Abstract
Previous research has found supernatural beliefs about sleep paralysis (SP) to be very prevalent in Italy, with over one third of SP sufferers believing that their SP might have been caused by a supernatural creature known locally as the Pandafeche. The current study further examined features of SP in Italy. All participants had experienced SP at least once in their lifetime. Participants were recruited from the general population (N = 67) in the region of Abruzzo. The Sleep Paralysis Experiences and Phenomenology Questionnaire (SP-EPQ) was orally administered to participants. As hypothesized, we found that Italians from the general population reported high lifetime rates of SP, prolonged duration of immobility during the event, and great fear of the experience (with as many as 42% of SP sufferers fearing that they could die from the experience), all of which were particularly elevated as compared to cultures where there are no such elaborate traditions of SP (e.g., Denmark). In addition, 78% of participants experienced some type of hallucination during their SP. The results we present here suggest that cultural beliefs about SP in Italy (e.g., as being caused by the Pandafeche, as reported elsewhere) potentially can profoundly shape certain aspects of the experience – a type of mind-body interaction.
Highlights
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a state of involuntary immobility occurring at sleep onset or upon awakening from sleep (Hobson, 1995; Jalal, Taylor, & Hinton, 2014; Paradis et al, 2009)
The 67 SP sufferers had experienced a mean of 21.2 lifetime episodes of SP (SD 1⁄4 43.7; range 1⁄4 1-250)
Italian SP sufferers from the general population reported frequent SP, prolonged immobility, and great fear of the experience; for example, 42% of SP experiencers feared dying from SP
Summary
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a state of involuntary immobility (postural atonia) occurring at sleep onset or upon awakening from sleep (Hobson, 1995; Jalal, Taylor, & Hinton, 2014; Paradis et al, 2009). Intense dreams may occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. To prevent our acting out of these dreams and potentially hurting ourselves, the brain temporarily paralyzes our body during REM sleep. This gross motor paralysis (i.e., atonia) entails an active inhibition of skeletal muscle tone via interneurons of the spinal cord through the neurotransmitters GABA and glycine (Brooks & Peever, 2012; Kandel, Schwartz, & Jessell, 2000). Perceptual activation can take place during REM sleep, such that the person will start to awaken, yet is unable to move or speak (Paradis et al, 2009). Most SP episodes occur outside narcolepsy and are not linked to serious pathology (Hufford, 1982; Sharpless & Doghramji, 2015)
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