Experience description:

I had got up at around 6:30 am to take my son to school. I got home around 8:00 am. My husband and youngest son left around 8:30 am and I laid back down to sleep. I don't feel like I actually fell into a deep sleep (which is another reason my experience greatly reflects sleep paralysis). I could see everything in the direction that my head was turned and the direction that I was facing but I couldn't really move my head to see anything else. My body was def. paralyzed and I would've accepted that it was just an episode of sleep paralysis until I put so much effort into moving my body (my arms in particular) that I saw what appeared to be a shear, yellow/gold, glittery version of my arm and hand. This wasn't a dream because I clearly thought to myself "Oh my God, I'm about to have an out of body experience. If I don't stop trying to move I'm going to completely come out of my body". I was scared. I didn't want to come out of my body. I was scared that if I did come out of my body, I'd die.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     Uncertain            I take medication ADHD. My experience would be scientifically called "Sleep Paralysis". I've experienced "sleep paralysis" before many times, even without being on these meds, but only the past 2 times have I actually saw parts of my body leave my physical body.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     Its hard for me to describe the fact that I felt like I was moving but my body was completely paralyzed. Its also very difficult to tell someone that I saw my hands and arms (they were a shear yellow/gold looking color) come up out of my body.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Its like my brain was awake and fully functioning. In my brain I was thinking, and talking to myself, talking myself through the experience. After physically waking back up, I felt completely drowsy and not all there. Borderline incoherent.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Only when it came to seeing things. Its like there were certain things I had to struggle to see and certain things that I could easily see.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Uncertain      I only saw my arms and hands and they appeared to be in the form of arms and hands. They were just glittery and see through.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            I was terrified, my previous experience there was a black shadowy presence there with me.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           Yes-some sort of tapping or banging noise outside. At first I thought it was something normal like a lawn mower or car or a dog barking (I wasn't exactly paying attention to the noise, just aware that a noise was present). After I got my thoughts together and realized that even though I couldn't physically move but that I could still think, I realized that I couldn't identify the noise. It was a tapping or knocking or banging of some sort that seemed to be outside of my house.

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you see a light?           Uncertain      Just the light in my bedroom from my windows.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Uncertain      In this particular experience, no, but the one that happened about a week before (which was very similar to this one), yes. A black shadowy presence that appeared to be of the male species. This 1st experience was typical of sleep paralysis (with typical incubus type of 'hallucinations' if you know what I mean). I don't feel like I knew who he was and I couldn't see a face. Just a dark shadow. During this incubus type of experience, I remember praying right before he took me. At the point of the presence taking me I felt like I had no choice and almost like I was inviting it. Afterwards, when I was able to physically get myself together I was a nervous wreck.

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? Uncertain     

When I tried to move, and at the point that I thought I was moving my arms, I realized that I wasn't physically moving because I couldn't feel my comforter. Like, I felt like I was moving my arms but when I went to take my comforter off my body, nothing happened. I wasn't able to move the comforter. At this point I wasn't even able to see myself move. It was extremely weird and confusing at first. I felt like I was moving but I couldn't see my arms and hands and I couldn't feel my comforter (this wasn't the point that I saw my hands outside of my physical body, I saw this after trying to remove my comforter).

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          No      

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Uncertain            Just that there were certain things that I could see easily and others that wasn't so easy to see. Even though I felt like I was moving, easily...really easily, I soon realized that I wasn't physically moving and my attempts to move my comforter were unsuccessful.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Uncertain      I felt like I went through this for an hour but it was only about 20 minute.

Did you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?    Uncertain            It was a complete learning experience.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?             Uncertain      I feel like I crossed a boundary when I realized I was coming out of my body.

Did you become aware of future events?       No      

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       Yes     I was wanting to return to my body. I was scared that I would die if I didn't. I just kept hoping and praying to gain control over my body.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         Uncertain      A weird dream about some male that I don't know impregnating me and trying to force me to perform my own c-section...this probably doesn't fall under 'gifts' though.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Uncertain      I feel like NDE and OBE are a lot more real than what society believes. If this is true there's so much more to us than we think/believe.

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       I'm just more aware and open minded, which, may not be a good thing! 

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I told a coworker (she's very religious-she's the type that believes in demons and demonic possession, etc) and she seemed to believe that I've been too open minded and I've allowed myself to experience this. Even though its real, according to her we aren't supposed to have knowledge of it. I also told another coworker, who claims that she's had a similar experience years ago. I told my husband....it just completely scares him!

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  After the 1st experience I was a complete nervous wreck the whole day. After the 2nd experience, I felt mind blown.

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      Not being able to move and not knowing what was going on with me and why was def the worst. I'm not sure there was a best part.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        I'd like to think that there's a scientific explanation and that all these things I've experienced are hallucinations due to medications. But the more it happens to me, the more real it is.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?               Yes