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What are sleep paralysi dreams about?

Sleep paralysis is something that occurs when the brain doesn't fully disengage from sleep when it wakes up. While you are asleep and dreaming, your brain paralyzes your body so you don't act out your dreams. Sometimes different parts of the brain wake up at different times, leaving you with the feeling of not being able to move. It can feel scary. This symbol is identified by words like unable to move, paralysis, couldn't move, etc.

Sleep paralysis in dreams is a relatively common dream symbol, occuring in about 2.1% of dreams. That's about 1 out of every 45 dreams.

What are the major highlights of sleep paralysi dreams?

Sleep paralysis is a normal dream symbol. Having sleep paralysis in a dream changes the dream in the same way as most other dream symbols.

Dreams with sleep paralysis might be a nightmare

Dreams of sleep paralysis are frequently associated with nightmares. Of course dreams that contain sleep paralysis might not be a nightmare. Plenty of dreams with sleep paralysis are not nightmares. But, dreams of sleep paralysis are more related to nightmares than 80% of all other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include creeping and crawling, zombies, hearts, ribs, vomiting, maggots, castration, skeletons, horrors, and relief.

Sleep paralysi dreams have a surprising lack of characters

Dreams of sleep paralysis usually contain less characters than 90% of all other dream symbols. This does not mean they do not contain characters at all. Rather, they simply contain less characters than most other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include the galaxy, Afghanistan, acne, fevers, insights, rockets, cubes, peeing, excrement, and Congo.

Sleep paralysi dreams are associated with lucid dreaming

Dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to lucid dreaming than all other dream symbols. Lucid dreams are dreams in which you are aware that you are dreaming. Of course, not all dreams of sleep paralysis are lucid dreams. But dreams of sleep paralysis are more related to lucid dreams than 90% of all other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include boredom, shadows, brains, mars, dismissals, Jamaica, constructing, sleep paralysis, Argentina, and acid.

Sleep paralysi dreams are scary

Dreams containing sleep paralysis are more related to fear than 90% of all other dream symbols. Of course each dream is unique and this does not mean that all dreams of sleep paralysis are about fear. It simply means that if you dream of sleep paralysis, this dream has a great chance of being scarier than most other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include white eyes, calluses, vision, praying, events, pressing buttons, weakness, pythons, Kuwait, and slowness.

What symbols less present in dreams of sleep paralysis?

What are the symbols that help define sleep paralysis?

The symbol of sleep paralysis in dreams is highly related to paralysis.

How does the dream symbol of sleep paralysis affect the different aspects of a dream?

Explore different elements related to dreams of sleep paralysis

Who is in sleep paralysis dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are much less related to characters in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are more related to fantastic beings than dreams in general. They are less related to animals, less related to insects, and much less related to different roles.

Animals

less than usual

Insects

less than usual

Different roles

much less than usual

Fantastic beings

more than usual

Distant people

much less than usual

Close people

much less than usual

Family

much less than usual

Romantic partners

less than usual
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What are the emotions in sleep paralysis dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are more related to emotions in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to fear than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, much less related to sadness, and less related to grief and sorrow.

Happiness

less than usual

Sadness

much less than usual

Grief and sorrow

less than usual

Embarrassment

less than usual

Confusion

less than usual

Fear

much more than usual

Pain

the same as usual

Hatred

less than usual

Fun

less than usual

Love

much less than usual
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Who is in sleep paralysis dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are less related to places in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are less related to home, much less related to work, and much less related to human places.

Home

less than usual

Work

much less than usual

Human places

much less than usual

Transportation

much less than usual

Natural places

much less than usual

Magical places

the same as usual
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What happens in sleep paralysis dreams?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are much more related to events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are less related to aggressive interactions, less related to friendly interactions, and less related to sex.

Aggressive interactions

less than usual

Friendly interactions

less than usual

Sex

less than usual

Disasters

less than usual
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How do sleep paralysis in dreams related to other dream phenomenon?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are much more related to dream events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to lucid dreams, much more related to nightmares, and more related to recurring dreams than dreams in general.

Lucid dreams

much more than usual

Nightmares

much more than usual

Recurring dreams

more than usual

Recurring nightmares

more than usual

Sleep paralysis

much more than usual

Sleeping

much more than usual

Waking life

the same as usual
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How do sleep paralysis in dreams related the senses?

Overall, dreams with sleep paralysis are much more related to senses in dreams. Specifically, dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to hearing than dreams in general. They are less related to smelling and less related to taste.

Hearing

much more than usual

Smelling

less than usual

Taste

less than usual

Vision

the same as usual

Touch

the same as usual
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How can you make sense of sleep paralysis in dreams?

Sleep paralysi dreams are relatively common. Among other things sleep paralysi dreams are normally interconnect, nightmare, lack characters, are associated with lucid dreaming, and scary.

Do you think this is true for your dream of sleep paralysis? How might your dream of sleep paralysis be different?

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience sleep paralysis in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about sleep paralysis in dreams. See how you feel about sleep paralysis now, in your waking life.

What are possible meanings for dreams of sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is a state of muscle paralysis while dreaming so that you don’t act out your dreams or harm yourself. Also known as REM atonia, it’s normal, and a source of much confusion and some of the most intense experiences a person can have.

The experience of waking up paralyzed is terrifying enough, especially if you don’t understand what’s happening. Add to it the fact that dream imagery overlays what your open eyes are seeing—and the feeling of terror, and that your dreaming mind responds to feelings and other stimuli by producing symbolic imagery—and you have a recipe for what’s called a “waking nightmare.”

Sleep paralysis is believed to be a source of reported experiences of alien abduction and demonic presence. That’s not to say that it explains all experiences of abduction or demons, but it can explain why there are so many reports of people being in bed asleep, waking up paralyzed and seeing creatures in the room. The person experiences fear and terror because he or she is paralyzed, confused, and afraid. The dreams translate the feelings into imagery of something frightening. For some people, aliens are frightening, perhaps their worst fear. Other people see shadowy figures, demons, or something along that line.

It’s simply your dreaming mind translating the feelings of fear into related imagery.

If you experience sleep paralysis, focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply. The extra oxygen will wake up your system, and knowing you can control at least one bodily process helps to lessen fear. Subjects have reported that a few deep breaths breaks their sleep paralysis and dispels the hallucinatory imagery.

See also: Demons, Dream within a dream, Nightmares, Ufos, Weakness

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet.

Examples of dreams of sleep paralysis

Read some real dream reports of sleep paralysi dreams.. These real life dream reports come from the moderated dream sharing communities of Reddit including r/Dreams, r/Nightmares, r/DreamInterpretation, or r/thisdreamihad. Please note that some of these may contain graphic, sexual, or violent images and text. Use the source link for each dream to view and join the discussion of each one.

Can someone help me interpret my boyfriend’s dream about me..?

He had sleep paralysis last night and saw me being raped by a mutual friend. He said I was crying, screaming his name, and that he felt powerless and could not help me no matter how hard he tried. He woke up screaming this morning.

What does this mean? Please help.

He had sleep paralysis last night and saw me being raped by a mutual friend. He said I was crying, screaming his name, and that he felt powerless and could not...

Source | Show dream

Sleep paralysis/someone having sex with me. NSFW.

So I have sleep paralysis since forever.
But I had this dream where someone was on top of me, I could feel their hands tighten around my ribcage and then release when I was about to wake up. It happened 3 times.
I am still confused as to whether there were false awakenings or not. Since sometimes it can be confusing in sleep paralysis whether you've woken up or not.
They mounted me and penetrated me repeatedly,I could feel the weight of their body on top of me and their hands were applying pressure on my ribs and chest, I could feel their genitals as I proceeded to help them penetrate me.
It wasn't bad I was really enjoying it. I could even feel the hair on their legs.
The thing that stayed with me most was the fact their grip would tighten and then release with every mount. I could feel each finger tighten around my chest.
I was turned over so I couldn't see their face and I couldn't really move either.

It happened a few days ago to, that time they were on top of me and choking my throat, again I was very aroused.

Has or does this happen with anyone else?
It was just too real for me to pass off as a lucid dream.
Or I'm wondering why am I having sex with my sleep paralysis demon lol 😅

So I have sleep paralysis since forever.
But I had this dream where someone was on top of me, I could feel their hands tighten around my ribcage and then...

Source | Show dream

the most crazy nightmare i have ever had

so this morning i had a dream in which the moment i opened my eyes there was a demon standing on the left side of my bed . i thought i had woken up from the dream but it was just a false awakening. i wasn't scared but i couldn't move my body just like sleep couldn't move but it was a dream. for some reason i still remember it clearly happening and i know it was a dream but still couldn't become fully lucid . i asked the demon why can't i move my body but he didn't utter a word. i just prayed to god and believed in myself that i can move my body and guess what i was able to rise up from my bed. i just went to a room nearby and the demon followed me. he said to me that he knows what i am thinking right now so i challenged him to read my mind and the next moment itself he started saying all the things that i was thinking at that time. i then just realised that this can't be real and when i was just about to become lucid the alarm woke me up.

so this morning i had a dream in which the moment i opened my eyes there was a demon standing on the left side of my bed . i thought i had woken up from the...

Source | Show dream

Geometric night terrors

When i was a kid , i had a special kind of night terrors, imagine geometric figures , like a circle , starting the size of sand and expanding the size so big your mind can't comprehend, like if it became the size of the universe

This nightmare is rarely talked about and only a few have experienced it , does it have a name? It's probably one of the worse type of nightmare you can get , worse then sleep paralysis , it's literally so terrifying because your brain can't even process it at all

When i was a kid , i had a special kind of night terrors, imagine geometric figures , like a circle , starting the size of sand and expanding the size so big...

Source | Show dream

Did I die?

I get sleep paralysis on a regular basis. Usually I have a nightmare or just an odd dream then the sleep paralysis starts.

However, this one particular experience was just strange. I had a dream that I was in outer space and I was with someone (idk who) and they were carrying someone’s ashes and scattered them all throughout space. I asked “I wonder what happens when you die” and this person said “nothing it’s just black”.

And then I “died”. I felt complete emptiness and blackness and I was completely aware of how I was feeling despite dreaming. It was a strange feeling, I’ve never felt anything like this before. Anyway as my “dream death” ended I experienced sleep paralysis. I don’t really know how to explain it but it felt very weird.

I might also add that before this, my partner and I were talking about his friend who passed and we discussed what happens when you die and if we can communicate to the dead.

I’m not religious or spiritual by any means.

I get sleep paralysis on a regular basis. Usually I have a nightmare or just an odd dream then the sleep paralysis starts.

However, this one particular...

Source | Show dream
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