The first time that I remember that this happened was when I was very young, I had a terrible nightmare. I “woke up”, but I realized that I couldn’t open my eyes. I knew that I was awake and aware of my body lying in my bed, but I was also aware that the dream was happening simultaneously in my mind, where I was being chased by a horrible demon.
I knew that if only I could open my eyes, I would put an end to the dream. But it was as if something kept my eyelids closed and I couldn’t move any other part of my body. I could do just tiny groaning noises, and really struggled to even say a word or scream. This went on until my mom who was in the next room heard me and came to my room.
Through this mini-experience we can see how someone describes something already very normal in the world: the paralysis of the dream. Maybe many of you have already experienced this. I also have experienced it several times.
No one knows with certainty what produces this state but according to scientists, it is a condition caused by muscle weakness that takes place while the person sleeps. Even though you have to admit that there are cases in which that explanation does not make sense at all. Many have speculated that sleep paralysis is due to ghosts, aliens, etc. Whatever the explanation, I personally believe that sleep paralysis is real terror. Make your own conclusions.
