Sleep Paralysis

[Emmalevine]

If I remember accurately, sleep paralysis occurs during REM sleep, that is when we are dreaming and liable to move about.

Obviously it isn't always the case otherwise sleep walking would never happen.

I completely agree that sleep paralysis often causes or is link to disrupted sleep. I usually experience episodes when I'm exceptionally tired and/or frequently wakenings. There certainly seems to be a different level of consciousness related to these kinds of experiences.

I had several occasions of waking up in "sleep paralysis" and it was very frightening. But one night, I woke up in time to see (with eyes wide open) a large mass of white energy rushing the bed at me. As soon as it reached my toes... my feet and then my lower legs became numb and as heavy as lead.

I already knew not to be afraid, but I was prepared to struggle. I heard two melodious female voices in unison say ... "No... don't.... send it love." I do my healing by sending loving energy, so in my next breath, I sent loving energy from my heart to the area above my knees where the paralysis had gotten to.... and instantly it lifted. The air in my room became bright and light... and I observed sparkles floating away. I felt so safe and very peacefully slept the rest of the night.

I have since used this method of sending love to negative spirit energy and it works instantly. I have shared it with others and it has helped them as well.

I disagree with the term "sleep paralysis". If your arm falls asleep... do you panic? no... not at all. You are annoyed and shake it off but you are not scared at all. I believe the fear we feel to actually be a physical response to the spirit energy forming. In fact, it seems we wake up fearful without knowing why before we have seen, heard or felt anything.

I encourage anyone who is having trouble with this to try sending and expressing love during these moments. Fear and anger only make the experience worse. If you send love to a positive spirit, it will send love back. If you send love to a negative spirit, it will weaken and disappear. Your love is much stronger than fear and anger.

[Lambo009]

Originally Posted by MYFIGO

I had several occasions of waking up in "sleep paralysis" and it was very frightening. But one night, I woke up in time to see (with eyes wide open) a large mass of white energy rushing the bed at me. As soon as it reached my toes... my feet and then my lower legs became numb and as heavy as lead.

I already knew not to be afraid, but I was prepared to struggle. I heard two melodious female voices in unison say ... "No... don't.... send it love." I do my healing by sending loving energy, so in my next breath, I sent loving energy from my heart to the area above my knees where the paralysis had gotten to.... and instantly it lifted. The air in my room became bright and light... and I observed sparkles floating away. I felt so safe and very peacefully slept the rest of the night.

I have since used this method of sending love to negative spirit energy and it works instantly. I have shared it with others and it has helped them as well.

I disagree with the term "sleep paralysis". If your arm falls asleep... do you panic? no... not at all. You are annoyed and shake it off but you are not scared at all. I believe the fear we feel to actually be a physical response to the spirit energy forming. In fact, it seems we wake up fearful without knowing why before we have seen, heard or felt anything.

I encourage anyone who is having trouble with this to try sending and expressing love during these moments. Fear and anger only make the experience worse. If you send love to a positive spirit, it will send love back. If you send love to a negative spirit, it will weaken and disappear. Your love is much stronger than fear and anger.

How do you know it was a negative entity? And I do not believe you have experienced fully the phenomena. The way you're phrasing it undermines and devalues the struggles of anyone with sleep paralysis, and that's not fair to them.

[Rawnrr]

There is a discussion on sleep paralysis in the lucid dream forum:
http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...ad.php?t=97077

Sleep paralysis occurs in the moments of transition from sleeping consciousness to waking consciousness (not during REM). My personal interpretation of the experiences of it that I had was that the consciousness was just not fully rooted back into the body, and as such cannot trigger the neurons in the brain to cause our body to move.

[wolfgaze]

Originally Posted by Rawnrr

My personal interpretation of the experiences of it that I had was that the consciousness was just not fully rooted back into the body, and as such cannot trigger the neurons in the brain to cause our body to move.

I feel the same way... About 13 years ago I recalled reading a book that mentioned the notion of the soul (or a portion the soul) leaving the physical body during the sleep/dream state... I didn't automatically believe it at the time - but I kept an open mind about it... About 18 months ago I went to sleep, and then some hours later, I suddenly experienced my Awareness residing outside of my sleeping body, looking down on it. Just as soon as I experienced this, my awareness went 'zooming' back into my body. I immediately startled awake in bed, unable to move (sleep paralysis), and I had no immediate recollection of the OBE. I was alarmed because it felt like there was someone else in the room with me (a presence), and I was unable to move. I was sleeping on my stomach and it felt like the presence was directly behind me, so I felt vulnerable. About 5-10 seconds later I fell back asleep. When I woke up in the morning I immediately remembered the OBE experience the night before and now it was clear to me what had happened and why I had sensed a 'presence' above and behind me. It was my Awareness having just resided outside of my body and then quickly shifting/returning to the vantage point of my physical body that created that unique sensation of my own awareness/presence residing outside myself. This quick re-connection with the physical body and waking up immediately after is also what caused the paralysis...

So this experience (my first OBE), it affirmed for me this notion/suggestion that our consciousness or some portion of our consciousness is separating itself from the physical body during the dream state...

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lambo009

How do you know it was a negative entity? And I do not believe you have experienced fully the phenomena. The way you're phrasing it undermines and devalues the struggles of anyone with sleep paralysis, and that's not fair to them.

Hi Lambo. Sometimes we ask members to look at the dates of the threads or posts.This thread was created in 2012 and that specific member you questioned has been inactive for a couple of years. Usually when an old thread resurfaces we try and close and remove them.
Since the conversation has continued to go in a positive direction, I will leave it up, for now.

[lemex]

Sleep paralysis is the feeling of consciousness and you can't move. An unsettling feeling for sure, but it's related to sleep. I think one can get the (similar) experience before you drift off to sleep. Feels like you're separate from the body but here you want to and it's view from different angle.

I agree with science. Science tends to say it's more an evolutionary adaptation so you don't injure yourself. Not sure of the mechanism that does this. I think it's sleep related. Waking up before you're fully awake.

I remind myself I'm in charge.

[Somnia]

Sleep paralysis can occur during the hypnagogic stage (Between being awake and falling asleep) or during the hypnopompic stage (Between being asleep and waking up). I've only experienced Sleep Paralysis once. I hope it's okay for me to copy-paste what I wrote in the other thread Rawnrr referenced, as I feel my experience is relevant to post here as well:

"I've only experienced sleep paralysis in the hypnopompic stage between sleep and wake. It was in the middle of the night and when I opened my eyes I saw a shadow man standing/floating on the right side of my bed hovering over me. Initially I felt terrified because I thought someone had broken into the house until I realized I could see through this entity. Once I started looking at it and feeling it's energy I didn't feel panicked. This shadow man felt as if it wasn't malevolent, but rather curious while looking at me. Then the shadow person dissipated and I was able to move and go right back to sleep.

Shortly after that experience I was talking to the previous owners of my home and they jokingly asked me if I had seen the "lake ghost" yet (my house sits on lakefront property). I was pretty startled by the random comment. What's really odd is the shadow person had facial features of a black man, and when I asked the former owners about what the lake ghost looked like they told me it was a black man who sometimes haunts the houses in the area. I haven't looked too deep into the history behind it to find sources if such a man died in this area, but the coincidences were pretty spooky."


Being a person who is both science minded and spiritual, I completely believe what I experienced was something paranormal, considering prior to my experience, I had never heard the tale of the "Lake Ghost" that haunts the area where I live.

To answer the original question of this thread: I believe that science helps explain the physical reactions to what happens to the body, but I believe these physical responses allow the body to disconnect from the physical mind to experience the spiritual.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Somnia

To answer the original question of this thread: I believe that science helps explain the physical reactions to what happens to the body, but I believe these physical responses allow the body to disconnect from the physical mind to experience the spiritual.

Great point.

*shivers at the lake ghost story* Do you think you Astral Projected?



I went through a phase in my early 20's where I had a lot of sleep paralysis episodes, at least a couple of times a week. Back than, I would stay in my body until I struggled my way out of them. I eventually stopped having them, for almost 15 years.

It started happening again recently( within past year) only this time around the SP ties in with lucid dreaming or my body will pull/travel out a bit (Some would call it Astral Projection). I also have greater control of snapping out of them quicker. I can't explain right now what I think it 100% could be. However, I personally feel it extends beyond the scientific. SP episodes only happen to me during adversity and spiritual growth periods. This I am certain of.

[Somnia]

Originally Posted by Clover

Do you think you Astral Projected?

I don't think so?

I was still within my own body when it happened, and I was completely awake. I just couldn't move or speak. It was pretty terrifying at first until I calmed down...

I've experimented with trying to astral project in the past with no luck. I will feel a sensation like my body is shrinking and "disappearing" as I lose awareness of the physical sensations of my limbs, but I never experience the full out of body experience most people report when they claim to astral project. Maybe I'm doing it wrong or something,