Sleep Paralysis

[truethat]

Well here goes. I've been having a reaccuring situation where I dream about a "demon" (think the John Lithgow version of the twighlight zone) sits tearing at my chest.

As I have been discussing spirituality a great deal with people in preparation for ministry school (and please note I am an atheist) many of my friends are suggesting that I am suffering some sort of "spiritual attack."

Although I am pretty positive that is not the case, I am starting to get a bit unnerved.

I did a bit of research and discovered that it is most likely sleep paralysis. Many people suffer what is called the Hag phenomenon of a small creature sitting on their chest.

However a few things have given me pause. One is that so many different cultures have this same phenomenon. I'm curious about how it relates to spiritual belief in people. What exactly is being manifested.

The other issue stems from this directly. That is physical manifestation of such an attack. I woke up this morning with bruises on my chest. I'm curious if I somehow hit myself while sleeping? Except Sleep Paralysis is supposed to be you not being able to move when you are asleep? So what gives.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue?

[not daSkeptic]

I've had a couple bouts of sleep paralysis. With the first one, all I saw were the glowing, red digits of my alarm clock moving about the room with a weird trailing effect. I was unable to move in any way, but the visual slowly diminished until the clock stopped moving. Then I could move.

For the second incident, it felt as though my blankets were pulled tight around me. I struggled and was slowly able to move again.

[truethat]

No demons eh? LOL I'm sure me talking about Spiritual issues contributes to it. I'm wondering about the parts of the brain that relate to this. It would seem to me if this was more prominent in the early days of man that it would explain a lot of things.

[Miss_Kitt]

A couple of things: One, sleep paralysis / night terrors are not that uncommon, and they always involve something scary. This is different from just a hypnopompic hallucination, where you basically wake up part-way from being asleep and perceive dream-state input and real world input simultaneously. The hypno event does not necessarily involved being scared, whereas the night terror always does. (I've had both, so I'm ultra clear on the difference!!)

Two, you noticed bruises on your chest in the morning, but that doesn't mean they were a result of anything during your dream. It could be that you had some kind of minor chest injury, which resulted in the night terror showing your chest being attacked; and the bruising from this pre-existing injury is what you saw in the morning. (Remember that bruising does not necessarily appear for hours after the injury, depending on how deep down the damaged capillaries are.) Dreams often take in and use input from our real lives.

I suggest that ask yourself what seems to be a greater likelihood: That you are having a well-known and documented brain phenomenon, or that there are actually supernatural beings and you are being targeted for an attack by one?

I had a friend whose pastor suggested that his car having ignition trouble on a Sunday morning was demonic attack to keep him from going to church! So I must admit I don't put too much credence in that line of "reasoning".

I hope your distressing sleep visions get better soon, MK

ETA -- I should clarify that my "night terrors" invariably (and they have happened over several decades) involve some robed, skeletal figure. In the worst events, it's trying to put its hand over my face; others I have only wisps of memory when I awaken, screaming. My hypnopompic hallucinations have a much larger cast of characters, including the Hellhound and the Astronaut/Aviator with his helmet (his head still in it) under his arm. So yeah, perfectly sane, atheist people can see these things due to brain electro/chemical weirdness. I get them more often when I am under a lot of stress or using too much caffeine (or, when I was much younger, other stimulants).

[truethat]

Don't get me wrong. I don't think its really demons. But this has not been a one time thing. Its gone on for about a year and a half. Whenever I start discussing spirituality it starts up again. Then it stops.

One I'm interested in understanding what causes faith. I certainly don't think its God or demons but rather a mental issue. A brain activity, temporal lobe or whatnot. Imagine if this has occurred for generations. Early man would obviously create a "thing" out of this experience.

I'm also interested in manifestation of physical issues. The psychosematic issues. The bruises are not the only issues. I have had scratches and pain in other examples. I wonder if you can mentally create physical harm, if that makes any sense.

Don't worry. Still the cynic.

[Quinn]

I've had several bouts of sleep paralysis/night terrors. All were (as the name would imply) terrifying, but only one involved the famous "demon" sitting on me. And now that you mention it, he did kinda look like the gremlin on the airplane wing from the Twilight Zone! Which is odd, because I was sleeping on my stomach, meaning he was sitting on my back, so I couldn't see him... but I could still "sense" what he looked like.

The first time it happened (not the time with the demon), I was lying there for what seemed like the longest time trying to move but unable. The only parts I could move were the tips of my fingers. Then a few minutes after I finally woke up, I happened to notice that the tips of my fingers (both hands) had turned blue. This freaked me out even more, although the blueness faded soon.

It wasn't until the next morning that I figured out where the blue fingertips came from: sweat, and the blue ink from the plastic bag on the cheap loaf of bread I had bought. Turns out night terrors make me hungry, and the first thing I did when I woke up (not counting "utterly lose my $#!+ because I thought supernatural entities were attacking me") was make toast. Moral: our minds are very good at making connections that aren't really there, especially under the stress of something like night terrors.

[Klimax]

Interesing.

From time to time I had dream which ends with my death.Everytime some miliseconds before dreamed demise I woke up and stayed unmoving for some seconds,then there was return to sleep.(after checking that everything is normal)

Strange.

[Jackalgirl]

Had it happen to me once. It was particularly freaky. I didn't feel as if something was on my chest, but I was completely unable to move. Fortunately, I know about sleep paralysis, so although I was somewhat alarmed, I was not terrified; I just waited it out.

I couldn't begin to tell you why it only occurs when you discuss spirituality; I do recommend, however, that if it begins to truly concern you, that you seek some sort of professional psychological counseling. If that were happening to me, I'd be very curious about the reason why the idea spirituality had such a powerful hold over me.

Also, consider that "spirituality" is such a broad term -- is it the discussion of spirituality that seems to be the trigger, or discussion of a particular religion that seems to be doing it? Have you discussed, say, ideas about the connection between oneself and Deity (or the Universe) with, say, a person following the Hindu religion, or a Buddhist? Do you have the same issues with night terrors after that?

Edited to ask: what kind of ministry school? Do the students belong to a particular sect that has the belief that an evil entity (such as SATAN!!!) and its minions are in fact very real and very active in the world?

[Jackalgirl]

ETA -- I should clarify that my "night terrors" invariably (and they have happened over several decades) involve some robed, skeletal figure. In the worst events, it's trying to put its hand over my face; others I have only wisps of memory when I awaken, screaming. My hypnopompic hallucinations have a much larger cast of characters, including the Hellhound and the Astronaut/Aviator with his helmet (his head still in it) under his arm. So yeah, perfectly sane, atheist people can see these things due to brain electro/chemical weirdness. I get them more often when I am under a lot of stress or using too much caffeine (or, when I was much younger, other stimulants).

Man, I wish I had cool night terror hallucinations like this. I just woke up and couldn't move. I am so BORING!

[Ysidro]

I never see anything. There's just a terrifying sense of someone behind me. In fact, IT'S THERE RIGHT NOW!!!!! AAAAHHH!!!!! *faints*

[Pixel42]

Imagine if this has occurred for generations. Early man would obviously create a "thing" out of this experience.
It has occurred for generations - it's the consequence of a minor malfunction of a brain process that has existed for as long as dreaming has, which is probably at least a million years - and it almost certainly is the root cause of a lot of superstitions.

The wiki article has a long list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis#Folklore

[Dorfl]

My only experience with sleep paralysis went more or less like this:

zzz... huh?
Weird, I can't move.
Cool, it must be sleep paralysis!
zzz...

My night terrors have been much more interesting, involving for example waking up with the absolute conviction that Hamlet's family are about to mess with the iterative loop of the universe, thus ending all of existence.

[Undesired Walrus]

I've often woken up, felt fairly terrified, and then walked downstairs, picked up my phone and started to dial someone. It's only then I realise I'm actually still in bed, and I never left it, nor picked up a phone.

[TX50]

I've had the "demon sitting on my chest trying to strangle me"
dream a few times too. I wonder why that one is so common?
Also had "it" on my back apparently trying to tear my lungs out.
I can see totally why some persons might believe in demons after
experiences like that.

[TX50]

I've often woken up, felt fairly terrified, and then walked downstairs, picked up my phone and started to dial someone. It's only then I realise I'm actually still in bed, and I never left it, nor picked up a phone.

I've had one where stuck all over my wall on little "post it" notes was
the most fabulous book ever written (dunno what exactly it was but I just
know it was totally freaking amazing). In the (lucid) dream I tried to scribble
it all down onto a pad. Sadly when I woke up there were no post it notes
and no pad and I couldn't remember a single word of what was written. :(

[Björn Toulouse]

I've had sleep disturbances all of my life and still have them (age 60 now). I've had many of the ones that give rise to the belief in OOBE's - during one very vivid one, I tried to leave evidence that it was really happening by arranging a pile of pocket change and my wallet on the dresser (when I finally woke up, no such pile was there). I still have my "OOBE's" - I like to call it that, but it's no such thing - just seems like it. When I come out of it, there is a good-feeling period like afterglow.

I've had the weight on the chest thing many times, once complete with a glimpse of a fat-winged creature as it scampered away from my bed, noisily flapping its wings for me to hear. I've never been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but I believe the experience is tied to something like it, and my mind interprets the thing. Just the other day, I was having a vivid dream, when suddenly the place where I was in the dream exploded. It was so sudden and loud that I woke right up, only to find that it had been a crash of thunder, but the noise of the thunder was incorporated into the last moment of the dream. Weird. You might want to get checked out for sleep apnea.

But one I recall best was during my first year of college. I didn't drink or use drugs at that time, but one afternoon after classes, I was very tired and flopped on my bed and went to sleep. One of my friends popped in to go to supper with me. He tried to awaken me by calling my name, then shouting, then actually grabbing and shaking me. I was totally aware of everything and could actually see him. I was trying my best to respond, to wake up, but my limbs wouldn't move and my tongue wouldn't work. Eventually, I saw him walk over to my desk and write a note that he had been there, and then he left. I continued to struggle to get control of my body and finally I managed to roll out of bed and onto the floor. My legs and arms felt like they weighed a ton. It was some minutes later that I felt safe enough to get up and walk but it took a while for the heavy feeling to go away entirely.

The note he left was there and he verified later everything I had seen him do in my room. I've had similar experiences with that type of sleep disturbance, but none as dramatic.

[sleepy_lioness]

I sometimes wake up paralysed, feels like my whole body is made of lead and though my brain is desperately telling my limbs to move they simply won't, and with the sense that there's a presence sitting on my bed. The first few times this was terrifying - I was convinced I was dead or dying - but then a kind person told me about sleep paralysis and now if it happens I just wait til I can move. Except for the time when there really *was* a presence on the bed - next door's cat had got in through the window and decided to jump on me. Nearest I've ever come to a heart attack!

I'm not sure it's connected to spirituality per se. Could the connection just be coincidence?

[Tapio]

But one I recall best was during my first year of college. I didn't drink or use drugs at that time, but one afternoon after classes, I was very tired and flopped on my bed and went to sleep. One of my friends popped in to go to supper with me. He tried to awaken me by calling my name, then shouting, then actually grabbing and shaking me. I was totally aware of everything and could actually see him. I was trying my best to respond, to wake up, but my limbs wouldn't move and my tongue wouldn't work. Eventually, I saw him walk over to my desk and write a note that he had been there, and then he left. I continued to struggle to get control of my body and finally I managed to roll out of bed and onto the floor. My legs and arms felt like they weighed a ton. It was some minutes later that I felt safe enough to get up and walk but it took a while for the heavy feeling to go away entirely.

The note he left was there and he verified later everything I had seen him do in my room. I've had similar experiences with that type of sleep disturbance, but none as dramatic.

Wow!

I've always wondered about this, because I've had a few of these experiences, only with me being the "friend".

All this dream-stuff is so wild. As a former Castaneda-freak I still find a weak spot for it. You know...just maybe...what if...

[truethat]

It has occurred for generations - it's the consequence of a minor malfunction of a brain process that has existed for as long as dreaming has, which is probably at least a million years - and it almost certainly is the root cause of a lot of superstitions.

The wiki article has a long list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis#Folklore


That article is one that gave me pause. For the reason that it discusses the large number of deaths in men in a certain country. That is a strange detail.

I'm very interested in understanding why people would see a winged demon or a demon sitting on their chest.

When I say that it has occurred for generations I wonder if it has evolved to less and less and less. Say for example the brain needs fantasy stimulation. In the modern era television and movies and daily activities can fill that need. I wonder if back in the beginning this occurred with much more frequency.

I mean take the Salem which hunts or stories of Vampires. If people were actually having these dreams night after night, if a husband described the demon on the chest and then had a heart attack the next day, I can really understand why these people took it seriously.

[Brian Jackson]

It's been discussed that popular culture can often dictate what "monsters" we see during sleep paralysis, and why so many folks who experience this in modern times believe it to be alien abduction. Speaking from my own experiences as a practiced lucid dreamer, that train of thought has credibility.

[ExMinister]

Just curious - what type of ministry school are you going to?

I have been dealing with a combination of sleep paralysis/frightening lucid dreams since 2005. One night I thought I had awakened to the cat jumping on the bed. I got up out of bed and started to walk through the bedroom in the dark to carry him downstairs. I had gotten about halfway down the stairs when I heard a loud growling sound and turned to see a demon-type figure wearing a black cloak standing at the top of the stairs, who roared down at me in a voice that sounded like Darth Vader. Since this type of thing had happened so often, seeing him made me realize obviously I wasn't awake like I thought I was! I was terrified.

Other nights I will feel a crawling sensation in my lower back as I'm falling asleep and then feel as though something rushes at me, jolting me back awake, terrified.

Once I awoke to see the eerie face of a demon hovering within inches of my own face, a strange pointed demonic dark face, glowing sort of black and green - green slits for eyes. It lunged for my neck and chest, scared the **** out of me, but I was paralyzed. I struggled and tried to scream until finally I woke up, heart racing.

I've had this so often since 2005 I couldn't even begin to recount them all here.

I know you are a skeptic and don't believe the spiritual attack explanation, though you said you are unnerved by the experiences. I'd like to think I don't either, but it's been a real struggle for me at times too.

One thing I find interesting is that people in other cultures experience similar things, but depending on their religious beliefs, they deal with them differently, with different gods or protectors to call on. Some of my Christian friends told me that the only thing that would help me would be to call on Jesus Christ. Calling on Jesus Christ did in fact help. But then I found a Muslim web site describing sleep paralysis, where they said the only thing that helped was to sleep with the Koran under one's pillow. And lest one think that only non-Christians experience "attacks," evangelicals experience them, too.

Even more interesting to me is that what people "see" during these experiences varies so widely. Some people see gray aliens. Or reptilian creatures. I have never once seen an alien or reptilian. But in my former New Age belief system, aliens were good guys and I thought the whole gray alien/reptilian thing was silly. I see demons and dark entity type creatures - something I DID believe was possible. My demons don't necessarily look like other people's demons either. Other people see spiders or snakes or witches, which I don't see. To me this helps bolster the argument that the imagery we see is created within our own minds, drawing from our own imaginations and personal fears.

[Andrewsarchus]

I've never had an OOBE but I have had several episodes of sleep paralysis. Most of the time I see figures coming in the door dressed as the stereotypical "cat burglar" black outfit and mask.

For most of my life I've also had mid-night hallucinations involving fly bugs or spiders hanging from webs hovering above my face. Even though I'm aware of this I still freak out every time it happens. I take off all the sheets and remake the bed checking each layer for insects or spider at which time I usually realize what has happened.

The more I hear about how common this kind of stuff is the more I fall deeper in love with the brain. minor errors in brain function make life just that much more fun and interesting. If there were a medication to stop it, I would avoid it like the plague.

[LarianLeQuella]

I'm boring too. Never had any instance that could ever be described as sleep paralysis or hypnopompic hallucination. At least not a single one that I can recall. :(

As for why people "see" a "demon" or whatever, I think that's more a result of what we are expected to see. The brain fills in the "reason" for the constriction and paralysis with what is culturally the scarry thing. Many of us being of a European upbringing (or European stock) have the demon that seems popular in the lore. The aliens (and greys in particular) are another cultural invention that people see, because they EXPECT to see it. So your demon is there perhaps because that little lizard part of your brain is expecting it to be there?

[Björn Toulouse]

Since I brought up the term here (OOBE), I wish to clarify that what happened to me was what I would perceive an OOBE to be like, but it was no such thing. I used to believe that was what was happening, but no longer do I believe it. It was just my mind interpreting the sensation while I was apparently dreaming, and nothing more than that, aside from feeling later each time it occurred that it had been real.

[twistor59]

I get a couple of episodes per year I'd say. Just the feeling of paralysis, and very aware of my breathing. I try to concentrate on breathing harder and eventually the condition clears. Never had any sense of a presence.

[Miss_Kitt]

My only experience with sleep paralysis went more or less like this:

zzz... huh?
Weird, I can't move.
Cool, it must be sleep paralysis!
zzz...

My night terrors have been much more interesting, involving for example waking up with the absolute conviction that Hamlet's family are about to mess with the iterative loop of the universe, thus ending all of existence.

Wow!! Now THAT is a cool nightmare!!

[truethat]

I'm boring too. Never had any instance that could ever be described as sleep paralysis or hypnopompic hallucination. At least not a single one that I can recall. :(

As for why people "see" a "demon" or whatever, I think that's more a result of what we are expected to see. The brain fills in the "reason" for the constriction and paralysis with what is culturally the scarry thing. Many of us being of a European upbringing (or European stock) have the demon that seems popular in the lore. The aliens (and greys in particular) are another cultural invention that people see, because they EXPECT to see it. So your demon is there perhaps because that little lizard part of your brain is expecting it to be there?

That's interesting. I'd rather see an alien. But I have to wonder what is causing this. I agree with the sentiment that it causes one to fall deeper in love with the brain.

It is really freaking amazing. To me it is a connection back to the past, if this is a shared human condition then it is similar to faith. I'm facinated by frontal lobe activity as well.

[quarky]

Wow!

I've always wondered about this, because I've had a few of these experiences, only with me being the "friend".

All this dream-stuff is so wild. As a former Castaneda-freak I still find a weak spot for it. You know...just maybe...what if...

"The Art of Dreaming", by Castanada, is an amazing book, especially if you digested the previous bunch. Its like a stimulant to the dream aspect.

We know so little.

[Roma]

I just wish there were some way to completely prevent this, it only happens to me a couple times a year but it is so frightening that it takes me days to get over it and I never forget.

[not daSkeptic]

Just the other day, I was having a vivid dream, when suddenly the place where I was in the dream exploded. It was so sudden and loud that I woke right up, only to find that it had been a crash of thunder, but the noise of the thunder was incorporated into the last moment of the dream. Weird.

Isn't that effect cool? I've had something similar happen. The alarm on my bedside clock is the sort that beeps once every two seconds. You can watch the seconds counter it when it goes off: 00 (beep), 01, 02 (beep), 03, 04 (beep) ...

Well a few times I've been dreaming, the alarm goes off, and my brain incorporates it (often as some electronic device). Within the dream, I hear it a good eight or ten times, but when I finally wake up and look at the clock the seconds counter reads 02. In that short interval of time, my brain was able to create the impression of several seconds passing.

[Darat]

Quite a few threads have discussed this over the years: http://forums.randi.org/tags.php?tag=sleep+paralysis

[Björn Toulouse]

Quite a few threads have discussed this over the years: http://forums.randi.org/tags.php?tag=sleep+paralysis



It must be a recurring dream.

[schlitt]

During the period of the witch trials it was a witch on your chest. During times of UFO hype, it is aliens. For people with exposure to religion it is demons. For people living in the alps, a yeti. etc...

In reality it is of course none of these things. Just what is most prominent in your mind at the time that would lend itself to being a cause for distress.

There is a good section in Michael Shermer's book "Why people believe weird things", that deals with this.

[cj.23]

The other sleep paralysis thread had some interesting stuff before getting derailed.
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=108622
I'm thinking about this, trying to think how TT could be accidentally causing the bruising. I really do think we have a huge way to go on understanding the relationship between sleep paralysis and expectation/belief. I'll have a look through the literature and report back!

(I see Darat beat me to it: I should have read page 2)

cj x

[Tapio]

"The Art of Dreaming", by Castanada, is an amazing book, especially if you digested the previous bunch. Its like a stimulant to the dream aspect.

Yep. The fun part for me is that Castanedas' grandson lives in Finland and I became friends with him years back. Couple of times downed a few beers with his old man too...so the books were somehow a little more than just psychotic ramblings to me (not saying they aren't exactly this). There was an active Tensegrity group in Helsinki as well. Oh, the vibes, the vibes...

Anyway, that stuff can really flip out a mentally unstable man in his early twenties. Saw a few guys get pretty screwed up messing around with peyote, ayahuasca, mescalin etc. while at the same time trying to live the "path of the warrior". I think some kind of disclamer would be in order.

ETA: Hey, my first 100's up! Glad I could use it discussing Castaneda...

[Reeco]

I had an incident some years back, where I awoke to the sounds of someone walking towards me in my bedroom, and someone else coughing in the corridor behind the wall my headboard was against. I slept on a futon at the time, so the footfalls were directly in front of my face. I opened my eyes and of course couldn't see anyone. Then, after closing my eyes, I would hear the footfalls in front of me and the muffled coughing behind me again. After three or four repetitions, I went through an entire "am I awake" process, pinching myself, looking around the room, etc. After convincing myself that I was indeed completely awake and in control of my thoughts and actions, I lay down, closed my eyes and again heard the footsteps and the coughing. As far as I was concerned, there were two unseen people in my flat, and they only made a sound when my eyes were closed. It seemed as if the whole event lasted 10 minutes, maybe more.

[ExMinister]

I just wish there were some way to completely prevent this, it only happens to me a couple times a year but it is so frightening that it takes me days to get over it and I never forget.

I do, too. I don't care how interesting the imagery is, I hate it.

Yep. The fun part for me is that Castanedas' grandson lives in Finland and I became friends with him years back. Couple of times downed a few beers with his old man too...so the books were somehow a little more than just psychotic ramblings to me (not saying they aren't exactly this). There was an active Tensegrity group in Helsinki as well. Oh, the vibes, the vibes...

Anyway, that stuff can really flip out a mentally unstable man in his early twenties. Saw a few guys get pretty screwed up messing around with peyote, ayahuasca, mescalin etc. while at the same time trying to live the "path of the warrior". I think some kind of disclamer would be in order.

ETA: Hey, my first 100's up! Glad I could use it discussing Castaneda...


I don't get these posts about Castaneda. I used to read his books, too. Thought they were cool way back when but did some research him into awhile back and came to the conclusion he made most of it up. Are you guys saying he didn't? Am I missing something here?

[Piggy]

Does anyone have any experience with this issue?

I used to have horrible nightmares as a kid. Frequently, they would end with me paralyzed (in the dream) and helpless as the whatever-it-was closed in on me for the kill. (I think at that point I was trying to wake myself up, and actually inducing the paralysis without realizing it.)

I would try to scream, but could only make low moaning sounds, which I was actually making, not just in the dream.

Then I'd wake up, but still be paralyzed and afraid. Only once did I wake up like that and still see the characters in the dream in the room with me.

It got to where I was afraid to go to sleep. Then I read about lucid dreaming -- which had happened to me once before, when a friend of mine in a dream said it was a dream -- and trained myself to do it.

Now I almost always know I'm dreaming. (One of the rare exceptions occurred just this weekend.) So even if I have a nightmare, it doesn't bother me.

But I still have a rather thin barrier between sleeping and waking. I kick and twitch and talk in my sleep, sit up at times, and people who've shared rooms with me say I shout and holler in my sleep, too.

[quarky]

I do, too. I don't care how interesting the imagery is, I hate it.




I don't get these posts about Castaneda. I used to read his books, too. Thought they were cool way back when but did some research him into awhile back and came to the conclusion he made most of it up. Are you guys saying he didn't? Am I missing something here?

It doesn't matter. Dreaming is a make-believe realm.

[ExMinister]

It doesn't matter. Dreaming is a make-believe realm.

Did Castaneda indicate that don Juan was part of a make-believe dream realm?

I was under the impression he'd just added to the common lore that experiences happening in dreams are reality - the whole idea that while we are asleep or in an altered state we can interact with other people who are dreaming, spirit helpers, spirits of the deceased, etc.

[truethat]

But why would so many people dream the same thing. This is what is intriguing to me. I've read Jung who believes that dreams are a connection to the collective unconscious and that we dream of being attacked because of our ancestors fear of being attacked by a wild beast. It is fascinating and it is taking me a lot to get over it because it is weirding me out so much.

[Belz...]

Dreams often take in and use input from our real lives.

I would even venture to say that they can only take from real life ;)

I've never had sleep paralysis, though.

[Belz...]

But why would so many people dream the same thing.

Many people fear the same thing.

[aggle-rithm]

But why would so many people dream the same thing. This is what is intriguing to me. I've read Jung who believes that dreams are a connection to the collective unconscious and that we dream of being attacked because of our ancestors fear of being attacked by a wild beast. It is fascinating and it is taking me a lot to get over it because it is weirding me out so much.

Some of the correlation comes from shared instincts ("hardwired" thoughts) and some comes from shared cultural experiences.

I think it's intriguing that so many people have the dream about suddenly realizing that they are back in school, they have been blowing off their classes all semester, and the final exam is just a few days away. This certainly has nothing to do with an ancestral fear of wild beasts.

[aggle-rithm]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what "night terrors" are.

Technically, they aren't dreams. The person experiencing them usually doesn't remember anything, they simply start screaming in their sleep. It is far more upsetting to the person's sleepmate than it is to themselves.

Take this with a grain of salt, of course...I have experienced night terrors twice, and both times I remembered what I was dreaming.

[Slydermv]

This used to happen to me as well while I was in university. This was a high stress time, not only with school, but also, for me, a time of self discovery, low self esteem, and really trying to figure out who I was, you know, get over all the setreo type and start feeling comfortable in your own skin. I think anyone go through it.

Anywho, after the fact, when a lot of this stuff stopped happening I did some reading, and from what I understand alot of this stuff is linked to anxiety (sorry no sources).

I would look at what is happening in your life and in your head when these dreams are happening. Usually it has something to do with some sort of anxious feeling whether is school, or socially related... or.. it seemed to be in my case...

[truethat]

STRESS seems to fit!

[bryan]

Hello...

The answer to the question as to why the "Demons" seems to be explained by the psychology of the situation. When a person is subjected to the conditions of sleep paralysis the mind (that is already in a lucid dream state) takes over with “what is the worst thing that can happen" thoughts.
At this point the experience that is reported by the person having the sleep paralysis defaults to the expectations of cultural background. The experiences can range from Demons, Ghosts, Religious, and even Extra Terrestrials.

One common suggestion to help stop this from happening is to note the position that you are in when this happens. It appears that most people who have this happen are flat on their backs. When they try to sleep in other positions it has been reported that the occurrence is much less.

I would also suggest the book "Sex and the Paranormal" it is a wonderful look into the cultural aspects of the condition.

Thanks,
Bryan
Rocky Mountain Paranormal

[truethat]

I don't know that I'd agree with that. I can think of a whole lot of things that would terrify me worse than a demon. A demon would be the last thing in my mind to be afraid of. I'd be far more terrified of a large spider sitting on my chest or a waterbug. THAT would terrify me.

I wouldn't think of demons or witches or aliens in a state of fear but rather a state of interest. Also I remember having a frightened sleep paralysis when I was much younger.

I had a dream that my youngest brother ran through the front gate and was going to be hit by a white van. I was frozen in place and couldn't move. I started crying horribly and woke up crying, a fly had been landing on my face the whole time and I think the fly had something to do with upsetting me but me still being asleep.

This is something I think is related to spirituality in that it is using the same part of the brain.

[MaxwellBeckett]

I’ve had the sleep paralysis experience twice. It was many years ago and both times happened within a few days of each other.

In my case I was treated to a «visit» by the little gray aliens with the big eyes. At the time I did not know about sleep paralysis and found the experience rather frightening. The second incident threw in a neat twist though. I remember seeing the aliens surrounding my bed and being very frightened, then suddenly they were gone and lying next to me was a beautiful young woman, I recall thinking «Aha, this is just a trick, those sneaky aliens are trying to trick me!», then she vanished and the aliens were back. The rest went according to form, struggling, unable to move, waking up freaked out, etc...

It was freaky but interesting. Never happened again. It makes me chuckle to think that my warped brain was not content to conjure up some aliens, but also had to make them sneaky. :o)

Max

[Piggy]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what "night terrors" are.

Technically, they aren't dreams. The person experiencing them usually doesn't remember anything, they simply start screaming in their sleep. It is far more upsetting to the person's sleepmate than it is to themselves.

Oh, is that what it's called?

Well, now I know.

And yeah, I can vouch for the fact that it doesn't bother me at all, but scares the bejeezes out of anyone rooming with me.

[Slydermv]

Did a little more reading and if you go to the wikipedia page for sleep paraylsis and down to the links section, there is a University of Waterloo link from a prof who is doing research on the subject. There is alot of good information there, as well as a survey to fill out and help with his research. Check it out!

[Miss_Kitt]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what "night terrors" are.

Technically, they aren't dreams. The person experiencing them usually doesn't remember anything, they simply start screaming in their sleep. It is far more upsetting to the person's sleepmate than it is to themselves.

Take this with a grain of salt, of course...I have experienced night terrors twice, and both times I remembered what I was dreaming.

Yep, the "screaming in [my]sleep" describes most of my night terrors. The few times I had any memory, it was always Robed Skeletal Guy. One time, I could actually "see" my closet behind him--funny, I clearly think it's male-- but not through him. My husband and a girl friend I have slept over with have both awakened me from screamers. I always wake up, wonder why they're upset, and also why my throat hurts!

[Soapy Sam]

Occasionally awakened by a partner from a screaming nightmare, what I recall of the dream seems fairly innocuous- nothing that would bother me if awake.
I wonder if there are more processes going on here than the two we are aware of (Dreaming n' screaming). Is the fear only indirectly related to the dream?


Re sleep paralysis, my experiences are described in earlier threads. I'd only note my hallucinations tend to be aural, not visual.

[truethat]

When you are sleeping you don't dream of screaming? That's interesting.

[Autolite]

I've had a few episodes of SP. One of my most terrifying experiences was the sensation of a huge hellish 'Old Hag' type demon sitting on my chest trying to suffocate me. When I fully awoke I realized that it was actually just my ex-wife...

In any case, that are a couple of books that should answer most of your questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Wrestling-Ghosts-Jorge-Conesa-Sevilla/dp/141344668X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237383122&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Publications-American-Folklore-Society/dp/081221305X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

[AStone]

I have experienced sleep paralysis once. Two days before it happened I had consumed 5 grams of psilocibyn and had gone for about a week with only 15 hours of sleep. Then, I took a flight with a time difference of two hours.

I slept well until I woke up to see what I can best describe as the ghost of an Alien standing over me, its fingers around my throat. Thankfully, I knew about sleep paralysis at the time and was able to will the damned thing away rather quickly.

Still, scary as hell.

[ToddH]

I've had sleep paralysis a number of times. The first time was when I was a teen and I remembered seeing a hand coming through my window trying to grab me. I remember trying to scream but nothing came out. After a few seconds the hand disappeared.

I had it a few times after that, this time with the little grey aliens surrounding my bed. Each time I tried to scream but nothing came out.

The last time it happened I knew what it was and just said to myself "Sleep paralysis...cool." Then I just changed the dream into something pleasant.

[Quinn]

Coincidentally, it just happened to me again last night, for the first time in years. But this time it was only the paralysis, no hallucinations to go with it; I was trying to move and speak, but could do neither. I realized what was happening at the time, so it wasn't as terrifying as earlier episodes, but it was still plenty unpleasant. When I finally came to, I felt spent and exhausted from the effort of trying to wake myself up -- which is odd when you think about it, because said "effort" was entirely in my mind. It's not like my limbs were really exerting the force I was trying to direct to them.

Man, the brain can do some weird stuff.

[truethat]

yes that's the part I find amusing as well.

[Lilith]

Night Terrors occur when you are in deep sleep, and there is little if any recall associated with them. Sleep Paralysis occurs if you awaken following REM (dream) sleep, which is very different from deep sleep.

When you first drift off to sleep you enter "Stage 1", your brain waves change to a slower pattern than the normal brain waves of an awake person. Muscles relax, and you might waken suddenly by a sensation of falling. Next, you enter "Stage 2" and the waves get slower, with sudden short bursts of higher frequency brain waves. The next stage is "Stage 3" with even slower brain waves - this is a pretty deep sleep. If you're young enough, you will next enter "Stage 4" - the deepest sleep, with the slowest brain waves. It is difficult to rouse someone from Stage 4 sleep. THEN - you return to Stage 3, then Stage 2, and then you enter REM sleep (note, you don't return to Stage 1) during which the brain waves resemble normal awake brain waves. This is why it is often referred to as paradoxical sleep. After a (hopefully) nice dream, you progress down through stages 2 to 4 again, and back up to REM. You repeat this several times during the night.

As always, Dr. Chudler at UW has a wonderful page on this (so what if it's for kids - it's still a great page) - http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/sleep.html

This page has a nice list of how sleep paralysis and night terrors differ in symptomotology http://www.trionica.com/asp/conditions/nightterrors.htm

REM behavior disorder is a pretty cool topic, too (although I wouldn't want to have it) - this is where the paralysis that should occur during REM is not in effect, and people act out their dreams.