SLEEP PARALYSIS

Sleep paralysis has always been surrounded by a mystical aura & has become the basis for many mythological creatures. Only recently we may be able to explain what sleep paralysis is & why it occurs. I offer you both the scientific & esoteric point of view. You decide how you feel about it all.

Sleep paralysis is a condition during sleep when we are conscious & control eye movement but cannot move, speak or scream. We may feel a lack of air, as if someone is choking or pressing on the chest, we may see someone or something dark, feel the touch of something soft, wool or fur, or hear sounds, similar to sniffing or rumbling, which attributes to the presence of something else, a feeling of fear or in rare cases pleasure & visions.. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by a feeling of body movement, levitation & separation of the spirit, the surrounding world is perceived as unreal or distant.
Because we experience too many complex sensations that we can't control, including not being in control of our body, the fear, anxiety, confusion, panic & terror kick in. Only after some time we manage to speak or move a finger or foot. At this point, all unpleasant sensations disappear, as we finally wake up & the sleep paralysis stops. If we immediately start falling asleep after that, the episode of sleep paralysis may recur: right during falling asleep or after falling asleep.
The phenomenon of false awakening can happen, we feel as if we already woke up & started doing some things, but a little later we realize that we are dreaming all this.
Although the sleep paralysis can be associated with lifestyle, prolonged exposure to extreme stress & financial & mental difficulties, the exact causes of this condition are unknown.
Repeated episodes of sleep paralysis can be a symptom of other diseases like obstructive sleep apnea, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, neurological diseases like narcolepsy, epilepsy, Wilson's disease, idiopathic hypersomnia or anxiety disorders, especially post-traumatic stress disorder, which developed after sexual abuse in childhood.
Possible risk factors also include adolescence & young age, sleep disorders, jet lag, active night life, frequent awakenings, irregular night sleep & insufficient sleep duration, smoking, abuse of alcohol, caffeine, psychoactive substances, genetic predisposition, somatic diseases, insufficient physical activity, fatigue & stress, belief in paranormal phenomena & the experience of participating in paranormal events, belief in spirits, ghosts, witches, telepathy & foresight, episodes of encounters with paranormal phenomena, sleeping position as most often hallucinations in sleep paralysis occur in people who sleep on their backs.

So, science says, during REM phase we dream, our negative emotions are deactualized, we relive them in a dream, after which they become less traumatic. In a dream, vibrant emotional events happen that cause violent motor reactions, such as running or jumping. Our brain creates a program of these movements & activates the systems necessary for their implementation like coordination, balance, sensitivity, regulation of breathing & heartbeat. The body works as if we are actually running, but the muscles remain paralyzed due to the suppression of motor neurons. This is how the body protects us from damage that could occur if we could move. The suppression of skeletal muscle activity during sleep also affects breathing. Ventilation of the lungs decreases, which also leads to an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Wakefulness is the opposite state of the body to sleep, when motor neurons are active, we are aware of what is happening & can control voluntary movements.
In sleep paralysis, fragments of the intermediate state between sleep & wakefulness & wakefulness itself are interspersed in the fast phase of sleep.
In sleep paralysis, consciousness begins to awaken when the REM sleep phase has not yet ended & we begin to perceive the fear experienced in the dream as real. The basis for fear is also bodily sensations. For example, a feeling of suffocation, pressure & chest pain that occurs due to reduced ventilation. In sleep paralysis various parts of the brain are activated that are responsible for sensing an alien presence, feeling fear, anxiety & panic.
People with sleep paralysis are more likely to have exploding head syndrome, which manifests itself in the form of sudden bouts of seconds of loud noise in the head, as in an explosion, shot or thunderclap, from which the person wakes up abruptly. These sensations may be accompanied by shock, discomfort & fear. The exact causes are unknown.

In esotericism, sleep paralysis is considered as the moment of transition between the physical & astral states.​ During sleep our consciousness is connected to the astral body, which, according to esoteric teachings, is a subtle or energetic body.​
Sleep paralysis is considered a transitional state between the physical & astral worlds.​ In this state our consciousness is released from its attachment to the physical body & opens access to other levels of reality, including the astral plane.​ In this state we can gain new knowledge, communicate with spiritual entities, or travel through the astral worlds.​
Throughout history, sleep paralysis has been associated with various symbolic meanings & cultural interpretations. In some cultures, sleep paralysis is seen as a spiritual experience. Some people believe that sleep paralysis is a sign that an important message is on the way. It can be a message from a spiritual or divine source, or it can be a message from your own subconscious mind. Some people interpret sleep paralysis as a sign that there is negative energy in their lives & that they need to take steps to clear that energy. Sleep paralysis is sometimes seen as a sign that major changes or transformations in life are on the horizon. This can be either a positive or negative change, but it is often seen as a sign that a person needs to be prepared for whatever is waiting for them.

But maybe sleep paralysis is actually a condition that appears due to the fact that during sleep some demonic entities come to us? Succubi, incubi, demons, devils, it doesn't matter what they are called. The main thing is, what do they want from us?
Sleep paralysis is widely spread in the demonology of various cultures & peoples.
In the transition state between sleep & wakefulness, during the astral projection, person is able to pick up significantly more signals not only on the physical plane, but also on more subtle ones. The more a person is able to perceive a space of a larger dimension, the more interest he arouses in the creatures that live there.
Dark entities connect to a person's consciousness during falling asleep or waking up, that is, when he is in a half sleep. They create a certain kind of illusion & depending on the psychological state or reality of a person, affect two basic instincts, fear of death of the body & carnal attraction. When a person experiences the strongest fear or desire, a huge amount of his life energy is released at this moment, which the entities can feed on.
These creatures have a fairly developed intelligence. They easily pick up those images & illusions that the human defense functions miss. Very often they affect a person physically, lean on the body, sit on the chest, making it difficult to breathe & immobilize him. As a rule, the victim is aware of everything, feels & watches it in wild horror, but can do nothing.
These entities are very easy to call, just wish & immediately there is a response. But getting rid of such a symbiosis is incredibly difficult.

Whatever the case, you need to relax & mentally withdraw. If sleep paralysis occurs, lie still & watch. Don't allow any negative thoughts. Practice freeing yourself from sleep paralysis. You should think of something pleasant. For example beautiful sunny day & seaside, the sound of waves rocking pebbles back & forth, maybe dip the toes into the water... As soon as attention moves from one state to another, the old one will lose the power over you. After you switch your attention, you need to make a strong-willed effort, not a physical one, to wake up. You concentrate on one point, approximately in the area of the forehead & you want to wake up, that is, you express an intention, you concentrate on one thing- I want to wake up!

You can also appeal to the forces of light, say a prayer & mentally make the sign of the cross. There is no better protection & probably won't be.

Another method is to appeal to stronger demons for a certain fee. It is clear that this option is unacceptable, because the fee is the health, vitality & sometimes life. If not the victim herself, then his family.

There is also a lucid dreaming that occur during REM sleep, when person is aware that he is in a dream, while he logically comprehends what is happening & controls the development of dreaming events. Some people encounter them accidentally, while others train in a special way to see them. Lucid dreams do not have a negative emotional connotation but it is very easy to slip from the lucid dream into the nightmare & back.