This is something I've been meaning to explore for a little while and since SP is a hot topic on the boards once again, it seems like a good time to do this.

I've got a theory that there's a connection between the number of times a person has SP and the level of intensity/fear they experience with it.

I'm asking if perhaps the more times a person goes through SP the less fearful and intense the experiences become. I'm curious if the classic entity, shadow or old hag experience only occurs for the first few episodes and there after ceases...

The two things that stand out to me are -

1. With myself, I've only seen an entity or person during SP a couple of times and it was way back when I first started to get SP. Nowadays my SP experiences either happen in the middle of a dream I'm in and plays around that (whatever it is) or there's nothing at all, just the paralysis and odd sensations, occassional auditory hallucinations.

2. I feel the reason for this is because over time and with experience I know what it is and that it will always pass. So is my mind perhaps secure in what's going on as the realisation of paralysis comes around and therefore no panick which means no trigger in the mind to produce an entity hallucination in order to make sense of it?

Hopefully this poll will try and shed some light. I would really appreicate it if all SP suffers whether you've only had it once or 100 times would take part in the poll and feel welcome to post what options you voted for! Thanks


P.S --- I know this may sound moronic but if you've never had SP would you please not vote in this poll!! - I only mention this because the last poll I did for 'scratches during sleep', it was messed up because believe it or not people were voting who'd never even suffered scratches in their sleep

I've had SP over 20 times. Not every time I have been visited by an entity. It's not only the old hag, actually I can only remember one time in which it might have been the old hag, but I don't think it was. Oh god, that time was messed up, I honestly thought until I snapped out of it that my arms had mended into my chest and I could not get them out. I thought they might have to be amputated. I got that the time I had candles burning in quartz crystal holders. The story goes like this:

I was burning white candles with the quartz crystal holders to help me get to sleep, but found I still couldn't, so I just meditated for a while (like and hour or so). Near the end I actually started to hear music coming from the candles, it was like a language of music. The music of the spheres? Anyways, I lie down and start to astral project. It was really easy to get out, but once I got out the room was like a whirlwind. My astral body got slammed into the head of my bed and I couldn't get out. I brought myself out of the astral projection to see images all kinds of things on my bed. Then I heard a voice that said, "FEED ME!" After that I immediately entered SP and it was the closest to old hag I think has ever happened.

Anyways, I don't always get the entities while I SP, but they don't cease to happen. I'm kind of on the edge, sometimes I think SP can lead to paranormal things, but SP itself is not paranormal. If entities can effect EMF fields, then paranormal entities might be able to trigger sleep paralysis.

I have only suffered from sleep paralysis just the once, I was in bed lying on my side a sleep then all of a sudden i opened my eyes and could sense that a childlike figure was behind me at the side of the bed, i was trying desperatly to turn around as i thought it was my son, but couldn't then i started to sweat and i could feel my heartbeat getting faster, then a few moments later i managed to sit up but there was nobody there. I must admit it did spook me out a little and i always thought it was paranormal until i came on this forum and found that it is quite common with certain people.



Great poll by the way.

I went through a period of SP about 6 or 7 years ago. I had a pull out sofa bed which I sometimes couldn't be bothered to pull out if I just wanted a quick nap. It would only happen(I think) when I would sleep on it folded and I would be lying on my side facing the sofa. I never had any experience involving an entity but I have voted towards believing it to be paranormal due to some of the cases I've read about

By the way Anvil, you didn't put an option in the 2nd poll for 'no times' and it wouldn't let me leave it blank so I voted for once

good Poll A!, did you pick out the questions?
as of this Reply:


Barek and unknown voter :2



SP: naysayers: 5 ..................B

update:
Barek & 2 voters: 3
SP naysayers: 6

.............B

Hi Anvil

I just wanted to tell you I added my friends experience to your poll.

She claimed twice she has had SP, twice there was an entity and yes she believes paranormal activity is at play.

Well, you got my vote, I haven't had SP very many times, but when I did, it was an extremely.....frustrating...experience(for lack of a better word).

All I can say is I've witnessed it. It's horrible to watch.

wow a 3rd party witness!!! have NOT condsidered !.................B




Barek & voters: 4 SP naysayers :7

Nothing to do with SP; but I just had to point out that this is the first proper poll I've seen on the forum in months. Good job.

Although I have voted having SP 5 times and seeing entities 5 times – I am not sure now if it is more.

I have experienced waking suddenly and thinking I hear a voice, or a bang, or just a feeling that a noise had woken me. These times I am not paralysed – just a bit shaken. If I’d had to vote including these it would have been more like 50 or more.

I am less frightened since learning that so many people have experienced it and calmed by the explanation of what is happening and why.

Thank you for putting this poll up which also serves to rescue my anx around SP.

cool, I'm glad this poll has been well recieved

So far the results are very interesting but I will hold onto my conclusions for a few more days untill more people have had a chance to vote

I have had sp well over 20 times since i was a teenager and probly before that. I am 29 now. I prefer to sleep on my stomach. When I wake up i feel like someone is hovering over me or behind me so i cannot see them its a really strong feeling like someone is just inches away. I try so hard to turn my head or even move anything at all but i cant. I guess I am just used to it. I dont really even think about it much and now I am wondering why!

Hi, I didn't vote because I'm not sure if I experienced SP. I had an experience, I really can't explain.

One night I stayed up rather late to watch the late show with George Clooney, I believe it was called, Dusk to Dawn, or something like that. Well it was about Vampires. I haven't seen one of these movies in a LONG time and to protect myself I was wearing my cross.

When I went to bed, I was fine. But morning came, I didn't open my eyes but I knew it was morning. Now I do believe that if you hear a crack or a creek on the floor, someone is standing there even though you cannot see them and especially if it creeks only when someone is standing there.

Anyway, I heard a creek not far from my bed....when I heard this....my mind immediately woke up. As I lay there listening, something or some one started to pull and tug at my pillows. (I was sleeping on my side and I sleep with two pillows) I was freaking out. There is only one other person I live with in the house and they most definately would not tug at my pillows and I don't have an animal.

Not that I couldn't move.....with what was going on .... i CHOSE NOT TO MOVE.

Then it felt like I was being pulled off the bed at the end of the bed. But it was more like a dream state even though my mind was wide awake. I thought what the heck....then I really concentrated and the pulling and tugging stopped.

But while the pulling and tugging was going on, I never felt that someone was there even though I know they were.

Would this be considered SP?

Or something else?

I've had many episodes, and I've come to realize more recently that this has happened since I was a child. This truly confuses my beliefs in ghosts because the things I saw were ALMOST always at night and usually always during a nap or sleep..

I've seen so many different things in these episodes, including people or animals that I live with, shadows of people or creatures, and many other things. All were very life like. Kind of reminds me of Alice thru the Looking Glass.. I step thru and I see things that are similar to life as I know it in my waking moments BUT they are not the same in some way. They are eerie and scary. Never pleasant.

also nothing to do with SP: Barek rocks at Halo (legendary status)




update: barek & voters: 5 SP naysayers: 7







"Heretics......how tiresome.."

The prophet of Regret

Interesting thought! I didn't catch yesterday as my ADHD often deny me these great thoughts from all of you..
that's (another)rub with SPs Anvil,The intensity we'll call it seems VERY consistant ,I don't want to call it fear anymore now that I am re-thinking(or OVER-thinking) these experiences, the emotion that I feel (not the bad energy I sense) is a confrontational anger , like how DARE you invade my dream again! its always a "show yourself" and it has been this way from the start...always want to challenge it ,but my voice wont me, its like I have been rendered mute to prevent me from issuing said challenge (or asking god for help)



afterthought:
as far as "show yourself"goes oh, they DO (foggy cloaked hoodies)but its a corner of the eye kind of thing ,Also I wouldn't consider myself a confrontational person in my waking state(as many would agree)it just always seems instinctually the correct thing to do...this Pole/post has been a good opportunity to re stress this ..not just a sneeky way to get more votes

Hi Xzeta and War_machine,

I wouldn't count these as examples of SP unless you were aware of the paralysis! But what it sounds like is hypnagogic hallucinations or sensations without the SP which can happen, as SP can also happen without the hypnagogic state......Hypnagogic type dreams are probably much more common than SP is (falling off a cliff dream for example) everyone has experienced that dream at least once haven't they ?!?




Source

Zup A!




Barek & voters: 5 SP naysayers: 8



Where did you think you were coming today, to a tea dance?!
Anvils' PQ

I just crack myself up when I say that with a Scottish accent................B

I don't even know what a tea dance is.. Must be a UK thing with tea time and stuff. Tea parties? Is the tea spiked?

Yeh I hear what you're saying Barek Hopefully the question about level of intensity/experience being a consistant thing over time or not becomes clearer.

Barek what option to did you vote for in the first question of how times have you had SP?

The tea could well be spiked

I use to get this all the time and still do time to time before I found out what this was I was scared out of my pants I'm not afraid of this no more sleep paralysis is related to Astral Projection or Out Of Body Experiences I've read books on it and I have books on it
and I've projected from the paralysis when you're in that state and with your fears you're thoughts will manifest I saw a thing with glowing eyes staring at me once and calling my name and you might feel as though that your ears are ringing or buzzing/humming you might feel a very heavy feeling on your chest it's is common in 70-80% of the people world wide about 75% of the people world wide has experienced this once those sensations is your Astral Body moving out of phase of your physical body your physical body is very dense but your astral body is less dense and that's the heaviness you feel during the time of the sleep paralysis.

Albert Taylor's book Soul Traveler is in the library I've read it 3 times and it cleared some of my fears up and William Buhlman's book The Secret Of The Soul cleared up the rest of my fears this very real phenomenon can be very frightening if you don't understand it.

And sleep paralysis happens every night when you go to sleep but sometimes you're unaware of it your brain disconnects your voluntary muscles while you're falling asleep so if you dream of doing something very such as running and your body might start to make the motion of running and you'll wake your self up and if you wake up paralyzed it's because the chemical that the brain releases to still you muscles hasn't stopped yet but to regain movement just try and move your fingers or toes rapidly and you'll regain movement with in 10-20 seconds.

But if you get paralysis as you're falling to sleep (referred to waking paralysis because you're still awake) it usually happens when you're very tired when you wake up in the middle of the night and the go back to sleep your body will fall to sleep faster than your brain can keep up with (you know how you hold your le or arm still in 1 position too long and it falls asleep on you?) same principle here but you're who body is asleep.

To prevent this get plenty of sleep 6-8 hours (straight not segmented) don't drink any liquids when it getting close to the time you go to bed so you won't wake up for the restroom and sleep on your side instead of your back, but if you still get the paralysis when I'm on you're side just focus on moving one small part of your body your finger or toes.

Sorry for the long post; I was very afraid of this phenomenon for many years until I found out the truth about it recently.

weird but i used to get SP on a weekly basis when when i lived on my own but now i dont

forgot to add it before but what it was i had SP i would hear a loud banging on my bedroom door then see an entity in my room

Are you drinking spiked tea right now? Cuz, that old had isn't sitting on that guy's chest in your sig. The old hag is sitting on something other on that naked guy

There's also a horse watching the action from behind the curtains lol..

Are you sure you're not drinking spiked tea??? - I see the old hag sitting on a ladies body and yeah there's a horse watching from behind the curtain lol

No spiked tea, but I haven't had any sleep in 46 hours for some reason. I think it's a guy with curly hair, because I see no boobs.

Edit: Yeah, I see the boobs now. That look like a pretty uncomfortable sleeping position btw. Her necks gotta hurt in the morning.

wow 46 hours!!!

at first when i had sp i saw alot of strange stuff like shadows and creatures or something sitting on me. like randyman said i too believe its related to astral projection since your consicious is disconnected from your physical body. the strange things we see i think comes from the astral realm. a few times when i was in sp i heard some strange but beautiful music.

After all the reading I've done on the SP subject I believe I have experienced SP once. I originally didn't think it was b/c anxiety attacks can triggure sights and sounds too. It was the same week my parents died and I was under a lot of ordeal at that time. I assumed this experience was from all the anxiety. (I (think) it can be a factor)

OK! I was laying on the bed. I hadn't gotten quite asleep yet, but almost. This overwhelming fear swept over me just suddenly... I suddenly moved my arms away from my eyes (that's how I sleep) so I could see, and these huge flying shadows (bat shaped) are flying across the ceiling, and this henious old skragly woman is standing there next to me, standing by my bed. I can't see her face if I look straight at her- but I can if I turn away slighty... She bent over while still staring at my face-- look like she was coming in to me closer, and I felt was pushing myself further away from her, scariest thing I've ever experienced in my entire life. I started to turn over away from her, and I felt I had to struggle to do so, the paralyzed feel I don't remember having...but, it was like in slow motion wanting to go faster and not getting anywhere...

sp comes frequently when we are under stress or anxiety

See, the thing I find weird is why do so many people all see an old hag? I mean, if everyone who had sp saw entities but they were random images that their mind had conjured up then it would be easier for me to believe it was just a condition of the mind. But for so many people to experience the same vision/entity throughout the world over hundreds(or thousands?) of years just seems odd to me. Also, why is it specifically an old hag? Why not a dead reletive or the stay puft marshmallow man or something?

I would say the same theme takes place, but not the exact same entity - by your notion it's like asking why does x amount of the population have the falling off the cliff or building dream when they have never fallen before? why do we always wake up before we hit the bottom?

I see what you're saying but it just seems very specific. I saw this TV program last year about sleep conditions and a girl who was interviewed suffered sp 3 times a week or more and every time she would have 'the hag' walk up to her and sit on her. The poor girl was afraid to go to sleep!

The picture on your sig gives me the heebie jeebies, by the way!

I would counter argue back by saying the falling dream is as specific and useless as you can get! - Shame I missed that tv prog, im from the UK as well...and yea my sig illustrates SP and the hag experience

great movie, one may even call it a "classic" will reread your comments and update this reply later......B


Update:

Barek & voters: 5 SP naysayers: 10

numbers ARE better than i thought they would be though.....




anyone else think Quentin Tarantino has the " eyes" of a sociopath?..................b.

missed this one too somehow...seeing more suggested relationship between SP & AP....see I really am trying to learn and not just refine my wise-cracks!...B










Welcome to Buckethead-land

My very first experience with SP was extremely euphoric. It was the only time I've ever had a euphoric form of SP. The paralysis came with a physical feeling of pure love, rather than fear. I was engulfed in a pulsating white light that filled the whole room, and there were no other hallucinations.

From then on, my SP got more frightening, and this is when I encountered entities. Humans, shadows, and insects.

In the most recent experiences, Ive felt much less fear. Mostly auditory hallicunations; voices whispering my name, men and women yelling....
And visually, I have seen a green light dancing around my room. Like a green laser pointer dot.
I still see the occasional entity, but they are hallucinations of my own family members (or just their voices).

zup sunny!
thanks for that! new peeps like Me need those experiences re-stated for reference ..as to who had what.. doesn't seem like you customized this ONE archetype!.....................B

barek & voters: 6 SPnayayers :11




2:47pm CMT Bears 24 Seattle :24 more stress I DONT need!

I have only had sp one time... very scary but I didnt see or feel an entity

Now that is something different! interesting to know!




Someone else mentioned that they had never experienced an entity either and there was no option to vote for that...I did look into changing the poll to add a 'none' choice but there is a limit unfortunately of only 10 choice per question and I couldn't enter a 'none' option without removing another option, which would have interfered with other aspects of the poll....

But I'll keep a note that two people so far have never experienced an entity and deduct that from the final numbers!


So far for the second question 'How many times have you experienced an entity of somesort during your SP' with the option 'once' it's minus 2 points from that number

Hi. I'm new here so I hope I do this right!

I came across this board when researching sleep paralysis. I took me a while to figure out what was happening to me. I've experienced it around 6 or 7 times now in the last 3-4 months. I never experienced it before this. It's so crazy. I'm glad to see that other people have this experience though.

My biggest thing is that I feel like my whole body is vibrating and I can hear it inside my head. I have felt the entity thing, but it has been more of a feeling than actually seeing something. It totally freaks me out though. I told my husband about it and I think he thinks I'm going crazy. The first time it happened I was convinced that the house was going to blow up. Even after I woke up I made my husband check the house for things that might blow up. Weird.

I'm excited to read all about your experiences. I saw that SP is a hot topic, so I want to see if I can find some other posts, but I'm not exactly sure how, so we'll see!!

pssst.. quick before anyone else reads! , I'll mail ya ten bucks if you edit this to say you feel bad energy and see hooded or cloaked entities every time you have SP!!....................B


update:Barek and voters: 6 SPnaysayers: 12

question: do these poles stay active with the duration of the post or does it end at a certain point regardless of how active the replies are?



I'm not here to start no trouble
I'm just here to do the superbowl shuffle...........BH sorry Seattle Peeps! If its any consolation I still love Soundgarden!

yeah, that's what I meant to say! lol

It will always remain active unless a Mod closes the thread and you can't take the poll more than once! Hopefully more people are yet to vote - 30 votes is a good number but there must be more than 30 SP sufferers around here!!?? C'mon and please vote SP people if you haven't already done so

I still remember what she had on LOL!, she had on flourescent color top with white pants. And she was glowing.. at least thats what I remember/or it seemed like. But, it was absolutely a petrifying experience- dark cloaks, or not!

There has to be more SP folks- You wonder if people are not confusing their 'hauntings' w/ SP, I suppose it would seem logical.

I never really thought I was being haunted. I more thought along the lines that I was going crazy! I was afraid to tell anyone and researched it on the internet when no one was home!