Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: jjpoirier on 18/10/2006 07:22:20
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hi all,
i actually just got up (2:30am) and tried to google a search of this frightening experience. i could not sleep cause i am to freaked.
i have had similiar experiences to the ones posted on this site. i am glad to have found such a forum.
i'll explain while its fairly fresh in my mind... its as though i am just about to sleep or feel half asleep. i had my eyes open, and i could not move but it felt as though my body was shaking or convulsing. i couldnt speak or yell. the room seemed a bit brighter then usual and with my body sorta shaking, either my eyes where shaking to or kinda earthquake happening. it seemed at the time it was the house. i remember a kind of noise as well, but not sure what it was. my wife was sleeping beside me and i thought something was happening to her or that she was talking. i have fought to wake up from something before but this was really bad, it felt as though i was close to death. if i had stayed in that state i thought sure it was over. it felt like something was gonna leave my body or some sort of possesion. definately felt bad. when i finally woke my wife was asleep so she didnt wake so i know i couldnt have woken her. when i turned towards her she must have been in a nightmare at the time. it sounded as though i heard whimpers or fear like noises. after i put my hand on her she stopped. almost as though she dreampt me going through this?? it was the worst sleep/terror paralysis i have had to date.
something that also is wierd that others may experience. is halucinations. im talking when you wake during the night and see thing and u are sure they are real. I have been experiencing these since age of 12. (27 on oct 24). i have seen bugs on my bed, snakes on the floor, dirt on the bed :P including my coat which i thought for sure was there and tried to take it off the bed and my wife woke and asked what i was doing and as i told her i started to realize there was no coat and i was trying to through the blankets on the floor. mostly i halucinate these days is my pet rat got out of the cage somehow and is on the bed or under the sheets. it freaks me out cause its as though i see her plain as day and i have went to pick her up and feels as though i touch her and as i begin to realize i cant pick her up or if i whip the sheets off me or turn on the light there is nothing of course. just my wife thinking im crazy and half dozed and little cranky cause i woke her.
i appologize if i got off topic a bit but was to freaked to sleep. still skethcy if i should [V] i will post past experiences and new experiences when they happen of this sleep/terror paralysis when i can.
g'night all
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" Sleep paralysis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis).
The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation. Physiologically, it is closely related to the normal paralysis that occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, also known as REM atonia. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is awakened from a REM state into essentially a normal fully awake state, but the bodily paralysis is still occurring. This causes the person to be fully aware, but unable to move. In addition, this state may be accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations.
More often than not, sleep paralysis is believed by the person affected by it to be no more than a dream. This is the reason why there are many dream recountings which describe the person lying frozen and unable to move. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as simply a dream, as one might see completely fanciful objects in a room alongside the normal vision one can see.
Some report that various factors increase the likelihood of both paralysis and hallucinations. These include:-
Sleeping in a supine position (facing upwards)
Irregular sleeping schedules; naps, sleeping in, sleep deprivation
Increased stress
Sudden environmental/lifestyle changes
A lucid dream that immediately precedes the episode. Also conscious induction of sleep paralysis is a common technique to enter a state of lucid dreams.
Artificial sleeping aids or antihistamines "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
So apparently sleeping tablets would worsen this condition.
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In order to stop you injuring yourself while dreaming, your body paralyses itself. Which all works fine unless you wake up in this state, which can be scary. I have a feeling I have experienced something similar for a few seconds while waking up.
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There was quite a long discussion of sleep paralysis elsewhere on the forum, here's a link incase you haven't found it yet...
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=2044.0
Actually, re-reading your post I think this may have been intended to be a reply to that thread anyway?