quick google search will get you lots of info.

Even though SP is common, it's absolutely terrifying. I know, bc I've suffered from SP all my life. Everything you described above fits.

It's taken me years to learn how to break an SP event, but for me the key is movement. If I can move an arm or leg, it's done. Others say they call out the name of Jesus. I think basically anything that disrupts the hypnogagic trance state will work.

SP sucks, but there might be a bright side. If you believe in it....astral projection supposedly starts in an SP state.

Good luck to you. Hugs...

I used to suffer from night terrors, and still on occasion do. Mine were sometimes like yours and at others very vivid horrifying dreams. I cannot count how many times i have woken up not able to move, breath or talk. It is a very terrifying feeling that leaves me in a cold sweat every time. I am not sure on your feelings of religion so i will not preach to you, but what helped me as a child and as an adult is i pray every night that i will be okay and that the nightmares will stay away. It has worked for me with a good deal of success, though if i fall asleep suddenly or with out having a chance to do so, they come back like a wild fire and take some time to get rid of.

I have talked to some other people who have dealt with night terrors also who have found other remedies for the problem, ranging from a clennsing of their home and bed room, to seeking medical help. I had a friend who swore up and down that when his night terrors set in that it was a demon trying to posses his body and that when he fought back he swore he could hear the entity laughing.

I don't know what causes night terrors, just what has worked for me and a few others that i know. I hope that you find a remedy as i know the stress it can take on your mind and your body not being able to sleep at night for fear that the night terrors will come.


i hope this helps.

thank you and good day/night depending on your location in this universe.

reply to post by smyleegrl


Although there are signs which suggest sleep paralysis, I don't think what he is experiencing is this..

Because of the pressure on the chest, it's more associated with OOBE'ing.

Funnily enough...what he's describing, happened to me on Tuesday night.

I get sleep paralysis too, but haven't had that in a while.

It's scary as # though when it happens & you don't have any knowledge on it.

reply to post by EndWise

Hello,

i know how you feel, i'm 27 and only started getting sleep paralysis about 8 months ago, just as i'm on the verge of sleep i get something known as exploding head syndrome or audio/visual sleep starts, this is followed by sleep paralysis.

Sleep Starts Sleep starts are so common that they almost don’t count as a sleep disorder. Most have experience them - a sudden, often violent, jerk of the entire body or one or more body segments that occurs upon falling asleep. Sleep starts are also known as hypnic or hypnagogic jerks. Somewhat related are: a visual sleep start - usually a sensation of blinding light coming from inside the eyes or head and an auditory sleep start - a loud snapping noise that seems to come from inside the head.www.sleepdex.org...

the first time it happened it sounded like a loud snap and accompanied by a bright flash, my eyes were closed and i was in dark room. the sound varies, sometimes its a buzz and sometimes it sounds like something electrical short circuiting. this can happen a couple of times before i eventually fall asleep only to wake up to sleep paralysis.

last time this happened i was in bed in the dark again and when i woke up i thought my husbands face was hovering over mine, i felt like i couldn't breath properly and immediately assumed that he was trying to give me the kiss of life, i was trying to ask him what was wrong but he couldn't hear me. then i managed to move my hand and i broke free of the paralysis, for about 2 seconds i felt safe again untill i realised that my husband was down stairs watching tv and not lying next to me, this was the scariest i've had so far and i really hope it never gets any worse

reply to post by SmoKeyHaZe


If you research the "old hag" syndrome, which is associated with sleep paralysis, it's an eye opener. The hag is described as sitting on the person's chest, causing pressure and a choking sensation. In my personal SP experiences, the choking sensation is common.

reply to post by smyleegrl


Ahh I wasn't aware of that.

Only thing was, his description was pretty much bang on with what happened to me recently..Yet I was still able to move & talk without any problems.

I actually panicked, having felt the pressure on my chest, with the adrenaline causing me to snap out of my drowsy state..& was able to sit up slightly.

P.S - I know it's off-topic, but am I wrong in guessing that you're Vietnamese? Coz your signature comes from a Vietnamese buddhist monk, no?

I am a little concerned with you experiencing electric shocks through your body. These electrical shocks are not normal and is called Lhermitte's phenomenon.

Lhermitte's phenomenon is described as a feeling like an electric shock going down the spine through to the extremities. It occurs when there is irritation in the spinal cord for whatever reason - demyelinating disease, tumor etc. It is usually episodic and associated the flexion/extension of the neck rather than constant.

Perhaps an evaluation of the spinal cord by MRI or somatosensory evoked potentials may help identify the cause.

Originally posted by SmoKeyHaZe
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

P.S - I know it's off-topic, but am I wrong in guessing that you're Vietnamese? Coz your signature comes from a Vietnamese buddhist monk, no?

No, I'm from East Tennessee. I just have an obsession with smiley faces and I love this quote.

my youngest daughter suffers from night terrors its pretty scary to witness seems ive never had one. when she first started happening i didnt know what to do she was soo scared she couldnt open her eyes for a few mins and couldnt stop screaming she is only 5 so must of been even worse for her its been going on for a year now about 3 times a month ive taken her to the doctors n they say she will grow out of it but im thinking of getting sec ond opinion. all i can do is talk calmly to her as she cries

reply to post by EndWise


That all sounds very intersting.. I have had an inncodent like this once.. i was in a car ride just with my dad and i had my eyes closed and i was trying to rest but still my mind was awake.. i had my mouth open as i was breathing and i started to get this weird feeling, which felt rather good.. and it seemed like the longer i kept my eyes closed the better and more intense the feeling got.. soon after that the feeling was gone and i just started concentrating my ears to my dad who was talking on the phone. i then tried to close my jaw shut but couldnt move it at all.. i tried moving my arms and fingers but it was very hard.. i didnt freak out but i thought it was weird.. i was stuck in the postition i was in and i couldnt move anything.. i tried opening my eyes but couldnt open them fully, i only could barely open them for a sec and then they would close back up.. i tried pushing myself harder to make a move but i couldnt and then i made my whole body almost jump out of it and to my dad it looked like i had made a huge twitch looking movment out of sleeping.. but thats not what happened.. it was very interesting.. i actually tried getting myself to do it again right after but i could not haha.. it was the only time that had hapened to me

My son used to have night terrors frequently. After he had one, he only felt safe in the bathroom. I guess because it was so well lit. He would breathe very deeply and heavily and his voice would be low and breathless. He shook all over after them, as well. Most of the time it I tried to talk to him, he was somewhat incoherent, like he couldn't follow what I was saying to him. It was very bizarre and frightening for both of us. Since he has gotten older, they have slowed down a lot.

On a different note, but possibly similar, my daughter has always talked in her sleep. Most of the time, I can make out what she is saying. Once during sleep, she wanted to know if the bbq sandwich was good. Whenever I said her name, she told me to shut up, she wanted to talk to her mom. It's kind of fun to try to converse with her, but sometimes it's creepy.
The other night, her and her brother camped out in the living room. He was freaked out because she started talking in her sleep. He said at first she was speaking normally, but after he spoke to her, her voice got deep and growly and she sounded like she was speaking another language. He stayed awake until morning, it scared him so.

Thanks for all your comments it looks like im not alone!
That spine thing sounds scary though! lol i do have a deformed couple of lower spinal bones from my growth spurt when i was younger?

And yes the only way to break out of it is to try and move and or sit up which can prove quite hard at times.

I have always wanted to film myself sleeping to record it when it happens to see what i look like haha.

Yep, classic sleep paralysis. The heaviness in the chest is rough. Sometimes feel like you are going to suffocate. Just keep calm and remember that your lungs are still breathing just fine even if you can't feel it because of the paralysis.

I have also noticed that sleeping on my side, instead of flat on my back, usually prevents sleep paralysis from happening at all. There are ways to abort the experience as other posters have mentioned. Trying to move, calling on a source of comfort, and other methods all work for me.

Deep relaxation and lying flat on your back also makes the experience inducible.

And like other posters have mentioned...it is a precursor for astral projection/ OOBE. The key is conquering the associated fear and discomfort.

The electric-like shocks and tingle and sounds of snack,crackle, pop, hiss, and fizz are also common for me. (A poster mentioned that it's a spinal reflex that may be caused by a tumor). It's a scary thought, but I don't think that's true in most cases. The spinal cord is where any spiritual experience begins and the jolts are quite common. I have heard it compared to a light bulb ready to shine like the sun but too much electric current can overwhelm and break the bulb. You guessed it; we are the light bulb.

Sorry I have no sources. 10 years of experience and observation is my source.

Edit: Oh yeah..and by the way, night terrors actually describes a different sleep-related experience. Sleep paralysis isn't the same as night terrors (I seem to be the only one who knows this:lol

Please read my OBE experience it will explain a lot in my signature.

Remember our bodies are just shells we use in this reality.


Cheers,

RT

reply to post by Realtruth


I would say that your OBE thread failed to answer A LOT. Still a cool story and I believe you %100. For anybody interested, I would say the best place to start on OBE is Robert Monroe and Albert Taylor. They described the OBE experience while describing how sleep paralysis fits into the whole thing.

No offense to you or your OBE thread, but Monroe and Taylor make for much more fascinating, descriptive, and helpful reading. And every piece of the puzzle helps. Everyone's experience is a unique part of the whole.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
reply to post by Realtruth

 

I would say that your OBE thread failed to answer A LOT.

There is no fails in OBE's just different experiences. People can read tills there heads explodes, but until people actually understand what it feels like, or can correlate what they are reading to real OBE's it's all a moot point.

I have also read Robert Monroe and countless other books. What I have found is learning to be comfortable with the state you find yourself in.

Most people cannot handle the intense vibrations during separation, or the feelings of not being attached to the physical shell.

Stories and theory are find, but experience is the key.


Goodluck