The Fortean/paranormal/conspiracy thread

[gmoney]

Reminds me of this 

 

[Loki]

For those interested in the current UFO hysteria in the US, I thought I'd pop this article in here - 

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/05/11/us-navy-laser-creates-plasma-ufos/

IMO, this is what is behind the last 10 years or so upsurge in UFO sightings in the US - the testing of this new spoofing tech, specifically testing it on themselves (mainly Navy).

I subscribe generally to the theory of "what's less batty than aliens", and this fits the bill.

Edited September 17, 2023 by Loki

[Surf Digby]

Got home late from a gig last night, and so got to bed around 3:30am. As a result, I was left to sleep in this morning.

When I woke, I had no idea what time it was, so I said "Alexa" but nothing else, just so that the screen would activate.

Almost immediately in response, a woman's voice whispered back at me. I didn't catch what it said, because I jumped as I thought I was alone in the room.

Nothing followed, so I called my girlfriend's name, thinking that she must have been in there as well without me realising, and nope. I was alone in the room.

It definitely didn't come through Alexa either, it was a voice in the room. I'm trying to convince myself that I was still in a half-asleep state, but I didn't feel like I was.

[Browser Brady]

9 hours ago, Nostalgia Nonce said:

Got home late from a gig last night, and so got to bed around 3:30am. As a result, I was left to sleep in this morning.

When I woke, I had no idea what time it was, so I said "Alexa" but nothing else, just so that the screen would activate.

Almost immediately in response, a woman's voice whispered back at me. I didn't catch what it said, because I jumped as I thought I was alone in the room.

Nothing followed, so I called my girlfriend's name, thinking that she must have been in there as well without me realising, and nope. I was alone in the room.

It definitely didn't come through Alexa either, it was a voice in the room. I'm trying to convince myself that I was still in a half-asleep state, but I didn't feel like I was.

Siri on your phone or the Android equivalent?

[Loki]

That little period around waking up is so fascinating and undoubtedly the source of so many ghost/ufo/paranormal stories.  

Think of how many times you've had the experience of waking up just before your alarm goes off.  What actually tends to happen is that your alarm goes off, you dream waking up without the alarm going and then DO wake up, and your mind reverses the order of events.  Essentially the last bit of your dream cycle becomes a "real" event in your memory.

It's also that liminal area where sleep paralysis happens - you dream that you wake up but can't move.  You can't move because you're still asleep but it feels completely like being awake and once you ARE awake it's hard to understand that is WASN'T real.  You can also hallucinate during that time and it can be terrifying.

So @Nostalgia Nonce the order of events is probably - you dreamt the lady's voice, then woke up but your mind reversed the order of things so that it feels like you woke up and THEN heard the voice.

 

[The King Of Swing]

Yeah the human brain can be a right cunt. 

[Mr_Danger]

11 hours ago, Nostalgia Nonce said:

Got home late from a gig last night, and so got to bed around 3:30am. As a result, I was left to sleep in this morning.

When I woke, I had no idea what time it was, so I said "Alexa" but nothing else, just so that the screen would activate.

Almost immediately in response, a woman's voice whispered back at me. I didn't catch what it said, because I jumped as I thought I was alone in the room.

Nothing followed, so I called my girlfriend's name, thinking that she must have been in there as well without me realising, and nope. I was alone in the room.

It definitely didn't come through Alexa either, it was a voice in the room. I'm trying to convince myself that I was still in a half-asleep state, but I didn't feel like I was.

Isn’t that the standard Alexa response when you ask it a question and it doesn’t hear you? Plus if you whisper to Alexa she whispers back. Great for shitting up the kids.

[waters44]

1 hour ago, Loki said:

It's also that liminal area where sleep paralysis happens - you dream that you wake up but can't move.  You can't move because you're still asleep but it feels completely like being awake and once you ARE awake it's hard to understand that is WASN'T real.  You can also hallucinate during that time and it can be terrifying.

I’ve had this forever and it happens a couple of times a month. I’ve got to the point where I know what’s happening and know to scream out which wakes my wife up who then wakes me up fully and it’s all good. So what is actually happening? I’m dreaming that I’m awake but still manage to call out in the dream? 

It was terrifying as a kid as you just had to sit it out. And sometimes like you said you would hallucinate. I used to see people walking up the stairs towards me and all I could do was lie there. 

[SuperBacon]

I get it and have for about 20 odd years.

I always feel like Neo in The Matrix when his mouth closes up and he can't speak.

The way I deal with it, is I try and rock myself side to side so I sort of fall off the bed and shock myself into "waking" up. 

Of course I am doing none of this in reality. Or am I? 

[Loki]

I used to get the one where you think "I need to get up" so you wake yourself up, get out of bed, start getting dressed or whatever and then suddenly realise you're still asleep, so you go "right, I need to ACTUALLY wake up", force yourself properly awake, get up, start to get dressed and suddenly you're back in bed, asleep.

Rinse, repeat for a worrying amount of time.

Definitely linked to stress levels, I've not had these sorts of issues in the last few years.

[Mr_Danger]

Probably mentioned it before but I was having sleep paralysis issues for a while and the worse incident was when my girlfriend woke up to me shouting “get off get off” to which she told me there was no one on me. Unluckily for her I was speaking to a big shadowy Vigo the Carpathian looking fucker stood over her. She made me swap sides that night.

[Bus Surfer]

Since we're on dreams.

Last week I thought I'd woken up in the night and could feel my Mrs lying dead weight on me, she was almost clutching me around the chest but it didn't feel familiar. I glanced at her in the dim light and she just looked like a black shadow holding on to me. I was trying talk to her, asking what was wrong but I couldn't get any words out nor did she move at all. Freaking out a bit I thought I'd try and turn on the bedroom light which is just about reachable from our bed if I stretch. I was stretching, but not seemingly moving at all due to her grabbing on to me with a strong grip. It felt like I was struggling  to reach for some time and eventually managed to move myself with her attached to me and reach the switch. My finger got to the panel but there was no switch to press. I remember feeling terrified and collapsed back on to the bed with her holding on tighter and it felt like I was being swallowed up into something. I started to try and call out but again, I couldn't make any sound. It seemed like I was being pulled down into something and after a few moments I felt complete acceptance of what was happening. 

Woke up a moments later gasping for breath. 

Never again, please! 

 

[Loki]

@Silky Kisser - if it's not a very impertinent question, are you a larger gentleman?

One of my friends have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Fundamentally they sort of stop breathing whilst asleep during the night, it's linked to snoring, and it's led to them not sleeping properly for years.  They got given this device that helps you sleep at night and said it's transformative.  Plus it stops you snoring!

[gmoney]

11 hours ago, Loki said:

I used to get the one where you think "I need to get up" so you wake yourself up, get out of bed, start getting dressed or whatever and then suddenly realise you're still asleep, so you go "right, I need to ACTUALLY wake up", force yourself properly awake, get up, start to get dressed and suddenly you're back in bed, asleep.

Rinse, repeat for a worrying amount of time.

Definitely linked to stress levels, I've not had these sorts of issues in the last few years.

I used to get the getting up and getting ready for school/work all the time when I was younger. It would be so disheartening. I remember it happening about 4 times in a row once and leaping out of bed and shouting "for fuck's sake"!! I'm sure that didn't worry my mum and dad at all. 

I once was woken up suddenly when someone hit me in the head with an empty plastic two litre bottle. Except when I looked to see who did it, there was no one there. There was no one else in the house even. It's such a specific noise and sensation that it really freaked me out. It seemed so real, but it could only have been a dream.

Edited September 18, 2023 by gmoney

[Surf Digby]

Today I learned that Alexa can whisper. 

Not the wrong thread.

I regularly use Alexa for telling the time during the night. I'll just say "Alexa", but nothing else, so the screen activates, shows the time, the blue bar at the bottom pulses for a few seconds, and as there's no question, the screen goes dark again. I think on this occasion, she thought I said something else, and did her "I don't understand" response.