PARANORMAL OR SLEEP PARALYSIS
By Jeff Fausch
[THE NIGHTMARE, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be on of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation]
Introduction
"You wake up in the middle of the night and find that you couldn't move or cry out for help... barely able to breath....you feel a heavy weight on your chest....you see a shadowy intruder by the bed... you sense that it is evil...and you are powerless to do anything about it...."
Have you just experienced a supernatural force, an alien abduction or have you experienced sleep paralysis?
People from all over the world have experienced this unnerving phenomenon. The victims wake to find they can't move, even though they can see, hear, and smell. There is usually the feeling of great weight on the chest that causes breathing difficulties and the sense that there is some sinister presence in the room with them. Often there is the sound of approaching footsteps, apparitions of strange shadows or even glowing eyes.
With such bizarre and frightening experiences, it is no wonder that many people fear that they have been attacked in their beds by some malevolent spirit or perhaps had an alien visitation.
The phenomenon occurs to both males and females of various ages and seems to affect between 15 to 40% of the population at least once in a lifetime. It affects people, sleeping during the day or night and is a world-wide phenomenon that has been documented since ancient times.
Have you just experienced a supernatural force, an alien abduction or have you experienced sleep paralysis?
People from all over the world have experienced this unnerving phenomenon. The victims wake to find they can't move, even though they can see, hear, and smell. There is usually the feeling of great weight on the chest that causes breathing difficulties and the sense that there is some sinister presence in the room with them. Often there is the sound of approaching footsteps, apparitions of strange shadows or even glowing eyes.
With such bizarre and frightening experiences, it is no wonder that many people fear that they have been attacked in their beds by some malevolent spirit or perhaps had an alien visitation.
The phenomenon occurs to both males and females of various ages and seems to affect between 15 to 40% of the population at least once in a lifetime. It affects people, sleeping during the day or night and is a world-wide phenomenon that has been documented since ancient times.
Sleep Paralysis and Folklore:
According to Wikipedia the original paralysis was codified by Dr Samuel Johnson in his "A Dictionary of the English Language" as "nightmare", that evolved into the modern definition. Sleep paralysis was widely considered to be the work of demons or a incubi, which were thought to sit on the chest of sleepers. In Old English, the name of these beings was "mare" there fore becomes "mare" part in "in nightmare".
In Newfoundland, South Carolina and Georgia, uses the term "Hag" who leaves her physical body at night and sits on the chest of her victim. Her victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a heavy invisible weight on the chest and is unable to move, e.g experiences of sleep paralysis. The experience is called "Hag ridden". The "Old Hag" was a nightmare spirit in Britain and also Anglophone North America.
In Fiji sleep paralysis is interpreted as "Kana tevora", being eaten or possessed by a demon. In many case the "demon" can be the spirit of a deceased relative who has come back for unfinished business, or needs to communicate important news to the living. Often people sleeping near the afflicted person say "kania kania" (eat-eat) in an attempt to prolong the possession for a chance to converse with the dead relative or spirit and to seek answers for why they have come back. The victim waking from the experience is often asked to curse or chase away the dead relative, which can involve speaking to the spirit and telling it to go away.
In Nigeria, sleep paralysis is far more common amongst African decent than the white population and often is referred to within African communities as the "Devil on your back".
In Chinese, culture sleep paralysis is known as "pinyin: gui ya shen" or " pinyin gui ya chuang" which translate into "ghost pressing on body" or "ghost in bed".
In Japanese culture, sleep paralysis is referred to "shibura", meaning to bind or tie, to fasten.
In Korean culture, sleep paralysis is called "gawee nulim", meaning "being pressed down by scissor". It is often associated with ghosts or spirits that lay on top of or press down on the victim.
In Cambodian, Laotian and Thia culture sleep paralysis is called "phii am" and khmout "sukkhot". It is described as a person who is sleeping and dreams that one or more ghostly apparitions are nearby or even holding the victim down. The victim usually thinks that they are awake but unable to move or make any sound.
In Vietnamese culture, sleep paralysis is known as "ma de", which means being held down by a ghost or "Boing de" being held down by a shadow.
In Iceland, folk culture sleep paralysis is commonly called having a "Mara". A goblin or succubus (normally a female) is believed to cause nightmares. The origins of the word "nightmare" is derived from her name.
Other European cultures have variants of the same folklore calling her under different names.
During the Salem witch trials in America, people reported nightmare attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop. This may have been the results of sleep paralysis.
In Mexico, it is believed by many that sleep paralysis is caused by the spirit of a dead person. This particular ghost lies down upon the body of the sleeping victim, rendering them unable to move. It is referred to as "Subirse el Muerto" meaning "dead person on you".
In Newfoundland, South Carolina and Georgia, uses the term "Hag" who leaves her physical body at night and sits on the chest of her victim. Her victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a heavy invisible weight on the chest and is unable to move, e.g experiences of sleep paralysis. The experience is called "Hag ridden". The "Old Hag" was a nightmare spirit in Britain and also Anglophone North America.
In Fiji sleep paralysis is interpreted as "Kana tevora", being eaten or possessed by a demon. In many case the "demon" can be the spirit of a deceased relative who has come back for unfinished business, or needs to communicate important news to the living. Often people sleeping near the afflicted person say "kania kania" (eat-eat) in an attempt to prolong the possession for a chance to converse with the dead relative or spirit and to seek answers for why they have come back. The victim waking from the experience is often asked to curse or chase away the dead relative, which can involve speaking to the spirit and telling it to go away.
In Nigeria, sleep paralysis is far more common amongst African decent than the white population and often is referred to within African communities as the "Devil on your back".
In Chinese, culture sleep paralysis is known as "pinyin: gui ya shen" or " pinyin gui ya chuang" which translate into "ghost pressing on body" or "ghost in bed".
In Japanese culture, sleep paralysis is referred to "shibura", meaning to bind or tie, to fasten.
In Korean culture, sleep paralysis is called "gawee nulim", meaning "being pressed down by scissor". It is often associated with ghosts or spirits that lay on top of or press down on the victim.
In Cambodian, Laotian and Thia culture sleep paralysis is called "phii am" and khmout "sukkhot". It is described as a person who is sleeping and dreams that one or more ghostly apparitions are nearby or even holding the victim down. The victim usually thinks that they are awake but unable to move or make any sound.
In Vietnamese culture, sleep paralysis is known as "ma de", which means being held down by a ghost or "Boing de" being held down by a shadow.
In Iceland, folk culture sleep paralysis is commonly called having a "Mara". A goblin or succubus (normally a female) is believed to cause nightmares. The origins of the word "nightmare" is derived from her name.
Other European cultures have variants of the same folklore calling her under different names.
During the Salem witch trials in America, people reported nightmare attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop. This may have been the results of sleep paralysis.
In Mexico, it is believed by many that sleep paralysis is caused by the spirit of a dead person. This particular ghost lies down upon the body of the sleeping victim, rendering them unable to move. It is referred to as "Subirse el Muerto" meaning "dead person on you".
Alien Abduction or Sleep Paralysis?
Alien abduction has become a household name since the Betty and Barney Hill abduction case was published. There have been thousands of abduction accounts reported, hundreds of books, movies and documentaries produced. People from many different countries have reported and shared their often terrifying stories of alien abduction.
Most abduction reports usually starts when the victim falls sleep... waking to find themselves unable to move...feeling a presences in the room... seeing one or more strange beings standing over them...waking up feeling very strange with vague memories of what happened.
Many of these people will then attempt to remember these blurry memories by hypnosis. During hypnosis the abductee undergoes a regression session, where they are taken back to the the time paralysis or the abduction. Most will have memories of being taken out of their bedroom and into a craft of some type. Some will remember experiments done, others would be subject to cross breeding. Mostly grey aliens with large eyes and skinny bodies perform the experiments. Then they find themselves back in bed. a number of these individuals will have this terrifying experience happen a number of times.
Are these people really being abducted by aliens and experimented on or is there another explanation? According to many within the UFO community, the abduction phenomena is really happening and that it is happening all over the world. Many of the abductions reported are very similar and affects the mental health and well-being of the people involved. According to many within the UFO field, some of the abductions start when the person is a child and continues though out their lives. In recent years, the idea of an alien abduction being a terrifying type sleep paralysis is now being investigated by numerous UFOlogists but most of them have a different slant on the medical condition to the scientific community. There are a number of different points of views, some agree with the scientific point of view, others believe aliens have the ability to create the sleep paralysis to subdue the victim to make it easier to abduct them, others believe that the government created the myth of sleep paralysis to cover up alien abductions.
But in recent times, a new theory was introduced by the scientific community that the alien abduction experience was a type of sleep paralysis. Some psychologist believe that the abduction experience is a modern version of the unpleasant experience reported in the past as the 'old hag or the "incubus (read sleep paralysis & folklore). Most within the Psychology community believe that hypnosis is a misleading method for retreating lost memories and can render the subject susceptible to creating memories that never really happened. They say these false memories can be created by asking leading questions like "Is there anyone in the room?" or "describe the spaceship?".
A study was conducted by a Psychologist at he Harvard University found that the abductees showed little evidence of psychopathology in abductees. The research did indicate most of the individuals did not meet the criteria for serious psychiatric impairment, but did score a high on schizotypy. Many were prone to magical and imaginary thinking. The study concluded that many of the abductees were prone to creating false memories under lab conditions and were confused about the source of the memories. The study also made some other discoveries - high heart rate, and brain waves revealed that many in the study showed similar symptoms of post-traumatic stress as seen in combat veterans. The researchers concluded that the abductees reacted to the emotional significance of their memories, whether true or not, it causes a very real effect on their well being.
There other diagnostic explanations for this phenomena by the psychiatric community. The most common ones are, post traumatic syndrome, bi-polar personality disorder and temporal lob seizures. It is also thought that individuals who have suffered traumatic situations during their life may recreate the experience as a abduction situation.
But for the most part it is believed that most abduction cases are highly imaginative people who have experienced sleep paralysis and later through hypnotism have created false memories of the experience that affected their health and well-being.
While there is no solid proof of alien abduction, it would be silly to dismiss all alien abduction cases; especially the ones involving people in a non-sleep state e.g. driving a car, taking a walk, doing the gardening etc. These people would not be affected by sleep paralysis or any other sleep disorder.
Keith Basterfield, a longtime researcher into UFO phenomena based in South Australia, wrote an article titled "Waking Paralyzed: Abduction or Sleep Paralysis" (published in Australian UFOolgist Magazine vol. 6 No.1 Pgs 12-20). It is a very informative article that looks at the subject in a logical and sensible manner. The last section in his article titled "Further Research", he tells the readers that there is need for further research in this subject and gives a number of examples, which I am going to list to finish of this section.
> UFO researchers should conduct inquires into sleep pattern, sleep disorders, and reported imagery of abductees at the time of the abduction, as they conduct their investigations with a view to testing sleep paralysis hypothesis.
> Case studies of individual abductees need to be undertaken looking at their life long medical history, and specifically there sleeping habit history.
> There is a need for someone to compare the incidence of sleep paralysis and disorders between abductees and the non-abductees populations to see if differences are noticeable.
> A study needs to be undertaken of the role of sleep paralysis in the abduction scenario. Waking paralyzed is one thing; being abducted in a car, taken to a UFO and finding oneself paralyzed on a table is another experience.
Most abduction reports usually starts when the victim falls sleep... waking to find themselves unable to move...feeling a presences in the room... seeing one or more strange beings standing over them...waking up feeling very strange with vague memories of what happened.
Many of these people will then attempt to remember these blurry memories by hypnosis. During hypnosis the abductee undergoes a regression session, where they are taken back to the the time paralysis or the abduction. Most will have memories of being taken out of their bedroom and into a craft of some type. Some will remember experiments done, others would be subject to cross breeding. Mostly grey aliens with large eyes and skinny bodies perform the experiments. Then they find themselves back in bed. a number of these individuals will have this terrifying experience happen a number of times.
Are these people really being abducted by aliens and experimented on or is there another explanation? According to many within the UFO community, the abduction phenomena is really happening and that it is happening all over the world. Many of the abductions reported are very similar and affects the mental health and well-being of the people involved. According to many within the UFO field, some of the abductions start when the person is a child and continues though out their lives. In recent years, the idea of an alien abduction being a terrifying type sleep paralysis is now being investigated by numerous UFOlogists but most of them have a different slant on the medical condition to the scientific community. There are a number of different points of views, some agree with the scientific point of view, others believe aliens have the ability to create the sleep paralysis to subdue the victim to make it easier to abduct them, others believe that the government created the myth of sleep paralysis to cover up alien abductions.
But in recent times, a new theory was introduced by the scientific community that the alien abduction experience was a type of sleep paralysis. Some psychologist believe that the abduction experience is a modern version of the unpleasant experience reported in the past as the 'old hag or the "incubus (read sleep paralysis & folklore). Most within the Psychology community believe that hypnosis is a misleading method for retreating lost memories and can render the subject susceptible to creating memories that never really happened. They say these false memories can be created by asking leading questions like "Is there anyone in the room?" or "describe the spaceship?".
A study was conducted by a Psychologist at he Harvard University found that the abductees showed little evidence of psychopathology in abductees. The research did indicate most of the individuals did not meet the criteria for serious psychiatric impairment, but did score a high on schizotypy. Many were prone to magical and imaginary thinking. The study concluded that many of the abductees were prone to creating false memories under lab conditions and were confused about the source of the memories. The study also made some other discoveries - high heart rate, and brain waves revealed that many in the study showed similar symptoms of post-traumatic stress as seen in combat veterans. The researchers concluded that the abductees reacted to the emotional significance of their memories, whether true or not, it causes a very real effect on their well being.
There other diagnostic explanations for this phenomena by the psychiatric community. The most common ones are, post traumatic syndrome, bi-polar personality disorder and temporal lob seizures. It is also thought that individuals who have suffered traumatic situations during their life may recreate the experience as a abduction situation.
But for the most part it is believed that most abduction cases are highly imaginative people who have experienced sleep paralysis and later through hypnotism have created false memories of the experience that affected their health and well-being.
While there is no solid proof of alien abduction, it would be silly to dismiss all alien abduction cases; especially the ones involving people in a non-sleep state e.g. driving a car, taking a walk, doing the gardening etc. These people would not be affected by sleep paralysis or any other sleep disorder.
Keith Basterfield, a longtime researcher into UFO phenomena based in South Australia, wrote an article titled "Waking Paralyzed: Abduction or Sleep Paralysis" (published in Australian UFOolgist Magazine vol. 6 No.1 Pgs 12-20). It is a very informative article that looks at the subject in a logical and sensible manner. The last section in his article titled "Further Research", he tells the readers that there is need for further research in this subject and gives a number of examples, which I am going to list to finish of this section.
> UFO researchers should conduct inquires into sleep pattern, sleep disorders, and reported imagery of abductees at the time of the abduction, as they conduct their investigations with a view to testing sleep paralysis hypothesis.
> Case studies of individual abductees need to be undertaken looking at their life long medical history, and specifically there sleeping habit history.
> There is a need for someone to compare the incidence of sleep paralysis and disorders between abductees and the non-abductees populations to see if differences are noticeable.
> A study needs to be undertaken of the role of sleep paralysis in the abduction scenario. Waking paralyzed is one thing; being abducted in a car, taken to a UFO and finding oneself paralyzed on a table is another experience.
Medical Definition of Sleep Paralysis
[ SOURCE from the Medical Dictionary of MedicineNet.com]
Sleep paralysis is a frightening form of "paralysis" that occurs when a person suddenly finds himself or herself unable to move for a few minutes, most often upon falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis is due to an ill-timed disconnection between the brain and the body.
The symptoms of sleep paralysis include sensations of noises, smells, levitation, paralysis, terror, and images of frightening intruders. Once considered very rare, about half of all people are now believed to experience sleep paralysis sometime during their life.
Sleep paralysis strikes as a person is moving into or out of REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep., the deepest part of sleep. During REM sleep the body is largely disconnected from the brain leaving the body paralyzed. Sleep paralysis is the result of premature (or persistent) mind-body disconnection as one about to enter into (or exit from) REM sleep.
Sleep paralysis occurs often after jet-lag or periods of sleeplessness that interrupt the normal REM patterns. It affects both sexes equally and occurs at all ages but most common in teenagers. Sleep paralysis can be familial and may be genetic (inherited) in some cases.
An attack of sleep paralysis is usually harmless and self-limited. It tends to be over in a couple of minutes as soon as the brain and body re-establish connections and the person is able to move again. However, the memory of the terrifying sensations felt during the sleep paralysis can be long endured. Some scholars believe that sleep paralysis many account for many of the claims of attacks by witches and the more recent reports of abductions by space aliens.
Sleep paralysis goes under a number of names, including "old Hag in New Foundland (a old witch thought to sit on the chest of of the paralyzed sleeper). In the West Indies, it is thought to be a ghost baby that jumps on the chest of the sleeper and attacks the throat. Kanashibian in Japan and Gui ya or ghost pressure in China (a ghost that sits on and assaults the sleeper).
Medically, sleep paralysis is sometimes known as "waking Paralysis, predomital (before sleep) paralysis, postdormital (after sleep) paralysis and REM sleep atonia.
Types:
Hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis:
It occurs while a person is falling asleep. As you fall asleep, the body slowly relaxes. Normally a person becomes aware of the change but if the person remains aware while falling asleep, motion and speech is ceased.
Hypnopompic or postdormital sleep paralysis:
It occurs when the person is waking up. During sleep, the body alternates between REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. On cycle of REM and NREM sleep, lasts about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and takes up to 75% of the overall sleep time. During NREM sleep, the body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM, sleep shifts to REM. Eyes moves quickly and dreams occur, but the rest of the body remains relaxed. Muscles are "turned off" during REM sleep. If a person becomes aware before REM cycle has finished, people may notice they can move or talk.
CAUSES:
> Lack of sleep.
> Irregular sleeping schedule.
> Sleeping in supine position (with face upwards)
> Sudden stress.
> Narcolepsy.
> Medication and alcohol
Sleep paralysis is a frightening form of "paralysis" that occurs when a person suddenly finds himself or herself unable to move for a few minutes, most often upon falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis is due to an ill-timed disconnection between the brain and the body.
The symptoms of sleep paralysis include sensations of noises, smells, levitation, paralysis, terror, and images of frightening intruders. Once considered very rare, about half of all people are now believed to experience sleep paralysis sometime during their life.
Sleep paralysis strikes as a person is moving into or out of REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep., the deepest part of sleep. During REM sleep the body is largely disconnected from the brain leaving the body paralyzed. Sleep paralysis is the result of premature (or persistent) mind-body disconnection as one about to enter into (or exit from) REM sleep.
Sleep paralysis occurs often after jet-lag or periods of sleeplessness that interrupt the normal REM patterns. It affects both sexes equally and occurs at all ages but most common in teenagers. Sleep paralysis can be familial and may be genetic (inherited) in some cases.
An attack of sleep paralysis is usually harmless and self-limited. It tends to be over in a couple of minutes as soon as the brain and body re-establish connections and the person is able to move again. However, the memory of the terrifying sensations felt during the sleep paralysis can be long endured. Some scholars believe that sleep paralysis many account for many of the claims of attacks by witches and the more recent reports of abductions by space aliens.
Sleep paralysis goes under a number of names, including "old Hag in New Foundland (a old witch thought to sit on the chest of of the paralyzed sleeper). In the West Indies, it is thought to be a ghost baby that jumps on the chest of the sleeper and attacks the throat. Kanashibian in Japan and Gui ya or ghost pressure in China (a ghost that sits on and assaults the sleeper).
Medically, sleep paralysis is sometimes known as "waking Paralysis, predomital (before sleep) paralysis, postdormital (after sleep) paralysis and REM sleep atonia.
Types:
Hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis:
It occurs while a person is falling asleep. As you fall asleep, the body slowly relaxes. Normally a person becomes aware of the change but if the person remains aware while falling asleep, motion and speech is ceased.
Hypnopompic or postdormital sleep paralysis:
It occurs when the person is waking up. During sleep, the body alternates between REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. On cycle of REM and NREM sleep, lasts about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and takes up to 75% of the overall sleep time. During NREM sleep, the body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM, sleep shifts to REM. Eyes moves quickly and dreams occur, but the rest of the body remains relaxed. Muscles are "turned off" during REM sleep. If a person becomes aware before REM cycle has finished, people may notice they can move or talk.
CAUSES:
> Lack of sleep.
> Irregular sleeping schedule.
> Sleeping in supine position (with face upwards)
> Sudden stress.
> Narcolepsy.
> Medication and alcohol
My Personal Thoughts
During the last ten years I have interviewed many individuals who believe they have experienced a paranormal situation or have been abducted by extraterrestrials. Approximately 25% of these people have experienced some type of sleep paralysis. For all these people it was a terrifying experience that led them to believe they had been physically affected, leaving long term memories.
In the early days, I thought the phenomenon that these people were experiencing was of a paranormal nature as they were so similar and the people appeared genuine in the fear they were showing. But when I started interviewing people who believed they were victims of alien abduction, they had very similar experiences. I felt something odd was going on. Why would ghosts and aliens act in a familiar manner? This is when I started to look for a more rational explanation. A colleague and founder of AURA (Australian UFO Research Association) (which I am a member of) was doing a study on sleep paralysis in 2002 and its affects on abduction victims. I started to read all I could find on the subject including material that Keith Basterfield had published. It occurred to me that most of these people I had interviewed most probably experienced some type of sleep paralysis. I also talked to people who had never experienced paranormal phenomena, who also suffered from sleep paralysis, and to them it was just as terrifying but did not consider it paranormal but stress related.
Around the same time, I to suffered a sleep paralysis episode. This is what I experienced. At approximately 4.00am I felt as if I had woken up and that I was frozen to the bed and could not move, I felt pressure on my chest and if someone was choking me. There was a strange buzzing noise in the room and in the corner of my eye, I could see my wife sleeping beside me. I tried to yell out but was unable to speak. I saw what appeared to be black flashes moving around the bedroom. Suddenly, as if someone flicked a switch, I could move again and I flew upwards in bed holding my throat and gasping for air. I will be honest, it scared the living day-lights out of me as it felt so real and memory of that night still lives with me, nearly ten years later. I physically now know how many of these people who have suffered sleep paralysis feel, and why they would think they have experienced a visitation by something supernatural or alien.
I also know at the time I was working long hours, slept less than 6 hours a night, spending much of my spare time investigating the paranormal with PFI (Paranormal Field Investigators) and was going through the adoption process (which is very stressful). I was the perfect candidate for suffering from sleep paralysis. I am convinced that what I experienced was a medical condition caused by my very busy lifestyle and the stresses of life and not anything supernatural. Knowing this helps me sleep at night knowing that this condition in my case can be avoided with the correct lifestyle.
Of course, I cant dismiss all cases as having a logical or natural explanation, this would be very foolish, but I think it is very important to ask the right questions when investigating a haunting or abduction situation. If an individual reports a sleep paralysis experience, find out as much detail about the individuals medical history, sleep patterns, lifestyle, etc. Ask whether the sleep paralysis started before or after their experiences (haunting or abduction). Ask how many sleep paralysis episodes they have experienced and when they first started and whether anyone family or friends have suffered from sleep paralysis. The cases that fascinate me are people who are paralyzed during a non-sleep state, but these cases are much rarer than the standard sleep paralysis cases that are generally reported.
In conclusion, my views to hauntings and abductions that report individuals being paralyzed while in bed have far more to do with sleep paralysis than a supernatural or extraterrestrial visitation. But there are many other hauntings and abduction cases which cannot be explained in our current state of knowledge by sleep paralysis.
In the early days, I thought the phenomenon that these people were experiencing was of a paranormal nature as they were so similar and the people appeared genuine in the fear they were showing. But when I started interviewing people who believed they were victims of alien abduction, they had very similar experiences. I felt something odd was going on. Why would ghosts and aliens act in a familiar manner? This is when I started to look for a more rational explanation. A colleague and founder of AURA (Australian UFO Research Association) (which I am a member of) was doing a study on sleep paralysis in 2002 and its affects on abduction victims. I started to read all I could find on the subject including material that Keith Basterfield had published. It occurred to me that most of these people I had interviewed most probably experienced some type of sleep paralysis. I also talked to people who had never experienced paranormal phenomena, who also suffered from sleep paralysis, and to them it was just as terrifying but did not consider it paranormal but stress related.
Around the same time, I to suffered a sleep paralysis episode. This is what I experienced. At approximately 4.00am I felt as if I had woken up and that I was frozen to the bed and could not move, I felt pressure on my chest and if someone was choking me. There was a strange buzzing noise in the room and in the corner of my eye, I could see my wife sleeping beside me. I tried to yell out but was unable to speak. I saw what appeared to be black flashes moving around the bedroom. Suddenly, as if someone flicked a switch, I could move again and I flew upwards in bed holding my throat and gasping for air. I will be honest, it scared the living day-lights out of me as it felt so real and memory of that night still lives with me, nearly ten years later. I physically now know how many of these people who have suffered sleep paralysis feel, and why they would think they have experienced a visitation by something supernatural or alien.
I also know at the time I was working long hours, slept less than 6 hours a night, spending much of my spare time investigating the paranormal with PFI (Paranormal Field Investigators) and was going through the adoption process (which is very stressful). I was the perfect candidate for suffering from sleep paralysis. I am convinced that what I experienced was a medical condition caused by my very busy lifestyle and the stresses of life and not anything supernatural. Knowing this helps me sleep at night knowing that this condition in my case can be avoided with the correct lifestyle.
Of course, I cant dismiss all cases as having a logical or natural explanation, this would be very foolish, but I think it is very important to ask the right questions when investigating a haunting or abduction situation. If an individual reports a sleep paralysis experience, find out as much detail about the individuals medical history, sleep patterns, lifestyle, etc. Ask whether the sleep paralysis started before or after their experiences (haunting or abduction). Ask how many sleep paralysis episodes they have experienced and when they first started and whether anyone family or friends have suffered from sleep paralysis. The cases that fascinate me are people who are paralyzed during a non-sleep state, but these cases are much rarer than the standard sleep paralysis cases that are generally reported.
In conclusion, my views to hauntings and abductions that report individuals being paralyzed while in bed have far more to do with sleep paralysis than a supernatural or extraterrestrial visitation. But there are many other hauntings and abduction cases which cannot be explained in our current state of knowledge by sleep paralysis.
References:
* Wikipedia...Sleep Paralysis.
* Keith Basterfield... (The Australian UFOlogist Magazine Vol 6 No.1 Pgs12-20)
* Sleep Paralysis... Medical Dictionary (medicineNet.com)
* Alien abduction or sleep paralysis ( ezineartcles.com/? Alien-abduction-Or-Sleep Paralysis)
* Wikipedia...Sleep Paralysis.
* Keith Basterfield... (The Australian UFOlogist Magazine Vol 6 No.1 Pgs12-20)
* Sleep Paralysis... Medical Dictionary (medicineNet.com)
* Alien abduction or sleep paralysis ( ezineartcles.com/? Alien-abduction-Or-Sleep Paralysis)