You wake up with chills running down your spine. You can’t shake that scary ghostly face you saw in your dreams. Was it a dream or a ghost
?
As a general rule, most ghostly experiences during your sleep are due to psychological factors. Sleep paralysis creates hallucinations of ghosts attacking you in your sleep. Another theory is that the paranormal attack your subconscious mind when sleeping.
In most cases, ghostly attacks during sleep are due to hallucinations during sleep paralysis. Not all night terrors can be explained, though. Paranormal researchers suggest that some experiences are paranormal in nature.
Do ghosts attack you in your sleep?
In most cases, ghostly attacks during sleep are due to sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when you wake up during your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During the REM phase, you have vivid dreams. To protect yourself from getting hurt and acting out on the experience, the body is disconnected (and paralyzed). You are not able to move or speak during this phase.
Other theories are that ghosts approach us when we are connected with our subconscious mind – which in most cases, happens when we sleep or are under hypnosis. Psychics are in tune with their subconscious mind even when awake. Psychics, therefore, receive ghostly messages even when awake.
Sleep paralysis – the scientific explanation
If you wake up during the REM phase, you will not be able to move or scream. This can be truly terrifying to experience in itself. On top of this, your brain starts to “fill in the blanks” to make sense of the situation. You begin to hallucinate where your body should be if you move in the way your brain tells it to.
The hallucinations might create out-of-body experiences when you can watch yourself levitating or floating away.
When you hallucinate, you can’t differentiate between what is actually “you” and “other.” In reality, we label everything we see as an object (if it is not connected to our body – as an arm or like). The hallucination of your bodily projection transforms into a “ghost.” Yes, it is a bit complex, I know. If you want to learn more, the video below is beneficial to understand the phenomena fully.
The thin veil – the paranormal explanation
According to paranormal research, ghosts can connect with us more easily when we sleep. When we sleep, we access the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is visualized by a thin veil that separates our consciousness and un- and subconsciousness. The thin veil also is a metaphor for the line between our world and the Ether.
When we sleep, we access the subconscious mind to process experiences that our waken brain can’t handle. The veil between the world beyond is as thin as it can be. Ghosts take advantage of this and try to make contact as they know we are more able to hear them.
As ghosts don’t have much energy, they tend to contact us in a way that is energy effective. In most cases, spirits want to deliver a message or make themselves known. In rare situations, they might be out to harm you or scare you into compliance.
Not all encounters are evil
It is important to note that even if the experience feels scary, it might not be an attack. We tend to feel afraid of things we don’t understand. In most cases, the ghosts are not trying to scare you – they are trying to communicate with you.
The video below shows a ghost touching a woman’s hair while sleeping. In this case, it’s a physical manifestation as the spirit pulls her hair. It’s a bit scary to watch, but remember, we don’t know the ghost’s intent. It might also be a friendly ghost trying to make itself known. I have seen ghostly children pulling this trick to “play.”
There are also records of ghosts scratching, pushing, or pinching people. In the worst cases, you might be dealing with a demonic entity. If you suspect ill intent, you can learn if a haunting is dangerous or not here.
Sleep paralysis or ghostly attacks?
How do you know the difference between sleep paralysis and a ghostly attack? It can be tough to know whether it is a psychological phenomenon or not. If you are uncertain, contact a professional health provider. If they are not able to give you answers, you can always ask a psychic to do a reading of your home. Always start in science, though. Most answers are found there.
If you get physical marks on your body, it might indicate a ghostly attack. You can’t move and scratch yourself when you are in a state of sleep paralysis. But there can be many natural causes creating scratches and bruises; pets, allergies, objects in your bed, bugs, heat, rashes, and so on.
If you have a ghost or entity lingering at home, a psychic might be able to pick up on it. If you don’t have access to a psychic in your local community, you can reach out to a psychic online. Be sure that they can conduct distance readings. You find professional psychics on Keen.com (affiliate)
Always consult a health professional if you are experiencing sleep paralysis or hallucinations.
How to protect yourself when you sleep
If you are afraid of psychic attacks when you sleep, you can do a few things to minimize the risk and effect of a ghostly attack. The best protection is always a high vibrational state. When you have a higher vibration, it is hard for negative energies to launch attacks.
You can check out my article 9 effective ways to protect yourself from psychic attacks if you need tips and tricks on elevating your vibrational state.
Another great way to ward off ghosts when you sleep is by placing a black tourmaline by your bedside. You can also benefit from placing a selenite in the room.
Mindfulness and meditation practices are also great tools to elevate your vibrational state. When you feel calm and relaxed your vibrations automatically go up.
If you are dealing with friendly ghosts acting in a scary way, it can help to let them know you are scared. Tell the ghost to leave you alone when you are sleeping as it scares you. You will be amazed at how many times this actually works. Most ghosts are not evil; they are there to protect you.
It is always a great idea to keep your ghosts aware of your boundaries. When they don’t listen, it is time to ask for help. In rare cases, it might be negative energy that needs to be dealt with. My recommendation is always to contact a professional when doing this, as you might do more harm if you approach negative energy in the wrong way.
Finally, if you are a psychic you might be getting your messages as dreams. As not everyone is aware of their psychic abilities, it might be good to review your dreams and keep a dream journal. If you notice that your dreams might have a “meaning”, you might be experiencing psychic insights.
