Sleep paralysis research

[Guest julia2406]

Hello,

 

I'm a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. I'm researching various aspects of a commonly experienced sleep disorder called sleep paralysis. This is the feeling of not being able to move either as you are going to sleep or as you are waking up. It might feel as though you cannot move your arms or legs and cannot speak or cry out.

 

I am developing a new questionnaire to investigate sleep paralysis experiences and I need to analyse responses to an existing questionnaire before I start. I have this brief questionnaire on my webpages and I need people who have had sleep paralysis once or more to complete it.

 

It will take just a couple of minutes, it is anonymous and has been given full ethical approval by the departmental ethics committee. So, if you've had sleep paralysis once or more then please visit <http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/sleep/nei.php>.

 

If you fill in the questionnaire you are given the option of opting in to have the results of the study emailed to you (this will be in a few months). If there is interest from members then I can also post the results on this forum.

 

Thank you very much, Julia

[j_p]

Additional comments:

I have physical symptons [such as dry mouth] but no emotional sensations of fear.

I experience 'falling' very frequently, but paralysis seldom.

I am frequently aware of my paralysis while dreaming, and it wakes me up.

 

I've alway assumed 'falling' and paralysis where caused by your body going into the dreamstate paralysis before your 'mind'.

[Royston]

I used to experience sleep paralysis in my late teens and was usually brought on by afternoon naps, or sleep outside my regular sleeping patterns.

 

I would feel myself slowly drift off, then I would paralyse, and find it exceptionally hard to breath properly. I could see the room I was in as though I was awake, but figures would appear in the room. One experience that is vivid and I can still remember in detail, is when (while trying to take an afternnoon nap), my body paralysed and my nephew appeared on the end of my bed.

 

Although I was intrigued by the fact that my nephew somehow materialised on the end of my bed, the panic that I couldn't breath properly affected what I was seeing. My nephew mutated into a devil like figure and went to bite my face. I then used my usual method of trying to wake up.

 

I would usually concentrate on moving my arm and try to call for help. Something would 'click' and I would wake up. I found by concentrating on a particular body part and trying to move it, I would eventually wake up.

 

For a short period I would try and induce the experience (I was more fascinated than scared). I found it was eaiser to induce by being fatigued (say through exercise) and trying to sleep (as I've said) outside my normal sleeping times. I managed to learn to relax while paralysed despite the fact I couldn't breath properly...I knew now through experience that I would wake up.

The visuals that I could induce while still having my eyes open were intense and quite chaotic, though they seemed to always involve other people / figures. I believe this is quite subjective though, I'm not implying they are 'so called' spirits, but I'm sure some people would argue with me on that.

 

I cannot access your questionaire, but feel free to use my comments for your project. I no longer experience sleep paralysis due to a more demanding lifestyle.