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Sleep Paralysis Reoccurrence After 20 Years

by Billie
(Oklahoma)

I experienced sleep paralysis last night just after I fell asleep, 3 times. I, too, am relieved to find out that these episodes have a name and that I am not the only one to experience them.


I recall 3 or 4 times having SP when I was a young mother. I'm not sure that I didn't have them when younger, but am sure about these. The specific details fail me but I remember the terror. I recall the hallucinations being simple everyday things like hearing the washer running or the radio playing. Those things in themselves didn't
frighten me it was the fact that I was paralyzed and not able to move that was terrifying. Those incidents happened in the morning, usually if I had awakened and then went back to sleep. The last one that I can remember happened about 20 or so years ago.

Last night as I fell asleep my husband had his arm over me and I was lying on my back. I had just drifted off to sleep and felt a cat laying on my chest and heard or felt it purring. I thought one of the cats had gotten into the house without our knowing it. But, when I went to open my eyes to get it I couldn't move. I think I remember opening my eyes I'm not sure but there was no cat there. I tried with all my might to wake up and after a time, did actually wake and was able to move. I was alarmed but drifted off to sleep again.

The same thing happened for 2 more times. The third time I was crying and trying with all my might to awaken my husband to help me and wasn't able to move a muscle. I called his name or tried to and tried to shake his arm that was draped over me. I was so terrified
my heart was pounding. When I was able to move after this 3rd time I woke my husband told him that I was frightened. He held my hand to pray for me and I was able to relax enough to go to sleep without any more incidents.

When I was young I did think that it was some kind of spiritual experience. Back then there was no internet to look up similar experiences by others. I'm so grateful that I found this site to shed some light on what I have gone through. I'm also grateful that I haven't had it to happen as much as some of the others. It is such an unpleasant, helpless feeling.

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