“Sleep paralysis (SP) is characterized by a discrete period of time during which voluntary muscle movement is inhibited, yet ocular and respiratory movements are intact and ones sensorium remains clear. These episodes can occur when falling asleep or upon awakening, and are most likely to happen when individuals sleep in a supine position. Some of the more notable aspects of SP are the vivid hypnogogic (sleep onset) or hypnopompic (sleep offset) hallucinations that often accompany episodes. These potentially frightening experiences have been interpreted in a number of culturally-specific contexts, with variegated spiritual and supernatural explanations ranging from witchcraft and malevolent spirits to extra-terrestrials. Contemporary medical explanations for the genesis of SP are not so colorful, with sleep studies locating SP’s genesis in a perseveration of REM activity into normal sleep transitions.”
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