Paralysis

Dream fragments

Illustrative examples, not quotes from individual dreamers.

• Awake in the dark, eyes open, and nothing below the neck will answer.
• A weight settling on the chest, patient, as if it has done this before.
• A presence in the doorway or at the foot of the bed, sensed rather than seen.
• Trying to call out and finding the voice sealed shut.
• The whole thing breaking the instant a finger finally twitches.

In your journal

Separate the sensation from the scene

Were you aware of the room around you, or remembering a scene from sleep? Describe what you could see and hear separately from what you felt.

What marked the end of the experience?

When this dream returns

Keep each entry before comparing it with an earlier one. Note what changed in the scene, your actions, and the feeling you woke with. A shared symbol does not mean two dreams have the same meaning.

A simple way to record recurring dreams →

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