Hey guys, had an experience the other night that gave me a bit of a fright. It is very possible it was a dream though.


I woke up from a dream, lying on my side, when i suddenly felt an extreme force pinning me down (especially on the side of my face.) I fought it and a heard a deep, deep growl that was like a mix between a growl of a man and a growl of an animal. All I felt was terror and dread and I couldn't call out for help. I then got out of the hold and got up out of bed. I saw nothing in the room. And my fiance was still asleep in bed and she heard nothing.

The reasoning I feel it was a dream is that I do a bit of research on Shadow people (especially interested in Hatman) and it could have all been my imagination.


The reasoning I feel it might not have been a dream is that the position I was in when I was in the hold to when I was released was exactly the same position and it would've been too much of a smooth transition between dream and real life. (if that makes sense).

When I read the thread title I thought you were going to talk about who you woke up with after a night of partying.

Seriously though, that's a very good description of sleep paralysis. I've experienced it many times and each time it seemed so real.

Interesting.
Could of just been the research you do on Shadow People as you say. If it was a force so strong, I would of though it would of woken your fiance up.
I've woken up in strange positions, with weird feelings of pressure holding me down once or twice.
I turned over and the pressure went.

I would of said probably just the research mixing up with other thoughts in your head, maybe it got too real, and woke you up.

Hmmm...

That definitely sounds like a typical case of sleep paralysis.

I can see how is a typical case of sleep paralysis, but I don't see how paralysis would cause the force to push my head deep into my pillow.

It wouldnt literally, it would just feel as though it had . I've had it at times where I've felt like i've actually been pushed through the bed . depends on the severity of the Sleep Paralysis .

but yeah sounds like a typical account to me . Can be very scary, Next time it happens i suggest you try to wriggle something such as fingers or toes this should break it If you aren't comfortable with the experience .

Good luck .

I agree with all the other posters. Classic case of Sleep Paralysis..JN

This is sometimes called the ''Old Hag" it is said its a supernatural creature that suffocates her victom between the awake and sleep transition...Aanica.. here is a link to help explain but your descriptions are exact....

http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa112000a.htm



The "Old Hag" Syndrome
You wake up unable to move, barely able to breathe... you feel an oppressive weight on your chest... and you sense some evil presence in the room... The old hag strikes!
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• Part 2: The Scientific Explanation

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"A dreadful sound is continually in the ears. A huge weighty being which causes incredible pain renders you paralyzed; it may seem to be seated on your back as you dream you are laying in bed in agony. There is no way to get it off you. You cannot call out. You are in terror as it seems to be stealing the life out of you; you know that if you stop struggling against it for a second you will surely perish. This is the worst of its horrors."
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Related Resources
• Incubus
• Where to Go for Paranormal Help

From Other Guides
• Help! I Can't Move!
• The Terror of Sleep Paralysis
• The Witching Hour

Elsewhere on the Web
• Sleep Paralysis
• Waking Up to Terror



A reader writes:

About a year and a half ago, I was awoken in the night by a strong, warm breeze. I could not move and could not scream. It lasted about 30 seconds and was gone. I saw nothing. Last week it happened again. I was lying in bed and again was awoken. I felt a very strong force holding me down. I could not sit up. I tried to scream for my daughter and could not get any noise to come out. I tried to hit the wall with my arm and this force would not let me. It again lasted about 30 seconds and was over. I really don't believe in ghosts and didn't see anything at all. I am just really scared and confused.

Have you ever had a similar experience? The above incident is a classic example of what has become known as the "old hag" syndrome and is one of many such letters I receive from readers each month. The victims awake to find that they cannot move, even though they can see, hear, feel and smell. There is sometimes the feeling of a great weight on the chest and the sense that there is a sinister or evil presence in the room. And like the above reader, they are often quite frightened about what is happening to them.

The name of the phenomenon comes from the superstitious belief that a witch - or an old hag - sits or "rides" the chest of the victims, rendering them immobile. Although that explanation isn't taken very seriously nowadays, the perplexing and often very frightening nature of the phenomenon leads many people to believe that there are supernatural forces at work - ghosts or demons.

The experience is so frightening because the victims, although paralyzed, seem to have full use of their senses. In fact, it is often accompanied by strange smells, the sound of approaching footsteps, apparitions of weird shadows or glowing eyes, and the oppressive weight on the chest, making breathing difficult if not impossible. All of the body's senses are telling the victims that something real and unusual is happening to them. The spell is broken and the victims recover often on the point of losing consciousness. Fully awake and well, they sit up, completely baffled by what just happened to them since now the room is entirely normal.

The Old HagConfronted with such a bizarre and irrational experience, it's no wonder that many victims fear that they have been attacked in their beds by some malevolent spirit, demon or, perhaps, an alien visitor.

The phenomenon occurs to both men and women of various ages and seems to happen to about 15 percent of the population at least once in a lifetime. It can occur while the victim is sleeping during the day or night, and it is a worldwide phenomenon that has been documented since ancient times.

"In the 2nd century, the Greek physician Galen attributed it to indigestion," according to The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. "Some individuals suffer repeated attacks over a limited period of time; others have repeated attacks for years."

Another example:

I am a 27 year old female and have been suffering for the past 12 or so years. It started just being unable to move, like someone was on top of me, pinning me down. And although I was trying with all my might to move or to scream, all I could do was barely wiggle my toes and faintly murmur. In the beginning it was very frightening and I would try with all my might to wake up. Upon waking I would be unable to resume sleep for at least a few hours. Now I have become somewhat used to them. Sometimes I even lie back and see how long I can take that awful, overpowering feeling. In the end, I always try to wake myself up. Over the years this "thing" has kind of metamorphosized into a dark being, something who is doing this deliberately to me for some reason. I guess this is something that I may have invented in my head to deal with it. I am not really sure. After I got used to it, I never really questioned it. It still occurs about every 2 months or so. Sometimes once a night, other times it can happen several times in one night.

I've also had it happen a couple of times.... it is very scary.... one time i had woke up kinda and i started to freak out a little bit... tried to get up once, i couldn't, twicw, i still couldn't, then the third time i tried to roll out of bed i flew off and hit my weight bench. It sucked. I had it happen again in the same night but i didn't fly off. It was still scary. But i know it was simply sleep paralysis. but it was hard to breath and you really feel like someone is pressing down on you .

It could possibly be sleep paralysis, I know someone has already said that but it's happened to me a lot. Or it could have been a dream and you may have sworn it wasn't. IDK.

You don't seriously belive all that do you?

Its wives tales told through the centurys I am sure it has some basis for existing all legends are based on some fact usually to be understood better by the layperson...

I would have thought that the sleep paralysis explanation is less frightening AND more accurate.

Old wives tales belong in urban legends.

Try sleeping on your side, or your stomach, Mr. Jawa. In the cases of SP, those sleep positions you are less likely to experience it. People tend to experience SP more while sleeping on their back.

I'm not going to say that all cases are SP, I'm sure that there are some cases out there that defeat the definitions of the sleep disorder, like in my sister's case, for example.

I was lying on my back when it happened to me. Twice in one night. gettin messed up doesn't help either. it makes it worse.