Comments on: Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis the dream studies portal Tue, 22 May 2012 20:25:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kevin http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Kevin Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:20:45 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-169 Hi Ryan, I've been having quite a few sleep paralysis episodes lately and they seem to be getting scarier every time. I had my first occurrence when I was about 10 years old. It happened again when I was about 20 and then a lot more just in the past few years. I have been stressed a lot more lately due to my family arguments, my health and my finances. Is that probably one of the reasons my episodes of SP are more frequent now? They range from just a few seconds to seems like an hour of terror. They also range from not so scary to terrifying! Why do they differ sometimes? I would not wish these very unpleasant "dreams" on anyone. Are they considered dreams or what category is SP put in to? The episodes are the worst when it feels like "someone" is holding me down. Does being religious have anything to do with why I have SP and also how I may control it as well? I'm Catholic and pray every night. It seems that when SP comes to me, I try to yell for help from God. I know I am trying to scream, but I cannot hear anything come out. It seems to help when I do that. What do you think? Any suggestions to help me with SP would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Kevin Hi Ryan,

I’ve been having quite a few sleep paralysis episodes lately and they seem to be getting scarier every time. I had my first occurrence when I was about 10 years old. It happened again when I was about 20 and then a lot more just in the past few years. I have been stressed a lot more lately due to my family arguments, my health and my finances. Is that probably one of the reasons my episodes of SP are more frequent now? They range from just a few seconds to seems like an hour of terror. They also range from not so scary to terrifying! Why do they differ sometimes? I would not wish these very unpleasant “dreams” on anyone. Are they considered dreams or what category is SP put in to? The episodes are the worst when it feels like “someone” is holding me down. Does being religious have anything to do with why I have SP and also how I may control it as well? I’m Catholic and pray every night. It seems that when SP comes to me, I try to yell for help from God. I know I am trying to scream, but I cannot hear anything come out. It seems to help when I do that. What do you think? Any suggestions to help me with SP would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Kevin

]]> By: Ryan Hurd http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Ryan Hurd Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:37:07 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-168 thanks Rhonda for sharing your dreamlife. I agree with you that one function of these dreams is to provide healing opportunities. in my mind, this biological event does not conflict with the "spiritual" content; they are separate fields of meaning. Meaning/significance/metaphor are crucial to our psychological comprehension of our place in the world, including the anomalous experiences of OBEs, contact with autonomous entities, and ancestral dreams. thanks Rhonda for sharing your dreamlife. I agree with you that one function of these dreams is to provide healing opportunities. in my mind, this biological event does not conflict with the “spiritual” content; they are separate fields of meaning. Meaning/significance/metaphor are crucial to our psychological comprehension of our place in the world, including the anomalous experiences of OBEs, contact with autonomous entities, and ancestral dreams.

]]> By: Rhonda http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Rhonda Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:45:06 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-167 I have very intense dreams since I was a toddler. The first dream that I remember is when I was the age of two. I dreamt that I was pulling a wagon filled with children and that I was running away from an evil witch. I came to a mountain cliff and fell off the cliff into the night sky and was caught by a crescent moon. I felt safe and protected by the moon and as it craddled me I looked down where I saw a room and saw my body on a table and my chest was wrapped in white linen. I woke up from the dream and I was surrounded by family members and I particulary saw my father of whom I immediately started crying to so he would get my favorite toy-a mickey mouse piggy bank. I was given the toy and I stopped crying. I would go on to have many vivid dreams and one time in my very young life I felt as if I was floating up, while I was awake. I grasped onto a table to hold myself down so I wouldn't float away. I was so young at the time and it was difficult for me at times to determine if I was having a dream or if the an actual event really happened. However, at the age of two I did have an injury that resulted with two deep scars in the shape of a crescent moon on my chest. I did have a mickey mouse piggy bank, in fact I had my picture taken with it when I was two years old. The "floating" experience happened when my parents were getting a divorce. SP started during this time too and I had horrific nightmares. At the age of ten, I started having night terrors that I could never recall. When I sixteen I would start having the sensation of OBE during the time that my body was trying to wake up from sleep (again I was going through a tramautic event). A year later, I started having lucid dreams almost on a daily basis. I also suffered sleep paralysis but only when I slept in a particular room in a friend's apartment. One thing that has always been consistent is that these dream events happen when I am going through a tramautic life event and I strongly believe that at least in my case that they are related to PTSD and is the mind's way of healing itself. Disassociation is very common during a tramuatic event and I do believe that it can be carried over to the dream state and in turn, cause someone to feel like they are having an obe. My last night terror was two days ago and came as a shock to me. The last one I was reported to have was when I was a teenager. This time my seventeen year old daughter heard me screaming in a state of anger that is caused by fear (my children know it too well because if I perceive them to put themselves in a dangerous situation I use the same tone of voice when I first stop whatever danger it is as I bring them to safety). Apparently, I was yelling at Soldiers and telling them to move quickly. I don't recall what happened and the night terror obviously frightened my daughter more then it did me. Nor does it cause me concern because I did deploy and survive combat. I guess my subconcious is still trying to heal. I don't believe them to be spiritual experiences but I do believe them to be biological ones that are actually just coping mechanisms of the brain for tramautic events that humans suffer and survive. I have very intense dreams since I was a toddler. The first dream that I remember is when I was the age of two. I dreamt that I was pulling a wagon filled with children and that I was running away from an evil witch. I came to a mountain cliff and fell off the cliff into the night sky and was caught by a crescent moon. I felt safe and protected by the moon and as it craddled me I looked down where I saw a room and saw my body on a table and my chest was wrapped in white linen. I woke up from the dream and I was surrounded by family members and I particulary saw my father of whom I immediately started crying to so he would get my favorite toy-a mickey mouse piggy bank. I was given the toy and I stopped crying.

I would go on to have many vivid dreams and one time in my very young life I felt as if I was floating up, while I was awake. I grasped onto a table to hold myself down so I wouldn’t float away. I was so young at the time and it was difficult for me at times to determine if I was having a dream or if the an actual event really happened. However, at the age of two I did have an injury that resulted with two deep scars in the shape of a crescent moon on my chest. I did have a mickey mouse piggy bank, in fact I had my picture taken with it when I was two years old. The “floating” experience happened when my parents were getting a divorce. SP started during this time too and I had horrific nightmares. At the age of ten, I started having night terrors that I could never recall. When I sixteen I would start having the sensation of OBE during the time that my body was trying to wake up from sleep (again I was going through a tramautic event). A year later, I started having lucid dreams almost on a daily basis. I also suffered sleep paralysis but only when I slept in a particular room in a friend’s apartment.

One thing that has always been consistent is that these dream events happen when I am going through a tramautic life event and I strongly believe that at least in my case that they are related to PTSD and is the mind’s way of healing itself. Disassociation is very common during a tramuatic event and I do believe that it can be carried over to the dream state and in turn, cause someone to feel like they are having an obe. My last night terror was two days ago and came as a shock to me. The last one I was reported to have was when I was a teenager. This time my seventeen year old daughter heard me screaming in a state of anger that is caused by fear (my children know it too well because if I perceive them to put themselves in a dangerous situation I use the same tone of voice when I first stop whatever danger it is as I bring them to safety). Apparently, I was yelling at Soldiers and telling them to move quickly. I don’t recall what happened and the night terror obviously frightened my daughter more then it did me. Nor does it cause me concern because I did deploy and survive combat. I guess my subconcious is still trying to heal. I don’t believe them to be spiritual experiences but I do believe them to be biological ones that are actually just coping mechanisms of the brain for tramautic events that humans suffer and survive.

]]> By: Ryan Hurd http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Ryan Hurd Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:18:32 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-166 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. 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.

]]> By: ellie http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-165 ellie Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:09:42 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-165 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 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

]]> By: Ryan Hurd http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-164 Ryan Hurd Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:55:42 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-164 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.. 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..

]]> By: Rose http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Rose Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:56:40 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-163 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... 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…

]]> By: Ryan Hurd http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Ryan Hurd Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:34:46 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-162 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. 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.

]]> By: Maurizio http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Maurizio Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:51:27 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-161 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! 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!

]]> By: Maurizio http://dreamstudies.org/2007/10/22/night-terrors-aka-sleep-paralysis/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Maurizio Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:22:47 +0000 http://dreamstudies.org/?p=30#comment-160 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. 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.

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