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

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

#41

Post by rytis »

"Sleep paralysis is, crudely, your brain waking up before your body."

I experience this, or something very similar, every now and again, perhaps once every two months or so. I understand that I'm awake, I can hear, but can't move or even open my eyes. However, unlike what everyone else is reporting, I do not experience any fear, terror or have difficulty breathing.

In fact, I find it quite amusing. I typically try to fall back into sleep, which occasionally work, or try to stay in this state, but never managed to go beyond a minute or so...

Maybe it's not sleep paralysis then?...

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

#43

Post by Kiro »

rytis wrote: post #41

"Sleep paralysis is, crudely, your brain waking up before your body." I experience this, or something very similar, every now and again, perhaps once every two months or so. I understand that I'm awake, I can hear, but can't move or even open my eyes. However, unlike what everyone else is reporting, I do not experience any fear, terror or have difficulty breathing. In fact, I find it quite amusing. I typically try to…

I've experienced that as well a couple of times. My mind is awake but my body is still sleeping, completely paralyzed. It's a bit scary and definitely a very strange feeling but not terrifying.

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

#44

Post by k-mcgrady »

It happened to me a lot but fortunately I've discovered the 'trigger' that causes it for me. When I'm in bed I have to keep both arms above the duvet, if I don't there is a very high chance I will have sleep paralysis. I believe it's related to heat. If I get too warm it is triggered and keeping my arms above the duvet prevents this.

I've tested the theory quite a lot simply by trying to trigger sleep paralysis (I wanted to when I was experimenting with lucid dreaming) and simply covering my whole body (except my head) worked most of the time.

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

#45

Post by vubuntu »

leahculver wrote: post #18
error54 wrote: post #13

Having suffered from this before I can say this: sleep paralysis is absolutely terrifying. Whenever this occurs there is a small, rational part of your brain that tells you that nothing is wrong but this is drowned out by the absolute certainty that something or someone is just about get to you and you can't even move to defend yourself. It's a very primal fear unlike any other I've experienced and I find interesting…

I've only had sleep paralysis a couple times and I agree that it is AWFUL. I felt like someone was standing in the room with me and was (irrationally) terrified. I lucid dream far more often, probably once a week. I agree that it's nowhere near as frightening but I find it to be unpleasant as well. It's not very fun to stay dreaming when I know I'm awake. It's funny but the movie Inception really helped me with my lu…

>"...kind of like swimming in the air" OMG. That's exactly what I dreamt more than couple of times. In my dreams I would be walking on water. Like if I pump my legs up and down fast enough, that keeps me afloat on the surface of water in a swimming pool, or a pond etc. Kind of like that lizard that walks on water (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhsxo7vY8ac) . It feels so realistic and so normal an ability to have. Alas I tried it quite a few times at our local swimming pool, and it never worked :)

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

#46

Post by vubuntu »

vubuntu wrote: post #45
leahculver wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've only had sleep paralysis a couple times and I agree that it is AWFUL. I felt like someone was standing in the room with me and was (irrationally) terrified. I lucid dream far more often, probably once a week. I agree that it's nowhere near as frightening but I find it to be unpleasant as well. It's not very fun to stay dreaming when I know I'm awake. It's funny but the movie Inception really helped me with my lu…

>"...kind of like swimming in the air" OMG. That's exactly what I dreamt more than couple of times. In my dreams I would be walking on water. Like if I pump my legs up and down fast enough, that keeps me afloat on the surface of water in a swimming pool, or a pond etc. Kind of like that lizard that walks on water ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhsxo7vY8ac ) . It feels so realistic and so normal an ability to have.…

>"I felt like someone was standing in the room with me and was (irrationally) terrified."

This has happened to me couple of times as well.

Upon reflection I have noticed uncanny similarities to the below movies..

Lucid Dreams == Inception (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/)

Sleep Paralysis == The adjustment Bureau (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/)

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

#47

Post by vubuntu »

kaliblack wrote: post #37
druiid wrote: post #29

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 whol…

I agree and have thought the same thing. When I got sleep paralysis in my teens I had the terror feeling and had the feeling of a ghost in my room. The only time I was able to relax during an episode, I had the experience of moving out of my body. If it is possible to think that with the brain in a state of sleep paralysis then it could be possible at other times too.

But have you ever wondered why its always the feeling of a ghost or (some form of human/human-like presence)? Why not a snake or a lion, tiger etc.

I have sleep apnea and used to wake up short of breath some times. Before I got a CPAP machine, there was a period when I experienced sleep paralysis episodes. In some cases I experienced the sounds of fast running steps approaching my bed sometimes that of a child, sometimes adult, which used to terrify me (of ghost presences. These episodes also coincided with my wife and kids away on vacation and I was alone at home, which added to the fear) and wake me up after breif sleep paralysis experience. After lot of post-self-analysis I figured out that my brain must have been replaying events from past to try to wake me up so I could recover from my short breath/sleep apnea situation and get more oxygen to my brain. .... my son used to run into our bedroom early in mornings after waking up from his bed (early days of his sleeping in separate bedroom), and we used to wake up to his running and jumping into our bed. Some times my wife walks up to my bed on weekends when I sleep late, to wake me up.

I believe my brain was using, what were familiar ways of me waking up to, and trying that on me to wake me up to protect me from my low oxygen situation brought upon by sleep apnea short breaths. Nevertheless, this was kind of a vicious cycle for a while even with me fairly certain of my analysis. The terror of waking up from partial sleep paralysis to such ominous 'other presence in room' irrational feeling caused a bad case of insomnia...it was not easy to fall asleep. And the insomnia in turn worsens sleep apnea and sleep paralysis episodes.

The CPAP machine helped a lot. Nevertheless is absolutely dreadful and irrationally terrifying.

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

#48

Post by vubuntu »

vubuntu wrote: post #47
kaliblack wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree and have thought the same thing. When I got sleep paralysis in my teens I had the terror feeling and had the feeling of a ghost in my room. The only time I was able to relax during an episode, I had the experience of moving out of my body. If it is possible to think that with the brain in a state of sleep paralysis then it could be possible at other times too.

But have you ever wondered why its always the feeling of a ghost or (some form of human/human-like presence)? Why not a snake or a lion, tiger etc. I have sleep apnea and used to wake up short of breath some times. Before I got a CPAP machine, there was a period when I experienced sleep paralysis episodes. In some cases I experienced the sounds of fast running steps approaching my bed sometimes that of a child, somet…

Also it is during such episodes, there are high chances that you will also experience what I call as 'recursive wakeups', several levels (mostly 1 or 2 levels deep) of indirection out of which you are unrolling to wake up like in the movie 'Inception'. I would feel very certain that I am awake, and have come out of my sleep paralysis by doing what ever tricks others have also pointed out (rolling sideways, wiggling toes, sitting up on bed etc), only to suddenly realize that the 'presence' is still there and panicking and eventually realizing I am still not fully awake ! Absolute terror until then :)

In fact, I would not be surprised if the writers who came up with the concept of 'Inception' and 'The adjustment Bureau' movies are probably themselves sufferers of these conditions (lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis) or at the least have heard accounts/experiences from some one in their circle (family, friends) and did further research.

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

#49

Post by vubuntu »

sfaruque wrote: post #5

I've found that attempting to roll your tongue while this occurs tends to lift the sleep paralysis. No idea why this works though.

If Sleep apnea were the cause (see my comment elsewhere above), then it would explain why rolling of tongue would lift it. Since tongue falling back on your throat is one of the causes of obstructive sleep apnea.

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

#50

Post by vubuntu »

phy6 wrote: post #19
phy6 wrote: post #15

I hate when this happens and I have a stuffed up nose. The only thing I can control is my breathing and rolling, I can't even moan. So I breath in a noisy pattern to wake up my wife (I've told her that shaking me would 'wake up' my body), or roll onto the floor (ouch!) to regain muscle control.

To add to my experiences, I've noted that it usually happens to me with these circumstances: 1) Sleeping on my back (it always happens this way, has never happened on my side or stomach) 2) poor bedding, where you've worn a divit/canoe into too soft bedding. 3) After having foods with lots of salt/msg (chemical imbalance? dehydration?) 4) On stuffy nights with stagnant, humid air or a stuffy nose 5) Sleeping on my ba…

All of these are strong triggers of sleep apnea, if your jawbone, throat, body structure etc, already make you susceptible to sleep apnea. All of these worsen my sleep apnea condition. I am starting to believe there is a strong connection between sleep apnea and these sleep paralysis episodes. Not that it cannot happen in other situations. But mainly here's my conclusion

1) Sleep paralysis is your brain waking up before your body and experiencing the 'unable to move' condition.

2) Lot of conditions can cause it. Mainly Insomnia, stress/sleeping-less due to work etc

3) Most folks who are saying that these episodes are not accompanied by irrationally terrifying 'presence' feelings probably have no other health conditions

4) Sleep apnea is your brain not getting enough oxygen. - Your brain goes into alarm/warning mode at some point and wants to force the body/mouth to change position so that you can start breathing normal again. - The way it does this is to try to wake you up, which results in most times you waking up short of breath, snoring very loud that it wakes you up. But in some cases, your body is very deep in sleep, so you first go through partially wake state...the sleep paralysis. - The brain is then further trying to wake you up fully, by recalling from memory things/experiences that have awaken you in the past - Someone bending over your face (your spouse giving you a good morning kiss) , some child running into your room (your kid running into your bedroom in the morning), sounds of walking steps (people walking in the morning close to you while you were partially awake, getting up), some frightening movie event/character that had made a strong impression on your brain in the past and which jolts you up (get adrenaline going, thus making your body recover from paralysis) etc. - These experiences that the brain induces, would feel more terrifying if you were in a state of paralysis and could not move. Thus the irrational terror. Especially if you are also living alone. - I think loneliness also is a trigger, as I have had sleep apnea induced breathless wakeup episodes (on some days when I neglect to use my CPAP machine), when my wife is next to me, but so far never the irrational 'presence' feeling when I am not alone. Even the sleep paralysis episodes are rare when my family is around. I just wake up straight short of breath when not using CPAP. But it is possible that my CPAP usage has improved my breathing. The last sleep paralysis episode I had was about 1.5 yrs ago when I was not yet using CPAP for my sleep apnea.

I have done this analysis so many times and very convinced that it is very likely to be accurate. But even then the fact that most people similar to me, have experienced 'the ghost bending close to your face and breathing over you, the demonic child standing in the room or walking/running towards you, the sound of steps' is still irrationally terrifying. That is why I do not watch horror/supernatural movies that much...to avoid giving more terror inducing fodder to my brain :)

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