Before getting to the actual problem I feel I have to explain a bit.

I've been having horrible sleep lately, with the 'sleep paralysis' happening a few times this past month. I'm not sure what to make of it, because I'm a spiritual person.

I've had a lot of bad experiences with the paranormal and had been trying to block it out for a long time. It's only recently that I've decided to stop being afraid and open myself up again that this has started happening. I haven't had sleep paralysis since I was a child.

I don't know what to do now. I don't know what to make of it. I want to believe that it's not real, but I don't want to be afraid anymore.

I don't fully grasp the situation you've found yourself in, can you explain a bit more? I have 'sleep paralysis' from time to time as well (haven't had it for a couple of years now if I think about it) and it can be very scary, but I've found that prayer helps at those times.

I've always been a spiritual person, but I blocked that out when I started having bad experiences. Now that I've decided to stop being afraid and open myself up again, I'm having sleep paralysis. For me, prayer doesn't help when it happens. I'm just tired of not sleeping well and being constantly afraid, but I don't know how to deal with this in the moment. Does that make more sense?

I noticed you said spiritual and not religious, so would it be correct that you don't follow a mainstream religion? I won't pry though so don't worry ^^;

I'm not sure how I can help you, but I can share my experiences with you. Now I know a bit of the scientific research behind that phenomena but it's only when you experience it first hand that you know how really terrifying it can be and all rational thinking just goes right out the window. It got so bad to the point where I just couldn't sleep and I was afraid to even close my eyes at night. I'd have to sleep next to someone just to fall asleep. And I couldn't sleep in total darkness. It was impossible for me. The thing that pretty much broke the pattern for me is my faith. When I found myself experiencing the paralysis, I'd panic a bit then I'd turn to prayer and as soon as I could move I'd get up and watch tv because I coldn't bring myself to fall back asleep xD

But then my views on sleep paralysis is based on a more cultural view of the phenomena than scientific. If you'd like to know more, I'd be happy to explain it

I've always read that sleep paralysis happens when you wake up before your spirit returns from wandering about lol. I honestly wouldn't put too much thought into it because it always seem like the more you dwell on something, the more you notice it or the more it happens. Just try to relax and not worry about it when you first go to sleep. And if the above is true, just know that your spirit doesn't like to stay still!

Sleep paralysis is not necessarily a bad thing. While many have had experiences due to the paranormal, it is also a very common physical thing that many people go through. You aren't alone, and while it seems to coincide to you opening yourself up, that does not necessarily mean it has to do with the paranormal. Prayer of course is not going to work because prayer can't resolve your body's physical problem at that moment, but it can help calm your mind.

Keeping calm during a bout is really the key. It can be frightening but if you just breathe through it and let the experience drift then you'll be far more comfortable than if you begin to panic, which is the first response usually. The more you dread it the more you raise the possibility. It's like not wanting a specific nightmare to happen, and you think about that all day, and then it does. Stop dwelling on it.

I'm curious as to what your bad experiences were. I think something that you can do for yourself is just to learn basic protection if you don't already know it. Light energy work is easy to do and surrounding yourself with warmth and safety is something that you should do regularly if you're open to your spiritual side. Be careful that if you're not ready for being totally open that you haven't opened the gate entirely. Some people slam the door shut, some people swing it right open, but you want to be mostly closed. It's just a safe way of not disturbing your life. Keeping a figurative crack means that you're still open, but you haven't left your front door totally unlocked. Y'know? I only open my door most of the way if I'm doing some serious work.

May I ask, why do you feel it is possibly spiritual in source? Are you being physically harmed during this? Is there a shadow above you? Are you being drained of strength and energy to the point where it's leaving you weak in the day?

From what you are speaking of that I pick up, im gonna give you my take on it. I'm not entirely sure how much into spirituality you are, but heres my two cents. Everyone has an aura. For various reasons (weakness,power,vulnerability) less desireable entities on the astral plane will attack you. They feed off of those who they see as a threat or vulnerable. They feed off of weankess, negativity, and fear especially.

The first thing you can do is clean your aura and your 7 chakras (a chart can be found on google) with extremely bright white light. You can do whatever method suits you (breathing in the energy, circulating it through your body). Use affirmations that your aura is protecting you from such entities, that you are not afraid of them, and that you will be protected, whatever you would like.

If you actually SEE these entities, or feel a heavy presence, burn them. Light then on fire and tell them you arent afraid of them and they will not feed off you.

You have to realize, as I have, they can not do anything to you. These entities have made me feel like my SOUL was being taken out of my body, and i was holding on to my boyfriend who was also in the bed with me for my life, it was terrifying. Once I woke up, I realized they cant actually do anything to me, except attempt to feed off of my fear, which I do not and will not let them do anymore.

tell me how everything goes :) best of luck!

I get sleep paralysis all the time..I don't think anything of it o.O

You’re right, I don’t follow any religion. I guess you could say my view is more simplistic? I’ve just found that I disagree with a lot of what certain religions teach. I do believe in some kind of God, but I don’t think he cares what religion we are. Should good people be sent to ‘hell’ or not be rewarded because they chose a different set of rules? That’s my point of view, anywho.

Right now I’m at the point where I can’t sleep with the lights off. The last time it happened, I tried praying and it didn’t work. It felt like someone trying to invade my body and I remember being very angry but unfocused. What helped calm me down and wake me up, oddly enough, was picturing my own face and focusing on getting back to that.

Can you explain what you mean? :)

I don’t dwell on the ‘sleep paralysis’ before I go to sleep. It seems to happen when I’m least guarded and feeling more relaxed, honestly haha. It has been happening randomly, but more frequently. But not necessarily (at least I don’t think) due to anxiety over it.

You are definitely right about figuring out some way to keep calm during the sleep paralysis. I’ve found that prayer doesn’t work as well for me, but I focus on something instead of just freaking out, it goes away much quicker.

I don’t know where to start haha…Don't read if you're easily spooked.

The reason why I feel it’s spiritual is because I’ve felt the bad energy in my current house change since I’ve decided to stop blocking myself. There have been a few pretty bad things that have happened here, but I’ve never felt threatened or anything like I did until recently.

My husband’s home was broken into and they were tied up while two men with guns took their possessions. A while back I felt someone watching me and then felt as if there was a gun pointed at my head.

It’s not something that happens consistently or even like it’s from the same source. It just seems like the more I open myself, the more bad things are being attracted to me or the more they try to mess with me. The last time I had sleep paralysis, I saw the face of a young boy. He smiled at me as if he knew he was messing with me. But it’s not always him. Today, I didn’t feel or see him. It just seems like random attacks.

I would love to do that, but I’m just so afraid that doing more will also attract them to me more. What do you mean by burning them? Imagining them being burnt? That’s very interesting. I’ve always taken a more passive stance just because the spirit…entity in my mother’s apartment is something different and nothing I’d want to mess with.

I wish I was the same way :)

hmm, well, its all personal choice. What I mentioned has worked for me immensely though. Yes, I imagine them being burnt alive, not graphically though. It doesnt matter to me what it is, if it attempts to threaten me ill fight back. If youre scared about getting too involved, the exercise with your aura alone should make things better :)

Thanks for your advice! I'm definitely going to look into the aura cleansing. I've never done anything like that, so maybe it'll help. I'm also going to try to 'light them on fire' and see if that works.

You think there are negative entities around you, particularly in your mothers apartment?

I don't know what your spiritual beliefs are, but I would advise praying specifically to request protection from anything that would do you harm before you go to sleep and possibly before you visit your mothers apartment if the presence there really frightens you. I disagree with PURRr's sentiment that they can't hurt you, however they usually won't. Most of them can really only hurt you if you allow them to have that power over you.

Don't let it rob you of any sleep. The less sleep you have, the weaker you will be, and the easier it will become for negative things to get at you. You need your sleep, you owe yourself that much. Sometimes things go wrong when you're actually on your right spiritual path, because some of the entities around you want to stop you from progressing... Don't let them get to you.

Visualization techniques like what PURRr mentioned do work for some people. My mom imagines flushing them down a giant toilet. Lol.