There are 2 kinds of sleep paralysis that I know. The first is the extreme nightmare where you are dreaming of danger like someone is chasing you and about to catch you or you are in a disaster and that you are about to die. That's the nightmare that your mind is concocting to give reason to an unusual something inside of you - pancreas is the primary suspect of doctors. Pancreatic attacks while asleep may be acute and can be fatal at times. But you normally wake up to this kind of nightmare. The second type of sleep paralysis is the lingering bangungot where you are wakened, with eyes opened and seeing reality, but you cannot move as if your nightmare is continuing. There was an incident like that to a seaman, husband of a distant relative of mine, who had an extreme nightmare. Fortunately, he was not alone In the cabin and his companion was wakened to his unintelligible sounds. He was wide awake but like a statue. And even if his companion was already touching him and shaking his shoulders, it took a while before he finally got out of that nightmare.
Neither one sounds appealing at all. I have woken up, frozen in fear. That is only for a second or two. Just long enough for me to realize where I really was. I think waking up, and being aware of the paralysis would be more terrifying than any dream. How is that pronounced? "bane-gun-got" "bang-un-got" "ban-gun-got"
@Jennifer Graves, it is pronounced Ba-ngoo-ngot. We usually experience that kind of nightmare when there is pain somewhere in the body. That is why the elders say that you should not sleep when you have a stomach ache or a painful knee or a throbbing toe because it will surely cause a nightmare. Most doctors say that those who die of bangungot were found to have had a severe and acute attack of pancreatitis - the swelling of pancreas that is related to blood sugar. It's not for diabetics though. Sorry but I have no complete information about that pancreas problem. All I know is the pain in the lower abdomen that comes with it.
@Corie Henson I have never known anyone to die from it. Thats scary! I don't know anything about pancreatitis, really. But it makes sense that the doctors would say that, even knowing nothing but pancreatitis but that it is caused by diet. I'm almost 40 years old, and have only known one person that went through pancreatitis. Am I right in guessing its a lot more common there, then? I've gone to sleep while in pain before, but the worst thats ever happened to me is I'll end up in another situation that causes the pain, while I'm dreaming. As for what could be considered dangerous, I have had several dreams about driving off a bridge, driving off a cliff, or a tidal wave flooding the road. It always ends with me drowning in a car. I'll wake up, and not be breathing. But that lasts less than 2 seconds once I wake up.