telophase | (no subject)

Finally back at work, although coughing periodically.

I had an instance of sleep paralysis last night, which I think probably solved a mystery I've been wondering about for years. :D I was dreaming that I heard someone's keys jingling outside the apartment, and a door opening (which may or may not have been real) and someone walking across a floor. I wasn't quite sure whether or not they were in *my* apartment or one of the others - probably one of the others, but just in case, I figured I'd make a noise and let whoever had just broken in to my apartment (er, with keys and not being furtive at all - the wonders of dream logic) know that there was someone in here. So I called out "What?" Or tried to. Because I was partially awake but still dreaming and therefore unable to move, all I could get out was a sort of whuffing "Wha--" that wasn't very loud. I tried it 3 or 4 times before I woke up enough to realize what was going on, and then realized that the sounds inside my apartment were all part of the dream, too, and fell back asleep again.

But not before realizing that part of the reason my "Wha--" sounded strange to me was that the covers were partially tented over my face in a way that took my voice and echoed it to my ear, so it sounded like it was coming from right beside me. And that's when I remembered my senior year of college, living in an apartment with two others, when one morning I was woken up by a voice in my ear hissing "Friendssss" Which was quite spooky at the time, but now I think it was caused by much the same phenomenon - I know I was on my side with the covers over my face, because it was around 8 or 9 AM at the time and I was blocking out the light from the window and the sounds one of my roommates was making as she got ready for work, so I expect I probably said that or something like that in my sleep, and the sound bounced to my ear.

Although that doesn't explain the weird occurrence at that apartment of a mysterious voice calling out "Stephanie" (also my roommate's name) in the broad daylight as I was in the car and she was standing there waiting for me to pull out so she could get into it. :D

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I used to have this kind of dream all the time when I was in college. Very rarely now any more, but it was a great revelation to me when I discovered this book (the author was one of my profs in grad school). Partly, I think, it was just a comfort to know that it was a recognizable phenomenon and not my own private dementia.

I've known what it was from an early age, having read lots about ghosts and alien abductions as a kid. XD And once I realize I'm experiencing sleep paralysis, it usually goes away.

I once had one instance where I was at my mom's house, lying in a bed that was positioned so the window was behind me. I woke up in the darkness, unable to move, and there was this small dark presence lurking around the floor at the foot of the bed. I realized early on that it was sleep paralysis, but the presence said "Coming through!" and bounced from where it was, off my chest, and out through the (closed) window.

I can see where the existence of ghosts/demons/the fair folk/whatever would be a perfectly rational explanation for an experience like that. It felt quite real, and if I hadn't been used to sleep paralysis and dreaming absurd things (like my boss coming through the door and telling me to wake up), I'd have been quite sure of its independent existence.

Ooh, we have a copy of that in the library, *and* access to an electronic copy. I'll have to read it. XD

your small dark "presence" dream is an absolutely classic example of how the dream works. And yes, you really can believe that it would be easy to blame on a supernatural being (one of the main concepts that I took away from Dave Hufford's course was that you can have scientific explanations for something AND you can have supernatural explanations for the SAME THING, and both explanations are rational and neither cancels out the other).

Do take a look at the book, even if you don't actually read the whole thing. As a sleep paralysis sufferer I found it fascinating.

You know, this answers a lot of my questions, too, because I've had things that I'm not pretty positive are SP, but that I had previously attributed to me just generally losing my mind xD

I had my last experience around this past New Years eve, where I "woke up" to see this evil evil evil gate spring up in the middle of the room. And I was trembling and unable to move and it freaked me the hell out.

Yeah, sounds like it. :) You're dreaming and awake at the same time, so things spill over into your vision and hearing.

I've been able to do lucid dreaming some of these times - when you're aware that you're dreaming and can sometimes even direct the dream. :D

What did it look like? Like the gate in Fullmetal Alchemist?

haha, no. It was gold and kind of dainty but it still felt evil, for lack of better expressions

XD I was imagining the oni gates in Okami.

I've had a couple of these, usually in the early morning when I was starting to wake up. I also just attributed it to being a dream, even if it felt real. I occasionally (though not often) have lucid dreams which involve the full range of senses... though usually one at a time.

More often though, I have dreams of walking or moving and suddenly tripping (no explanation in the dream, just randomly happens) and feeling my legs twitch. At this point, I'm aware I'm dreaming, and usually take some control of it. Amusing.

Man, that sounds much more interesting than apnea. (my personal sleep bugaboo)

:) I get it off and on, moreso when I'm exhausted and stressed out, I think.

Yeah, less with the DEATH and BRAIN DAMAGE, too. :p (I have SOAS.)

I had some sleep paralysis episodes earlier this year and found that the advice in the sleep disorders LJ comm to attempt blinking or twitching fingers actually worked well to end it. It only happened for about 2 weeks; from the research I did at the time, if it had kept going, it would have been good for me to see a doctor--SP in adults can indicate more serious problems.

I often have vivid "waking dreams" like that. The scary part is that it's so bloody difficult to wake up from these dreams and find out what's really going on. O_O

Have you ever noticed these dreams usually happen when you're alone and they involve another person (who isn't really there) being there with you? Creepy.

Yeah - I read the book The Terror that Comes at Night mentioned elsewhere in the comments, and the classic sleep paralysis/Old Hag experience involves the feeling of a presence - and sometimes auditory phenomena like hearing slamming doors and footsteps.

I know from watching and reading about people trying to induce alien abduction sensations in others that a sort of seizure or stimulating a certain area of the brain can produce the sensation that someone else is in the room with you, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's happening at those times.

*nods*

My dreams of this type are usually benign. For example, I had one several years ago where my mom came into my room and tucked me in. I woke up a while later and realized she couldn't have been there because she was a work at that hour. I had another one where I was taking a nap at my old college's lounge (I really was taking a nap there), and I had all my dirty laundry surrounding me, but nobody else in the room said anything about the mess. Of course, the laundry and the other people weren't actually there. LOL.

Lately, I've been waking up because I keep hearing people talking or my front door opening. The talking could easily be my neighbors doing their thing outside (I live in a trailer park), but the door sound is really bugging. I live alone so uninvited guests would indeed be a problem even though I am not a fraidy cat when I'm completely awake. I've figured out some of the sounds I hear are just my cats mucking about and the wind rocking my trailer.

I typically sleep during the day so my SP is a daytime thing, although I have had such dreams at night on occasion. The worst ones are the daymares where nothing particularly scary is happening in the dream, but I still struggle to wake up. I've heard that that could be an example of involuntary astral projection.