Nocturnal
Encounters
Sleep Paralysis and Nightmares as Related to
Ghostly
Appearances
By Christopher J. Williams
Many encounters with the supernatural are preceded with the percipient being asleep. The typical testimony will include statements such as;
I woke up and sensed something in the room with me
I was unable to move
The figure standing there was blurry maybe it was a
dream
I was unable to breathe as if someone or something was
sitting on my chest
I could hear something unnatural moving about
I knew it was an evil entity
When investigating ghostly encounters we are faced
with
the problem of whether the source of the apparition was external
(ghosts
and spirits) or internal (nightmares and/or hallucinations). The
internal aspect is associated with a sleeping disorder known as Sleep
Paralysis
(SP) and the sensory experiences that accompany SP are referred to as
Hypnagogic/Hynopompic
Experiences (HHE).
The Dream State of the sleeping cycle is
identified
by Rapid Eye Movement (REM). The eyes move about in an attempt to scan
the images that are generated in the visual areas of the brain. Another
condition associated with REM is that the body becomes atonic (lacking
muscle control). This is a natural function that prevents the
body
from reacting to what is seen in the dream. Without this we would
probably
awake every morning battered and bruised, not to mention the damage
done
to our partners. Upon waking muscle control is quickly regained except
during SP. It is suspected that the bodies ability to wash out
the
atonia is compromised. This state of paralysis is often interpreted as
a feeling of being restrained or being frozen with fear. SP can also be
accompanied by difficulty or shortness of breath, which accounts for
reports
of being sat upon or feelings that some great weight is pressed on the
victim.
Most individuals that experience SP also have
HHEs.
These are defined as hallucinatory states, hypnogogic refers to sleep
onset
and hypnopompic to wakening. A hallucination has to have several
qualities:
1) It has to have the sensation of being caused by
an
event
externally not in ones head. Not just
imagination
or
an idea.
2) The cause of the event is beyond the control of the
percipient.
3) The event has to feel real enough that the percipient
believes it could be verified by an independent
observer.
It is not clear whether the hallucinations are
a result of the mind trying to sort out the possible cause of the
symptoms
along with the heightened anxiety of being paralyzed or whether the
hallucinations
are intrinsic part of SP.
There are common features to sleep paralysis and
hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations. The percipient has
the
feeling of being awake and unable to move. Their eyes open and
close
and are able to visually scan. Feelings of pressure on the chest are
the
most common, however, sensations of being held down, choked or
smothered
have also been reported. There are usually auditory experiences of
footsteps,
shuffling or breathing. Visual aspects include ghostly forms, amorphic
creatures that are indistinct, shadows with eyes that are the most
prominent
feature and animal likenesses. The feeling of malevolence is the most
striking
and typical aspect of this type of encounter. The interpretation
of the presence generally is one of evil intent it is death, it is
there
to do harm or to attack, or even to sexually molest.
David J. Huffordís book The Terror That Comes
In The Night has many case studies that highlight this phenomenon. He
first
noticed these symptoms in people that reported being attacked by an
"old
hag while asleep. The old hag is a common description in
Newfoundland.
It is believed that while sleeping this old hag holds you down and if
not
awakened you will die. Hufford found that people reported the same
symptoms
in other areas around the world, however, they were interpreted
differently
as ghosts, demons (esp. incubus/succubus), vampires etc.. This gives
rise
to the idea that this phenomenon is experience based not culturally
based.
An attempt to explain what happened is a synthesis of the experience
through
cultural knowledge.
When doing investigations we inquire about the
percipient's
dreams and sleeping habits. It is important to establish any
sleep
disorders that may account for their sighting(s). Keep in mind that
even
if someone has had this problem in the past it does not negate the
impact
or veracity of their statement. There is still a lot of research
to be done into this phenomenon and the exact purpose and process of
dreaming.
There are many involved in the paranormal that believe that dreams are
one possible avenue for the dead to communicate. Any serious
investigation
should include questions regarding this subject in order to establish a
database that may eventually establish a more concrete explanation for
this supernatural event.