Its a fairly rare condition. You may have read it but wikipedia sums it up well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis. When I had it really bad I experienced hallucinations. While in the paralysed state I would see people in my room trying to attack me.
When I read about the guy in a coma for 20 years, who was fully aware of everything around him (although the doctors thought he was in a vegetive state) it scared the shit out of me. Everytime the dreams happened I felt like "this is it, i'm in a coma for life". and will be like that guy. Reality to him was the nightmare but when he slept he dreamt he was ok again so its kinda a reverse of what we suffer.
Hey bomber, just going over the entire thread reading all the posts. Glad to hear you are better now. I have a little personal info on sleep paralysis, thought maybe you would like to read.
All my life from the age of 5, (now 28 ) I have suffered from sleep paralysis (at least once per week). I haven't noticed anything that really brings it on, aside from sleeping on my back (which is when I predominantly notice it). I have used many drugs in the past, a very wide variety, and have never noticed it being caused by any drug.
It is a very helpless feeling, I remember being 4 or 5 years old, falling asleep next to my mother and having the paralysis happen. I woke up terrified and asked my mother to watch me and wake me up if I whimper or nudged her (imagine your 4yr old telling you to wake them up because they are "stuck in sleep" and can't wake up on their own). I fell right back asleep and instantly went into the paralysis state, I couldn't move to nudge her and could barely make a whimper over the backround noise of the room. I woke up furious at my mother as she had not woke me up and I was sure I had let her know that something was wrong. This was probably my first episode that I can remember.
I still have these "episodes" regularly and have all my life. I finally learned that I was just one of the unlucky ones that happens to get this. I have through my years of research online and at home, found that changing your breathing patterns is a normal way in which your body wakes up. I also have noticed that I can control my breathing while in paralysis, while the rest of me is literally paralyzed. So I tried changing my breathing the next time I had an episode. I found myself in paralysis one night, so I held my breath for a 3-4 count and exhaled, did this repeatedly and after a few mins I woke up. Eureeka!! I have found a way out!!
Anyway, I have also read online where this paralysis can be turned into a positive lucid type dream experience, however you have to "go with it" and not fight the paralysis, feels like you cannot get enough air but you are breathing fine. After you relax a bit and realize you are ok, you can have fun with the experience and play with it a little. I remember one time I was laying in bed next to my ex, and having a bad night inparticular with several episodes of paralysis consisting of me whining and trying to make any noise I could to have her wake me up. This always freaked her out because the noise (as I have been told) I would make sounded like I was almost pleading for torture to stop, she could hear it in my voice. I have had other friends tell me the same thing when I have these and happen to be in another room with someone. Anyhow that night I decided to play with the paralysis if it came back, and sure enough it did as soon as I fell asleep. I was on my back but could see through my eyelids (they were and always are just a bit open when I sleep) at the bedroom door. I watched the open doorway and saw a ghostly woman appear, calmly but still freaked me the fuck out, simply because I didn't realize it was a dream at that point, I thought I was really seeing this. I have seen many weird and unexplainable things (I contribute most of these hallucinations to the dream state) during sleep paralysis.
Since then I have learned to control myself during the paralysis as hard as it is. I have learned that if you concentrate just right and focus on the "shock" in your head, you can send yourself into an OBE quickly, and it feels rather pleasant in fact. I have found different ways to do this but it feels the same everytime, I feel as if I am floating about 2-3 feet from my bed, I cannot move, can barely make a noise and at the same time feel this "floating-acceleration" sensation that is just indescribable. Even though I feel caught in a panic everytime I find myself paralyzed, I try to calm down and ride with it, not trying to move no matter what (or the panic sets in) and enjoy the experience as much as possible, rather than freak out and end it right away. I have had many great dreams that seem real as day, like flying all over the world, but realizing it's a dream because I am still totally aware that I am in sleep paralysis mode. It's been a hard thing to figure out but in the end it has ended up being a blessing more than not, even if it did take me about 20 years to appreciate it. I still find myself freaking out from time to time mostly because it feels as if you can't get enough air, although you are in fact breathing fine, like I mentioned before.
I realize this is a bit off topic, but I wanted to share this with someone who really understands how frightening this can be. I have a very strong mind and rightfully so after 20+ years of sleep paralysis torture. I have made it through many rough trips (after dosing 1.2mg of lsd for instance, along with a long list of other trips) and thought I would be a vegetable for life. I don't know if I could have made it (as easily) through alot of these "hard" ego-shattering trips if I had not gained the strength I had through years of dealing with this disorder. I feel for you and understand the helplessness that is felt while you get caught up in the paralysis, I would wish this upon NOBODY.
-Noddy
