Does anyone dream
that they've woke up, but can't move? I've had that dreamt a couple of times, usually when I've fallen asleep during the day on the sofa. It feels like I've woken up, I can hear the TV or the kids on the PS3 or whatever, but my eyes are shut, I can't speak or move. I try to move, thinking if I could just move my hand, I could wake up. But I can't, and I hope that someone will wake me up properly.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:26, 18 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

It's called sleep paralysis,
NEXT
(PsychoChomp, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:33, Reply)

I was reading about this a little while ago
your brain basically disconnects the movement controls while you are asleep, so while dreaming you don't actually carry out the actions.

sometimes it gets switched back on while you are still dreaming, and you get sleep walking and stuff, and sometimes it remains disconnected after waking so you can't move.

simplified, but basically the case. not that I'm an expert or anything
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:35, Reply)

expert kaoltard
(Bazongaloid, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:37, Reply)

works either way
I was saying I'm not an expert, and I'm not a kaoltard
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:37, Reply)

Tis bloody scary
It's almost how I'd imagine being buried alive is like. But with more light.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:39, Reply)

Brains do the funniest things,

(PsychoChomp, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:40, Reply)

This is where I envy the brainless masses

(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:41, Reply)

yes.
It's terrifying. I hate it.
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:37, Reply)

Are we talking about applying
for visa's again?
(Bazongaloid, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:39, Reply)

No
We're talking about your arse.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:40, Reply)

you need to have some desirable skills
to get a visa for al's arse.

it's not that easy
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:44, Reply)

No sense of smell
Good with a machete for dealin with clumps of hair.
Ability to imitate a mushroom.

Not much else needed, is there?
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:54, Reply)

I don't thnk it should be confused
with the experience of feeling that there's someone in the room and is knelt on your chest. I've read about that. Sounds like utter bollocks to me.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:41, Reply)

*hides choroform*
You keep waking up too early.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:42, Reply)

Interesting programme a few weeks back
About just this subject, they found the part of the brain that shuts down bodily functions. Then in that kind hearted way that only vivisectionist can do they removed that part of the brain from a cat and watched it jump about and pounce on things in its sleep...

Twas very funny to watch (If you ignore the brain removal part of it)
(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 10:54, Reply)

Yeah
I've had it a couple of time, bloody scary.
(Herr Doktor Lemminge Is bored, so cheer me up!, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 11:02, Reply)

It's terrifying!
I get sleep apnoeia and I thought it was related to that, because my paralysis always follows a really trippy lack-of-oxygen-related dream, then I eventually wake myself up by turning my gasping into a shriek, I say something weird and then I'm fine.
I'm sorry if that makes no sense. I'm still drunk from last night and I haven't been here for ages. This board. Not this office.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 3 Jun 2009, 12:04, Reply)

I've had that before.
Imagine, if you will, waking up, and all you can see are tones. No colour. And then suddenly realising that you're actually seeing the insides of your eyelids, and you can't even open them. And then, I realised that I couldn't move. Not one bit, at all. I couldn't even twitch a toe.

Normally, I would have been fine with this, but for one small, very insignificant problem. I felt there was a presence in the room with me. And I don't mean a ghost, or a spirit (they're not spirits per se, they're more like a recording, repeating over and over). This was... something else. And it was coming towards me. This, for those who haven't made the mental leap yet, is something you DO NOT WANT when you're paralysed.

My fight or flight response was going completely batshit insane, only I was unable to either of these things. I was pinned there, like a chair glued to a wall with no more nails. And then, I had a sense of what this thing was. Utterly evil. Positively demonic, in fact. All I could "see" were the hands. Grey, wizened hands, cracked with age, or evil, I didn't know which. There weren't any nails either. There were claws, filed to rough points.

And this pair of hands was coming towards me, pinned on the bed. They may have been connected to something else, or not. My mind wasn't exactly up to thinking about this at the time. So, to sum up, I was pinned on the bed with some kind of grey demon hands coming at me. Slowly. As though they were enjoying the complete and utter fear and terror I was experiencing at the time. And then it occurred to me to mentally shout for help.

And then I saw, felt, and became aware of a light- the brightest I have ever seen, or will ever see. Brighter than the Sun. It was like the primordial light of the universe, come to my aid to burn whatever this... thing was that was coming towards me to ashes. My bonds were loosed, my muscles started working, and my eyes shot open, and thank fuck, it was over.

So it's no real surprise I have a real fear of sleep paralysis.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Wed 3 Jun 2009, 12:27, Reply)