Uechi-Ryu.com

Hi Bill,

I think we may have covered this once before...but I had an episode of this phenomenon recently....

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1740

Just curious to see if anyone else on the forums might have experienced a similar occurrence.

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Van

I have had several episodes of sleep paralysis over the years. I feel that I am laying in bed awake but cannot move at all. I do not recall ever experiencing the other sensations mentioned in that article though, only the "paralysis" (although I would not be surprised if I was panicy the first times it happened). In my case it has happened so often that I have adapted a defense to it: after what seems to be a short period of time of trying to figure out why I cannot move, I recognize what is happening and force myself to wake up. Possibly I am just queing in to waking up normally, but at any rate my subconscious mind does recognize what is happening and it seems like I am forcing myself to wake up. That whole episode seems to only take less than a minute in dreamtime, but who knows how long it is in reality. As I have gotten older these episodes have occurred much less frequently then when I was in my teens and 20s.

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Glenn

Glenn,

Interesting. I think it affects people in different ways.

It has only happened twice...first time I don't recall what was going on...

This last time what I thought first awakened me was noise down my long driveway, sounding like some people shouting and trying to steal one of my cars that I keep on a 'L' paved strip outside the garages.

I could not move, but then the thought came to me...to just stay put and call 911...at that precise thought...all went quiet very suddenly...I did get up...and noticed my motion security lights on the garages and all along the driveway...were not on...

So I knew it had been nothing but a dream...

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Van

Van

I understand how this can happen. Explaining it is the challenge.

Levels of awareness or wakefulness can be detected by different frequencies of brain wave activity. Going from fully awake to deep sleep, we see frequencies of brain wave activity arbitrarily labeled as beta, alpha, theta, and delta. Most like to think of the brain as being all in one level of awareness. But the truth is that EEGs may show several levels of awareness going on at the same time. I guess the best way to describe this is to think of different parts of the brain being engaged in different levels of awareness. So theoretically our conscious brain may be mostly in a wakeful state while motor areas may be still in a more sleep-like state.

A more practical way to think of this is how some people can remember their dreams while others cannot. We all have REM sleep (largely theta wave activity). But if some make the transition more slowly from REM to wakefulness, or maybe have some of the brain becoming aware while other parts are still in slower wave activity, then the memory baton can be passed to our conscious brain without dropping it. This capability may also be responsible for the ability of some to be more creative than others. Allegedly Sanchin teaches us to be in "the zone" (high level of alpha wave activity) while also engaged in extremely physical activity. Scientists studying Einstein noted that he could solve difficult integral calculus problems while showing a high level of alpha wave activity. Only when he encountered a new problem did he kick into a preponderance of beta waves.

Meanwhile... Imagine what was going on in my brain one month into moving to Louisville when I walked into a lamp post on Main Street. It was a Saturday night and I had just gotten done with a day of work at the office. It was a beautiful evening with horse-drawn carriages going down the road, people eating outdoors in front of the restaurants, and someone across the street walking a beautiful Russian Wolfhound. Everything was new, and my brain was all beta waves. Imagine me walking down that road looking to my right at that beautiful dog. Mushin? Not so much. And no, that lamp post didn't jump in my way and slap me.

Hope that makes sense.

- Bill

Thanks bill, it does...an amazing experience for sure.

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Van

I experienced that once. very frightening. Had the sense of someone in the bedroom, but couldn't move a muscle to do anything about it.

So I guess it is more common than I taught. Fortunately at some point you do wake up and all dissolves into nothingness....but you do remember that dream vividly... you may even ask yourself...was it really a dream or something did in fact happen?

And why is it that as children, when we feel a presence in the room, we don't move a muscle or hide under the sheets...hoping that immobility will save us?

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Van

I have it all the time... It *****!!!! Don't even know how to explain it...The next day I feel like I really have been worked over..

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SILENCE!!! I Kill You!!!!

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Van

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Van

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Van

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Van

Old Hag Syndrome... Isn't that when you go to a bar, get drunk, and then wake up in the morning to someone who is Coyote Ugly?



Hmm... A bag over her head and maybe not so bad. Just sayin...




- Bill

Now imagine a waking dream with this sitting on your face

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Van

Must ... be ... good ....



- Bill