Sleep Paralysis or Alien Abduction ?

I suffer from a sleep disorder that I have had from the time of my childhood. It has been diagnosed as sleep paralysis, or it can be called R.E.M. awakening. Its diagnoses depends on what leads to the event. As of yet, this sleep disorder is not fully understood, because very few people suffer from its terrifying affliction. So, what is sleep paralysis or R.E.M. Awakening?

The psychological and psychiatric community explain R.E.M. Awakening as an event often occurring after a dream. During the dream one will feel that there is something wrong and dangerous about the events that are occurring in the dream. One may feel that they are about to be attacked viciously by something or someone, or they may have the feeling that their life is in danger. The crisis of the event begins just as one is waking up from such a dream. Normally, the dreamer wakes up able to move about, and the feelings of dred and danger passes quickly. However, during a R.E.M. Awakening event, the dreamer discovers that he, or she, is unable to move. From that point on, it becomes a frantic and terrifying panic to get one's self out of that state of being. This is how most people who have had a R.E.M. Awakening event,.will describe the experience, .

Sleep Paralysis is very similar to a R.E.M. Awakening event. The main difference is that, during a Sleep Paralysis occurrence, there is no dream that came before the paralysis. In this occurrence, you simply wake up unable to move.

My personal experiences with sleep paralysis does not seem to favor one definition over the other. Sometimes I will have an occurrence shortly after going to bed as I am entering the sleep stage. (In that moment where one goes between consciousness and being awake.) At other times, it has occurred as I am waking up from a dream. Most people will have one or two such occurrences in there life time. However, I have had them as many as two or three times during a week.

To prove to myself that I am awake. I have conducted experiments with myself to test whether or not I am truly awake. I have placed objects on the walls of my bedroom in different places each night before going to sleep, and I have awakened in the paralysis state to see them. In my attempts to get out of this state, I have been able to create sounds and even words. I have sung hymns in the past and recited quotes. I have called out my dogs names, but when I was feeling disoriented, I ended up screaming to the top of my lungs until I emerge into a fully awakened state. I have tape recorded my attempts, and I have friends and family who have documented my attempts to emerge myself from this state.

For those of you who have never been afflicted by this sleep disorder; Take a moment to imagine that you are in a dark room. After having a terrifying dream, you wake up to discover you are unable to move. Can you imagine the fear that this might cause you to have? Remember, you are just trying to imagine it. The real experience can be much more frightening. As I mentioned before, most people will have one or two such occurrences in their life time, but they will pass it of as a bad dream.

In summary, I have given you a brief explanation of what these two disorders are, and I have shared my experiences with you to give you a feeling of what it must be like to have a sleep paralysis event. So, What is causing this sleep disorder?

There has been several diagnostic explanations for this disorder by the psychiatric community. The most command ones are, post traumatic syndrome, bi-polar personality disorder, and temporal lobe seizures. Those who are not afflicted by this disorder, but who have had an event or two, may seek other explanations for such a terrifying experience. Here are a few of those explanations.

In past generations, people have believed that it was some kind of supernatural event. They may have believed it was a visit from a spirit. There was those who believed it was some kind of religious experience: a visit from God, if the experience was pleasant, Satan, if the experience was unpleasant, and an incubus, if there was some kind of sexual pleasure or discomfort. However, In our modern world of today, the idea of alien abductions has become a very popular explanation. The idea of being snatched from out of one's bed makes for a great story, and there is a profit to be made with such an explanation. Now, I am not saying that this is not possible. I have had some tactile experiences that felt quite real during some of my sleep paralysis events, and I have questioned myself as to whether I was abducted or not.

Finally, After doing much of my own research, I do believe that it is nothing more than a sleep disorder. But, I will conclude with this. If the alien abduction theory is true, well than, I would like to know why they have such a special interest in me?

I would like to add this note. It has been a year since I wrote this piece, and it is fantastic to read where others are sharing their experiences on this sleep disorder. Often people who have had this experience and keep it to themselves, begin to think that they have a mental problem or worst. Which in most cases this is not true. I have found that knowing you are not alone can be the biggest help of all. However, I do recommend counseling, if you become to disturb by it occurrence. You are not crazy, and you are not alone. You just have a sleep disorder, and there are medical treatments for it, if it is to disturbing for you.

Sincerly

Nick's thoughts