Sleep Paralysis--A safe haven to share your experiences

I am incredibly fascinated by this highly subjective experience and I want to create a thread where people can discuss it without fear of being ridiculed or debased. This is where we can embrace the dream-like nature of sleep paralysis; instead of dismissing its personal implications and possible significance. If you are inclined to ignore and scoff at the subjectivity of sleep paralysis, then this is not a thread for you! If you are inclined to belittle others for their personal experiences, then this is not a thread for you!

Think of this as a “sleep paralysis” group therapy. This is to compile the subjective data—aka, observations!

This is a thread where we can safely delve into the subjective details of our sleep paralysis experiences. I would also invite anybody to share a story linking sleep paralysis to possible OOBEs (I have a few, of course.) Again, this thread is not to deny the science of sleep paralysis, but to emphasize the subjectivity of it—something I think that is often neglected when discussing this phenomenon. I want to see how it resembles and differs from person-to-person. Has it frightened, or helped you in any way? I have experienced both the terror, and the beauty of the experience—I will be chiming in with my numerous experiences as well.

As a narcoleptic, I experience it more frequently than normal. Sleep paralysis is actually a common symptom of narcolepsy! But again, that is not to say that it has no personal significance to me: it has shaped my outlook on life in many ways, it has inspired creative output etc…and these are the stories I’m looking for, and hoping to share.

One definite thing I have noticed: frequency increases when I lie straight on my back for sleep. In fact, this is almost a guaranteed sleep paralysis for me. This is why I sleep on my side each and every single night. The times that I do have sleep paralysis, it’s because I roll over onto my back during sleep. What is it about this posture that instigates the paralysis?

I have heard that extra stimulation such as bright lights (sleeping in the daytime or with the TV on) increases frequency, but have not noticed this correlation personally.

What about stress? Does stress increase your frequency? I think I consistently have a relatively low stress level, so I’m not seeing stressors as an influence to my sleep paralysis frequency.

What triggers yours?

Okay, one other thing I’ve noticed, and it hit me REALLY bad today (which kinda got me itching to start this thread.) I have noticed that when I feel the paralysis creeping in, that my dream/ hallucination tries to convince me otherwise. As I try to fight off the paralysis and shake myself awake, I can see myself throwing the blankets off, moving, sitting up, jumping out of bed etc. Today I thought I even got out of bed to go turn on my pc, but soon realized I was still in bed paralyzed. It’s not like this is unusual by any means—it’s like when you “wake up” inside your dream, only to realize that you’re still dreaming.

I am well-acquainted with the why and wherefore of sleep paralysis. The scientific explanation behind this phenomenon is not what I am looking for in this thread. What I really want to know is—what quirky and unusual things happen to you with the sleep paralysis experience? Please tell me the subjective details.

What did you see? What did you feel? What did you hear? And most importantly, how did it affect you emotionally? Did you see any relatives or friends—or anybody else?

Okay, I will start by sharing one of my most memorable sleep paralysis experiences: I live just down the block from a corner store. I used to visit sometimes on my way home to get a drink or a snack. There was one clerk there who I always talked with about music. We are both musicians and have the same taste in music.

One sleep paralysis, I hallucinated that I got out of bed, floated out through my window and down the block to the store. I went in and he just looked at me and said, “No, you’re not supposed to be here. You’re asleep. Go back to bed.”

I just kind of looked at him queerly, thinking Huh? It only took a few more moments until I realized that I was in fact paralyzed in bed--and quickly got "pulled back" to my bed.

There are more stories to come, but I would like to hear yours as well!

Sleep Paralysis.

For me, it's a natural trip. Simply put I enjoy them and use them that way. I know it is all an illusion in my mind and allow my more.. devious.. instincts take hold.

Bloody scary things tho, if you're not aware what it is. That feeling of pure dread, of being laughed at and incapable of moving. Hearing that rustling, sensing a presence. The whispered voices that seem to hush as you try to decipher what is said.

And that whooshing noise as it feels like you're being dragged from the inside, losing consciousness as it grows stronger..

I love it, it's a real buzz. Especially when you learn to use it.. I've initiated some insane lucid dreams from there.

But they're always devious.. and very very macabre.

I don't mind. rather than struggle with the demonised things in my head I play with them. experience what I can in there what I never will out here, hopefully.

... I've lost my train of thought, pc crashed. luckily firefox kept the reply text. but.. maybe I've revealed too much!!

Interesting stories.

I have had a few sleep paralyses when I was younger. They were usually scary pinned-down experiences (not OBE), usually attached with the feelings that some ghostly entities were behind me, preventing me to move (I sleep on my sides). Perhaps I had watched too much horror movies for my own good. I later discovered that I just had to force my eyelids to open and fight my fear to turn to confirm no one/thing was behind me (fortunately, nothing was ever behind me. ). Nowadays, I have experienced no sleep paralysis even after watching paranormal/horror shows. I guess none is scary to me anymore.

I am curious, however, if anyone not had sleep paralysis in his/her life ever? Is this an inexplicable sign of design flaw? I can't imagine it beneficial in any way.

I have been having these for about thirty years now. My first started around twelve, and as a girl going through puberty, I have often wondered if there was some sort of hormonal connection for me. I would have them more often certain times of the month. In the beginning, I had them every night. Talk about stress, I had no idea what was going on and thought I was going to die every time I went to sleep. I got very little sleep for a while, and hated my life at that time.

I only had one experience that might be classified as an oobe. That same year one night during the episode I felt like I was floating up to the ceiling. I was so fearful I was going to float away, but what was so weird, is that I could see myself floating from my body in bed as well as see from my position near the ceiling. Then I woke up and never had another one of those again.

They stopped for a while, then suddenly I have started having them again. The last time I had one was about a month ago and it completely terrified me, I almost started a thread to see if anyone had ever had one of these experiences as well. It started out normally, and suddenly if felt like I was having some sort of brain seizure. I felt like I was seizing uncontrollably, and my head felt like it was whipping back and forth really fast like in one of those horror movies. I could still tell you exact location where I felt this in my brain. I also find that weird because on any given day, I don't "feel" my brain or activity in certain parts of my brain, if that makes sense. Scared the poop out of me, I'll tell you that! I almost went to the doctor to see if I should be worried, but I think he would think I am nutters.

So now I really hate them.

I also forgot to mention the strong tingling sensation I got, up and down my left side during the last one. It was really, really strong. That part was not unpleasant, just really strange.

Originally posted by Kurius
I am curious, however, if anyone not had sleep paralysis in his/her life ever? Is this an inexplicable sign of design flaw? I can't imagine it beneficial in any way.

I believe that sleep paralysis is a natural occurrence and not quite the malfunction some like to label it as. I believe, based on my own experiences and the testimony of others, that sleep paralysis is the first step to initiating an out-of-body astral projection, or whatever the appropriate term may be.

Maybe it is beneficial in that respect? But that's just a personal belief of mine.

reply to post by artnut


Thanks for sharing. If that problem persists, it couldn't hurt to see a doctor. I have discussed sleep paralysis with my neurologist (that treated my narcolepsy; I no longer see one) and they have always told me that nothing is physiologically harmful about the experience. It could just be some twitching? When in doubt, see a doctor. Your health comes first.

I have had impulses and sensations in parts of my head, neck, chest, spinal column (the chakras?) during sleep paralysis as well. Usually it's not a problem for me, just an annoying tingling sensation. But please, see a doctor if it will give you some peace of mind, or if the symptoms become a problem for you.

There have been times where I felt like I was floating up to my ceiling as well, both while awake, and while in sleep paralysis. Sometimes I swear I wake up and I'm staring straight at the ceiling as if I'm only inches away. A few times I have felt like I was sinking through my mattress down toward my floor.

I know the feeling of dread and terror, and the impending fear that you're dying. Sometimes you feel like you can't breath. When this happens, just stay calm! Your lungs are breathing just fine, but you can't feel them because of the paralysis.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Someone has posted a documentary which shows something closer to my own past sleep paralysis experience (link below). Mine was only intermittent and only happened at certain houses I lived in. I have been moving across the sea a few times. Perhaps the entity that liked to disturb me couldn't swim? I am curious if anyone else having unpleasant sleep paralysis could overcome it the same way - try sleeping elsewhere.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I only remember one time that I experience Sleep Paralysis and it was only for a couple minutes. It's one that I would love to have again. This is what happened.

I was dead sleep. My mother wakes me up, but I don't get. I'm half way going back to sleep. Then she comes back in my room moments later and hits me with a coat, telling me to get up. (It's like 3am and I have no idea why she's waking me up.) At that moment I'm fully conscious, but my body is 100% frozen I can not move at all. It feels like when you're in a dream and you get that, "I can't move" sensation. So I just sit there, and look at the ceiling fan. At i stare at the ceiling fan.. I heard a voice.. A voice of a woman. A kind woman. She says something at first, but I can't hear her. Then I tune into her voice, she asks, "..... Do you believe in Jesus?" and I have no answer. I'm just going along for the ride. Then it soon wears off. And was like "WTF....?" Lol it was cool though, I was maybe 16 at the time and i was actively trying to have a lucid dream.

Although, I'm not sure.. I hear her voice almost every time before I go to sleep. Then I get a flash of light, then my dreams begin to flow.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
I want to see how it resembles and differs from person-to-person. Has it frightened, or helped you in any way? I have experienced both the terror, and the beauty of the experience—

Mine generally fall into two groups, the 'terror' ones are the SP going to sleep, the 'beauty' ones are waking up SP...

One definite thing I have noticed: frequency increases when I lie straight on my back for sleep. In fact, this is almost a guaranteed sleep paralysis for me.

Absolutely. I strive to never ever fall asleep on my back. If I turn over in my sleep and get stuck on my back, it's instant SP.

I have heard that extra stimulation such as bright lights (sleeping in the daytime or with the TV on) increases frequency, but have not noticed this correlation personally.

Me either, but anxiety and stress will definitely provoke it. Sleeping in an unfamiliar place triggers it. Oddly though, I had SP a lot as a kid, and it was very very bad after I got out of the Army for a couple of years, but when I was in the Army, I only recall one SP dream and that was in boot. Oddly, some residences/areas give me SP, not sure what that is.

What I really want to know is—what quirky and unusual things happen to you with the sleep paralysis experience? Please tell me the subjective details.

What did you see? What did you feel? What did you hear? And most importantly, how did it affect you emotionally? Did you see any relatives or friends—or anybody else?

Ugh.

I have different categories of SP dreams.

1) SP Classic

I wake up, and I know something's very wrong, although I'm not sure what. So I lie there trying to figure out what's got me spooked. At that point, I generally start hearing heavy breathing (it's me, btw), during this phase my ears are extremely sensitive as if everything's amplified. I sometimes get a buzzing feeling all over. Then something overt will happen - in general for this sort of dream something will either hit me, climb in the bed with me, or pull off the sheets slowly. At that point I wake up or realize it's SP and break the sequence.

2) Abduction central

These fall into two groups - the going to sleep ones that are always greys, and the waking up ones that are blue doctors or white ladies. The grey ones are movie typical, with whisperings and little claws on hardwood like puppies, then a blue light in my face, paralysis, being picked up and carried out. That one's very bad.

The other ones are more puzzling than good or bad. As a kid, I had a lot of visits by the blue doctors, who would wake me up, open up the wall with a flashlight looking thing, and we'd go out into a hayfield to have 'night school'. As an adult, the blue doctors have discussions about things out on the porch. Occasionally you get the angel lady, she's sort of like a Tolkien elf in that she's not quite human, but very beautiful in an unreal sort of way, and rarely answers you in anything but oblique riddles.

3) Dead people

In the post Army period, the big thing was dead people getting in bed with me and snuggling up. That's really disturbing.

4) Anxiety dreams

I usually die in these. They typically revolve around the Army period. I jump without a chute, or the chute doesn't open and I don't cutaway in time, or I do and don't have a reserve etc. Or I wake up alone in the woods with people after me and no rifle, just a really heavy ruck that for some reason I can't ditch, so I run in the dark in the woods with no NV gear with dogs and people behind me trying to figure out where the rest of the team went. If I realize that I'm having an SP dream I create a river and a boat and have a getaway but usually I can't.

I was a chronic sufferer ever since I could remember as a small child until I was around 30.

As a child it was pretty much the same pattern...I would wake at night almost like I had been ripped from my sleep and the fear and dread would be present from the instant my eye's opened. Apart from my eye's my body was totally paralysed. If I was on my back I saw an old man at the side of my bed and he would just stare at me...I didn't know why but I knew he wasn't a "good" man and that he meant me harm. I could feel evil oozing from him. If I was lay on my side I could feel him breathing on the back of my neck...although I couldn't move to turn around and verify it I knew it was him.

As I got older my experience's changed....I would "wake" with this instant fear and dread at the point I could see the thing entering my room. I say thing because they never looked human. I always felt like it was the fear and dread which made me wake instantly rather than I woke and saw or sensed something that gave me those emotion's. I saw several different things...sometime's they would just stay at the bottom of my bed, other time's come by the side of my bed.....and the worst thing when they climbed on the bed and crawled on top of me and I felt the crushing of the weight up my legs as it crawled then eventually resting on my chest, or hand's of some sort around my neck and I felt the chocking. I don't really wish to go into all the detail's but I have seen other thing's too while in this waking state.

It wasn't until around 5 years ago when I first started spending time on the internet that I realized how common these experience's are and that it's been estimated that around 40% of the population have an experience of sleep paralysis at least once in their lifetime....and that it is common in all society's and culture's in the world both past and present. Indeed the word "nightmare" was the original definition of these experiences and appeared in "A Dictionary of the English Language" in 1775....these day's the word nightmare as evolved to mean the bad dream's we have during sleep.

It seem's to be a common experience in people from every country and culture on the planet.....but these day's it is almost like it is one of man's best kept secret's which is rarely talked about or acknowledged.

Anyway back to experience's.....those bad episode's stopped around 10 year's ago for me. I've only had one of them in the last 10 year's. I have still had sleep paralysis episode's but not the kind that have been accompanied by fear or dread. It's usually huge spider's on the wall's or floating down on a spider thread....but I don't feel threatened. Lately I have had a couple of episode's where I have woken paralysed and can see red writing on my wall...it's really frustrating because although I know they are word's it's like I have lost the ability to read and can't understand them. While I am paralysed I focus really hard to try to understand them but I feel the paralysis leaving me and the word's just fade and fade until they are gone completely and I can move again......drives's me insane!

When I have shared me experience's with people I know they have reacted by either confiding in me that they have had a similar experience at least once ....or smiling politely whilst thinking I have some sort of mental health issue....which my doctor assure's me I haven't

One of the lasting effect's for me is that I will absolutely not watch horror movie's...especially the kind that depict demonic type or other worldly beings. In the past when I was younger and I watched them on a rare occasion it always made me think how the human mind could make up some of the grotesque things depicted in them...I have this theory that a lot of them probably suffer from sleep paralysis and the associated hypnopompic/ hypnagogic hallucination's that are common with it.

For a long time the fear I frequently encountered had a huge hold over me...but not anymore.
This said I still sleep with the light's on lol

reply to post by Bedlam


Thanks for sharing. Have you heard Whitley Strieber's story? Read the book or seen the movie? If I'm not mistaken he refers to "blue doctors" as well

I don't think I've actually ever seen any grays or E.T.s in my sleep paralysis, but I have another thread where I detail some sightings I had while waking up in the middle of the night.

For the sleep paralysis, I have mostly encountered creepy forms and beings--and sometimes just recognizable people doing creepy stuff. This was when I started having the experience as a teenager. I usually felt like I was vulnerable and under attack.

Then for a while I was able to hear what I believed to be angels. I could never really see them, but could glimpse out of the corner of my eye, felt a presence, and heard their voices. One even hovered directly overhead but was covered by this golden light. I asked if I could see her and she said it's not allowed. They were always there to heal me in some way (according to their conversations) and I could feel this intense vibration when they did their "healing." Sometimes they would tell me what they were doing (like the lady's voice behind the golden light) and sometimes they would talk to each other about me as if I couldn't even hear them (by referring to me in the 3rd person.)

Then for a while I would get this feeling like they wanted to pull me out of my body..for astral travel or something, I guess. I usually fought it and tried to wake up instead of trying to float up. After fighting it a few times it just stopped altogether.

Now when I have sleep paralysis there are no entities, rarely can I sense any presences. Now it's usually just a minor disturbance.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
reply to post by Bedlam

 

Thanks for sharing. Have you heard Whitley Strieber's story? Read the book or seen the movie? If I'm not mistaken he refers to "blue doctors" as well

Yeah, I saw mine in the 60's as a kid. Remind you of a jawa. About 4 feet tall, wear monk robe looking things, with belts, the belts have tools, sort of. The movie was close. Not exact but close.

reply to post by Bedlam


Oh wow! I saw something when I was a younger teenager that I often described as looking like a Jawa from Star Wars. It had a big cloak and hood; it was difficult to see a face though. Mine wasn't short. Mine was fairly tall. Fascinating!

Do you remember any details from the "outdoor school" you mentioned?

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
reply to post by Bedlam

 

Oh wow! I saw something when I was a younger teenager that I often described as looking like a Jawa from Star Wars. It had a big cloak and hood; it was difficult to see a face though. Mine wasn't short. Mine was fairly tall. Fascinating!

I recall that early on, I didn't see their faces, although their hands and feet were really odd. More like dog feet with fingers and toes, although my recollection is that they had three big fingers and something like a thumb. The paw pads/palms were like dog feet in that they were warm (really warm) and flexible, but callused and rough feeling.

Do you remember any details from the "outdoor school" you mentioned?

Less from the school than I remember the comings and goings. Mostly seeing what we could learn, tests. One thing sticks out, and I've never forgotten it, was a sort of 'movie night'. With the movie being a weird mix of what I'd probably today call rotoscope and live action, but at the time I thought of as mixed cartoons and movies. It was interactive - whatever we felt, it ended up becoming, at least that's my 5 year old impression.

The theme was 'the day we came and visited everyone', but the flow of it ended up being more like 'earth vs the flying saucers' after we modified it by our perceptions/reactions. I'm not sure this makes sense at all trying to explain it. I do remember the entire 'movie' though. Weird.

Don't take it out of the SP perspective, though, because none of the kids I knew that were there remember being there except my brothers, and we never agree on even coarse details except leaving the house for the field, and we never agreed on the nights we did go. My take is that we probably influenced each other and then SP'd about it independently.

I have them quite often and yes, they are frightening. Every time I have sleep paralysis I try to wake up my partner, but because I have them often, I analyse the situation the day after and everytime came to the conclusion that nothing bad can happen, right? Because I have read about Outer Body Experiences and lucid dreaming, I thought to myself, why not try OBE from the sleep paralysis.

So last night it started with me freaking out, waking up and unable to move. Then going back into a dream, waking up again and having sleep paralysis again. From the second time around I could think quite clearly and got myself calm, and just let myself go with the flow. I started forcing myself out of my body and felt myself lifting, but still felt my body as a weight. After a while I did manage to get to the ceiling, but I slipped back into a dream and flew around in the dream a bit and it got blury and dreamy.

Because I have them often, I wonder if anyone can tell me if it is possible to get an OBE starting with sleep paralysis and how to do this?

Originally posted by michaelo84
I wonder if anyone can tell me if it is possible to get an OBE starting with sleep paralysis and how to do this?

I think sleep paralysis is the first stage of an OOBE. Sounds like you're on the right track. The most important thing is to stay calm during the floating part. There are several books on it as well, notably by Robert Monroe and Albert Taylor. Check these out if you haven't. And I'm sure someone more acquainted with OOBE's can help you. There's gotta be a couple dozen threads on it!

I have only had an OOBE a few times. Sometimes it was against my will, and other times it happened because I was calm during the vibrational state/ floating state. Good luck!

The one time that I can recall being paralyzed while sleeping was confusing because I could move my eyeballs but nothing else.

I wonder if that's normal?

I haven't logged on to ATS in awhile but did today because I had one of my more traumatic sleep paralysis episodes last night and figured if there was any place to get some perspective on the subject it would be here. Well there you go...

I've had sleep paralysis since I was probably about 7 or 8, maybe earlier. It's actually increased the older I get. Right now I'd say I have it several times per month, or when it's really bad several times per week.

I also dream intensely and remember my dreams every night, in great detail, often many days or years after the fact (one dream I remember was from when I was five). When I write them down they span multiple pages and tell complex, vivid stories. I have sometimes wondered if the two are related.

I too get it more often when I sleep on my back. I think the increase lately is because I've been sleeping on my back due to some neck issues. Also when I nap during the day, or have slept too much or when the light is on.

I never see figures or demons. I am always acutely aware of the paralysis and understand what is happening to me.

However I ALWAYS panic. I have tried from a young age to ride it out because I read that it's the first stage to OBE but when it's happening I just can't get past the terror of being paralyzed. My goal is always "wake up! Move!" Moving even the slightest bit is an epic struggle and when I succeed I feel exhausted and want to sleep again but fear prevents me.

These days I've learned to vocalize my distress which leads to my husband waking me up (he had never heard of it but now knows how much it distresses me and always comes to the rescue).

Last night's episode was intense because I had fallen asleep watching a documentary about UFOs. I'm not a UFO buff and hadn't explored the subject much so I figured it was a new topic to check out as I settled in. Didn't realize that the documentary was going to end with the conclusion that aliens are demonic forces who can cross dimensions and the vulnerable moments of consciousness (mediating, dreaming, etc.) can "let them in." Great information to have in your mind when you're half asleep and prone to paralysis! Sure enough awful dreams, awful sleep paralysis to the point my husband could hear me in the kitchen and had to run in to wake me. I was so shaken I couldn't fall back to sleep for two hours so I'm mighty sleep deprived today.

I wish I had the mental strength to use what some might call "a gift" but the lack of control and the blurred lines between sleep and waking and all the weirdness that crossing that line at once entails is just more than I can handle.

I sometimes wish there was a pill I could take to stop dreaming. I feel like I live two lives every night and some of the dreams are so disturbing I question where the information is coming from. Having had the paralysis experience for so long, I have already told my husband that if I'm ever paralyzed and on life support PULL THE PLUG IMMEDIATELY.

Thanks for the place to share this.

other. potato.

reply to post by otherpotato


Finally, someone is speaking my language! We have lot in common with our sleep paralysis.

There are a few techniques I've found helpful in aborting the sleep paralysis:

1) Try wiggling a toe or a finger. Concentrating on moving a single body part is usually enough to wake you up and end the paralysis episode.

2) For exceptionally frightening episodes, try imagining white light encompassing your body. For some reason, this alone seems to "protect" you from any "attacks" and the episode will soon draw to a close once you're in a position of self-assured security. Or take a more offensive approach like I do and shoot white light from your fingertips at all the ghosts and goblins passing by Likewise, saying a favorite prayer, mantra, or focusing on a specific source of inner strength will also quickly end those particularly nasty episodes. Hey, it works, so use it if it helps!

3) I think once you become comfortable in this state, and know you can abort it at anytime..then is the time to try to remain calm and "ride it out." Total tranquility is the key. Don't move, don't react, and keep your mind free of thoughts. This relaxation will indeed open you up to a more refined state of sleep paralysis (which many refer to as the vibrational state.) Here is where the calmness pays off and supposedly leads to an OOBE. I have successfully done it only a handful of times, but more often I choose to abandon the experience in favor of returning to undisturbed sleep.

Thanks for sharing! I'm afraid looking here for answers will only lead to another dead end though. I think sleep paralysis is a journey of discovery only that you can make. Only you can find the answers that will make sense to you.