Have You Ever Awakened And Couldn’t Move? Sleep Paralysis Or Demon Possession?
Have you ever awakened and couldn’t move your body? Did you wonder if you were being possessed by a demon? Perhaps sleep paralysis is to blame.
You may have heard stories of people who say they woke up but were unable to move. They may have mentioned seeing something that was holding them down. But there is an explanation, and no, it is not a demonic possession. Rapid eye movement (REM) is to blame for this scary sleep paralysis.
Sleep has a non-REM state and an REM state. While you are in REM state, your brain is still active, but your body is paralyzed. According to Business Insider, your body become paralyzed while in REM state, which is known as REM atonia. Vivid dreams often take place while in REM mode; therefore, REM atonia prevents a person from acting out vivid dreams.
How long does this sleep paralysis usually last? Typically, a person will only experience the paralysis for a couple minutes; however, some rare cases have been reported to have lasted up to 15 minutes.
Multiple studies were conducted to determine the lifetime prevalence rates of sleep paralysis. The studies show that sleep paralysis was most common among students, as well as psychiatric patients.
Sleep paralysis episodes have been linked with multiple medical conditions, such as narcolepsy, seizure disorders, and hypertension. Sleep paralysis also occurs more often to those working shift work, as well as individuals who experience sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances.
When healthy individuals experience sleep paralysis, this is known as isolated SP and is said to be a diagnostic possibility, according to International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 2nd Edition.
Sleep paralysis can be very frightening, which is why some may believe they have actually been possessed by a demon. The studies have shown that fear activated during sleep paralysis can cause hallucinations, which sometimes leads to a psychotic disorder diagnosis. Some believe they were being sexually assaulted, others see intruders, and many claim they experienced levitation.
It is shown that women experienced more accounts of lifetime sleep paralysis than men. According to the study, 18.9 percent of women, compared to 15.9 percent of men, experienced lifetime sleep paralysis. The table also shows that people of African descent have a higher risk of experiencing sleep paralysis.
How is your breathing affected during REM? Apparently, when you are in REM mode, your breathing is more shallow and your airways become slightly restricted. Therefore, it makes sense for people to become fearful if they awaken, can’t move, and can’t breathe normally. Although your breathing is restricted during REM, your body receives the oxygen it needs; however, this can be quite frightening to the conscious mind.
According to a study conducted in 2013, some people experienced levitation or an OBE (out of body experience), but Daniel Denis, a Sleep Paralysis Project researcher, blames this feeling on a non-activated part of the brain during REM.
“You feel like you’re moving when you’re not because the area of the brain that coordinates that is overactive.”
So how can you prevent sleep paralysis? Sleep paralysis can be hereditary; however, getting enough sleep can sometimes be enough to prevent it. Reduce your stress and anxiety, as those can activate sleep paralysis. Do not sleep on your back because it has been revealed that sleep paralysis occurs up to four times more in individuals who sleep in the supine position.
“So long as you can move one muscle, that breaks the paralysis.”
Denis advises you to concentrate on moving a finger or a toe because as soon as you can move one body part, sleep paralysis is broken.
Well, there you have it. Sleep paralysis is to blame for the scary moments you may have originally thought was some sort of demonic possession.
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