MovieChat Forums > Communion (1989) Discussion > Sleep Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis

posted 17 years ago by hifispock
86 replies | jump to latest

ANYBODY who suffers (yes SUFFERS) from this awful condition will tell you it is one of the most terrifying "experiences" a person can go through.My own personal experiences of it have always occured if I go to sleep on my back, and it starts when you're half way between being awake and asleep.The same place as when you jump in bed just as you're "going off", because it feels like you're going to fall/roll off the bed.

It starts with a what sounds like high-pitched white noise, like an untuned TV which, in a couple of seconds fades up from nowhere to deafening.If you're quick, and realise what's about to happen, you can, if you try VERY hard, bring yourself out of it, but once the noise is at full intensity, it's got you.

As it starts it wakes you up, and you feel as thought an entity, or something with a negative motive is in the room with you, and it is this "Lifeform", that has rendered you imoble.It is this that drives your terror.This is how I would imagine abductees feel when they've been physically frozen before an examination.You're fully concious, but you're completely paralised.It feels that if you could move a finger, shout, or even open you're eyes, it would bring you out of it.The best I can achieve while in this altered state is to open my eye lids half a millimeter, and hazily peep-out.My natural reaction is to scream, but can't.All I can manage is a quiet "clicking" sound in the back of my throat as it opens and closes in an attempt shout.What I'd give for hicups at this point!!

My Mother has also experienced this which leads me to believe it is hereditary.She also describes seeing "Black figures" (sometimes upto 4)around her bed and feeling movement, people/entities kneeling on her bed, and even breathing on her face.She left her own house for months and wouldn't return it freaked her out so much.

If I was imaginative enough, I might suspect it to be some kind of "neutraliser", much like the one in "Progeny" when the two main caracters are bonking.

The length of these trips varies between what seems about 30 seconds, to 2 minutes, depending how well you fight it.Suffice to say, I don't sleep on my back anymore.Even lying on my side, slightly facing up is enough to start it off.

If you've never experienced it, then words can't describe it, but others will know EXACTLY what im talking about.

"How do you know my name..?"
..."It's stenciled on the back of your shorts". {"\ (*_*) /"}

[–] Megn1 17 years ago

I also suffer "Sleep Paralysis" and it was quite common when I suffered depression. Since recovering from my depression I haven't experienced since. I've had many frightening moments with this condition and have awoken to humanoid figures (usually black, but its dark in the bedroom anyway isn't it?) who seem to just stand still. But several times I have been strangled by a floating figure above my bed and have also seen rats running around the room!

[–] hifispock 17 years ago

I was diagnosed with depression, and your right, it did happen more then.Wonder if it's anything to do with the medication?Twice Iv'e seen black figures.First when I was about eight,I was on my back that time too.I'd been asleep, but was kind of aware of my Dad and his gilfriend arguing downstairs, and hearing the front door slam.It was the door slamming that woke me up to see a tall(6'3"ish),slender figure standing next to my bed, bent at the waist, looking over me.My Dad never showed me any severe horror films, so where the hell did that come from??

The second time, was about 4 years ago, I was on my right side, and just as I was dropping off(surprise, surprise) I saw a "black figure" leaning over my girlfriend.As I bolted up in bed, it vanished.Wierd.

both times, the "figures", like yours were standing still.

Since I posted this thread, Iv'e been researching sleep paralysis(wikipedia, google).I wish I had'nt.The "floating figure" you mention that strangles you isn't the infamous "Old Hag" is it by any chance?Iv'e never seen it, but now I'm aware of it, I'm sure I will.. next time.

"How do you know my name..?"
..."It's stenciled on the back of your shorts". {"\ (*_*) /"}

[–] Megn1 17 years ago

These occurances mostly took place when I wasn't taking medication for depression and like you I had several when I was quite young, in my early teens. I wasn't suffering depression, but my father had passed away around that time. Sometimes I used to think that it was my father trying to communicate with me, but them I started to research "sleep paralysis" and was rather convinced it was just a sleeping disorder. That still doesn't stop the fact that these experiences are truly frightening! I think I did experience the "Old Hag"! That was the worst experience I've had so far and after I broke out of the paralysis I actually saw it float away.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] boogymonster221 17 years ago

I've experienced sleep paralysis once before. It was a few years ago and I actually induced it myself in an attempt to have a lucid dream. For those who don't know what a lucid dream is, it's dream where the dreamer has realized they are sleeping without actually waking up, and are therefore able to control both their actions and the dream world around them. The dreams are also much clearer and memorable than normal dreams that are usually hazy and disjointed. I've never had the patience to do all the little tricks and routines I've read about long enough to actually have one, but I did have the one experience that was similar to what many of you describe... minus the black figures and general feeling of terror.

I haven't extensively researched sleep paralysis and won't try to before finishing this post, but I may be able to provide some explanations for what some of you went through. I'm pretty sure that, like some have already said, the state comes about at some point between being awake and being asleep. More specifically, it's when the body is either asleep or falling asleep, and the mind is either lagging behind in the process or not falling asleep at all. This would be supported by my own experience, because, at the time, I was trying to keep my mind awake by controlling and counting my breaths (Some have said that you can have a lucid dream not only by becoming lucid in the middle of a normal dream, but also by never becoming "not lucid" in the first place). I soon found myself unable to move, and felt a pressure on my chest. I then heard a booming/buzzing sound that slowly got louder until it shut out all other sound. I soon woke up from it, without seeing any hallucinations or feeling any specific grabbing sensations.

According to what I've read, the paralysis itself is the body's way of keeping you from hurting yourself while sleeping, and the pressure occurs from a conflict between the automated unconscious breathing that begins after falling asleep and the conscious breathing that comes with the mind still being awake. I've never read an explanation for the loud sound, but I would guess it's also a natural occurrence that helps keep out noise that may otherwise wake you.

If I was to try to explain any of the things that you all experienced that I didn't, I'd guess that you probably got further along than I did and actually had some sort of lucid dream. Had you known what was going on you may have been able to make it into something a little more pleasant than the creepy dark figures many of you describe. It is odd that you all report seeing a similar thing, and the only explanation I could offer for that would be that dark figures (or just figures that appear dark because you are sleeping in a darkened room) is something you would expect to see in such a situation, so it was reflected in the lucid dream.

I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is that maybe these episodes aren't something we have to be afraid of. The next time any of you experience sleep paralysis, try not to panic. If you don't wake up and you start to experience a lucid dream, remember that it is just an special kind of dream and that you are in control of what you see.

Hope that helps.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] electricitation 17 years ago

This has happened to me but differently. Once I awoke to find that I could not move, but there was nothing strange other than the fact that I was paralysed. I just kept trying until I could finally break the immobility.

But a few times, while I slept, I actually started feeling a nightmare starting and would physically (at least it felt like it was actually happening) put my hands to my eyes in order to cover my sight and not see the nightmare. There are two points I will make. The first is that lifting my hands to my eyes is extremely difficult to do, it's half paralysis and all will power. The second is that ever since I've started doing this, I can sort of hear or feel dreams I have but cannot see them visually, so I guess it works.

[–] Archie-37 17 years ago

I'm glad to know other people suffer from this as well, no one I know does so when I try to discribe it they all just think it's nightmares. There is a big different between this and nightmares as you all would agree. I've suffered from S.P since I was a small child, on average I'll have it once a month sometimes I can find myself stuck in it every night (multiple times) for a week. Over the years I've taught myself how to deal with it and because of that, I've learned how to control my dreams my proxy.

I think the worst kinds are when you continue to sink deeper into it because the body and mind are soo tired so then you end up falling asleep again and are just brought into a horrible dream land. One of the worst ones to date was when I had sunken back to sleep and within the half dream of it I was trying to pry my eyes open and my vision would seep between what I was really seeing and what I thought I was seeing within the dream so one moment I'd be looking at my room through dim eyes and the next moment I'm in this horrible torture chamber where everything within my room transformed into a place words can't even desribe.

I've gone to doctors about it and I've even been studied at sleep labs a handful of times when I was younger but they always say the same thing. No medication can help and the best thing I can do is stay away from caffine several hours before going to bed.

Your Favorite Cannibal, Archie Hannibal

[–] blake_mooney8-1 17 years ago

These "black figures" seem to be quite common during sleep paralysis... Racism? :P

(jk jk)

[–] leeboyoellis 17 years ago

I too have had a "night terror". I have also had a Lucid dream - both have only occured once - the night terror I don't want to occur again, and the Lucid dream was amazing.

The night terror occured when I was 19. I "woke up" in the morning, my bedroom curtains were drawn but the room was bright as it was sunny outside. I was laid on my back with my head to the side. I couldn't move and felt very strange and nauseous - with a sense of foreboding like something bad was going to happen. Then, the bed felt as if was shaking - I can't recall hearing any noise, though and suddenly I saw a black shadown like figure walk around the bottom of the bed - it was very small (like a dwarf) and as it got right up to the side of the bed, next to my face, it vanished. I came fully round then, the nausea stopped and I just sat up. A strange, horrible experience.

The Lucid dream happened a couple of years after. I was having a horrible nightmare where I was stood in a field next to my old house, with disfigured people around me and walking towards me as if to attack. I then had a wierd feeling of almost euphoria - then I realised I was dreaming. I simply flew into the air and away from the nightmare - I then flew decided to see how high I could go and went up into the atmosphere - could see the curvature of the earth. Then I went back down and went to my girlfriends' house and spoke to her. I woke up soon afterwards as I think that because I realised I was asleep my mind decided to bring me out of it, or the pretense of the nightmare being real was shattered and I woke up on purpose. The Lucid part of the dream didn't last very long at all, especially compared with the nightmare part. It was amazing - If you could have them whenever you wanted you could live out your dreams.

[–] saint_pat 17 years ago

I've heard the theory that 'abductees' are actually suffering from sleep paralsysis, but I don't think it holds up to close examination.

For one thing, no abductee has to my knowledge been diagnosed with sleep paralysis. For another, many abduction experiences take place during the day when the experiencer is wide awake. Finally, to the best of my knowlege, sleep paralysis sufferers don't suffer from 'missing time' or amnesia.

Given that many of Strieber's friends also had similar experiences at his cabin casts further doubt on the theory.

[–] deebolicious7 17 years ago

I don't have sleep paralysis as a disorder (I don't actually think it's a disorder) like the other people here, but have had it happen to me a handful of times over the years. I think it's more of a disassociation between the brain and the body at the moment where you are about to experience a deep sleep; the brain refuses to succomb to it, whereas the body does. This does go back for thousands of years. Fusseli's "The Nightmare" painting is a 18th century depiction of this.

I've only had two distinct versions of sleep paralysis in the last nine years. The first, I was sleeping in my room during the afternoon and was on my back. I felt as if I could move, but of course could not. I then heard several child-like voices mumbling from outside my bedroom door. The voices then moved right in front of my face. My sister was 14 at the time and I thought it was her, and tried to tell her to shut up, but again, nothing. I tried to wave the voices away, but could not. They faded as I woke up. The paralysis was slow to dissolve, but I guess the whole incident lasted about a minute or two.

The second was in my own apartment, laying on the living room couch. This time, when the paralysis took effect, I felt an invisible-type being, defiinitely malevolent, quickly move from the front door to behind the couch, leaning over me. My chest felt as if it was pushed down, and I had no movement again. The being dissolved as I awoke about twenty seconds later.

I believe there are things about the brain and subconcious we will never know. The fact that all these experiences seem related over the millenia means there is some function of the brain that taps into something similar in all of us. I have no idea what, but it's no coincidence. Just a thought.

[–] saint_pat 17 years ago

Interesting, but that doesn't sound to me like a full-fledge 'abduction' experience. Further proof in my opinion that the two are not related.

[–] deebolicious7 17 years ago

No it doesn't, and I don't think the two are related, either. An odd phenomenon for sure.

[–] velagod 17 years ago

I have had lucid dreams before but boogymonster221 you are the first person who ive seen actually describe it before i rember when i was young and i told one of my family members that i could controls some of my dreams they said it was immpossible.I also had sleep paralysis a few times and often hallucinate or have nightmares if im sleeping in a hot room or with slighty warm room with clothes on i dont no wether to go to a docters about it i often sleep even now though its winter with no heating on and no shirt on in fear of it.

[–] moon-scorpio 17 years ago

I noticed some of you mentioned you have seen black figures. Because i've had this one black figure that use to come to me in dreams.

I always referred to it as a big black shape. But it had a human figure, i think. I mean i couldnt make out any details. or anything.. It was more like a silhouette of sorts. Just all black. No face, no nothing. Maybe a shadow person? idk.

The first time i dreamt of it..The Big Black Shape/figure came in my room....walked thru my bedroom door.. It was huge!! very very tall! It went around my bed...got in...then it lay down next to me between the wall in which i was facing...and i immediately woke up! A bit freaked to say the least! lol

Next dream...I was in a dark office-type building. I walked over to a cubicle area where there was a window to the outside, it was nighttime. I stood there, my left arm was over my right shoulder with my hand exposed. I felt a hand grab hold of my fingers, it woke me up. And i swear the hand felt incredibly real. There of course was noone in my room.

Another dream...Big black shape attempted to wrap its arm around me from behind in my bed.....i woke up.

This time here was when i felt paralyzed in the dream.
The dream goes..

"I was in this building, at night, i was lying in a bed, a tiny light on the wall i think was all that was luminating the room. Everyone was leaving i think, doors were being closed..This Big Black Shape/figure.. walked into the room and started to walk around the bed to come over to me. I could not speak or utter a sound. It was as if my speech was paralyzed. I was frozen. I couldn't scream or speakup to utter a sound. It finally came over to me from behind, got into the bed with me and proceeded to put it's arm around me. I noticed a big square sleeve no hand.
But finally i was able to speak, and i said...."Who are you?" "Who are you?!!"
I turned to look up at it and then i woke up.

I dont know what this thing is, but maybe some of you do..i dont know. Just thought i'd comment, cause some of you mentioned black figures and being paralyzed.

[–] velagod 17 years ago

moon-scorpio i dont want to sound like a dick and if this offends you im sorry but the way y ou explain it actions and the fact it is happening alot and in the same way trying to touch you it might be a repressed memory from childhood.

[–] moon-scorpio 17 years ago

andrewbodley-1...No definetly not. My childhood was great actually.
But! you know what i noticed? i was fed up with it visiting me in my dreams...so i told it to get the hell away from me. *Literally* ..and it never returned. Its been at least 2 years now.
Ive spoke with people about it, and they think that since that being wasnt trying to hurt me..which it wasnt. It actually seemed like it was trying to comfort me in a way...only because the only thing it did was try and put its arm around me.
And i never felt anything evil about it. I was just mostly put off by its appearance, and the fact that it never spoke. But i never sensed evil.
I was told by people that maybe it was a good entity of some sort..I said possibly..cause i was going thru lonely times back then. But when they told me that..it almost made me feel bad for telling the entity to get the hell away from me. lol :-/

[–] uberhawk906 17 years ago

I like the feeling of it. Never had these "frightening incidents" when it's happened to me before. I feel totally at peace. A warm current runs through my body, all sound is blocked out by a low hum and vibration, and I sit there totally unable to move for approximately 20 seconds. Sometimes if I try as hard as I can right near the beginning I can pull myself out of it, but after 3-5 seconds, I'm stuck.

-Chinese Pride-

[–] neptunewanter 17 years ago

Gosh I hate sleep paralysis. It happens to me so much and every time I think I'm going to die. It never gets any easier going through it.

Panic attacks are even worse though. I'd rather have sleep paralysis every night for the rest of my life than to ever have another panic attack.

[–] quijaman29 17 years ago

Im really glad i found this board cause i have actually suffered from sleep paralysis about 3 times.

The first time it was like 8 months ago. i was watching tv on my living and just fell asleep. Suddenly i feel that im waking up but i cant open my eyes. I could hear the tv going and alot voices around me but just couldnt open my eyes or even move a muscle. I felt that the room was getting really hot and started to panic since i could alot of voices like whispering around me. After like a 30 seconds i think, i could finally open my eyes and move, and my heart rate was really accelerated and i was sweating alot. After this i commented my friends about this but no one knew anything about events of this sort so i just kind of forgot about it.

The second time wasnt that bad, it as exactly in the same situation, watching tv and falling asleep. It was about 3 weeks after the first one. This time i felt the exact same thing, but without the noises. Since it was really short i didnt really get scared at all like the first one, and just ignored it.

Now the third one was pretty recent, 3 weeks ago, and it scared more than the last two. Before it happened i had completely forgotten about the two experiences i had suffered before. I was sleeping normally on my bed when i suddenly wake and feel that i cant move because somebody i holding me really strongly. I couldnt open my eyes or move and i felt different presences in my room moving in all direction. Again The room started to get hotter and the presences started to feel stronger. I remembered that in that moment i thought to myself that i was getting possesed or something. As it went on the force that didnt let me move was getting stronger and suddenly it stopped and iwas able to get out of it. This scared the s!%t out of me more than ever.

Before finding this board i had no idea that what was happening to me was actually sleep paralysis. I feel better that the people that have suffered this, have had similar experiences as me. These experiences are horrible so i actually felt better when i read this board.
I read in wikipedia that these experiences only happen about 2 times in a persons life. I hope thats the case for me.

[–] jamiemcgrory 17 years ago

I believe I've had this once, and it was terrifying for one main reason which I will explain. When I sleep I tend to react to some things (kicking out when running for example) , and it just so happened that at this point in a dream I was dragged under the ocean by a killer whale (yes, weird I know) and so apparently still holding my breath in reaction to my dream, I woke myself up in the terror of being drowned in my dream.
This was when something strange happened, I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't move my hands to help me, I couldn't shout for help, I couldn't roll out of bed and worse of all. I couldn't breathe.
Fortunately after 10 seconds of silently screaming out for breath from inside my own head, I eventually burst out, gasping for air. I don't know if I was induced into sleep paralysis or not, and have only just found out it existed.
Does this sound like it could be a case of it? Because I'm guessing it must have been basic survival instinct that took over and just breathed for me in the end, breaking me out of the trance.
Anyway, thats my story on that, and I'd hate to have sleep paralysis as a chronic illness.

If Little Red Riding Hood shows up with a bazooka an a bad attitude I expect you to chin the bitch

[–] sugar_n_spice 17 years ago

The first time i dreamt of it..The Big Black Shape/figure came in my room....walked thru my bedroom door.. It was huge!! very very tall! It went around my bed...got in...then it lay down next to me between the wall in which i was facing...and i immediately woke up! A bit freaked to say the least! lol

When I was about seven years old, I had a similar experience. There was a very tall man (more like a completely black silhouette) who came through my bedroom door (without opening it!), bent over my bed briefly, and left (also, without opening the door). For the longest time, I thought it was some sort of paranormal activity! It lasted less than minute, and I was lying on my back at the time, becaus I remember looking up at it.

Someone described lucid dreams a while back in the posts, and most of my dreams are lucid dreams. I'm able to control most of my actions: if I'm running from something and feel like I'm going in slow motion, I am usually able to either speed up somehow, or make the people chasing me go even slower; I can breathe underwater in most water dreams; etc. (I don't want to say all dreams are like this, knock on wood!) I think the main factor in my ability to have lucid dreams is that I'm almost always on my stomach when I sleep, and sleep paralysis seems to occur when people lie on their backs, or on their sides facing up.

I love only what a person has written with his own blood.
--Nietzsche

[–] echo_valley26809 17 years ago

I've had horrible, nasty, terrifying experiences, and I've had some where my reaction was more like 'meh.'

The first time this ever happened to me, I was sleeping on my back, and a hovering, hazy black disc was above me. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there, if that makes sense. A loud buzzing sound was all I could hear, and I tried shaking my head to keep it off me, but I couldn't move. Then I woke up, absolutely terrified.

The second time was much more like the real thing. I was on my side this time, and something was staring at me from next to my bed. It was standing by my head on the floor, and was quite short so we were eye level. Once again, pitch black, couldn't see anything, but I knew it was there. This time it was accompanied by a low humming. I tried raising my arm to swat it away, nothing. I couldn't figure out why my arm wasn't working, and I kept trying to raise it. Still nothing. Finally, I woke up, scared to death and thinking for sure something was trying to possess me (my stupid friend had just seen the Exorcism of Emily Rose and told me all about it, though I begged her not to)

The next two times it happened, I more or less didn't care. Both times it felt like my whole body was vibrating, and both times I wanted to wake up, as it was rather uncomfortable if it wasn't scary, but I couldn't. Both times I distinctly remember thinking 'this has happened before, it will be over soon, then I can go to sleep...' It was almost an annoyance more than anything else.

On the subject of lucid dreaming, the closest I ever came to controlling my dreams was once when I was dreaming about something or other, and I suddenly became aware that I was dreaming and could control the outcome. Unfortunately, the people in my dream didn't agree, and we argued about what should happen next until I actually woke up. Weird.

[–] moon-scorpio 17 years ago

When I was about seven years old, I had a similar experience. There was a very tall man (more like a completely black silhouette) who came through my bedroom door (without opening it!), bent over my bed briefly, and left (also, without opening the door). For the longest time, I thought it was some sort of paranormal activity! It lasted less than minute, and I was lying on my back at the time, becaus I remember looking up at it.

Exactly! like a completely black silhouette!
But yes! That sounds very simliar to my experience. And i also sensed it was a male entity.
I havent had this thing visit me in a while, but just last week i think it did. I was in bed, just dozing off...not quite asleep yet, but eyes closed, and i saw it behind me looking over my left shoulder. Well that perked me right up again. lol

And i notice i seem to be able to see this thing no matter what direction i'm facing. That time when it came through my door, i saw it, yet my back was facing the door. And just last week. It was behind me, yet i saw it. Very odd.
Its as if i had all around vision.

[–] hifispock 17 years ago

WOW!! It's amazing how many people actually experience this, but what I find wierder, is that we're all seeing the same tall, slender, featureless figure, standing next to us, bending slightly at the hip leaning over us.

Apart from the other experiences I've already described, when I was in My mid-teens I experienced "astral travelling" which seems to be a stage further than "sleep paralysis".

Again, I was lay on My back in bed, and I felt sleep paralysis get Me (the second time in My life), but after about 10-20 seconds (?), I felt myself rising, and was aware of hovering in the room, but still lay on My back.Smoothly, I continued to rise, and stopped about 4 inches from the ceiling.I was'nt scared, or freaked out and tried to "control" My floating, and I actually managed to float through a hallway window, and into My mother's bedroom.It took a fair amount of concentration to guide this "levitating", and as soon as I realised I had floated so far, I lost concentration, and My spirit/soul/life-force (call it what You will) returned to bed and merged back with My physical self.

The same thing happened a few months later, but I lost concentration before I got half-way, and returned to my body.I know it sounds wierd, but it felt like My soul left My body and then returned.

The reason I've mentioned these experiences is because it occured to Me that maybe the "black shadows/old hag" appear during sleep paralysis to prevent people's souls leaving their bodies and being unable to return, or levitating all the way to Heaven, or Hell!.Maybe they're even "grim reapers" or "anti-grim reapers" who sit on your chest to hold down your soul to stop it from "exploring", and loosing it's way back?

Or.. is it a dream, and all in the mind..?

It just makes you wonder why the "old hag" sits on people's chests, or why these tall slender shadows "lean" over us as We sleep.

"How do you know my name..?"
..."It's stenciled on the back of your shorts". {"\ (*_*) /"}

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] joemumford 17 years ago

Actually, I suffer from this a lot (my experiences are recounted below.) and I've never had a tall black figure. Never.

First Experience - I was in Cyprus with my father, and we were sleeping in the same room. (He slept in a bed across the room.) I remember waking up, and it was pitch black, but I could vaguely make out two figures in in front of me, whispering. I forgot what they were saying, but they were definitely speaking proper English. I tried to call out ''Dad!'' several times, and eventually broke through. My father sat up, and they were gone.

Second Experience - Another one in Cyprus, involving the two figures talking again. But this time, they were further away in the corner of my room, and my Dad was still awake downstairs; I could hear the TV. They begun walking towards me, and I managed to get up, only to see nothing. This one was creepy.

Third Experience - Probably only last year I was sleeping on the top bunk of a bunk bed on holiday (in France, I think.) and I felt a sudden powerful force push me down. Now from having this feeling happen in my past two experiences, I knew what was coming and tried to rise, but just got pushed down again. I managed to face the opposite way, to the wall, that the force was coming just as the Paralysis begun. During this time, I could just hear someone laughing right beside me, into my face. It had to Paralysis, as it woke neither of my brothers.

Fourth Experience - The most recent one, like last time I felt a huge force, tried to break through, didn't. I heard laughter, and because I managed to bury myself in my covers, I was just rocked back and forth repeatedly. The laughter was low, but not ghostly or croaky. It lasted quite a while, and I remember the force pausing to yell something I can't recall.

--

I seriously don't want any more experiences.

[–] I_am_PL 17 years ago

Finally! I know what the hell I'd been suffering from. Last summer I did it a lot.. I think it was a mixture from untreated severe anxiety and depression (I have been diagnosed and am on medication now). It would happen every sunday night when my sleeping schedule was thrown off and I was trying to fall asleep in fear of the dreaded monday. They would last about a minute long and there would be figures standing around my bed observing me.. as if I were a medical experiment of some sort. I would want to start sobbing but I couldn't, and I would just panic. I remember the last few times I would imagine my little toe moving, and if I focused extremely hard, it would move and I would get all feeling back.

ugh, it's probably the most horrifying thing that's ever happened to me, but I haven't had one in about a year now.

I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.

[–] sr_wolfrider 16 years ago

I've treated several patients with Sleep Paralysis and the symptoms and remarkably similar to common "alien abduction" scenarios. The overwhelming sense of fright is also, especially in older patients, enough to induce hyperventilation.

Last film seen: Robert Bresson's Pickpocket - Brilliant!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053168/

[–] joemumford 17 years ago

That's *beep*

I don't even have a TV. Only time I can watch it is if I go to my friend's house, which is rare.

That site's bollocks.

[–] Macabro 17 years ago

ok.... they say all this crap... ok. lets be new age/open or whatever and lets say its all TRUE... now what? what do we do?

[–] Bens_Basement 17 years ago

Wow, that astral travelling thing you just explained happened to my mum and i was reading through this thread wondering if anyone was going to mention that because my mum has never met anybody else Anyway i'll explain what happened to her and you can tell me whether it sounds similar to what you guys experience:

It was late and my mum was LYING ON HER BACK just staring at the clock trying to make herself fall asleep because she needed to get up early in the morning. Whilst she was dozing off she suddenly jerked up and found herself floating just below the ceiling and she could look back at herself sleeping on the bed and my dad next to her. Her actual body was fast asleep but she was awake and floating in the air?! Anyway, she started to scream and scream but ofcourse there was no sound being made and she heard my grandad walking on the landing and no matter how hard she screamed, she couldn't get his attention. While this was all happening there was a white light around her and she didn't feel threatened, however she was obviously scared. Next thing she knows it's the morning.

Now my mum has no idea how to explain this but she mentions an 'out of body experience'? Is this similar to sleep paralysis?

[–] felixgeen 17 years ago

DUDE!!! THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE ALSO! I couldn't describe the feeling to anyone and my mum simply told me it must have just been a dream still. But it was the weirdest thing... Not being able to move and being wide awake in my bed. I remember feeling utterly terrified, like somehow i was dead or something. A feeling of pure terror that seemed to be indescribable... I'm glad to know you have had this same type of experience.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Eggy499 17 years ago

I'm pretty sure I experienced that when I was sick with very bad tonsilitis and I was dozing off, but then I felt like I was going mad. I heard all these nasty screams in my head and felt like the room was closing in on me. Then I snapped out of it and I told my mam that I heard "screaming"

"Capitalism is a dirty business"
"What, like war?"
"Not exactly...."
-GTA IV

[–] Eggy499 17 years ago

Are any of you guys African American? Because it is more common in people of that race.

"Capitalism is a dirty business"
"What, like war?"
"Not exactly...."
-GTA IV

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Eggy499 17 years ago

Yer..then I mean the African-American ethnicity ;)

"Capitalism is a dirty business"
"What, like war?"
"Not exactly...."
-GTA IV

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Eggy499 17 years ago

I was just using a polite expression for black people :)

"Capitalism is a dirty business"
"What, like war?"
"Not exactly...."
-GTA IV

[–] sublimer13 17 years ago

I get it quite often... Last week, I was staying at my sister's apartment and I was all alone because she was off at work. I was pretty tired and kept on drifting in and out of sleep... but every time I would wake up, I couldn't move. I hate that!

The first time it happened to me, I was around eight or nine years old. Worst experience ever. I seriously thought I was dying or something.

The worst occurence was last year; I woke up and couldn't move, but was still dreaming. It was around four in the morning and I dreamt that something was reaching through my window and then some animal attacked my face. It's scaring the *beep* out of me just thinking about it now.

"This? This is my over-the-moon face."

She will be missed.

[–] canuk_chick 17 years ago

Eggy are you being sarcastic or for real? maybe these black featurless figures are exactly that. In the absence of light there is darkness, in the absence of features and in the dark clearly a figure will appear dark.

I've had a few episodes of sleep paralysis but didn't know what it was called till a patient came onto my floor and she was diagnosed with them. They are crazy. I've never seen a black figure or anything at all actually. My first was a year and a half ago. I've always had issues with sleep. this particular time I had taken neocitrin because i had a cold. It was my first time using it and i fell asleep quite quickly, however not long after my body fought the sleep and i woke up and a second later heard a disturbing voice say my name from my doorway. the room was dark but i could see a little and nothing was there. i tried to turn my lamp on and i tried to say hello. none worked. I figured I was asleep so i screamed over and over for about 2-3 minutes to wake up until I finally did. The other two times weren't as disturbing but followed me taking melatonin trying to sleep. I've since just accepted that my body reacts poorly to those substances and thank goodness its stopped.

[–] Eggy499 17 years ago

I'm being for real lol

"I don't know nothing about no skellingtons"

[–] sr_wolfrider 16 years ago

[I've since just accepted that my body reacts poorly to those substances and thank goodness its stopped.]

How many sleep paralysis episodes have you had? Black figures are a common side effect of sleep paralysis. They're not actual figures, though. Rather the brain sees mottled shapes and attibutes meaning to them.

[–] canuk_chick 16 years ago

In total I've had 5 or 6 now over the past year. Actually I just had one last night but I haven't taken anything in months not even ibuprofen. I realize the figures aren't actually there and it's all in the mind. i've just never seen them. My experiences are always just voices, sometimes the room appears a bit lighter than it actually is as well.

Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity