I’ve been having Brain zaps that are accompanied by sleep paralysis or very intense lucid dreams.

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So i've been doing a TON of research and can't seem to find a proper answer. I have had brain zaps for as long as i could remember, it would only happen if i was very exhausted, I’d be in bed about to knock out, when the moment I close my eyes, I’m hit with multiple zapping sensations. They usually force me awake.

After a zap, I’d feel energized (the complete OPPOSITE of exhausted) for at least 5 seconds, before feeling like knocking out once more. They never hurt, USUALLY.

There was only ONCE I remember, where I felt a zap over my right eye, that was so sudden and so strong, my eye began to water, and my head began to throb for a maybe.. 30 or 20 seconds after the zap was gone.

These zaps would eventually start pulling me into lucid dreams, thee dreams consisted of just the feeling of being flung through a tunnel, I’d feel wind against my entire body, a pressure pulling me, my heart beating in my ears, then I’d wake up in bed, out of breath and shaken up.

These aren’t usually terrifying, but there’s always something about it I never like.

(This might not be related) but, I’d say maybe 7 months ago I began having a ton of trouble sleeping. For a month and then a couple of weeks, I was getting on average 2 hours of sleep each night.

It was super frustrating. The moment I felt tired, I’d dash upstairs and attempt to fall asleep, but then I’d feel energized. I was so tired once, I could barely keep my eyes open, I laid there in bed for 4 hours. I didn’t fall asleep. At least I’m not sure I didn’t. It felt like I lost a lot of time, but it didn’t feel like I fell asleep.

It went to the point to where I’d start crying, desperately wanting to fall asleep just once, and NOT for 2 hours or less. I just wanted a good nights rest. Medication wasn’t working, I even stayed up for 2 days to try and make me so tired, that there would be no WAY I WOULDN’T fall asleep by the third day.

I did fall asleep, but only for a couple of hours. That month was hell for me.

Something I’d like to add, is that when I’m “zapped” into a lucid dream, it’s usually so instantaneous that I wouldn’t be able to tell that I was in a lucid dream that second it happened.

One time I was just staring up at the ceiling on my bed, trying to wait a bit before trying to fall asleep again. When suddenly the walls started bending, I started to feel as if I was being pulled into my bed, I couldn’t breath, then I woke up in that EXACT same position I was in seconds before.

You could imagine my “WHAT THE F**K” face when reality started bending, and I was currently unaware that I had just been pulled into a lucid dream.

Eventually these brain zaps started to zap me into “sleep paralysis” usually nothing would happen, I’d just be frozen. But then as time went on, I began hearing voices in my sleep paralysis episodes caused by the zaps, hearing sounds. Once even hearing a creature behind my head screech into my ears while shaking my bed. (Obviously, all just sleep paralysis hallucinations)

I began waking up to LARGE spiders over my head, only for them to vanish. Though this HAS helped me over my fear of spiders.

But then over at a friends house, it was my first time SEEING something through sleeping paralysis. It wasn’t scary, I just saw (I kid you not) a bunch of cats, along with their adorable meowing.

After that, I started getting a ton of false awakenings, one of which was my getting up out of bed, only for my body to be sucked back into “my body” which reoccured for about 20 times until finally actually waking up.

In my “brain zapped” paralysis episodes I’d see my mom, my dad and other people I semi-didn’t recognize walking past my door, never interacting with me.

And then recently, I was continuously being sucked into sleep paralysis after sleep paralysis (which it’s never happened this fast before) but this time the zapping was barely noticeable.

Each of the episodes I felt a crushing weight on my chest, which only intensified, this actually left my stomach aching for the rest of the day (I felt like I was hit in the stomach)

LONG STORY SHORT: Brain zapping that zaps me into intense lucid dreams and Sleep paralysis episodes.

(Extra notes: The lucid dreams were usually very quick and so were the paralysis episodes)

(Extra Extra notes: ill take ANY explanation. Im entirely fine with a Spiritual explanation, just anything.)

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8 Replies

  • Edited

    I have been going through this for a very long time , the zaps started when I was about 10 at that point I was not on antidepressants or any medications so that rules that out . only recently have I started fighting back in them and they have been getting very tricky. even this morning on March 2 2021 I woke up from one and was not sure if I was awake or not but I was able to sit up my own accord, not 15 seconds after I woke my cell phone rang witch was odd because it was 758 a.m. and there was no one on the other line. like I said the "brain zaps " or whatever T.F. they are called have been happening for most of my life so I have learned to feel them before they arrive and was getting good at fending them off until the last couple of months I started noticing the sleep paralysis and the dreams. it is my mission now for my own sanity to woop on some sleep paralysis Hine tail and make this "medical issue" go away or go down with me I even gave it a name I named it dream punk bh I named it dream punk bh. because sleep paralysis makes it sound too scary and I found it only happens when I am in bed alone. even now as I write about dream punk b***h I feel goosebumps like I'm going to get caught or something 😆 . thank you for putting yourself out there and writing about it at all. the exact thing is happening to me as we type but instead of spiders and cats it uses my family members to make me forget I'm in a dream then I remember and I'm stuck in my bed again in the same exact place in the same fetal position being held down but now I fight in my dreams itnever does much but it makes it a little better. did yours start with ringing ears ? and goose bumps that travle almost as if someone is touching you , that's how I know mine are going to happen .

    we got this

  • Posted

    this has happened to me for almost 10 years now. I'm so used to it that if I wiggle my eyes and feel a brain zaps, I know I'll be having sleep paralysis that night. really annoying but I've learned to kinda live with it. I'm on a bunch of medication and have severe anxiety also.

  • Edited

    Ive had the sleep paralysis and seeing things all my life. The brain zaps started a few years ago that draw me in sleep paralysis, Ive started to learn to fight it, but its a real battle that I always end up losing. Hence Im googling this again and found this thread. Its extraordinarily difficult to describe, Im thankful for your thread. I see things, sometimes scary, sometimes innocent (kite animals floating through my door, pillow floating in corner of room) and hear things (voices, music). Im fed up of this, I just want to sleep, when it happens even if its not scary stuff Im always terrified while its happening, I just need a good nights sleep.

    Its very hard to know when your awake or asleep, I assume I must be somewhere in the middle and my eyes must be open because everything happens in the room I am in, as viewed from the exact position I am in. I fight it many times and keep getting sucked back in, until eventually I wake up for 'real' and have to chill for a bit before going back to bed.

    Im 32 Male, not on any meds and never have been. Never had any mental or nervous conditions. Sometimes I get it everynight, sometimes I go weeks with nothing with no common denominator, I thought it was stress related, but that doesnt seem to be the trigger.

    Has anyone been to a doctor about this? Im exhausted

    EDIT: Few more observations that people might find useful, even without any of the above I struggle to sleep before 2am onwards, ill just lay there for hours unable to relax. The above described symptoms seem to happen way less (but not zero) when Im in bed with a partner. Ive never had any of it happen if I go to bed after Ive had some alcolohic drinks that night, the only time I can get a decent sleep is after a few beers, but I dont drink just to sleep, not a route I want to go down.

    • Posted

      Everything from the start of what you said to the end I have experienced each and every last bit of it.

      When you said, "Ive started to learn to fight it, but its a real battle that I always end up losing" I felt that. Ive literally been dealing with it for so long that I know when its happening and even though I tell myself I'm not scared, I still end up not being able to endure the sensations. Even down to the partner. I rarely experience this when I'm sleeping with my gf. Like you, I wish I knew what caused it. Some times I rarely gave them then theres some times when it happens consecutively night after night. If you figure out anything, please share.

    • Posted

      This is something I have been trying to figure out for years. I have encountered these brain zaps followed by sleep paralysis for 20 years now. But it doesn't happen as often anymore as it used to when I was into some bad stuff (drugs) in my younger years. I am all clean now. I honestly believe there is a spiritual element to this phenomenon and let me explain why. Whilst me and my brother was into drugs it happened to both of us all the time. The first time I encountered it I thought, OK, this is me dying. Just before falling asleep something got a hold of me, and it felt like something is draining me of my soul. I could not move, could not shout for help, all I could do was moan. As my moan got louder I was let go. I felt drained and seconds later it got me again. My brother shared the same experiences with me and it always only happened in the 1 bedroom of our house. If friends stayed over in that same room it would happen to them as well. So much that they refused to stay over at our house. We grew up religious and the first thing we thought that this must be a spiritual being taking control of us... Crazy right? I started doing research into this phenomenon and came upon sleep paralysis. But why would it happened to me, my brother and numerous friends, all in the same room? I also noticed that if it gets ahold of me the first time, and I pray after that, it leaves me alone. If I don't, it would continue to do it up to 5 times a night. The next day I would feel so tired like all my energy was drained from me. Now the last time it happened was years ago as I have been in constant priar with God. This was up until last night. So yesterday morning I had a spiritual conversation with a friend explaining to him these events I had. I also told him that I wish God can give me answers on certain things. There is so much I am questioning about my faith these days. Then all of a sudden, after years of not having it, it happened again the same day I was talking about it, and questioning my faith. This can't be a coincidence right? When I was having these attacks in my younger days, I spoke to a spiritual lady that claims she can see beyond our reality because as a kid she was groomed to do so. I told her at the time that I need answers to what it is, and if its a spirit, I am not going to fight it, I want to see what happens if I let it do its thing. She immediately burst out in tears, and told me that it's not something I want to witness. So I don't know if this helps at all, but I don't think it's quite as simple as sleep paralysis.

  • Posted

    I am going through something very similar. Often it starts with the Brain zaps, and a somewhat euphoric feeling after. Its always when I tired. Something new is happening where I am paralyzed and I'm trying to call out for help. Its only happened 3 times now with this last part.

    I'm afraid I could get stuck this way, although logically I know that cant happen.

  • Posted

    This is something I have been trying to figure out for years. I have encountered these brain zaps followed by sleep paralysis for 20 years now. But it doesn't happen as often anymore as it used to when I was into some bad stuff (drugs) in my younger years. I am all clean now. I honestly believe there is a spiritual element to this phenomenon and let me explain why. Whilst me and my brother was into drugs it happened to both of us all the time. The first time I encountered it I thought, OK, this is me dying. Just before falling asleep something got a hold of me, and it felt like something is draining me of my soul. I could not move, could not shout for help, all I could do was moan. As my moan got louder I was let go. I felt drained and seconds later it got me again. My brother shared the same experiences with me and it always only happened in the 1 bedroom of our house. If friends stayed over in that same room it would happen to them as well. So much that they refused to stay over at our house. We grew up religious and the first thing we thought that this must be a spiritual being taking control of us... Crazy right? I started doing research into this phenomenon and came upon sleep paralysis. But why would it happened to me, my brother and numerous friends, all in the same room? I also noticed that if it gets ahold of me the first time, and I pray after that, it leaves me alone. If I don't, it would continue to do it up to 5 times a night. The next day I would feel so tired like all my energy was drained from me. Now the last time it happened was years ago as I have been in constant priar with God. This was up until last night. So yesterday morning I had a spiritual conversation with a friend explaining to him these events I had. I also told him that I wish God can give me answers on certain things. There is so much I am questioning about my faith these days. Then all of a sudden, after years of not having it, it happened again the same day I was talking about it, and questioning my faith. This can't be a coincidence right? When I was having these attacks in my younger days, I spoke to a spiritual lady that claims she can see beyond our reality because as a kid she was groomed to do so. I told her at the time that I need answers to what it is, and if its a spirit, I am not going to fight it, I want to see what happens if I let it do its thing. She immediately burst out in tears, and told me that it's not something I want to witness. So I don't know if this helps at all, but I don't think it's quite as simple as sleep paralysis.

  • Posted

    I would very much like to form a discussion group for people like you and myself. I have a very severe case of whatever we are calling what you spoke about in this post. Ive had severe issues with sleep that stem back to my earliest memories as a child. (I am now almost 33). It was so bad as a child that when it would occur while sleeping in a dark room that I could never find the door to leave my room and I would just sit in the corner, in the dark, absolutely terrified. I was never allowed to watch scary movies or anything and yet these episodes of sleep paralysis and brain shock were completely evil/demonic in nature. I would have lucid dreams of my family being brutally murdered almost every night and I would have to go check on them. I would then stay on the couch all night just to make sure nothing happened to them. This occurred throughout my entire childhood. I have now discovered that my sleep paralysis comes on by being dehydrated. I have been thirsty all my life and you will never see me without a bottle of water. I now know how to MAKE my sleep paralysis occur. All I have to do is go a couple hours without water and NOT put any lotion on my dry hands. I also know that inception is a real thing. Twice I have been aware I was dreaming, fell asleep in that dream, and wake up in another dream. I then fought to wake up only to wake back up in my initial dream wherein I then fought to wake up in the real world. I should also mention that during my sleep paralysis, when I "wake up" but cannot move my body I always remain in my dream!! I once tried to control my dream and do what I want and the entire dream started to shake, my body started to vibrate, my brain started to vibrate, and I woke up. I know this all sounds insane but it is ALL TRUE. I should also note that I have had recurring deja vu's in real life wherein the same exact thing will occur. Rarely I have even been able to predict in my head what people around me will say next during these deja vu's. I also have lucid dreams that play out in locations that I only see in my dreams. One is a cottage in the middle of the woods with a talking Beagle. This is the only non-demonic recurring location I experience. Every time I show up it is like I am visiting a second home or something. (Not at all like a normal dream. It is very much like it is a real place.) Another one is a small home that apparently sits over a cave system that, what I can only assume, leads to the gates of hell. Its very evil and I dont even want to explain what occurs there. I should explain here that I am a christian man and have no idea why I have experienced this my whole life. One time when I was in basic training in the air force I went a week with almost no sleep. I apparently fell asleep while sitting on my ruck sack. Next thing I know I am standing and about to hit my drill instructor with my rifle while my buddies are yelling at me. (This is the only extreme case of taking physical action while sleeping that I know of).

    I know that was a lot to explain and there is still more but for those of you that even remotely relate I would very much like to group up and figure this out. I have started to believe that dreams may be much more than what we have been told they are.

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