Woke up paralysed...
Discussion
Only posting this as it's the single most scary thing that's ever happened to me.
Woke up this morning abruptly after having a pretty vivid dream where I died. Went to turn over on to my side and realised I couldn't move. I was completely awake and could move my eyes freely, but my whole body was completely outside of my control. It wasn't numb, I could still feel, but completely unable to move.
I started to panic, tried calling my girlfriend who was next to me but no sound was coming out. Started screaming and screaming her name but all was coming out was a really light, mumbled whisper. My hand was next to the radiator, so I tried concentrating and to try and bang it with my hand, only to realise the best I could do was to move two of my fingers very slightly.
After a while of this, panicking and thinking of how my life was ruined and how I wouldn't be able to drive anymore (priorities and all that...) I kept trying to scream and eventually it started to get a bit louder each time and soon after I had full body control again.
I was worried I'd had a stroke or something like that, but after doing a bit of research apparently sleep paralysis is very common and quite normal and harmless. It seemed to suggest most people get it at least once in their lives. Everyone I've asked though has never heard of or experienced it.
So, any of you ever experienced it? Was it a one time thing or a regular occurrence?
Woke up this morning abruptly after having a pretty vivid dream where I died. Went to turn over on to my side and realised I couldn't move. I was completely awake and could move my eyes freely, but my whole body was completely outside of my control. It wasn't numb, I could still feel, but completely unable to move.
I started to panic, tried calling my girlfriend who was next to me but no sound was coming out. Started screaming and screaming her name but all was coming out was a really light, mumbled whisper. My hand was next to the radiator, so I tried concentrating and to try and bang it with my hand, only to realise the best I could do was to move two of my fingers very slightly.
After a while of this, panicking and thinking of how my life was ruined and how I wouldn't be able to drive anymore (priorities and all that...) I kept trying to scream and eventually it started to get a bit louder each time and soon after I had full body control again.
I was worried I'd had a stroke or something like that, but after doing a bit of research apparently sleep paralysis is very common and quite normal and harmless. It seemed to suggest most people get it at least once in their lives. Everyone I've asked though has never heard of or experienced it.
So, any of you ever experienced it? Was it a one time thing or a regular occurrence?
It was an evil spirit. Your house is possessed. 
Or just this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
Or just this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
It'll be sleep paralysis
Essentially during dream sleep(usually the couple of hours before you wake up) your brain disconnects your body so you don't act out dreams.
Rarely, this disconnect carries over into the waking world, leaving you awake but unable to move.
I used to get it quite regularly, seems stress was my trigger.
What's worse is most of the times it happened to me, I also got the "something in the room" symptom and occasionally the feeling that something was pinning me to the bed.
I remember the first time it happened around age 13 I was convinced I was about to be abducted by aliens as I was convinced there was soemthing in the room. Completely freaked me out as I'd watched Communion not long before that.
Essentially during dream sleep(usually the couple of hours before you wake up) your brain disconnects your body so you don't act out dreams.
Rarely, this disconnect carries over into the waking world, leaving you awake but unable to move.
I used to get it quite regularly, seems stress was my trigger.
What's worse is most of the times it happened to me, I also got the "something in the room" symptom and occasionally the feeling that something was pinning me to the bed.
I remember the first time it happened around age 13 I was convinced I was about to be abducted by aliens as I was convinced there was soemthing in the room. Completely freaked me out as I'd watched Communion not long before that.
Good to know I'm not the only one... :P
It lasted a couple of minutes I think. Looking at that Wikipedia page the causes seem to a ring a bell. I'm not particularly stressed, but I had hardly any sleep that night or for the previous few days. I'd just finished two weeks of working nights and was trying to get back into a regular sleeping pattern, which wasn't working and just meant I'd been lying awake most nights.
Still though, absolutely terrifying. There was no feeling of another presence, which seems to be quite common, it was the opposite actually. I just felt completely alone. My girlfriend was there as I said, but being completely unable to communicate and being stuck in my own thoughts probably would have tipped me over the edge if it lasted much longer.
Hope it never happens again, though I'd probably be a little less worried now I know what it is.
It lasted a couple of minutes I think. Looking at that Wikipedia page the causes seem to a ring a bell. I'm not particularly stressed, but I had hardly any sleep that night or for the previous few days. I'd just finished two weeks of working nights and was trying to get back into a regular sleeping pattern, which wasn't working and just meant I'd been lying awake most nights.
Still though, absolutely terrifying. There was no feeling of another presence, which seems to be quite common, it was the opposite actually. I just felt completely alone. My girlfriend was there as I said, but being completely unable to communicate and being stuck in my own thoughts probably would have tipped me over the edge if it lasted much longer.
Hope it never happens again, though I'd probably be a little less worried now I know what it is.
Marf said:
What's worse is most of the times it happened to me, I also got the "something in the room" symptom and occasionally the feeling that something was pinning me to the bed.
I get exactly this, i try to fight it now - am getting stronger each time can almost turn on my side now lol. Pretty scarey when it first happened as i could feel a strong "presence" in the room. Marf said:
I remember the first time it happened around age 13 I was convinced I was about to be abducted by aliens as I was convinced there was soemthing in the room. Completely freaked me out as I'd watched Communion not long before that.
Thats exactly what I've experienced myself several times. When I was a kid I had the same thoughts about being abducted as it felt like there was something in the room with me and I couldnt move or shout.I get it occassionally...now i sort of recognise it even in my groggy waking state and tell the dream to f
k off. Relax yourself and try the moving finger...then moving all fingers...then wrist...then hand and you will be back!
I find that it happens with a few recurring dreams....so I tend to expect the paralysis and start mind fking my dreams before i wake up. Wierd!
k off. Relax yourself and try the moving finger...then moving all fingers...then wrist...then hand and you will be back!I find that it happens with a few recurring dreams....so I tend to expect the paralysis and start mind f
king my dreams before i wake up. Wierd!I had this once - I hallucinated a large thing with glowing red eyes in the middle of my room. I wasn't aware that I physically couldn't move, I believed that I was too scared to do so. Was absolutely terrifying, and for a while had me believing in the paranormal (in this case, either 'the Devil' or some kind of demon).
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