Did you watch "Ghostly Encounters" today...about "sleep paralysis"?

Question

I had just about decided that what happened to people in this state really was sleep paralysis. However, after hearing their experiences...I'm not so sure. What do you think?

Answer 1

having had this happen to myself on numerous occasions, I know its a sleep disorder. No demon, no hag, no other thing sitting on my chest. just my brain waking up waiting for my body to do the same, probably from breathing stoppage. It up to everyone to decide if it something paranormal hapening to them. just remember, sleep clinics bear witness to this disorder and treat it everyday.

Edit, I dont think they are showing up at the homes neither. When I read or see stories like these, it reminds me of people having something proven to them, yet they still refuse to acknowlege the facts. People go to the sleep clinics and the problem is duplicated in controlled environments, then you have a logical explanation for the problem. In this case sleep paralysis, can and has been recreated in people complaining about a demonic spirit sitting on their chest trying to kill them, and the medication is successful in stopping this sensation, then you have a cure. while not being disrespectful of anyones beliefs or experience, I think the answer has been found and its not paranormal or demonic, its medical.

Answer 2

I did not see the show, but I am guessing from your question that they tried to tell you that sleep paralysis is caused by real spiritual encounters.

The fact is, I grew up with chronic sleep paralysis, and I can tell you for a fact, that not once was my sleep paralysis caused by a spirit.

I have even been successful in inducing sleep paralysis deliberately several times, and I can tell you the experience is quite different when you know its coming.

The truth is, you have 3 things that happen when you go to sleep.

1)Your body becomes paralyzed. Otherwise you would act out your dreams. (this sometimes fails, and they call them sleep walkers.)

2)Your dream center turns on.

3)The logical thinking part of your mind shuts down.

This happens in this order. Each one of these events has a chemical trigger in the brain. When the body is stressed, or sleep patterns become irregular, one or more of these triggers may fail.

This is the cause of night terrors, sleep walking and sleep paralysis, and various other night time phenomena.

When part 3 fails to trigger, then you have sleep paralysis.

When waking up, the events are triggered in reverse. Sometimes the mind becomes conscience and the body will remain paralyzed and dreaming. This is another instance that can cause sleep paralysis.

Answer 3

Sleep paralysis is not a sleep disorder nor is it caused by ghosts. When you are asleep your brain emits a chemical that paralyzes you to prevent you from acting out your dreams. It is a natural defense mechanism to protect you from yourself while you sleep. When you wakeup suddenly like from a night mare you may be unable to move for a few seconds this is natural as well because it takes that long for the chemical to wear off. A person who is not paralyzed while they sleep has a sleep disorder. nothing paranormal happening here.

Answer 4

i dunno , my opinion though is sleep and the trancestate of it would make it hard to differeintiate<however thats spelt> the difference bt a encounter with a good or evil spirit or a dreamneeding to be analyzed?? I didn't see the show though, will keep my eye out for it =)

Answer 5

Is this the same as sleepwalking? I did that once that I know that I know of And I'll never forget it. I was walking in my appartment basement appartment and my bedroom was on one end of the basement and the bathroom on the other with the kitchen inbetween. I found my self siitng on the toilet with my pjs on and woke up there. What a weird thing. I didn't have to go. But what pulled me there? I used to be a pagan and had an amulet that was supposed to protect me. On one side of the amulet was a five pointed star with the 2 points up and a crown on top. I was explained to by my pastor that that was the sign of Satan and instead of protecting me, It was pulling evil into my life. I threw it out. I gave up paganism.

Answer 6

no I didn't see it. I saw a special on what some people do while asleep and it was very drastic. Some were eating , some were walking aro9und and one Japanese guy was doing a knife ritual while asleep.

Answer 7

well when ever youre falling asleep, sometimes your body and mind fall asleep at different times.

kind of like when youre falling asleep and then you suddenly feel like youre falling and you body jerks. this is your body falling asleep and loosing its sense of touch.

when you wake up sometimes your mind wakes up first and your body can't move yet. at this point you would also still be a bit dreamy and prone to hallucinations. i assume that these dramy hallucination might be the reason for the devils or demons. and it probably isnt a beautiful person sitting on you because that certainly isn't what i would be imagining if i woke up paralyzed and started seeing things.

Answer 8

my first sleep paralyis was not necessarily terrifying but it was unsettling.  though they dont occur as often anymore, they steadily got worse and worse.

i very rarely wake up into one, usually it is the other way around and i know it is coming and i have to accept it.  like i said my first one ever was not bad, but with each one over the years they began as a feeling that i was being watched and then like something was standing near me on the side of the bed i couldnt see until eventually i have ones where i see a hand reaching for my face.

i know that some of the ones i have had were brought on by stress, but other times there is no reason for it and ive always thought it strange that my "hallucinations" would have evolved like they have.  i doubt they are demons, but part of me is terrified of whatever it is nonetheless and it sure feels real enough.

Answer 9

Sleep paralysis is a medical disorder and not paranormal.. A show with the name ghostly encounters is not concerned with facts but about ratings. Ghosts boost ratings a show about a natural medical disorder does nothing for ratings.

I did not see it as I do not get the channel it is on but ratings is what it is about not facts. People want to have ghosts, they do not want to hear they have a natural disorder.

Edit:

I have to agree with Nuff Said on this one.

BB

Answer 10

Denie,

One way to approach this is to look into it from a cultural angle.  If sleep paralysis is a human condition like the cold or headaches then all humans will experience it, regardless of cultural background or country of origin, right?  The fact is sleep paralysis is reported in all significant human populations.

The interesting part here is that although all humans who have sleep paralysis report the same symptoms, the "cause" varies from culture to culture and even from era to era.  This suggests people make sense of the strange situation (paralyzed while awake) by attaching a culturally significant cause to it.

In Middle Ages Europe witches caused it.  In the Far East it's dragons.  In the US it used to be one thing, but ever since the 1940s people have been increasingly blaming sleep paralysis on extraterrestrial creatures.

http://www.csicop.org/si/9805/abduction....

Answer 11

I've had these over the years, never felt the "evil" presence mentioned. One particular one happened when I was about 10 or 11 where I felt like I was being sucked down a dark spiraling tunnel.

I wouldn't think too much about it myself, except I had an episode in one house that my wife and I really did feel a presence in. This time I had the leg pressure, the pressing on the chest - all the classic old hag symptoms. I guess the book is still out on this one for me.

Answer 12

hi denie

im with you on this one, i dont usually comment on this subject, as i think theres more to it...yes why always an evil pressence why not part of the dream you are having...this happens to me quite regular, though ive never had anything sitting on top of me, always next to me, keeping me there, and the fight begins......

sometimes ive found myself out of my body...and fighting to get back in.....

maybe there are two types of sleep paraylsis