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Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis

October 22, 2007 by Ryan Hurd  
Filed under Nightmares & Dream Terrors, Visitation Dreams

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Gyrus from Dreamflesh made this connection between false awakenings and sleep paralysis: in both of these altered states, we feel like we are “awake” and aware of our surroundings. In a false awakening, this certainty of “awakeness” turns out to be a lucid dream about where we are actually sleeping. In sleep paralysis, we also feel awake but the situation is a little more complicated. Here our self-awareness is active and we may even have eyes open, but our bodies are still under the paralysis of REM sleep. The more we struggle, the more it feel like we are being “held down.”

I wrote about the creepiness of night terrors about a year ago on my culture shock blog, so I won’t go on at length here. Even though the REM paralysis is probably what is happening on the “exterior” levels of our reality, we really can’t reduce the entire experience of night terrors to biomechanics. After all, many people throughout history have described intense visitation dreams that follow from the initial feeling that “someone else is in the room.” These night visitors have ranged from dead relatives to benign ghostly apparitions to scary demonic entities to figures of light and peace.

These meetings have provided countless dreamers with deeper understandings of the psycho-spiritual realms that may be open to them. From my perspective, this isn’t evidence of the “supernatural” but an indication that we still need a more radical materialism to account for what is natural.

So rest assured that the experience of night terrors doesn’t have to be nightmarish. The best thing to do is to try to relax as much as possible, and if that doesn’t work, dig deep into your belief structures and find a way to trust in the moment. The experience will open up like a flower and you may find yourself in a whole kind of new dream.

I just spilled pickle juice all over myself so I gotta run.

Update: check out the comments to the previous post for Gyrus’s clarification about the distinction between these two states of consciousness.

Recommended Reading:

The Terror That Comes in the Night Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis by David J. Hufford
Wrestling with Ghosts by Jorge Conesa Sevilla

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Comments

30 Comments on "Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis"

  1. Trying to awaken on Mon, 22nd Oct 2007 5:11 pm 

    I just recently started experiencing sleep paralysis about a couple of years ago. It started out as feeling a presence in the room just as described in this article. The fear of not moving or never being able to move again, enveloped me more than the “presence” that I perceived was in the room.
    I read an article about SP with suggestions on how to alleviate it. One of the recommendations was to try and fall asleep on your side. This eliminated most of my SP problems.
    Another article I read suggested learning to “astral project” during an SP occurrence. The article suggested to attempt to ‘levitate’ out of your physical body to assist in alleviating the fear that encompasses most SP experiences. The last time this happened to me I tried this. I was able to raise it a few feet above my body all the while thinking about all the stuff my family would have to go through if I was really “dying”, lol. This was my mistake. There is something about the fear experienced during an episode, which (with me) made this situation worse.

  2. Dungan on Tue, 23rd Oct 2007 12:18 pm 

    thanks for commenting – do you remember where you read the article about this? sounds interesting.

  3. Trying to awaken on Tue, 23rd Oct 2007 8:08 pm 

    Unfortunately, I read it about a year ago, after googling Sleep Paralysis. I find it I’ll be glad to post a link.

  4. Trying to awaken on Tue, 23rd Oct 2007 8:32 pm 

    This isn’t the same article I read, but if you google ‘old hag syndrome and astral projection’, you’ll find a bunch of info. It was while I was researching it that I discovered quite a few people were experimenting with astral projection and SP. Basically in attempt to rid themselves of the fear that is experienced during an episode.

    http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/2006/08/20/sleep-paralysis/

  5. Dungan on Tue, 30th Oct 2007 11:25 pm 

    thanks for the article link. this is pretty creepy territory, and another reason why lucid dreaming isn’t all about butterflies and all the sex you want. Shadow figures have a lot to teach us but we have to learn how to behave in the dream first. this whole topic is scratching at me so look for a post about lucid dreams and NDE and OBEs sometime soon.

  6. Ben (8 comments.) on Mon, 5th Nov 2007 8:07 pm 

    “From my perspective, this isn???t evidence of the ???supernatural??? but an indication that we still need a more radical materialism to account for what is natural.”

    I love this line of reasoning. I find the “stereotypical idea of materialism” lacking in its ability to account for odd experiences like night terrors and whatnot, yet I don’t think invoking supernatural causes really makes sense.

  7. Kris (5 comments.) on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 11:14 pm 

    Hi Ryan,
    One of the lines in your article resonated strongly with me:

    “From my perspective, this isn???t evidence of the ???supernatural??? but an indication that we still need a more radical materialism to account for what is natural.”

    I wholeheartedly agree with you. There is so much that science has yet to explain, but that doesn’t mean science will never be able to explain the things we currently label as supernatural. A quick look at history demonstrates how often events labeled as paranormal or supernatural were ultimately explained by new developments in science. Perhaps science eventually will provide explanations for the mysteries we still haven’t uncovered. (Though, I do hope a bit of mystery remains when all is said and done. It makes life more interesting.)

  8. Dungan on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 1:44 pm 

    i’m a big fan of mystery too. but as you say Kris, mystery isn’t permanent and science may explain many unknowns later down the road. but when folks ignore a mystery because the data doesn’t fit their paradigm, then scientism – not science – is the result. be sure to check out Allan Wallace’s Taboo of Subjectivity for a great read on the culture of science.

  9. REM | Sleep Paralysis | the Dream Studies Portal on Tue, 19th Feb 2008 11:09 pm 

    [...] can be terrifying or transcendental, depending chiefly on our previous experience with working with sleep paralysis, also known as night [...]

  10. Zensen on Tue, 20th May 2008 1:35 pm 

    I am amlost 30 and have been suffering from SP since I was about 5. It started to hit me the hardest in my mid-20’s and now that I am 29 it happens I’d say about 2-4 times a month. I battle with this constantly. I also sleep long hours day and night. I can’t stop sleeping. I probably have a sleep disorder, but like most Americans don’t have health insurance to solve the problem. Anyhow I’ve learned to recognize when I am in the state to wake myself or make enough “sounds” (i think i’m talking, but am not) to have my husband wake me. If you have anyway to help me or know of a study going on, please let me know.

  11. Dungan on Wed, 21st May 2008 7:40 am 

    Zensen, thanks for commenting and sharing your story. There are a few things you can do to help with sleep problems without spending too much. First off, you may want to take this simple questionnaire that measures the general level of sleepiness:
    http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org/do2.php
    It’s not a diagnosis of any condition, mind you, but it does help with walk-in visits to free clinics in your area.

    Besides free clinics, there are also support groups for people suffering with excessive sleeping. If not where you live, probably in the nearest city. Try searching on google something like: sleep disorders free clinic Your Location.

    As for dealing with sleep paralysis, I really recommend Wrestling with Ghosts by Jorge Conesa Sevilla. He discusses methods of letting go of fear while in sleep paralysis and transforming the experiences into positive dreams. Sevilla’s practices are a great self-help method if you don’t have access to medication. (Of course, I’m not a doctor so this is not medical advice.) Sleep apnea and narcolepsy are also correlated with these symptoms, so getting a diagnosis at a free clinic is the first step.

    Check out the National sleep Foundation for more information:
    http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/pp.aspx?c=huIXKjM0IxF&b=2417415

  12. Dee on Wed, 16th Jul 2008 12:35 pm 

    I know everyone doesn’t believe in the supernatural but I have had SP happening 2 me since I was 13 & I am now 19. It’s a supernatural thing in my case bc besides SP happening 2 me I have the strangest things about me. I can get a good reading on how someone is by looking at them or just having one conversation (that might be y I am so picky about who my friends and associates are) and I also have deja vues like crazy. But back 2 the point, I have actually had visions and pains happen while I was captured in the grips of SP. But there is a difference in levels of spirits (demons or whatever they maybe) that visit you at night. In my case it doesn’t matter if I sleep on my back, side, or stomach they would still be able 2 attack me. I have gotten worse over the years…at first it started off with me being able 2 see the apparitions…and then moved up 2 to them actually attacking me 2 where I could feel pain and that’s when I started fighting back. Mines also doesn’t have a specific time that it happens it can just over take me whenever I sleep. But I noticed the more it happened 2 me the more my strange abilities grew. 2 years ago I recently developed a 6th sense 2 feeling when things are going 2 go wrong back home or here where I am (I’m military). I’m just gonna give everyone the same advice my mom gave me…Don’t fear it just fight it and if you feel comfortable enough try 2 understand what’s going on because little do you know you can communicate with them. This is kinda hard 2 explain here but I will try…beware of the intity you talk 2 because demons will lie 2 get you…you will just have 2 trust your own judgement…and whatever you do don’t let evil spirits win the fight because little do you know that could turn into a possession(depends on the person) or it can cause minor changes in your tempor or other things among that and trust me I would know that because it has somewhat changed me at one point in my life when I wasn’t fighting back but I realized what it was doing 2 me and I changed it through praying of course. Also one more small note…careful who you hang around because they may habor a spirit that may want 2 cling onto you because you are more aware of there presence than there current host…but if anyone has any questions feel free 2 ask?

  13. Dungan on Wed, 16th Jul 2008 2:26 pm 

    Thanks for sharing your experience, Dee. I moved safely away from similarly painful and scary experiences by focusing on reducing my fear and intending to find protection that is based on my own personal beliefs. I wonder if you have tried similar techniques? Openness to the dreamstate (the imaginal realm, the astral plane, etc) is a double-edged sword – both the light and the darkness come through. It’s important as you say to learn how to fight (also known as ego-strengthening) as well as learning how to surrender (letting go of control in total trust that you are safe).

  14. Anthony on Mon, 8th Sep 2008 11:41 pm 

    I’am here in Wisconsin workin and I have been haveing the same dream. I had the same dream 2 times in one week and i fell like something is lookin at me.When i wake up then when i fall back asleep it fells like something moving from my feet to my chest and holding me down.And i can’t move or talk i can’t do anything! Is this the samething as SP or NT?

  15. Dungan on Tue, 9th Sep 2008 12:23 am 

    Anthony, that sounds like it could be SP. Are you getting less sleep than normal, or working a night shift? Sometime when we disrupt our normal sleep patterns, SP becomes more common. Be sure to check out the sleep foundation link (above in comments) if you are having other symptoms that could be related to sleep apnea or other sleep ailments.

  16. Towards an Integral Science of Consciousness | The Dream Studies Portal on Mon, 1st Jun 2009 11:09 pm 

    [...] and may even represent an entryway into shared (or archetypal) spaces. This is what I said about sleep paralysis a year ago: These meetings have provided countless dreamers with deeper understandings of the [...]

  17. Wendy (4 comments.) on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 1:13 pm 

    I’m an MA student in transpersonal psychology who has a personal and academic interest in hypnagogia and sleep paralysis. I’ve been trying to find information on sleep paralysis experiences that is not purely materialistic, nor purely “supernatural”, but somehow relates the two. I’ve studied neurotheology and recognize that no matter how much we understand about spiritual experiences corelating with neurological changes, we simply cannot determine which is causing which– are people having spiritual experiences which change their neurological functioning, or is a neurological function being perceived as a spiritual experience?
    I think sleep paralysis falls under much the same question. Certainly there are brain chemistry and brain wave pattern states associated with sleep paralysis and “visitation” experiences, but are those neurological functions CAUSING the sensations or are we having experiences that are affecting our brain?
    I had an immediate aversive response to this comment:
    “From my perspective, this isn’t evidence of the ’supernatural’ but an indication that we still need a more radical materialism to account for what is natural.”

    I dislike materialism when it justifies scientism, but when I got over my prejudice against the word materialism, I think I agree with you. This commenter furthered the issue:

    “I love this line of reasoning. I find the “stereotypical idea of materialism” lacking in its ability to account for odd experiences like night terrors and whatnot, yet I don’t think invoking supernatural causes really makes sense.”

    The problem with calling something “supernatural” is implicated in the very word– we think it’s somehow outside the realm of “real” or explicable phenomena. What if or when will we discover that what we think of as “supernatural” phenomena are actual “extranatural”– explicable, but extraordinary experiences of reality?

  18. Wendy (4 comments.) on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 1:34 pm 

    Also, in some further research, I just found this interesting tidbit that sheds some further light on the materialistic aspect of SP and hypanogogia:

    “Within REM periods a distinction is sometimes made between a background tonic state (TREM) and bursts of phasic REM (PREM) every 16-120 seconds and lasting from 2-9 seconds (Aserinsky, 1971, Molinari & Foulkes, 1969). Specifically, PREM is characterized by bursts of rapid eye and middle ear movements and characteristic cortical and hippocampal EEG patterns. PREM is associated with, and may be preceded by, ponto-geniculo-occipital EEG waves (PGO spikes in animal preparations) originating in the bilateral, dorsolateral pons and projecting rostrally through the lateral geniculate nucleus and other thalamic nuclei (Hobson, Alexander, Frederickson, 1969). It has been conjectured that the most vivid dreams, or most vivid events within dreams, are associated with PREM (Molinari and Foulkes, 1969). ”

    -http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html#SPREM

  19. Ryan Hurd (62 comments.) on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 9:26 pm 

    thanks for the great thoughts, Wendy. most important from my perspective is that we value our empirical observations (ie the “first-person” experience) of SP by not reducing them to the physical correlates that we are just beginning to map. In other words, an ancestor giving advice during a SP experience is not an attempt to make order out of a random PGO spike.

  20. Maurizio on Mon, 5th Oct 2009 12:39 am 

    Reading this article and comments has really scared me. I’m 41 years old and since I was 19 I have been suffering from sleep paralysis; It used to happened once to three times a week, but for the last two years it is happening every night and for the last three months or so it is happening as much as 10 times a night. It is 2 A.M right now and I don’t want to go to bed because I’m tired of the SP. When it first started, I would wake up and I would be unable to move, except for moving my fingers and toes, which I would do and still do until I get my mobility back. While experiencing SP, I would feel something shocking me by the neck or touching my private areas. I’m able to keep my eyes somewhat open, as I can see my wife sleeping next to me, but I cannot speak nor make noises.
    The touching now is limited to my shoulder and/or back, but the touch is very cold, it feels like somebody is putting ice on me. Lately while experiencing SP I’ve been unable to breathe normally and can only take very shallow breaths that I feel that I am going to pass out and die. I always thought that these experiences were somehow created by my mind, but lately, I have been seeing shadows walk up to me during the day and night while I’m awake and working. There are four windows in my office, and sometimes I can see my reflection in the glass and shadows creeping up to within five feet of me. It is really scaring me now that I’ve read some comments where people described spirits and SP.

  21. Wendy on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:08 pm 

    Maurizio: Don’t panic! A few things to keep in mind: If you’re waking up 10 times a night, you are sleep deprived. This can contribute to daytime hallucinations. Also, should there be truth to the idea of spirits related to SP, we don’t know that these spirits are necessarily malevolent. In fact, SP episodes closely mirror shamanic experiences. But the mind tends to react with fear to what it doesn’t understand– not many of us are as well-trained to deal with the spirit world as experienced shamen. Try to just breathe through these experiences and keep telling yourself that it is all okay.

  22. Ryan Hurd (91 comments.) on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:17 pm 

    Maurizio, thanks for commenting. I’m sorry to hear that this article scared you – I want to reassure you that SP in itself is normal and the visions can be dealt with by facing the unknown and having compassion and courage. however, sleep paralysis can also be a side effect of other more serious sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and narcolepsy. these sleep issues can lead to dream-like visions to intrude in waking reality. My recommendation is to take some online questionnaires to see if you may have some other sleep-related issues that could be treatable by a sleep specialist or a doctor. here’s where to get started:
    http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/app/index.cfm?fuseaction=sleepQuiz.view

  23. Ryan Hurd (91 comments.) on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:25 pm 

    thanks Wendy for the reminder to breathe!

  24. Maurizio on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 6:22 am 

    Thank you all for the advice. I will do the online questionnaire and will follow up w/ a visit to my Doctor. I’ll keep you posted of my progress.

  25. Maurizio on Thu, 15th Oct 2009 10:51 pm 

    It is amazing, it has been ten days since I posted and all my bad experiences have seized. When I posted on the fifth, I was loosing it, seeing shadows approaching me, sp, and since that night, I have no more sp and the shadows have actually decrease to the point that I wonder if I even saw a shadow or the possibility that maybe I thought I saw one… …You cannot imaging the relief, as I was about to loose it when I posted! Ryan thank you for the advised to go the web site and take the questionnaire, at the time I agreed, but since then I don’t because I feel that if I take such a questionnaire or others like it (psychoanalytic), I’m more than likely that I would be prone to walk away with a positive diagnosis, regarless of whether or not the condition is likely to exist. Wendy, I’ll keep on breathing!

  26. Ryan Hurd (91 comments.) on Fri, 16th Oct 2009 9:34 am 

    Maurizio, that’s great news, thanks for coming back with the update. Because sleep paralysis is so highly influenced by psychological factors, sometimes just reaching out can diminish the fear that sometimes accentuates the more terrifying aspects of SP. Now you know where to go if your symptoms return.

    As for your fear of a misdiagnosis — that’s understandable. However, a questionnaire is not a diagnosis; it’s only a tool for accessing if you should see a doctor. And, unlike other sectors of the medical establishment, sleep specialists are known for their sensitivity and approachability. Sleep docs also are not tied in so deeply with the pharmaceutical industry so there’s no incentive for misdiagnosis for a condition that requires lots of cash to maintain.

  27. Rose on Sun, 8th Nov 2009 11:56 am 

    I have a history of “sleep paralysis” accompanied by “night terrors”, but what I experienced last night was so far beyond anything I have ever experienced before. Usually when I have these episodes, I am completely aware of the fact that I have fallen asleep and I am “dreaming,” but last night was something different. I was by all accounts awake and aware of what was going on around me. I could even still hear the episode of Criminal Minds playing on my TV. I closed my eyes and as soon as my eyes were closed, I heard the TV in the living room come on all by itself. I tried to get out of bed but I was completely paralyzed. I opened my eyes and my older brother was laying face down in my bedroom doorway and he was not moving. Try as I may I could not get to him. I tried to call out to him, but my tongue was just as paralyzed as the rest of me. As I lay there desperately trying to roll myself out of bed, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes again. I willed myself to snap out of whatever “phenomenon” was happening and when I reopened my eyes, the tingling sensation that had been coursing through my body was gone and I was able to move. I climbed out of bed but my brother was gone (of course he was never really there to begin with. It was 1:00 in the morning so he was in his own house sleeping in his own bed.) and the TV was not on in the living room either. I walked out to the living room, looked around and when I was satisfied that nothing was out of the ordinary, I went back to bed. Now, normally I would have attributed this incident to my normal sleeping problems (they happen quite frequently). However, when I laid back down and closed my eyes again, the same tingling sensation came over me and again, I heard the living room TV come on. I could still hear Criminal Minds on my TV in my room and again, when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. My brother was again laying face down in my doorway unresponsive. Again, I was unable to speak. I repeated the steps I had done not five minutes before and when I opened my eyes again, I was able to move and my brother was gone. The TV was no longer playing in the living room and nothing was out of the ordinary. This cycle repeated itself for over an hour before I decided maybe I would try sleeping on the couch in the living room. Once I laid down on the couch, everything stopped and I was able to drift into a peaceful dreamless sleep.
    Now as I said, I have a history of things like this happening but this is the first time it has repeated itself once I have gotten out of bed and walked around the house. I have never gotten an uneasy feeling in this house before, it’s always been quite peaceful here, but last night I was absolutely terrified to be here.

    I have read articles where SP usually happens when you’re lying on your back or on your stomach, but mine always occurs when I’m sleeping on my right side. What makes my incidents truly terrifying is the fact that I know I never fell asleep to begin with. This latest incident I can tell you everything that happened in the episode of criminal minds that I had on the tv…

  28. Ryan Hurd (91 comments.) on Mon, 9th Nov 2009 11:55 pm 

    fascinating Rose. I’m a little confused – were there two TVs on or one?

    in any case – repeat SP experiences can be halted pretty effectively by doing some exercise to get your heart-rate up. for some reason, this lessens the chance you’ll jump back down into SP..

  29. ellie (1 comments.) on Sat, 21st Nov 2009 4:09 pm 

    sp has never happened me but my ex bf had them, he has since died.

    his last one was about 2 yrs ago. He lived nxt door 2 me and had 1-2 experiences spaced yrs apart, but he stayed @ mine 4 a while and he had 2 experiences in the space of 3 days which as he said was scarier and more often than he had b4.

    he experienced paralysis in all instances and being scared but unable to shout out. There was also a scary shadowy figure coming towards him and pressing on his chest, then he found it hard to breathe. But in these he said he was fully awake!

    the last one he experienced creeped me out cos she said after all that happened he was raised off the bed and was floating towards the wall but he said he was actively fighting against the force, he said he even tried to hold unto things and even scratch the wall to prove it actually did happen!

    i dont want to scare anyone but im just wondering if this had anythin 2 do with his death and what exactly happened to him cos he was really scared when he told me. He wasnt the type of man to b scared easily, which made it more real 4 me.

    I heard that its to do with sleeping patterns and dat its also to do with the brain. Then there’s the old hag theory.

    I dont know wat 2 believe!lol

  30. Ryan Hurd (91 comments.) on Sat, 21st Nov 2009 6:18 pm 

    hey Ellie, I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Sleep paralysis is not a deadly condition in its own right; sometimes tho SP is a symptom of a more serious sleep issue such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea. the feeling of being lifted off the bed is a common sensation, and many people also experience out-of-body experiences that are triggered by the SP. if you’ve never had this happen before, it can be the scariest thing ever.

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