Being grabbed or touched while sleeping.

[Xanous]

It's been happening quite often. It could be connected to or the cause of my other issues like night terrors, restless legs, and occasionally waking up stuck in SP. I post here to explore the idea that maybe there is something paranormal happening. I wonder how common it is to be jolted awake because you feel someone touch your arm or grab your foot or you feel something (Claws?) lightly drag across a part of your body or it feels like your cat batted at your hand that's hanging off the edge of the bed (you know the cat is outside your room). All these thing happen to me more than I'd like. I dismiss them as just part of being in transition of stages of sleep. Which, is probably the case but it's only been happening like this since I moved into this house 4 years ago. Maybe I have had rare instances before, I don't recall. However, it makes me wonder. Do others experience this? Maybe its just normal for some one like me prone to all sorts of sleep disorders.

[michael79]

It's perfectly normal, transition from wakefulness to dreaming can cause this, you are just too vigilant/aware/ and experience the SP itself. Even if there is involvement of malicious low energy spirits/beings, remember that they cannot hurt you, physically. I also end up in SP quite often, but SP is not scary for me anymore, if you know how to brake it. I have my own chunk of scary experiences. One time when I try to AP, I felt like somebody grab my head and pulled me out of my body, another time I felt like something grabbed me by my legs, pulled me out my bed on the floor and dragged me somewhere else, I woke up in another room, it was a good AP after that. Do you want to make an experiment for me, try to fall asleep on your back while breathing deeply through your mouth and focusing on your throat chakra. In my case, my bed and me were playing tug of war, the feeling was like my bed was trying to swallow me up, not falling through bed but actual swallowing. I also had night terrors before, but now every time something happens I develop a semi lucidity to fight back, fire with fire

[Xanous]

Though I remain skeptical I used to AP quite often and I am pretty fearless during those experiences. I miss those experience dearly. It's the times that I feel like I am awakened by something physical or wake up feeling totally confused that gets me. Perhaps I am experiencing just a portion of SP again and my brain is interpreting things wrong. Maybe I can make this thing work for me like I did with SP. The throat chakra thing sound like I good idea. I used to focus on my crown and that seemed to work for DEILD.

[Sageous]

^^ I'm not sure this is SP either, since the experience of true SP tends to happen upon waking, but I do agree with Michael that you're likely just having some natural occurrence-- maybe something akin to exploding head syndrome (real thing, seriously), or that body spasm that often happens just before sleep (at least it happens to me, anyway): it could be that there's some new tic in your falling asleep process that includes some sensory hiccups that cause those sensations. In that case, they're likely just another thing to get used to, unless it becomes intolerable and keeps you up at night. I'm pretty, sure, too, that you're not alone in these sensations, because they happen occasionally to my wife (especially when she goes to sleep after a particularly trying day); which must make it at least slightly common, because what are the odds that two of us here have experienced this, right?. She's been getting them for years, and at this point just gets annoyed and then rolls over and goes back to sleep. Or, it could be poltergeist! Who knows? Maybe you have some psychic connection with the spirits that are trapped in your house, and they're just trying to get your attention -- or they're trying to drag you into their dimension. Again, there's not much you can do about it; they'll just follow you if you, say, change bedrooms -- or even houses. Just kidding, of course ... or am I? (Bwahaha!)

[Hilary]

I would sage the room, and get some black tourmaline and smokey quartz crystals to keep by your bedside.

[michael79]

^^ I'm not sure this is SP either, since the experience of true SP tends to happen upon waking I'm not sure about this Sageous, look at this quote from an Article about SP. Sleep paralysis usually occurs at one of two times. If it occurs while you are falling asleep, it's called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis. If it happens as you are waking up, it's called hypnopompic or postdormital sleep paralysis I'm betting on SP here, also more paranormal explanations cannot be ignored, neither can be proved. Ah and seems my case is very classical People also have sensations of being dragged out of bed or of flying, numbness, and feelings of electric tingles or vibrations running through their body I look through my old dream journals and found that sometimes when trying WILD, I also have cases of something bitting or stinging me and jolting me awake from the trance.

[Sageous]

^^ Can you link me to that article, Michael? That is a very unusual description of SP, and I'd like to read more about it.

[michael79]

^^ Can you link me to that article, Michael? That is a very unusual description of SP, and I'd like to read more about it. I'm not sure if link are gonna work, but here you go: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorder...p%20paralysis. It's a medical article, if you want to read more articles just google "two types of sleep paralysis", I just remember that I searched about this many years ago, for myself.

[Xanous]

So now, after reading the thoughts of other here, I'm leaning more toward just being abnormally aware of stages of sleep. I think, much like the way I turned my SP hell around, I can do the same with the rest of whatever this is. I will try my best to push past the fear and confusion next time and just go straight into DEILD mode. Also, if it is paranormal, Sageous is right. There is not much I can do about other than Moonangdaydreams suggestions but perhaps its not malicious and if I relax I'll have an amazing adventure. Either way, it seems I am prone to several sleep disorders... SP, Restless legs, exploding head (thank you I forgot that one), night terrors... I'm sure there's something else in there. Anyway, we'll see. I'll be sure to report back.\ Edit: Also thanks for the link michael79. That article has some interesting things I had not read before.

[Hilary]

Also, if it is paranormal, Sageous is right. There is not much I can do about other than Moonangdaydreams suggestions but perhaps its not malicious and if I relax I'll have an amazing adventure. Exactly. This is fear. Whether or not spirits are involved, I can't say. But what I do know is this. Using protective measures, of any kind, are going to alleviate the fear. And whether there are spirits living in that house (I've had a haunted house before too, in Connecticut, that building was ooooold), or whether it is just in your mind doesn't matter. Fear is what allows it to continue. Spirits can't hurt you if you're not feeding them with fear. SP, too, can't cause you any harm unless you're afraid, and then, well, it could be uncomfortable like you describe.

[Hilary]

BTW, red jasper (I use mookaite), is excellent for restless leg syndrome. Red for activating the root chakra. Roll it in between your feet at night and visualize the excess energy (cause that's what this is) running down your calves into the stone. I've had great success with this. Oh, one more thing. I also suffered from adult night terrors. What cured mine was going in to see a therapist and dealing with PTSD (I also used lucid dreaming to heal as well). Just a thought, you might want to consider. It's hard to make the connection, but I believe that fear gets stored in the pathways of the brain when we are traumatized (esp. at young ages), this then gets triggered at night causing the terror. Just my opinion. Good luck.

[Xanous]

Last night was uneventful. I may try the Red Jasper. I've tried everything else for RLS. Kratom is all that relieves it but that has its own drawbacks. And you are right doing these things to make me feel safer is a good idea. However, I fear that if I burn sage or something it will make it more real. Like admitting I believe there is a spirit here instead of other explanations. That might make it worse in my mind. If things escalate I will try it though. Side note: I believe there are spirits or at least extra dimensional beings. I have experienced too much not to. I also know that more I shut my mind of to it the less I experience. I think maybe I am sensitive to these energies but I can definitely tune it out. Or maybe I've fooling myself. These things are hard to prove one way or the other except I cannot erase the very odd things I have witnessed while wide awake and sober (not in this house thankfully).

[Hilary]

Last night was uneventful. I may try the Red Jasper. I've tried everything else for RLS. Kratom is all that relieves it but that has its own drawbacks. And you are right doing these things to make me feel safer is a good idea. However, I fear that if I burn sage or something it will make it more real. Like admitting I believe there is a spirit here instead of other explanations. That might make it worse in my mind. If things escalate I will try it though. Side note: I believe there are spirits or at least extra dimensional beings. I have experienced too much not to. I also know that more I shut my mind of to it the less I experience. I think maybe I am sensitive to these energies but I can definitely tune it out. Or maybe I've fooling myself. These things are hard to prove one way or the other except I cannot erase the very odd things I have witnessed while wide awake and sober (not in this house thankfully). Remember, what you resist, persists. You want to acknowledge the possibility it is real. Denying the possibility is to be in resistance to the idea, which actually gives it more power over you. Acknowledging it does not prove it, or make it real. It does help to dissipate the fear, though, because you're shining the light of awareness on it. This idea can no longer hide in the shadows of your mind, where there will always be doubt lingering. I hope this makes sense. It's more of a felt, intuitive thing than a logical explanation, you know? Edit: It helps you process the fear, not just dissipate. You might feel afraid at first at the acknowledgement, but that's a good thing. It will pass through you, and you will become less afraid overall, perhaps even comfortable with the possibility.

[Xanous]

Remember, what you resist, persists. You want to acknowledge the possibility it is real. It's not that I resist it. I chose to ignore it. I think there is a difference. It's like that annoying co-worker that never shuts up. It helps to put your headphones on and go about your business. Of course, at some point you might have to deal with the actual problem. So, I do see what you are saying and I'll consider it. I think I might burn some sage. Also, I'm starting to remember something. I deal with anxiety (because its the cool thing to do these days) and I am thinking my RLS is linked to that because It seems that substances that ease anxiety takes my RLS away. I think my night terrors are linked to that as well but, maybe that's obvious. I say that because, I had night terrors last night within the first hour or two ( I am always surprised how early my watch says). This time I recall dreams linked to it but this time I remembered to immediately calm myself and try to relax back into the dream state. I didn't become lucid but it's seems like a first step maybe. This may not be the same issue though. I didn't feel like something touched me, but if I had I think I would have at least been calm about it this time.

[Hilary]

It's not that I resist it. I chose to ignore it. I think there is a difference. It's like that annoying co-worker that never shuts up. It helps to put your headphones on and go about your business. Of course, at some point you might have to deal with the actual problem. So, I do see what you are saying and I'll consider it. I think I might burn some sage. Also, I'm starting to remember something. I deal with anxiety (because its the cool thing to do these days) and I am thinking my RLS is linked to that because It seems that substances that ease anxiety takes my RLS away. I think my night terrors are linked to that as well but, maybe that's obvious. I say that because, I had night terrors last night within the first hour or two ( I am always surprised how early my watch says). This time I recall dreams linked to it but this time I remembered to immediately calm myself and try to relax back into the dream state. I didn't become lucid but it's seems like a first step maybe. This may not be the same issue though. I didn't feel like something touched me, but if I had I think I would have at least been calm about it this time. There is a difference, and you're right. If you don't feel any fear regarding it, then it's fine to ignore it or disbelieve. It's only if it's bothering you, and you're suppressing the fear, that would be in resistance. You would know that better than me. I don't know what is causing the RLS exactly for me, but I only have a mild version, and it's not every night. Right now I'm thinking it has to do with root chakra issues. Like you, thinking it's stress or emotions getting in the way here. Do you mean nightmares or true night terrors? I only ask because I know I rarely remembered the terrors (only vague impressions of translucent spiders, snakes, etc.), and I know the lack of remembering is a hallmark symptom. I have never heard of them involving dreams, that's for sure. It's always a vision / hallucination. I just know from waking up on the floor, or my ex-husband telling me I commando-jumped out of bed last night, crawled on the floor, and clawed the door, all while screaming as if I was being murdered. I just remember waking up with a back ache!!

[Xanous]

Do you mean nightmares or true night terrors? I only ask because I know I rarely remembered the terrors (only vague impressions of translucent spiders, snakes, etc.), and I know the lack of remembering is a hallmark symptom. I have never heard of them involving dreams, that's for sure. It's always a vision / hallucination. I just know from waking up on the floor, or my ex-husband telling me I commando-jumped out of bed last night, crawled on the floor, and clawed the door, all while screaming as if I was being murdered. I just remember waking up with a back ache!! I guess I have both. Yes you are right I don't typically recall any dream when I freak out like that. The hallucinations are the worst! So I really haven't had another night terror but a nightmare. It will be interesting to see how I handle the next one. It's kind of sporadic so we will see. Also, I couldn't help but laugh at your story there. I'm sure it wasn't funny for either one of you at the time but the mental image that gave me was great. By the way have you done much chakra work? I have done some guided meditation but I can't say it's done much for me other than the temporary feeling of peace mediation brings me anyway. I know it takes time but it's hard to keep going when you notice nothing.

[Hilary]

I guess I have both. Yes you are right I don't typically recall any dream when I freak out like that. The hallucinations are the worst! So I really haven't had another night terror but a nightmare. It will be interesting to see how I handle the next one. It's kind of sporadic so we will see. Also, I couldn't help but laugh at your story there. I'm sure it wasn't funny for either one of you at the time but the mental image that gave me was great. By the way have you done much chakra work? I have done some guided meditation but I can't say it's done much for me other than the temporary feeling of peace mediation brings me anyway. I know it takes time but it's hard to keep going when you notice nothing. It's funny in hindsight. But not so much in the moment for him because I would attempt to fight him if he got near me. So he couldn't really help much. For me, not so much because I have sciatic back issues that started after a particularly bad night terror. Good news - I haven't had one in a few years now. Guided meditations are just not that useful. You don't really get into a meditative state that way, although they can be good for active imagination / visualizing. During a group session one, I was able to have visuals/visions from source. That was cool. I find the best way to do chakra work is to meditate by myself, with a focus on processing my feelings and connecting with Source. Fear, shame, guilt, anger, etc, this is what clogs the chakras. The more you let yourself stay in a feeling state, without reacting (and just accepting it), the sooner the wisdom will pop up in your head that will guide you out of the feelings, to peace. I also use clairaudience (I hear voices easily in meditative state). Letting yourself drift into a trance state / half sleep without fully falling asleep is key for hearing or seeing messages from Source. You may hear things like me, with light visuals, or you may see things with light audio, or something else. I don't know, everyone's different, but it's a super useful skill to have. The wisdom is spot on, I've found. Crystals are amazing, also, for clearing chakras. If you don't believe in it (like I didn't), just buy yourself a nice chunk of moldavite of phenacite, and meditate with it. There are many great crystals, and all have different energy, but those two are particularly high vibe. Good luck.

[Xanous]

Yeah my wife says I get really angry when she doesn't see what I see or when she tries to calm me down. It's strange because it's not how I remember it at all if I even do remember anything. I'm glad you're feeling better. I can see what you are saying with guided meditations. I guess someones constant voice is a hindrance from getting really deep but after a few listens I tried it without the guide. Honestly I have found long distance running/jogging outdoors to be very meditative and I have heard that voice of wisdom when my mind has cleared. I sometimes stop and take notes when something seems especially good. Its probably not great for charka meditation but its nice when I do it. Maybe it's runners high. I don't know. I am open to the crystal thing but I probably wouldn't let anyone know if I tried it lol. I am skeptical but I realize there are subtle energies in everything and it's that same energy that connects all things. I always say if something really does help you then its real to you and it doesn't matter what anyone else says. I've become a little bit of a rock hound since my son got a rock tumbler so I'm really into collecting beautiful rocks and crystals now. It's funner to find them but I might purchase some to keep on display and try what you suggested. I can be very cynical at times but I try to be open minded most of the time.

[Xanous]

So just to follow up... The early night terrors continued for a bit but I think I've got it to stop at least for now. I can't say for sure but there seemed to have been some sort of negative energy in our bedroom that only latched on to me while I was trying to sleep. Maybe it's just in my mind I don't know. For a week or so I was still waking up with the terrors. I bothered me it was still happening but I was immediately able to calm myself and not let it freak me out or disturb my wife. Then we had to leave town for a few nights and I slept amazingly. First night back I got horrible nightmare images. Just terrible stuff and it really felt like I was being attacked extra for being away. A few days before I left town, I did decided to take some of MoonageDayDream's advice and decided to try crystals. I am waiting on an order now but I remembered I have several really large chunks of calcite that I found when we were being rockhounds to fill my son's rock tumbler. I read that calcite can purge negative energy so I decided to give it a shot. The piece is almost a big as my head so I put it next to me on my night stand. I took a few minutes to meditate on it a reach out to it with my mind for a bit then fell asleep. I feel like its made a huge difference when I sleep. Last night I did wake up a few times with a lot of confusion associated with night terrors but there was zero fear or negative energy. I was completely calm while I tried to figure out what the curtain where lol. I'm sorry Moonage but I'm still skeptical. I don't know if this is just a mind trick or what but it's working for me and that's all that matters. I plan to continue playing with crystals and see what happens. Maybe I'll be a believer in the end; I'm open to anything. I'm just glad I got some relief as this was getting ridiculous. Anyway, I thought I'd share my experience. Maybe it will help someone else that finds this post.

[snoop]

Do you take prescription medications or OTC medications within 6 or so hours of going to bed? A majority of all, if not all drugs commonly used over the counter or prescribed as sleep aids can not only give you strange or vivid dreams, but they're more often than not terrifying or otherwise negative on top of that. Psychiatric medications of any kind also commonly cause these kinds of experiences. Depending on the person, one's personal body chemistry and how sensitive they are to the drugs or supplements they're taking can often cause sleep disturbances beyond overly negative or terrifying dreams, like sleep walking (alternatively at times it can cause a trance-like state of diminished awareness accompanied with delusions and hallucinations until someone or something causes you to snap out of it), night terrors, and experiencing recurrent episodes of sleep paralysis or sudden feelings of impending doom, terror, and the sense of an evil, malevolent presence in the room with harmful intent. The latter set of symptoms often accompanies episodes of sleep paralysis, but is quite capable of being experienced separately from it--typically during the onset of sleep. For instance, I used to be prescribed trazodone, which would either cause me bouts of sleep paralysis or to stay conscious through the onset of REM Atonia nearly every time I took it. Now, I'm prescribed a nerve pain medication called gabapentin, and if I happen to take it with a first-generation antihistamine (the common two are diphenhydramine, which is benadryl. ZZZQuil, and one of two formulations of Unisom, or doxylamine, which is in Sominex or the other formulation of Unisom) within 3-4 hours of going to bed, it's not uncommon for it to cause multiple episodes of either onset sleep paralysis, or the aformentioned symptoms usually accompanying SP, but in this case is more often from it. Right as I'm on the precipice of drifting off to sleep, I'll suddenly feel a powerful sense of dread and malaise, if not outright terror, because I sense some menacing evil presence with intent to harm me in the room. Actually, now that I think about it, more often than not I actually do wind up stuck in sleep paralysis when that happens. I just so happen to experience SP upon waking up as well as remaining awake through the onset of REM Atonia quite regularly despite not having tried to purposefully LD in over 8 years... and normally I enjoy the experience or at the very least I'm not frightened during it. Usually I can force myself to move if I really want to, so even if it is a bit scary I can usually force my way out of it. Given how regularly I experience SP/REM Atonia it doesn't particularly stand out to me if I experience it, so I just now realized upon reflecting on the last experience I had from taking gabapentin and diphenhydramine together that not only does it occur several times as I'm falling asleep, but the drugs actually impair my ability to successfully will myself to move and break out of SP. It often feels like the effort/strength of the signals to move that I normally have to put in is dwarfed by how much I really have to struggle to make myself move. It's like while I'm communicating with my body, I've only got a megaphone and my body is off on some far off distant shore across from the bay I happen to find myself located at. It seems like my body can hear that I'm trying to say something, but it can't tell what it is. Anyway, I've digressed... a lot. Even sleep aids sold as nutritional supplements and are mild on the body can cause sleep disturbances significant enough that the disturbances themselves form a bit of a positive feedback loop and cause the systems that control your sensory perception to get all out of whack. The consciousness and sensory binding circuit in the brain is basically a loop stemming up from the brain stem, through the thalamus, and then to the outer cortical structures, with there being networks that allow for two-way communication between the thalamus and the cortical regions connected by those networks. This is the basis for the feedback mechanisms that allow for sensory signals being projected from the sensory organs to their respective cortical regions. The thalamus gates the information being sent back to it from said cortical regions as it collects all the data and chooses what processed signals it will project to the sensory binding pathways in order to construct our final unified model of reality and conscious experience. Basically, the brain is always generating internal signal "noise" as a matter of course from normal brain processes/function. The sensory signals coming in from their respective organs while in a normal waking state of consciousness are neural oscillations (brainwaves) that oscillate at a regular frequency that lies somewhere around 40hz, and the cortical regions that receive these projections synchronize with these oscillations, resulting in brainwave coherence. This essentially binds or glues the the networks responsible for this synchronization to the input of these signals, which essentially "blocks out" the naturally, ever-occurring signal patterns that would otherwise introduce "noise" into the the neural oscillation patterns being sent to and from the sensory organs and associated cortical regions as well as the thalamus. When the process of this brainwave synchronization is interrupted or otherwise impaired, the signal noise introduced to the sensory signals winds up being interpreted by the brain as faulty, anomalous sensory perceptions. You consciously experience this as hallucinations and/or delusions. While the brain goes to sleep or is dreaming, it is experiencing an altered state of conscious not unlike what can be experienced from taking drugs, inducing sensory deprivation, inducing a trance or hypnosis, or extended levels of sleep deprivation. That's why hallucinations and delusions are common during SP and while both drifting off to and waking up from sleep, because the transition from a normal alert, awake state of consciousness to hypnagogia, hypnopomia, sleeping, and dreaming isn't immediate and not all parts of the brain transition as fast as others. I mean, sometimes experiencing SP or sensations of being grabbed, etc. on a regular basis can be the sign of something abnormal and unhealthy going on with the body or the brain, like hormone regulation issues, etc. But, it seems like getting involved in Lucid Dreaming seems to increase the likelihood of experiencing these things more often than would be expected of somebody who hasn't heard of LDing or has never tried. I personally never experienced SP or stayed conscious through REM Atonia before LDing, and I have to have had it happen more than 100 times now since I got into LDing 12 years ago... and like I said, I haven't even actively tried to LD in over 8 years.

[Xanous]

Thanks for the reply Snoop. The short answer is no. I have been off the Lexapro I was on for several months now. It's possible my body has been adjusting to that, though. Also I rarely take any OTC. I do have some alcohol on the weekends but that's nothing new. I do take a small amount of kratom every night before bed. If I don't I will get restless legs a few hours into sleep. However, the kratom has never effected me like that. All this night terror stuff has gone away lately and I continue to use kratom. I know kratom isn't something to dismiss as trivial but I don't feel its the cause. Thinking back, I realize these episodes have happened off and on all my life. There's so much going on in the brain when it comes to this sort of thing I'll probably never figure it out. It could be demons and shit or it just could me and my abnormal sleep issues. All I know is that for now giving my crystals a mental caress as I drift off lets me have a much more peaceful nights sleep for whatever reason.

[Hilary]

Thinking back, I realize these episodes have happened off and on all my life. There's so much going on in the brain when it comes to this sort of thing I'll probably never figure it out. It could be demons and shit or it just could me and my abnormal sleep issues. All I know is that for now giving my crystals a mental caress as I drift off lets me have a much more peaceful nights sleep for whatever reason. Is it possible that you could have repressed memories? I'm talking about childhood abuse. I know with myself, I didn't remember the abuse, it's like it just got erased from my memory. Until I turned 19, and then they flooded back - the night terrors started shortly before this. I didn't know if I was just crazy or if it was real, until I braved up, approached my mom about it, and she confirmed that the situation in question happened. Repressed memories are real. If things are bad with sleep, this could be a cause. It could be that your mind is ready to process something. Or not. Who knows? Just wanted to bring up the possibility.

[Xanous]

That's an interesting idea and I am truly sorry to hear something like that happened to you. I can't say I have any reason to think that might be the case for me. I mean, life can be hard and I can think of some really bad things from my childhood have had an impact on me today, but nothing like that.