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Sleep paralysis-are hallucinations normal?
Hello, I was wondering about this sleep paralysis thing that I sometimes experience, usually when I try to take a nap in during the daytime. I know the scientific explanation behind sleep paralysis but in Buddhism there's something called the Kumbhanda ghost or barrell chested ghost. I think some of you may have heard of it. Apparently this ghost is responsible for the paralysis when sleeping.
Now I know some people believe that these "ghosts" are not meant to be taken literally and are just metaphors, and I am NOT saying that sleep paralysis is caused by ghosts. All I'm saying is that I'm open to the possibility. I believe in ghosts, literally, and I used to be skeptical but believe me, I had a very, very good reason to change my view on that. Again, I'm not saying that I was attacked by a ghost or anything like that. Please don't think I'm crazy or anything but when I get this sleep paralysis I also get sounds and visions to go with it.
The sounds are very strange, like nothing I've heard before and I can't explain it, and I can't make them out either. It sounds like someone or something is saying something to me but I can't understand because it's all wishy washy and inaudible. I also see something which again, I can't make out but it's unpleasant and feels like something is pushing me down. Today was a little different because although the vision wasn't that clear again, I thought it looked like my brother (who was in the room at the time but I was facing a wall in the opposite direction so it wasn't him that I saw). Whatever it was it felt like it was pushing me down.
I wasn't scared, just uncomfortable and was fully aware where I was and what was happening. I could even shut and open my eyes. If I closed my eyes I could shut out the image but I decided to open them again to look at this image I was seeing. It was uncomfortable but it passed in maybe 15 seconds.
So I was just wondering if hallucinations and sounds are common with sleep paralysis?
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BTTStexts/Lotus26.htmA kumbhanda is called "a winter melon ghost" or "a barrel-shaped ghost." It's also called "the nightmare ghost." If you are sleeping at night and the ghost sees that you are deep in sleep, snoring away, with total yin energy and no yang energy, it will jump on you! Then you will feel as if you are being smothered. You won't be able to move or get up. With your eyes wide open, you won't have any mantra to say, no Dharani! If this goes on for too long, you can be smothered to death. If your yang energy rises again and light comes forth, the ghost will run off. The light returns because you haven't completely been involved in evil deeds. You still have a bit of yang light to scare the ghost away. If you are as bad as the ghost and are completely yin, it can smother you. Then you will join its ghost retinue and go to work for the ghost, doing whatever it tells you to. If you don't do what it says, it will punish you. It may hit you, recite a spell to give you a headache, or paralyze you. In general, it will control you.
Now I know some people believe that these "ghosts" are not meant to be taken literally and are just metaphors, and I am NOT saying that sleep paralysis is caused by ghosts. All I'm saying is that I'm open to the possibility. I believe in ghosts, literally, and I used to be skeptical but believe me, I had a very, very good reason to change my view on that. Again, I'm not saying that I was attacked by a ghost or anything like that. Please don't think I'm crazy or anything but when I get this sleep paralysis I also get sounds and visions to go with it.
The sounds are very strange, like nothing I've heard before and I can't explain it, and I can't make them out either. It sounds like someone or something is saying something to me but I can't understand because it's all wishy washy and inaudible. I also see something which again, I can't make out but it's unpleasant and feels like something is pushing me down. Today was a little different because although the vision wasn't that clear again, I thought it looked like my brother (who was in the room at the time but I was facing a wall in the opposite direction so it wasn't him that I saw). Whatever it was it felt like it was pushing me down.
I wasn't scared, just uncomfortable and was fully aware where I was and what was happening. I could even shut and open my eyes. If I closed my eyes I could shut out the image but I decided to open them again to look at this image I was seeing. It was uncomfortable but it passed in maybe 15 seconds.
So I was just wondering if hallucinations and sounds are common with sleep paralysis?
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Comments
I never got hallucinations or anything it was just one big empty void.
I haven't because I never really paid much attention to it since it only happens once in a while. Plus I think the doctor would probably either say it's just normal sleep paralysis and nothing unusual (which could be right) or that I've lost my mind (which I know is wrong
Finally, Bodhidharma opened his eyes and asked, “What do you want
standing here so long”? “Please, Master help me settle my mind”. “Give me
your mind, I’ll settle it for you”. “But I cannot find my mind”. “I have already
settled your mind for you completely”. Once Hui-ko discovered his deluded
mind, it became settled."
The metaphorical ghost should not be confused with a real ghost. Similarly, the mind as conventionally understood should not be confused with the mind as it really is, because the mind really isn't. It's all just mental construct. That's what Buddhism is about. The way to be free from suffering is to see the mind for what it is, or isn't, and see reality for what it is, or isn't. The Four Noble Truths:
Life is unsatisfactory.
There is a cause for this unsatisfactoriness, namely attachment to appearances.
There is a solution for this unsatisfactoriness, and it is attainable.
The solution is to be found in the Noble Eightfold Path.
The ghosts that you posit as a possible cause for these phenomena do not really exist. And Buddhism will go you one better- the "mind"" and the "person" that they happen to don't really exist.
So find your mind and I'll settle it for you. But you'll never find your mind.
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/
Sleep paralysis is a common phenomenon and it is nothing to worry about. Sleep paralysis is also often associated with ringing sounds, vibration, and hypnagogic images (hallucination). The feeling of a "ghostly" presence is also quite common. Although the experience is often perceived as unpleasant, it's nothing to worry about.
I have had several episodes of sleep paralysis when I was younger. Last year I dedicated some time to study sleep paralysis and astral projection in more depth. Astral projection is a new-agey term for an out-of-body experience (OBE) and it is related to sleep paralysis in as far as the latter often constitutes the initial stage of an OBE.
After reading some of the available literature on this topic, I worked with various practices to induce sleep-paralysis and OBE in myself. However, I found this very difficult. Despite continued efforts over a period of eight months, I was not able to go beyond the stage of vibrations. The induction techniques also interfered with my "regular" Buddhist meditation, so I have given up on it, at least for now.
People who have experience with this practice confirm the existence of a ghostly realm near the entry stage, or what they call "low vibrational stage". Whether this does actually exist, whether it is a shared non-physical reality, or an illusion produced by the mind I cannot tell, and there is certainly no consensus on this question. Doubtlessly, it will sound like humbug to anyone who never had such an experience. But again, according to experts this is nothing to worry about.
If you can manage to overcome fear and excitement, this can be an interesting field of exploration. Unfortunately, these phenomena aren't typically on the agenda of Buddhist practitioners. The orthodox Buddhist would probably interpret them as "sankharas" producing obstacles in meditation practice and therefore dismiss them. I am not sure if I agree with this point of view, because I am frankly not qualified to judge, and I would have to study it further before coming to a conclusion.
Cheers, Thomas
With love and kindness
My weirdest sleep paralysis was after eating chinese food , i came home and took an afternoon nap and this figure dressing all in black (similar fashion to the riper )was standing next to me with his hands clasped up front and mummy bandages wrapped around his face so no features were observed , he didnt move and was just standing there looking at the window to my left . I tried to move and scream but couldnt and thats when i started to pray inside of my mind for this thing to vanish . Saying the name of jesus over and over again my soul would peek in to check if he was gone , but nothing yet . It was not until the third try that he did really go away and i woke up .There must have been something in that chinese food lol
The weirdest part of this event , was that after some time i visited a psychic and without me saying anything about the encounter she told me i had Egyptian spirit guides. Im not really sure if the mummy bandages around his face were trying to signal such revelation but you get my point .
Sometimes a dream is just that , but very few occasions some do come charged with messages or even apparitions if you happen to have enough proof of such thing. I suggest you keep a diary and connect the dots by analyzing , and if you are really into finding out , get an inexpensive EVP recorder and leave it on all night and see if it has picked up anything but do not seek for stuff to reach you , just remain open and see what happens
sorry for english ..
This may be a longer post, just a warning
I have a background that is heavy with a neo-christian cult like group. I spent most of my teenage years with this group, and as I'm only 22 years old I have only been away from the group for about 4 years now. While I was in the group I was told that things like these were demons who come in my sleep to whisper curses over me/try to posses my goodness.
I don't not mean to offend, but this sort of thing never really made much sense to me. As I have walked away from a daily christian practice now, it makes even less sense then it did before.
I challenge you to not project anything on to these experiences. There has been some great conversation here, and I enjoyed reading it. As westerners though, we are tought indirectly to project feelings, ideas, and principles onto things. We value more what we think a person says then what they say is a great example of what I mean here.
Just like an apple sitting on a table is only an apple sitting on a table, these things your experiencing are only going to be what they are.
I would warn you to not read into them, project your thoughts onto them, or try to make them mean anything if they don't.
That being said, if I were in your shoes, I would sit after a vispinna mediation and think of it. This is a practice I use almost daily to solve problems in my life. I find this is when I can think clearest without projecting things onto my problems. The fileter I try to use is a simple question series, "How does this change my patterns, and what does it show me that helps ends suffering in my life?"
If you sit alone, in stillness, it's amazing just how many lessons little things can teach you.
What your experencing may be something big, or just a dream, but no amount of anything besides sitting still with it will help bring anything of it.
lol