Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon in which a person, either falling asleep or awakening, temporarily experiences an inability to move, speak, or react. It is a transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, characterized by complete muscle atonia (muscle weakness). It is often accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (such as an intruder in the room) to which one is unable to react due to paralysis, and physical experiences (such as strong current running through the upper body). One hypothesis is that it results from disrupted REM sleep, which normally induces complete muscle atonia to prevent sleepers from acting out their dreams. Sleep paralysis has been linked to disorders such as narcolepsy, migraines, anxiety disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea; however, it can also occur in isolation.[1][2] (exerpt from Wikipedia.org)

     Throughout my life, I have experienced full blown sleep paralysis five or six times. For me, there isn’t any pressure on my chest. There’s just an inability to move and a feeling that someone, something, is just out of my sight and slowly coming to get me. A couple of times, I’ve seen shadowy figures just at the edge of my vision. I couldn’t move my head well enough to get a good look. It’s a terrifying thing to go through. The best way I can describe it is sort of like a conscious dream where you know something isn’t right. You sometimes realize that you’re having a dream, but you’re aware of it and unable to wake up. 

     It's a frightening thing and I have no idea why I shared that with the world.