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Another bizarre but very possible link to sleep paralysis is its many different links to religion. Many different religions talk about demons but for now the focus is going to be on Catholicism . Ed Warren was a demonologist and paranormal investigator and he worked alongside his wife, Lorraine, until his death in 2006 in their home. In the book "The Demonologist" Ed Warren describes the three different stages of possession, those being; infestation, oppression, and finally possession. In regards to sleep paralysis the most closely related one is oppression. It is during this stage that the spirit or demonic will begin to terrorize their victim in hopes of breaking them down enough to get inside. Sleep paralysis symptoms are all very similar to things people say they experience when a spirit begins to oppress them. These are all things such as hearing voices, seeing things, waking up unable to breath or move, sensing a presence. It is important to note that these things do not only happen just when someone is going to sleep.
Pictured above is Annaleise Michel (pronounced An-nuh-leese-ma-e-kel), a young German woman who was believed to be possessed. She underwent rights for ten months before she ultimately died of malnutrition. Before she became possessed she had an experience that sounds exactly like a sleep paralysis episode.
"'That night, shortly after midnight, she woke up and could not move. A giant force was pinning her down. [. . .] Her breathing became labored. In utter panic, she wanted to call to her sisters, but no sound came out. Her tongue was as if paralyzed. “Holy Mother of God,” she thought, “I must be dying.” By the time the tower clock of the church sounded the quarter hour, it was over. All pressure ceased as if blown away. Only her tongue felt sore"' [6]
She had a lot of the symptoms of sleep paralysis such as inability to talk or move and difficulty breathing. So was it sleep paralysis or demonic possession? That is unclear and we may never know the answer.
"'That night, shortly after midnight, she woke up and could not move. A giant force was pinning her down. [. . .] Her breathing became labored. In utter panic, she wanted to call to her sisters, but no sound came out. Her tongue was as if paralyzed. “Holy Mother of God,” she thought, “I must be dying.” By the time the tower clock of the church sounded the quarter hour, it was over. All pressure ceased as if blown away. Only her tongue felt sore"' [6]
She had a lot of the symptoms of sleep paralysis such as inability to talk or move and difficulty breathing. So was it sleep paralysis or demonic possession? That is unclear and we may never know the answer.