Sleep paralysis

*Prowler* · 05-20-2022, 03:46 PM

Ever experienced it?

It's a really strange sensation. Even though it's a harmless condition, I always panic a bit when I go through an episode of it. Today I had an episode of it. My brain was sorta awake but my body really wasn't. As I tried to move, my arms just began shaking for several seconds before my body fully woke up.

There's also times where you feel like your bones get harder and start hurting. But once your body wakes up it goes away instantly.

Some people experience hallucinations and are able to open their eyes during sleep paralysis episodes, but I don't think I've ever had such an intense episode. There was a time or two where my brain woke up before my body and I heard noises. One time sounded like a mouse squeaking and other time sounded like a sort of monster creature roaring. Well, maybe I was still in between dreaming and waking up but regardless, there was no mouse or monster in my house. So clearly such noises weren't real.

I think anxiety can raise the odds of having a sleep paralysis episode.

Ever had one? How often do you experience it? There's been times where I experienced sleep paralysis rather often. But also times where I do not for long periods.

*IndigoErth* · 05-20-2022, 06:29 PM

No, and having read about the stuff some people hallucinate, I'm glad I've never had that issue. Seeing some kind of shadow creature or other monster and not being able to move sounds traumatizing.

*Prowler* · 05-20-2022, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

No, and having read about the stuff some people hallucinate, I'm glad I've never had that issue. Seeing some kind of shadow creature or other monster and not being able to move sounds traumatizing.

I've never seen any of that stuff tbh. I guess I should consider myself lucky.

*Coola Yagami* · 05-20-2022, 06:40 PM

I had it once and it scared the **** out of me. I couldn't move and I felt like this force, like some sort of spiritual hand or whatever, pressing down on the back of my head preventing me from moving or speaking until I finally fought out of it. I never heard of this before and legit thought my place was haunted until someone told me 'oh yeah. that's sleep paralysis dude'.

The weirdest one I ever had, which was probably a mix of sleep paralysis and possibly a Covid-caused hallucination cause this was during the 3 or so days I was down with it. I couldn't move or breathe and felt darkness coming all around me, think like Venom's symbiote wrapping itself around you. It was scary and I felt like had the darkness gotten me, that woulda been it. Then randomly I heard Freddy Krueger say 'SORRY BITCH, THIS ONE'S MINE' and the darkness retreated and I felt like, pulled to reality and bale to move and whatnot. I couldn't go back to sleep that night cause **** was scary.

joe-eyeball · 05-20-2022, 07:01 PM

It will 100% happen if I sleep on my back! I only try to sleep on my side or stomach but I move around a lot in my sleep so it happens. I probably get an episode at least once a week and I realize it’s happening while still asleep and literally fight my way out of it. It hasn’t really scared me at all over the last 20 or so years like it used to as a kid but it certainly is annoying.

*IndigoErth* · 05-20-2022, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Then randomly I heard Freddy Krueger say 'SORRY BITCH, THIS ONE'S MINE'

What the hell...

Not to laugh at something that was scary, but that... yeah, that's an interesting one.

*Wildcat* · 05-20-2022, 11:45 PM

I have experienced it a couple times. Once where I couldn’t move briefly and once where I actually saw like a flying witch while not being able to move either. This was the first time and it lasted a little longer. It happened some years ago as an adult.

It was not a specific character it was a witch like figure in black. No pointy hat or broom. I viewed it as a witch but it could also be described as just a monster. It was scary but I kinda knew it was some kind of nightmare. I googled it and saw many people see stuff like that.

*Coola Yagami* · 05-21-2022, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildcat

It was not a specific character it was a witch like figure in black. No pointy hat or broom. I viewed it as a witch but it could also be described as just a monster. It was scary but I kinda knew it was some kind of nightmare. I googled it and saw many people see stuff like that.

Yeah I forgot to mention, I also some sort of dark figure that the most I could make out was that it was female. Like I don't know what, but I just had the feeling it was female. Hence Freddy calling her a bitch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

What the hell...

Not to laugh at something that was scary, but that... yeah, that's an interesting one.

IKR, that was like... wtf. Like I haven't seen the movies or anything that would have made me think of Freddy around that general time, like that just popped in there.

It is an interesting (and possibly unnerving) coincidence that most people see some sort of female creature during this.

IDK, maybe instead of a sleep paralysis demon it's actually a succubus and we can't move cause she wasn't done sapping our sexual energy from our dreams or something.

*Prowler* · 05-21-2022, 01:09 PM

Maybe I never see any of those hallucinations because I never open my eyes during sleep paralysis episodes. I guess I just focus on the fact I can't move and sometimes can't even breathe for a few seconds as if something is standing on top of my chest. Easy to forget about trying to open my eyes in such situation.

*MsMarvelDuckie* · 06-10-2022, 06:33 AM

I've had it happen to me a few times. Once, it was just after going to bed, and I woke up with the feeling of heaviness and numbness like when I had the epidural and was totally unable to move. I felt a presence in the room, and looked at the foot of the bed, as I was on my back and could still see everything. I saw something I can only describe as a cross between a goblin and a xenomorph, that snarled at me and went speeding across the room and out the door. I felt the weight/numbness leave, and sat straight up, looking around to see what the heck I'd just seen. Woke hubby and told him what happened, he thought I'd been dreaming, but I said I was wide awake.

It never came back, but there was another time I woke in the middle of the night with the same feeling, but with the addition of being choked. I saw what looked like an old man, in dark clothes standing over me with his hands around my neck. I finally managed to cry out, woke up hubby, and he yelled "what's wrong?" It must have scared the man off, because he disappeared and I could breathe again. The weird thing was that there were actual marks on my neck! He said that one came back the next day, while I was at work, and he was sitting in the living room watching TV. He saw it by the door, and yelled that it wasn't welcome, and to leave. It did, and hasn't been back.

I have had minor episodes a couple of times while in deep meditation, but never with frightening creatures like that. Usually, I am just in an astral plane landscape and have difficulty returning, with a feeling of being disconnected from my body when I try to come out of the meditation. It's weird, but not terrifying like those other two were. OOB's are different since I am usually in control, and know what is going on.

*oldmanwinters* · 06-10-2022, 08:18 AM

I had an incident years ago when I really thought somebody was in my living room watching TV with the lights out and there was nothing I could do to get out of bed.

To this day, I'm uncertain if that was sleep paralysis or just one very weird night.

05-20-2022, 03:46 PM	#1
Prowler Emperor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Portugal Posts: 8,909	Sleep paralysis Ever experienced it? It's a really strange sensation. Even though it's a harmless condition, I always panic a bit when I go through an episode of it. Today I had an episode of it. My brain was sorta awake but my body really wasn't. As I tried to move, my arms just began shaking for several seconds before my body fully woke up. There's also times where you feel like your bones get harder and start hurting. But once your body wakes up it goes away instantly. Some people experience hallucinations and are able to open their eyes during sleep paralysis episodes, but I don't think I've ever had such an intense episode. There was a time or two where my brain woke up before my body and I heard noises. One time sounded like a mouse squeaking and other time sounded like a sort of monster creature roaring. Well, maybe I was still in between dreaming and waking up but regardless, there was no mouse or monster in my house. So clearly such noises weren't real. I think anxiety can raise the odds of having a sleep paralysis episode. Ever had one? How often do you experience it? There's been times where I experienced sleep paralysis rather often. But also times where I do not for long periods.

05-20-2022, 06:40 PM	#4
Coola Yagami Overlord Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14,016	I had it once and it scared the ** out of me. I couldn't move and I felt like this force, like some sort of spiritual hand or whatever, pressing down on the back of my head preventing me from moving or speaking until I finally fought out of it. I never heard of this before and legit thought my place was haunted until someone told me 'oh yeah. that's sleep paralysis dude'. The weirdest one I ever had, which was probably a mix of sleep paralysis and possibly a Covid-caused hallucination cause this was during the 3 or so days I was down with it. I couldn't move or breathe and felt darkness coming all around me, think like Venom's symbiote wrapping itself around you. It was scary and I felt like had the darkness gotten me, that woulda been it. Then randomly I heard Freddy Krueger say 'SORRY BITCH, THIS ONE'S MINE' and the darkness retreated and I felt like, pulled to reality and bale to move and whatnot. I couldn't go back to sleep that night cause ** was scary. __________________ "I was down with TMNT once, but then they changed what TMNT was. Now what I was down with is no longer TMNT and what TMNT now is seems weird and scary. And it'll happen to YOU." Check out my blog for Comic Reviews and other things. https://markepicblogofrandomness.blogspot.com/ I also started The AEW Crew, the All Elite Wrestling Fan Club! https://www.facebook.com/groups/637508120044168/

05-20-2022, 11:45 PM	#7
Wildcat Foot Elite Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: AZ Posts: 3,255	I have experienced it a couple times. Once where I couldn’t move briefly and once where I actually saw like a flying witch while not being able to move either. This was the first time and it lasted a little longer. It happened some years ago as an adult. It was not a specific character it was a witch like figure in black. No pointy hat or broom. I viewed it as a witch but it could also be described as just a monster. It was scary but I kinda knew it was some kind of nightmare. I googled it and saw many people see stuff like that. __________________ Nothing can survive the will to stay alive, cause if you try, you can do anything.

06-10-2022, 06:33 AM	#10
MsMarvelDuckie I Married a Duck! Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: The bowels of Hell, Texas(otherwise known as Decatur) Posts: 8,772	I've had it happen to me a few times. Once, it was just after going to bed, and I woke up with the feeling of heaviness and numbness like when I had the epidural and was totally unable to move. I felt a presence in the room, and looked at the foot of the bed, as I was on my back and could still see everything. I saw something I can only describe as a cross between a goblin and a xenomorph, that snarled at me and went speeding across the room and out the door. I felt the weight/numbness leave, and sat straight up, looking around to see what the heck I'd just seen. Woke hubby and told him what happened, he thought I'd been dreaming, but I said I was wide awake. It never came back, but there was another time I woke in the middle of the night with the same feeling, but with the addition of being choked. I saw what looked like an old man, in dark clothes standing over me with his hands around my neck. I finally managed to cry out, woke up hubby, and he yelled "what's wrong?" It must have scared the man off, because he disappeared and I could breathe again. The weird thing was that there were actual marks on my neck! He said that one came back the next day, while I was at work, and he was sitting in the living room watching TV. He saw it by the door, and yelled that it wasn't welcome, and to leave. It did, and hasn't been back. I have had minor episodes a couple of times while in deep meditation, but never with frightening creatures like that. Usually, I am just in an astral plane landscape and have difficulty returning, with a feeling of being disconnected from my body when I try to come out of the meditation. It's weird, but not terrifying like those other two were. OOB's are different since I am usually in control, and know what is going on. __________________ "You IDIOTS! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -from "Spaceballs" "Where Science ends, magic begins." -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491 My various stories and fan-fics are now here- https://m.fanfiction.net/u/4770494/#end

06-10-2022, 08:18 AM	#11
oldmanwinters Overlord Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow! Posts: 14,940	I had an incident years ago when I really thought somebody was in my living room watching TV with the lights out and there was nothing I could do to get out of bed. To this day, I'm uncertain if that was sleep paralysis or just one very weird night. __________________ Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries! Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"! View my sketch work! I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!

05-20-2022, 06:29 PM	#2
IndigoErth Team Blue Boy Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: U.S., East Coast Posts: 15,242	No, and having read about the stuff some people hallucinate, I'm glad I've never had that issue. Seeing some kind of shadow creature or other monster and not being able to move sounds traumatizing.

05-20-2022, 07:01 PM	#5
joe-eyeball Stone Warrior Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland Posts: 682	It will 100% happen if I sleep on my back! I only try to sleep on my side or stomach but I move around a lot in my sleep so it happens. I probably get an episode at least once a week and I realize it’s happening while still asleep and literally fight my way out of it. It hasn’t really scared me at all over the last 20 or so years like it used to as a kid but it certainly is annoying.

05-21-2022, 01:09 PM	#9
Prowler Emperor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Portugal Posts: 8,909	Maybe I never see any of those hallucinations because I never open my eyes during sleep paralysis episodes. I guess I just focus on the fact I can't move and sometimes can't even breathe for a few seconds as if something is standing on top of my chest. Easy to forget about trying to open my eyes in such situation.