Sleep Paralysis
A few years ago something really freaky happened while I was sleeping (or actually while I was awake!). I remember it clearly and I think back of it often, but lately I hadn’t thought of it much until last night.
Basically what happened years ago is this; I dreamed I was laying in my own bed in the dark, awake, and someone (a big black figure) was above me, or on top of me and choking me. I tried to put the reading light on so I could see who was choking me. But whenever I switched the button it wouldn’t come on.
Suddenly I felt myself wake up. I just knew I was awake. The freaky thing was that I was laying in the same position as in my dream (on my back) and someone was on top of me trying to choke me!! And of course, you guess it, the light wouldn’t come on when I tried. Not until the second try anyway…
It just felt so real and it was really scary. For a long time I didn’t really know what it was, other than just a bad dream. Until last night. I was watching a show about sleep walkers, but not just ‘normal’ sleep walkers but people that actually could injure their loved ones in their sleep due to their frantic movements (usually hitting and throwing things).
All of a sudden a young women told her story; she wakes up at least twice a week to see a lady above her that sits on top of her (on her chest, kneeling) and choking her. She can’t move or scream but she is full awake and knows what’s going to happen every single time.
So it hit me that this dream I had wasn’t just a dream but something called sleep paralysis. You wake up from your REM Sleep and can’t move. And even though you’re awake your still somehow stuck in your dream. The experience of someone (or something) trying to choke you is not uncommon. It’s been described in many different cultures and in many different eras.
Even though I know now what it was, it is still frightening, especially because, if it were to occur again, I know what to expect but can’t avoid it…
6 Comments on "Sleep Paralysis"
I’ve experienced that already. I think twice. When you try to move it’s like you’re hurting yourself or you’re about to die. What I do is, i just wait and not move and after seconds i’m okay again. It’s really scary.
In the Philippines, we call it “bangungot”
This happened to me once when I touched an ouji board… I dreamt of a lady dressed in black whom I killed, and she came back and choked me. It was the most scariest experience in my life, and later, i drew a picture of her in Art, and my girlfriend told me she saw the lady in my drawing on The Learning Channel. After that, I do not mess with “the other side” or “unknowns” anymore…
Last year I did a lot of research on a lot of things relating to sleep and dreaming, and sleep paralysis really freaked me out. I’ve never experienced it, really (only dreamed I have, which is different), but I hate the thought of waking up, being unable to move, and hallucinating.
What I do experience (and hate), however, is where I wake up and discover I am still sleeping. If I attempt to wake up properly, the dream always goes horribly, but I feel like I have to make that attempt because I’m afraid my dream will go horribly anyway.
Hah, I love reading about sleep and dreams! But when it comes to the “spiritual” or “otherworldly” aspect… that’s where I lose interest. :/ I’m a bit of a sceptic that way.
Sleep paralysis. I’ve had several of those. I wake up, and notice I’m not breathing. At first I thought I had sleap apnea (quit breathing while sleeping), but then I wondered if I’m still half asleep, and just can’t feel myself breathing. Maybe I’m breathing the whole time. I just try to roll myself left and right, and after a few tries I wake up.
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That’s very scary – I’ve heard of it before, but have never experienced it… nor do I want to!