Salam Alakium wa Rahmatullah
To anyone who has suffered from sleep paralysis, Inshallah my experience can help you understand your power to overcome these terrifying experiences.
For years now I have suffered from extremely intense sleep paralysis, so severe that at times I would not sleep for 3 days just to avoid it; it happened almost every night. Eventually I felt as though I could not escape these bizzar experiences. They followed me to school, numberous times I would bacome paralysed in my desk in math class or history, and then I would hallucinate, hear screaming, and I felt as though I would suffocate, (And then i'd often get chided for sleeping during class!). I suffered insomnia and I grew paranoid. I felt as though I were being haunted by gin.
To give some insight on the extremity of my sleep paralysis experiences, heres just one experience that always seems to stick out in my mind...
On night I had just laid down on my couch to sleep. Within about 3 min I began to feel the beginning stages of sleep paralysis set in. I felt very heavy, I heard static buzzing and an angry, mocking laughter in my ears. I had trouble breathing and I began to panic, like usual. Then I felt as though something was going on "down there", I've heard many people recall being sexually assaulted during sleep paralysis. I tried to fight to move, but I couldn't. It's always strange because we are not sleeping during sleep paralysis, we are fully conscious, perhaps that is why it is so terrifying. I grew more and more exhausted and then finally I gave up trying to fight it. In that moment I suddenly felt very light, some stange sensation overtook me and then, suddenly I realized that I was not in my body anymore. I was looking down att myself from above and I saw my own eyes, open and staring back. They appeard dead to me. (remember I am fully conscious, not sleeping at all). Then suddenly the t.v in the room turned to static and the buzzing became SOOO loud. As it grew louder and louder i began to be sucked closer and closer to the t.v, I had no control over my movement. Just when I thought that I couldn't bear the excruciating loud buzzing any more, I was flung into the t.v. I swear I felt as though I became static. Then, The light from the window outside grew soooo bright, I was sucked into the window as I was sucked into the t.v. I then was in my own dream world. Completely lucid, however I was not fully aware of the control I had over my dreams. Consequently, I lost my power to control my lucid dream. I was on a busy street, it was night time, and many people were passing me by. As I walked I felt uneasy. I looked down at my feet and when I finally looked up to a persons face, I saw an old beggar woman with a face so twisted that I began to run from her. She laughed manically and ran after me screaming that I couldn't escape. I began to feel as though I would be stuck in this dream world forever. I knew it was a dream but I felt as though I was held captive in my own dream. That is until I found that no matter wher I ran, the wicked woman would follow me. I turned to face the beggar and I stared into her eyes. They truely did seem evil. But I knew that my only choice was to face her. I was terrified but the instant I looked into her eyes I saw that she was terrified for me to seee her for what she was.She was nothing but some terrible creature that lived off of my fear. The moment I found that I didn't fear her was the moment I was truely free from her. For the first time, I began to see the unlimited freedom I had in lucid dreaming. In that moment, I looked back to the dark streets and allys full of ghouls and wicked creatures. I was not afraid. I then turned my back to my nightmare and looked up too the sky. I flew away, lucid and free.
You see, I've learned that sleep paralysis can become a beautiful gateway to lucid dreaming. Once you recognize your power to control your dreams and to look at the evil thats haunting you in the eyes and tell it "Hey, I'm not afraid of you. Your not even something I have to challenge, your NOTHING" then, you can be free from the pain that sleep paralysis brings.
It also help if you put your trust in Allah, say" Audu Billah he min a shayton arra gem" . Recite from the beautiful Qur'an and remember, we must fear NONE but Allah.
Science explaines much about sleep paralysis and can be very helpful, (knowing what is happening to your mind and body during sleep paralysis is the firststep). For example, why do we experience HORRIBLE sensations and hallucinations? Because during this time the amigdula (fear sensor of the brain) is acutly active. Read scientific research about sleep paralysis. It may help.
But I don't doubt that gin are also involved, (the Qur'an warns us about Jathoom).
I know this was very long, but Inshallah it is helpful to whomever suffers from sleep paralysis.
If anyone would like to ask any questions about sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, insomnia.. please feel free. I am no expert but I've had much experience with all of the above and I've read alot of scientific/spiritual research.
Raja
