Originally posted by: YeojaNextDoor
Sleep Paralysis. I have had this too many times and only recently, last year, I got to know the term for what I used to think as some scary paranormal shit.
Had the first experience when I was around 16-17 years old, probably. I was sleeping with my mum in her room when suddenly I got this feeling of being numb, paralysed, and of someone holding my throat. I was lying on my back and when I tried to turn to the side, I just couldn't. I tried to call mum but my voice was lost. I just lay there, dead scared, with the feeling of someone's hand on my neck. Then, suddenly, I jerked awake and the feeling was gone. I turned to the side, hugged my mum, and went off to sleep.
Next experience was during an afternoon nap. I suddenly started dreaming of a house, through which I was running, and a devil was following me. The house was strange, full of spooky pictures hanging on walls, which seemed to come to life whenever I approached them while running madly. and all the while, I again had this feeling of someone pinning me down to my bed, from which I couldn't move an inch. I woke up suddenly, and I saw that I was sweating profusely, even though it was winter.
Then another one was damn scary.. probably the scariest. I used to sleep with my grandma (until last yr when she passed away), and one night I again fell into sleep paralysis. I was already familiar with the feeling so I tried to calm and assure myself that it would pass in a few minutes, but then I felt like atleast 4 hands were moving up my body. I tried to scream and call my grandma but my throat was dry and no sound would come out. The hands moved up my body , 2 of them got hold of my throat... the other two firmly held my shoulder down so that I couldn't move. As if this was not enough, I suddenly looked up and thought I saw a face staring down at me. 😭I was dead scared and feeling helpless, just shut my eyes and began chanting "Ram, Ram" in my head. The feeling lasted for quite some time and then suddenly I jerked awake and saw to my surprise that I was holding my own throat firmly.
I have had quite a few other SP experiences, and at one point of time it used to happen so frequently that I literally cried to my mum to do something about it.. she assured me that its nothing and told me that my nani also used to have such experiences and these are nothing but bad dreams. I was not convinced and only later , I got to know from one of my guy friends in college that the term for this is Sleep paralysis. He had had such an experience in his hostel room one day and he was damn scared and narrated the story to everyone. When I told him I have had this experience atleast 10 times in my life he was in shock. 😆
Thankfully I haven't had SP for more than a year now. I realised that I experienced this mostly when I went to sleep in a bad mood, or when I was in a lot of stress, or after I had watched something scary/suspenseful. So, from then on, before going to sleep I always watch something lighthearted and funny...anything that puts me in a good mood right before I fall asleep. And, it seems to work for me, fingers crossed.
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