[YoungBlade]

I've had several cases of sleep paralysis (which scares the shit out of me, as my father has epilepsy), but recently, the sensation has not been one of fear, but of anger. The first few times I had sleep paralysis, I sensed an evil presence upon awakening. The last few times it has been an irksome presence.

Upon my latest experience:

I dreamt I was returning to my house (not my actual house, but a sweet-ass dream condo), and I knew something was off upon entering. I was cautious, disrobing as usual for bed. Then a nude man made his presence known. I chased him, howling, "I'm going to kill you!" but I couldn't catch him. Upon awakening from the adrenaline, I couldn't move, and I realized it was a dream, and sleep paralysis had taken effect.

[sterling_archer]

Too bad, that experience could have lead into a lucidness. When you sense something is "off", that is basically just a bit away from getting fully lucid. You can download apps on phone that send you a note to check whether you are dreaming throughout the day. Training like that will prepare you for getting control during dreaming.

[Truth Tiger]

Playing with altered states is like fucking your hand believing it's that hot girl you want. It's what little boys do when they can't get the real thing. It's spiritual masturbation but worse, because you're venturing into territory you really don't understand for some thrill or imaginary bragging rights.

Men wake up, and I mean that in the full spiritual sense. Meditate in the waking state, mindfully explore your consciousness, as respected traditions have done for millennia - including Christian ones. Playing with lucid dreams is a dangerous doorway to realms very very few have any business entering. Most who actually have a true spiritual grounding know this but lost souls are too damned curious and don't have enough respect (or caution).

If you aren't initiated into a lineage of shamans, don't play like you are and don't advise others to chase experiences.

Spiritual awakening = living fully in the here and now == lucid dreaming.

Edit: related to the topic of sleep paralysis, I found when I let go of all dogma and developed an honest appreciation for the wisdom and teachings of Jesus Christ, and Guatama Buddha, that I slept better than ever before. Few dreams, just restorative blissful sleep. Deprogramming our minds from societal bullshit includes all archetypal poisoning.

[Neo]

Adding to what Truth Tiger wrote above...

It comes down to facing reality vs. running away from it. I think a lot of people who go down a spiritual path become disappointed because they are expecting something out of this world.

They get into meditation or prayer not to face things as they are, but to experience nonstop bliss like a drug, or to have visions and other supernatural experiences.

In my experience it's been rather mundane, but the skills gained are immensely valuable.

Besides episodes of sleep paralysis and other 'glitches' (which looking back could be explained) I've really never had anything really crazy happen. Whether these realms exist I don't know, but here and now is more important to me.

[sterling_archer]

(11-19-2017 08:13 AM)Neo Wrote:  

It comes down to facing reality vs. running away from it. I think a lot of people who go down a spiritual path become disappointed because they are expecting something out of this world.

They get into meditation or prayer not to face things as they are, but to experience nonstop bliss like a drug, or to have visions and other supernatural experiences.

Couldn't agree more. I had experiences in both meditation and lucid dreams but currently the most important thing to me is establishing myself "here". Finishing college, getting a real job, doing some side thing, game and hobbies are a priority. I don't do anything related to any chasing of unusual experiences lately, it just preoccupies my attention.

I would like to visit some retreats like the Truth Tiger in near future, though.

[nomadbrah]

(11-19-2017 02:41 AM)Truth Tiger Wrote:  

Playing with altered states is like fucking your hand believing it's that hot girl you want. It's what little boys do when they can't get the real thing. It's spiritual masturbation but worse, because you're venturing into territory you really don't understand for some thrill or imaginary bragging rights.

Men wake up, and I mean that in the full spiritual sense. Meditate in the waking state, mindfully explore your consciousness, as respected traditions have done for millennia - including Christian ones. Playing with lucid dreams is a dangerous doorway to realms very very few have any business entering. Most who actually have a true spiritual grounding know this but lost souls are too damned curious and don't have enough respect (or caution).

If you aren't initiated into a lineage of shamans, don't play like you are and don't advise others to chase experiences.

Spiritual awakening = living fully in the here and now == lucid dreaming.

Edit: related to the topic of sleep paralysis, I found when I let go of all dogma and developed an honest appreciation for the wisdom and teachings of Jesus Christ, and Guatama Buddha, that I slept better than ever before. Few dreams, just restorative blissful sleep. Deprogramming our minds from societal bullshit includes all archetypal poisoning.

I used to suffer from sleep paralysis, night terrors and even sleepwalking.

Then I heard this radio show with one of a couple of catholic priests who do exorcism. The priest made a point to say that most was mental illness, but that he did believe in demons and evil spirits. One thing he said, which lingered in my mind afterwards, was that if you play with the occult, you invite the demons and evil spirits inside. He believed that even watching horror/satanic movies was an invitation to these evil spirits.

I quit watching horror movies and within a few months slept better than I had in years.

I'm not saying I believe in that, but I do believe there's truth to these things, regardless of the explanation. It's better to stay away from evil.

[loremipsum]

No doubt many who dabbled with the occult have gone crazy and in worst cases died.

However I think lucid dreams and meditation are mostly harmless, unless you are consciously inviting entities into your life with
various rituals or meditations. To me it seems like lucid dreams and meditations are just a way to hack/mess with your subconscious.

[Truth Tiger]

Meditation can be done in various ways. But the form I learned is I believe the most direct and pure method to inquire into the nature of Self. It differs STRONGLY from lucid dreaming in that meditation is NOT about controlling dream states (which by definition are the epitome of illusory and temporary), but about releasing control and attempts at controlling experience.

True meditation is about opening your entire awareness, your full sensory experience to right-here, right-now, and noticing what remains when you do not attach to fantasies, ideas, fleeting sensations, whether you're 'enjoying' the meditation or not, if you're feeling blissful and expanded or frustrated and contracted.

Meditation in its purest and simplest application is a reflection of our natural state of being. It is an inducement to rest as pure awareness, to notice that all sensations arise from and return to that pure undivided essence - the unnameable, the unborn, the ever-present.

The You that you were before you were born.

The You that you are right now, before and after reading these words.

The You that you are whether you are lucid dreaming at night with eyes closed or during the day with eyes open.

Meditation is one of several means of seeing beyond the veil of identity as someone, a person, and touching that aspect of you which is Eternal, in communion with God, and actually not separate from God. And I don't mean God just in a Christian sense but in the sense of highest and most noble principles - the perfect and beauty of form in action, of YOU being Spirit having the experience of being human.

Everyone has the ability in this lifetime to wake up from the waking dream that 99% of people find themselves in. As we men seek mastery in all areas of our life, it is very important to be honest about why spiritual practice matters. It is a very practical thing to receive the Grace of spiritual awakening. It isn't about living in some blissful state the rest of your life, although often great bliss accompanies moments of seeing. There can be great pain too, often as ideas and expectations fall away and we see ourselves reinvented. Sometimes we don't always know why we're led to certain people or activities or places - if the mind doesn't understand but the body and gut and intuition and heart KNOW it's right, then we must do it.

There retreats are a powerful agent for inner change and it may be that the transformations occur slowly or suddenly - or both. We can't have an expectation; that's the tricky part. It's like sitting still: you both exert effort to maintain your posture but also relax into that pose. It needs to dance along the balance point of 'do nothing' and 'do something.' This can be a good metaphor for life. We constantly learn what that balance is for ourselves each day and each moment.

I believe being present here and now is so much richer than pursuing dream states! There is SO much to savor and enjoy! I watch surfers, snowboarders, rock climbers, dancers, boxers, musicians, anyone who moves their body and masters themselves and celebrates their human potential - I admire them all and I seek to express and push my potential as well. I wish this for all my brothers, here and everywhere.

Yes, celebrate life - ask your soul in moments of silent sitting what it means to truly be awake? Ask 'who am I?' Listen to the thoughts that arise, and ask again. Let go of thinking and needing to know an answer. The Eternal within you is always listening, and it answers in its own way but not in a way the mind can understand. The mind is a beautiful tool but it is not master of your life, and it is not that which You truly are.

For those who are interested, I can highly recommend watching videos of Adyashanti on YouTube - he is the teacher that has posed the best questions to myself.

Also, if you wish to suspend any judgment and simply listen to two men expressing their knowing and experience and hopes for humanity, this dialogue, 'God and Buddha: a dialogue' has been very inspirational to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ11g4H8IKo&app=desktop

When my father passed, I read a few of Tagore's poems (that Deepak shared in the video) at his wake. It gave my soul comfort and I believe those in attendance.

[samifon]

I had exploding head syndrome for the first time last night. I was nearly asleep until I got a sudden flash of light and heard a high pitched ringing noise.

Ironically (or unironically), I began meditating on scripture earlier in the day.

[porscheguy]

How many of you who have had this sleep on your back vs on your stomach/side? How many of you snore? I’m wondering if this isn’t a manifestation of sleep apnea.

[Coffee]

I used to get sleep paralysis a lot, starting back when I was a teenager. The exploding head stuff only started semi-recently in my 20s. Back when it would happen more often, I'd have shit screaming in my face, and at times I'd feel like something was pushing on my chest or clawing at my throat during some nights when it got really bad; with marks even being visible in the morning.
Like some of you had mentioned before, one way of combating it is praying (particularly to Jesus). Whether you hold yourself to Christian beliefs or not, next time it happens try doing this, as it has worked for me many times.
I'd argue such a thing helped lead me towards having Christian beliefs again.

Going off of that however, I don't necessarily think it was demons 100% of the time, because one thing I also did notice is it would usually happen when I had a bad sleeping schedule, sometimes in combination with bad diet. Maybe that's when they get you if it is actually demons? Or perhaps the events were mutually exclusive, as the stuff screaming or attack me didn't happen every single time I would enter sleep paralysis.
I don't want to make any claims I can't completely determine at the moment.

(03-19-2018 06:50 PM)porscheguy Wrote:  

How many of you who have had this sleep on your back vs on your stomach/side? How many of you snore? I’m wondering if this isn’t a manifestation of sleep apnea.

Funny you mention this. The majority of the time when I'd end up in some sort of sleep paralysis was when I slept on either my side or my back.
I never once had it happen when I slept on my stomach (as far as I remember at least).
Another way I used to usually prevent it from happening was by putting something over my eyes, be it a pillow or just my arm if I felt like sleeping on my back anyway.

Something else I noticed was the fact that it would usually happen when my body got overheated to the point of sweating (blanket or room too hot, etc.).
So that pushes towards the theory that sleep paralysis might be a response the body has so you don't overheat to the point of damaging you're body. However, it wasn't mutually exclusive to it being hot, so this might only be one aspect of it.

But going off of what you said before, sleep apnea could be a possibility in some cases, however I don't think sleep paralysis can happen for one particular reason, seeing that many of the situations seemed to be different.

In my case at least, I have a few things I'd like to figure out in time. Why does sleeping on your stomach or putting something over your eyes usually prevent it? And even more so, why does praying stop the situation from occurring?

The only thing I can really say for sure is, I think there are multiple reasons why sleep paralysis occurs. Maybe for some situations it has completely to do with health and the body in the cases of sleep apnea, others its overheating, poor sleep. And in other cases maybe it is actually demons or ghosts.

I honestly wish someone would do more of an extensive study on this subject and what goes along with it, because as far as I can tell most of everything just comes down to speculation.

[bigolteddies]

I've had sleep paralysis all through middle school high school and part of college. Probbably over 1000 times, i've seen all sorts of entities including dementor looking things, shadow people, slenderman, a succubus who actually rode me and made me cum I shit you not I was raped by a succubus in sp, dmt elves, angels (when i started becoming spiritual saw angels for instead of the general evil shit), demon dogs, troll things.
I'll give you guys two of the scariest encounters i've had, both occured when I tried to challenge the entities.

Ok so first story was in high school during wrestling season, I'd been really stressed while cutting weight and got in like 10 days in a row with things attacking me at that point is was affecting my whole life I had to sleep with the light on I only slept 2 hours a night and was deathly afraid of falling asleep, tired all day. So I researched sp a lot and found all these articles saying oh its just in your head its fake hallucinations blah blah blah

So i thought ok its in my head so i can control it. So I had a plan to confront these fake entities which i thought represented my fears and conquer them, sounds good right? Nope, next night lo and behold i woke up paralyzed with a dementor looking thing in the far corner of my room just silently standing there. I communicated with it psychically and said i know youre a figment of my imagination youre weak I will destroy you, i feel its consciousness lock in on me and its emotions were amused and laughing, it floated slowly over to me at that point im like oh fuck no, shitting my pants scared

Im sleeping shirtless and the cover isnt on me, im on my back so i can see my whole body, I try to turn move scream close my eyes, nothing works im stuck one on one with this thing. It floats over and takes a shadowy arm and reaches into my navel chakra (below the belly button) I feel a huge gust of wind flowing out of me and it feels like its sucking energy or my soul out of me (funnily enough not until right now do i realize thats what the harry potter dementors do i think....) My whole back arched and my whole body begun siezing unctrollably, literally having a seizure and i still could not move.


Story 2: First year in college, at this point i've accepted God into my life and called out to him so I hadn't had sleep paralysis in about a year, when i did have it they would be banished by me calling for God and Jesus. I had begun getting really into my current spiritual practice (Falun Gong) meditating everyday and feeling my level being raised. Evidently, some kind of entity with a karmic tie to me, perhaps I made a deal with this demon to worship him in a past life, wanted to scare me into stopping so it could have my soul. I woke up in sleep paralysis and there it was, at this point my powers of control in sp were so great that i'd been able to banish any entity with the help of God that tried attacking me in sp, I have a really good sense for the entities power so i was not at all worreid at first. I do my typical routine of calling for Christ to embody me and giving a white light around my body and banishing evil. It doesn't phase it at all. This entity was very, very powerful, the greatest evil power I had ever felt i was no match. It was a hooded entity ablack robe with a hood up and a golden egyptian mask, definitely got the vibe it was some kind of egyptian god/demon that has been revered for Millenia. with its mind it forced me head to turn abruptly to the side to face it and it pried my eyes open with a force, for about 1 minute i was struggling and there it was just staring at me and me being forced to stare into it. No doubt if i was not protected by my master in Falun Gong and Jesus it would have the power to kill me in an instant. All it could do because I was protected was to try to scare me away from breaking my karmic ties and spirituality, so I would revert back under its control.

Hope this was an interesting read for everyone and I understand that a lot of people will think i'm trolling or crazy, this isn't meant for them, those who understand this is who it's meant for to reaffirm to them that sleep paralysis is a very serious thing that shouldn't be messed around with, the same goes for lucid dreaming, we are just humans and without protection from our masters there are entities that can 100% kill you or possess you so easily it's not even funny.

[speculator]

I have experienced it several times and this is probably the most terrifying thing one can experience. There is no scientific explanation that will give you a definitive answer on this matter. It is a manifestation of pure evil that will change your worldview. The demonic creatures are there to torment you and make you surrender to their will.

At the beginning, when the creature is creeping into your room, you look at it and it looks back right into your eyes. You start to panic. You can't move and almost stop breathing. It is a challenge. Evil is trying to break your will. But you need to fight back cause you haven't invited it and don't need anything from it. It won't leave peacefully. At these moments, I turn into a rabid animal, gnash my teeth like a wolf and finally attack the demon. You need to make your body move and chase it. Now you are the tormentor. Jesus is on your side.

Nevertheless, never ever disrespect evil. It is a balancing force in our lives that is way more powerful than all of us. You need to make peace with evil so it won't bother you without your invitation. It may sometimes play games with you, bully you in a sense, to measure your resolve and belief in Father.

Never forget that we are guests at Lucifer's home, the planet Earth, and should behave as guests. Dark forces can't be used for entertainment unless you are his servant. God gave us free will so we can decide on our own who we want to follow and Lucifer knows that well. Serve God but never disrespect Lucifer cause he made his choice not to serve God. He will try to persuade you to join him in myriad ways but will respect your rejection.

May God be with us.

[Bain]

Learning meditation and having a mantra has helped me a lot. If I experience sleep paralysis - I will start to idea on my mantra - and of try to move your toes or hand.