This just happened so I decided to post it…

My fiance (whom I live with) woke me up last Friday morning and told me she just saw an apparition of her grandmother standing over the bed.   It was about 4:00 am.   I looked around but whatever she thought she saw was gone.

We just moved into the house in July.   It is a fairly new house (6 years old) in an area that was just recently developed.   Before the house was there, there was nothing at all, it was rural.

I personally think she was woken up by something (she is a very light sleeper) and was still dreaming.  She was close to her grandmother when she was alive and has dreamed about her before.   I mentioned that and got punched and told there is no way that was the case she was definitely awake   

We have 2 cats who were unaffected, which makes me feel even more it was just a dream.  It is just my personal theory, but I think the cats would see it even better than us, but they acted like nothing happened (guess that doesn't mean anything though for cats).

Since living here I have not had even the slightest sense of it being haunted or having activity. 

Well, I will be setting up a digital recorder and will let you know if I find anything.  If there is something I will probably sleep through it – I am a heavy sleeper – the ghost will have to be jumping up and down on me to wake me up…

Bobarino

I've never had sleep paralysis (Well, I have, but never by accident), but I have had hypnogogic halucinations many times.  The scariest time was when it looked like the room was on fire.  You can see some crazy things and it looks absolutely real.

Bobarino said:

I personally think she was woken up by something (she is a very light sleeper) and was still dreaming.  ….   I mentioned that and got punched and told there is no way that was the case she was definitely awake 

And Bob, what did you learn from this?

Yes… well…  ::cough::   I tend to learn some lessons the hard way…  

Not too familiar with the optics of cell phone cameras, but looks more like something in front of the camera than motion blur — a wisp of smoke? a stray hair in motion???

I figure this might help someone else, so…

Some of us (humans) have "paradoxical reactions" to some medicines.  There's a decongestant (pulled off the market a few years ago because some people had strokes on it) that turned me into a nutcase for the couple of days I took it.  Pain meds (heavy stuff – morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone) makes it impossible for me to sleep…;

Anyhow, I also had a truly bizzarre reaction to a sleeping pill – Sonata.  Stuff knocked me out just fine, but I woke up later – middle of the night – in a seriously "altered" state.  I was having visual and auditory hallucinations – basically I was tripping my brains out.

The scary part is that I was also convinced someone (other than family – someone with nefarious purposes) was in my house. Thankfully, "sleep paralysis" made me realize – when I tried to get up, get a pistol from the safe and go check out my house for the burglars I was sure were in it – that I was asleep and dreaming.

The odd thing is that the whole experience was actually sort of pleasant – I remember it clearly, and it's not bothersome.  Even at the time, it's as if part of my brain was 100% lucid (thinking "I can't move because I'm asleep.  Guess I'd better just settle back in and see if I can pick up a good dream") while the other half was hallucinating and trying to get to a gun to go chase away some imaginary burglar.

Needless to say, I'll never take that stuff again. The thought of me walking my house with a pistol in such an altered state frankly terrifies me…  Thank G*d for "sleep paralysis"…

Anyhow, I told you that so I could say this:  Dreams and all can be vivid enough – don't discount even "over the counter" cold medicine when trying to figure out if something was real or imaginary.  Even the common cold remedies can seriously alter your perceptions if your brain-chemistry just happens to match…

BTW – "ambien" works great for me – never a problem – while I've read some folks have even driven in their sleep while taking it.  Never forget that YMMV!!

DD

DD – Thanks.  I am still 100% (well 99.999%) sure that she had a vivid dream and thinks she was awake.  I can't really tell her that though…  Ah well.   I do know she almost NEVER takes any medicine.   She thinks all doctors (MD's) are quacks and just give out placebo's and charge and arm and a leg.   I on the other hand can't get enough…

Kra – While I do agree it is not a ghost, it is exactly what I said.   She stood up with a plate in her hand.   I am guessing that something moved in front of the camera when it was shot – Perhaps my finger?   I am not very good with my cell phone/camera that is for sure – it seems to be the size of a thimble and I always end up dialing someone when I try to take a picture. 

But I am confident it is not a ghost.