Thread: Reoccurring event

Hey there,

When we go to sleep the body enters a state which we call "Sleep Paralysis". Basically it paralysis the muscles to keep your body from physically acting out your dreams. This is a normal and even necessary step in the physiology of sleep, and in fact happens to you each and every night.

We're usually not aware of this though, as by the time it happens we're often already fast asleep. However, sometimes (especially when doing WILD exercises), it's possible to induce a state of sleep paralysis while you're still awake or semi awake. In fact case the experience of sleep paralysis can be consciously experienced. Likewise, with sudden awakenings, it's possible that the sleep paralysis hasn't fully worn off yet, and so can also be consciously experienced.

Because you're paralysed, sleep paralysis is often felt as being opressive and somewhat scary, at least until you get used to it or realise what it is and that there's nothing to be worried about (it is, as said before, perfectly natural).

In your case, what most likely happened is that you hit a sort of semi-sleep state, just barely sleeping, right at the edge of awakening. Your body entered sleep paralysis, but the feeling of it filtered into your sleeping mind (just like the sound of an alarm can filter into your dreams, or the feeling of having to go to the toilet can enter into your dreams). This caused the first part of your experience. The terror you felt and the attempt to wake yourself up caused a sudden awakening, before the body had fully adapted, and hence you found yourself in sleep paralysis still when you became awake.

Although the experience can certainly scary, remember that there's really nothing to worry about. Try to remain calm, know that what you're feeling is something that happens to you every night, and is in fact a good thing (or you'd act out your dreams and possibly hurt yourself).

Hope that helps,

-Redrivertears-

Very interesting.... But yeah, one thing redrivertears forgot to mention is that while in sleep paralysis, you usually see or hear things that are scary, i havent heard of a case where they see bambi, or a pretty pony while in SP But thats just your mind kinda still dreaming I guess you can say...

Im not very good at explaining much of anything, but I try

Hey, thanks for the replies guys I really appreciate it. I have experienced SP before, and I have never seen it as an enjoyable experience. I am not to worried about it though, what I find odd about these events is that they are reoccurring. They have happened for the past 5 days or so with the same events... same screaming, same cold sweat, same sort of SP... I just see it as odd and maybe a bit concerning.
Redrivertears: I do think I am on the edge of a sleep state and an awakened state. I think you are dead on there. I have been there many of times though, which is the reason I am so troubled about it. I have never really felt this sort of fear from a sleep phenomenon

Ivy: It is interesting that SP brings on "scary" hallucinations. Any further evidence on that? Weird.

I dont know, I just needed to vent on the subject, I am about to go to bed now so we will see if I have the same problem. Thanks for the help guys.

Well "I" get them AT LEAST once a month (hoping for less) just bcause its so scary to me and I always see scary things.. PPL that I've asked, or known about experiencing SP tell me the same thing, its never something nice.. Ask around, but eh, Im at the point where Im TRYING to remember NOT to frak out, and turn it into an LD instead