| Sleep Paralysis: What It Is, How To Prevent It | | | | speak the name, and he'd have no choice but to leave. |
| An in-depth look at the paranormal phenomenon | | | | There have been many nights, however, when he's |
| known as sleep paralysis by Charles Allen who has | | | | challenged my faith, and I've had to hold my ground for |
| spent forty-seven years battling demons. Provides | | | | hours. The shadow would go away and keep coming |
| simple tips on how to keep the devil away. | | | | back. But I knew my relationship with Jesus gave me |
| Sleep paralysis is a terrifying experience that affects | | | | dominion over demons, and I kept asserting my |
| millions of people worldwide. When it happens, the | | | | authority until he knew that I knew he had no right to |
| individual awakens from sleep and finds himself | | | | be messing with me. |
| paralyzed with a tremendous weight bearing down on | | | | I occasionally battle with sleep paralysis even today, |
| his body. The experience varies from one individual to | | | | but that's to be expected when you live on the |
| the next, with some people seeing figures, others | | | | battlefield. The enemy is not going to just roll over and |
| seeing shadows, but always unable to move or speak. | | | | let me live victoriously. With the writing I've been called |
| My personal bout with sleep paralysis has spanned a | | | | to do, I expect a fight, because I expose him as the |
| period of forty-seven years, beginning when I was five. | | | | fraud that he is. But as I face him day and night, I keep |
| I remember it happening almost every night while | | | | myself and my family covered with prayer. If I go to |
| watching T.V. with my family. It happened so often, I | | | | sleep without praying for God to protect me, it's almost |
| didn't think much of it until I overheard my father | | | | certain that I will have another incident of sleep |
| discussing the subject with one of his friends. He | | | | paralysis. If I do pray, it's almost certain that I will not. He |
| referred to it as a witch riding his back and said he | | | | still challenges me from time to time to see where my |
| slept with a bible under his pillow to prevent the | | | | faith is, so I have to stay one step ahead of him, |
| paralysis from occurring. I was too young to remember | | | | knowing that he's always lurking, waiting for an opening |
| whether I tried his suggestion back then, but I did when | | | | to move on me and keep me from doing the work I |
| I was much older and it didn't work. | | | | was put here to do. |
| During my teen years, my experience with sleep | | | | Demons don't mess with anyone unless they consider |
| paralysis took a turn for the worse and I started | | | | them to be a potential threat to their rule of the earth. If |
| seeing things. I'd wake up and find a shadow standing | | | | you're experiencing sleep paralysis or having any other |
| over me and I'd take off running. I had an attic | | | | demonic experiences, it's because you have important |
| bedroom, so I'd dash down the stairs in the dark, falling | | | | work to do. I encourage you to develop a strong |
| most of the way, startling my brothers and sisters | | | | relationship with God and accept Jesus a your savior |
| who'd hear me coming and often beat me to the front | | | | so you can exercise authority over the demons trying |
| door. | | | | to wreck your life. You're in a battle, so you might as |
| One of my most frightening sleep paralysis | | | | well arm yourself in order to avoid the mental and |
| experiences happened during my junior year in high | | | | physical pitfalls he's trying to create all around you. |
| school. I was sleeping in the middle of the day and | | | | Here are seven things you can do to help prevent and |
| woke up paralyzed. A strong wind began blowing | | | | overcome sleep paralysis: |
| through my room, tossing the curtains around when a | | | | 1. Pray for protection before going to sleep. |
| disfigured face with horns started floating toward me | | | | 2. Don't go to bed angry. Settle any relationship issues |
| from the ceiling. I tried calling my mother, but my tongue | | | | before you close your eyes and read a bible verse, |
| was frozen stiff inside my mouth and I couldn't speak. | | | | maybe one of the Psalms, to put your mind at ease. |
| All I was able to do was let out an incoherent groan. | | | | 3. If you're not sleepy, don't try to force yourself to go |
| Suddenly I began speaking The Lord's Prayer in my | | | | to sleep. You'll find yourself lingering between states of |
| mind. The weird thing about this is that I didn't even | | | | consciousness and become more susceptible to |
| know The Lord's Prayer. As I repeated it, the face | | | | attack. |
| backed away, until it was gone. When I was finally able | | | | 4. When you're dreaming, be careful of things or |
| to move, I thought about what happened and was | | | | people wanting you to approach them. Demons need |
| tempted to write it off as a dream, but I didn't. It was | | | | an invitation. They'll change their appearance in a |
| real, and I wouldn't let my mind convince me to believe | | | | dream and entice you to come near. If something |
| otherwise. | | | | seems strange, has a hazy appearance, or there's a |
| By the time I turned twenty-two, I was involved with a | | | | stench in the air, those are all warning signs. Don't |
| lot of new age practices which I believe opened me | | | | ignore the red flags. The moment you approach the |
| up to more intense episodes of sleep paralysis. I was | | | | demon or allow him to lay hands on you the attack will |
| also attending a new age church and thought I had a | | | | begin and you may find yourself in another bout with |
| strong relationship with Jesus, but I quickly learned how | | | | sleep paralysis. |
| mistaken I was. | | | | 5. Horror movies, murder scenes, negative or harmful |
| One afternoon, I was bored and was forcing myself to | | | | thoughts, wearing demonic costumes, listening to violent |
| go to sleep. When I finally dozed off I heard something | | | | song lyrics all lower our spiritual vibration and open the |
| walk in and begin tugging at my ankles. An | | | | door for demons to come in. Once in, they're hard to |
| adventurous young man not wanting to blow an | | | | get rid of. Feed your spirit positive things and they |
| opportunity to interact with a higher spiritual being, I slid | | | | won't be able to attack you while you sleep as if they |
| down as he obviously wanted. As soon as I did, he | | | | own you. |
| separated me from my body. He then hopped on my | | | | 6. Demons are spiritual beings. They can't attack your |
| back and began to assault me while digging his sharp | | | | physical body. What they attack during sleep paralysis |
| claws deep into my neck. Paralyzed and unable to | | | | is your astral body, that part of you that separates |
| speak, I began shouting the name of Jesus in my mind, | | | | while you sleep and travels through the spirit realm |
| knowing what the bible said about demons fleeing | | | | providing the experiences we often refer to as |
| when you call on his name. Instead of running away as | | | | dreams. This is why we are so quick to write sleep |
| I expected, he just mocked me in an impish little voice. | | | | paralysis off as a dream. It's real, and the sooner we |
| This seriously scared me because I knew that if Jesus | | | | come to grips with that, the better off we'll be. So my |
| couldn't save me from the powers of darkness, I was | | | | sixth point for preventing and overcoming sleep |
| in some deep trouble. | | | | paralysis is "Take It Seriously." |
| The paralysis lasted for what seemed like an hour with | | | | 7. When sleep paralysis occurs, don't resist. It's natural |
| me fighting, trying to get free, but the more I fought, the | | | | to try and break free when you're scared out of your |
| stronger he got. Finally I just stopped resisting. When I | | | | mind, but demons feed on fear and aggression. It only |
| did, I slipped back inside my body and the attack was | | | | makes them stronger and the weight bearing down on |
| over. | | | | you heavier because these emotions drag you further |
| The sleep attacks continued with me as a helpless | | | | into a realm where they rule. Remain calm, control your |
| victim until I got married in my early thirties. I married a | | | | fear and you should slip back inside your body. |
| born again Christian woman who had a strong prayer | | | | In closing, please remember this. Demons affect our |
| life, had formally accepted Jesus as her savior and | | | | thoughts, mood and physical health. When we allow |
| had a strong relationship with God. In time, I became | | | | them to have the kind of dominion over us that they |
| born again as well. The attempts against my body | | | | exercise during sleep paralysis, there's no way we can |
| didn't stop, however, but at least now I had a real | | | | accomplish what God has appointed us to do. We're |
| relationship with Jesus and the demon knew it. | | | | at war and it's time for us to realize that. We need to |
| Whenever I felt him moving in to attack, I'd call on the | | | | deal with these sleep attacks and take back control of |
| name and he'd back away. | | | | our body temple. |
| Sometimes I'd wake up and find myself paralyzed, | | | | |