great - so not only did I not get ONE. FRICKING. WINK. OF. SLEEP. last night, but I was also hit with what I call a "night terror" ("sleep paralysis" in wikipedia). I've been hit by them maybe five times in my life, and each time.....
When one of them happens, I'm usually in a semi-sleepy state, and always (I think) on my back when one comes on. It's like - gigantic hands pressing HARD down on me, pressing my body further down into the mattress - almost like someone is literally lying down on top of me and trying to pin me there.
And I'm completely paralyzed - absolutely no way I can move, and at times it feels like some evil entity is passing over me, and I don't want to open my eyes - quite freaky as shit, actually.
Luckily the paralysis lasts no more than maybe thirty seconds, I figure, but manoman it sure is a major buzzkill.
Apparently they're the result of (hey wouldn't ya know) lack of sleep lol.
I've had that twice and it's the scariest thing ever..
Once, I swear it was the middle of the day...
I don't think by lack of sleep.
So awful. You're paralyzed and can't move or cry for help..
The only thing that got me out was by praying. Both times.
Even though I'm not religious..
I've gone through it too.
I have lucid dreaming sometimes too..
This has happened to me on an occasion or two as well. I prayed my way out of it as well. Screaming it inside my head, because I couldn't talk or make a sound.
You can't whimper. Can't blink. Can't make a sound..
Soo scary.
"Skeptical Inquirer" bookmarked - thanks.
nice to come across some lucid thinking now and then
Luckily, Ive never experienced exactly what you're talking about. I have heard of it, though, and have heard it can be terrifying. I did, however, wake up very suddenly a few months ago from an alarm and my body was still in the "paralysis" state from sleeping. My arms could move but my legs couldnt so I tried to get oit of bed and fell right on my face. The "paralysis" only lasted about 20 seconds after waking but it was scary to not be ableto use my legs so I cant imagine what full sleepparalysis is like. Of course, after I was fully awake and knew what happened I couldnt stop laughing about it. Apparently my boyfriemd woke up when i fell amd asked me what I was doing and I just looked at him from the floor and said "my legs won't work". Lmao.
I understand precisely what you mean. I had something similar when I was ill several years ago with a high fever and on the edge of delirium. It is one of the most frightening things in the world. At the time all I can say is thank God for antibiotics that helped me pull through
I've been through this in my life. I know what causes them psychologically but they scare the shit out of me. I can't move my whole body and scream silently and try to wake up. Sometimes it's a feeling of utter helplessness and dread like watching a horror movie when you can't look away or react. I really hate being that out of control. Through sheer will power I've managed to wake myself up normally screaming or whimpering in real life. It's really freaked out people in bed with me too.
I had this a few nights ago. It was absolutely the scariest thing ever. I tried crying out and nothing. It's like I needed saving and there's no way to save myself. I'm not sure what caused it. I just know that I wear a fitbit to track my sleep patterns and my heart rate was 147 once I finally broke free from the nightmare. However; during my dream I had been injected with a paralytic by a criminal so I was actually having a dream and then the paralyzed state took over. I've never just had it not with a dream before.
