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The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.
Positive Stories About Sleep Paralysis??
by Issy
(Birmingham, UK)
I started to experience sleep paralysis in my teens. I'm in my early 30's now. At the time I didn't know what it was and what caused it but I have to say not all the experiences I had were frightening.
One time I remember I was flying out of space where I could see the stars and other planets and I felt this nice warm as if I was close to God or something. Another time I was flying over the ocean doing somersaults and I had this feeling of euphoria.
I'd say I am part of that group that FIRST has the hallucination whether they are positive or not and then the paralysis in which I can't move and in my case that's the scariest part.
I had scary experiences as well in which I sensed people in the room and they even touched me. sometimes I have 3 to 5 sleep paralysis experiences a night and sometimes I can go through a month without having one. I find that the posture in which sometimes I sleep (on my belly) and the time when I sometimes sleep (in the afternoon) can trigger them.
Kevin: Hey Issy, thanks for sharing your experiences. You're right on cue with experiencing sleep paralysis more in certain sleep positions and during naps. Many people report this. It sounds to me though that your positive experiences happen more during the vivid dreams during full fledged REM sleep than during the heart of the sleep paralysis. During the paralysis itself, hallucinating people (or non-people) into the room with you is common, as is 'feeling' their touch, as you experienced. The scary, or at least a bit freaky, stuff tends to dominate these experiences.
That said, scary sleep paralysis episodes are not absolute. People sometimes report rather banal hallucinations, like Rizu in Maine in this visitor-submitted story entitled, "I Don't Find Sleep Paralysis Frightening." What's more, some people, including dream researcher Ryan Hurd, even use sleep paralysis episodes as enlightening introspective experiences, and as gateways to more positive lucid dreams. Ryan documents all this in a book I mention and recommend throughout this site, entitled, Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide.
All the best Issy, and may your dreams be merry.
Kevin
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Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
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Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
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