Anyone else suffer from sleep paralysis?

Razziel

Oldflame's post got me thinking about it. I've never asked other people about how common it is, but it's pretty scary.

Basically your body is asleep and paralyzed, but your mind is awake. Sometimes you get a feeling of dread, othertimes of euphoria. Sometimes you hallucinate, and there are people or horrible creatures in the bedroom with you, and you can have conversations with them. I almost always get a loud buzzing sensation in my ears/neck that occurs right before my mind "wakes" up with me paralyzed.

From Wikipedia: Many perceptions associated with sleep paralysis (visceral buzzing, loud sounds, excited mental state, [ 22 ] presences, and the paralysis itself) also constitute a common phase in the early progression of episodes referred to as out of body experiences. [ 23 ] Mental focus varies between the two conditions; paralysis sufferers tend to fixate on reestablishing operation of the body, whereas subjects of out-of-body episodes are more occupied by perceived non-equivalence with the body.

I am one of the ones that fixated on reestablishing control of my body, even when I had terrible visions of supernatural creatures, and early on I found out even though I couldn't move myself, I could control my breathing. So I started breathing as fast I could, and within a couple of minutes, my body woke up from the increased oxygen.

Anybody else ever suffer from this?

Razziel

What really makes it scary is that even if you can't control your eyes, if your eyelids are slightly open you can see the room, and see the hallucinations. Makes it seem so real.

ScenicViewer

It has happened to me 2 or 3 times, but it's been a long time. At first I had no idea what it was and it scared me to death. A few years later the Awake! had an article on narcolepsy, and sleep paralysis is aparrently is one of the symptoms.

(Awake 4-8-91 p19,20)

"Other symptoms often include sudden muscle weakness, sleep paralysis, and frightening hallucinations."

"REM sleep features may even intrude on a patient’s waking thoughts and superimpose a vivid dream—or a terrifying nightmare—on reality. He may awaken in bed, his body paralyzed in the REM state, and hear voices and see frightening things. Such waking dreams (called hypnagogic hallucinations) may also occur during the day, and about half of all narcoleptics experience them."

I was relieved after I read that.

White Dove

Yes to all the above. Scary!

I learned how to talk (think) myself through it, though, as I experienced auditory hallucinations in the form of extremely loud tinitus that was like a demonic scene in a movie.

These experiences terrorized my childhood sleep about twice a month.

I haven't had any more of them for around 10 years now. (I'm 43).

jwfacts

I had it once about 20 years ago and thought it was a demon attack. A large percentage of the time sleep paralysis is wrongly attributed to demon attacks. Another example of the God of the Gaps concept.

White Dove

I was a small child when it happened and we all thought it was demons from garage sale items.

ScenicViewer

thought it was a demon attack

and

we all thought it was demons from garage sale items.

I thought the same thing the first time or two, which is what it made it more scary than it should have been. All the demon talk among JWs without a doubt caused me to think that.

It's amazing how so many of us thought the same thing; demons.

Razziel

I did notice this virtually always happens when I sleep on my back. I've started going to sleep on my side or stomach and don't experience this as much. When I do have it, it's when I've rolled back onto my back during the night. I've wondered if it's an issue with bloodflow to the brain, but I don't know. All I know is it is terrifying when it happens.

Razziel

And yeah, as I said in Oldflame's post, I originally thought it was demons too.

biometrics

Yes, had it once years ago. Not something I'll ever forget.

Anyone else suffer from sleep paralysis?

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