Hi, everybody. I was reading some messages, and noticed how distressed people get because of SP. Let me tell you of my experience, and maybe you can get some comfort. Almost everybody in my family has SP, so I believe it is a genetic condition. We all are deeply religious too. My father prepared me for the possibility of having this disorder, and told me it was something natural, probably just a physical condition, and the only problem is when a person is afraid, because fear triggers bad sensations. I'm really not sure whether it's all physical or some kind of spiritual attack. I really don't know. I'm 43 years old now, and have had it for three decades, so I've had plenty of time for observation. And still I could reach no conclusions. My SP experiences are usually ok. I just get paralysed and hear that characteristic noise. I usually enjoy the feeling that I'm starting to float, and when it happens I try to relax and let my whole body float, but it never happens. It's just a sensation. I've never seen anything strange, and only sometimes hear other noises, like running water. The last time it happened, I was just waiting for SP to wear off, all the while thinking "Great time to forget the tap on. I bet my bedroom is completely flooded." But when I could move, the water sound vanished. That was funny. Another time I felt a cat walk on my legs and lie there, purring comfortably. It was a nice sensation anyway, and I wondered how my cat had come into my bedroom -- she hadn't, as I noticed once I moved. I suppose that my father helped me a lot by preparing me, because when it first happened I knew it was natural and didn't get terrified. BUT there are moments when during SP I feel something being sucked from my abdomen, as if I were in contact with a vaccum cleaner's nose. It's a horrible sensation, and I fight to move (breathing deep is possible, and helps). I suspect it is a kind of memory from a surgery I had, when the doctors removed my gall bladder. In order to control it, I take Bach Flowers remedies -- Walnut (to shield me against annoyances from the environment) and Rock Rose(for fear). I simply don't have SP while I take this remedy.

I'm new. Not to sp though. 37yrs old and this started at age 19 when pregnant with first child. First experience my eyes were open and I saw bright blue flashes out of my open window. I had no clue what was happening so my only thought went to alien abduction:) Well after many nights/days/mornings of this comatose state after fighting to NOT sleep and believing for years this was just lucid dreams that I was having, I found you all:) Thank God cause last nights was hard to swallow. I can only describe them as I know it's going to happen when I start hearing what I describe as the fluids in my brain whooshing with the pulse of my heart. That noise to me is like knowing I'm going into a room with a vengeful spirit who is hellbent on keeping me there. Yes I have a great imagination but I fear that when I don't wake up one of these times someone will pronounce me dead. I'm not crazy....yet;), but I don't want to astro project of learn to control these episodes of sleep/wake paralysis. I want them gone. I'm tired of screaming without a voice to my husband who can't hear me. My grunts and hums that he sometimes can actually hear to wake me, he doesn't hear those while he is asleep. I have definately heard voices speaking to me while paralyzed that I don't ever want to hear again. I think that's just my mind though while in that state. Not sleeping on my back after I woke up and googled how to avoid entering that kind of sleep after last nights freaky sp said it helps for up to 60% of episodes and worked for me. I fell asleep while watching a scarey documentary after fighting and fighting to stay awake. I am a spiritual person. I believe that these things that happen can't be explained. I also think there is some kind of special abilities that those who have the sp have. Anyone have similar situation or beliefs??

Thanks guys :-). This is something I've experenced before, infrequently, but this was three times in one week, twice in one night, and the first time I've had to call in late as a result, and there was no way I was going to undertake a 12 hour shift on a low secure ward on no significant sleep; turns out that on arrival, the guy who gave me handover, who happens to also be my mentor, understood exactly my distress at experiencing a sleep disorder. He himself had night terrors that would cause him to leap out of bed, rattling the windows and grabbing hot radiators etc. He would remember every detail, but had no control over it. He spent time in a sleep clinic and eventually after feeling that he was getting no help, was prescribed medication which worked for him, he's been on it for years. I'm not going down the med route myself, but I will be trying light therapy, I'm going to buy an SAD lamp, as I always struggle in the winter, and have an odd shift pattern, this condition is unsurprisingly more common among shift workers.