Sleep paralysis & nightmares

[Divair]

I have a recurring nightmare. Two, actually.


The first is scary as heck. I am simply sitting on my couch, watching some TV in the afternoon, and suddenly a demon-bull-freak-like thing breaks down the gate to the house yard and SLOWLY walks towards me as I try to get away from him.

The second is even scarier. The world is under an alien attack and they laugh maniaclly whenever they see humans. So I was sitting in my house and the aliens advanced towards my gate and I tried to run but as soon as I got out of the yard, my body teleported back into the house. Eventually, I teleported back to the lounge and they were everywhere. And they shot me, and I woke up, and my body felt frozen as ice when I had three layers on me and the heater on (And it was like 25C).

[Divair]

Never had a nightmare, kind of want to, just to see what it's like.

You've probably had hundreds but simply cannot remember them. Actually, everyone has hundreds of dreams and nightmares each night. It is simply the most active, important, or long ones that are remembered.

[JuNii]

Well, I had a case of this last night. It lasted for about 30 seconds, nevertheless, I was scared shitless.

I couldn't move, and some guy with no face was sitting on my chest and I tried desperately to break free.

Ever had this before? It's VERY scary.

Edit: I'll add this to be a topic about nightmares as well. What type of nightmares have you had recently? Ever had recurring ones? What was the scariest nightmare you've ever experienced?

yes, I get those.

I even know how to trigger the Paralysis for myself.

[United Russian State]

Never had a nightmare, kind of want to, just to see what it's like.

You've probably had hundreds but simply cannot remember them. Actually, everyone has hundreds of dreams and nightmares each night. It is simply the most active, important, or long ones that are remembered.

Well than I wish I could remeber them for once. I know I used to have remeber dreams often, but now I hardly ever.

[Divair]

Never had a nightmare, kind of want to, just to see what it's like.

You've probably had hundreds but simply cannot remember them. Actually, everyone has hundreds of dreams and nightmares each night. It is simply the most active, important, or long ones that are remembered.

Well than I wish I could remeber them for once. I know I used to have remeber dreams often, but now I hardly ever.

Try sleeping more. Try getting a more comfortable bed. Try leaving soft music or a movie on low volume in the background.

[Glorious Freedonia]

Well, I had a case of this last night. It lasted for about 30 seconds, nevertheless, I was scared shitless.

I couldn't move, and some guy with no face was sitting on my chest and I tried desperately to break free.

Ever had this before? It's VERY scary.

Edit: I'll add this to be a topic about nightmares as well. What type of nightmares have you had recently? Ever had recurring ones? What was the scariest nightmare you've ever experienced?

I have never had it. Sleep paralysis is one of the scarier forms of nightmares. I love to interpret dreams but sleep paralysis is so foreign to me that I wonder whetehr it is even a dream or if it is some sort of a disorder. In other words, unlike most dreams that seem to be the communication to your conscious brain from your subconscious, sleep paralysis might not have any communication value at all.
The fact that the guy had no face is obviously the closest sign to some sort of meaning. I can only imagine that it was your subconscious's way of saying, look just realize that this is not real and get through it.
Facelessness just screams symbolism though. Perhaps you are lonely and are afraid that people are not noticing you. The facelessness might symbolize that.

[Alexlantis]

Well, I had a case of this last night. It lasted for about 30 seconds, nevertheless, I was scared shitless.

I couldn't move, and some guy with no face was sitting on my chest and I tried desperately to break free.

Ever had this before? It's VERY scary.

Edit: I'll add this to be a topic about nightmares as well. What type of nightmares have you had recently? Ever had recurring ones? What was the scariest nightmare you've ever experienced?

I've had sleep paralysis before. It happened a TON when I was little, so I was more reluctant than others when it came to bedtime and napping. As for nightmares, they also happened a ton when I was little. Nowadays, the nightmares are less frequent, just three or four a year or so that I can remember, but they're pretty bad. With most nightmares, it's nearly impossible for me to wake up for ten to twenty seconds. Overall, pretty damn scary.

[Capitalistliberals]

Worst dream I've had, was filled with very large spiders.... I'm extremely arachnophobic

[Blob-land]

I had a dream, after seeing ALIENS (sequel to alien, awesome movie!). I had a nightmare really. I was alone in this cold parking garage. I could hear the cars outside, and people talking outside. It was a cold winter's sunset, so it wasn't that scary. Until, suddenly, it went dark, and all the noises went away. I heard a hissing, and the Xenomorph aliens came at me! Then I woke up I was ready to scream, until i farted loudly, and I laughed it off.

Something I learned: All over the world, sleep paralysis is nicknamed "The Old Hag" where an old, wrinkly woman is supposed to be squatting on your chest, and pointing at you. So the faceless dude probably isn't that far away.

[Verzia]

Never had that, luckily. I don't have lucid dreams anymore either. =/

if you leave your tv on at night you don't have dreams (often at least)

[Azamanea]

I remember waking up and seeing a burglar standing by my closet. I screamed and my mom thought I was nuts.

I sleep walk A LOT though. It was Halloween and i had a dream that I was being chased by zombies. I decided to save myself, I would have to go downstairs and get my glow stick. I went in the laundry room get it. Then I remember dreaming that the zombies went away and the next thing I knew I was awake on the laundry room floor.

Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and my blanket will be gone. Then I'll see it when i go downstairs in front of the t.v.

[Alexlantis]

Never had a nightmare, kind of want to, just to see what it's like.

You've probably had hundreds but simply cannot remember them. Actually, everyone has hundreds of dreams and nightmares each night. It is simply the most active, important, or long ones that are remembered.

Hmmm. Interesting.

[Astralsideria]

When I was little (I forget just how old, exactly), I had these horrible dreams almost every Saturday. I, and lots of other kids my age (I don't think I knew any of them) were in this room with no windows. The room was sort of organic, and sort of burgundy and purple in colour. There was a sort of moist heat, and a pounding noise, and, in the dream, I used always to have a headache right on my forehead (and, with me, I know that's not a headache, it's like a psychological thing; something makes me horribly uncomfortable, and I get a headache there; real headaches are behind my eyes).

About two or three years ago, I had this simply awful dream, as well. I was in my house, and then something (I don't remember what) happened, and so I was in my car, and we stopped at the lights, and this terrifying gypsy woman ran up to the car, pressed her face against my window, and sort of grinned maniacally. Then, suddenly, I was at my Gran's house, and I was bringing tables full of cupcakes in (God only knows why), and there was the same gypsy woman outside the window, still grinning maniacally. Then, suddenly, she was in the room with me, stood my my Grandad's chair, and she was holding this balloon. Then she burst this balloon (she was holding the balloon in her hands, not by a string, and she sort of gripped it subtly with her long, red nails), and everyone but me collapsed (I think they were dead, but I don't know), and she started sort of slinking towards me, still grinning maniacally. I woke up then, and I was shivering with fear.

Quite often, I wake up, and I know I've had a bad dream, but I can't remember anything about it, and I just feel a near-uncontrollable urge either to drop to my knees in prayer for my own safety and cry in blatant fear, or punch the walls, throw the books around and break the furniture in an attempt to wound whatever it is that's in the room with me making me have these dreams. I know it sounds pathetic, but I can't help it.

[Glorious Freedonia]

It is interesting to read about people's nightmares. I suspect that the tripod nightmares are symbolic of a problem involving the dreamer and two other people. This might be a love triangle problem or perhaps a problem involving a relationship betweenthe dreamer and two friends or two siblings or two parents.

I suspect that the bear with the pink lips is actually a sexual dream. The pink lips is suggestive of something along those lines. The bear is probably symbolic of long lasting problems such as a long unhappy relationship or a long period of loneliness. This is particularly true because the dreamer did a lot of waiting in his dream. I think that the bear and the waiting are both symbolic of a perceived long distance of time. The waiting might be symbolic of one type or aspect of the time problem and the bear may be symbolic of a second problem of an inner more complicated problem associated with the first problem.

I often have lucid dreams. I credit this to my parents urging me to deal with my nightmares by trying to realize that I am dreaming and then asking the monsters why they are bothering me and what they represent. The problem is that when I dream and encounter a monster and I ask him what he symbolizes I get answers like "You know what I represent" which is not very helpful.

Another problem with lucid dreaming is that sometimes instead of interacting with my monsters and talking with them I pretty much give the nightmare the finger and purposefully do the opposite of be afraid. I have crawled into a coffin containing a zombie buried in a haunted attic for example. Often when I give the nightmare the finger, my subconscious fights back hard and it is really bad. It is usually the same response. The image that I see becomes a mirror sort of and it breaks into shards and leaves me suspended in some wierd void. Then a demon presence kind of appears without any real form and torments me by beating me with blows that give me the sense of being hit with hammers although it is not that bad it is still bad. I know I am asleep and having these nightmares but I still feel the pain and I try to call out to others to wake me up if I know I fell asleep with a woman or with a roomate or something.

[Flameswroth]

When I was little (I forget just how old, exactly), I had these horrible dreams almost every Saturday. I, and lots of other kids my age (I don't think I knew any of them) were in this room with no windows. The room was sort of organic, and sort of burgundy and purple in colour. There was a sort of moist heat, and a pounding noise, and, in the dream, I used always to have a headache right on my forehead (and, with me, I know that's not a headache, it's like a psychological thing; something makes me horribly uncomfortable, and I get a headache there; real headaches are behind my eyes).

About two or three years ago, I had this simply awful dream, as well. I was in my house, and then something (I don't remember what) happened, and so I was in my car, and we stopped at the lights, and this terrifying gypsy woman ran up to the car, pressed her face against my window, and sort of grinned maniacally. Then, suddenly, I was at my Gran's house, and I was bringing tables full of cupcakes in (God only knows why), and there was the same gypsy woman outside the window, still grinning maniacally. Then, suddenly, she was in the room with me, stood my my Grandad's chair, and she was holding this balloon. Then she burst this balloon (she was holding the balloon in her hands, not by a string, and she sort of gripped it subtly with her long, red nails), and everyone but me collapsed (I think they were dead, but I don't know), and she started sort of slinking towards me, still grinning maniacally. I woke up then, and I was shivering with fear.

Quite often, I wake up, and I know I've had a bad dream, but I can't remember anything about it, and I just feel a near-uncontrollable urge either to drop to my knees in prayer for my own safety and cry in blatant fear, or punch the walls, throw the books around and break the furniture in an attempt to wound whatever it is that's in the room with me making me have these dreams. I know it sounds pathetic, but I can't help it.

The question is: Were any of those dreams accompanied by paralysis immediately after waking?

[Coffin-Breathe]

I have never had it. Sleep paralysis is one of the scarier forms of nightmares. I love to interpret dreams but sleep paralysis is so foreign to me that I wonder whetehr it is even a dream or if it is some sort of a disorder. In other words, unlike most dreams that seem to be the communication to your conscious brain from your subconscious, sleep paralysis might not have any communication value at all.
The fact that the guy had no face is obviously the closest sign to some sort of meaning. I can only imagine that it was your subconscious's way of saying, look just realize that this is not real and get through it.
Facelessness just screams symbolism though. Perhaps you are lonely and are afraid that people are not noticing you. The facelessness might symbolize that.

Well, I like to analize them too, and I´d say, sleep paralysis represents the fact, that something is not (or seems not to be) avoidable to the dreamer, while the old hag stands for the problem itself, which is pressing down the dreamer´s psyche and is usually some kind of personality twist...
Trying to escape or running from something and held in position or being teleported back is almost the same as being paralized, only difference is that the dreamer tries to avoid something that´s not avoidable, like getting grown-up, for example.

Take my advise, you dreamers of those kind of nightmares, don´t let the nightmare drive you, as everyone is able to semi-concient guide and drive his dreams - just try not to run away but turn back, or stare the hag in the eye and laugh at her or similar in your dream, and you´ll never have this kind of nightmare anymore ! Offend frightening things actively, they almost sure retreat or vanish, or else you simply awake ! And don´t eat so heavy and fat meals for dinner next time...

[Glorious Freedonia]

When I was little (I forget just how old, exactly), I had these horrible dreams almost every Saturday. I, and lots of other kids my age (I don't think I knew any of them) were in this room with no windows. The room was sort of organic, and sort of burgundy and purple in colour. There was a sort of moist heat, and a pounding noise, and, in the dream, I used always to have a headache right on my forehead (and, with me, I know that's not a headache, it's like a psychological thing; something makes me horribly uncomfortable, and I get a headache there; real headaches are behind my eyes).

About two or three years ago, I had this simply awful dream, as well. I was in my house, and then something (I don't remember what) happened, and so I was in my car, and we stopped at the lights, and this terrifying gypsy woman ran up to the car, pressed her face against my window, and sort of grinned maniacally. Then, suddenly, I was at my Gran's house, and I was bringing tables full of cupcakes in (God only knows why), and there was the same gypsy woman outside the window, still grinning maniacally. Then, suddenly, she was in the room with me, stood my my Grandad's chair, and she was holding this balloon. Then she burst this balloon (she was holding the balloon in her hands, not by a string, and she sort of gripped it subtly with her long, red nails), and everyone but me collapsed (I think they were dead, but I don't know), and she started sort of slinking towards me, still grinning maniacally. I woke up then, and I was shivering with fear.

Quite often, I wake up, and I know I've had a bad dream, but I can't remember anything about it, and I just feel a near-uncontrollable urge either to drop to my knees in prayer for my own safety and cry in blatant fear, or punch the walls, throw the books around and break the furniture in an attempt to wound whatever it is that's in the room with me making me have these dreams. I know it sounds pathetic, but I can't help it.

Your nightmare kind of reminds me of little red robin hood because you were going to your granndmother's with goodies and encountered a monster. The balloon has to be symbolic of something it is just so out of place.

Your childhood dream sort of sounds like it was inspired by being in the womb due to the moist heat and the sound of the heartbeat the headache is hard to determine but the whole thing might mean "My mom is being a real pain right now" for whatver reason. These dreams may have been about a childhood conflict you had with your mother.

[Coffin-Breathe]

The image that I see becomes a mirror sort of and it breaks into shards and leaves me suspended in some wierd void. Then a demon presence kind of appears without any real form and torments me by beating me with blows that give me the sense of being hit with hammers although it is not that bad it is still bad. I know I am asleep and having these nightmares but I still feel the pain

Very simple - the demon presence makes you know, that actually you don´t accept your resistence to your nightmare; there´s some way to counter, if you let the presence know (in your dream, of course), that it´s only a part of yourself and has to be your ally, as you´re it´s master. Tell the presence, that you´ll command if and how hard the beating has to be, and if it denies to follow your orders, simply send it away; another way is to actively offend the presence or let yourself fall towards it; if this doesn´t work, just call for me or send it to me, and I´ll handle it, as I like to guard dreams...and I´m very good in this

[Fancania]

I don't remember ever having to deal with sleep paralysis. (And I'm extremely thankful for that, because if it happened, especiaally with something like the Old Hag or the faceless guy, I'd never get over the trauma.) But as for nightmares, the two most recent scary ones I can think of are...

Most Recent: This is one I'm not in. This guy in a freaky dollface mask is being interviewed by someone and apparently the masked guy is a racist. He's making all these remarks about killing blacks (at least I think so. I can't remember much of it.) And it generally freaked me out.

Second Most Recent: I'm in a room in my Grandma's house and one of the teachers from my old school grabs me and whispers in my ear that I'm bothering him. I don' remember much after that, except that he apparently kept me captive, I think he might have mentioned he'd kill me any day now, but then the dream changed and I either turned into someone else or...I don't know. Anyway, this kid who had been captured by the guy killed him by stabbing him in the face repeatedly while the guy was asleep. Then there was this silent, subtitled monolouge from the now adult who had been captured about killing the kidnapper.

I woke up at about 4:00 AM, terrified. But the funny part was that now I've bonded with a radio station. I usually listen to radio while I sleep, and it just happened to be a rap station. Now for the next 2 hours, too scared to fall back asleep, too scared to get out of bed, I just stayed in my bed, listening to the music. But I finally stopped being scared when WGCI's Morning Riot came on. Their silly "black" antics kept me reassured until I got up.

I love The Morning Riot now.

[Inchland]

I haven't had a nightmare in years... ever since i got hypnotized I kid you not

[Big Jim P]

I used to have nightmares and sleep paralysis when I was younger. As I have grown older, my dreams have gotten stranger, but less frightening. I guess when you face the horrors of real life on a daily basis, dreams just don't stand a chance anymore.

[Coffin-Breathe]

Most Recent: This is one I'm not in. This guy in a freaky dollface mask is being interviewed by someone and apparently the masked guy is a racist. He's making all these remarks about killing blacks (at least I think so. I can't remember much of it.) And it generally freaked me out.

Well, you´re in definitely, or who else than you should be the racist guy ? I guess, the dream shows you, that there´s a big difference between your public opinion and behaviour and your real ones; I suspect you to be political correct most time, and not allowing yourself to think the way you would actually like to. For the second, there seems to be the same difference between what you´ve been taught and trying to live by, and your personal likings. I´d say, let loose on yourself a little bit sometimes, and don´t care so much about society and the public view of your person, while more listening to your real needs and likings will almost sure prevent you from similar dreams in the future...

[LaDecharge]

I actually had this once. I was all being levitated out of bed and shit, going up to the ceiling. It was ubar fucking creepy. Fortunately I always keep a large knife strapped to my calf, so I was so ready for those alien motherfuckers.

But then they dropped me back into bed. And have never bothered me since.

That sounds more like an astral voyage then sleep paralisis. Next time it happens just relax and try moving around the room, dont freak out if you see yourself sleeping.

I even know how to trigger the Paralysis for myself.

Please tell me how. i want to discover what triggers it and what are the best ways of getting out or exploring the possibilities.

Sleep paralysis happens to me very often. I remember almost every time it has hapened. it hapened several times in one night when i was in mexico. ive never actually seen any figure on me but i was totally immobilized and could feel a presence watching me. Apparently its normal, it has been interpreted in many ways in history( demons, old hag etc..)
the best way to get out of it is to relax and breathe in.

[Astralsideria]

When I was little (I forget just how old, exactly), I had these horrible dreams almost every Saturday. I, and lots of other kids my age (I don't think I knew any of them) were in this room with no windows. The room was sort of organic, and sort of burgundy and purple in colour. There was a sort of moist heat, and a pounding noise, and, in the dream, I used always to have a headache right on my forehead (and, with me, I know that's not a headache, it's like a psychological thing; something makes me horribly uncomfortable, and I get a headache there; real headaches are behind my eyes).

About two or three years ago, I had this simply awful dream, as well. I was in my house, and then something (I don't remember what) happened, and so I was in my car, and we stopped at the lights, and this terrifying gypsy woman ran up to the car, pressed her face against my window, and sort of grinned maniacally. Then, suddenly, I was at my Gran's house, and I was bringing tables full of cupcakes in (God only knows why), and there was the same gypsy woman outside the window, still grinning maniacally. Then, suddenly, she was in the room with me, stood my my Grandad's chair, and she was holding this balloon. Then she burst this balloon (she was holding the balloon in her hands, not by a string, and she sort of gripped it subtly with her long, red nails), and everyone but me collapsed (I think they were dead, but I don't know), and she started sort of slinking towards me, still grinning maniacally. I woke up then, and I was shivering with fear.

Quite often, I wake up, and I know I've had a bad dream, but I can't remember anything about it, and I just feel a near-uncontrollable urge either to drop to my knees in prayer for my own safety and cry in blatant fear, or punch the walls, throw the books around and break the furniture in an attempt to wound whatever it is that's in the room with me making me have these dreams. I know it sounds pathetic, but I can't help it.

Your nightmare kind of reminds me of little red robin hood because you were going to your granndmother's with goodies and encountered a monster. The balloon has to be symbolic of something it is just so out of place.

Your childhood dream sort of sounds like it was inspired by being in the womb due to the moist heat and the sound of the heartbeat the headache is hard to determine but the whole thing might mean "My mom is being a real pain right now" for whatver reason. These dreams may have been about a childhood conflict you had with your mother.

Yeah, until I got most of the way through writing that post, I'd forgotten about the cakes. I agree about the balloon, although quite what it means, God only knows. Personally, I blame that dream for my general dislike of people who swan in on farmers and ruin their land (I don't say Gypsies, because I know many Gypsies are very good people, but these people aren't, as far as I'm concerned), which doesn't show any signs of going away. The cakes are weird, though, because they just appeared. They weren't in the car with me, but they just appeared. I think (I'm not sure; it was some time ago) they disappeared, as well, at the same time the gypsy woman appeared inside the room. God knows what they were there for...

With the organic machine headache thing (just remembered I used to call it an organic machine, although not with those exact words, not knowing them at the time), I disagree with you. At the time, I was at the age where, within reason, whatever I got, I wanted, so, really, I had no reason to think she was a pain. I'd never thought of the pounding as a heartbeat before, but you could be right, actually. Thinking back on it now, I can't conceive of it being anything else. I do seem to remember, however, that I once changed rooms for a night, and I didn't have the dream then. After that night, I moved back, and it never came back.

In answer to Flameswroth, they weren't, as far as I can remember, but I know I didn't move for about half an hour after waking up from the second from choice. Whether I could've done if I'd tried, I don't know. The other dream was so long ago, I've honestly got no idea. All I know for certain about them both is that I am seriously glad for whatever Deity or fluke chance that sees to it that nothing bothers me quite as much as those two did.

[Jalanat]

-snipski-

I manage to trigger sleep paralysis by lying still on my bed, on my back of course and I'd just stare at the window. After a while it just happens, I occasionally trigger it unintentionally when I am too lazy to get out of my bed.