Sleep Paralysis is a troubling sleep condition that is deeply misunderstood in our culture. Experienced by millions as an incubus attack or being “ridden by a witch,” sleep paralysis (SP) has biological causes that are related to sleep hygiene, stress, and insomnia.
In SP, you are aware of the body’s paralysis that normally comes with REM (dreaming) sleep. This paralysis is what keeps us from acting out our dreams: a pretty important evolutionary skill that prevents us from injuring ourselves or our sleeping partners when we are dreaming about hunting tigers and bears.
This muscle paralysis is really frightening if you don’t know what is happening. It can feel like being pushed down into the bed, being suffocated, or like a heavy weight crushing down on the chest and throat.
And meanwhile, you feel like you are awake, with full thinking capabilities.
This is the original waking terror that inspired the word “nightmare” which is old Anglo-Saxon for “a crushing sensation at night.” The image above is Henry Fuseli’s Nightmare, painted in 1781, depicting an incubus demon sitting on a woman sufferer’s chest.
SP can also be a symptom of a more serious disorder, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. However, isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) is not a dangerous condition, despite how terrifying it seems at the time.
Sleep Paralysis visions have physical and emotional causes
About 20% of the time, ISP is accompanied by realistic, and often frightening, hallucinations. In my opinion, the underlying physical causes of ISP do not invalidate the psychological impact these visions can have on dreamers. Known as hypnagogic hallucinations (HH), these dreams are literally projected into the waking realm where we are laying down with open eyes. All over the world, across cultures and throughout recorded history, people have told tales of being sat upon by demons, ridden by witches, and haunted by spirits when they are in sleep paralysis.
A scientific worldview does not invalidate these claims, as medical historians and folklorists have argued for over 30 years. The night visitations of ghosts, monsters, vampires (and even aliens in many contemporary accounts) are psychologically real encounters, not simply stories that are fabricated because of a belief in ghosts and goblins.
In other words, the question is not whether or not if the demons are physically real, but whether or not they greatly affect the dreamer as an extraordinary experience.
Yes, they do.
These visions can be terrifying, and they can be equally life-changing.
Why demons won’t go away
So how do we cope with nocturnal spirit attacks in the 21st century?
Sadly, many people do not share their experiences, for fear that they will be laughed at, or that they are losing their sanity. Others try to forget these hallucinations in the daylight of reason, but stay up late at night afraid to go to sleep.
This problem has affected me too, as someone who has suffered from isolated sleep paralysis with hypnagogic hallucinations (ISP/HH) for most of my life. In fact, one of the reasons why I studied dream research in grad school is because I needed to find away to face these lucid nightmares that were robbing me of sleep and negatively impacting my life.
In the last five years, I’ve freed myself from unwanted nightmares, thanks in part to my nightmare reseach and dreamwork, and also to a supportive community and family.
A Holistic Approach to Sleep Paralysis
My solution is an approach that treats sleep paralysis and the accompanying visions in a manner that respects the physical, mental, cultural and spiritual levels of the phenomenon. This holistic approach to ISP/HH allows us to untangle the various influences on the experience.
In this way, we can work with each “thread” to reduce the nightmares, lose the fear of the unknown, and start getting better rest again.
With time, these unique visions can also become a reliable gateway to other extraordinary states of consciousness, including lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences, ancestral encounters, and guided journeys to realms beyond our imagination.
Free Download – The Report
To learn more about sleep paralysis, I invite you to download my free Sleep Paralysis Report. This 14 page report discusses the symptoms, causes and practical ways of managing sleep paralysis– such as how to wake up from sleep paralysis and how to prevent multiple occurrences in the same night.
Download the Sleep Paralysis Report and Get Better Sleep Tonight!
Sleep Paralysis is not an ailment or affliction of some kind that requires treatment. It is a completely natural process that occurs ever time you fall asleep. True, it can be very terrifying when experiencing for the first time if you don’t know what’s happening, but as anyone experienced with the WILD technique of lucid dreaming will know, there is nothing wrong with sleep paralysis and it’s actually something you might want to induce if you were trying to go into a lucid dream directly without losing consciousness.
Conor, I completely agree, SP is natural and a gateway to lucid dreaming. Lucid dreamers like yourself are ahead of the curve on this topic, because most people view SP with terror and confusion. The key is knowing that you can control for it or induce it, as is your pleasure. But because the West is not a dreaming culture, the fear SP arouses can be so debilitating that it causes thousands to lose sleep and increase their anxiety, technically making SP a sleep ailment in this culture.
Benjamin, isn’t it fascinating how this natural state of consciousness is one hand partially responsible for the scariest stories around the world (ghosts, vampires, aliens, etc) and on the other is a path to greater lucidity? Like Conor says, it’s natural, and worth investigating if you’re into consciousness expansion.
Ryan, I don’t have to smack my leg on the bed or try kicking my wife to wake me anymore! I just reach out a hand and pinch her arse….elbow straight in the ribs, and I’m awake. Genius I think you’ll agree?
Liam, the biggest problem with that solution is that you’ll have to keep your hand tied to the right location, which probably won’t help anyone get to sleep. 🙂
Ryan, Totally…
I can see both sides of the coin…
I ‘suffered’ from diagnosed RISP (recurrent isolated sleep paralysis) when I was 11… nearly every night for about 6 months. I was terrified.
The night I seemingly separated from my physical body and had my first OOBE, they suddenly seemed less scary. They became a necessary evil of sorts. A means to an end.
Had I not become ‘lucid’ I would have spent the next 25 years convinced I had been abducted or attacked by some negative force.
I was actually prescribed Inderell’A’ beta blockers and antidepressants to learn to cope with them… at 11 years old!! I threw them away.
Benjamin, We need more initiated dreamers like yourselves to tell their stories! your childhood experience with iSP treatment is unfortunately still the norm. In some cases, medication can be the most effective path. But before the meds are dished out, some dreamer’s training could be just as effective. I see this as a complementary approach to psychiatric drugs, not a substitution. Thanks so much for commenting.
Looking forward to it. I’ve only had once instance of sleep paralysis, but it was enough.
Ryan,
Thank youi for your report on Sleep paralysis. Now that I have an understanding of it, do you have suggestions on how to induce it? I have never experienced it before. The report tells how to deal with it when it happens and how to prevent them from happening. I am interested to have the experience and would like to induce it at least once.
I enjoyed the part about embracing the experience in order to overcome it. I did that years ago to get rid of very infrequent nightmares and haven’t had a bad dream in over 15 years. So your advice certainly rang true with me.
Suggestions?
Victor
KMJ – thanks as always for your support. the first SP experience is the scariest because it catches you off guard. Knowing what to expect is the greatest ally.
Victor – great question. in a nutshell, knowing the causes of SP is all the info you need: just enable those situations and circumstances known to trigger SP. Use your jetlag, take more naps and fall asleep on your back, mix up your sleep schedule, etc. The coming ebook I’m writing (from which the free report was drawn) has an entire chapter on how to safely induce SP for exploration and experimentation. That said, some people are more prone than others, and I have no data about the degree of learnability of SP, except that those who are light sleepers, vivid dreamers, and prone to lucid dreaming are good candidates.
im completely new on this subject… i have been experiencing sleep paralysis on and off for the last year and everytime i feel an evil presence that im struggling with..(im not super religious) it is becoming more frequent and i dont know what to make of it …any suggestions ?
I found this very interesting to read. I’ve experienced this three times, and the first time was very frightening as I had no idea what was happening. I was aware that I was awake, and very aware of the fact that I couldn’t move. The next two times happened months after, and I wasn’t afraid. The first time however, I felt as if there was a presence because SP was unknown to me. I know now there wasn’t! Have you had a pain in your lower back while experiencing this? Also, it is more common than I would have thought. I know of two girls who have experienced this at least once, a friend and a friends ex.
Cathleen, thanks for commenting. yes, once we start asking around it seems everyone has experienced it once or twice. Most of us brush it aside because we have “no where” to put the memory… it’s an anomaly in our scientific culture.
I’ve never had lower back pain in SP or when I feel a presence (SP/HH); this could be a unique effect for you. Interpreting it as a dream (which it is on the psychological level), make this presence of pain has a larger significance. Worth exploring. How heavy is your load?
Hi there Ryan and message posters!
I read this article, and your report with great interest Ryan. I am one of these “initiated” dreamers of which you write, and am extremely keen to bring this topic to wider conversation and thorough investigation.
However, in order to do so I think we need to make sure of two vital things:
1, we check our egos at the door and remain truly open minded
2, we do not fall into the trap of “fuzzy thinking”
On point 2 firstly, as I think it more logic based and therefore potentially less contentious. A clear analysis of “The Hag” phenomenon (for shortcut purposes) is not simply Sleep Paralysis. The cluster of experiences including noises, presence in the room, pressure and intense fear that are part of Hypnagogic (or hypnopompic) hallucinations – this is separate from, though related to, Sleep Paralysis. The fear one experiences when awaking in sleep paralysis without attendant “hallucinations” is a separate fear and can be rightly attributed to a logical, and physical cause. The hallucinations, while I do not dispute can be managed through lucid techniques, are still a separate phenomenom and should not be confused by being clustered simply as a paralysis experience. Therefore I think we should be quite clear whether we are refering to Sleep Paralysis alone (SP) or Sleep Paralysis with Hypnagogic Hallucinations (SPHH?)
The importance in doing so has being highlighted already by some of the messages posted here, which leads me to my other point. It is true that SP is entirely natural and occurs every night. SPHH, on the other hand, does not. To refer to an SPHH experience, while maybe unintentional, can diminish the experience for the sufferer, and in worst cases, make them feel like it their own fault as they simply have not learned properly how to manage these experiences yet. The underlying assumption that it is all completely in the dreamers control does not allow for investigation into biological causes (such as neurological problems) or even what we call “supernatural” approaches. This is particularly relevant when looking at other cultures. We live in a science lead world, so we describe what we can see, measure or understand as dream, imagination or hallucinations. But this does not allow for the possibility that maybe there is something else going on – psychically or energetically at the very least.
I raise these points as I wish to see SPHH explored seriously, to offer the best range of benefits to all who experience them, but also hopefully, teach is something very important about our own humanity. Thanks for reading this far! 🙂
PS – Ryan, you might find it helpful to explore data on people with “thin boundaries” who are statistically more prone to SPHH
Amy, thanks so much for your valuable commentary.
on your points:
1. YES – so good to repeat this often: open-mindedness creates a clear path to exploring and investigating iSP. As a phenomenologist myself, I try to maintain a meditative “epoche” when these experiences occur.
2. I refer to the sleep paralysis and visionary experience combo as SP/HH, following Jorge Conesa Sevilla. I see how i created a little confusion on this point in my 5th paragraph. you’re quite right that SP is a separate phenomenon, and often occurs without HH. Hufford’s estimate puts the combo at around 20% of all iSP “attacks” I think.
I also welcome your caution about the tendency to reduce SP/HH to biological concerns. I prefer to think of that slice of reality as “material correlates to conscious experience.” While the phenomenon has many unknowns, however, we do know that some simple lifestyle changes (sleep hygiene, etc) can improve the experience for many sufferers. That’s what I am providing here… the aspects of SP and SP/HH that are within the dreamer’s control.
Also, thanks for including the reference http://sleepparalysis.researchtoday.net/. excellent resource.
Finally, which “thin boundary” research are you referring to with SP proneness? Hartmann’s work?
Thanks again for your keen eye and sharing your passion of this unique vision state!
Jess,
your experience is similar to my own first bouts with SP/HH. I would try doing controlled breathing the next time this happens. practice first when you’re awake – sit aside 15 minutes, turn off your cellphone, light a candle etc, and sit and attend to your breath. this simple mindfulness meditation is very useful for SP and will reduce the fear that sometimes is responsible for co-creating (“inviting”) the haunting entities.
Im so glad I found this! I have experienced SP since childhood. It started to occur frequently about 2 years ago~ brought on by grief, I think. Usually the weight or pressure I feel scares me so I fight it and wake myself up. There have been other times when that feeling of being held down was not there so I just let myself be led through the dream hoping & trying to stay as long as possible. The most memorable experience happened about 2 years ago~ It has had such an impact on my life ever since because In the dream I was visited by my boyfriend who had passed away. At the time of the dream, he was missing and no one knew or really suspected the worst yet. But after that dream, I knew he was gone but kept pushing the thought and memory of the dream out of my mind until I found out 4 weeks later. I had another visit many months later and knew I was in a dream. I didn’t waste any time and got a wonderful hug & kiss. I constantly fight sleep due to griefanxiety and find that my SP and/ or lucid dreams occur when I’m cat napping~ at my desk, on the couch etc never when I’m tucked in bedfor the night at a reasonable hour like a normal person.
Laurel, thanks so much for commenting. I have not heard of the connection between grief and SP before, but it certainly makes sense. Visitation dreams can be more than just an outlet for grief, as it sounds like you know personally based on the hug and kiss dream. SP is scary but there’s medicine in there too.
This is great to hear. I just moved into a new house a few weeks ago. Last night was the first time anything like this has happened to me. I felt awake. I felt squished by a heavy pressure and all I could do was breath really fast and really hard because I couldn’t move or say anything. Then it stopped, and it happened again about an hour later. I was terrified, what if something is wrong with my house?? But my dogs didn’t react! This is good news,. SCARY as heck, but good to know It’s pretty common.
Kim, your account shows exactly why SP is often misinterpreted as a ghost haunting. thanks for sharing! new homes, vacations, camping in the woods are all more likely to induce SP because when we are sleeping in unfamiliar spaces, we have higher anxiety, and more awakenings at night.
Ryan, on Monday i submitted my comments and life story. I don’t see them anywhere in the blog and I am curious if they were received. I have questions and I am in search of solutions to the sleeping issues I am facing. Can you email me a response that I wasn’t looked over? I know I can get long winded at times and I’m sure there are probably size restrictions to comments. I just want to know if my message was received. Many Thanks, Jeremy Pittman
ok Ryan, sorry I found it I just needed to search a little deeper. Thanks for the comments. I am excited to have found your site and cant seem to read enough about others experiences. Keep the info. lines open as I feel I have found my new favorite blog site. Thanks, Jeremy Pittman
Hi Ryan,
It’s really interesting what you say about the link between anxiety in unfamilar sleeping situations and SP. I have had difficulty sleeping since I was little, however I am now 21 and 3 years ago I moved out of home. While living out of home for the past 3 years I have been having very vivid, lucid false awakenings which are extremely tiring and frightening. There is always a sense of a demonic presence in the room with me, I feel I am being chased, about to be attacked and fear I will never wake up. After 3 years, I am still anxious about falling asleep in this home, although I am unsure if it’s because I’m afraid of these nightmares or because I feel unsafe in this environment (or both?).
For the past few years I have thought that these dreams were in fact panic attacks occuring whilst in a state of sleep. Only during the last few days of researching these false awakenings have I realised that I do indeed experience SP without HH during false awakenings, and realise that I have experienced this since childhood. What are your thoughts on a link between panic disorders and SP?
I had been advised by a psychologist to do a breathing technique before bed; inhaling for 4 counts, exhaling for 4 counts, in order to reduce my anxiety and thus reduce these “panic attacks”. I see you have said that attending to your breathing in such a way before sleep is “very useful for SP and will reduce the fear that sometimes is responsible for co-creating (”inviting”) the haunting entities.”. However I have also read that such techniques are helpful at inducing lucid states of sleep, which I am having extreme difficulty with. I dunno what to do here, I am in a giant pickle. I want to reduce my anxiety so I reduce the occurence of SP, however I also no longer want to enter into states of lucidity during false awakenings.
I’m really interested in your thoughts on this.
Thanks
hi Lulux,
thanks for taking the time to tell your story. indeed, it does sound like SP. the link to anxiety and panic disorders is pretty well established. Basically, those who suffer from panic disorders are much more likely to experience SP than the general public. And during the SP itself, the panic can be so intense some psychologists have labeled it “death anxiety.” ie, worst. panic. ever.
getting grounded during these episodes is really the way to go — which leads me your breathing questions. I think your psychologist’s advice is sound. this kind of relaxed breathing really does work: I can verify this myself – not only did I used to suffer from SP but I also have asthma. not a fun combo.
The confusion about lucid dreaming advice: I’m not sure what you read, but probably they were discussing breathwork as a meditative/concentration exercise. this is actually not the same as the relaxed breathing you have been taught to relax from panic attacks. concentrative breathwork (as is practiced in zazen and other forms of meditation) involves breathing normally, and keeping a focus on the breath, while letting thoughts go. while it also can be relaxing, it is developing focus and not meant as a “zone out”. this hard focus will reflect in the dreamworld, creating opportunities for lucid dreaming. it’s cognitive training, in other words.
seems to me you have enough lucidity to go around tho.:) If you recognize you’re in a false awakening (not SP, ie you’re in a dream, and can move your dreambody around), then you’re already in a lucid dream. I also agree with your teacher that facing the menacing fear in the dream could be rewarding. it’s up to you. check out this post on lucid nightmares, as you may find it useful the next time you wake up in another false awakening.
Something that works for me and others that stops false awakenings is to get out of bed and do 10 minutes of moderate exercise. do some push-ups or jumping jacks right there next to your bed. this works… don’t know the science behind it, so I’ll spare you my BS. 🙂 it just works.
Thanks so much, I appreciate the reply. I am really glad I found this site. I’ve felt alone with this and sometimes like I’m going crazy. To know it’s quite common is a little reassuring, and it gives me comfort that there are things which I can do which will actually work (I’ll gladly take your word for it!). Hopefully my new found fascination with this ability I have to enter a state between sleep and wake will provide me with the courage to overcome my fear and utilise this potential opportunity I have to expand my mind. Thanks for your help.
Hi Ryan,
I’m also reading this finding it very interesting, as I have been suffering from what i’m now learning is SP on and off from around the age of 11. I’m 29 now, and am going through the most frequent and frightening bout I have ever had, so I’m trying find out just what exactly is going on.
Two weeks ago I moved in to my friends house, on a temporary basis while things in my life are getting sorted out (I can see the connection there with anxiety and stress) and every night without fail I’m having extremely strange experiances just after falling asleep and also during the middle of the night. As an example that follows the usual symptoms of waking up but feeling paralyised and the buzzing noises etc have been physically feeling a body, I think of as a female demon, come behind me and start to strangle me. I can literally feel fingers and hands, and even felt a sharp object begin to press into my neck. I have also felt this same entity try and cuddle me then suffocate me. I have also heard indiscernible demonic or alien voices coming from a circular hole in the wall, coloured red, green and blue. In Another, less frightening one, I have been struggling against the pressure of paralysis and actually got up out of bed and floated to the door in a swaying motion and tried my best to open the handle so as leave and call for help, then instantly im back in bed and the pressure has gone and I’m very much standardly awake.
From what I have read, these recent daily experiances are just part of a normal healthy process concerning a defence mechanism to stop the body acting out a dream. I accept that is the case, but after twenty years of experiancing them, I cant help but think there is something else going on that doctors dont yet understand.
Is there any way to stop or reduce SP because it is really affecting my sleep at the moment.
Thanks
hi Jaime, thanks for commenting. your range of experiences sounds very intense. I agree with you that “something else is going on,” probably related to your anxiety profile. It’s not happenstance that SP comes when we are getting our lives “sorted out,” as you say. These experiences have a psychological component, and can be seen as instances of conscious interaction with conflicts that are usually hidden from our minds eye. SP is known to come when people are “in between”, or going through a shift in lifestyle or role. or They can also come at the end of a relationship or during conflict with romantic partners.
Now, I don’t know anything about your life, so take this as a “projection” of my life onto yours. could be your temporary home does not feel as safe as you had hoped, or you don’t feel safe in general due to your life situation. if this was my dream, I’m scared because this female demon wants to cuddle me and is suffocating me. See if this statement makes sense with a significant person in your life right now, or in your deep past.
the question is: why this vision now, at this time in my life?
Dear Ryan,
I am happy to have “stumbled” upon this article. I am 41 years old and have experienced these phenomena all my life. For me, the hallucinations are not always scary — in fact some are quite funny. I’ll never forget the basketball player standing by my bedroom door as a teenager. Also, I have often awakened to literally “handwriting on the wall.” The paralysis is usually accompanied by the feeling of being pulled down by something, falling very fast or shooting up. I did have occasional night terrors as a child, but they were not paralysis dreams at all. Over the years, I am no longer frightened by these experiences — but it is comforting to know that many others have these experiences as well. Thanks for posting the article:-).
thanks Rachel! I’m glad you found us…
Thank you for posting this article and your other one about lucid dreaming.
I am and always have been a lucid dreamer since I can remember.
My experiences of SP are not like the others described, I am literally paralyzed with no sensation or movement of my body apart from my eyes. When I was younger I thought I was awake when i was in SP and I thought possibly I would stay paralyzed forever because I didn’t know I was dreaming, it felt like reality.
It started off with my alarm clock going off, I would wake up, open my eyes and try to pull back the cover with my arm but I couldn’t move my arm or any other part of my body. Nothing felt like it was pushing me downwards or even that i was elevating. I was literally glued in the position I fell asleep in with only control over my eyes.
When i was in SP everything around me was exactly the same, if it was a morning i could hear people getting ready for work or school, I could see my cats walking around the room even walking across my body. If this happed when I was in company it was most distressing because I just wanted the person next to me to shake me and move my limbs for me. Anything.
Eventually when I felt like i had woke up in SP I just wouldn’t move, I wouldn’t even try to move. I would just lay there looking round the room for as long as it took trying to keep calm. Eventually I would concentrate and wiggle my toes and wiggle my fingers after what felt like 10 minuets of waiting. Or even just shut my eyes and pretend I am asleep again and I cant move because I am asleep.
After some time (roughly 5 years) I would just get up out of bed and carry on with my lucid dream. And wow, they were the BEST because they felt so real, they were real!
SP can be very very frightful but I believe if you experience my ‘symptoms’ of SP then even a basic understanding of what is going on really does help. I thought I was the only person who experienced SP until only 1 year ago when i openly spoke about this.
It really does give me great admiration to the people who do not have control over their limbs awake not dreaming.
hi Cat! welcome to sleep paralysis headquarters. 🙂 indeed, I also think everyone who has shared here is so brave!
As to your question about sleep hygiene, that is a term used to describe how much “room” we give to sleeping in our lives. it’s not so much quantity as quality: do we relax before bed, or fall asleep watching TV? do we limit alcohol and caffeine in the evenings? do we go to bed around the same time every night? do we have the “emotional space” to get a good full-nights sleep? etc. In my ebook, Chapter I is a focused study on how attending to basic sleep hygiene needs can reduce sleep paralysis. these tactics can really make a difference for SP sufferers.
Also… What do you mean when you refer to ‘sleep hygiene’ ?
I am 40 yrs. old and for the first time this morning around 5 am I awoke to the fan making a different type of noise but I knew it was just me thinking that. I tried to get up and I couldn’t move and had a feeling of impending doom. I snapped myself out of it and fell back asleep. It seemed as though the minute I fell back asleep I awoke again to the same thing. I was awake -the fan making a weird noise but it really wasn’t but this time I felt something “evil” or negative sitting on my stomach. I couldn’t move no matter how hard I tried. I felt scared. I know I was not dreaming. It almost felt like a buzzing or vibration in my stomach and arms. Can someone explain to me what I experienced? Is this what they call sleep paralysis or hallucinations. It scared me enough that I have been awake since 5am freaking out about this. Thank you for listening. I would love some feedback.
hey Rachael, your experience sounds like sleep paralysis with an incubus hallucination. often times the fear is mirrored by the hallucination, so it feels like “objective” evil. so, you’re okay, it’s completely normal, but hopefully it won’t happen again!
I awoke this morning at around 3am after having a nightmare. I have been having trouble sleeping in general lately usually racking up a combined 2-3 hours of sleep total. So last night after being awakened I was able to fall back asleep fairly quickly or so I thought, I became consumed by the sound of my attic fan and felt a breeze blowing on my face, I was sleeping on my side and felt the distinct feeling of hands pushing me into my bed at my shoulder and thigh. I tried to scream for help but my voice wouldnt come and I felt almost like I had forgotten how to speak. after what seemed like several minutes I was ‘awake’ and able to free my self and was overcome with fear and had to go check on my kids. This is my first recollection of something like this and it was terrifying!
Hi Ryan,
I knew that the experiences that I have aren’t unusual but it’s still nice to read about what other people have experienced. For me it usually happens during a hypnopompic state and starts with a false awakening. Although I never ‘see’ anything, it feels like there are lots of hands pushing me down on the bed. The funny thing is, the first time it happened,I didn’t feel any fear at all. I was able to rationalise it while it was happening as I’d read about the ‘old hag’ phenomena before and knew that it wasn’t some freaky supernatural attack! A very spiritual friend of mine was convinced that she would have to come around and cleanse my home! I’ve always been a very vivid dreamer and have experienced a few lucid dreams in my time – although not enough in my opinion! The link between SP and so called ghost sightings fascinates me – as does the physchology associated with the paranormal.
Christian, thanks for sharing! With luck, you won’t have it again… Still, it’s good to be prepared by understanding the science of SP, as well as the psychology of fear, so next time, you can be ready with a way to calm down and relax.
Vicki, lucky you for your ability to stay cool, calm and collected during SP… that’s excellent. I am fascinated how we “project” our fears onto this phenomenon, and co-create the “Stranger.” the paranormal link is truly profound too: Some people have experienced getting information that they couldn’t have known otherwise, and have verified afterwards. Does it mean spirits are real? Dunno. But the anomaly is worth studying without preconceived notions.
Still, a house cleansing probably couldn’t hurt 🙂
I started having sleep paralysis when I was pregnant I think what triggered it was fear my child would be token from me. I felt like I was bring held down very violently and couldn’t scream for help. I wouldn’t even realize it was a dream til one night I woke up my babys father from my movement. Now that I have my baby my sleep paralysis are me being abducted by aliens I can see myself floating away from my family. They happen so often now I know I’m dreaming so I let carry on with no fear of it anymore.
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences! I have had SPHH for about 20 years now, with experiences as high as twice a week down to a few times a year. Looking back I have noticed that where I lived at the time had an effect on my rate of experiences. We move a lot- every 2-4 years- and in some houses I got SPHH on the regular while in others not enough to mention. I too get the feeling of being pulled downward or backward, accompanied by a loud humming/buzzing noise in my ear. If I’m fast enough I can change position in bed and sometimes I can stop it. If I’m not fast enough I’m pulled into an unpleasant feeling of emergency. I’m not able to move but I AM able to scream. I feel as though I’m screaming my head off, but all my husband hears is some feeble squeaking, thankfully he knows to give me a hard shake. My HH have ranged from the silly (a giant bee with a huge stinger landing on me) to the creepy (seeing my reflection in a mirror and it’s not my face) to downright evil (a murderous child running around my bed with a cleaver). I’m not scared for myself anymore, it’s just more inconvenient now. And I don’t want to wake my husband or kids and freak them out by my squeaking haha. My name can be yelled but nothing unlocks me unless it’s a hard shake on my shoulder.
wow. im literally crying after i read this. my dreams have been such a huge and insane part of my life but, when i had discussed some of the dreams with my parents… my OBE and the LD that I could put myself in more or less. And my SP, is looked down upon by them because they believe it’s a demon. But, I always felt that I kind of liked being able to do what I can do in my dreams, and how I can… in a way, go anywhere I want to.
But, I was going over the rest of the website, cause I mean, this is awesome. Haha, I’m so happy to learn I’m not crazy lol.
But, I have these dreams very very often. I always DREAM THAT I wake up in my bed. As if I were waking up from the actual sleep that i’m in, but i dream that i wake up. idk its weird. And can see everything around me in my room. And I swear it’s real. I can see every little detail on the wood floor, i can feel everything as if it’s 100% real. and sometimes I get so freaked out when this happens that I forget that its not real. most of the time there is people in my house, i remember one particular dream it was an old black lady wearing old western clothes, and she was singing me a song so i wouldnt be scared… i was huddled in the corner of my room, right next to my bed. i was banging my head against the wall… i was so scared of her… i dont know why. but, she started to rub my head and blood was pouring off of her hand. i looked around and there was a nail sticking out of my wall and it had been going in my head… and i freaked out cause i was starting to wonder if this was still a dream… i ran into my living room and there was several men in there, they were all decapitated ans holding their own heads in their hands… they were just standing there staring at me… i ran back into my room and the old lady was gone… i jumped in my bed and started doing the little brain thing so i could wake up but, like really wake up in my real bed not my dream bed. and i did. but, yeah… i have TONS of dreams like those. sometimes I can go in and out of the dream if I want to.
Ah, your website is making me feel like im so NORMAL!::)
i dont know if it’s hh, but i saw someone else say they have dreams about like waking up. and they were scary
dreams about waking up can also be regular REM dreams:
http://dreamstudies.org/2010/05/04/how-to-stop-false-awakening-dreams/
I see that someone (Cathleen) posted a few months back that she experienced lower back pain with SP. I, too, experience extreme back pain the next day (not during an SP episode). Also, the day after an episode, I feel like I’m in a daze, my senses are dulled, and my reactions and speech are very slow. Have you come across these symptoms in your research? If so, do you have any solutions for these effects of SP? Thank you for your insight!
Melanie,
Thank you for making that connection about lowee back pain. I have not come across it in my studies, actually, but there’s so much we don’t know about SP still. Be great to have some longitudinal data from other women in relationship to lower back pain, SP and also chart it against the fertility cycle (just one possibility among many).
Have you ever taken melatonin or 5-HTP? It may be effective for normalizing wakefulness patterns after SP.
Ryan,
Is there a way to shorten the time I’m in sleep paralysis, as I need to go through it in order to enter lucid dreams. It is as others have mentioned, quite inconvenient. Thanks.
This is an amazing blog/site btw.
Thanks Gabrielle. Once you realize you’re in SP, try closing your eyes, as this will invite the dream more quickly. If your eyes are closed, put your intention on one point and try to draw yourself into it. This can make a tunnel appear which may drop you into a lucid dream.
Thank you so much for all the information on this. It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one who experiences this type of thing. I have had many experiences with what I think of as ‘shadow people’, they look like shadows, but I can see, hear, and feel them. I typically have quite vivid dreams too, and remember my dreams quite well. I started having SP/HH when I was quite young, and I believe that it began or perhaps was just intensified by the abuse that was occurring. While it still happens now, I have an easier time controlling my fear.
It’s such a difficult topic to discuss with other people, as they don’t seem to understand. To many, it’s ‘just a dream’ or they think you are making it up. I think it can be difficult to comprehend for those who haven’t experienced it, just how frightening and real it seems.
I look forward to reading more about this from you, Ryan.
For just the last few months I have been having these dreams. They are becoming more frequent and there does not seem to be any pattern aside from the fact that it never happens when I am in bed, only on the couch. I will dream that I have been awakened by a noise or song and I believe that I am awake only to realize after a couple seconds that this is the dream again. At that point, I can feel something holding my down. Unlike SP, however, I am able to move and try to fight off whatever it is. I know at this point that it is a dream so I just keep telling myself to try to scream in the hopes that it will be loud enough to wake me. Unfortunately, though I am able to move, I am not able to scream above a squeak without great effort. This last one this morning was the strongest yet and, for the first time, moved the covers off of me before holding me down. Never before has anything in the room been changed so it feels like the dream is becoming more intense.
I recognize, after reading this page, that this is a somewhat normal occurance and nothing worrisome but, I don’t like it and I want it to stop. Are there any tips to give someone who is not at all interested in this continuing?
Thanks for the information! Last night was about the fourth or fifth time I had experienced sleep paralysis, but did not know what it was. It was the second time I felt like the covers were being taken off of me, but when I was finally able to come out of it I saw the covers had not gone anywhere and made me feel a little less fearful. After reading your pamphlet, I am now actually excited to experience it again to try to explore it rather than fearfully come out of it. Thanks again.
I’m think I’m happy I found this site!? After last night I was trying to find an answer to just exactly it was I had experienced. I found myself pinned to my bed with a great amount of weight on my shoulder. I was certain I was awake but could not move. I’m 55 years old and was trying, somewhat unsucsessfuly, to call for help from my wife or son. Finally, my wife heard me calling for my mom and came into the room to check on me. I was awake and talking to her but still could not move. Shortly afterwards, as my son watched on scared to death, I was able to roll onto my back. Felt kind of embarrassed when I got up this morning and just trying to understand this. I do have a history of repetitive dreams as a child in which I was tormented in various ways, but they have been limited to just a few as an adult. Those dreams also involved the inability to escape. I believe it was in my 30’s when I was actually able to fight off my tormentor and escape the “nightmare”. With the knowledge provided in this article, hopefully my next experience will not be so terrifying.
This has happened to me a lot in my life. My last apartment was what I thought was the worst until last night. My last apartment was around the block from where I am right now. I was living there with my girlfriend at the time and this SP would happen to first me then her. Other things started to happen shortly after such as my cat starting to act unusually being scared by seemingly nothing then spending most of her time in the bathroom which she never did before. After that first I began to see a dark figure on our bed which had a physical weight to it…twice…once for my girlfriend at the time. My parents came to visit one night. We never said a word about it. That night the same thing happened to my mother…which I found out after I moved out.
Now its happenin again. 3 weeks ago my bathroom faucet turned on around 3 in the afternoon full blast I posted the fact on my facebook status and after it happened I freaked a bit and left. Since then I have been seeing stuff constantly in the corner of my eye and dismissing it.
Last night was the culmination. I was sleeping on the couch as I have been for like 3 weeks now, with the tv on low…just to have some familiar noise in the background… when I first felt the covers being pulled off me. I said this is all in my head im just half awake half asleep ill just doze off soon, nothin to be afraid of. The blanket ended up on the luv seat next to me….I really fought using all caps here…I got up, took the blanket back and tried to fall asleep again.
A few minutes later same thing but this time I tried to hold on. The blanket was pulled out of my fingers. This time it ended up on the floor at the end of the couch.
At this point I figured well what the hell…In my head my language was much more colourful but u get the pic, I might as well got to the bedroom.
The same ordeal continued for a few hours, even to the point where I got my cell phone and tried to capture it, but all I get is a blanket halfway down my legs so who the hell will believe me?
When I finally fall asleep its hours of night terrors only to be ended at 5:35am by a huge crash on one side of my room while my cat who was cowering the whole time on in the closet on the other side of the room tears out with me not far behind. Not knowing wtf is happening freaking, pinching myself slapping myself in the face to make sure this is all real.
It is now 11:31pm the next night and im sitting in my living room writing this in all honesty. 1hr ago with my cat sitting on my armrest of my chair there was a huge crash in my bedroom. I now live alone. My cat was staring at the adjacent doorway with a freaked look on her face.
Now I’m sorry I do believe in SP but something goddam real is happening to me here.
When I felt the covers move in my living room and in my bedroom the actually did. My bed moved! I know because when I got up I physically moved it back! Multiple times! WTF is happening to me? there has to be someone who has had this happen to them? My name is Chris my email address is somethinreallysmells AT hotmail.com please don’t spam it…I know its a silly email address but its my main one that I’ve had for a while this is true this is real and its going on. Its freakin me the F out and I hope that the person in charge of this site allows it to be posted cause I at least need some feedback cause I came here looking for answers.
It seems that you are being haunted by an actual demon. This can happen because of things that you did in your past. For instance did you ever play with wigi board in the past? Or did you go see a fortuneteller? Things like that can spiritually draw evil into your life. The only way of really dealing with this kind of thing is to see a pastor and asking him to pray and break the curse on your life. Only problem with that is that prayer will help get rid of the haunting but only for a little while if you’re not saved. If a demon leaves it finds seven other and returns. So if your life isn’t right with God then it will continue to happen and it just might become worse.
Chris,
well, I’m in a difficult position here because I can’t validate your experiences one way or the other. These kinds of phenomenon are not really my specialty even though they overlap with sleep paralysis.To cover your bases, I recommend moving your bed to a new location (away from electric outlets and in-wall piping), cutting down on stimulants and alcohol, as well as talking to someone whose opinion you trust like a minister, priest, or counselor. You may want to get a specialist who could do a cleansing for the house too.
I agree with Daniel. I have experienced things to a lesser degree. Accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour; believe that he died for your sins and the only thing to do is trust and believe in him. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you; simple as that.
Do these things with all your heart, soul and mind and you will sleep peacefully. And P.S. seek the Lord and you will find many answers.
yes i agree with what karen has said. this problem happened to me but 3 times in a row and about the 3rd time i was able to speak and i started to pray to the lord and it went like this dear heavenly father please for give me for i am a sinner i accept you as my king of king my father and my everything and i was able to move and boy did i shot up out of my bed then i prayed like 10 more times after that and i was able to sleep but i believe that this has happened to my fathers side of the family he told me that when he was younger he would see shadows and hear a lady crying and he was even touched and cut by what ever touched him
prayer is a powerful thing and if you have a faith, I definitely recommend calling on your faith in moments of crisis in sleep paralysis. However, it seems the most effective prayers are the ones that empower yourself (“God give me strength… through the power of the name”) rather than pleading for help. in other words, because of the nature of this state of consciousness, self-empowerment is critical.
I have actually saw a lady in my room one night, also hear voices and see images while I am sleep and the feeling of my arms and legs being pulled while I am in bed.. and I am plagued by nightmares and feelings of not being able to move or scream while I sleep
you’re not alone Trice!
I’ve had pretty similar experiences. A screaming banshee-woman in my room that terrified me worse than death. I get frightened thinking about it. My ability to scream is the first thing I recover as I struggle to move. I’m not sure if I actually am still screaming in reality as I wake up from it. I don’t believe in spirits, but I can’t imagine the conclusions I’d jump to if I did.
For a few years I have been doing research on why I dream what I dream. It became irritating because I was always afraid to sleep at night. This website describes exactly what I go through! I have dreams where I lay in bed and someone is strangling me and it feels so real. And I have dreams about not having any control over my body. Like I’m a puppet on strings. For awhile I thought I’m just going crazy. I’m happy there is a name for what I’m going through.