Main Image Via Sleep Cycle
The night was dark, my room cold and I, so comfortably tucked under my grandmother’s duvet. As I drifted off into a deep sleep, I was suddenly awakened. On top of me, a faceless, shapeless figure floated. I was scared out of my mind. I screamed, threw a fit, but no matter how hard I tried, nothing happened. I was frozen, and inches from my face, was a demon waiting to suck out my very soul. After what felt like forever, the spell was broken and I could move again.
What is sleep paralysis? Well, according to myths and legends, they are demons or spirits roaming about, while one sleeps. In reality, it isn’t as mysterious as people think it is.
During a sleep paralysis episode, you wake up when you’re still in the dream phase of your sleep. Your brain then turns off body signals, to keep it from acting out. When you suddenly wake, you’re conscious, but unable to move.
Okay, so what about the dementor floating above me?
There’s an explanation for those too.
They are called Hypnagogic (when falling asleep) and Hypnopompic (when waking up) hallucinations.
Vivid dream-like experiences that, most times, could feel way too real and frightening. When they happen, you could very strongly believe them to be demons, and that’d be perfectly understandable.
Sometimes you may even see a distortion of something in your room. For instance, a pile of clothes looking like a ghost watching you sleep.
These hallucinations usually come with sleep paralysis, and happens when one’s half conscious, during the Rapid Eye Movement cycle of sleep.
But, could they be as horrifying as they’re claimed to be? Well, waking up, unable to move, speak, and seeing figures in the dark of the night?
You tell us.
Info Via Healthline