Waking Nightmare Definition

We`re not talking about mornings when you`re so entangled in sheets and blankets that you don`t know how to get out of bed. We`re talking about waking up to a point where your mind is awake but your body is not. Your eyes open and you can feel the world around you, but you can`t move or speak. Another method is to induce a state subjectively similar to falling asleep in a full-field environment, a form of sensory deprivation. But the hypothesis of an identity between the two states may be unfounded. The average EEG spectrum in Ganzfeld is more similar to that of relaxed wakefulness than falling asleep. [50] Wackerman et al. conclude that “Ganzfeld`s images, although subjectively very similar to those of early sleep, should not be characterized as hypnagogic. Perhaps a broader category of “hypnagoid experience” should be considered, which includes both authentic hypnagogic images and subjectively similar images produced in other States. [50] People who experience hypnagogic hallucinations for the first time may feel confused about what they are experiencing. Fortunately, hypnagogic hallucinations are usually not to be feared.

They are different from the hallucinations associated with mental disorders such as schizophrenia. They are also different from nightmares, although they are more likely to occur in people with certain sleep problems. In the different regions of Italy, there are many examples of supernatural beings associated with sleep paralysis. In the regions of Marche and Abruzzo it is called the attack of Pandafèche; [9] The panda feche usually refers to an evil witch, sometimes a ghostly ghost or a terrifying feline creature that stands up on the victim`s chest and tries to harm him. The only way to avoid it is to keep a sandbag or bean bag near the bed so that the witch stops to count how many beans or grains of sand are inside. A similar tradition is present in Sardinian folklore, where the ammuntadore is known as a creature that climbs on people`s chest during sleep to give them nightmares and can change shape depending on the person`s fears. In northern Italy, especially in Tyrol, the Trud is a witch who sits on people`s chest at night, rendering them unable to breathe; To drive them out, people would have to make the sign of the cross, which would require a great struggle in a situation of paralysis. [41] Similar folklore exists in the Sannio region, around the city of Benevento, where the witch Janara is called. [42] In southern Italy, sleep paralysis is usually explained by the presence of a spirit standing on the chest of the people: if the person manages to catch the elf (or steal his hat), he can reveal the hiding place of a rich treasure in exchange for his freedom (or to recover his hat); This elf has different names in different regions of Italy: Monaciello in Campania, Monachicchio in Basilicata, Laurieddhu or Scazzamurill in Puglia, Mazzmuredd in Molise.

[42] Nightmares are essentially frightening dreams. People often wake up from a nightmare, are afraid and vividly remember what happened in the dream. Although hypnagogic hallucinations can sometimes be frightening, they are not particularly associated with fear. While nightmares involve detailed stories, hypnagogic hallucinations are usually just a series of moving images, sometimes accompanied by physical sounds or sensations. In adults, frequent nightmares are associated with PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, certain medications, and certain sleep disorders. Although hypnagogic hallucinations are more common in people with certain sleep disorders, they are considered normal and common in healthy people. It`s an understatement to say that this experience scared me. I felt like I had fallen into a waking nightmare. Well, it turned out that I had.

What I experienced was sleep paralysis. The definition of sleep paralysis is still a bit sketchy. However, most experts believe that this happens when you wake up during the sluggish REM part of sleep. When your mind wakes up but your body doesn`t, you experience consciousness differently. You can see the space around you, and you know you`re conscious, but you can`t move or speak.