Sleep Paralysis

Hi all.

I'm sure this has been discussed many times. I'd be interested know your thoughts on what is scientifically known as Sleep Paralysis?

Do you agree with the scientific theory of it having nothing to do with the spirit side of life or do you think the experiences of hearing/sensing people and other experiences during this state are to do with entering a different spiritual state or similar?

I'm asking after having a few experiences myself. Thank you in advance!

[Seawolf]

I've had a few experiences when I was younger, but they were very terrifying and not positive at all. I didn't know at the time it was sleep paralysis. By not knowing that it was a common phenomenon in which people see things based on whatever their beliefs are, I erroneously assumed what I experienced was real, and it caused me alot of mental anguish.

[jazz]

i have that too ,,,i used to think it was sleep par cus thats wot ur told ,,,,but now i think its spirit ,,,, so not sure ,,, tho i can guarantee when i sleep on my bk i do get it ,ie suffocatintion feeling ,,, but i also now think that my mind can bring it on if am sleeping on my back cus thats wot i expect ,( am making sense ) ;;;; love lite and rainbows jazz

According to sleep experts, sleep paralysis probably evolved when we were still hunter/gatherers and had to sleep in the open. The sleep paralysis supposedly protected us in our vulnerable state from alerting predators of our location while we slept. Being paralyzed during sleep kept us quiet and not thrashing around.

[ribiq]

A lot of people say to try and wiggle one of your big toes if you want to break sleep paralysis. And if you can be rational enough during it to reason that it's just an experience and you're not in danger, you can often end up turning it into a lucid dream or OBE.

[Emmalevine]

I think sleep paralysis has spiritual connections. I find it happens in conjunction with lucid dreaming as well as hallucinations. There's a mystery around it but I do think the physcial expression of sleep paralysis is causing spiritual experiences or at least making us more open to them.

Hi all. Thank you for your replies.

I've also had a couple of experiences during my sleep state of waking up and being 'pulled'. The first time it happened I felt a 'pull' to look at an area of the room where I heard a man say 'alright mate' three times. I felt the pull again on another night but I stopped it as, to be honest, I didn't want to hear anyone I couldn't see in the middle of the night!

I'd be interested if anyone else has experienced anything like this?

Originally Posted by ribiq

A lot of people say to try and wiggle one of your big toes if you want to break sleep paralysis. And if you can be rational enough during it to reason that it's just an experience and you're not in danger, you can often end up turning it into a lucid dream or OBE.

Thank you ribiq.

Taking it on to lucid dreaming could be fascinating. Not sure I'd be brave enough for an OBE though - at least not yet! Do you know any techniques on how to enter a state of lucid dreams?

Thanks again :)

Originally Posted by iolite

According to sleep experts, sleep paralysis probably evolved when we were still hunter/gatherers and had to sleep in the open. The sleep paralysis supposedly protected us in our vulnerable state from alerting predators of our location while we slept. Being paralyzed during sleep kept us quiet and not thrashing around.

That sounds all good on paper, but I don't know about you, according to my DH I spend the night tossing and turning and moving all around in the bed, throwing off covers, hogging them, etc... all in my sleep. So if paralysis evolved to keep us from thrashing around, we'd spend the entire night paralyzed, and that is not the case.

Not to mention the snoring (though I guess, the way I snore, that would scare away critters).

According to a vid that I watched, you've got disrupted sleep. Taking vitamin D at night (at least 1,000iu) can help. If you've not had your D level checked, you should.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7cbB...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APEN...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JUq4...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeb3P...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOUyb...eature=related