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Real or just a dream?
I am Hmong (Asian). Many Hmong people has been having a particular dream and I had it a few years ago. This dream we called it "Squished by a Ghost." -that's the translation to English.
This was probably 2-3 years ago when I was still in college living in the dorms. In my dream, I was lying down on my bed, awake. I can't move at all, I can't talk or make a sound. I was just lying there on my side (facing the room, bed is against the wall). I am able to see the room though and I see a either a dark figure or a shadow moving around the room. I try to scream for help, I try to move but it is impossible to do anything, pretty much paralyzed. Some Hmong people believe that it is something real that really happened. For me, I believe that I was dreaming.
A few months ago, I had another similar dream. I graduated college over a year ago and is now at home. Same thing happened, I was paralyzed and can't move or make a sound. I can't remember if I saw any dark figure or shadow. I fought with everything I got to move and scream for help. I was able to make the slightest faintest sound when I try screaming "HELP ME!" I was slowly able to make my way to the bedroom door (can't remember if the door was opened or I opened it). I got to the hallway, lean my back on the wall, and tried screaming for help. I also was trying to pound the wall to make any kind of noise. I can't remember anything after that. Woke up in my bed.
Again, this is a dream that many Hmong people experienced.
Just a background information- Most Hmong people are Shamanism- the belief of spirits.
For me, my parents goes to church. I use to go. Now I don't go anymore. I don't have a particular belief.
3 Answers
- 8 years ago
This sounds like sleep paralysis. My mum sometimes experiences the same problems (not being able to move or speak, but being aware of your surroundings) except she has never seen any entities, ghosts or spirits - she just cannot move.
Sleep paralysis comes in many different forms. There are some stories of a demon sitting on your chest, while some see spirits and others see nothing.
My mum has said, though, that she can control her breathing and that if we ever hear her breathing weirdly (ie. fast or in a particular pattern) to wake her up because she cannot wake up herself until the dream is over.
I don't exactly know what causes sleep paralysis, but a contributing factor is lack of sleep or being over-tired.
Here is an article I found that can give you more information:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/sleep-paralysis-w...
Good luck :)
- 8 years ago
I can't tell you if it's real or just a dream, but it's up to you to interpret what it really means. What my parents and friends have told me is that if you let them see that you're afraid of them, then you're letting them get to you. You're making yourself vulnerable to them, you're putting your guard down. Don't let them get to you. I'm Hmong, but I've gone to church my whole life. I don't know how my cousins or other Hmong Shaman friends do it, but I can't live that way. I believe in God, that he watches over us, that he's there to listen to us, he protects us, he cares and loves us, etc.. And just because I believe in God doesn't mean that the spiritual world isn't real. Btw, have your relatives done jingle bell for you yet? I wish you luck.
