So, one of my founding experiences that kept me believing a long time was a night terror, where I saw something and believed it as a real experience. I didn't know that night terrors existed then or really at all till my faith crisis was in full force. I saw a vision of Satan's portrait centered in an upside down star on the wall after I had turned twelve. It took me a great deal of effort to speak and "command" it to depart...

It got me to thinking recently that if you go back and read JSjr's First Vision experience it strikes me that he describes the symptoms of a night terror quite distinctly. Feelings of paralysis, the inability to speak, and visions and experiences that were in the cultural air. I know that people have expressed a belief that he had some form of epilepsy, which may be, but how does this sound? Has much been said about this before?

I was paralyzed, and could hear our baby's mechanized swing going back and forth in the middle of the night. In my mind I ordered whatever was trying to kill me to depart. It was the most frightened I've ever been in my life. When I told the bishop about it, he commented that the members in that ward had come to him with some of the most bizzare stories, similar to mine. Maybe there are invisible forces of evil that hang around staunch mormons, as they talk about 'Satan' so much. The Morg is pure evil underneath the lambs' clothing.

When your mind is in a dark place, your reticular activating system goes into hyper-drive as to better sense out any potential threat or danger.

This was key to survival throughout evolution's past. The inability to see makes you vulnerable.

This biological response coupled with the uniquely powerful imagination that we as humans have, can give way to some interesting, and perhaps even hauntingly so, experiences.

The solution?

Let your mind know its okay. That there is no threat and you are safe in your home. Turn on a light, listen to a nice song, smile, read something positive.

The way Ive found to avoid future occurrences is not to just walk in your room at night and plop down on the bed. Your mind hasnt "mapped out" the territory as being safe and free of threats. You NEED to keep a light on and wind down peacefully, with a positive book or relaxing and peaceful music.

The lie that Mormonism teaches that these experiences are unavoidable and "spiritual" in nature is absolutely detestable. Many of the things people can experience VIVIDLY, are so vile, terrible, and shocking that not even the worst criminal should have to experience it. Ive blotted mine out, I dont want to remember.

This is valuable insight and advice. Thank you.

Alien encounters and such things through history can be traced to these night terror paralysis experiences which why I wonder if that may have been what Joseph had actually experienced. He, a young teenager in an unstable home with literal concerns about his soul, may have conjured that up and then used it. His first vision story sounds like one that was later embellished upon. Binding his tongue, unable to move etc when attacked by Satan.

Personally I don't know that I've had them in forever. At least the terror part. I do have vague recollections of not being able move though conscious. But nothing that matched that experience I had when I was twelve.

Paralysis and auditory and visual hallucinations are part of a sleep disorder which usually begins in the teens. It can also come as a result of stress. I joined the lds church at 15 and began having these symptoms shortly after that. I agree that the church talks about satan so much that it is little wonder that when I had these things happen I assumed it was all evil. Joseph Smith, being so imaginative, may have had these experiences as well. I actually still sleep with a little bit of light on or else the shadows on the wall may turn into spiders!

I used to experience sleep paralysis and hypnogogic hallucinations regularly (usually I saw spiders).

Then I found out that irregular sleep cycles (like taking naps during the day, or sleeping in late on the weekends), and sleeping on one's back are strongly associated with these disorders.

I stopped taking naps and I started sleeping only on my side. I haven't experienced any sleep disorders since I made these changes about ten years ago.

I had night terrors too when I was growing up. Seeing the devil in the window and stuff like that. I always knew it had something to do with being Mormon. And it wasn't just me, things like that (really thinking Satan was in the room or just outside and being absolutely terrified, not in a fun way) happened a few times at slumber parties with other Mormon kids too.

I left the church in my late teens and haven't had anything like that happen since.

I think it's another case of "by their fruits shall ye know them." The church plants these evil seeds and they grow in fertile young imaginations of kids just trying to find the right path in life.