Sleep paralysis – A personal account and analysis

2007 October 28
more by

Podcast: Download

By Andy Kaiser
Article ID: 115

I’ve had at least two episodes of sleep paralysis.

No, I wasn’t captured by aliens. I wasn’t exposed to something supernatural or super-scary. This was nothing more than a misunderstood function of the human brain. This was sleep paralysis.

First, let me describe what the symptoms of sleep paralysis felt like to me.

Sleep paralysis episode one: Aliens!

Even if you looked, you’d have a hard time finding a more stereotypical alien abduction story.

I remember waking up in bed, or at least my eyes and brain turned on and started processing. But my body was frozen. I couldn’t move. I wasn’t being restrained by anything. It was like the on/off switch that gave me control over my body had been flipped to “off”. I had no physical control over my body.

I remember seeing aliens. Yep, just like from the 1950s: Big heads, big eyes, grey skin, and short. Several were clustered over me, doing something. And (as in often the case in dreams) I knew with a flash of insight that they were operating on my memories: They had abducted me, and were erasing my memory of that very abduction!

Very sneaky, aliens.

During this time, I couldn’t move. I was also very scared. Like that feeling you get in your chest when the roller-coaster is screaming towards the ground at top speed, or when you’re about to have a horrible car accident, but the only thing you can do is press as hard as you can on that brake pedal, frozen in wasted effort.

After being extremely scared, I woke up. I don’t remember much beyond the terror, the frozen body, and the aliens-erasing-my-memory plan.

Sleep paralysis episode two: Defrosting!

Years after the first episode, I woke up in bed, again frozen, again terrified. This time I was more mentally active, and wasn’t dreaming. I was simply in bed, lying there, unable to move, and (for no particular reason) scared out of my mind.

I remember staring at the ceiling, being too terrified to even look around. When my sleep paralysis started to wear off, it did so slowly. I experimented with wiggling a finger. This physical action scared me too, for some reason, but I kept on wiggling a finger because it was the only part of me I could actually move. Then I was able to move my hand. Then my eyes. Then my arm. Then my head. Then I was back to normal. The terror had passed. I was just lying in bed at night. Everything was fine.

The one thing sticking in my mind about this experience was my movement being linked to the fear. It was as if I was truly “frozen in terror”. For a while, I was simply too scared to move.

Sleep paralysis explanation and information

I have vague memories of this happening at other times in my life (nothing beyond memories of waking up, being scared and unable to move), but not with the detail of the two more emotional experiences above. The frequency is perhaps one episode every two or three years.

Each time I had these, I simply thought I’d had some really odd nightmares, and left it at that. Only until researching did I discover sleep paralysis is a known condition.

Sleep paralysis is also a more logical explanation for a host of nighttime “frozen in terror” dreamlike occurrences.

Here’s what happens during sleep paralysis: when your body sleeps, you are paralyzed already – this is why you rarely physically act out your dreams. Your body lets your mind have fun in REM sleep while your body is turned off. But sometimes the body gets confused (see below), and your dreaming mind partially wakes up while your body is still in its natural (paralyzed) sleeping state. Common symptoms of sleep paralysis are a full-body paralysis, terror and hallucinating while partially conscious.

What causes sleep paralysis? Known triggers include sleeping on your back, having odd sleep schedules, stress, a lucid dream immediately before the sleep paralysis occurs, and drugs (specifically ADD medications, antihistamines, and hallucinogenics).

Thus ends my alien abduction story. We also now have a potential explanation for others who claim being scared and paralyzed, while seeing ghosts, aliens, or other frightening boogies.


Did you like this article? Want more? Support Digital Bits Skeptic.

Other articles related to this topic:

from → Biology, Mysteries, Science

14 Comments
2008 April 22
STA permalink

Wow, pretty freaky stuff, Andy. It’s good that you have the good sense enough to know that it’s a natural phenomenon and you didn’t turn it into anything more. We’d be a lot better off if more people with this and similar conditions could do that!

2008 June 29
Brian permalink

I just found out that sleep paralysis exist, I have suffered from it twice that I know of, the first time I was about 15, I saw a light and thought I heard something about a house being auctioned, after telling my parents about it the phone rang and my grand fathers (who just past away) house had been auctioned, probably coinidence, I don’t believe in ghost, but weird. It just hapened again two nights ago, but it didn’t happen once, it happened five times in a row, I froze then was able to move, I thought that was wierd then it happened again and again, but it is good to read that I am not the only one this has happened to.

2008 July 2
Joey Foreman permalink

You weren’t “laying” in bed unless you were with a partner ;)
The correct past tense is “lying”.

2008 July 2
DB Skeptic permalink

>The correct past tense is “lying”.

…Corrected. Thanks!

2008 August 9
Michael Barton permalink

wow i just done some reasching on this just after haveing this happen man scary was dreaming i visted this haunted house to prove it was alode of rubish to only get a vist by the ghost of some girl called linda (gets chills) so any way the last things i rember is hearing “hello my name is linda and i died here” then i was trying to call my dad which by the way i dont even live with, also at this point i could not breath as if soemthing was on my chest then the next thing i know im half awake on my side trying to reach for my bed covers gasping for breath trying to hide my self under the covers with no avile as i could not move my arms or even legs soon after it started to wear off i started shakeing and think feel back to sleep really fraky hope i dont have it again.

2008 September 9
Lucy permalink

I had a elderly relative that came to stay with us for a few months, however on his first night at around 10, we were awaken by his yelling, and as we walked in the room, he had one leg up in the air, stuggling and punching the air, and was yelling “the old lady is trying to kill me!” We shook at him, and when he sat up, he kept pointing towards the corner of the room and insisted that there was an old lady there that wanted to kill him. After he freaked us out, we tried to comfort him by leaving on the lights and playing a radio, and told him to sleep, and we even said a phrases from the bible for comfort. About 40 minutes later, the same comotion happened, but this time, he had “two” of his legs raised up in the air (did I mention that he was 70 years old), and he was fighting with the air and yelling. Well it happened two more times that night, we did not know what to think (our family has lived in that house for over 20 years, and none of us had ever experienced anything like that!) The next morning, he seemed alright and pleasant, but coincidently, an unfortunate long distant phone call came in for him from the Philippine, his granddaughter had called to check on him, and had informed us that his son had just been murdered!!!! (This is real…it happened in 2005, well we sent him home at the earliest convinience, its the freakiest thing thats ever happened in our home)

2009 April 15
Steve F permalink

Yeah, that’s about right. I have had the problem since I was 9 or 10. I am now 40 and you never ever get use to it. It’s the most terrifying experience. As a child I use to have episodes at least twice a week. As an adult, I don’t have them as much but every few weeks or months, they come to visit me. LOL Sorry, you have to have a little humor. But I don’t mean Aliens. Whatever it is feels like PURE evil. It is hard to explain. I have heard voices, been touched and seen things that would give anyone a heart attack. Having lived with this for so long, I can now almost control it. I know when it is going to happen. For me it is at the onset of sleep. It will start out with a swooshing sound inside my inner ear. Could be my own pulse but there is no regularity to the swooshes. It’s not like a pulse or a clock with a regular ticking sound. It’s like…swoosh, swoosh…………….. Swoosh. Okay, hard to explain. If I can get myself to sit up at this point. I feel save that I have concord this attack for this night. It I don’t then the onset of paralysis comes in. Symptom at this point starts out as a horrifying hum. Almost electronic sounding that fills the room. If I dare open my eyes, the room will have a feeling of presence. Like someone is standing here. I may not see them but they are there. If I do sense something before I open my eyes, then I will never open them. I have opened them once as a child and what I saw no more than two inches from my own eyes almost gave me a heart attack. But if nothing is there the panic will start. The room has an enhanced look. The shadows are more defined and shades of dark and light are almost 3D looking. Again, hard to explain. The only way I can is if you have ever stood outside during a partial solar eclipse and looked at the way the sun cast shadows, that would be as close as I could get. All other senses are heightened. I’m sure it’s some kind of pre historic natural human trait from the days where man had to sleep with their eyes open and senses alert. Ok, the hums, tones, site, smells work overtime but the body is sleeping. I do all I can to get out of it but once I’m in I have to ride it out. I pray I go to sleep soon and it’s hard trying to sleep knowing that any moment anything can happen. But I tell you what. If you can get past it, you will experience the most lucid dreams you have ever had. Controllable dreams. I know I sound like the ramblings of a drug addict. But if you ever experience it, then you will know what I mean. What is really crazy is it does happen on the onset of sleep, but from the time I close my eyes and the time it happens, I am awake for the most part. It happened so fast, I slip from one world into the paralysis world without at the closing of my eyes.
Some people even say that if you can open your eyes and face the thing in the dark, then you will beat it and it will never happen again. Hmmmm. I still have not opened my eyes to kick its butt. Maybe one day. Anyway, this is what happens to me and millions of others. When I found out there was a name for it and explanation, I was relieved. I was not alone. When I found out hundreds had the same symptoms word for word I was shocked.

Steve

2009 May 2
Rahul permalink

dear Steve F permalink,

i am facing the same problem as Steve F permalink since last 3-4 months.

can anybody tell me what is the solution for this situation.

2009 May 11
Steve F permalink

Rahul,

No one really has a solution for this problem. One thing I can think of that I do is to lay on your stomach or on your side when your going to bed. This will help about 80% of the time for me. I only have episodes during the onset of sleep, not waking up so it will not work if you suffer from Sleep Paralysis waking up. Studies do show that it happens most when someone is extremely tired and had a physical day of work or play. Basically your brain puts your body to sleep before your brain has the chance to shut down the rest of you. Makes sense I guess.

Steve

2009 June 1
Marolando LeDay permalink

This has happened to me atleast 5 times so far. I was about 16 when it first happened. I fell asleep on the sofa onn my back ofcourse. When I woke I couldnt move and I was scared out of mind. it happened to me so much i kinda learned from it. Im on the sofa, the only thing I could move was my eyes and eye lids. I was facing the kitchen(dark as hell). I didnt wanna close my eyes because i didnt want anything to sneek up on me. But i just new i was gonna see somethin unordinary. Out of the darkness of the kitchen walked a dark shadow figure with a black hood and robe. almost sliding across the floor. Almost as if it was the reaper himself. I told a few people I knew and they would say it was the devil riding me or coushmah. I was alright after the first time. But when I heard the devil thing I got scared all over again. Then it happened again at 18. I woke on my back. Looking towards the closet, the room was dark but the closet was unusually darker(me hallucinating). I tried to get out the bed and call my cousin. I couldnt make it to his room. Some how i dragged my body to the side of the bed and fell on the floor(cold hard tile) and didnt even feel it. From there I was stuck and remained on the floor untill it wore off. It again this morning around 7 o’clock.(odd sleeping schedule) I had stayed up all night. When I woke this time I was on my side but more towards my back than my stomache. I was facing the room door. I knew I was awake because I fell asleep at about 5:30 and it was still kinda dark. when I woke it was daylight and the door was still cracked like I left it, and I looked at the ceiling and the fan was still spinning. This was the learning experience: I learned that while I was paralyzed I could try as hard as i can to speak(my cousin justin was sleepin right next to me) but nothing would come out. Then I noticed besides being unable to talk, I could hear my thoughts. I remember thinking, “Justin if you hear me please wake me up”. I also thought to my self, “I wonder if im turning into a vegetable”. I also learned that when you are in this state, You almost immediately start dreaming as soon as you close your eyes. So you can end up waking up 10 times in one episode. I also noticed when you are dreaming you have the craziest(but clear) dreams ever. But you quickly forget the detailed parts of the dream. I wore off soon as my cousin Brandee arrived. She thought I was tripping. I said the coushmah thing. I dont really believe that its just that alot of people say the same thing. So I did the easiest research possible, I asked Jeeves. Now I here. Shots out to Jeeves. You the man!!

2009 June 23
Rahul permalink

Dear all,

I have faced this sleep paralysis for 2 times (one after another ).
1st time i thought it was sleep paralysis but it again happened(not able to move any part of body) in next 5 seconds after 1st experience.
i have tried moving all parts of body however only eyes work & then after 10 seconds i able to move my body f0r 2 -3 seconds & then again this things happened for 10 seconds. since this things happened 2nd time. now i cant say it is sleep paralysis.

also i found, before it start i hear some noise like shuuuuuurrrrrrrrr. everytime.
what is the reason for this 2 times in sigle shot , this time i dont thing it is paralysis.

2009 August 6
Kathleen permalink

I used to suffer from this for years – 20+ but haven’t had an episode in about 10 years or so now. It began in early childhood and ended sometime in my mid 30’s. I conducted a fair bit of literature search at the university I attended in my 30’s and the information I gathered indicated it was a symptom of narcolepsy – which I used to suffer from other symptoms of as well (getting up and doing housework in the night and wondering in the morning why things were changed about; I used to run in my sleep as a child, etc.). I never experienced, that I can recall, night terrors along with the paralysis however. I would just wake up paralyzed. The first body parts to wake up after my eyes were my legs. I got so I could push myself over on my side and plunk out of bed all the while awaiting my arms to come alive again. Waking up the first time and not being able to move in of itself was scary enough, I couldn’t imagine adding to it with a night terror. Ever since I started taking some herbs that help aleviate the adrenal issues associated with narcolepsy, I’ve not suffered from any further incidents – - thank goodness since waking up paralyzed is not a fun experience. To all of those that permanently wake up paralyzed – you’re strong people.

2009 August 8
Alvin permalink

I am suffering from this the first time was when I was a child. But it was not an alien, kanashibari, succubus, incubus or an old hag!!! it was an invisible man (I guess I’m still lucky because he is invisible if it was kanashibari or old hag it would be more scarier for me) anyways, this invisible man seems to be the one that I’ve grown up with when it comes to sleeping paralysis because up until now whenever I am experiencing sleep paralysis it is still the same figure that haunts me, right now I am 17 and I have been experiencing it daily and I could say that I am getting used to it, in fact I think it is exciting whenever I am in that state, just last night I have been visited again, I dream about of course my own room, I am the only one in the room and the room arrangement is the same as when I sleep even my school uniform hanging in my closet that I didn’t even know it was there when I slept was included in my hallucination. I don’t know how but I could control what would happen if it was a normal dream, and also I don’t know how but last night when I was visited, when my mind and eyes were on the state of being active only my body is still frozen the invisible man seems to be attacking me on my bed he was like beating the hell out of me but my mind knew that I was already on the state of sleeping paralysis so I knew that nothing would happen, that it was just an imagination so what I did is while this ‘invisible man’ is beating the hell out of me, I thought that I could make fun of him and so I thought of getting my tongue out and I was like “=P” haha..lol it’s funny but it is real…but somehow I am afraid that I could die because of this state because I’ve read to some articlees that it is actually sometimes fatal specially to the SOUTHEAST ASIAN country…I am from the Philippines which is a SEA country…and I am experiencing it like 2 times a week…I think I am more prone on fatal cases of this.

2009 September 9
Neil permalink

I believe this just happened to me last night.   I was partially awake and suddenly I couldn’t move my whole body.  I had a weird sensation like I was being constricted alittle and felt like there was a numbness althrough my body.  I was only able to open one eye a bit, and I thought I saw a ghostly face right in front of me.  I’m not sure how long it lasted, but suddenly I could move again.  Kinda freaked me out.  As far as I know, this was the first time it has happened to me.  I don’t recall having this happen to me when I was younger.  I am 26.

Comments are closed for this entry.