"To Be Pressed Down by a Ghost"
Chinese people believe that there’s a kind of ghost that likes to sit on top of you and paralyze you while you're lying down. When it's translated from Chinese, it means literally "to be weighed down (or sat on) by a ghost."
Have you ever woken up from a deep sleep and found that you can't move a single muscle in your body? Some people, like me, believe that this happens because you slept on a nerve causing a split second of paralysis. But if you've ever experienced this, how can you explain the seemingly heightened ability to hear and sense things around you. From these strange sensations, comes the Chinese belief that a ghost is causing this.
My Uncle experienced this in his apartment at Confucius Plaza in Chinatown, New York City. This is a pretty famous co-op condominium because of its unique shape and the fact that it’s by far the tallest building in the area.
On one particular evening, he fell asleep on his couch for some time. Later on, he woke up and realized that he was paralyzed. Without even the ability to open his eyelids, he realized all these footsteps walking through his apartment. And he lived alone!
As he lay there and listened (this was the only thing he could do!) he heard these heavy footsteps walk down the hall and enter every room in his apartment. At the same time, he felt a cold wind like there was a window open. Then, without warning, he was suddenly able to move again and he was alone in silence in his own apartment.
On one hand, you can say that after he slept on his nerve, his mind was still in the dream state. On the other hand, you can also believe that a real spirit was keeping him down while they had a fine time exploring his apartment. Perhaps those few moments before you fully wake up, you're body is in a weakened state just enough that you can perceive this other side. I'm not sure what I believe, but I am sure that I'd be pretty shaken up if this ever happened to me!