Am I losing my mind or is my house haunted?

[dancingqueen345]

Or a third possibility?

Some background for balance. I’ve lived in the house for 5 years, it’s a very old house. Nothing has changed recently. Previous owner died here. I am not religious in any way, do not believe in an afterlife nor in mediums etc. I wouldn’t say I’m a hypochondriac but I am prone to catastrophising illnesses.

Two incidents tonight though have me actually sort of hoping we have a ghost though as I fear I’m on the brink of some sort of brain failure.

Lay in my child’s bed earlier tonight, it’s a double bed, child by the wall and I was on my side facing them, back to the room. We’re usually the o . We’re usually the other way round but the last couple of nights they’ve wanted to go by the wall. Child had just fallen asleep and I felt a breeze like the door had opened and then a nudge on my shoulder. I’d assumed it was my partner coming in to check I’d not fallen asleep (me falling asleep is common). Turn around and no one is there/door is shut.

Then just now, which has prompted this post, even though obviously (?!) it was a dream, I was lay in my bed (true) and could hear said child shouting for me as they often do during the night to go back in with them, when I tried to move I was paralysed flat but managing to spin myself round the bed to grab my partners leg whilst screaming at him to go get our child (none of which happened). It has absolutely terrified me. I can’t tell you how real it all felt.

Is this the start of a brain disease? Or do I just need to move house?

Thanks in advance to those who don’t just reply to mock me. I am normally a very serious, normal sort of person!

Sounds like you are anxious after your dream earlier, and that caused a bad dream or sleep paralysis. Even if you believed in ghosts it doesn’t sound like a ghost. Anxiety makes the brain do mad things OP. Wake your partner up and talk it through with him
if you haven’t already, and maybe try some grounding techniques. Hopefully you manage to get some decent sleep soon 🤞

The brain plays funny tricks on us when we're falling asleep, that could explain the nudge when you were in your child's bed. The other one sounds like sleep paralysis which is quite normal but we're usually unaware of it. Look it up!
So you were dreaming, there's no ghost. Probably

I dont think your house is haunted or that there is something wrong with you. The second incident sounds like sleep paralysis. The first one you were probably on the verge of falling asleep and had a hypnopompic hallucination. Thsse are fairly common. Sometimes I think I hear someone come into the room or my child calling me just as I'm falling asleep. Whenever it happens its when I'm having a nap during the day and never at actual bedtime

No, sounds like something I get occasionally when moving between sleep and wake states. I call them
waking nightmares. They have a technical term - but am too tired to think. I feel fully awake, but am definitely not and can feel, hear and see things that stop in an instant without me seeming to wake. Very scary. But a semi dream state. Although I’d swear I was awake while it happens. I usually see an intruder in the room. Or spiders.

They were at their worst for me when pregnant. So I’ve always thought hormones play a role.

Thank you so much for those quick, reassuring replies!!

@ToKittyornottoKittyI am pretty anxious full stop at the moment. Can’t speak to my partner as he’s now in with our other child but will definitely talk to him about it in the morning.

@MarthaBeachyeah I did wonder if the nudge was my own doing as I really didn’t want to fall asleep there tonight (had the last episode of a series I was desperate to watch) whereas normally I’m not that bothered. Will look into sleep paralysis.

@CrowMateintrudeds must be utterly terrifying. Sorry you experience that, especially when pregnant. I’m on my period at the moment so perhaps there are hormones at play.

With regards to your last point, it’s quite common to have auditory hallucinations, even if you’re not fully asleep. I’ve had a few where I “think” I’m pretty much awake, but I guess I’ve just been on the cusp of nodding off. But they’ve felt really bloody real. Things like hearing a voice (often my mum’s) urgently calling my name - it’s quite unsettling. I’ve also “felt” an animal (small dog or cat) settling down in the crook of my knees. The being paralysed feeling could actually be sleep paralysis, which again is quite common. I get it around 4 times a year and it’s a horrible feeling.

Having said all that, you may still need to move house! I, and a couple of others, definitely had a few weird occurrences in my previous property. All when we were fully awake (ie not nodding off in bed or on the sofa etc). Nothing too alarming, things like bra strap being pinged, being poked in the back etc.

Just try to handle/embrace it as much as possible. If it’s a horrible one (when you’re kind of just dropping off your sleep), maybe get up for around 10 mins and do something else - it breaks the cycle of lying there worrying and drifting back into the same kind of scenario. If it’s a fully awake one, just call out something like “oi, not funny, please leave me alone today”. Failing that, put your house on the market!

@sickofsixseven thank you, will have a look at the link

Hypnogogic/hypnopompic hallucinations is moat likely.

It doesn't mean you're not haunted or going mad, but I reckon the hallucinations are more likely... or as well... 😉

As others have said the second one sounds like sleep paralysis. I went through a phase of having sleep paralysis when I was around 30. You feel completely awake when dreaming and the dream is so realistic, quite mundane (but something frightening also happens) and you are aware you cannot move or scream. After a few times of this happening I was able to tell myself during them that I was dreaming, in sleep paralysis and that my body would wake up soon.

Interestingly enough, at around the same time, I also experienced something similar to the first one whilst dropping off to sleep one night. I was cat sitting for my brother in his creepy flat and as I lay in bed I felt the bed move as if someone quite heavy had sat on it next to me. It terrified me. Nothing there of course and I felt quite awake but most likely I had been falling to sleep.

it was quite a stressful time in my life around then, which I didn’t really share with anyone. I still have anxiety now but talk about it. I have since had other significant stressors but haven’t experienced these things since.

Are you under any stress at the moment, OP? Everyone who reports supernatural phenomenon seems to be going through life change or stressful times one way or the other, which points to a psychological explanation.

Houses can feel spooky though, so it can be environmental also. I used to live in a draughty old Victorian terrace and it was spooky. I had sleep paralysis episodes and a lot more nightmares. Current house is newer and totally different, and it hardly ever happens.

Then you get one feeding the other. You are on edge and scanning the environment so notice every little thing.

I woke up the other morning quite late because someone was knocking on my door. Except they weren't, it was my subconscious trying to wake me up. The second incident has to be sleep paralysis. I've had it a few times and it's really weird.

You're having bad dreams, that's all. And if you start to wake up in shock at something you dreamt, there's a moment when your body is 'paralysed' which is very frightening. You are probably stressed and anxious, the dreams don't mean anything else.

I’m quite stressed at the moment OP (and sleep deprived). I’ve had a few times recently where I’ve gone back to bed at about 6am when DH has got up with the kids.
I’ve heard things like a knock at the door / child calling for me which I later realised didn’t actually happen and I must have been semi-awake / dreaming.

I do also get the sleep paralysis thing, almost identical where I am trying to scream for my DH and wake up heart racing.

It’s really nothing to do with the house, it’s just funny things when you’re at the edge of sleep. And stress/ anxiety combined probably.

Sleep paralysis as everyone has explained. First one also feels a bit similar to a hypnagogic jerk / sleep start, that feeling of falling. BUT I love the idea of a friendly ghost nudging you awake if you’re supposed to be watching your child 😆.

The shoulder 'nudge' could've been a muscle twitch triggered by the recent stress youve been having.

You may just be feeling particularly sensitive at the moment and leaning towards the catastrophising tendency you have ( I also have this too)
I also have had the sleep paralysis the same as you, the last time I can think of it was a random occurance and also within a dream which was even more fun.

Get some extra rest, some magnesium supplements/bath salts and relax.

If 5 years has gone by hitch free, i'd say there's nothing paranormal you need to be worrying about.

Dreams. Ghosts generally area

There was a draught after which you imagined the nudge, because it seemed like a logical consequence of the door opening, and then you had sleep paralysis. Neither losing your mind nor haunted!

Cut yourself some slack. Sleep paralysis can be absolutely horrifying, even when you know what it is.

Sleep paralysis/very vivid dreams
I’ve never had sleep paralysis but many times when my youngest was little and a bad sleeper I “heard” her walking from her room to ours and standing right behind me, thinking “oh no she’s up again” but turn around and nobody there. Just very vivid waking dreams.
I’d put the nudge down to this, your brain playing tricks on you because you’re tired and didn’t want to fall asleep- so “felt” a nudge that was really you jerking awake.
Also hallucinated my baby being in bed with me/another baby crying when I had a newborn.
It’s probably because you’re tired and had less sleep than usual.

100% sleep paralysis. Wait until the hat man turns up!

I do believe in ghosts but I don’t think you felt one. It’s more likely you were in a state between waking and sleeping, which can cause you to hear or feel things. Also sleep paralysis, I have had that, it happens if I have had a bad dream and I just can’t move at all. It’s quite scary but perfectly normal.
So I think you are fine. No ghosts and no brain illness x

I used to have sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming as a young adult and they are truly confusing. It's totally the same as being awake except in the depths of your brain you know you can't be. It just feels like you are.
Also to lighten the mood I did once think my house was haunted: turned out to be squirrels! Little buggers kept coming in the door and moving things.

Dare I ask who the hat man is?!

Happens to me fairly regularly. Lying on the bed and I can feel someone sitting down on the corner of the bed and shifting their weight about. I can even ‘feel’ them gently breathing. This isn’t at night though, it’s more likely when I’ve got up early and treated myself by popping back to bed for an extra hour on a Sunday morning. So I feel very awake and aware of my surroundings. I might be asleep or maybe not. I actually find it quite comforting!

Agree with other posters though about auditory hallucinations etc, very common as we drift off to sleep.

I honestly would try not to worry about it. When you feel able to deal with your anxiety, perhaps you won’t experience it anymore.

The first incident will be just because you didn't want to fall asleep, the second definitely sounds like sleep paralysis I've often had it, and it feels so real! Are you anxious or were you overtired? I find this often increases the chances of having sleep paralysis it's not pleasant but no your house isn't haunted.