Sleep paralysis is a condition that occurs in the state just before dropping off to sleep (the hypnagogic state) or just before fully awakening from sleep (the hypnopompic state). The condition is characterized by being unable to move or speak. It is often associated with a feeling that there is some sort of presence, a feeling which often arouses fear but is also accompanied by an inability to cry out. The paralysis may last only a few seconds. The experience may involve visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations. The description of the symptoms of sleep paralysis is similar to the description many alien abductees give in recounting their abduction experiences. Sleep paralysis is thought by some to account for not only many alien abduction delusions, but also ghost sightings and delusions involving paranormal or supernatural experiences (e.g., incubus and succubus). Its a bitch.
Sleep paralysis is nothing to worry about, you can even induce sleep paralysis just by fixating on it. Some believe it to be a precursor to OBE, I have brought about sleep paralysis many times but never OBE. Two times were creepy, one when i felt something sitting on my chest and had the taste of blood in my mouth another when something was pulling my leg. Not pulling, rather clawing like pulling me down into the depths of hell.
Get out of here. You had an OBE? Sleep paralysis is kind of fun. Mine have stopped but they happened regularly during three periods of my life and a few times i came close to OBE but stopped it.
I've had sleep paralysis a few times, ... three times with associated dreams, two unpleasant, and the last, was my girflriend hovering over me like some angel, telling me it was going to be OK. Here's one I detailed here a while ago; http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=36591 and the nice one; http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=43707
I've had "sleep-paralysis" but it was a release from some heavy burdens in my life. It happened just 3 days ago! There was a powerful presence hovering above me and a flow of something like wind down my legs. I felt something spinning and vibrating just below my chest. The very next day, I felt something had changed about me. I'm not the same as 3 days ago! I feel more free! Interesting topic I say....
I've had it a few times, pretty much what everyone has described, I can't remove the sense of fear and feeling as though someone is in the room with me. Even though I know there isn't anyone there and there are perfectly rational explanations for it all.
Thats never happened to me before, but it sounds like it would be very frightening if you didnt know what was going on. Are you aware enough to know your suffering from sleep paralysis? Or are you just overcome by fear and cant think?
This happened to me at least a few times around 8 years ago. It only happened when sleeping on my stomach. It scared me enough I consciously started sleeping only on my back. I only found out about sleep paralysis about a few years ago.
EndLightEnd: You are quite aware of it, at least in my case. What usually happens to me is something terrifying will come towards me and right as it is about to be face to face with me my whole body literally has a spasm and I wake up right in the middle of it and am left drained of energy for the whole day.
I'm sure all of you have had lucid dreams, as have I. They are great, but I've only had probably 20 over the course of my entire life. And 17 or so of them lasted for probably 10 seconds. That would be sick to be able to have an hour long or day long LD. Anyone here ever had one over 10 minutes?
