Which is scarier! Seeing or hearing?

[sky14kemea]

When it happens to me, I just try to jerk my neck in one direction, which usually gets me out of it somehow.

Just as a question, do you experience a feeling of... I don't know how to describe it. I guess "fuzzy" is how I'd put it for me, where my entire body feels weird when it's happening.

Yeah! I do actually. Like everything is slightly fuzzy around your vision, and you feel kinda numb and really really heavy?

 

[JRCB]

When it happens to me, I just try to jerk my neck in one direction, which usually gets me out of it somehow.

Just as a question, do you experience a feeling of... I don't know how to describe it. I guess "fuzzy" is how I'd put it for me, where my entire body feels weird when it's happening.

Yeah! I do actually. Like everything is slightly fuzzy around your vision, and you feel kinda numb and really really heavy?

That's pretty much it, down to a dot. THAT is what freaks me out most during sleep paralysis.

 

[sky14kemea]

When it happens to me, I just try to jerk my neck in one direction, which usually gets me out of it somehow.

Just as a question, do you experience a feeling of... I don't know how to describe it. I guess "fuzzy" is how I'd put it for me, where my entire body feels weird when it's happening.

Yeah! I do actually. Like everything is slightly fuzzy around your vision, and you feel kinda numb and really really heavy?

That's pretty much it, down to a dot. THAT is what freaks me out most during sleep paralysis.

I can understand what you mean when you say that's the freakiest bit. However I have a light that makes my bedroom glow orange at night, so I think hallucinations crossed with that light is freakier for me. xD It looks like I'm in hell or something.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Visual hallucinations have the benefit of being clearly not real to anyone in full possession of their mental faculties. You clearly know that big monster thing isn't real. Sure, maybe it LOOKS spooky, but you know there is nothing really to be afraid of.

Auditory hallucinations are a different story. It's more difficult to tell if that screaming or whatever is real or not. Even more so since it'll tend to sound like someone you know.
Plus, hearing skittering around you is a lot more unnerving than Sadako popping up and giving you a hug. But maybe that's just me.

However, speaking as someone who regularily has both after maybe five days no sleep, I have to say one without the other is a fucking walk in the park compared to both at the same time. Especially when you are too sleep deprived to think straight.

Yeah again, I should probably edit this in the OP, but when you see things you usually get some sounds as well. =P

Of course things look fake and you know they aren't real, but that rarely stops me being afraid of them. xD Just saying.

Ah, that makes sense. I've never gotten visual by itself.
I always assumed it was because I get audio first and then it just sort of keeps getting worse until I pass out.

... Wait doesn't that mean you get to choose between scary visions AND sounds or just scary sounds.
That... That kind of seems unbalanced.

 

[Deacon Cole]

Hearing is scarier whether you can move or not.

 

[PurpleLeafRave]

Not meaning to insult but the hallucination aspect of sleep paralysis sounds; "totally fucking awesome".

Trust me, it's not. I've had a few where I've thought someone was in my room, and I desperatley wanted to move but couldn't. I could even imagine someone stabbing me in one.

 

[sky14kemea]

Ah, that makes sense. I've never gotten visual by itself.
I always assumed it was because I get audio first and then it just sort of keeps getting worse until I pass out.

... Wait doesn't that mean you get to choose between scary visions AND sounds or just scary sounds.
That... That kind of seems unbalanced.

Uhhh... A tad unbalanced. The sounds aren't as noticeable in the vision ones though, you're more focused on the "Oh God what is that thing and why is it moving towards me, ARGH SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBER LAMPS!!!" Then thinking "I wonder what it's saying?" =P

 

[anthony87]

I'd have to go with hearing.

After all, you can hit what you can see.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Ah, that makes sense. I've never gotten visual by itself.
I always assumed it was because I get audio first and then it just sort of keeps getting worse until I pass out.

... Wait doesn't that mean you get to choose between scary visions AND sounds or just scary sounds.
That... That kind of seems unbalanced.

Uhhh... A tad unbalanced. The sounds aren't as noticeable in the vision ones though, you're more focused on the "Oh God what is that thing and why is it moving towards me, ARGH SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBER LAMPS!!!" Then thinking "I wonder what it's saying?" =P

Unless you're getting the same kind as me where all your thoughts feel like static and the only thing that gets through is "RUN".

It's pretty exciting, though. I miss my hallucinations after I sleep.

 

[JRCB]

Not meaning to insult but the hallucination aspect of sleep paralysis sounds; "totally fucking awesome".

Trust me, it's not. I've had a few where I've thought someone was in my room, and I desperatley wanted to move but couldn't. I could even imagine someone stabbing me in one.

Yeah, imagining being stabbed is quite painful. Happened to me in a dream once. Crazy girl who I hate was chasing me through the woods, she pinned me to the ground, then stabbed me in the spine. Tried to kick my legs, it didn't work, and then I woke up.

Although my sleep paralysis hasn't gotten THAT bad. Just my dreams.

 

[sky14kemea]

I'd have to go with hearing.

After all, you can hit what you can see.

Not really, since you're kinda paralysed in these cases. >.> I think I get what you mean though.

Ah, that makes sense. I've never gotten visual by itself.
I always assumed it was because I get audio first and then it just sort of keeps getting worse until I pass out.

... Wait doesn't that mean you get to choose between scary visions AND sounds or just scary sounds.
That... That kind of seems unbalanced.

Uhhh... A tad unbalanced. The sounds aren't as noticeable in the vision ones though, you're more focused on the "Oh God what is that thing and why is it moving towards me, ARGH SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBER LAMPS!!!" Then thinking "I wonder what it's saying?" =P

Unless you're getting the same kind as me where all your thoughts feel like static and the only thing that gets through is "RUN".

It's pretty exciting, though. I miss my hallucinations after I sleep.

Yeah pretty much, I usually just think "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
I don't miss them though >.> You crazy dude.

 

[dakorok]

Hearing. Once you see something, it's a lot easier to overcome the fear of it.

 

[Hosker]

From what I hear, only a small percentage of people who have had sleep paralysis actually have hallucinations as well. I could be wrong.

Hearing is much scarier; not being able to see something means we know less about what it is. It's basically just fear of the unknown.

EDIT: Post number 666 >_>

 

[Zenomorph]

In my opinion its what you don't hear or see that is the scariest.

 

[theSovietConnection]

I think seeing and not being able to do anything would terrify me more, to be honest.

 

[sky14kemea]

From what I hear, only a small percentage of people who have had sleep paralysis actually have hallucinations as well. I could be wrong.

Hearing is much scarier; not being able to see something means we know less about what it is. It's basically just fear of the unknown.

EDIT: Post number 666 >_>

Nah that does sound right. People tend to only get Sleep Paralysis once or twice in their life, and barely notice it. Most think it's just another weird dream.

The problem is when the small number of people get it more often, and they have no idea what it is unless they find someone who's had something similar. Dx I had no idea myself until my room mate told me about his.

 

[lacktheknack]

Hearing, because the massive chittering bug monster isn't as scary when you can say "Well, he could be larger..."

 

[zenoaugustus]

The unknown is scary. You know what you can see, as that tends to be one of the primary senses. Therefore, in my opinion, hearing would be scarier because you still would be uncertain of your surroundings.

 

[Zacharias91]

Hearing for sure. People are generally visual by nature; we look for visual cues, we're drawn to motion, etc. You can't see something, but you can hear it? You're going to start getting paranoid about it, or at least I would.

 

[PrototypeC]

In the case of something like a horror game, what you hear but can't see is scarier because you might not know what is making the sound, where it is and where it is coming from. It's that fear of the unknown, making it worse in your mind. Imagine seeing it first... you'd know what it was and what is happening about a second after you've already pulled the trigger. Doom 3, for instance.

In the example of Sleep Paralysis, what you see would be scarier because sounds are away from you, while visual hallucinations are IN THE ROOM WITH YOU. Your brain automatically trusts your eyes more than any other organ, so trying to convince yourself that what you're seeing isn't real is a lot harder than convincing yourself that what you're hearing isn't real.

I do not envy you.