I had sleep paralysis more as a kid, and only once that I can recall with any kind of looming figure. I can still get it occasionally, but it doesn't bother me much except for the nuisance it can be when I want to get up.

Recognizing it (and the phenomena below) for what it is has taken the fear out of it. I either just lie there and wait for the rest of me to wake up (like Uma wiggling her big toe in Kill Bill Vol 1 ) or fall back asleep for 15-20 minutes and wake up normally.

I also have lucid dreams and nested dreams (dreams within dreams, like in Inception). The nested ones can mess with you, but lucid dreams can be fun.

Doc