Sleep Paralysis or Alien Abduction ?
84sleep disorders
Sleep Paralysis vs R.E.M. Awakening
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. For a more detailed article on this subject visit this Hub page. Sleep Paralysis Is it a Normal Phenomenon or a Psychic...
by Nell Rose
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I know what you're going through, I've been having sleep paralysis occurring for at least once a month in the past 2 years, and about twice in my childhood. I've even had an experience like this while my younger brother was watching me. It's a very terrifying experience, there are times where I think I'm going to suffocate because I can't even say a word. Every time I have them is when I feel something isn't right (Or something is watching me), right before I go to bed. The last two dreams I had were about Aliens, in my dreams I was walking down the hallways in my house and I find a gray alien standing right in front of me, then I collapse due to paralysis, and I wake up in my bed not being able to move, speak, and hardly breath. It's a very terrifying experience. My Mom, and brother have never experienced sleep paralysis so I'm glad it isn't something that's just in my head.
You are not alone Hoan. It is more comman than people realize. Most people have one or to experiences in their life time, but pass it off. It's just that some of us have them more often.
Thanks that's very reassuring. I had another one this morning which is why I came back to this blog. It wasn't as terrifying as the ones before, most likely because I woke up in daylight. Do you still wake up in fear?
Yes, if I am disoriented by the darkness of the room, or if I had a particular distubing dream just before its occurence. I have discovered that I often have an incident after a particular stressful day.
I have sleep paralysis as well and what I've recognized in my personal situation is that it occures during phazes. For instanse, every couple of months ill get it and it will happen EVERY night for three to four weeks or so. Then it will leave, so on so forth. But what I've managed to do because I'm so used to this, and ready for it, is to not panic. Aknowledge that this happens to me. That it has happened will continue to last only about 5 to 8 minutes, and then I will wake up totally normal again. Panicking makes nothing better. I know its frightening at first.. Once you get used to it you learn how to control it.
I have been experiencing these for years and they can be absolutely terrifying! Thank you for sharing.
When I was living in New Orleans 2 years ago, I actually thought that i had a very evil ghost that was trying to suffocate me. There are times when I can not breathe and I scream and can't make a sound until I finally wake myself up. Then, I am sometimes unable to move for what seems like a very long time, but my concept for time is totally absent.
I am not sure if this is the same thing but a few hours ago I woke up and could not get myself to fully wake up. I could not move or talk or anything and then it felt as if I was being forced back to sleep. This happened a few times before I was fully awake. When I was finally awake I heard a door slam in the hallway, so I assummed my sister was awake. Then the part that really freaked me out was that my door opened slightly and slammed as well. I feel like a crazy person
@jaqualy yes, that is an excellent discription of sleep paralysis. Ironicly, EGG's have shown that the brain is just as active during such a deep sleep, as it is when fully awake and active.
It comforts me to know that I'm not the only one in the family that has this. It happened one as a kid but about 5 times in the last month. Do you dream a lot? I dream so much at night I never get a restless sleep.
I have suffered this disorder for approx 15 yrs! It's awful. The first time was the most traumatic. It was a typical alien abduction type of scenerio. Over the yrs I've realized a pattern. If I force myself to stay awake when I am especially tired, the moment I begin to drift off I will start to elapse into REM awakening. These usually involve feelings of a evil presence and a doomed panic. What is most peculiar to me is that after reading this article, I found a common point as to how to snap out of them. I sing hymns. Sometimes I just proclaim Jesus to be Lord and Savior. But almost 99% of the time the only way to wake up and snap out of it is by singing hymns. I find that very interesting... Also, when I begin to drift off to sleep I usually feel panicked and afraid with impending doom and try desperatley to open my eyes. In episodes when I cannot open my eyes except for small gimpses, upon wakening, my eyeballs are always strained and tired from the struggle to open them. The times that I can open them freely but am otherwise paralyzed and unable to speak, are especially scary.
I found this very interesting, especially as I'm also interested in the alien abduction phenomena - abductees and psychiatrists agree that sleep paralysis just doesn't quite explain it.
I've only ever experience anything remotely like this once when I was about 22. It seems quite funny but I was lying on my bed holding my guitar when the lightshade started making noises and coming down towards and it kept knocking against my face. I know that sounds crazy but it was very vivid and very scary.
Then I woke up and I was indeed lying there on my bed holding my guitar, just as I was in the dream. Very weird.
I have had similar experiences.
I have had similar experiences. I have woken with very unique marks though, which nobody really stated. I'm a very calm person now a days but feel a strong block in my head when I need to do homework or something... I wake up at a very specific time (3:33am) but I've been chalking it all up to outer body experiences and being in the military for 4 years.... I am 28, so I'm young but I want NOBODY to suffer... So I try to, as the late Bob Marley said, light up the darkness.
I just had this experience. My dream was fairly normal and safe and I can even remember that it changed into completely different dreams a few times but the last part was terrifying. In my dream I was going to bed with my partner but something didn't seem right so I told him how much I love him, then he here worried and then I am screaming for him to turn on the light as I see figures coming towards the Windows, he can't see them, I feel like I am fighting to stay awake and if he doesn't turn the light on the alien figures will induce me into sleep and this terrified me, I an screaming and clapping and trying to open my eyes. Then I woke up but I couldn't open my eyes properly, it took several attempts and I had to fight to stay awake, then I was disoriented and scared before I realised I had been lying so still it felt weird to actually move. I'm not sure if I was unable to move or if I just hadn't tried the whole time. Very scarey and very real. I've only had one another occupancy like this and I can't even remember the dream from that anymore. Does this sound like the same sort of thing? It's terrifying! And I don't believe in the alien hype as such but the dream might change my mind.
Sorry bout the spelling, auto correct got carried away and its 4am and I need to go back to sleep....hopefully soundly.
Yes!... Even the time is similar....,sometimes it seems almost impossible to keep yourself awake after coming out of the first initial experience. and after finaly awakening from the incident, you wonder if you were really moving. Often I have had to finally get up out of bed for a time...I have recently begain to study and research allusive dreaming... I feel there may be a connection. The comfortable news about allusive dreaming is that you are able to maintain control of a dream..As I have said in my article, most people experience a paralysis episode at least once or twice in their life time.. The only question I would put before you is this: Have you been under a lot of stress lately?
Yes!... Even the time is similar....,sometimes it seems almost impossible to keep yourself awake after coming out of the first initial experience. and after finaly awakening from the incident, you wonder if you were really moving. Often I have had to finally get up out of bed for a time...I have recently begain to study and research allusive dreaming... I feel there may be a connection. The comfortable news about allusive dreaming is that you are able to maintain control of a dream..As I have said in my article, most people experience a paralysis episode at least once or twice in their life time.. The only question I would put before you is this: Have you been under a lot of stress lately?
Nothing really stressing me out....but today as I went over last night I realised that I have in fact had many, many similar episodes just none with an actual nightmare as such but definitely remembering not being able to wake easily and a feeling like you get when you go under anasetic. Also the feeling of being awake but not...if that makes sense. Strange thing the human mind and body is! Do you experience any kind of panic attack related things during the day? I have in the past and I'm wondering if its kind of the same except its when I'm asleep
Yes it makes sence, and it is my opinion, that your discription sounds more like allusive dreaming. Allusive dreaming can be frightening also, if you don't know what you are experiencing is.. allusive dreaming. I think that you might want to explore and master this type of dreaming. From what little research I have done on the subject, I have discovered that it can be very rewarding and beneficial to your psyche. To be completely honest with you about my sleep paralysis. I have determined that it is a symptom of my PTS that comes from a bad childhood experience.
Thank-you for your advice, I will definitely look into allusive dreaming. last nights experience was to put it simple....terrifying but its also extremely interesting and intriguing to me.
There is a much more professional article that has been written on this subject. I am sending you the link. Sleep Paralysis Is it a Normal Phenomenon or a Psychic...
by Nell Rose
Hi, Nick, sounds terrifying! I know exactly how you feel, as you know, but I think mine was mainly caused by my bad thyroid, but even now I hate going to bed! the thought of it keeps me awake most nights,thanks again for the link, much appreciated, voted up and shared, on hubs and facebook!
A TOOL TO USE- Documentation! If you can motivate yourself enough, try it for 3 months at least. This takes much practice but the rewards are great!
Keep a bedside notebook or a personal tape recorder. When waking up in the morning or at any point, write or say what your sleep was like. Give at least 5 minutes of thinking per session. I even set my I-phone alarm clock to say "check dream". My experiences in the last 2 months since I typed the above message have taken a drastic change, thats a whole other topic in itself now. Maybe this helps you guys... IDK. Sometimes when I'm awake, I can't tell if I'm still dreaming. Doing the critical thinking has made it comfortable to accept the other linear spectrum of life which is...well, I dont wanna sound synical... stay vigilent guys, and Nick; expand sometime on your deeper opinions of allusive dreaming... (or is it elusive dreaming/lucid dreaming?)
Your correct.. it is lucid dreaming... I never was good at spelling.. Yes... I have been keeping a note book. Thanks for your imput.. it is very helpful
Hi all,
I suffer too. Just wanted to ask if anyone gets an intense pulse in their head?
I thought it might be aliens using some sort of probe. That's until I read this page!
Thanks guys
Case closed!
Http://www.tompepper.com
glassvisage Level 5 Commenter 2 years ago
I'm sorry that this is troubling you! I've never heard of this before, and it's worse because it's difficult to diagnose... That's frightening. Thank you for sharing, and I hope you can find help!