Re, Sleep Paralysis
I had the same thing for a number of years. The first time I remember having it, I was probably about 13 or 14 (I'm 34 now). I kind of "woke up", meaning I became conscious, or aware like when I'm awake, exept that I couldn't move at all. I thought I was in a coma. I tried to get up, but couldn't seem to budge at all. I thought "Maybe I could move just my arm". I did, and when it reached the apex at which I no longer had to lift it, it fell beside me and woke me up. I also remember feeling all "tingly", like when my foot goes to sleep, except there was no place on my body where I didn't feel like that - it was everywhere. Years later I would have the same experience, usually when I had not been getting proper rest due to either staying up too late, or breaking up my sleep hours. One incident happened when I was going to summer school one year, and had stayed up late the night before. I was sensitive to staying up too late, but have gotten over that. I always got ENOUGH rest, but not always right when I should. Anyway, back around '86, I started leaving my clock radio on when I went to sleep. I would get into this "half woke" state, and the radio would sound like nothing but static. It was frightening to me, although I would never have admitted it. I'd make some grunts trying to get up, or get away from that sound, and when I'd wake up and move to turn the dial, or turn it off, I'd realize there was nothing wrong with the sound the way it was. That was strange. I also had an incident one night after coming home from summer school where I had fallen asleep on the couch, and later on got a call from this girl who I was friendly with at school. By then I was more friendly to her than she was to me, although we still talked (can't blame her, my fault, etc). Anyway, she called me after I had been in the state described above, except that the light filtering in through the door wove itself into my dream, and it seemed so real, like the way you described sitting up and watching your friend comb her hair; I was dreaming that there was a thief at the door trying to break in, and I was convinced it was all real. Having not yet had enough sleep, when the phone rang I ran, answered it, and when she stared talking I said "Sssshhh! You'll scare him away!". Erica said "Who?" and I said "The thief!". She started laughing and I explained to her that there was a guy trying to break in and I wanted to catch him. Then I realized I must have been dreaming. I have experienced the funny soundingness of the radio, the lucid dream part, the paralysis, and the feeling that something is crushing you. That's the weird part too, because if I'm right, what that is is you holding your breath fearfully, trying to make a sound, and being very sensitive to the way that feels to your muscles. These spells mostly went away, but I can give you this advice. I learned a martial arts breathing technique when I was younger that has helped me when coupled with meditation. Practice that technique when you're awake so that you will have better odds of remembering it when this happens to you. Most important is that you concentrate on your centre of balance, which is about an inch below your belly button, and about three inches back in (more in my case...darn pastries...). In Oriental medicine, this is very important, and believe me, this WILL work if you remember it. You concentrate on that spot, and you breathe as relaxedly as possible, remembering that the air goes in through your nose. Picture it coiling down in that spot, and when you breathe out, picture it unravelling as you do so. You breathe in the good, and expell the old. This is also very energizing. When I did this, my eyes automatically opened. Unfortunately, I didn't remember to do it any of the other times. Good luck, and don't worry about it too much. I think what you have is called "Sleep Apnia". My mother was a nurse and told me about it. I've mostly gotten over it, and you probably will too.
