What you experienced is a non-ordinary experience of several ordinary states.
1. When you dream your brain releases powerful chemicals that paralyze your body so you don't act out your dream and hurt yourself. Sleep walkers are not getting this chemical. That running thru mud feeling in a dream when you are being chased is the body trying to move while paralyzed.
2. When you dream, no matter how bizarre the dream is, it seems real. You hear sounds. You see things. You feel textures. Smell and taste. The centers of the brain that process these things are processing signals so it all seems real.
3. States of consciousness. There are several but here we are only concerned with two: the dream state (REM sleep) and normal waking consciousness.
Now each of these are completely normal and scientifically verified and described. What happens when you have dream paralysis, are experiencing the seemingly real dream state AND wake up all at the same time?
Since ancient times this rare combination of physiological and consciousness states has been called The Demon. It can include the feeling of a presence (dream reality), touch (dream reality), voices (dream reality), and the experience of being stuck to the bed, pinned down, sat on, unable to move, paralyzed (the paralyzing chemicals in the system) all being experienced through the waking conscious awareness.
Two things then happen that can set up a feedback loop. The mind says, I am feeling, hearing, and experiencing something unusual. Which stirs fear. And you desperately ask What is it? As it searches for an answer in a split second it finds one out of the religious training: evil spirits, demons, ghosts... Which creates more fear. In my case, when I experienced this years ago, unable to even speak or move, I forced my self to yell "Jesus" and the experience immediately stopped. Which reinforced the idea that it was a spiritual demonic encounter.
However the word was selected on the basis of my background, and was uttered only when the paralysis "drug" wore off. I could have as well said "Matchbook!", for the word did not end it. The ending of the paralysis allowed the word to be said.
Nothing to fear. No demon attack. Just an unusual dream/sleep experience to enjoy.
Somethings on my back at night, holding me down.
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What you experienced is a non-ordinary experience of several ordinary states.
1. When you dream your brain releases powerful chemicals that paralyze your body so you don't act out your dream and hurt yourself. Sleep walkers are not getting this chemical. That running thru mud feeling in a dream when you are being chased is the body trying to move while paralyzed.
2. When you dream, no matter how bizarre the dream is, it seems real. You hear sounds. You see things. You feel textures. Smell and taste. The centers of the brain that process these things are processing signals so it all seems real.
3. States of consciousness. There are several but here we are only concerned with two: the dream state (REM sleep) and normal waking consciousness.
Now each of these are completely normal and scientifically verified and described. What happens when you have dream paralysis, are experiencing the seemingly real dream state AND wake up all at the same time?
Since ancient times this rare combination of physiological and consciousness states has been called The Demon. It can include the feeling of a presence (dream reality), touch (dream reality), voices (dream reality), and the experience of being stuck to the bed, pinned down, sat on, unable to move, paralyzed (the paralyzing chemicals in the system) all being experienced through the waking conscious awareness.
Two things then happen that can set up a feedback loop. The mind says, I am feeling, hearing, and experiencing something unusual. Which stirs fear. And you desperately ask What is it? As it searches for an answer in a split second it finds one out of the religious training: evil spirits, demons, ghosts... Which creates more fear. In my case, when I experienced this years ago, unable to even speak or move, I forced my self to yell "Jesus" and the experience immediately stopped. Which reinforced the idea that it was a spiritual demonic encounter.
However the word was selected on the basis of my background, and was uttered only when the paralysis "drug" wore off. I could have as well said "Matchbook!", for the word did not end it. The ending of the paralysis allowed the word to be said.
Nothing to fear. No demon attack. Just an unusual dream/sleep experience to enjoy.