Sleep Paralysis
Discussion
There've been threads on this in the past in the health and welfare section. I don't really think of it as a health and welfare issue, so thought I'd open one here.
The paranormal happenings thread has reminded me that after a 6+ month period of having no sleep paralysis episodes I had a spate of them in one week. Can't think of anything in particular which may have brought them on, I don't think I was stressed as such, maybe just a little over-tired and I was preparing for a backpacking holiday in Laos the next week. On all but a handful of occasions the episodes have ocurred when I sleep on my back, as I usually sleep fetal on my right hand side.
I went through a phase of having these quite regularly to the point that I would quite often wake up paralysed but completely calm, attempt to wiggle fingers and toes until the movement came back and then immediately fall back to sleep again still on my back only for the episode to repeat within the hour. The stand out factor in these latest ones is that where pretty much all of the more recent episodes I can recall were free from any terror or sensations of a 'presence', one of the latest ones included both.
I woke with a start, paralysed and on my back so I knew immediately what was going on, but I was convinced that I had been woken by my friend / colleague who lives in the same apartment block thumping on my door and asking to borrow my phone charger. I'd been out with him a couple of hours earlier but while he'd stayed out, I'd turned in.
Anyway as always with these episodes, panicking seems to prolong the paralysis big time and on this occasion I was convinced that he had actually gotten into my apartment, perhaps I had left the door unlocked or maybe he'd forced it?
Of course I knew this was irrational but still after regaining movement I had to check the door.
I did ask him if he'd come knocking when I next saw him but he looked at me blankly and reminded me that he has no access to my floor of the apartment block.
Anyway, anyone else care to share their experiences? Fascinating little glitch isn't it?
The paranormal happenings thread has reminded me that after a 6+ month period of having no sleep paralysis episodes I had a spate of them in one week. Can't think of anything in particular which may have brought them on, I don't think I was stressed as such, maybe just a little over-tired and I was preparing for a backpacking holiday in Laos the next week. On all but a handful of occasions the episodes have ocurred when I sleep on my back, as I usually sleep fetal on my right hand side.
I went through a phase of having these quite regularly to the point that I would quite often wake up paralysed but completely calm, attempt to wiggle fingers and toes until the movement came back and then immediately fall back to sleep again still on my back only for the episode to repeat within the hour. The stand out factor in these latest ones is that where pretty much all of the more recent episodes I can recall were free from any terror or sensations of a 'presence', one of the latest ones included both.
I woke with a start, paralysed and on my back so I knew immediately what was going on, but I was convinced that I had been woken by my friend / colleague who lives in the same apartment block thumping on my door and asking to borrow my phone charger. I'd been out with him a couple of hours earlier but while he'd stayed out, I'd turned in.
Anyway as always with these episodes, panicking seems to prolong the paralysis big time and on this occasion I was convinced that he had actually gotten into my apartment, perhaps I had left the door unlocked or maybe he'd forced it?
Of course I knew this was irrational but still after regaining movement I had to check the door.
I did ask him if he'd come knocking when I next saw him but he looked at me blankly and reminded me that he has no access to my floor of the apartment block.
Anyway, anyone else care to share their experiences? Fascinating little glitch isn't it?
The first time I experienced it, it was pretty frightening- I ended up flinging myself out of bed and across the room when my movement came back. I had tried to scream but was unable to make a sound.
Since then it must've happened scores of times but 90% of the time there is no 'old hag' sitting on my chest and no sensation of a 'presence'. This one was quite unusual in that my brain played out the voice of somebody I knew and imagined a scenario in which he needed his phone charged (which he had been going on about at times in the evening when we were out). Strange what the brain gets up to in it's spare time.
Since then it must've happened scores of times but 90% of the time there is no 'old hag' sitting on my chest and no sensation of a 'presence'. This one was quite unusual in that my brain played out the voice of somebody I knew and imagined a scenario in which he needed his phone charged (which he had been going on about at times in the evening when we were out). Strange what the brain gets up to in it's spare time.
Scantily- It's happened to me one or twice whilst sleeping on my side with my face partially buried in the pillow. Despite the fact there was no feeling of terror or presence on that occasion it was still one of the nastiest- I felt as though I was going to suffocate!
MrB1obby- that must've really freaked your friend out...
MrB1obby- that must've really freaked your friend out...
It's just after midnight here and I've just woken up having had the textbook 'old hag' attack like never before, extraordinary and quite scary. Wide awake now... In fact, I'll admit it- a couple of times since I started writing this I have used the illumination of my phone screen to scan the dark bedroom as if I'm expecting to see some creature cowering in the corner after I swung at it when I got the use of my arms back. Jeez.
Bloody exhausted today. Damnable hag.
It was the most convincing hallucination I can remember having... I work up paralysed but feeling the sensation of something moving in the bed. Anybody who has owned a cat will know the feeling when the it's dark and the cat has jumped up onto the end of the bed. Although it's not touching you and you can't hear it, you can feel it's footfalls as movements in the mattress and tension in the duvet. Unable to move or look down towards my leg I felt the duvet moving against my leg hairs and I felt the compression of the mattress as it got to my left leg. Then the cat climbs up onto your lap, inevitably stepping awkwardly onto your crotch as cats always do. Except when the creature got to my chest, it peered down at me with it's black eyes and hooked nose like some Grimm fairytale depiction of a witch. I was fighting against the paralysis so it endured longer than normal, 'the hag' within inches of my face. I had to remember the old trick of wriggling fingers and toes as trying to thrash wasn't working. Then, as always, everything went back to normal and the palpable sense of anxiety dispersed nearly as quickly as it arrived.
This all happened as I was very tired and managed to fall asleep on my back. It occurred within 15 minutes of me falling asleep.
Bloody strange. I find it incredible the brain can come up with this stuff unprompted.
It was the most convincing hallucination I can remember having... I work up paralysed but feeling the sensation of something moving in the bed. Anybody who has owned a cat will know the feeling when the it's dark and the cat has jumped up onto the end of the bed. Although it's not touching you and you can't hear it, you can feel it's footfalls as movements in the mattress and tension in the duvet. Unable to move or look down towards my leg I felt the duvet moving against my leg hairs and I felt the compression of the mattress as it got to my left leg. Then the cat climbs up onto your lap, inevitably stepping awkwardly onto your crotch as cats always do. Except when the creature got to my chest, it peered down at me with it's black eyes and hooked nose like some Grimm fairytale depiction of a witch. I was fighting against the paralysis so it endured longer than normal, 'the hag' within inches of my face. I had to remember the old trick of wriggling fingers and toes as trying to thrash wasn't working. Then, as always, everything went back to normal and the palpable sense of anxiety dispersed nearly as quickly as it arrived.
This all happened as I was very tired and managed to fall asleep on my back. It occurred within 15 minutes of me falling asleep.
Bloody strange. I find it incredible the brain can come up with this stuff unprompted.
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