Skip to main content

Sleep Paralysis

The Nightmare by Fuseli
     Chances are, you are reading this because you have had sleep paralysis. Sometimes mistaken for paranormal, sleep paralysis is a fairly common occurrence. To explain simply, it's when you experience frightening hallucinations when you are half asleep (entering or leaving REM sleep). Personally, I find sleep paralysis so fascinating even though it can be shit terrifying while it happens. I've experienced sleep paralysis, so I'll offer some of my experiences and how I deal with them.
     Many cultures have been fascinated by sleep paralysis through the ages. It's been explained as possessions, an attack from incubi or succubi, a visit from a restless spirit, witches, and anything in between. Still today, people associate it with the paranormal, and it is easy to see why. If you haven't experienced this, try to imagine. You're in bed, and you are falling asleep. You hear a buzzing noise that gets unbearably loud, when you start to feel extreme panic. You see a dark figure standing over you, and you can't escape. You can't move, and you can't even talk. You just have to wait until this terror wears off, and you wake up breathless and in a sweat. That's what it's like. 
     I remember the first time I had sleep paralysis. I was falling asleep on a little leather sofa in my boyfriend's basement while he went upstairs to get us some hot tea. I thought I could hear his mother and sister arguing as I nodded off. The 'arguing' got progressively louder until it was hard to handle. What I thought was arguing turned into laughter. It sounded as if hundreds of people were laughing in my ear. I started to panic and open my eyes a little bit. This laughter sounded demented. It scared me so much, that I think I even woke up in tears. The next time it happened was in the same spot. Instead of laughter, I was just opening my eyes. I felt a presence in the room, and I thought I was seeing shadows. It was quite a bit less terrifying. Besides my first experience, there was the most recent one that was by far the most terrifying.
     I fell asleep, and I remember looking at the end of my bed. I was already panicky, because I knew something was coming. Out of the shadows came this tall pitch black male figure (which reminded me of a real-life experience). I remember this feeling of dread. What surprised me most was that this sleep hallucination spoke to me. It asked me to make sacrifices to it, and I said a definite no. It said it would kill me if I refused, but I still said no. I remember feeling this horrible choking sensation after that. I swung my head back and forth, unable to breathe. Finally, I woke up. I know how traumatic it can be, but there are ways of dealing with it. It has been quite a while since I have had a similar experience. I noticed that I only get this sleep paralysis when I sleep on my back. Since that last experience, I have been sleeping on my side, and my sleep has been normal. It really does work. You don't have to bottle up your sleep paralysis experiences. It helps my nerves to vent to someone about it. If you're a creative person, sleep paralysis doesn't have to be such a bad thing. Use your experiences as inspiration for art, poetry, songs, stories, etc.  Here's a link to the Web MD article.
 Above is a music video inspired by sleep paralysis. It's really beautiful in a haunting sort of way. 

Comments

  1. I have Sleep Paralysis episodes very often. I'm getting used to it now,but the first couple of times it happened I was pretty scared.For a while there I really didn't even want to fall asleep! After a little research I read some tips on how to minimize your chances of getting episode(Such as,like you said,avoiding sleep on your back.)So it happens less,but I still normally get anywhere from 5 to 13 episodes a month.
    I actually keep a journal of my experiences.SP can be very fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keeping a sleep journal is very good. If it's that regular, have you considered seeing a doctor?

      Delete
    2. Considered it,yes.Unfortunately, we are currently without health insurance.

      Delete
  2. :/ Well, that's a problem. My family was without health insurance for a little while until recently, and It seemed like I only needed to see a doctor when I was unable to pay for the visit. How ironic life can be.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devil's Turnaround

Noonday Missionary Baptist Church's Cemetery is also known as "Devil's Turnaround." It is located along a little back road in Kennesaw, Georgia, and most of the graves are scattered in the woods. It is easy to miss, but some of the gravestones are visible from the road. The cemetery has graves from the 1860's. I wouldn't doubt that some of its occupants were slaves at one time. Many say the land is haunted by malevolent spirits who hurl objects and make physical contact--shoving, scratching, and even biting visitors. I could understand why any lingering spirits might be upset: These grounds have been terribly neglected. Much of the graves are broken and toppled over. Some are barely visible through the overgrowth of ivy and weeds. People also say the root of the haunting may be related to rumored cult rituals performed on the property. Located right by the cemetery are huge power lines (high voltage transmission lines). I could hear them b

Why I Still Use CD's

Second Wave Compilation, Talking Heads, and SOM all purchased at a used book store Are CD's obsolete? With all of this digital downloading, most people don't even bother with them. Even vinyls (which are technically obsolete) have a vintage charm which CD's currently lack. I have a friend who jokes, "It's 2013. Who listens to CD's anymore?" while knowing full well that I still buy them. It might seem that I have luddite tendencies--I don't use an e reader either. However, I can make some very good arguments for purchasing CD's. Buying your music on compact disks nowadays is really cheap, especially if you know where to look. I tend to shop for them at Goodwill, thrift stores, and used book stores. I found Ministry's Psalm 69 (in very good condition) at my local Goodwill for only $1. Keep in mind, many people pay that much for a digital copy of one song. When I shop for them at my local used book store, the CD's are guaranteed to be i

DIY Moon Patch

Sometimes, I get the inexplicable desire to paint patches. This time, I had an image of the moon phases in my head. The next thing I knew, I was pinning the patch on to the back of my jean vest. I was very pleased with how it turned out. What do you think? In progress The finished product