About 2 or 3 times in my life I have experiences “sleep paralysis.”
It is basically you are going to sleep or just waking up and the part of your brain that keeps you from injuring yourself is still on, but you are semi or almost fully aware. It is a very odd feeling, not being able to control your limbs for a few minutes.
What makes it even scarier it is often accompanied by VERY vivid hallucinations (visual, audio, and touch.) Most scientists think it is the origin of most, if not all alien and ghost sitings. It ALSO has a lovely sense of extreme dread along with difficulty breathing thrown in for extra fun.
So, to get to the point, the object of dread is often cultural and not universal. For instance, many people see aliens, or ghosts, shadow people, devils, demons, or in the past succubus or old hags. In my case, I dreaded and was convinced a burglar was trying to break into my apartment at the time. It was the whole nine yards, rattling the door handles and a person dressed in black. But, notice, it was a person I was dreading. Not a supernatural entity. I happen to be an atheist, and don’t believe in ghosts, aliens, hobgoblins or whatnot.
So, if you have ever experienced sleep paralysis, what did you perceive as your source of dread? Did it relate directly to your belief system?
Strange topic, but curious.
About 2 or 3 times in my life I have experiences “sleep paralysis.”
It is basically you are going to sleep or just waking up and the part of your brain that keeps you from injuring yourself is still on, but you are semi or almost fully aware. It is a very odd feeling, not being able to control your limbs for a few minutes.
What makes it even scarier it is often accompanied by VERY vivid hallucinations (visual, audio, and touch.) Most scientists think it is the origin of most, if not all alien and ghost sitings. It ALSO has a lovely sense of extreme dread along with difficulty breathing thrown in for extra fun.
So, to get to the point, the object of dread is often cultural and not universal. For instance, many people see aliens, or ghosts, shadow people, devils, demons, or in the past succubus or old hags. In my case, I dreaded and was convinced a burglar was trying to break into my apartment at the time. It was the whole nine yards, rattling the door handles and a person dressed in black. But, notice, it was a person I was dreading. Not a supernatural entity. I happen to be an atheist, and don’t believe in ghosts, aliens, hobgoblins or whatnot.
So, if you have ever experienced sleep paralysis, what did you perceive as your source of dread? Did it relate directly to your belief system?
Posted by admin on May 9, 2007 in General Comments
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