I find myself lying in bed, drifting ever so closely to sleep. My mind is calmly running the days memories through. Deeper and deeper. Closer to dreamland. My body slowly numbs into a more rested state. Abruptly, I am awakened by an incredible force that is pinning my entire body down at once. It is overwhelmingly strong. My limbs wildly try to fight back only to find themselves powerless to this unseen...something...what it is I am unsure. I feel paralyzed. I am physically unable to move a muscle. I try to scream. The noise won't come. I try to scream louder. Still nothing. I want to cry. It's so heavy pushing down on me. I am overwhelmed by darkness and fear. The more I try to push it off it pushes harder and harder down on me. I am unnerved by the fact that I see nothing causing this intense pressure. I feel breathless. I wonder if I've officially lost my mind. Nothing in this world is capable of making me feel so incredibly helpless. I begin to realize there is nothing I can do to stop this from happening. I give in. I accept my defeat. Slowly now the force begins to recede. I find myself making weird babbling noises, grabbing deliriously at my pillows and blankets. I slowly regain control of my muscle movements. The heaviness is no longer hanging in the air. It is just me now. Still lying in my bed. Yet now I lie terrified, confused, and unsure of what just came over me.
I was 16 years old the first time it ever happened to me. It has happened to me countless times since, each time slightly different. I always dread the day it happens again- because I know it will. Nonetheless, I have recently discovered that there is in fact a worldly explanation for these episodes I have grown to fear over the years- as I honestly had so...
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Reisner, A. D. (2001, Mar). A psychological case study of 'demon' and 'alien' visitation. The Skeptical Inquirer, 25, 46-50. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.greatbay.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/219327032?accountid=3779
Paralysis; study results from university of bologna in the area of paralysis published. (2009). Pain & Central Nervous System Week, , 238. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.greatbay.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/208504596?accountid=3779
LOVE, H. (2012). Sleep Paralysis. Skeptic, 17(2), 50-55.
Knott, Dr. Laurence. "Hypnagogic Hallucinations." Patient.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
McMahon, M. What are Hypnagogic Hallucinations?. wiseGEEK. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-hypnagogic-hallucinations.htm
be as severe as paralysis There are many different types of neuropathy. In this case
... affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and migrating towards the trunk, limbs and the head, is the most common symptom, and some subtypes cause change in sensation or pain, as well as dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. It can cause life-threatening complications, in particular if the respiratory muscles are affected or if the autonomic nervous system is involved. The disease is usually triggered by an infection. The diagnosis is usually made by nerve conduction studies and with studies of the cerebrospinal fluid. With prompt treatment by intravenous immunoglobulin’s or plasmapheresis, together with supportive care, the majority will recover completely. Guillain Barré syndrome is rare, at one to two cases per 100,000 people annually, but is the most common cause of acute non-trauma-related paralysis.
Religion is fraught with stories and myths of otherworldly journeys. There are a variety of reasons; however, the two main ones one may notice are humans’ innate pattern recognition, and our necessity to define and understand the world in which we live. These otherworldly excursions, out-of-body-experiences OBEs, near-death-experiences NDEs, and altered-states-of-consciousness ASCs are side effects of trauma rather than real experiences. In this paper ASC will be the basic reference unless otherwise noted. Therefore, it is prudent to explore those examples of forced ASCs, the causes, and the impacts on the society. An ASC experience within a religion may serve an important purpose in the belief system, yet it is a personal experience of the mind and not a legitimate experience in the real world.
Paraplegia is a condition which involves the lower extremities as there is an impairment of the motor or sensory function. “The universal term to describe the loss of movement or sensation that follows the damage to a nerve in the body”. The thoracic, lumbar or sacral regions as it could be the area of the spinal cord which is affected by the paraplegia. Paraplegia usually affects the neural elements of the spinal canal which is caused by the spinal cord injury or a congenital condition like spinal bifida.
Late one night, you’re having trouble falling asleep. It’s been storming all night, and the lightning has made it nearly impossible to lay your head down. The room is pitch black, save for the streak of moonlight streaming in through the curtains. All of a sudden, you hear something scratching at the window. You shrug it off, as it must just be a branch from the tree right outside. The sound of something shuffle around in your closet begins to echo in the room. You realize you’re standing straight up. Were you really that afraid? You lay back down, and realize you’re being an idiot. You close your eyes, annoyed at how little sleep you were going to get. You get comfy, and are finally ready to get to sleep. Gently, you roll over onto your other side. You feel breathe of warm air in your face. Your eyes pop open. A monster stands right before your eyes. Before you get the chance to scream, you’re knocked out. The bogeyman has arrived, and he’s come to put you to sleep.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. This disorder causes a number of symptoms that will be discussed further in depth later on but they are, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. Scientists and researchers believe that the cause of narcolepsy is a genetic mutation. This disorder can cause severe disruption to a person's daily life and routine and can be a cause of harm to the person with the disorder as well as those around him/her. There have been case studies and animal research and testing to further understand this disorder its cause and possible cures or medication. Which as of 2014 there is medication to help those with the disorder but there is no cure. To better understand this disorder we have to go more in depth on the topics I have touched on and more in depth on the disorder in general. We will be investigating all the above mentioned topics and more.
A History of Dissociative Identity Disorder. (n.d.). Specialized catholic web about possession and exorcism. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://www.fortea.us/english/psiquiatria/history.htm
Squatting on the ground, I was weeping. I couldn’t see anything, not even my hand although it was not far from me. I made my eyes widely open to make sure if my eyes went blind or not. When it was around 8pm, I started looking for the window. Touching my hands on the corners of the room, I finally found it. I used up all my energy opening the window, but it was covered with hard dust and it was rigid. I fell down, and cried a lot. I couldn’t sleep throughout the whole night, because I was hungry and thirsty. In addition to this, it was cold in the middle of that night. I was shivering and coughing persistently. Time passed, and it was early in the morning, but nothing
Stop!” I yelled in my dream like state. I became paralyzed, I couldn’t lift my head or move my legs to save me from this horror. I was being held down against my will. All of a sudden, Destiny popped into my head. Whatever this malevolent creature was, he knew how Destiny disappeared. I could move my body, and the mumbling stopped. I sat straight up and looked over to my gray chair in the corner of my room.
The concept of sleep paralysis is not necessarily a “concept,” it is a reality. I have had this occur to me numerous times for the better part of the past twenty years. What makes this a “concept” is why and how it occurs. I do not believe it is not spoken of enough, and I sincerely believe that more people would be interested in knowing what exactly this condition is.
Goodin, Charles C. "Understanding Out-of-Body Fears" http://www.lava.net/goodin/fears.html. Monroe, Robert A. - "The 'Pie Ultimate Journey, New York, NY. Doubleday, a.k.a. The Peterson, Robert. The.
Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 2000. Print.
Parasomnia refers to a wide variety of disruptive, sleep-related events or, "disorders of arousal." These behaviors and experiences occur usually while sleeping, and most are often infrequent and mild. They may however happen often enough to become so bothersome that medical attention should be sought out. "Parasomnias are disorders characterized by abnormal behavior or physiological events occurring in association with sleep stages, or sleep-wake transitions."(DSM pg. 435)
Did you ever awaken and find yourself unable to move? Perhaps you sensed a presence in your room or a pressure on your chest. This is sleep paralysis. It is a common disorder that affects millions of people. Most believe it occurs as we are on the edge of REM sleep. The disorder has been connected with such hallucinogenic events such as alien abduction or an evil presence. Sleep paralysis is an inability to move or speak, occasionally accompanied by hallucinations, for up to several minutes upon awakening or just before falling asleep.
Rich McNally and his colleagues at Harvard University have spent over 10 years researching the psychology of alien abductees, and in particular why it is that some people embrace the identity of ‘alien abductee.’ His research has isolated a number of traits possessed by ‘alien abductees’. . . Regularly experiencing sleep paralysis and hallucinations when awakening - Tendency to Recall False Memories - High levels of ‘Absorption’ - New Age beliefs.” This demonstrates the numerous recollections of extraterrestrial encounters and the research/statistics that these people are telling the truth. Those who did state their confrontations, have seen to be having the same