What is the connection between sleep paralysis and seeing figures

Question

I've had sleep paralysis more times than I care to remember but I've often heard people talking about seeing shadows or figures when it happens to them. It's never happened to me before! Does anyone know what this is or why it happens?

Answer 1

I think it's from where your "dream" and "reality" are muddled together.  Maybe you think you're actually seeing something from your "dream" in real life.  I've suffered from sleep paralysis and I've seen some figures once or twice.  It was pretty creepy.

Answer 2

A person's awareness of the outside world while they are dreaming plays the key part in this phenomena. They know they can't move and their subconscious interprets this data as it will, blaming outside forces such as a boogie man for the paralysis. Just like hearing music, results in some people dreaming of being in a musical.  

Answer 3

During the period of sleep paralysis... The brain and other senses become heighten to a very large degree... And things things that are not normally witness via the senses, Can become visible under this Adrenalin rush and heighten senses... It does not last for a long period of time But during that short time period your senses can literally see and hear things way beyond our normal ranges... Now they can be spirit or you could be sensing things several mile away..............