Experiences from a Skeptic

[Balance005]

For the last year, I have had some very odd experiences before I go to sleep, and as I am waking up. These experiences encompass three of my senses; my ears, what I see, and what I feel. Before I explain any of it, i'd like to let readers know that as someone who believes in using logic and science, I refuse to conclude that these experiences are demonic, ghostly, or anything of the paranormal.

I moved into a new apartment about a year ago. Everything was normal for the first few weeks, but later I started experiencing very odd sensations before falling asleep. It felt as if I was being hit very softly and it would cause my muscles to spasm and twitch for about a milisecond. Now muscle spasms occur in all humans, so it's easy to dismiss. However, following these 'hits' would be a shocking feeling on my body, located anywhere on body, but normally in the tips of my fingers and toes. I can describe the shock as being something identical in feeling to static electricution. The other sensation was like that of a wave of cold coming over my body. The cold sensation came with the feeling like I had hugged a porcupine very gently. Often times, the electric shock came after the cold sensation. I would also experience strong ringing in my ears. This happened for a few months every night. It never really bothered me too much, and normally, I fell asleep as quick as I ever did.

I had been living in my apartment for a half a year, the experiences never stopped. One night, as I was falling asleep, I felt as if someone had strongly punched me right in the solar plexus. I was laying on my stomach at the time, and it literally knocked my body a few inches upward into the air. There was no subsequent pain, no marks where the "impact" was. As frightening as it sounds, I still managed to fall asleep even with these stronger experiences ocurring every so often. Sometimes, the "punches" would happen in my legs sending them flying a few inches into the air. I still dismissed these experiences as muscle spasms or some unlikely error of my nervous system. Human bodies are known to do some strange things from time to time, and afterall, I am not thoroughly educated in what the body is capable of.

Things got worse. The electric shocks, the taps, spasms, and the rare "punch to the stomach;" at least one of these things happened to me frequently before I went to sleep. One night, I unpleasantly found myself wide awake to the sound of a very shrill and distorted scream pulsating through my ears. I had no idea where the source was. It was as if it came from all around me. To me, I was startled, but not ready to make the assumption that a ghost had screamed into my ear. Afterall, strange things happen during dreams and we all wake up from nightmares.

Finally, an experience topped everything off. I "woke up" (I thought I had awoken, but it was a dream) to two robed beings standing across from my bed. This massive pressure or force was emanating from them. I can clearly describe what I saw: the robes were of dark red, they had hoods but there were no faces, just darkness. They were convulsing and twitching all over their bodies. I reached out with my left hand towards them as if I was guarding myself from a fierce wind (I still wonder why I did that). As I did so, one of them reached out in an instant and stabbed the palm of my left hand with what I thought was a knife. I woke up this time to find my left arm trembling and spasming all the way from the fingers to my shoulder. I could not control my arm until about five minutes had passed. I was truly frightened by this experience, but I know that dreams can be quite powerful and that they are not real.

To this day, I still experience everything that I described. Again, I refuse to make conclusions involving paranormal activity. A scientific explanation MUST be available. If it is happening in reality, there is an explanation out there.

My thoughts so far have found the possibility that maybe my imagination is being boldly overactive when combined with my mind's dream state. Dreams can have quite a few impacts to confuse the mind into thinking that the reality is not what it seems. However, while I can dismiss the dreams, I still cannot find a good explanation for the electric shocks, the cold porcupine sensations, the taps, and the "punches."

I do not take drugs, and I do not drink regularly for those that might try to dismiss this as a state of psychosis. I do not have any brain disorders, nor do I get depressed. My family does not have any hereditary history of mental disorder.

The possibilities are very real, and I leave this story for you readers. What has been happening to me? Has anyone else experienced something like this? Can it be explained? I encourage anyone with medical or any relative scientific education to make comments.

[bLu3 de 3n3rgy]

Can it be explained? I encourage anyone with medical or any relative scientific education to make comments.

Why should it exactly matter what kind of person replies to you?

Anyway, It sounds like you're entering sleep paraylsis but not all the way. I also think you should see a Dr about the muscle spasms incase it's not SP....

[Radian]

Yea, well, Im no scientist! But, anyhoo, sounds like sleep paralysis. Not even scientists can escape it's wrath----

[Barek Halfhand]

For the last year, I have had some very odd experiences before I go to sleep, and as I am waking up. These experiences encompass three of my senses; my ears, what I see, and what I feel. Before I explain any of it, i'd like to let readers know that as someone who believes in using logic and science, I refuse to conclude that these experiences are demonic, ghostly, or anything of the paranormal.

I

Finally, an experience topped everything off. I "woke up" (I thought I had awoken, but it was a dream) to two robed beings standing across from my bed. This massive pressure or force was emanating from them. I can clearly describe what I saw: the robes were of dark red, they had hoods but there were no faces, just darkness. They were convulsing and twitching all over their bodies. I reached out with my left hand towards them as if I was guarding myself from a fierce wind (I still wonder why I did that). As I did so, one of them reached out in an instant and stabbed the palm of my left hand with what I thought was a knife. I woke up this time to find my left arm trembling and spasming all the way from the fingers to my shoulder. I could not control my arm until about five minutes had passed. I was truly frightened by this experience, but I know that dreams can be quite powerful and that they are not real.

I do not take drugs, and I do not drink regularly for those that might try to dismiss this as a state of psychosis. I do not have any brain disorders, nor do I get depressed. My family does not have any hereditary history of mental disorder.

The possibilities are very real, and I leave this story for you readers. What has been happening to me? Has anyone else experienced something like this? Can it be explained? I encourage anyone with medical or any relative scientific education to make comments.

lets start with the need to explore thing in a scientific way,I assure you the most hardcore believers I have had the privilege of swapping posts with here are also some hardcore skeptics! I have seen post after post dissected and examined(NOT TO DICREDIT THE POSTER!)but to rule out all Possibilities of these experiences of "natural" origin ONLY then is a possible paranormal supposition implied (and that always sparks the really interesting dissections) as far as getting medical or scientific views oh yes they are here and you will get them as this post gets more viewing's I also have also SP (sleep paralysis )its called or "night terror" as I found out the medical and scientific terms are already established and all the organtic theories documents (as I have also recently learned) There are tons of threads here if you search for them(good ones too)and I PREDICT... no sorry I EDUCATED GUESS that you are going FREAK (unscientific term)when you see how many people have experienced the SAME THING almost to the letter ,average people who never dwell on the "spirit world "in their waking state but they ALL see this Foggy or hooded figure.... 'Grimm Reaper Archetypes?" (boorite) hard to tell (I myself thought SP's were the MOST hardcore proof of the paranormal now not so sure ,as Iv' e discussed with the experienced members the SP's may just be a lucid dream induced "echo"of an untapped or undeveloped sensitivity some of us MAY possess... so with that try to disregard the explanation you've taught yourself to regard as scientific and search for simply THE explanation . also secondly but MORE importantly some of the physical tingling or numbness you are feeling is of concern as I have heard these may be indicative of mild heart attacks or strokes so I you haven't gotten a check-up lately I strongly encourage you to do so (may not be anything but better safe than sorry! anyway enjoy!..........B

"this is the best part of the trip!

The very best

I really like"...........The Doors

Edited January 11, 2007 by Barek Halfhand

[Barek Halfhand]

Yea, well, Im no scientist! But, anyhoo, sounds like sleep paralysis. Not even scientists can escape it's wrath----

Nice!.........B

Edited January 11, 2007 by Barek Halfhand

[Episteme]

Before I explain any of it, i'd like to let readers know that as someone who believes in using logic and science, I refuse to conclude that these experiences are demonic, ghostly, or anything of the paranormal.

I find it quite ironic that you are completely discrediting any posibility of your experiences being paranormal yet you are posting in a section titled "Ghosts Hauntings & The Paranormal". Not exactly the best place to seek those with medical or scientific education.

I'm just picking, this was probably one of the best places you could have posted your account. As others have stated, your experience sounds like a classic case of sleep paralysis. Vivid hallucinations often accompany SP, which are closer to dreams than true hallucinations. For reference, try googling hypnagogic and hypnopompic which are the sleep stages when these hallucinations occur.

Ahhh once again, so glad I've never been through this!!!

[MasterPo]

Definately get checked out medically first. If all is fine, then a paranormal explanation might be more likely.