A mysterious phenomenon, which doctors call "sleepy paralysis," is experienced by many people. This condition does not count as a disease, some people have many beliefs associated with it, and persons inclined to mysticism see in it a different devilry.
What is sleepy paralysis?
Many of the beliefs have been forgotten by the modern world, so few know the answer to the question of what is sleepy paralysis or the syndrome of the old witch , as it is called unofficially. This condition occurs on the verge of sleep and show: the person is not yet fully awake or has fallen asleep and is in a state of paralysis, a stupor. Very often he feels that he has a mystical guest sitting on his chest, who draws life energy or strangles the sleeper. Other visions are possible, sleep paralysis is especially common with hallucinations of "black people", witches, ghosts, aliens, house demons.
Additional symptoms by which this condition can be diagnosed:
- strong fear, palpitations;
- compression of the chest, shortness of breath;
- disorientation, a sense of detachment of the soul from the body;
- feeling of hovering of the body, dizziness;
- a sense of someone else's presence;
- visions of strangers and beings;
- the presence of strange and unnatural sounds.
Sleep paralysis - psychology
Visions of sleepy paralysis are not dangerous for human health, but psychological problems do arise, especially - due to fear of dying, going insane, falling into a coma or lethargic sleep. The peculiarity of this condition is that all hallucinations are extremely realistic, and the feeling of helplessness is very frightening. In addition, a person can be horrified and some sound illusions - amplification of sound or its distortion.
Sleep paralysis is a scientific explanation
The phenomenon of sleep stupor has two varieties: the first occurs when falling asleep, the second - on awakening. Doctors explain it this way: when the fast sleep phase begins, the person "disconnects" the motor functions of the body (other than necessary to ensure vital activity), so that rest is safe, when you go to the stage of superficial sleep or when you wake up, the organism "turns on". In some cases, the brain mediators that control these processes fail and the motor functions either "turn off" too soon or "turn on" too late.
Particularly frequent sleep paralysis occurs when a person wakes up. Studying the processes in the body during the night rest, doctors-somnologists noticed that if awakening occurs immediately after the stage of fast sleep - a person experiences a stupor. The brain at this time continues to experience bright dreams, the body has not yet acquired mobility, is relaxed, the result is a vision of a mystical being that "pulls" the soul and strength, and the inability to do something. Normally a person should wake up after a slow sleep stage, when the body rests and prepares to wake.
Sleep paralysis - causes
A distinctive feature of the sleepy stupor is that it occurs when the patient awakens independently. If a person is returned from the dreaming world loud noises, shaking or something else - there will be no paralysis. The phenomenon of drowsy paralysis causes can be and the following:
- failure of biorhythms due to moving to another time zone;
- lack of sleep due to stress, anxiety, depression;
- sleep on the back, in an uncomfortable position;
- alcoholic, nicotine, game addiction;
- taking certain medications - neurometabolic stimulants, antidepressants;
- mental disorders and diseases;
- genetic predisposition.
The risk group for this violation is:
- overly impressed and impressionable individuals;
- suffering from neuroses;
- people with overworked nervous system;
- introverts, who prefer to keep all experiences in themselves;
- teenagers.
Is sleep paralysis dangerous?
Anyone who has experienced an unpleasant phenomenon, are wondering - what is dangerous is a sleepy paralysis. The attack lasts only a couple of minutes and doctors do not consider this condition serious, however it can do harm to mental or physical health:
- A person can be very frightened, which will provoke a heart attack or a spasm of breathing.
- With insufficient information, the sufferer of a stupor upon waking or falling asleep may begin to fear for mental health .
Sleep paralysis - consequences
Very strong fear and poor health of the cardiovascular system - these are the conditions for the answer to the question whether it is possible to die from sleep paralysis was positive. During an attack a person feels that he can not move and talk, very often he sees something otherworldly and terrible, and is especially dangerous if he has a sick heart. Although the statistics are not able to determine the percentage of deaths from this phenomenon among all those who died during sleep, according to doctors, there is a risk, but it is minimal.
How to cause sleep paralysis?
Despite the fact that most people frighten night stupor, there are individuals who want to learn how to get into sleepy paralysis. Often these are those who are fond of esotericism, going into the astral, etc. Such individuals can follow one of the following tips:
- To induce stupor when falling asleep, you need to lie on your back without a pillow and track your sensations. If the sounds change, the body "paralyzes", then the necessary state is reached.
- The following technique consists in reproducing before a dream a sense of flight - on a swing, in weightlessness. When the necessary sensations are achieved, there will also be a sleepy stupor.
- The last way is with the help of coffee. In a state of extreme fatigue, you need to drink strong coffee and go to bed. The body starts to fall into a dream, and if coffee will act at the right time and will not let the mind fall asleep, the necessary phenomenon will arise.
What to do if you have a sleepy paralysis?
Sometimes people are so scared of sleepy paralysis that it can become dangerous. Then you should take advice on how to get out of sleepy paralysis. Since the mind has already woken up, it is necessary to remind ourselves that this is a temporary state that does not last long. All visions and sound effects are just an illusion, they should not be frightened. The stupor lasts a short time - only a couple of minutes, this phenomenon needs to be waited without panicking, while you can mentally read the poem, solve the problem, but if the fear is very great - it is desirable to get an alarm clock and get rid of the habit of sleeping on your back.
How to get rid of sleep paralysis?
To learn how to treat sleep paralysis, you need to visit a doctor. Drug therapy in this case is practically not appointed, tk. this condition is not considered a disease, an exception is those cases when a stupor is accompanied by mental or somatic diseases. The doctor may ask the patient to keep a diary in which the manifestations of the syndrome will be monitored and sleep research performed.
The main treatment for the syndrome of the old witch is a set of preventive measures, which includes:
- proper nutrition;
- quality sleep;
- compliance with wakefulness and sleep;
- reduction of stress loads;
- walks and exercise.
Sleep paralysis and access to the astral
The state of sleepy paralysis and astral myths of different peoples and religions. People believed that when a stupor comes, a person gets the opportunity to start a journey around the world of the otherworld, and all the unpleasant symptoms of a sleepy stupor, such as the sense of the presence of a hostile mind, pressure on the chest and even sensations of sexual violence, were attributed to spirits, demons and other beings coming from the astral .
Sleepy paralysis - Orthodox look
Unlike doctors, the Church considers the sleep paralysis to be a dangerous condition. Clergymen explain their position this way: a sleepy stupor occurs in spiritually weak personalities and in this state they contact the world of the invisible. Because most people do not know how to distinguish between good and evil spirits, contact with the otherworld can seem to them something interesting, attractive. Church ministers urge believers less to get carried away by practitioners of altered consciousness (meditation, yoga) and pray more, and when the syndrome of the old witch approaches, read "Our Father".
Sleep paralysis - interesting facts
Disputes on the topic of sleep paralysis - this disease or mystical phenomenon periodically begin and die out, not coming to a common opinion. Most people will find it much more interesting to learn various facts about this state:
- The more often a person has paralysis, the more intense it is. Scientists believe that many religious miracles, mystical phenomena, abductions by extraterrestrials are in fact only visions against the background of this state.
- The syndrome was first described in the 10th century by a Persian physician. The doctor from the Netherlands in the 17th century had a chance to see the patient in the state of a stupor. He had to reassure the patient, suggesting that it was a nightmare.
- Artist Heinrich Fussli embodied his idea of a sleepy paralysis in the movie "Nightmare", which depicts a woman with a demon sitting on her chest.
- One of the most frightening nightmares of the syndrome is the feeling of being in a dead body. Therefore, in different nations, sleepy paralysis has names that include words related to death.
- The syndrome of the old witch is a phenomenon opposite to somnambulism.