Is Sleep Paralysis a demonic attack? & Can it happen to you?

The mysterious phenomenon of sleep paralysis has a long history steeped in supernatural folklore from many regions and religions around the world. According to studies between 8% and 50% of people will experience at least one of these strange paralytic events during their lifetime, and only 5% will experience it on a regular basis. Many claim the underlying cause is a neurological or psychiatric issue. While many others firmly believe it is caused by aliens or actual demonic attacks (sleep paralysis demons), and that the individuals experiencing these attacks are not hallucinating and do not have any psychological issues whatsoever.

What is sleep paralysis really caused by?

Throughout history there has been much research and many scientific studies conducted in search for the conclusive evidence needed to finally bring resolve to this age old question.

But let’s take a look at what Wikipedia has to say about this. I added what I believe to be the most pertinent information from Wikipedia below in order for the readers to be able to easily gather a firm understanding and grip on the topic at hand without having to leave this page.

Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of full-body paralysis. During an episode, one may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are not there), which often results in fear. Episodes generally last no more than a few minutes. It can recur multiple times or occur as a single episode.

The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy or those with narcolepsy, or it may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The condition can be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a dysfunction in REM sleep. Diagnosis is based on a person’s description. Other conditions that can present similarly include narcolepsy, atonic seizure, and hypokalemic periodic paralysis. Treatment options for sleep paralysis have been poorly studied. It is recommended that people be reassured that the condition is common and generally not serious. Other efforts that may be tried include sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressants.

Symptoms & Signs

Imagined sounds such as humming, hissing, static, zapping and buzzing noises are reported during sleep paralysis. Other sounds such as voices, whispers and roars are also experienced. It has also been known that one may feel pressure on their chest and intense pain in their head during an episode. These symptoms are usually accompanied by intense emotions such as fear and panic. People also have sensations of being dragged out of bed or of flying, numbness, and feelings of electric tingles or vibrations running through their body.

Sleep paralysis may include hallucinations, such as an intruding presence or dark figure in the room, these are commonly known as sleep paralysis demons, it may also include suffocating or the individual feeling a sense of terror, accompanied by a feeling of pressure on one’s chest and difficulty breathing.

Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of sleep paralysis has not been concretely identified, although there are several theories about its cause. The first of these stems from the understanding that sleep paralysis is a parasomnia resulting from dysfunctional overlap of the REM and waking stages of sleep. Polysomnographic studies found that individuals who experience sleep paralysis have shorter REM sleep latencies than normal along with shortened NREM and REM sleep cycles, and fragmentation of REM sleep. This study supports the observation that disturbance of regular sleeping patterns can precipitate an episode of sleep paralysis, because fragmentation of REM sleep commonly occurs when sleep patterns are disrupted and has now been seen in combination with sleep paralysis.

Threat Hyper-Vigilance

A hyper-vigilant state created in the midbrain may further contribute to hallucinations. More specifically, the emergency response is activated in the brain when individuals wake up paralyzed and feel vulnerable to attack. This helplessness can intensify the effects of the threat response well above the level typical of normal dreams, which could explain why such visions during sleep paralysis are so vivid. The threat-activated vigilance system is a protective mechanism that differentiates between dangerous situations and determines whether the fear response is appropriate.

Sleep Paralysis – Wikipedia

There are many intriguing videos and articles available online from doctors, scientists and so called experts that will explain to you what they believe the true cause is, and they might even be able to convince and sell you on their theory.

Although the answer for this long sought after question is still debatable and in the end, inconclusive. All the theories are simply theoretical along with their “supportive evidence”, which could easily be deemed unsupportive and none of the theories weigh more on the scales of truth than another.

So what actually causes sleep paralysis?

You may think I have some mind-blowing revelation, but for most people my answer is just as theoretical as the rest because it’s based off of anecdotal evidence that can’t be proven. I know with all my heart, mind and soul that demonic attacks are the source for these nightmarish events and there’s no convincing me otherwise.

I’ve been dealing with these attacks since as early as 2013 and I’ve never spoke with or met anyone that has had as many experiences or personal testimonies as I do about them.

Demonic Attacks

I don’t remember the details about the first time I was attacked but I know it was in 2013 shortly after or before I was saved while incarcerated that year. I know because I remember speaking with one of the pastors that would come to the jail to talk with us and visit. I asked the pastor what to do about these attacks and he simply told me to read Psalm 91.

1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Psalm chapter 91

I left the jail a month or two later and arrived in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. I had to complete a three week treatment program before I was completely freed, and it was at this facility when the next attack occurred.

As usual the attacks happen during a dream. In this dream I was in a fish store and I was working with the manager which looked like Jesus. He had left me to attend business in the back of the store and informed me I was in charge while he was gone.

I was instantly approached by two customers who began asking about fish and fish tanks. They were nice at first until I didn’t have the answers they were looking for and things quickly escalated. The next thing I know they were crowding in on me and one was reaching out with both his hands towards my throat saying “Chad you little mother (growl) if I could only”. The curse word wasn’t actually said in my dream either, it was just kind of growled out. Before his hands reached my throat I called out to Jesus and immediately I awoke.

After awaking I could sense a dark presence lingering in the room as I always do after these attacks. I left the room, grabbed my bible, read Psalm 91 a few times and prayed until I could tell the evil had left the room. Once it left, I returned to bed.

The demons weren’t able to choke me out in this dream to keep me from calling out to Jesus but they make sure they do every single time they attack me now.

Sleep Paralysis Demons Hate The Name Of Jesus

I can’t recall how many times I have had these attacks that most would just dismiss as a bad dream. But it’s no coincidence that every single time they happen, I end up calling out to Jesus and they always end up fleeing. There are many variations in these occurrences but them fleeing at the name of Jesus is a constant that will never change.

Even if they’re choking me out and all I can pronounce is the “J” of His name, it’s enough. It’s enough for the demons to jump back far enough where I’m able to pronounce His full name at which they completely flee.

I won’t go into great detail but some have even reported that sleep paralysis is also caused by a type of sexual demon called an incubus or a succubus. I would have to agree with this because I have had visits/attacks from succubus in my sleep as well. I have heard goat hoof steps leaving my bedroom. It’s a sound you never have to hear in order to know what it is when you hear it.

The last time I was attacked was around a week or so ago. I’ve become so used to them that I didn’t even call out to Jesus immediately, Instead I acted out of my flesh and began cursing at them which was a mistake. The situation instantly became worse and the demons became much more aggressive.

I believe Jesus was reminding me that it is only by His might, and by the power of His name and His Spirit that they flee. Although I’ve become callous to the attacks and I’m not even scared of them anymore, He wanted to engrave it in me so that I didn’t forget.

Confidence in Jesus

One time I was speaking with one of my friends from California on the phone, and we were planning on going over and reciting some deliverance prayers for the following day. I told my friend that simply talking about what we were going to do was enough to anger the enemy and that he may come under attack because of it. I told him because I didn’t want him to be surprised if it did happen. I wanted him to know that all he had to do was call out and trust in the name of Jesus if it did.

We ended our phone conversation and I went to sleep. I didn’t wake from my sleep but I woke up to the fact that I was being attacked by a demon in my sleep shortly after. All I felt was something rush at me and tackle me. I don’t believe I was actually being tackled and thrown around, but I definitely was wrestling spiritually.

Anyways this demon kept rolling me around and I stayed calm and collected, I didn’t fight it. I waited a little bit before I called out to Jesus but when I did, I only said His name once and I said it calmly and softly, “Jesus”. Nothing happened, the demon continued wrestling me around in spirit. So I waited a little longer and once again I said His name nice and softly, “Jesus”. Still nothing, the demon continued rolling me around in spirit. So this time I waited even longer before I said His name, probably three times longer than before. Once again, I said His name calmly and without any fear, “Jesus”.

The demon disappeared.

After waking up from wrestling around with one of satans’ henchmen, I looked at my clock and only ten minutes had passed since I had hung up the phone with my friend before going to sleep. I knew the enemy didn’t like what we were doing, and I had a feeling something was going to happen, but I didn’t think it was going to happen to me and I definitely didn’t think it’d happen so quickly.

Why did Jesus want me to wait? Why did He want me to have this experience?

The only logical explanation I can come up with is that God wanted to be sure I had the same confidence in Him that I was telling others I had in Him. Not because He doubted I had that confidence in Him, but because He wanted me to know that I truly had it. And more than likely because He’s preparing me for the future where I’ll need even more faith and confidence in Him than I ever have before.

This is why nobody can convince me that the events which occur within a sleep paralysis episode are nothing more than neurological, psychological, bad patterns in my sleep behavior, chemical imbalances or anything else. It may seem like these are ways to easily explain it all away but they’re in fact a lot more complicated than the truth.

Can these attacks happen to Christians? Is there something wrong with you if you are being attacked?

Yes, these attacks most definitely can happen to Christians and they do. I’ve heard some pastors say that these types of attacks can’t happen to you if you’re covered in the blood of Jesus but that’s just not true. Any pastor that says this should not be ridiculed or put down but he simply has not had any or enough experience to understand what he’s talking about. Yes, the weapons will form. But no, they will not prosper.

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Isaiah 54:17 (KJV)

Yes, I believe succus or incubus attacks can be a product of one’s own sexual sins, but I also believe that after repentance of these sins that these demonic entities can still make a visit. I’m no expert on the subject either but I do know that just because you’re a Christian, that does not mean you are not granted immunity from the weapons forming against you.

Demons may be able to sift you like wheat but they cannot possess you like the man with the unclean spirits (legion) in the country of the Gadarenes. Mark 5:1-20