Can someone here tell me what happened?

[youthere]

I haven't posted in this forum before, but I read it alot. I had something very strange happen and I just don't know what to make of it.
A few weeks ago I fell asleep in the recliner (I had really bad heartburn, and sometimes it helps me to sleep sitting up). I woke up and I couldn't move voluntarily, or speak, but my left arm and leg felt as though they were being pulled on. I could feel a hand around my wrist and a hand around my ankle pulling my arm and leg straight up and out from my body. I could clearly see them and they were lying flat-my arm against my side and my leg on the recliner footrest, but they felt like they were sticking up in the air. After about ten minutes it went away and I was able to move again. I never told anyone because it scared me.

If someone could help explain this I would really appreciate it. I've been looking for stuff on the internet but haven't had much luck.

[DemExpat]

1. I don't know ....

but recognize similar sensations that I have had while falling asleep or awakening.

When I was a kid, and later in some psychotherapy sessions, I would feel like my arms and legs were all numb and swollen and/or in different positions than they were in reality, and felt very paralysed during these sensations as well.
When they first happened I too was frightened, but learned to "relax" and just experience them. Now when it rarely happens I just feel very curious about it all.

:hi:

DemEx

[youthere]

2. But you never found out what was causing it?

did you have any other "symptoms" or anything else that happened along with it?

[DemExpat]

3. No, I did not

and my psychiatrist who at the time was guiding me through Primal therapy (re-living past trauma, also from birth) helped me just to experience it and to try to discover what it was "telling" me.

At the time I felt it was a birth sensation of being paralysed with enormous pressure on my body.

Perhaps it could be some long-forgotten memory that is sparked on the edge of sleep/wakefulness?

DemEx

[u4ic]

4. Sleep paralysis, perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

[youthere]

5. That sounds pretty close to what happened.

thanks for the link.

[DemExpat]

6. That link gives info on pretty much all of the symptoms of

what you experienced, including the hallucinations.

:thumbsup:

DemEx

[youthere]

7. I've never heard of "sleep paralysis" before.

SO the information is much appreciated.
Thanks again.

[u4ic]

9. I heard it used

as an explanation for the alien abduction theory in a documentary I watched a year or so ago.

I've never had it, but it sounds quite terrifying. :hug:

[youthere]

11. It was scary...

I never had the feeling of "impending doom" or that something evil was going to happen...It was scary because I didn't know what was going on. And then I was scared to tell anyone because they would think I'd gone crazy.

[Matariki]

8. sounds very much like the start of an out of body experience

used to happen to me all the time. it's a lot of fun once you get over the fear.

on edit: if you're interested, Robert Monroe's book, Journeys Out of The Body, is an excellent resource.

[youthere]

10. Thanks for the books...

I'll look into them...I'm actually going to the bookstore tonight.