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A Reasonable Explanation

 

Just to start with, I'm fully aware of the things our minds make us think we're seeing or hearing or feeling which is why I'm cautiously skeptical in most things revolving around the paranormal; I'm more inclined to seek the most obvious explanation first. Still, it doesn't make the experience any less daunting. But I'd love to hear any feedback.

I've had this experience a couple of times, the most recent one just this morning as I'm posting this. I woke up as my fiance was getting ready for work and, knowing that I still had time before I had to get up, I remained in bed. He left a little while later, leaving the bedroom light on and the fan on in the bathroom. I woke a couple of times, having dreams in between consciousness, but was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open.

At one point, just before getting up, I lay in bed with my eyes closed but feeling awake. I heard shuffling in my room as if someone was walking around. I tried opening my eyes and moving, but I couldn't; I figured it was sleep paralysis. All the hairs on my body stood on end and my heart rate increased because, at the moment, it felt like there was someone in the room looking over me from the edge of the bed. I thought I heard whispering, something inaudible but, of course, when I opened my eyes after straining to do so, no one was there (not even my cat - she was looking out the window in the other room).

This feeling scares me a bit, but I figure that there's a reasonable explanation like lucid dreaming or otherwise. But it does feel real: the footsteps, the paralysis and hairs on end, fast heart rate. Or is this simply my body's reactions to a very vivid dream? There's no imagery matched with it and I can recall other dreams I had this morning. I know there are people who's expertise in these kinds of things go beyond the paranormal and can explain what might be going on. Any (positive) feedback is appreciated.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, BlueTurtle, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Bbrave (1 stories) (131 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-07-10)
In my last comment I meant sleep paralysis might be the likely explanation for your experience
Bbrave (1 stories) (131 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-07-10)
Maybe it was sleep paralysis maybe it wasn't I don't know. What I do know is not being able to open your eyes does not jive with sleep paralysis. I have experienced it and had no trouble opening mine, I did feel a presence in the room so that might be explained by having experienced sleep paralysis.

Something else that stands out is your cat becoming disturbed and afraid to enter that room you mentioned.
Animals are known to be able to sense things like spirits and the like so it might be possible that's what happened.

All in all I'd say it may be the most likely explanation for your experience. I'm still out on the hallucination part but do admit you might have had one
BlueTurtle (3 stories) (176 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-15)
Thanks for all the feedback. HappySpirit, Javelina, I agree with you that this was most likely and simply a mild hallucination brought on by being between states of awake and sleep accompanied by sleep paralysis. I actually didn't know there was a direct link between them, but I'll do some more research.

My cat didn't react this time, but there was a time where she went to enter the room and stopped in the doorway and suddenly got all puffy as if something spooked her. She was hesitant to enter the room afterwards, but my fiance and I didn't find anything off about it and nothing happened after that.

Ada - I hope the sounds you hear are perfectly harmless! They sound like they are and I hope you're writing stories about them.
Andrea22 (5 stories) (65 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-14)
Hmm...sounds like it could be a matter of your mind. Of course I can't say for sure that's what I would guess.It's so hard to tell when you're just waking up because your mind could still be coming out of dreams. The way you can tell that it's not just your mind... Is when someone else in the other room says the same thing! Like one time my mother was laying half awake in bed, and heard what sounded like a group of people talking softly to each other. (there was no group at the house... Just 4 people in different rooms) Then later my dad, who was in the next room working and very much awake, heard the same thing.That's what really stumps me... When it's not coming from one persons mind!
ada (4 stories) (44 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-14)
Oh my goodness... I have had all kinds of noises and stuff this morning all of loud bangs and chairs moving I got up cause I have a dog and she was sleeping in my chair. Then I came on the porch to check it out and I heard it in the kichen. I went in the sounds were gone. I agree with HappySpirit... I keep watch... I have things happen all the time... Just see if anything else happens. Good luck... God bless
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-14)
BlueTurtle,
HappySpirit makes a very good point here. Your cat showed no sign or recognition of any disturbance at the time you were experiencing the phenomenon. Not having experienced Sleep Paralysis myself, I am probably not the best judge though. However, I would encourage you to Google it, as I have found there are always sleep studies going on somewhere. So, if you are interested, perhaps you might want to volunteer as a subject in one of them in your area. If there is a University in your area, check there. I have found that those are the normally the places you can find this sort of research taking place.
I hope this helps.

Jav 😊
HappySpirit (187 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-06-14)
Sleep paralysis is often (not always) accompanied by auditory phenomenon like whispers and footsteps and other sensory experience such as feeling someone is staring at you, hovering over you, and so forth. Why this is, I don't know. However, since sleep paralysis is a disturbance of the dream/waking consciousness continuum, it is possible that we are continuing to dream at the same time as we are awake. Since your cat wasn't disturbed I'm thinking that it wasn't a paranormal event, but just keep watch and see if anything else happens.

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