Can someone who's had sleep paralysis tell me what it's like?

[Olive Yew]

I think I may have just had it? I woke up randomly from a dream about a tornado. My wholebody felt like it had "fallen asleep" like I had cut circulation off and was heavy and clumsy. My left arm was effected the worse. My pinky was catchng and popping when I opened and closed my hand- springing open and then springing closed. I immedialte started freaking out and had to get out of bed and walk around to calm downz once I moved around a bit and calmed down, it was like my body sorta came back to life. Is that what happens in sleep Paralysis?

[Ponder]

Hi Olive. I've had quite a few episodes when I was younger. Just thinking about my own experiences of sleep paralysis which whilst some of your description could no doubt be a part of the process; it was more like a very long episode for me. Suffocation with a sense of emending doom that sucks you into your mattress; a very dark bottomless pit from where no light exists. Getting up is not an option ... or was not for me. "In the Name of Jesus" "In the Name of Jesus!" Hmmm ... If I am to be completely honest with myself, I would have to say that it was the focus on such things that actually triggered my episodes of sleep paralysis. That's said though, you don't have to be exposed to religion to suffer sleep paralysis. The was a Netflix documentary that whilst overly entertaining I found to have some good concepts on the subject.

If your really interested it's not that hard to find info so I want bother linking except maybe to add a little more of my own thoughts ...

It does make for entertaining shows / drama ... so can be hard to filter information that might actually be tangible to one's own experience. I guess it can be explained easily enough from a chemical perspective ... a scientific one in much the same way I am researching sleep. Perhaps a conflict of one's personal beliefs that trigger the chemical process that has people react like so. Kind of thing. None the less that does not make it any less real for those who suffer long bouts that go on for years. Mine eventually waned after a 10 year period and most definitely related to my religious upbringing which was very open to demonic entities and that kind of thing.

I think I could wind up having another episode if I was to go down the path of seeking Outer Body Experiences OBEs ... but only if I allow myself to beleive in Shadow Spirits, Grey Aliens, Reptilians and so on. Fear bases representations of other peoples projections that become my own and bla bla bla. With Bla bla bla once again becoming a very real thing for those that take up such a brush. / Dark Path ...

So now instead of believing in phrases such a in the name of bla bla bla ... I just meditate and go within. Is a complicated subject from this point on. It is and it is not. People prefer the drama of scary things. My new version of taking trips /escaping in my dreams are not as dramatic ... but I still go through various trips that I can't really explain. I've just learned to take another path ... but still open to something other than this plane.

Flying but then suddenly falling ... is about as dramatic as it gets these days for me. I guess that's off topic though. Srry about that.

Just as dreams can reflect what's going on in ones life or about to happen ... so too imo can sleep paralysis be a sign of pretty much the same thing ... more so a toxic version but perhaps a journey that needs to happen in order to awake.

OK ... Now I can go back on topic.

So when Jesus can't help ... you just have to ride it out in much the same way we need to experience uncomfortable emotions in order to overcome and move on. Night sweats, grip the sheets, don't hold the breath because you know you can't breath ... accept that your not going to get up ... that your pretty much stuck. When you can do that the eps pass much quicker. Eventually is becomes more a case of Big Deal ... I saw a shadow ... Your a shadow ... So *&^%ing what? Bingo ... it's time to go back to sleep. If you play into the story ... well then your *&^#ed!

If you don't have any drama that plays into your eps ... then you will no doubt out grow the phenomenon known as sleep paralysis real quick as it really is based mostly on associated drama. It's only as real as the brushes we choose to take on. Or as real as we care to admit ... Once again ... if it's not a dark dramatic drama per say ... then it could just be something other as I mentioned that relates to a dream being a sing post kind of thing.

Is as best I can share from my own experience.

PS - my youngest daughter also suffered with it - but has thankfully since outgrown it.

Good luck with it ... hope it's nothing too serious.

[Olive Yew]

Thank you for your response!!! I read that it had a lot of theories linked to biblical struggles and demonic presences but I'd mever heard such a thing prior to me having this episode so when I woke up, I just simply couldnt move. Felt like i had something sitting on my chest. The first thing to unlock wasmy left arm and my pinky was acting like I had trigger finger. Then right arm unlocked. Then my legs and once they went, i sat bolt upright with adrenalin coursing through me. It was the weirdest thign i've ever felt.

I also read that it can happen when you sleep on your back and I WAS on my back at the time so that combined with my weird tornado dream and having anxiety disorder is probably what did it.

[Ponder]

Good point about sleeping position. I don't think I ever had an attack when not sleeping on my back. I often remember being scared to fall asleep whilst on my side, but now you mention it, all of my attacks occurred when I was on my back. I know this because during every sleep paralysis attack I was awake. Many times I would be out of body looking down on myself. Each time I had this view, I was on my back staring up. Paralysis is a good word for the condition. I was frozen and could not move yet aware of being in a trapped like state. The term attack I beleive more a psychological issue and relates to ones system of belief.

But yea ... I was always on my back in an outstretched position. Who know how they say a straight spine is always more receptive? I think that has something to do with it.

[Ponder]

Thought this was worth updating. The first part is what really relates to the topic of this thread with the following context neither here nor there. (Although I thought this girl did a really great job on all counts!) I passed this one onto my youngest daughter who's struggled a lot with sleep paralysis:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKXkEaty2Fo

[sm3392]

I think I have this