Thread: Eyes open in sleep paralysis?

Just a simple question. When you're in sleep paralysis, are your eyes open? Can they be open?

No, they're not open. I think they can, but that would be a problem.

They shouldn't be, but REM strains the eyelids, sometimes they may be partially open, which is why for WILDs you may want a mask or have the covers over your head.

Mine are sometimes partially open when I experience SP consciously.

I have been experimenting with trying to open them slightly when I first realize I am in the throes of SP, although I can usually only manage to keep them open for a short time. It feels physically draining to try and do that, plus I am bound to see some weird things as my dreaming mind kind of superimposes images onto the physical world that I can sort of see.

Wow ninja, I haven't ever thought of that. Good idea, that might be a part of why when I'm lucid I see multiple "layers" of things, if you will. Heh.

Originally Posted by Venomblood

Just a simple question. When you're in sleep paralysis, are your eyes open? Can they be open?

I actually knew someone who could sleep with their eyes open.. so I guess if you can sleep with your eyes open then you could have SP with them open as well. But I would say that normally your eyes are closed during SP.

What? Your eyes aren't usually open? I can have mine open when in SP. I see funny things., Like shadow people and moving walls. Lol

It's one of my goals, but unfortunately, seeing shadow people / walls shapeshifting / strange creatures moving around your dorm room at 4:00 am loses its fun, especially after a nightmare.

Originally Posted by Dash

It's one of my goals, but unfortunately, seeing shadow people / walls shapeshifting / strange creatures moving around your dorm room at 4:00 am loses its fun, especially after a nightmare.

+1.

I usually try to do it with my eyes closed, but I've done it with my eyes open (I think)

I know they are closed, it makes sense that they must be closed, but I swear every time I'm in SP I am 100% convinced they are open. Your brain must just be really good at recreating a dream version of your sleeping environment.

Does this go for sleep paralysis at the beginnign of a WILD also? Could you get some paralysis and vibrations before you fully enter a dream, and therefore still be seeing your real environment?

I have kept my eyes open in a lit room, and witnessed the seamless transition from seeing my room to seeing a dream appear. At what point do your eyes close in this scenario? Obviously it must be before the dream starts to form, because I can watch the room dissolve around me.

Originally Posted by Dash

It's one of my goals, but unfortunately, seeing shadow people / walls shapeshifting / strange creatures moving around your dorm room at 4:00 am loses its fun, especially after a nightmare.

Well. At this point of time, I kind of laugh at those hallucinations. They can only make you stronger, plus they make great stories to tell.

P.S. Hallucinations like shadow people/old hag are pretty rare. I haven't experienced anything scary enough to stop me from doing it. The worst was feeling like I was being dragged to the end of the bed, or when this one zombie/ghost girl was standing next to me and screaming. It was almost amusing; I knew it was all in my head and it wasn't very realistic.

When I was a little kid I got the feeling of being dragged to the end of my bed and it freaked me out so much I slept cross-legged for a few years...

Also hearing voices and the like disturbed me.

But now I almost hope to hear or see things, because then I'll know I'm dreaming.

Yes your eyes can be open during Sleep paralysis, but i wouldnt reccomend it cuz you might see stuff that will freak you out.

So better to just keep them closed

Originally Posted by Out of the Blue

When I was a little kid I got the feeling of being dragged to the end of my bed and it freaked me out so much I slept cross-legged for a few years...

Also hearing voices and the like disturbed me.

But now I almost hope to hear or see things, because then I'll know I'm dreaming.

Well, usually, when you enter SP, once you can't feel your body at all, you'll know you're dreaming. I will go into a dark room, and then I'll notice I can't feel my eyes closed. That's when I'll realize that my dream eyes are open. That's when I create some visuals, like a tree, and then once one pops up, I'll know I'm dreaming for sure.

Originally Posted by Artixknight

or when this one zombie/ghost girl was standing next to me and screaming. It was almost amusing;

haha it's like your mind is trying to scare you but you just found it to be amusing.

and i like your avatar Out of the Blue


anyway, when i experience sleep paralysis, my eyes seem to be open. Not sure whether to call them hallucinations or not. This one time I did have sleep paralysis, i was in my room and some guy just walked in and sat on my bed. I asked my family if they had came in and they said they didnt.

my girlfriend has had sleep paralysis and hallucinated that she was on an operating table be experimented by aliens. the only problem was that her cat was laying on her. she still jokes that she had an encounter with aliens but some people out there really believe they have been abducted by aliens being paralyzed and swear it wasn't sleep paralysis (<<<crazy...)

there maybe an article that studied sleep paralysis that might mention whether or not the eyes were open. I think they can be because i believe that i have.

Finally someone who sees the same

Hmm, it don't think so.

it feels as though my eyes are open when am in a sleep paralysis, state as i can see and hear things around me, and when i awake from this some things are false what i hear or some are true as i thought my partner had came in from work and was talking and went to the toilet but when i woke up it was actually his mother that had gone to the toilet and he had never been there at all, i have seen such weird things when i am in this state.

I sleep with my eyes open occasionally, i have done since i was a child. What does this actually mean?. I've scared a few people, My mum used to think i was dead, untill she got used to it of course.

I opened my eyes only once when I was in SP (and that with great difficulty). It was cool. It looked like thousands of bugs are flying around in the room...and the worst thing is that I could hear them too. I woke up after 10 seconds.

From what I am aware I have done this a few times now.

One morning, I was in SP with my eyes open and I saw my dad walk into my room, take an object off my desk and then walk out.
I asked him later on if he'd been in my room and he said yes, he went in there to pick up my phone.

(I let my dad use the light on my phone.. blah blah long story)

Originally Posted by Paigesaddiction

I sleep with my eyes open occasionally, i have done since i was a child. What does this actually mean?. I've scared a few people, My mum used to think i was dead, untill she got used to it of course.

Do your eyes ever hurt after sleeping with them open?

No they never hurt?. I never even knew i did it till my mum said when i was about 6 years old. & i have done it ever since apparently?. I find it strange & Weird .. ♥

Yes, during SP your eyelids are just about the only thing you'll be able to control.

Originally Posted by Paigesaddiction

No they never hurt?. I never even knew i did it till my mum said when i was about 6 years old. & i have done it ever since apparently?. I find it strange & Weird .. ♥

I thought that your eyes would hurt from having them open for 8 hours or so, but if not, you must be blinking. And in REM you're probably moving them all the time, wow that must look really weird Did your mum tell you anything about you about it?