Most GhostTheory readers are familiar with our Submitted Story category of the website. The following true account was sent to us by Jacqueline A.  As a child, Jacqueline went through a terrifying ordeal that’s weighed heavy on her shoulders throughout time. A ghostly visitor at night or a strange case of Sleep Paralysis? Read Jacqueline’s story next.

Sleep Paralysis or Paranormal Experience?

As most childhood stories go, mine is a bit discombobulated. There are things that I remember
specifically that others have told me never happened. But this is my story the way I remember it.
Skepticism aside, this is what I experienced.

I was about 9-years-old when my parents separated. Like most children, I had no sense of the gravity of
something like divorce. All I knew was my dad had not been around in the evenings as much. We lived in
what seemed like at the time, a very large two story house in Westminster, California. To save money,
my mom had invited my Uncle and my pregnant Aunt to live with us. They took the master bedroom
while my mom put my younger sister and I in the far back room upstairs. Her room was next door to
ours and my older sister was in the room downstairs. My sister and I had bright red metallic bunk beds
that creaked every time I made my way up to the top bunk where I slept.

One night I was asleep when I woke up. I remember being awake and turning my head to my left side towards the bedroom wall that our bunk
beds were against. Directly in front of my head was my door which was opened. As I moved my head
and tried to fall back asleep, I heard heavy footsteps coming up our stairs.

I remember thinking it was
Easter and knowing it was most likely my mom or uncle hiding our baskets in our rooms as they
normally did. My mom has said it was not Easter and just a regular week night. As the steps made their
way down the hallway towards my room, I started to feel unsure and eventually afraid of whatever it
was making its way into my room.

I heard it walk through the door and climb the stairs up to my bed
and stop. I immediately froze because I suddenly knew that whatever was behind me was not human. a
Right then I felt it lightly beat its hands on my back as someone would when they give someone an
intense massage; except, in this case it felt violating and terrifying all at once. I kept frozen for what
seemed like hours before finally getting the courage to quickly turn around to find nothing there. I
waited a minute while my fear heightened and immediately ran into my mom’s room. She was terrified
when I told her what happened because of the panic in my voice. Thinking there might be someone in
the house, she woke my uncle and after searching the entire house they found nothing.

In the years that have past, many people have told me what I experienced was a form of Sleep Paralysis;
the phenomena that occurs when your body falls asleep before your brain and you experience an
intruder-like hallucination. However, after doing research on this condition, what is bizarre about my
story is that my body was not paralyzed and I could freely move if I wanted to. When I froze and decided
not to move it was my own choice out of fear. Most people try to move during SP and are unable to.
Most also physically see their intruder in the form of something evil such as a demon or witch. I never
saw mine.

My experience led to me having extreme sleeping problems that lasted until my late teens. Although it
never happened again, it scared me for a long time. The positive aspect of my situation is it sparked my
interest in the paranormal and has given me an understanding and respect for those in the afterlife. I
can also now watch any violent or scary movie and fall sound asleep without any problems. I guess you
can say it made me emotionally and mentally stronger.