Cause of Sleep Paralysis

Christine from Bloomfield, MI, asked:

Hi Julie,

I wanted to get some insight on episodes of sleep paralysis I have experienced.

I had them on and off as a child – during sleep I would feel my whole body go rigid. It felt like I was being held down and I couldn’t move or speak. Thanks to all the horror movies I watched, I thought this was being caused by something sinister making it even more scary.

The episodes stopped for years but then I had another one last week.

This time, my cat was sleeping on my chest, except the feline didn’t really look like my cat and was much bigger. This made me wonder whether I was dreaming or awake because my cat doesn’t sleep on my chest at night, only at my feet.

At that point I felt this jolt of energy hit my chest, like I was being electrocuted! Again, I couldn’t speak but somehow managed to say “If this is of high vibration, what is your message? If this is of low vibration, leave my presence”. And then it stopped when I felt my real cat stretch at my feet.

Any insight into what on earth is happening to me would be great.

Thanks,

Christine

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your question. It’s one I’ve been asked several times before.

Research shows that over 7% of the general population will experience sleep paralysis at some point in their lives. 

The literature shows sleep paralysis to be a mixed state of consciousness, combining elements of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep with elements of wakefulness.

During REM sleep, we experience a brief loss of muscle control commonly known as REM atonia. 

REM atonia prevents us from acting out our dreams, keeping our physical bodies safe and still while we rest. When REM sleep ends and we experience a state of wakefulness, the muscle paralysis caused by REM atonia ends. 

During sleep paralysis, however, REM sleep ceases and we wake up while REM atonia is still active. That means our brains are awake while our bodies are not, resulting in a feeling of being paralyzed.

Add to this, the fear a person experiences sends them into a fight or flight response. This prompts their body to release cortisol which increases their heart rate, allows panic to set in, and scares them even further.

In addition, parasomnia researchers claim this mixed state of consciousness can lead to strange mental and physical imagery in the form of hallucinations lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes and can feel like hours.

Furthermore, research shows 75% of people who encounter sleep paralysis claim to experience hallucinations different from regular dreams and 93% of people report feeling extreme fear during or after the episode.

In conclusion, no evil or other spirits are at play when you experience sleep paralysis, rather, there is a physiological phenomenon happening.

And remember, ALL spirits are pure love!