Help for a friend

Subject: Help for a friend Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:01 am

My flatmate asked me to research something that happened to her the other night, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what it might be or if they had heard of anything similar.

She was going to sleep when she started to feel as though she was hurtling downwards at a tremendous speed. She then felt something "shoot through her chest" and found herself unable to move (but not in a panic-oh-god-I'm-paralysed way, more of a I-can't-move-but-it-doesn't-matter-coz-I-wasn't-planning-on-moving-just-yet-anyway-oh-well kinda way). She lay there awake for what she felt to be about a minute before she was able to move again and discovered that several hours had past.

I tentatively suggested that she might have fallen asleep (either before or afterthe shock to her chest) but she is absolutely certain that she was awake for the whole time.

I'm not sure if I think this was a paranormal experience or not. A little wierd but it DOES sound like a strange half dream type thing. On the other hand she's so certain it was unnatural (or y'know, supernatural) and that she was awake the whole time (ie, she never actually woke up from it), and to be fair there's quite a few random spirits, particularly vampyric ones, floating around the student accomodation. (Party town - everyone's high and happy, but no-one blinks if someone is lazy, sleeping too much or slightly depressed, coz we're students. Plus sleeping people are easier targets, and there's always someone asleep 24hrs a day.) Any thoughts, anyone?
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Subject: Re: Help for a friend Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:45 am

Hi Lizzie,

Sounded familiar but not exactly, if you know what I mean. The closest I could think of is sleep paralysis. Here are a couple of articles about it but experiences do vary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-az/sleep-paralysis-the-symptoms-762639.html

I experienced something similar to your friend when I was around your age actually. It never happened again and has had no *twitch* *twitch* side-effects as far as I *twitch* am aware. Wink

Seriously though, the same thing happened regarding the falling and time loss. I can't remember any shooting through the chest but think I felt ynable to move (without the panic).

It may well be something else though but just wanted to put forward an initial suggestion. Hope you are well. Smile

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Subject: Re: Help for a friend Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:21 am

i have had a similar thing happen to me (i say similar)

sleeping round my mums i was awake but not if you get me and felt a huge weight on my chest and i couldn't move i was lucky to be able to make some whimpering sounds so Rosie could here me and she came over and i was able to actually wake up but the transference between sleep and awake was easy i didn't feel any different apart from i could actually move.

sorry if it doesn't help i just thought i would share.
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Subject: Re: Help for a friend Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:28 pm

Thanks for the articles and anecdotes guys - I'll run the extra info by my friend and see if it rings any bells with her. Let you know how it goes.
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"You're turned on by rented shoes?!"
"That's not the issue..."

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.
--George Bernard Shaw

Subject: Re: Help for a friend Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:24 pm

It sounds like it could have been some kind of ghost/entity interference or it could have been a dream/involuntary astral projection. The 'shoot through her chest' could have been a panic reaction to the 'falling' sensation. I often have dreams of falling and wake up in a panic with my heart pounding.
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