That Violent Twitch

I’ve been awake but paralysed once. It was in the car just as we (my mom and I) were pulling into a town to get something to eat on a long trip. I (being the lazy bastard I am) had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. I was consciuos and sort of slumped over in my seat, so I was looking at the bottom of the car door. I was trying to sit up and look around, but was completely unable to. It scared the shit out of me. My mom then said something and I woke up the rest of the way.

Yes, that sleep paralysis happens and it is not fun if you wake up and it doesn’t stop.


I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail.

I’ve got epilepsy, and I’ve had that violent twitch on occasion (just had one last night, in fact). I’ve also experienced “sleep paralysis,” and it is not fun. On the few occasions that I’ve had the sleep paralysis, I’m actually mostly awake. I just can’t move, can’t make a sound. It scared the crap out of me.

My neurologist told me that there is no connection between my epilepsy and my sleep paralysis experiences. That’s just me, though. I’ve never asked him about a connection between the twitch thing and seizures, though. But I’ve never had a seizure immediately following a twitch.


Changing my sig, because Wally said to, and I really like Wally, and I’ll do anything he says, anytime he says to.

I have been in SP with haloucinations several times. I always thought that I was awake and each time I thought that a murderer was in the room and I could not move.

While this was scary, I kind of enjoyed it. I always felt sort ot at peace with it.

You are a weird duck too, aren’t ya? :wink:


I struggle every day to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

You don’t know the half of it :wink:

I see a neurologist for epilepsy. I asked him about twitches. He said that they were normal as was the sleep paralysis.

I usually experience sleep paralysis when I am taking a longer-than-normal midday nap. If something wakes me up, I will experience the paralysis. It goes away. After a while, I stopped worrying about those, but they are sort of creepy.

The “Astral Projection” column also has a lot of interesting stuff on sleep, and a string of follow-ups as well. It’s at
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mastral.html

<font size=5>Ghod help us, the Straight Dope is filled with violently twitching people; most of whom believe in UFOs.</font>

:slight_smile: :frowning: :o :smiley: :wink: :stuck_out_tongue: :cool: :rolleyes: :mad: :eek: :confused: