Sleep Paralysis @ Dihimpit Ketika Tidur BY Inara

Have you experienced sleep paralysis? It's when you suddenly woke up and you find you can't move. For people who has never experienced it, it's a terrifying experience (at least for me).

I cannot remember the first time I experienced sleep paralysis. It was either in 2005 or 2006. But what I remember is that it was Thursday night. As usual, I stayed up late to listen to Kristal Mistik, a radio programme where callers call in to share their ghostly encounters. I'm quite brave now (compared to when I was younger) so usually I don't get scared easily. But that night felt a bit different. I felt more nervous and scared while listening to the stories. As soon as the show ended, I got ready for bed. I fell asleep and was dreaming about driving. My siblings were in the back seat and I was driving. Suddenly, the car seemed very heavy. I pressed down the accelerator, willing the car to move forward. It felt heavier by the second. It puzzled me and scared me a little. And then it happened! I felt like my legs were lifted off the bed for a second or two. Then it felt like it was released and suddenly it feels like there's this thing pressing down on me. I can't seemed to move. I can't even open my eyes. It was like I'm trapped and helpless. I tried reading Ayat Kursi but everytime I almost finished, I just forgot the words. It happened many times. And at last i felt really annoyed. I summoned all the strength I have and I screamed ALLAHUAKBAR and I pushed with all energy that I have inside of me and poof! Just like that, it was gone. I was able to move and open my eyes. I switched on my table lamp. I sat up on my bed, pulling the covers over my body. I looked at the window and I thought I saw the window area started to be covered in fog. I ran to the light switch and switched on the light. I hid under cover and texted a friend whom I know is an insomniac. I tried falling back to sleep but I still feel its presence where I slept. Maybe I was just being paranoid, I don't know. It was only after I switched to the middle of the bed, closer to my sister that I was able to finally fall asleep. The whole time, my sister was oblivious to what had happened to me. However, it was my sister who first experienced sleep paralysis. In her case, the first time she experienced it, after that "thing" lifted off her, she felt it moved or rather flew to the left side, where I was sleeping.

I had many many more episodes of sleep paralysis but it was not so severe. So did my sister who was sleeping next to me. Once, she was able to force her eyes open and she saw a black thing on top of her when she looked in the mirror while having sleep paralysis.

Another memorable sleep paralysis episode happened one dusk on a Sunday. I just got back from my grandparents house and was feeling very tired and sleepy. It was probably close to maghrib. I lay down on the bed and not long after I fell asleep, something heavy was pressing down on me. I could hardly breathe! I couldn't open my eyes. And then I saw a women with her long black hair falling down covering her face except her eyes. A second or two after I saw those evil, angry eyes, suddenly the face was just inches away from my face. "It" was on top of me. At that moment, the weight on top of me became heavier and I felt like I was going to suffocate. Once again, I summoned all the strength I had inside me and just pushed! And just like that it was gone and I woke up gasping.

Alhamdulillah, I no longer had those episodes since I went abroad for a year. I either heard or read somewhere that if the disturbance happened repeatedly, it might be deliberate, that somebody may be sending "those" to you. Wallahualam. - Inara