Paralyzed in the dark: The ancient demonic attack science calls ‘sleep paralysis’

The place between wakefulness and sleep is a strange limbo where a number of odd things can happen. Some people experience an overwhelming sense of dread, terrifying visions of shadowy figures or intruders in the room, a crushing pressure on their chest, and the complete inability to speak or move anything except their eyes.

This phenomenon is called sleep paralysis.

According to the modern medical explanation, sleep paralysis is a temporary brain glitch that occurs during the sleep-wake transition, where the brain awakens while the body’s natural REM atonia (muscle paralysis that prevents acting out dreams) lingers.

But there’s a growing belief that sleep paralysis isn’t just some freaky biological occurrence but rather a spine-chilling spiritual attack.

On a recent episode of “Strange Encounters,” Rick Burgess dove into the ancient history of what modern science dubs a “harmless” sleep condition.

While Rick says that what science calls sleep paralysis “hallucinations” may be just that — the “brain playing tricks” — the dread, chest pressure, and shadowy figures sound suspiciously similar to stories of demonic attacks.

And in fact, in other countries all over the world, sleep paralysis is indeed believed to be the work of demons.

Citing Vicki Joy Anderson’s sleep paralysis book “They Only Come Out at Night,” Rick notes that horrifying tales of night monsters who sit on a sleeper’s chest date back to ancient times. This night hag takes different names depending on the country, but the core phenomenon — chest-crushing paralysis and malevolent presence — is remarkably universal.

“All these cultures with all their different names, they describe something demonic, and every single name seems to describe an experience where the demon is strongly pressing down on them and they cannot move — every single one of them,” he says.

Based on the anecdotes in Anderson’s book, Christians who experienced sleep paralysis and called on the name of Jesus experienced “instant relief.”

In addition to calling on the name of the “Lord Jesus” specifically, Rick advises Christians experiencing sleep paralysis to find a “prayer partner” who will commit to praying daily for relief, to confess sin and repent, to refrain from doing things or consuming content that could open demonic doors, and to recite Psalm 91 as a prayer each night before bed.

He then addresses those who are not Christians and thus cannot access the supreme power of Jesus.

“If you’re not redeemed, then that’s the first thing you got to do. You need to be under the authority of Jesus Christ. You need to be abiding in Him. You need to place your faith in him, not in rituals, not anything like that, but in Him — then access the power that He has.”

To hear more, watch the episode above.

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