Paranormal Activity or Sleep Paralysis

What Do You Think?

My first experience with sleep paralysis came when I first moved away from home and was living in a college dorm room. When I awoke one morning, I was surprised to find I could not move. Every muscle in my body was frozen in place. I was clearly awake, but I could not even open my eyes. Struggle as I might, I could not will my muscles to move. I began to concentrate on moving my toes. After what seemed like an eternity I was suddenly able to move them. That one movement freed the entire body and I was able to open my eyes and get up.

It happened frequently for a while.

One morning, it happened again, but something was different this time. In the corner of my room was a round bright light, so bright that I thought it must be the sun. Somehow, I was able to turn my head and look out the window and was surprised to find it was still the wee hours of predawn. Yet, here in my room was the brightest light I had ever seen. I laid there and closed my eyes to prevent the light from blinding me. I was unable to move, until suddenly, by once again wiggling a toe, I regained control of my body and was able to get up. The light was mysteriously gone.

I was more than a little surprised by the experience and wondered if this was a paranormal experience.

With a little research, I discovered none of this should be surprising. It does, after all, fit the classic symptoms of sleep paralysis. In fact, once I read about sleep paralysis, I accepted it as part and parcel of my experience and discounted any paranormal connections; but lately I have given it some thought.

What strikes me odd now is that episodes of sleep paralysis only happened during that period in my life, basically over a two year period, and it only occurred when I slept in that room. What strikes me as even odder is that my friend who lived down the hall was experiencing episodes of sleep paralysis during that same time period.