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Sleep Paralysis stories


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I haven't posted on the board before, so here goes nothing! :)

I have experienced sleep paralysis since I was a small child (I'm 40 now) and always thought it was part of the paranormal so I didn't mention it to anyone, not even my parents, since I grew up in a very religious household and it would have caused more grief than it was it was worth. I never had any visual hallucinations just audio ones and the feeling of evil being in the room.

I read on line recently about how sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder and can be sometimes linked to insomnia. Now, I have only had insomnia for the last 5 years, but recently started seeing a sleep specialist for the insomnia and finally told him about having sleep paralysis. I also explained that I never sleep on my back and still get it at least twice a month. He gave me prescription that would somehow do something during REM that would stop sleep paralysis from happening. I haven't had a single episode of sleep paralysis since and I do not miss it in the least!

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After experiencing SP many times and having that overwhelming since of fear I had decided that the next time I would encounter SP I was going to try and hang in there, so heres what happen.

I was sitting in the living room of my dads house where I stayed at the time relaxing watching a basketball game I think anyway I ended up drifting off to sleep and shortly after the next thing I remember is opening my eyes and seeing nothing but pitch black I quickly thought to myself ok don't be scared go with it, there was still a since of fear burried in my head and after a min I started to chicken out a bit but couldnt seem to get myself to pull out of it almost as if something was playing with my head it was a very differnt feeling so that triggers the "fight of flight" feelings. With out another single thought in my head I began to try and stand up at first it was like trying to move to wake yourself but after a few seconds I began to push my self up from my stomach which is the position I had fell a sleep in then all of the sudden I had what I would describe as a break through feeling at once I was on my feet I remember standing there shouting "alright, show yourself" as I slamed my arm down onto the couch I got off of I remember thinking breifly that that may have not be the best thing but I was filled with this feeling a anger and rage then the living room and the kitchen came into view darkness was gone I began to take a couple steps my second step was by the stairs quickly I was knocked down the stairs I could feel my each body part hit the stairs just as if was happening but the impact was not hard or painful it was like a numbing sensation and mild pressure apon each hit. Once at the bottom of the stairs I was on my stomach kind of freaked out a bit the weird thing is as I hit each one of the steps I just had that feeling like you know that would have boke your neck the next one my back hitting my head hard on the floor in the basement then. Maybe after 2 seconds of not trying to move cause I was numb all over it felt like I get this feeling as something is on my back reaches out grabs the back of my head and jerks back as if to attempt to snap the neck. Instantly I woke up and I have to say I gave it some thought before going straight back to sleep after that.

Its a crazy story this is the only time anything like thats has happen I have never seen anyone during SP as most ppl seem to see shadows of other human figures. After this episode it took a couple more times for me to decide to hang in there and just go with it but now im glad I did you can eliminate that feeling of fear right away and actually use this as a way to explore with the astral body I have only done this a couple times it takes a min to get down but watching your astral arms lift from your physical as you atempt to raise you arm its a crazy feeling really kool.

Thanks for reading storys about were interesting to read, I actually don't know a single other person who has SP so its nice to see some ppl who know what the hell im talking about

Edited by Josh2018
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Many people suffer from Sleep Paralysis, be it they are aware or unaware they are even experiencing this strange phenomena. Some see things that their afraid of in an awake state of mind, (such as spiders, bees, snakes, ect.) and other's see things that would be classified as Paranormal

This has happened to me at least two times, when I was in my 20's.

The first time I remember being awoken by this bright light, and I couldn't move. I could only think and move my eyes only. I remember being scared and thinking what if there is a spaceship outside. Am I about to be abducted?

The second time was few months later. I was laying in bed. (We lived in a haunted house) And this black spirit floated into my room, and started choking me. I was scared couldnt move or fight it off. I remember trying to scream for my mom, she was downstairs getting ready for work (4am). I tried and tried, but either nothing came out, or the being made it to where no one could hear me, somehow? IDK?

So, I kept thinking I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I can't breathe so, I cried out to GOD, please help me, I focused on Christ and started to pray again, please help me; then a brilliant bright light came into my room, and the thing stopped and it left me alone.

I ran downstairs and started yelling at my mom. I was choking, I couldnt breathe something was trying to kill me, why didnt you try and help me. I was screaming and yelling for you, she said, I never heard you make a sound.

And as for the seeing spiders thing, I have done that my whole life. I wake up in the middle of the night ALL THE TIME and jump up and turn the light, then rip the blankets off the bed, throw my pillow across the room. My wife is use to it now LOL she says its just a dream go back to bed. I always so NOOOOOOO

there is a huge glowing spider that was just about to land on my head. She says you were snoring its just a dream, I said it was real, I seen it. Its always a huge spider like from the size of my hand and its always glowing I can see it in the dark. And its so hard to sleep afterwards, cus I think its under the bed, or blankets, or under my pillow. So i keep looking for it so i can kill it, so it wont crawl on me.

ITS FREAKIN' SICK! DAMN, I HATE SPIDERS; YUCK!!!! disgust.gif

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I will have dreams from time to time that demons are trying totake over my body and I will wake up quickly sometimes and when I do I can't move. I remember one time I woke up I saw something drifting away from my bed and I tryed to scream but couldn't. Another time it was like this eerie choral music that I heard resonating from my body. I swear I could feel it in my soul. It was horrible. It just sang "Satan" and a tear was rolling down my cheek. It was a disgusting feeling. I hate when I wake up like that. I feel so helpless. I just pray. It just proves there is a war being waged for our souls and our bodies. It's scarry business.

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I had one experience of SP and I will never forget it.

I fell asleep with my eyes open and started hearing voices of one of my guy friend's and his parents talking, coming from the right side of my room. I managed to turn my head though the rest of my body wouldn't budge. The voices kept getting louder and louder as if they were getting closer and then it suddenly stopped. I managed to turn my head back to the position it was before, looking at the ceiling. Suddenly, a black cloaked figure slowly comes through the ceiling, floating. It was as wide as my queen size bed and twice as long. The edges of it were as if it was rippling fog and as the figure floated down to me, the cloak began to widen and the hood of the creature turned down to my face as if looking at me, but there was no face inside except the blackest darkness I've ever seen. While it was coming down to me, my body felt like it was getting electrocuted from my toes up to my head. I tried to scream but my mouth just opened and tears rolled down my face then I suddenly felt the cloaked "reaper" lay on my chest and try to "soul" suck from my face. I tried to move and rock from side to side and finally managed to wake up suddenly and take a huge breath and scream. My nerves were so completely shot that my whole body had a massive breakdown. My bed was soaked from massive cold sweats from head to toe and somehow managed to have the biggest panic attack I've ever had (I only know that because my hands, feet, and face were numb and my eyes were twitching).

The closest images I could find:

What it most closely resembled in appearance:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ6tdB8fGJDu0fO5DtmjAhujHNNiH8dbB05_gGLKfcmf6fLSGWEFA&t=1

What the edges looked like:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ksNe4uIZ7vg/S_vWinmdT5I/AAAAAAAAEHs/oRBqDs2CPzQ/s1600/dementor.jpg

What it looked like floating down:

http://www.ufodigest.com/news/0308/images/hooded-figure.jpg

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My first and only sleep paralysis experience was about 4 years ago. I woke up unable to move. I felt a presence right next to my head behind me. I could feel that whoever it was wanted control over me and was obsessed with me. I could see him because suddenly I was a little bit above my body. It was a younger man probably around 25 with jeans and a black leather jacket. He wasn't bad looking and had dark hair but his eyes were indistinguishable.

Suddenly he jumped towards my body and I remember entering back into it before him. I woke up TERRIFIED.

Edited by Jessicat
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi I'm new here.

I looked for sleep paralysis topics and I saw that most people have bad experiences. They all see something scary.

I think I have sleep paralysis. I know I'm awake but couldn't get up. Sometimes I thought I was awake and doing things only to find out my body is still on bed.

I never see anything horrid though. I was only scared because I know I couldn't move my body. But now I became aware when I'm having sleep paralysis and can wake up easier.

I just saw a kitten in my sleep paralysis and I was trying to reach it but I can't. But then I remember that I don't own a cat know I needed to wake up for real.(Just happened like an hour ago)

So I can't be too sure of what I have since everyone seem to see scary things. Am I the only one who see cute things?

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Before I get sleep paralysis, I always hear what sounnds like a zipper "un-zipping", or something sharp (a claw-like fingernail, perhaps?) scratching against the screen in my bedroom window, followed up by, or intermingled with the sound of a game of pool (if that makes sense), more specifically the sound of pool balls hitting each other.... When I first began 2 get sleep parlysis, I used to hear the sound of the roaring wind.

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  • 9 months later...

I believe this is more paranormal way past any thing natural

Just last nite i woke up at about 3:00 am i tried to get off the couch but my whole body was numb i tried kicking my legs but they wouldn't move it felt like something heavier then my own was laying on top if me i was very much awake but it was hard to keep my eyes open , it felt like something was tryung to posses my body i was trying to call out for someone in my house to help me but its like my lips were frozen solid, i began praying in my head an the feeling quickly went away,

This happens to me often an its all ways at 3:00 am , an the fact that when i pray it goes away makes me think along the lines paranormal.

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I guess I've had it since I was a kid.

The first instance that I remember was when I was about 9 or 10. My brother and I had bunk beds and because I am so selfless (^_^) I took the bottom bunk. One night, after I my mother had said good night to us and left the room, I closed my eyes, opened them in what seemed like seconds later, and I saw shadows moving in the hallway. I assume it was my mother... I couldn't move though, and I couldn't speak. I felt the bed vibrating, and then I see the bed sheets tighten, as if something is pulling it down. I'm starting to freak out even more and then I see tiny dolls climbing up my bed. They had the scariest faces, I can still picture them in my head. They kept telling me, "Don't go to sleep yet, Alice. Don't go to sleep." I wanted to scream and run so badly, but it wasn't happening. When they got up near my face I closed my eyes, opened them and they were gone.

I was never scared of dolls In fact, I had always wished my dolls were alive... (I was a lonely child, lol.) After that I didn't wish for such things.

When I was older, through my teenage years, I would always have the same experience. I would start dozing off, hear something whispering my name, then my bed would start vibrating faintly. I would open my eyes and see a shadow in the corner of my room. It would always say the same thing... "Alice, don't go to sleep. Don't go to sleep." (Like the dolls, yes.) It would move slowly move across the ceiling, over my door and then down to the floor. It stood and walked to my bedside. As soon as it would get close, I would be able to move again, so I would dart up, turn the light on and run out of my room.

After a while of this I developed insomnia...

I never thought this was paranormal or anything. I actually came to the conclusion that I would have these experiences because all my life, almost every night, I would have nightmares about something that happened to me when I was a child. I always thought it was saving me from my nightmares.

Whenever I become depressed I see the same thing. Most recently, late last year. It sits (hard, like when someone throws themself back on a chair) at the end of my bed now, though.

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  • 5 months later...

I first had sleep paralysis a few weeks ago on on holiday, I had obviously been drinking a lot and not sleeping much and I had a lot of stress from work playing on my mind.

I was led in bed and the door creaked open and a large, rugged mans hand with very bitten and chewed figer nails appeared around the top of the door and slowly started moving towards the handle... I couldnt move, speak or scream- i could see my friend in the next bed but i had no way at all to commicate with her as my whole body just didnt work.

As I lay there completely unable to move or speak (absolutely TERRIFIED) the mans hand continued down the door towards to the door knob for what seemed like a VERY long time then just as he was about to grab the handle the hand threw something towards my face, causing some sort shock in my body which woke me up, dripping in sweat and quite shaken from the experience.

Carrying on with my holiday I forgot about it. However my first night home the exact same thing happened again with the mans hand on my door. It has happened many times now and every time is just as terrifying.

Does anyone have anytips on how to stop or ease sleep paralysis as it is becoming unbareably terrifying now!

Thank you

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I first had sleep paralysis a few weeks ago on on holiday, I had obviously been drinking a lot and not sleeping much and I had a lot of stress from work playing on my mind.

I was led in bed and the door creaked open and a large, rugged mans hand with very bitten and chewed figer nails appeared around the top of the door and slowly started moving towards the handle... I couldnt move, speak or scream- i could see my friend in the next bed but i had no way at all to commicate with her as my whole body just didnt work.

As I lay there completely unable to move or speak (absolutely TERRIFIED) the mans hand continued down the door towards to the door knob for what seemed like a VERY long time then just as he was about to grab the handle the hand threw something towards my face, causing some sort shock in my body which woke me up, dripping in sweat and quite shaken from the experience.

Carrying on with my holiday I forgot about it. However my first night home the exact same thing happened again with the mans hand on my door. It has happened many times now and every time is just as terrifying.

Does anyone have anytips on how to stop or ease sleep paralysis as it is becoming unbareably terrifying now!

Thank you

Sorry my video is so cheesy, I made it one night when I couldn't sleep on a whim. But if you learn to control altered states it will never bother you again. Along with some standard advice just to avoid it.

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hi,

In total i've had about 4 sleep paralysis events, most have scared the living daylights from me as i cant move and when i try to speak and i end up sounding totally retarded.

there is always a presence of a figure in the room which i try to warn off.

last night i had an sp but this was more involved. prior to the event i was dreaming and the noise in my dream became really loud, so loud i couldnt shout over the noise in my dream, then i became lucid, once lucid i thought i could hear metal clanking downstairs, then a figure poked his head around my door with sunglasses on and he had a gold metalic vest and he smiled at me, but i was still scared stiff literally as i couldnt move i tried to warn him off but was completely retarded and made a muffled sound, as i did this the being who i'm now calling disco dave dissapeared into wall whilst eminating a bright gold light and then i became concsious in the real world, at first i was very unsettled but as my day progressed i hope to see disco dave again and try and talk to him.

bizarre sleeping and totally ***** up experience!!

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I had an experience once in my early 20's in which I woke up and couldn't move or speak. I had the sensation of a presence which I couldn't see, although I could see around the room. I had an awareness that the presence ( like you know things in a dream ) that the presence was the Devil or a demon and that I was now dying and the Devil was trying to take my soul. I tried to say something to my wife but obviously I couldn't speak. I found though that even though I couldn't move my arms or legs, I could sort of move my body whole body back and forth and I was eventually able to fall over the side of the bed and that was what woke me up and snapped me out of the experience.

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I've had alot of these expriences. They begun when I was only 16 years old. I was sleeping on a queen bed with my older sister, and I was in a NREM stage where I was slowly going into a deep sleep. All of a sudden, I feel this heavy and horrifying feeling, I couldn't move but my eyes could. I was in a state were I was asleep but I can see everything around me, kind of like a out of body exprience. There was a figure on top of me, Like a figure of a women, It felt as if this figure was pinning me down. It started to bend closer to my face I was trying to fight and call out for my sister but I couldn't make a single motion in my body just my eyes. I woke up relieved but still very scared.

My other expriences weren't as frightening as this one but still had the feeling that I couldn't move, always trying to avoid figures of someone presenting thmeselves to me.

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I Had SP once... I used to always sleep on my back and one night I woke up and i couldn't move or speak...I dident see anything out of the norm,just my dark room.So after a few minutes(it seemed like it)i just closed my eyes and went back to sleep.Ever sence that night I always try to sleep on my sides or stomach...it has never happened to me again.

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  • 3 weeks later...

After reading all of these experiences I can conclude I have had one SP experience and it was terrifying at the time. Normal night, laid down and around 3-4 a.m (I found out the time after I was concious and mobile) I can recall my dream just before I woke up unable to move. I was sitting in a chair surrounded by darkness with a spotlight illuminating just myself. My feet were up and I looked frightened, I'm sorry I forgot to mention my dream (and many of mine) was in 3rd person. Now just before this happened, I was getting to that point where you start waking up and you somewhat know it's a dream. In the chair, a giant hand (20 ft high maybe) came from the darkness and was reaching towards me. As this was happening, in the real world I began to make a weird grunting/ 'uhh, 'uhhhh' noise as witnessed by my brother. Then the grunting became concious to me although I could not stop and I knew I was lying face down on my blanket spread but I could still see and somehow neurologically feel the fear from the hand still trying to grab me. So at this point I'm conciously aware of everything that's going on in both states: the dream and the real world, but could not control either (though the visuals of the dream were gone) until about 15 seconds of paralysis, I propped myself up and looked over at my brother who had a bewildered 'WTF just happened' looks on his face.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This might be from forever ago but this morning I woke up and ate some food, & took my dogs into my room. I felt tierd so I laid down in plank position & closed my eyes. I didn't let myself fall asleep but I did end up dreaming some how. I was dreaming, but in my dream I knew I was awake. I was aware I was dreaming. Everything looked like it was 2 inches in front of my face. I looked around me and I was going thro what seemed like an ally & to get out I had to go thro these garbage cans that were in the way. I pushed my way thro & as soon as I got out I feel in my dream, like as if I was getting pulled with a heavy force & it was dragging me down. I awoke from the dream & was laying there. I couldn't move. I felt like I was sinking into my bed. Like I was getting pulled. I tried screaming for my mother but I couldn't talk. I couldn't even hear. That went on for, hmmm I would say 5 seconds but it felt like eternity. Then I could move my head. I looked up, & saw my puppies but couldn't hear. I looked over and I think I saw like someone behind me or in my room, like a presence. I got up real fast out of breath & clicked back into reality. I was sooo scared.

This might be from forever ago but this morning I woke up and ate some food, & took my dogs into my room. I felt tierd so I laid down in plank position & closed my eyes. I didn't let myself fall asleep but I did end up dreaming some how. I was dreaming, but in my dream I knew I was awake. I was aware I was dreaming. Everything looked like it was 2 inches in front of my face. I looked around me and I was going thro what seemed like an ally & to get out I had to go thro these garbage cans that were in the way. I pushed my way thro & as soon as I got out I feel in my dream, like as if I was getting pulled with a heavy force & it was dragging me down. I awoke from the dream & was laying there. I couldn't move. I felt like I was sinking into my bed. Like I was getting pulled. I tried screaming for my mother but I couldn't talk. I couldn't even hear. That went on for, hmmm I would say 5 seconds but it felt like eternity. Then I could move my head. I looked up, & saw my puppies but couldn't hear. I looked over and I think I saw like someone behind me or in my room, like a presence. I got up real fast out of breath & clicked back into reality. I was sooo scared.

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I've had this problem for quite a while now; although it only happens very occasionally let's say no more than once a month or two. I never knew it is a common thing until recently seeing a video log from discovery channel - for me, it's like I know i am consciously awake, sometimes i can open my eyes and other times i don't bother. But either way, I'm well aware of my surrounding and god bless me i don't see things as i learnt that most people do. What irritates me - or frightens me to some extent - is that i'm immobilized in that if i struggle to move any part of my body my whole body feels extreme pressure and then it goes numb immediately. I have to fight so hard each time to try and break free - if you know what i mean, and i really want to learn a proper way to deal with it without being so scared.

Will it by any chance gets worse in time? Or is there a way to prevent this from happening?

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I've had this problem for quite a while now; although it only happens very occasionally let's say no more than once a month or two. I never knew it is a common thing until recently seeing a video log from discovery channel - for me, it's like I know i am consciously awake, sometimes i can open my eyes and other times i don't bother. But either way, I'm well aware of my surrounding and god bless me i don't see things as i learnt that most people do. What irritates me - or frightens me to some extent - is that i'm immobilized in that if i struggle to move any part of my body my whole body feels extreme pressure and then it goes numb immediately. I have to fight so hard each time to try and break free - if you know what i mean, and i really want to learn a proper way to deal with it without being so scared.

Will it by any chance gets worse in time? Or is there a way to prevent this from happening?

Sleep disorders are the unseen epidemic - as my sleep doc told me a few months back.

The easiest thing you can do is not sleep on your back. If you feel you are highly stressed, perhaps some meditation or other calming activity before bed. Also, really try to get 8 hours of sleep a night as being overly tired can lead to SP episodes.

If you're still having problems, consult a doctor at a sleep center.

But above all else, understand that SP has absolutely nothing to do with anything paranormal.

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Sleep disorders are the unseen epidemic - as my sleep doc told me a few months back.

The easiest thing you can do is not sleep on your back. If you feel you are highly stressed, perhaps some meditation or other calming activity before bed. Also, really try to get 8 hours of sleep a night as being overly tired can lead to SP episodes.

If you're still having problems, consult a doctor at a sleep center.

But above all else, understand that SP has absolutely nothing to do with anything paranormal.

Of course not, nothing paranormal happened during my SP anyway. I don't see things.

& Thanks for the advice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was doing google research and I found out about this site.

The first time, I was in the middle of the bed and I was slowly being dragged to the right of the bed unable to speak or move. The second time, I was visiting my sister and I was having trouble sleeping and I finally fell asleep. And of course, the state of mind happened and I started falling off the bed. And the most recent one (two months ago) I had fallen asleep but woke up to the state and watching the dark mist walk from my door to the side of the bed. Then, the dark mist went behind me and I awoke. While I was in the state of mind I could see the rooms setting. When I awoke, the room was just like how I visioned it (time of day etc).

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Anyone interested can read in more detail the studies and history of SP and the accompanied experiences here:

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/%7Eacheyne/S_P.html#tabcon

I posted this link in other threads at UM but maybe someone here will find it useful.

My 1 experience with SP was brief.

When I was a kid, perhaps 10 yo more or less, I woke up around midnight. I looked at my bedroom mirror and saw the reflection of a tall man with a small brimmed hat in silhouette. I tried to sit up and look around the corner to see out the door but couldn't move my legs.

I looked back at the mirror and the image was gone. I layed back down and thought about it and when I could move my legs again thought "oh well", and went back to sleep.

Since then (over the last 40 years) I've interpreted it as alien, then demon, angel, ghost and more recently the Fedora Man.

I believe it was just a dream now, however the impact of the impression on my memory and the process of formulating an opinion has given this a significance in a way like nothing else in my life.

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This has happened to me numerous times, the last time I can remember this happening to me was about 4 months ago. I was seemed to have fallen asleep on the couch it was a hot day so I left the balcony sliding door open with just the screen door to keep away the bugs from the night. Around where I live it's very quiet, I live out of the city and lots of green arounr tress,bushes....not many cars at night. Anyway It had to be around 1am when I fell asleep on the couch, and next time I remember or what It seemed like was being half-awake, I was alert of what was going on around,everything I could see seemed to be in the right place...It was sort of dark the only light coming in was from the street lights, and they weren't very bright either. I tried to move but couldn't move at all, It felt like I was being pinned down by a magnet a million times stronger than me,I tried and tried to move but to no luck, I than started to hear whispers around me in a strange language I've never heard before but it felt like those whispers were about me for some reason. I got really scared because those whispers just stopped and everything was dead silence around me and I then started to see things move from the corner's and they were dark shadow's I couldnt make up what they were. Eventually I fell asleep and woke up a couple hours later to realize I encountered had sleep-paralysis.

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Its been along time since I've had a sp episode, but each one is always the same, I'll wake up and won't be able to move at all, I can do nothing but move my eyes and I see a large black shadow holding me down, usually speaking but I don't understand what its saying, except for one time when i was constantly playing a horror type video game called 'The Darkness' the shadow said to me you will know the power of darkness. Very creepy at the time, now i try to keep it subjective and laugh at it, though I understand for some who experience this frequently it is no laughing matter.

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