Types of Sleep Paralysis Experiences - With Demons
Do you ever find yourself waking up in the dead of night, heart pounding, mind fully aware—but your body utterly unresponsive? That moment of terror, when shadows on the edge of your vision swirl into life, is known as sleep paralysis. It’s a phenomenon that leaves many people feeling trapped in their own bodies while encountering frightful apparitions or sensations they can’t control.
In folklore and modern anecdotes alike, stories abound of menacing figures who hover at the bedside, ominous hags who press down on our chests, mysterious noises that coil around us in the dark, and even unsettling sensations of weightlessness and sudden drops. These chilling encounters have one common thread: they feel disturbingly real.
Below, we delve into some of the most well-known and terrifying manifestations of sleep paralysis, exploring their lore and the startling experiences reported by many who have encountered these “demons” while trapped in that hazy, vulnerable space between sleep and wakefulness.
The Shadow Man
A silent still entity standing by your bed in a sleep paralysis episode, sometimes seen wearing a cloak and a fedora hat. His glowing eyes can be the only light emanating from his lurid shadowy body.
Have you seen him?
The Night Hag
The Night Hag is the most famous of all the sleep paralysis demons and is known for sitting on the chest of her victims and even in some cases is known to fornicate with some male individuals.
She can take many forms, but is most known for her form as a withered old woman with fetid, dank hair in a tattered black cloak.
The Skramsa
The terrifying Skramsa is often heard but not seen. During a sleep paralysis experience, if you hear that hum, white noise, that infernal hissing or even screaming. That's the Skramsa, the demon of noise.
Some unlucky victims may also experience a full bodied apparition of the ragged horror, often screaming in the face of the unfortunate receiver.
Levitation
This was my first experience of sleep paralysis and very common with sleep paralysis sufferers. The levitation can range from being slightly floated above the bed to thrown around the room violently with no way of resisting or protecting yourself. One thing that is frequent is the sensation of being "released" and dropped back onto the bed, which is usually the point at which most victims will regain the use of their body.