Sleep Paralysis

[Griever]

Shy said
So after a good 10 minutes of refreshing and not finding the picture I feel like a waste of space.A few images were broken though so I hope it wasn't one of those.

The one time Nat could be useful, he isn't.

[mbl]

I've had one dream that may or may not have been SP. At the start of the dream I woke up in my bed and looked around the room I lived in at the time. Everything around me was pitch black; I couldn't make out any of the windows or junk I had in the room, all I could make out was my bed and a mirror on the wall across from the foot of my bed (Yep, I slept with a mirror constantly facing me back then, which is apparently a dumb thing to do as far as superstitious lore goes). I checked out the bed and mirror and everything seemed fine, the mirror seemed to show a vague reflection of the bed and me (But I couldn't make out any details). I continued to look around, then suddenly had the realization that the figure in the reflection wasn't me (I don't remember how or why I came to this conclusion), then the bed gave out from beneath me and I began falling into a dark abyss.

I woke up in the same position I had ended the dream falling in, though I couldn't really tell the dream was over. I still felt like I was falling and was unable to move or open my eyes. It lasted about half a minute and then the falling feeling faded and I was able to move again (heavily disoriented). I'd rank that dream in my top 3 worst nightmares, simply because of the overwhelming panic I felt when I realized I was awake and still felt like I was falling.

[Griever]

mbl said
I've had one dream that may or may not have been SP. At the start of the dream I woke up in my bed and looked around the room I lived in at the time. Everything around me was pitch black; I couldn't make out any of the windows or junk I had in the room, all I could make out was my bed and a mirror on the wall across from the foot of my bed (Yep, I slept with a mirror constantly facing me back then, which is apparently a dumb thing to do as far as superstitious lore goes). I checked out the bed and mirror and everything seemed fine, the mirror seemed to show a vague reflection of the bed and me (But I couldn't make out any details). I continued to look around, then suddenly had the realization that the figure in the reflection wasn't me (I don't remember how or why I came to this conclusion), then the bed gave out from beneath me and I began falling into a dark abyss.I woke up in the same position I had ended the dream falling in, though I couldn't really tell the dream was over. I still felt like I was falling and was unable to move or open my eyes. It lasted about half a minute and then the falling feeling faded and I was able to move again (heavily disoriented). I'd rank that dream in my top 3 worst nightmares, simply because of the overwhelming panic I felt when I realized I was awake and still felt like I was falling.

That sounds like a particularly realistic nightmare, but not SP. The difference between a dream/nightmare and an SP episode is that while you're SP'd, for all intents and purposes, you are "awake"...just paralyzed and seeing hallucinations.

The fact that you "woke up" after the nightmare was over makes me think it wasn't Sleep Paralysis, since with SP, you'd already be awake. The only thing from which to wake up during SP is the actual paralysis, not sleep. And once you shake out of the paralysis, the hallucinations dissipate. Also you know how MOST of the time, you end up forgetting your dreams within an hour of waking up? I've never once forgotten an SP episode, it seems like a genuine memory rather than a dream.

Blitzkrieg said
SP is also where most alien abduction stories come from.Everyone's mind is different, and people translate their fear differently.

Supposedly, yeah. I've heard of the abduction-SP connection, but I've never had the feeling that these entities were going to take me anywhere. They seemed rather content with leaving me in my bed to scare me.

Have you seen a documentary called 'DMT: The Spirit Molecule' ? That offers the best explanation to Alien Abductions I've ever heard.

[idlehands]

Getting startled out of sleep by kicking my leg. I hate that shit, sends my heart racing.

[Griever]

idlehands said
Getting startled out of sleep by kicking my leg. I hate that shit, sends my heart racing.

Restless Legs Syndrome IMO

[idlehands]

The jimmy leg. It doesn't happen all the time. I think I must be dreaming of running or jumping and I'll kick out. I hardly remember my dreams so I can't say for sure.

[mdk]

Ah, you people and your minutes-long temporary crippling.

[Noir]

Not experienced it myself, but I've heard about it. I don't really understand it. Why wouldn't they go away when you realize it's a dream like a normal nightmare does?

[Cpt Toellner]

I watching that documentary now.

[Griever]

Noir said
Not experienced it myself, but I've heard about it. I don't really understand it. Why wouldn't they go away when you realize it's a dream like a normal nightmare does?

Because you're already awake.

[Noir]

Griever said
Because you're already awake.

So your body makes acid? Seems like it should still be all in your head.

[Griever]

Noir said
So your body makes acid? Seems like it should still be all in your head.

It IS all in your head, except unlike in a dream where you wake up and it goes away, it's there in the room with you, by your bed. Sometimes the entities even interact with you physically. If an old hag was standing to your side IRL right now, would you deny her existence? That's what SP feels like.

Not acid, but if you watch the documentary I recommended to Blitzkrieg/Toe, it could provide some of the answers I don't have.

[Aragorn]

So glad this has never happened to me....

[K-97]

This is what put me off Lucid Dreaming.

[Noir]

I dunno, it just seems weird to me that the conscious mind would continue to accept something like that. Here's hoping I never learn.

K-97 said
This is what put me off Lucid Dreaming.

This is where I heard about SP as well. I was more put off by the idea of keeping a "dream journal", but apparently I should have been more scared than I was.

[Crayt]

Things I try to repress...

But then get reminded of because I experience it about once or (rarely) twice a month. At this point, I know what will happen and try to wake up. Whenever I end up in this state, the only way to get out of it is to just... move my head. Turns out, this is one of the hardest things to do at that point.

[Awson]

I've had SP a handful of times.

I really thought that it was something supernatural at the time. It didnt help that three people who slept at that house all had SP for the first time during the same week.

[natsumehack]

[idlehands]

Oh joy...thanks for that.

[Crayt]

That gif was far less terrifying than I imagined. Firstly, I can see it. Secondly, the person being eaten tends to tell the 'spirit' (the thing that's eating the person) something along the lines of 'eat! eat! eat!' repeatedly just to keep it around longer because family... It's a cultural thing. I don't remember if it was Turkey or somewhere else...