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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> survey/question, sleep paralysis
        
(Message started by: Lapsi_Harmaahapsi on Apr 23^rd, 2005, 11:05am)

Title: survey/question, sleep paralysis
Post by Lapsi_Harmaahapsi on Apr 23^rd, 2005, 11:05am

Found out today that some funky things I've experienced while (almost) asleep are because of sleep paralysis. From wikipedia:

"The disorder known as "sleep paralysis" occurs when the brain is awakened from a REM state into essentially a normal fully awake state, but the bodily paralysis is still occurring. This causes the person to be fully aware, but unable to move. In addition, this state is usually accompanied by certain specific kinds of hallucinations. This state usually lasts no more than two minutes before a person is able to either return to full REM sleep or to become fully awake, though the sense of how much time has gone by is often distorted during sleep paralysis."

and some of possible causes:

"Little is known about the physiology of awareness during sleep paralysis. However, some have suggested that it may be linked to post synaptic inhibition of motor neurons in the pons region of the brain. In particular, low levels of melatonin may stop the depolarisation current in the nerves, which prevents the stimulation of the muscles."

That melatonin-thing got my attention, I think I've seen it mentioned here before.. so I was just wondering, is this sleep paralysis -thing common among us?
(I never knew it existed before today, and I've had those "attacks" for years)

Title: Re: survey/question, sleep paralysis
Post by eyes_afire on Apr 23^rd, 2005, 11:11am

I've experienced it many times before. Damn scary feeling as you can neither move nor prevent the hallucinations. Feels like being forcibly dragged back into dreamworld... feels like a smothering.

--- Steve

Title: Re: survey/question, sleep paralysis
Post by Frank_W on Apr 25^th, 2005, 10:20am

Robert Monroe's, "Journeys Out Of The Body," is an enlightening read on the subject of sleep paralysis in the hypnagogic (borderland between sleep and waking) state.

(I'd actually be interested in finding out how to induce sleep paralysis.)

Title: Re: survey/question, sleep paralysis
Post by cootie on Apr 25^th, 2005, 10:37am

I think they give big long scarey intimidateing names to things that are rather common. I've woke up before and laid there and didn't know where I was and fell back to sleep......very strange feeling cuz yer really NOT totally awake and didn't seem to hear any noises that were around me. Sum sort of dream state. The dreams where you are tryin to get away from sumthin aweful but are too sluggish and keep falling or CAN'T MOVE scare me. Nothing worse then dreaming you can't get anywhere to save yourself....that's true enuff in real life. I wonder if certain sleep meds effect any of this....makeing it better or worse ? Insomniatic sleeper Pam