stemelbow wrote:
Well, you're the expert or at least it seems you are claiming to be.
Nah. I'm sure my level of knowledge could be obtained by googling a few sites and reading a few papers off of pubmed. I'm always wary of trying to figure out complex psychological with limited information, but I was just following what just me seemed to be getting at. I mean, there are rare types of migraines that cause what you are describing too, and further details you are giving would make me think that first if I were guessing. I really don't know enough to know.
I've been contemplating going back to school with the eventual goal of a fellowship in neuropsych. Maybe you could talk to me in 6-8 years or so. :p
So with this phenomena are people able to sense or predict when they are going to come on?
I've read this happens.
Are people's bodies warn out, unable to move?
That's a primary feature, yes. Sleep paralysis is probably the
most notable feature of them. The classic hypnagoic case in America is either a "hag dream" like I mentioned before or a demonic or alien visitation. You'll notice that in the descriptions of them people invariably describe being paralyzed. When people go into REM sleep an area of the brain called the pons triggers general muscle atonia or that paralyzed feeling. The reason for this is that if your voluntary muscle movements weren't shut down while dreaming, you'd physically "act out" your dreams. That's what happens when people sleep walk. It just so happens that this system occasionally goes haywire and people transition into wakefulness while still experiencing REM-state phenomena and their brain still has the muscle atonia going.
Remember that REM sleep is "rapid eye movement" sleep? While most of your voluntary muscle functions are shut down during REM sleep, the muscles that control eye movement aren't paralyzed. So people who get sleep paralysis will find that they can still look around. There's a tell-tale sign.
