Hello MBT community! My name is Naimul, and I step into this community with both open mindedness and skepticism. I've come to discuss something about me that I've been striving to completely understand as of late. My friend Nelly (you may know her as MySGLuv) suggested that I come here with my questions. Over the past month we've discussed Mr. Campbell's books and lectures and what they mean to us as observant open-minded people with an ambition to become greater, more whole, more in tune with our environment.

I experience a condition called sleep paralysis. In many cultures it has many names (Kanashibari being Japanese for "bound in metal") and in all those languages they translate to almost the same idea: A demon or devil holding someone down. Not the prettiest metaphor I could think of and certainly not one that I embrace as the truth. But I come in hope of finding answers more befitting.

I've been having episodes of sleep paralysis for about 5 years now. At first they occurred rarely, no more than once a month. After a short night of sleep I'd open my eyes to my dark room (which I could still observe because of my dilated pupils luckily... if I couldn't I'd be even more scared than I am now) I wouldn't see anything or hear anything out of the ordinary, but I would wake up to find that I had lost control over my body. In a state of panic I tried to scream; my paralyzed vocal chords would hum softly in my ear. I tried desperately to send signals to my limbs, to move, to move. A feeling of impending doom or death overwhelmed me, and I asked myself over and over, "Am I dying?". Eventually I was able to move a body part, and from that point I regained control over my body. I was shaken, and I had never told anyone about it.

I began to have more and more episodes. Once in a year became once in 2 months became once a month became 2-3 times a month. Every time was no different from the first; I couldn't bring myself to remember the experience I was going through, and every time I felt like I was dying. I summed every experience up into a recurring nightmare or a layered dream. Until one day I saw a documentary about aliens. I won't go into too much detail, but basically a commonly accepted explanation for abductions is sleep paralysis, because the victims of it often have visualizations or hallucinations. I've never had any hallucinations but everything else hit home. From then on out I knew what it was.

Still, I had no control over it, and I would take every chance I got to ask a friend if they knew anything about it. Finally I came across Nelly. She admitted to not knowing too much herself, but she had read that the best thing to do is to let go, and not allow myself to be afraid of the experience. And yesterday, I did just that. Here is what I wrote to her.

"Nelly I need to talk to you. >_< Today I had an episode of sleep paralysis again. I was lying in my room, falling asleep, drifting in and out as I opened and closed my eyes. After a little while my body fell asleep but I opened my eyes and I was still awake. I tried to wiggle my fingers and I couldn't, but it didn't scare me like it usually does, because I went into it gradually and my brain was still more awake than asleep. So I remembered what you said and I let myself stay in the state, just looking around and not trying to move my body. And... I started to hear things. Like a warbling voice but it didn't seem like there were words to it. In my arms and hands I started to feel some intense sensation... the only thing I can describe it as is like a tingle and a vibration at the same time. The voice got louder and changed into a higher pitch and I started to panic and tried desperately to twitch my fingers. (I learned this trick to wake my body up while this happens to me.) After I was able to twitch my fingers I woke my hand up and started shaking it and the rest of my body began to wake up. The sensation and the voices died gradually, but it couldn't have been in a time frame of more than 2 minutes, but it felt like forever. I'm scared, I don't know if I want to do that again!"

Nelly told me to come here, and I trust her enough to do just that. So MBT community, can you help me? What should I know that I don't know? Should I delve deeper into this strange factor of my life?

Welcome to the board Nemo.

A lot of good souls over here ;) I am sure someone will know how to help you :)

BTW, I hear Tom is away from the boards because he is giving some lectures in TX but there are other experienced people here that can help as well.

Kanashibari,

By your knowing the name for this condition, sleep paralysis, I presume that you know what it means. But for the benefit of others, and confirmation, is it not a normal part of sleep? The part of the normal phenomena of sleep that keeps you from running off in your sleep while you dream that you are running. It keeps you immobile rather than permitting you to sleep walk and thus is a normal part of the phenomena of sleep. Included is a link that discusses non medical self treatment for attempting to avoid sessions of sleep paralysis: http://www.medopedia.com/sleep-disorder ... -treatment

Unfortunately you are experiencing sleep paralysis while not asleep which is inconvenient. I would tend to look on it as just one of those glitches that show up in PMR experience. Fortunately, according to the linked source, not an indicator of serious neural problems. And fortunately not a glitch like narcolepsy or sleepwalking which can be very inconvenient and dangerous. Try the suggestions for avoiding sleep paralysis episodes given in the link provided. Or search further on line for perhaps even better information and insight.

Finally, are you practicing a regimen of meditation and seeking contact with your guides? If not, and since you have read MBT, consider doing so. You can then ask your guides if there is any significance to these occurrences and can they help you eliminate them. I have no doubt that they can if you ask. And even before you reach this point, you may discover for yourself that it is simply a matter of inadequate rest and too much stress.

Ted Vollers

That's nice that you are helping your friend out Nelly; and it's great to see you here Naimul. Your answers will come, if they haven't already done so.

Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

Ted,

I do meditate regularly, something that I've started fairly recently. I'd say it's been 6 months or so of every day meditation. I've formed a small trinity of sorts, drawing from my two friends Nelly and Zack, who I respect and appreciate. The two of them have introduced me to this heightened observation of my immediate and macroscopic universe something to which I was once very close minded. I've heard that my sleep paralysis could be a tool to achieve an out-of-body experience without the use of psychedelics or intense meditation. I haven't read MBT yet, but I'm planning on ordering a copy this week. I have pretty extensive knowledge of physics (I have aspirations of majoring in physics and becoming a professor) and from what I understand Mr. Campbell has come to conclusions that I've considered myself regarding quantum physics and uncertainty.

Sorry my ideas are so jumbled. I'm getting ready to go to bed. Thank you everyone for your responses in advance. I'm looking forward to discussion here. Seems like a group of intelligent and friendly people!

Thanks,
Naimul

Naimul,

Just speaking from my experience.

I know EXACTLY what you are going through, because I went through the same thing and still do randomly. It is how I discovered the MBT trilogy. I was even more confused and fearful, because I actually had a non-physical being physical "attack" when I was about 14. So experiencing sleep paralysis was terrifying at first. Here's what I did to deal with it.

When it happens, tell yourself NOTHING can harm you. Just calm yourself. In that state, you are just in an altered state of consciousness. Turn in into an adventure. When it happens, get through the vibrations, or the feelings without fear. In that state, in you in a half-dream state (of sorts) so you tend to manifest your OWN fears. You DO have control over the situation. It is only when you doubt yourself and make it or horrifying experience that it becomes one.

In that state, it's easy to manifest your own fears. So the more you think you cant move or you have a demon, or an alien on you, the more it's gonna SEEM that way. But you DO have control over it. Just get in that mindset.

You are at the doorway to experience going Out of Body. Once I was able to gain control and get over my fear, then I was able to snap out of it and go "out". And after that happened, the paralysis still happens to me, but it isnt a fearful experience. It's exciting now and I actually look forward to it happening so I can explore it more.

Just remember. Gain control of your fear and go with the experience. Nothing can harm you. Once you realize that, you'll be able to do some great things.

Hi Naimul.

I agree that the key is to lose your fear. It is just fear of the unknown that is the problem. The wordless voice and vibration are manifestation of non physical things. Look at it as exploration and adventure to learn from what comes to you. Perhaps you have read Bob Monroe's books, his biggest obstacle in the beginning out of body journeys was controlling fears he didn't even know he had. You can learn to control fear just like hunger, thirst, pain or desires. I see you must be fairly well along the path to understanding to be given this opportunity. You have good friends here who guide you well, trust in your non physical guides to watch over you and don't fear to explore this new place open to you. You will do well.

_________________
always, John

Is it Kanashibari (your choice), Nemo (Nelly's choice) , or Naimul?

Stroker and TobyH both gave good advice.

As Stroker said: "I see you must be fairly well along the path to understanding to be given this opportunity."

Because you have been deemed ready to approach this opportunity, you are being tested by your "guides" to ascertain your level of fear. There is no point introducing you to the larger reality if you are filled with fear -- it would not be a productive opportunity for you. In the larger reality, your fears will likely be objectified. Out from under the rug of suppression they will come and turn into monsters you will have to face. Your guides seemed to be very persistent so they probably have not given up on you -- instead you have been sent here. Become fearless. They will try to find your breaking point by upping the level of their scare tactics. Fearlessness must be at the being level, not the intellectual level -- they will dig beneath your intellect. You will not have to be perfectly fearless -- they only need to ascertain that you are worth working with and how they can best work with you -- how quickly or slowly they must go to help you grow.

Best of luck,

Tom C

Hi Tom
Would another way of saying "deemed ready" be "low enough entropy" or Quality of Consciousness (QoC) (a term coming into scholarly articles) enough, high QoC. You know me, I am very literal and rebellious to being deemed. ;)

Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

Yes, Bette -- that would be another way of saying the same thing.

Tom C

Hi, this is my first post here... i just wanna share what i had experienced, hope it could help

Kanashibari


I also had heard this high pitch before for the first and only time. The pitch is long and very loud compared to the usual ringing in my ears (like hundred times louder). It happened while i'm listening to hemi sync and dozed off. And kinda half awake after that and heard this. Then i become aware of it and wondered, if i hadn't known about this OBE stuff, i would have panicked. I'd had that feeling of wanting to struggle like suffocating in water after that sound came, but i managed to wake my mind up and observe what it is. I became an observer of it instead of participating with it (probably due to mind silencing techniques that i've been practicing, and got used to it). Too bad i dozed of back again and forget what had happened after that. Lol.

So i think like our friend had said, it's a test for us. If i were you, i would be thankful to be able to experience it many times, because of the opportunity to gather that kind of data, it's fun to experience new stuff. You should jump with joy instead of worrying about it. I'm pretty sure once you get used to and accepted this as a part of your experience lesson, you will start of with a new lesson. Most probably a successful OBE?

_________________
Evolution, you have to live it to know it.