Being Ridden by the Witch: Sleep Paralysis Is the Greatest Nightmare

Err... sleep paralysis can be bad if you don't realize that its an instant gateway into a lucid dream. I had lucid dreams long before I realized this, but at some point in my life during a sleep paralysis event i realised it was a dream, and after that i could fly, have sex, and be magic for as long as i remembered i was dreaming. Have fun the next time you have sleep paralysis, its not awful, its awesome.

I experienced sleep paralysis for several years before finding out that it was a phenomenon that happened to other people.

Less than 5% of those occurrences were hallucinogenic with extremely vivid hallucinations. Often the hallucinations involved a frightening but oddly archetypal witch hissing in my face.

Later, when I learned of the phenomenon I was both relieved (to know I wasn't alone) but also terrified that others who experienced this also saw witches.

I still don't understand the connection, and it's frightening still.

Curious if anyone else saw similar visions or otherwise had potent hallucinations accompany their paralysis. I have few other notable images; would be interesting to see if anyone else had similar ones.

I experienced sleep paralysis a long time ago in the form of too darker than black dog like creatures standing near my bed in my bedroom. They'd been hitting me with small bolts of electricity until I managed to overcome the paralysis then I just woke up in the same place.

I guess the condition and the visions had something to do with a therapy I was going through at that time.

I also get it regularly, about a 3-4 times a month - and learned to "break out" (such an apt description!) as well.

Lately, I've gotten to the point where sometimes I can remain calm, and instead of breaking out, just sort of wait it out. Its odd, but I've noticed it takes me around 1-3 minutes to get out of it, and it seems if I can remain calm for that duration, that I'll get to a point where I can move out of it on my first try. Its got me questioning whether I ever really break out of it at all, or am just convincing myself that I am until the 'timer' runs out. If I could consistently remain calm and wait, I'd probably know by now - but Im only occasionally able to do so.

Anyways, just thought I'd share my experience for any other regulars :)

I am reasonably sure that many of the people who believe they have been abducted by aliens (or seen them in their room with them) have probably just experienced sleep paralysis. I say this knowing that when I was younger I had a few episodes of it that still haunt me to this day.

I can remember at least one episode where I woke up into this state to a black tall figure essentially in my face.. giant eyes and the whole bit. I couldn't move and given that this was the first time sleep paralysis had happened to me, thought (and it truly felt) like the entire experience was real. If I remember correctly I broke out of the state by somehow getting my eyes to close in fear and then waking up what had to have been just a couple minutes later. Obviously there was no alien right in my face but it sure felt like it and bringing this story up now I can still 'feel' the experience all these years later. Odd how the brain works.

Edit: Ah, I'm not the only one who thinks most alien stories can be explained by this http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/06/science/alien-abduction-sc...