Well, I'm pretty sure I can explain this,
but that's boring, so now, for more Tales of the Unexplaaaaained! Woooo!

(We'll have to go greyscale for this one; the old Twilight zone was so much cooler than this new shitty one.)

I was going to bed one late night, it was dark outside and so I had decided 'twas probably for the best (dun dun dun). I walked into my bedroom - a rather small one, with room for a desk, a bed and a place to stand whilst deciding whether to sit at the desk or the bed - and I close the door behind me (slam [that's a door closing, btw]). I checked everything I needed for the morning, predicting the early morning half-blind fumble for my clothes. On the floor were some books and my radio alarm clock. I turned off the light (click [lightswitch; imagine the moon casting a single source of light from the window opposite the bedroom door, creating the iconic greyscale effect of a single lightsource illuminating from one length of the room to the other, with my pillow by the window]). I lay on my bed, pulled the sheet over me and started clearing my mind.

That was when it happened, the room suddenly seemed to get somewhat brighter and my body froze - I just couldn't move and I didn't know why, my breathing was regular, my eyes were open, but I was frozen. Then the door opened, everything from the opening of the door was present, the sound of the old hinges, the slight moonlight illumination coming from my window onto the landing outside my room - all the shadows were correct, all that was on the landing was there in this image before me. However, something was there that wasn't before, in the middle of all this - framed by the comparative blackness of the background - stood a figure. He must have been a tall man, dressed in what looked like a dark brown trench coat or dressing gown, but with a hood.
He stepped towards me, stepping over the books and radio; I could move my eyes so as to look up and down him, to see his shadow, but I just couldn't move my head or my arms. He proceeded to move over to me and stood leant over me. He then produced a knife, about 6 inches long, and without hesitation thrust it right where my heart would be - and nothing changed from before; my breathing remained the same, my body seemed no longer to be bound and I just lay there doubting what I had just seen. As I started to drift off to sleep I thought to myself that, wow, that was pretty cool and fell asleep.

Although I wasn't scared at the time and was only a little confused immediately after, the feeling of being petrified, totally unable to respond and the fear of what I may see next time means that now whenever I'm in bed, feeling like I'm about to drift off and my limbs start to become even the tiniest bit unresponsive the first thing I do is close my eyes and don't open them for anything.
I consider it some kind of hallucination, maybe due to just being over-tired or possibly even dreaming before I fell asleep if that's even possible, but it was still bloody freaky.


Oh, one time I closed my eyes and I could still see my hands in front of the blackness, when I opened my eyes my hands were in the exact position as I saw them when my eyes were closed - that was also pretty cool.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Sat 5 Jul 2008, 16:06, 9 replies)

Pictures
Or it never happened
(The_Reaper, Sat 5 Jul 2008, 16:57, closed)

You want pictures of a young nana lying in bed at night?
I'm pretty sure my dad has some lying around somewhere... oh, wait... okay, counselling time.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Sat 5 Jul 2008, 17:04, closed)

,
It were just a dreammmm
and the second ones just your hand eye coordination
(Freddles, Sat 5 Jul 2008, 17:07, closed)

It is just a dream, buuuutttttttt...
you're not in any sort of deep sleep. I'm absolutely sure that some B3tans will know the proper crack here, with all scientific words and what not, but this is what I remember...

you basically fall into a really light sleep, and the "dream" will happen immediately. It's normally associated with some sort of "terror" - not being able to move is bad enough, but it usually follows a pattern or wanting to escape from someone - which makes the not moving bit worse.

On to that - when you sleep, at some point your brain paralyses your body. That's an awful explanation, but you get the idea. In this instance, your body has been paralysed before you go proper unconscious like. Add it all up, you get an incredibly vivid "waking" dream, and are unable to move.

I think it can become chronic, and turn into something called "night terrors". Or this might all be guff, dunno :)

My experience with it (in a similar sized bedroom lol - maybe thats the key!?) was propped up on my side in bed watching telly, smoking a dooby or whatever the kids call it. I must have fallen asleep with it in my hand, as next thing I kinda *blink* and I'm still in the exact same position, but the mood of everything has changed! Its all a bit edgy and bad. My mum (a wonderful sweet as light type person) is coming up the stairs but sounds FEARSOME. I look at my hand. She's gonna catch me taking drugs!! NOOO! I try and move - stuck! I put every ounce of strength into moving my hand, even just letting go of the thing. Not a sausage! The massive force I am putting into moving gradually transfers into putting massive force into opening my eyes as I awake. I am still in the bed, mum is still lovely, and I realise my fear was fairly out of proportion with my dream. I finish spliff - now after 8 years of "finishing spliffs" I don't dream! Theres irony there somehwere.
(bacontrout got ska, Sat 5 Jul 2008, 19:13, closed)

demons and aliens and things
It's called sleep paralysis. Not serious when it's an isolated case, but is scary as hell. I had one with a dead girl sitting on my chest strangling me.
(the.mgt is busy as a bee, Sat 5 Jul 2008, 19:55, closed)

Yep Sleep Paralysis
I used to get them all the time (well it comes and goes) had a few recently. These days they aren't too bad and I eventually drift off, first couple of times really spooked me. It helps if you know what it is, so I'm sure the next time (if there is a next time) won't be too bad. You can usually shrug yourself round eventually if you try very hard, else you can submit and eventually your brain will nod off too.

Don't lie on your back and don't get too exhausted during the day/week - it's basically your body going to sleep without checking it's ok with your brain. I get it when I'm stressed and working too hard generally.
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Sat 5 Jul 2008, 20:26, closed)

Wikipedia knows all!
and yes... yes I was lying on my back, which I don't usually do, only when very tired.

Only the one vivid image; so I'm not putting it down as anything dangerous or recurring just yet.

But I will say this: You're wrong, all wrong, it's demons I tell you, DEMONS!
('cept you Luna Amara*, you were right at the beginning)

*I'm right, okay?


I've decided to break it down into things I did and things I perceived that appear to be common:

Did.
1) Exhaustion;
2) Lying on back.

Perceived.
1) Paralysis;
2) Hallucination;
2. a) Unidentifiable 'spirit-like' presence;
2. b) 'Physical' contact with chest.

That seems to sum it up for all comments so far; anyone else got anything to add?
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Sun 6 Jul 2008, 0:46, closed)

Hands in the darkness
Seeing your hands in perfect darkness is an illusion brought about by the fact that you know where they are and your brain is mapping them into your vision.

Go somewhere absolutely black, like a deep cave, and hold your hands in front of your face. You will swear you can just make them out, but in fact it's a trick of the mind. You can prove this because you can't see other people's hands, even if they put them in front of yours. Very cool.
(Tomble Underground, overground, Tombling free., Mon 7 Jul 2008, 6:48, closed)

Yeah, I presumed that's what the hand thing was
either that or I just thought it was in the same position, whereas in reality it was just an image in my head I'd convinced myself was my hands.

You know, like how you try to rationalise something even though you know you're wrong? My thought process was maybe I was so tired I'd managed to bullshit myself into believing my hand-eye co-ordination was that good - especially as it hasn't happened before or since.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Mon 7 Jul 2008, 7:59, closed)