MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Any experiences with sleep paralysis?

Any experiences with sleep paralysis?

posted 2 years ago by DancingintheDark (1807)
24 replies | jump to latest

I’ve dealt with it throughout my life. It seems to come in waves although I haven’t had an episode in years. The episodes also seem to happen when I am emotionally or psychologically vulnerable. At one point it got so bad I was afraid to fall asleep because it was happening almost every night. I’m not saying that it is a supernatural phenomenon but it certainly feels that way. During each episode it feels as though another presence is with me, a dark one. I learned to combat the occurrences by not fighting the urge to move, which helps quite a bit. I can’t begin to describe how terrifying it is to wake up and feel as though a dark entity is moving towards you and you are completely unable to move. To make matters worse, there is usually an accompanying scream from the perceived presence. The tension builds and builds and builds and then whatever it is that I’m sensing in the room with me screams directly in my ear, and I mean right in my ear.
I know the feeling of a dark presence is most likely my mind playing tricks on me but it feels so otherworldly in the moment.

Anyone else every dealt with sleep paralysis, if so, share your experiences here.

[–] nyctc7 (44107) 2 years ago

I've experienced it off-and-on throughout my life. Since I quit drinking 3 years ago, a lot less. I've described it as feeling like drowning. I know I am awake, but can't move or open my eyes. I can't fall back asleep, because of the feeling like drowning. It's like I have to fight my way back to the surface, the surface being wakefulness. I take deep breaths and have an inner monologue that is yelling at myself to open my eyes. I typically am able to shake a foot. The whole episode usually lasts under a minute.

The feeling of a presence in the room seldom occurs. I just want to wake up to stop the drowning feeling.

[–] mikethemartian (7000) 2 years ago

The hypnagogic state is perfectly normal.

[–] RoboReCop (3381) 2 years ago

Correct, very much so!

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78603) 2 years ago

I’ve experienced it only a small number of times, it doesn’t seem very uncommon.

It isn’t scary but very frustrating because I could sense what was happening but struggled to stir awake.

Weird experience overall!

[–] xanthas (3215) 2 years ago

I haven't experienced myself, but I remember an episode of "Ghostly Encounters" that dealt with the subject: "Anorexia and the Haunting Hag." Very creepy.

[–] Daft_Munks (4842) 2 years ago

Luckily I've never had sleep paralysis, sounds terrifying.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78603) 2 years ago

It’s really not scary, at least in my experience. It’s more a sense of being super pissed off that you can’t ‘pilot the ship,’ it’s the loss of control that aggravates you.

I distinctly recall being annoyed for not being able to control my dreams or half woken periods of light sleep.

I do recall attempting to fully awaken, go to take a pee and brush my teeth but it felt like an enormous boulder was on top of me.

[–] Daft_Munks (4842) 2 years ago

How long does it last?

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78603) 2 years ago

A couple of minutes.

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

Yeah sometimes. All I remember is that I want to move and reposition in bed but am unable to until I fully awaken. It's not a pleasant feeling.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I can only recall it happening to me once or twice.

The one I can detail was maybe three years ago. I was dreaming I was in my garage and I was lying on the ground, eyes closed and couldn't move. I felt this being breathing very heavily over me in my face and naturally I was too petrified to move.

It felt very primal. Like playing dead when encountering a bear, it sniffing around you whilst you're fearing for your life.

That's the best way I can describe it. I was fearful and couldn't move whilst feeling like something monstrous was kneeling over me.

[–] DoctorThirteen (15308) 2 years ago

It's happened to me once, about ten years ago. I woke in the night and couldn't move a muscle. Fortunately, I'd read about it and the 'night hag' (I didn't see her). I concentrated really, really hard on moving my left arm (I don't know why I picked that one, I'm right-handed), and after what seemed like two or three minutes (but I'm guessing was much shorter) my arm shot up. That 'broke the spell' and I could move everything. Weird.