What is a book? Sleep Paralysis

In the next section I have decided to write about sleep paralysis as it would be very interesting to include it in my book because, there is not many people who knows what sleep paralysis is, to proof this point I have asked couple of my friends if they ever experienced it. Most of them didn't even know what it is. 

Although you're awake, your body is briefly paralysed, after which you can move and speak as normal. The paralysis can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Sleep paralysis doesn't cause you any harm, but being unable to move can be very frightening. Some people have sleep paralysis once or twice in their life, while others experience it a few times a month or more regularly. Sleep paralysis can affect people of all ages, but it's more common in teenagers and young adults. Men and women are equally affected. 

Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain and body aren't quite on the same page when it comes to sleep. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, dreaming is frequent, but the body's muscles are relaxed to the point of paralysis, perhaps to keep people from acting out their dreams. Researchers have found that two brain chemicals, glycine and GABA, are responsible for this muscle paralysis. 

Becoming mentally aware before the body "wakes up" from its paralysed state can be a terrifying experience, as people realize they can't move or speak. Frequently, these episodes are accompanied by hallucinations and the sensation of breathlessness. Such hallucinations likely gave rise to the myths of the incubus and the succubus, demons that pin people down in their sleep. People may also sense a malevolent presence nearby or believe they are about to die. Some sleep paralysis episodes come with feelings of falling, floating or dissociating from the body. 

Sleep paralysis attacks and nocturnal attackers are integral to the folklore of many countries. It is interesting how varied accounts and explanations can be across cultures, whilst the core aspect of the experience remains the same.

Sleep Paralysis and Witch 

The ‘mare’ of the word ‘nightmare’ is derived from the Norse word ‘mara’. This refers to a supernatural – usually female – being that lies on people’s chests at night suffocating them. People in this moment can't move or shout having hallucinations. Whilst examples of this depiction of the nightmare can be found across Europe, by the early modern era (1500-1800) this explanation of sleep paralysis experiences had been largely forgotten, and in many parts of Europe including Britain and France, sleep paralysis was frequently interpreted as witch attacks. Writing in 2003, Davies quotes examples of sleep paralysis found in evidence used at the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Accused witch Susan Martin had reportedly told Robert Downer that “some She-Devil would shortly fetch him away”. That night, Downer claimed “as he lay in his bed, there came in at the window, the likeness of a cat, which flew upon him, took fast hold of his throat, lay on him a considerable while, and almost killed him.” Another accuser, Bernard Peach, gave ‘evidence’, testifying that “he heard a scrabbling at the window, whereat he then saw Susanna Martin come in, and jump down upon the floor. She took hold of this deponent’s feet, and drawing his body up into an heap, she lay upon him near two hours; in all which time he could neither speak nor stir.” When the paralysis began to wear off he bit Martin’s fingers and she “went from the chamber, down the stairs, out at the door.”

Sleep Paralysis and Alien Abduction

There is strong evidence that some claims of alien abduction may actually describe episodes of sleep paralysis. The research found that  people who claim to have been abducted by aliens report more incidences of sleep paralysis than a control group. Descriptions of alien abduction often bear strong resemblance to accounts of sleep paralysis.

'A men was lying on his back when he woke up from a sound sleep. His body was completely paralysed and he experienced the sensation of levitating above his bed. His heart was pounding in terror, he was sweating and struggling to breathe. He was terrified. He was able to open his eyes, and when he did so, he saw three beings standing next to his bed in the glowing light'. 

The man states that aliens where doing some experiments using his body 'they did it very quickly, carrying out all kinds of experiments - mental, psychological and sexual abuse'.