With ease, I strolled through the beautiful garden. Savouring the pleasant scents of the roses and lavender flowers spread across the garden in fine rows. "This must be heaven, I could live here". I felt like a princess in this heaven. I was void of worries, no thoughts, just plain happiness. My hair floated in the wind, just like Pocahontas'. My hair. No, my hair was too good to be true. Long, silky and wavy. Yes, this must be a dream. Time to wake up. I looked down at myself and I was in my nightgown, no shoes or sandals on. This was the confirmation I needed. A real princess should be draped in the best of clothing and not a mere nightgown with no shoes on.

Suddenly, the scents disappeared. The clouds became dark. The wind came to a halt and "my hair" vanished. It was like this heaven had folded up. I shut my eyes and prayed to see my room when I opened my eyes again. Back to my room and I heaved a huge sigh of relief. But something wasn't right.

I was supposed to be asleep but there I was standing above my body. "Oh no! This isn't right", I said. Wait, I couldn't even hear myself. Oh my God! What's happening? I blinked about a hundred times and then, I couldn't see my sleeping self anymore. I was back in my body. I was awake but I wasn't awake. "What's happening?!"

Feeling trapped in my own body, I began to scream. Kicking my legs and throwing my arms in all possible directions. It felt like I was drowning in this big pool of water but I was on my bed."Who's doing this to me?" Then I became still. "Ok, things must be back to normal. Thank God" I tried to open my eyes but they were stuck. "What now?" Still calm, I decided to sit up but it wasn't happening. I was stuck in a bad dream. All of a sudden, I felt a presence in my room. I couldn't see who it was but I knew someone was with me and this person didn't seem friendly.

I was being attacked. "Jesus! Jesus!! Jesus!!!", I screamed. But my lips were still. This person/spirit didn't retreat but came closer and hovered over me. I didn't relent in calling my Saviour's name as well. Finally, my eyes opened and my lips parted. It was over.

Throughout the day I was wrapped in thoughts concerning this dream. I came to two conclusions, either I was being attacked by an evil spirit somewhere or it was simply a bad dream based on the horror movie I saw 2 nights before I had the dream. But I was wrong. I had a similar dream again a year later then I did a little research on sleep and dreams. I discovered it was a case of Sleep Paralysis.

What is Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is the inability to move or speak immediately after waking up. This can be an exceptionally scary time for those afflicted with this weird phenomenon, but despite former beliefs, the feeling of paralysis is not caused by supernatural beings.
 
During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep the brain has vivid dreams, while the muscles of the body are essentially turned off. While sleeping, the muscles are unable to move so that the person won't be able to act out dreams with their body. Sleep paralysis happens when a person wakes up before REM is finished. The person will be conscious, but the body's ability to move hasn't been turned back on yet.

In the past, it was believed that demons caused sleep paralysis by holding people down or sitting on their chest. This was often due to hallucinations, which are a common symptom during sleep paralysis because the brain is still in a dream state. People have reported seeing ghosts, demons and other strange apparitions while experiencing paralysis.

According to the UK National Health System (NHS), sleep paralysis is not dangerous, though those experiencing extreme sleep paralysis may be prescribed a short course of antidepressant medication, such as clomipramine.

During the attack it is important to stay calm and realize that it will pass soon. "There’s not much you can do during an attack besides say to yourself, 'This is only temporary. It will pass very shortly and I will be able to move soon," Dr.Harris said. "This really only works if you’ve had an episode or two before and know what to expect. These attacks can be quite scary to experience, especially if you’ve never had one before."

So, if you've experienced this before, fear not. You're not being attacked by some demons or evil spirits or the witches in your village.lol! It's just a case of sleep paralysis. Nevertheless, say your prayers when you wake and before going to bed.