Sleep Paralysis...

[Autolite]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY2gh51KdnQ

Sleep Paralysis (AKA Old Hag Syndrome) is a not uncommon stress and fatigue induced sleep disorder that can produce very realistic visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations.  Many features of an SP episode are common across all cultures and belief systems and can explain why belief in the supernatural persists. 

Anyone experiencing an SP hallucination might think that they have been visited or attacked by an 'evil' spirit, ghost or demon.  Like one commenter in the linked video says, it can be more frightening and terrifying than anything experienced in real life.  Although rare, I have experienced  several episodes myself in my life and can attest to the fact that they can be most unsettling.  I have twice 'seen' the Old Hag. Other times there has been an overwhelming sense of an unseen 'evil' or malevolent presence in the room with a feeling of being cloaked in a  black shroud. It's like having a very bad dream, but while you're partially awake. 

Although I never once believed that there was anything supernatural going on, I didn't learn what the actual cause or reason was for these episodes until very many years after having experienced them.  Has anyone else here had a similar SP experience?  Once you've had an episode or two yourself, you can appreciate why some people will believe in the supernatural. I just wanted to reassure anyone who has experienced this and does not understand what is happening, that although quite terrifying, it is otherwise benign and harmless...

[J a c k]

I have. I was a theist when it happened, so I didn't get to enjoy it.

[Autolite]

I have. I was a theist when it happened, so I didn't get to enjoy it.

I once had a discussion with another Theist who had a very frightening episode.  It took a lot of explanation but I was eventually able to convince him (I think) that it was really just all in his head...

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

I read that wiki. Sounds like a really shitty condition to have. Although you have to wonder, what kind of demons would you see if you're an atheist? Maybe the pope like this?

[ignoramus]

Excellent video!

[account_inactive]

Sounds scary....

[paulpablo]

Yeh I had sleep paralysis and wondered what was going on.

I first got it when I was in school, I had such a messed up sleeping pattern, I still have now.

My experiences were always were something was happening in the dream and I felt the urge to stop it but couldn't move or it felt like I was moving but very slowly and accompanied by loud noise sometimes.

I didn't know what was going on until I told my friend the symptoms who's pretty clever and seemed to have infinite general knowledge. He just said that's sleep paralysis.

Examples are I dreamt slipknot was playing really loudly from my CD player but when I moved to turn the CD player off I was moving so slowly it was barely like moving at all.
Another was that a fish had jumped out of its tank and I had to move to put it back in again.

I don't worry when I get it these days, it's kind of fun in a way to get this weird out of body experience kind of feeling.

[ignoramus]

I had similar experiences... Forensics worked the puzzle out...
Nothing exciting ... It was just the wife poisoning me slowly with arsenic... you too, huh?

Women... can't live with them, can't live without them...

[Dionysus]

I've had it a lot of times. For me it's not really scary but more annoying, first time was scary though. I almost never hallucinate, but I once did. It felt like there was a creature creeping around in my room while I was facing the other side. I heard a really disturbing sound, but I could easily calm myself down.
The most important thing if you want to get out of sleep paralysis is to calm yourself and know what situation you're in. If you manage to do that you can fall back asleep, wake up, or try to wake yourself up by clenching your fist or try to move pinky or small toe. I understand why people might think it's because something supernatural, it feels very unreal and disturbing if you don't know what it is. I even know someone who believes it's supernatural but who never experienced it himself..

[chimp3]

I have experienced this since childhood. I never had any out of body or hallucinatory experiences. Just a terrible feeling like someone was sitting on top of me and I am unable to move. I tried to yell out but probably made a mere grunt. As an adult I always thought I was having the Big One.