This friend of mine [noted as T] decided to share an event that she went through. The experience she went through is often called Gui Ya Chuang in China, which literally means “A ghost pressing one on the bed”. 

Story:

”

T: I experienced Gui Ya Chuang for two times, if that’s something you’re looking for?

Me: What happened? What was it like?

T: So my high school was a boarding school, and I experienced Gui Ya Chuang two times there during my Junior year. I remember the first time: I was taking a nap at noon. When I woke up, I just couldn’t move my body and I couldn’t make a sound. I was terrified, you know? I didn’t know it’s Gui Ya Chuang though, I just thought I must be really sick, or I’m paralyzed for some reason. And the other time it was in the middle of the night, I woke up and I couldn’t move, and couldn’t speak, of course. 

Me: Are you sure you’re not dreaming or something?

T: For both times, I was perfectly conscious the whole time. That I am sure of. It’s a completely different feeling from dreaming. Like if you were dreaming, you always know when you woke up, right? But those two times felt real. My brain was functioning just fine but my body won’t cooperate. For both times I tried so hard to move my finger or my foot but just couldn’t. During the first time, I kept trying to make a sound and finally I made out a whining sound. After that it’s like every constraint is gone, I could move my body again! So I just dozed off again… 

Me: Except you couldn’t move and speak, is there anything else special?

T: Well, after my first time, I asked my mom and some of my friends. They told me it’s Gui Ya Chuang. It sounded scary, but since I only experienced temporary paralysis but nothing else, I didn’t really take it seriously. The second time, however, got a little spooky. So I was there, laying paralyzed in the middle of the night and couldn’t make a sound, but what’s more is that I swear I can feel something heavy is on top of me, even though I saw nothing. AND it’s moving! I can hear the sound of my bed sheet shifting and that thing kept pressing at me. I was honestly terrified and I tried so hard to move but could not. It kept pressing and pressing but with a rhythm, kind of like someone was trying to give me a CPR. Anyway, I just fall asleep again, and when I woke up in the morning, every thing is fine. 

Me: And you never experienced this again?

T: No. After the second time I asked the Dorm Assistance to assign me to another room, and I never experienced it again. 

 

”

Thoughts:

This kind of experience has been reported by countless people online. Basically it is the experience that when you wake up from sleep, even though you are conscious, your body could not move, like you’re paralyzed. Experiences are varied, some people reported they can speak while some say they could not. Some say they can feel there is something on top of them keep pressing them to the bed; some say they saw people, either strangers or people they know, in the room that later confirmed no one was there. I personally had never experienced this, but it turned out many of my friends have, though also a lot of my friends have not. I do think that if this is something that so many people have encountered, there must be a scientific / medical explanation.