Sleep Paralysis, Anyone?

[meduhsinman]

Who among the ranks has sleep paralysis? I've been dealing with sleep paralysis since I was 9 years old. From the ages of 7-13, I experienced neurological complications that range from petite mal, to complex partial seizures, to simple partial, to complete tonic/clonic siezures, yet, I have never lost consciousness -despite temporary paralysis of a limb, or hemiparesis; Every episode was different.

My files were sent to MAYO Clinic, and I was never given a definitive diagnosis. They said my EEG was completely synchronized on several occasions throughout a 72hr. observation, and they didn't know what to make of it. The sleep paralysis was irregular, though predictable. When I am deprived of sleep or highly stressed, sleep paralysis often comes if I am sleeping on my back, or in a sitting position.

I have never experienced the proverbial witch or alien, nor have I found another presence within my confines. The only experiences I've had has been alone with me, myself, and an inescapable feeling that I must "snap out of it."

I have experienced some odd occurences. For instance, in May of 2014, at the age of 23, I was crashing at my girlfriend's apartment. I was laying in her bed, and woke up somewhere around 2:00am. I noticed that I was in sleep paralysis because I couldn't move, yet I could see her closet when I painstakingly focused my half-lit eyes on it.

Her dresses that hung from the bar in the closet started to sway back and forth with a flick of my -dream?- hand. It was here that I am unsure if I experienced a dream or not. I could feel her clothes, I could hear the hangers, and they violently swayed when I wanted them to. When I finally managed to "snap out," I sat up, and noticed her dresses moving in the closet, but I was laying more than three arms lengths away. I woke her up and showed her, but she wasn't awake enough to comprehend what I was saying.

I quickly went back out of it, and heard unintelligible narrations in my head. Something about a push, anterior cingulate cortex, and someone saying, ".. and they all combined..." came to mind, but that was it.

I've experienced similar things when I was younger. When I was 12, I had another bout of sleep paralysis. I kind of "fell" out of my body, and could see the clock behind me. When I started awake, the clock was accurate to the time I perceived it to be, and I conked back out.

This has happened many times, and I'm starting to wonder if either my sanity or science should have their heads on the chopping block.

Anyone have any takes on this?

 

[Qlip]

Sleep paralysis is a relatively common, at least as more common than INFJs, the ol' wikipedia rates it as being experienced in 6.2% of the population. The only harmful thing is that it's a symptom of bad sleep habits or narcolepsy, which I would assume you would know if you had.

I've had various episodes throughout my life, especially when I was younger, some of them were absolutely terrifying. All of them were very interesting and included hallucinatory components. I'm relatively sane.

 

[meduhsinman]

No INFJs here, and I've no narcolepsy. The neurologists also ruled out epilepsy since nothing was consistent, and no anti-epileptic drugs made any difference. From what I gather, before the first incident when I was 7, I was -at a guestimate- ENTP, then dramatically shifted to IxTJ afterwards.

 

[Beorn]

Just this morning I had a horrible nightmare where I couldn't move and was constantly having my life threatened because of it. It was a horrible feeling so I can't imagine how it would feel if I was able to look around and not move. I actually have to get a sleep consultation anyway so it will be interesting to see what they come back with.

 

[Qlip]

No INFJs here, and I've no narcolepsy. The neurologists also ruled out epilepsy since nothing was consistent, and no anti-epileptic drugs made any difference. From what I gather, before the first incident when I was 7, I was -at a guestimate- ENTP, then dramatically shifted to IxTJ afterwards.

Well, typology is a a bad place to ask medical advice, but sleep paralysis is generally connected to sleep issues, bad quality, not enough, etc. It's easy to look up information on the interwebs. It should have no effect on type.

As far as my mention of INFJ, it was just an off-hand reference to compare rarity. I just think it's funny, in a completely unconnected way that 1/100% of the population, which is a staggering number of people is thought of as rare. Ignore that part.

 

[Chrysanthe]

Ooh yes I love that feeling! I sometimes try to convince myself that I'm scared when I'm really not so that my hallucinations become more interesting. I haven't had this happen for awhile though.... last time coulda been last month. I don't remember how many I've had over the years but it usually occurs every two months or so.

I guess I just enjoy feeling vulnerable...? Or maybe I'm so used to it that I've learned how to cope with it by making fun of my hallucinations and thus minimizing the fear.

To be honest I have more fun being paralyzed than smoking weed... or at least it's the lesser and more harmless of the two evils. At least I can't hurt myself while paralyzed.

ALSO

Sleep Paralysis can have potential for positive experiences... it's supposedly much easier to have an OBE (Out of Body Experience) or Astral Projection when in this state, so try to turn the fear into something fun!

 

[Tellenbach]

You're describing an out of body experience. I've heard this experience described many times by Albert Taylor on Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell and sleep paralysis frequently precedes the OOB event.

M.T.: Explain what night paralysis is and your beliefs on "Soul Traveling".
D.A.T.: Well, all too many nights I would suffer from what I thought at that time was a curse. And that curse was waking up in the middle of the night paralyzed and unable to move. All I knew about the paralysis at that time was it also happened to several members of my family as well. And we all found it discomforting. I had no idea that my astral or spirit body was disconnecting from my physical body at night while I slept. It was when I became conscious after sleeping, did I repeatedly find myself in that state. Once I realized I was connected to another vehicle for my consciousness, I began to experiment and explore. I was not looking for spiritual awareness. I would even go so far as to say I didn't believe in life beyond the physical body. But despite my infantile explorations of astral travel, my biggest discovery was that of my Soul.

Dr. Albert Taylor Interview

 

[Hawthorne]

Oh, this happens to me often enough and I have other sleep problems too.

Falling, chest pressure, layered waking, head static...no seizures though.

How's your anxiety levels?

 

[chubber]

I experienced it only once, and it was horrible. Luckily it only happened during the day. It would have been a nightmare and leave me with paranoia if I had to experience it during the night.

 

[Tellenbach]

Sleep paralysis: the waking nightmare where sufferers can't move or speak

Sleep paralysis made the news today.

In spite of the fact that many people have not heard of it, it is actually quite common. It occurs in 8% of the general population with much higher rates in students (28%) and psychiatric patients (32%). Most find it to be a harmless, albeit scary event that is a rare occurrence in their lives.

Unfortunately for those with severe sleep paralysis, there are currently no well-validated treatment options. However, certain drugs that suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (e.g., antidepressants) and forms of psychotherapy may be helpful. Further, just learning what sleep paralysis is, that it is not uncommon, and that it is not physically harmful can help people to feel better.

 

[INTP]

It happened to me twice, first time was really horrifying. It didnt help that i never heard of such thing.. I woke up in the middle of the night with a feeling that someone was in my apartment(or actually the feeling started before i woke up). When i woke up i tried to sit up and looked at my bedroom door. I was in the mid way of sitting when i froze and saw some old guy who looked really demonic at the door, i just watched him in the eyes, couldnt move at all and started thinking that either im losing my mind(i did have the time to think that if i were losing my mind i wouldnt be able to critically think like that etc)or that im going to hell. Seriously i would had shat my pants if i just could had. Then what felt like 30-45 secs the guy disappeared and it was my jacket.

Second time was pleasing i didnt even try to open my eyes, just levitated over the bed, i knew what was going on and i thought i might get that falling down feeling you get sometimes when you just fall asleep. I was also worried i might hit the ceiling(or not actually hitting it, but it felt like i was really close to it) and that it would snap me out of it.