Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Decide!

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Librium
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Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Decide!

Post by Librium »

***Disclaimer*** Im going to re-post this post with this statement... My intent and purpose for this post is to ask a question about a particular type of experience that I and many others have encountered. I dont pretend to be all knowledgeable about these types of things, and I dont fear discussing them on the basis of coming to a simple conclusion as to what it might be, or the meaning behind them. If these types of things make you uncomfortable, please back out of this thread and dont participate in it.

I was exhausted from a previous night of parties and late night fun. Not always being an active church member, I treated my body fairly poor. I decided to rest on the casting couch at the small locally run TV station I was working at at the time. I fell fast asleep....my exhausted mind quickly plunging deep into REM. It began as a typical dream. I was walking through the store watching people as they walked by. Suddenly 2 men looked at me and their eyes got very dark. One of them shoved his hand over my mouth so forcefully that it brought me to the ground. They both looked over me with their dark eyes as panic rushed through my body....and then I woke up. But the nightmare...had only begun. As I lay on the couch at the TV station (I was the only one there at the time), I felt a presence. Its dark and damning presence was strong and sure. It pressed on my chest and i was unable to move. My mind felt as if it were being scrambled as I fumbled for the words to rebuke a spirit. I felt my heart racing as a mix of panic and claustrophobia surged through me. And then the voices...I could not believe how audible they were. Whispering and even speaking near my ears. I was unable to look up at them because of the invisible restraint that had surrounded me. I would say, 2 or 3 distinct voices. They sounded as though they were in constant movement. One of them even said my name loudly in my ear. Some of it was just ramblings that I didnt understand. And much of it I understood clearly, but will not repeat it to this day as I felt it was meant to be a psychological attack on me. For what felt like longer, but I estimate to be about 1 to 1.5 minutes I received this barrage of vocal and physical torment. It was so mind numbingly terrifying, that I forgot to pray. Panic mode does that to a person. When my mind finally was able to make sense of the possibility that I was being attacked by something...not mortal....then I was able to pray for this thing to stop. Slowly I felt the pressure leave my chest, I could breath freely again. The voices stopped. It was quiet again and I was physically drained from the experience. Laying there on the couch, wanting to get up and leave that place before it returned. I finally felt I had enough strength to get up off the couch and moved my legs to the floor. However, when I looked at my legs they did not move. I sat there stunned, as looked at my legs resting up on the couch, yet I felt as if I were sitting up. Then, in what felt like a split second, I was moving into different areas of the TV station with a mere thought. I was momentarily aware of everything around me in 356 degrees. Not limited by mortal vision, but completely aware of what was behind me as if I was looking right at it. Yet I was also aware of what was in front at the same time. As fast as thought, my eyes would focus on anything in any direction. I again felt a feeling of panic come over me as this was not a normal feeling. I thought of my body that I saw lying on the couch in the studio, suddenly I was there, sitting as I was before. I instinctively laid back down and waited, I am guessing another 30 seconds to a minute. Its difficult to describe, but a slight tingling sensation filled my body. I finally wiggled my foot, and to my relief, my foot moved. I moved my legs from off the couch, stood up, and got out of there as fast as I could...forever pondering those brief moments of time.

NOW HERE"S THE QUESTION... Was this what my mind perceived it to be? A spiritual attack by some unknown, unseen force? OR, was it something that the medical and science world calls "Sleep Paralysis"? I have had other encounters that were similar, but none as terrifying as this one. And this was the only time I experienced the "out of body" experience. For years I believed that I was attacked. After all, I was not going to church, I was drinking and partying and abusing my body and mind, so it would seem perfectly logical that I would leave myself susceptible to attacks from the dark side. And further, since I have become strong in the church again, for many years...I have never had another experience since.

As time went on, I sort of lost the belief that I had been attacked by some sort of demon. I heard of many similar experiences like it, and they all had similar symptoms of this "Sleep Paralysis" episode. Even Wikipedia gives a very close description of what I felt. Check it out here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis. It made sense that I had sleep deprived myself to the point of triggering these hallucinations, and now that my life is in order and I sleep a more regular schedule...it doesn't happen anymore. Or is that really what it is? Before they stopped altogether, I had a blessing. And I have not always trusted the explanations of science. We hear of things like Alien abductions. Are people really being abducted by aliens? Or is this just sleep paralysis? Only the dreamers subconscious has attached an alien to their experience instead of a demon or ghost? That would make sense to for a non believer in religion or spirits to put something else of belief, like an extraterrestrial being, in place of that component that they don't believe. There are many of the same symptoms, and many experiences that I have read are very similar. Poking and prodding, dark scary eyes, feelings of being restrained, out of body experiences, missing time... its all there.

If you have had an experience like this, I would like to hear about it and your opinion as to what YOU think it is.
Last edited by Librium on August 26th, 2010, 11:45 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Original_Intent
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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by Original_Intent »

Neveranything this severe or frightening. I have sleep apnea, and before it was treated I was almost always in a semi-dreaming state, nothing seemed real, and I had some episodes of pretty severe depression. And there were a few times when I was hallucinating, and I did black out twice over a three month period. Again, not near what you experienced.

keeprunning
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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by keeprunning »

I think it's from sleep deprivation. Maybe that is why the scriptures talk about getting enough sleep, because our spirits can become more susceptible to these things when we are deprived of sleep. Whatever the reason, it sounds terrifying!

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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by SmallFarm »

I have had this experience as well, though not as strong as yours. I believe them to be a form of demonic posession.

I was not living my life as I should as well and was having a terrible nightmare that I can't remember but only remember the feeling of horror. I woke up with the feeling from the nightmare lingering to a waking nightmare floating above my bed. It was a man mad out of black smoke and it scared me so bad that I couldn't even breathe. I tried to scream out for my parents ( I was seventeen years old at the time) but I couldn't get anything out. I realized what was happening to me and though I didn't fully believe in the church at the time, called out to my savior for assistance, if only in my mind. Emediately after doing this my eyes focussed and I could see how the shadows and wood-grain on my ceiling appear to be the form of a man. Does this mean that my mind was playing tricks on me because I was sleep deprived? I have no doubt that that is true, but I still believe there was an evil spirit involved.

My dad had a similar experience when he was young except instead of a man made out of smoke he saw a man that looked kinda like bigfoot but covered in hair made out of silver tinsel.

I don't think it's always wize to speak about some of this stuff in a mixed setting though. My cousin, who is not LDS, was telling me about having a similar experience, but he did not understand what it was. I proceeded to tell him that it was eveil spirits playing tricks on him and that he just had to ask help from Jesus. Well, instead of this information helping him, he started having repeated attacks until he was given a priesthood blessing.


As to the question of whether these occurances are body chemistry induced hallucinations or a dark spiritual encounter: Why can't they be both?

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Librium
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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by Librium »

SmallFarm wrote:
As to the question of whether these occurances are body chemistry induced hallucinations or a dark spiritual encounter: Why can't they be both?

Very true. I have gone back and forth so many times that I think I have mixed them both. Thanks for the story, very interesting!

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Jason
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Some things are best left alone....

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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by serenitylala »

Jason wrote:Some things are best left alone....
Agreed.

It obviously was a true experience, because when I started reading it, the feeling was so strong that I could just tell the source the attack came from.

It is best to pray to the Lord for the gift of Discernment and to be closer to Christ. It is our relationship with Christ that protects us from the all powers of the adversary. The emnity between us and the adversarial forces is a powerful gift from Christ strengthened by faith in Him.

Helamen 5: 12:
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

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Jason
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serenitylala wrote:
Jason wrote:Some things are best left alone....
Agreed.

It obviously was a true experience, because when I started reading it, the feeling was so strong that I could just tell the source the attack came from.

It is best to pray to the Lord for the gift of Discernment and to be closer to Christ. It is our relationship with Christ that protects us from the all powers of the adversary. The emnity between us and the adversarial forces is a powerful gift from Christ strengthened by faith in Him.

Helamen 5: 12:
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Every time these threads come up it brings to mind my own experiences and gives me the willies....

my mission trainer who was witness to my experience (tape recorded the whole thing - which I brought on by taunting the adversary - which was brought on by some close dealings with local cult leader - spiritual warfare....literally).....anyways my trainer shared the tape with his companion later on in mission....then they both got a taste of it. Later when he was my district leader just prior to his going home we were discussing the experience with our two companions. I demanded to listen to the tape as my memory went mostly vague on what happened after getting a blessing from the mission president. While we ran outside of the apartment to watch a tornado go overhead he erased the tape based on inspiration.

I later had an episode where I ended up doing the funky chicken on the floor when my Marine buddy (non LDS nor was I living right) I shared an apartment with rented Fallen and we were watching it. Took a blessing by my Bishop and Elder's Quorum President to put some closure to that experience.

Avoid the stuff like the black plague it is.....and really we ought not to even discuss it! I wish we could put an end to these threads. Nothing positive I can see coming out of discussing this stuff....the devil's real....enough said!

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Librium
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Post by Librium »

Jason wrote:
Avoid the stuff like the black plague it is.....and really we ought not to even discuss it! I wish we could put an end to these threads. Nothing positive I can see coming out of discussing this stuff....the devil's real....enough said!

I guess for me it was more of a wonderment as to whether it is something spiritual or not. I have no doubt that these experiences that people share are real and I do believe that Satan can have a strong hand in them. But I have also seen arguments that favor the other way that they were not. I guess its my way of trying to come to some conclusive way of deciding one way or the other. But I also think it is based on that own persons experience and the context that surrounds that experience. As to putting an end to these threads, what threads are considered acceptable and what are not? I have seen a lot of odd stuff talked about here so far. Much of it I have felt was very interesting though.

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Librium wrote:
Jason wrote:
Avoid the stuff like the black plague it is.....and really we ought not to even discuss it! I wish we could put an end to these threads. Nothing positive I can see coming out of discussing this stuff....the devil's real....enough said!

I guess for me it was more of a wonderment as to whether it is something spiritual or not. I have no doubt that these experiences that people share are real and I do believe that Satan can have a strong hand in them. But I have also seen arguments that favor the other way that they were not. I guess its my way of trying to come to some conclusive way of deciding one way or the other. But I also think it is based on that own persons experience and the context that surrounds that experience. As to putting an end to these threads, what threads are considered acceptable and what are not? I have seen a lot of odd stuff talked about here so far. Much of it I have felt was very interesting though.
Sleep Paralysis is a Dark Spiritual Encounter....it has happened to me a few times in the past and I had to cast off the spiritual intruder using the power of the priesthood.

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Jason
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Librium wrote:
Jason wrote:
Avoid the stuff like the black plague it is.....and really we ought not to even discuss it! I wish we could put an end to these threads. Nothing positive I can see coming out of discussing this stuff....the devil's real....enough said!

I guess for me it was more of a wonderment as to whether it is something spiritual or not. I have no doubt that these experiences that people share are real and I do believe that Satan can have a strong hand in them. But I have also seen arguments that favor the other way that they were not. I guess its my way of trying to come to some conclusive way of deciding one way or the other. But I also think it is based on that own persons experience and the context that surrounds that experience. As to putting an end to these threads, what threads are considered acceptable and what are not? I have seen a lot of odd stuff talked about here so far. Much of it I have felt was very interesting though.
Just my personal viewpoint (based on my experiences)....to each their own (and I have zero control over threads...just voicing an opinion).

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loveoneanother
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Post by loveoneanother »

I would like to hear about this from those who have had this happen. Ironicly I have a friend whose teenage daughter and a couple of her friends have had this happen to them just recently, can we not talk like adults, use the information to help others? If you don't like the thread, then don;'t read it!
Love and kisses

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loveoneanother
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Oh how I wish I could have gotten the needed information from this before you deleted it.
Librium wrote:***Post Deleted by Poster***


Im going to go ahead and delete this post. It seems to have sparked some dark feelings and that was not my intention. Thats obviously not what this forum is about. My apologies.

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Librium
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Post by Librium »

bathsheeba wrote:I would like to hear about this from those who have had this happen. Ironicly I have a friend whose teenage daughter and a couple of her friends have had this happen to them just recently, can we not talk like adults, use the information to help others? If you don't like the thread, then don;'t read it!
Love and kisses
Eh, you do have a good point. If people dont like it, dont read it. Ill re-post it.

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shadow
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SmallFarm wrote: My dad had a similar experience when he was young except instead of a man made out of smoke he saw a man that looked kinda like bigfoot but covered in hair made out of silver tinsel.
That sure describes Mark, the tinsel gives it away :lol:

ndjili
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Post by ndjili »

Oh I thought it was the hair that gave him away.

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Post by ndjili »

I have a sister who was diagnosed with schitzophrenia due to her way too many encounters with things no one else saw or heard. Well her doctor was LDS and in his professional opinion she was either schitzophrenic or she was really experiencing these things. Also at the time (I really dont know what the stats are now) the stats were that 1/3 got better on medication, 1/3 stayed the same and 1/3 got worse..they were close to the same as the stats about those who didnt medicate. I also know many women who had experiences with what we call "shadow people" while pregnant. I hear more and more of these. My story is a frightening testimony that we will see more of these attacks in the last days as well.

An interesting side note..what used to be thought of as demonic attacks are now the same and thought to have been alien abductions...Much of what we know about aliens are from occultists..the most notable being Aleister Crowley...now we are getting scientific evidences something is happeneing but they call it sleep paralysis.

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shadow
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ndjili wrote: I also know many women who had experiences with what we call "shadow people" while pregnant.
My people are not, have not nor ever will be involved in tormenting pregnant women.
My own wife excluded as well as my mother. They both have been tormented by shadow in one way or another.

PSCahill
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Post by PSCahill »

Yes, the scientific explanation is sleep paralysis. It pretty much always only happens if you sleep on your back. Another name for what you saw is Old Hag, and it has much worse names. I have experienced it in the past, when I was not a member of the Church (30 years ago), but since then, the most I've experienced is hypnogic imagery of a dark face or a dark man, like a shadow, that crouched, first behind an old clawleg bathtub, and again another time, underneath a car I was riding in (the floor board was rusted out or something). It terrified me, and I wondered if it was the presence of a dark spirit or just dreams. Jung might have called it archetypal images...the shadow...a part of myself that I had disconnected from. Since the bathtub kinda reminds me of a baptismal font, and the car has long been a dream symbol for me of one's life (how one travels along the road of life), this guy kept getting left out. I thought perhaps it referred to my own natural man....carnal side. But maybe it was something more real and sinister. I know I had the willies for a couple of days after that...I kept praying, etc. I also had read some of the descriptions of the spirit world, and I don't know if that had any effect on me, but I have realized that the spirit world really is right here with us on this earth. I prefer for now to think that it is just dream imagery, and to not sleep on my back!

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Re: Sleep Paralysis or Dark Spiritual Encounter.....You Deci

Post by paper face »

To be honest, I believe all sins to be possessions. Some are minor, some are severe. So when you give place for an evil thought, you give place for a concurrent spirit. When you give place for theft, same. Violence, sexual sin, minimizing or harming the body, gossip, et al, all seem to involve a "giving away" of our bodies to the will of the natural man, who is tied to the adversay & his angels.

I think some of these "sleep paralysis" occurrences are attempts at possession by bad spirits for the purpose of using that particular body to commit major sins. Some people give in easily, and the possession is fairly seamless. Substances facilitate the puppet show. It's when people fight the possession that there is trouble, which is why these encounters are often contentious, frightening and violent.

Joseph Smith went through it, and so does everyone else to one degree or another. I think the adversary sees a lot of negative potential in some people, so they get more attention than others.

If you think about Jesus' entire presentation of the Gospel in the context of "submitting to the will of the Father", then possession makes more sense in light of Lehi's assertion in 2nd NE that there must be "opposition in all things". Both the Father and the adversary are interested in adding your will to theirs... that you will essentially be "one" with them. Scratch's attempts at possession are just the profane answer to the Lord's sacred "oneness" with Christ, and are therefore based on force rather than choice.

It was Christ who said that the body is a temple. That statement is of immense importance, because if it's true, then all action is temple work. In other words, all acts "endow" spiritual life either towards the Kingdom of God, or towards the whore of the earth.

ndjili
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Post by ndjili »

Many of these experiences are the real deal. Our best defense is keeping close to the Savior.

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Post by notjamesbond003.5 »

ndjili wrote:Many of these experiences are the real deal. Our best defense is keeping close to the Savior.
Perfect answer.
In the original post, I do think the guy was being harrassed by demons.

If he told a medical professional this-he would be labeled a schizoprenic-sp-which is sad..
With the poster's knowledge of the Restored Gospel though, this could be a blessing for him as by now he clearly recognizes good from evil and will choose good from his experience forewith.



njb

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Jason wrote:Avoid the stuff like the black plague it is.....and really we ought not to even discuss it! I wish we could put an end to these threads. Nothing positive I can see coming out of discussing this stuff....the devil's real....enough said!
I actually enjoy discussing this type of stuff. I realize it's not for everyone, but some of us do better at handling it than others, also...

I thought this talk by Elder Faust explained well the balance that should exist regarding 'dark' subjects:
"I feel impressed to sound a warning voice against the devil and his angels—the source and mainspring of all evil. I approach this prayerfully, because Satan is not an enlightening subject. I consider him to be the great imitator...

...It is not good practice to become intrigued by Satan and his mysteries. No good can come from getting close to evil. Like playing with fire, it is too easy to get burned: "The knowledge of sin tempteth to its commission." The only safe course is to keep well distanced from him and any of his wicked activities or nefarious practices. The mischief of devil worship, sorcery, witchcraft, voodooism, casting spells, black magic, and all other forms of demonism should always be avoided.

However, President Brigham Young (1801–77) said that it is important to "study . . . evil, and its consequences." Since Satan is the author of all the evil in the world, it is essential therefore to realize that he is the influence behind the opposition to the work of God. Alma stated the issue succinctly: "Whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil."

My principal reason for choosing this subject is to help young people by warning them, as Paul said, "lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."5 We hope that young people, unfamiliar with the sophistries of the world, can keep themselves free of Satan's enticements and deceitful ways. I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in my life and in the lives of others. When I was on my first mission, Satan sought to divert me from my future path and, if possible, to destroy my usefulness in the Lord's work. That was more than 60 years ago, and I still remember how reasonable his entreaties seemed."

James E. Faust, "The Forces that Will Save Us"

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mattctr
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Post by mattctr »

An old thread that raised a similar question:
http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopi ... 81&start=0
Earlier, I posted about parasomnias, the term science uses to explain a variety of dream/sleep related occurrences. However, I agree that one should not see them only through the scientific lens.
There is interesting scientific research that can help one prevent and cope with these occurrences. Interestingly enough, good eating habits and avoiding/regulating certain types of medications are important considerations that the scientific community acknowledges, so the idea that the devil may pry on those in a weakened physical condition is intriguing. They look for any vulnerability to exert power and influence over embodied persons.
I also recognize the first recourse should be prayer and power in the priesthood.
I wouldn't say all parasomnia episodes have demonic implications, but I believe some do. Thus, one shouldn't hesitate to recognize that possibility and act accordingly, calling on whatever authority they hold and casting them out in the name of Christ.

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Post by durangout »

paper face wrote:It was Christ who said that the body is a temple. That statement is of immense importance, because if it's true, then all action is temple work. In other words, all acts "endow" spiritual life either towards the Kingdom of God, or towards the whore of the earth.
Great comment.

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