I decided that I still want to stick to keeping my topic idea on sleep paralysis. In addition after doing some “scouting” on the internet, I feel more inclined to believe that sleep paralysis is likely to be related to our body’s mysterious functions and sleep mechanisms, rather than paranormal phenomena. For instance, researchers are currently aware that certain factors such as bad sleep hygiene, stress, having a mental disorder such as PTSD or schizophrenia, or even sleeping on the back, increase the chances of someone experiencing a sleep paralysis episode. Additionally, sleep paralysis may be linked to genetics because twins were found to be more likely to experience an episode if the other twin experienced it. Fortunately, I also found a helpful online article that helped me understand the science behind sleep paralysis (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321569#_noHeaderPrefixedContent ). The current scientific explanation is that while we are asleep our brain paralyzes the body with primarily the neurotransmitters glycine and GABA to keep us safe by preventing us from acting out our dreams, this is known as REM atonia. A state of dissonance then occurs when the conscious becomes awake, but still in a dream-like state and the body is still in a paralyzed state. Yet, the exact cause is controversial because some sources concluded it has already been discovered. However, a large amount sources agree that an exact cause has not been determined, and also more research needs to be done on this topic (including Wikipedia). Furthermore, a huge issue still exists of how no exact specific prescribed cure for sleep paralysis has been found.
I looked on Amazon and I found some interesting books relating to my topic that could be quite useful. One of the books I would like to read would be Sleep Paralysis: Night-mares, Nocebos, and the Mind-Body Connection it intrigued me because apparently it includes the history of sleep paralysis and it seems to also have specific and credible cases of the phenomena that could help further increase my understanding about the topic. The other one is called Sleep Paralysis: A Guide to Hypnagogic Visions and Visitors of the Night, this book stood out to me because the author has experienced sleep paralysis and wants to use this book as advice for others who have experienced it. I think it would be a good read and beneficial to see someone’s personal perspective on the topic. What I got from this search about my topic is that these books seem to definitely lean more towards the supernatural side of sleep paralysis compared to the medical websites that I visited. In a way personally felt like some medical websites downplayed the whole experience of sleep paralysis. For example, some said for most people sleep paralysis is trivial and not a huge issue regarding one’s health and that someone who occasionally experiences sleep paralysis should just improve their sleep and lower their stress levels. I think it is unfortunate that because it may not really be seen as a big issue there is not enough research or longitudinal studies being done so that an exact cure can be found. Personally, when I began to have my sleep paralysis episodes I felt distressed that I could not find enough information, and I dreaded going to sleep and having to experience the terrifying encounter again. Thus, I hope eventually that more research can be done especially for people who currently suffer from sleep paralysis.
I also found this online article that talked about the multiple perspectives of sleep paralysis in different cultures. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5013036/). I thought it was very fascinating how throughout history many civilizations with significantly less medical knowledge of sleep paralysis attempted to interpret these hallucinations and commonly came to the conclusion it was some type of insidious creature and eventually experiences with UFO abductions started to appear as we approach our modern times. I believe that learning about different perspectives and mysterious consistencies throughout different times and cultures may lead to finding more about the psychology behind sleep paralysis and its societal factors.
You are focused on the subjective experience of sleep paralysis, which naturally has an uncanny element, as those experiencing it project their fear onto some outside entity, incubus, or hag. You should read Freud's "The Uncanny," which is on our Canvas site.
ReplyDelete