Hi all!  I hope you can help me figure out what is (and was) going on in my situation...

Basically, I never had anything like this happen until I moved to the midwest in USA.  Anyway, when I lived in my last apartment building (a high rise in a down town area), I'd have something weird happen in between the sleep and dream phase.  I'm a lucid dreamer at times and have had out of body experiences, but this is just weird.

Basically what happened is that when I was physically asleep, but mentally awake (aware of my surroundings, could think clearly, etc), many times I felt something or someone touching me.  Once, it was a full body hug from behind.  Another time, I felt a hand (or something) grasp one of my ankles.  Once I felt it hugging me from the front really tightly.  

Each time it happened, I was able to jolt myself back to reality (out of the 'sleep' phase), which is hard to do because of the paralysis.  I never had the guts to ask who/what it was doing this.

I also from time to time feel someone/something patting my comforter gently while I'm in bed.  This doesn't scare me, in fact it makes me feel comforted.

Does anyone have any idea what/who could be doing this?  It's slowed way down since I moved into my new place, but has still happened once or twice in the past few months.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide!

... anyone?  

Hi Lightblue I just read your post.  I have no good explanation for what is happening in this same vain with many other peoples.  I just know that it does.  IMAO I believe there are many many spirits assigned to us before we come to earth.  To guide us, hold us, comfort us.  With recent events that have happened in Haiti and other monstrosities that have occured I know this is hard to believe.  Such horror in the world.  The most damaging things happen when mother earth decides to shift her body.  Also the most sorrowful things happen when certain men come into power, Ie "Pol Pot, or Hitler.  This is why we need so many spirits around us to comfort us.  I think many many people though can actually feel their presence with bouncings on the bed.  Pokes.  Rubbing of the feet.  Rubbing the upper legs.  Laying down beside you.  Your own spirt has to be very brave indeed to come to mother earth in the first place.  This place is so volatile.  Also from what is on the news it sure is scary huh?
Personally I welcome them with a sigh of relief.  Somebody cares about us.  
budhabee

The phenomenum that you describe is some thing that is experienced by virtually everyone at some point in their life.
It can usually be associated with an experience that is bothering our psyche.

In medical terms however it is said that altho you are conscious of your surrounds you are actually still in the realm of sleep and the small
time that it takes for our body to catch up with our brain can cause tactile hallucinations.  It doesn't go on for long periods of time and will not
happen too often in your lifetime.
It doesn't mean that your mentally unwell it just means that your brain is incorrectly processing the information its getting and coming to false conclusions.
Its actually very easy to trick your brain and there are alot of websites that can give you more information about it.

Suzi XXX

yup Ive heard that scientists want to catagorize anything that tends to frighten them.  I don't buy into Hypographic,hypnocognic nor Tactile Hallucinations.  I'm not saying they don't happen.  Im just saying I know when I am awake and when I'm asleep.  I wonder what scientists would lable "visions" when the person is sitting on ones bed minding their own business wide awake when Blam....

aww well,

I bet a scientist knows when they are awake and when they are asleep.