 Horror/Scary: July 19, 2023 Issue [#12072] |
This week: Paralyzed with fear Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
Quote for the week:
"Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there!
He wasn't there again today,
Oh how I wish he'd go away!"
~From "Antigonish" by William Hughes Mearns
|
| ASIN: B07NPKP5BF |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
Imagine waking up from a terrible nightmare only to see the frightening creatures of your dream standing over your bed. You try to scream or run, only to find that you cannot move.
This scenario sounds like it came straight from a horror story, but it actually happens to many people. Sleep paralysis is a state in which a person is conscious but unable to move or speak.
Even though sleep paralysis episodes only last a minute or two, they can be quite frightening to those who experience them. Sleep paralysis may happen to people who are otherwise healthy, but may be more common in those who suffer from sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. Ironically, once a person has had a sleep paralysis episode, all those conditions might become worse.
Sleep paralysis is still poorly understood, but it is believed to result from abnormal overlap between sleep cycles. As we fall asleep, our brains tell our arms and legs to relax, so we remain motionless during the REM (rapid eye movement) state when we are most likely to dream. If this didn't happen, we would be more likely to move around in response to our dreams and injure ourselves. Sleep paralysis results when the inability to move persists after we have awakened from REM sleep.
During sleep paralysis episodes, many people hear or see things that aren't there. Many people report a feeling that someone is in the room or seeing shadowy figures towering over them. They may feel that someone or something is sitting on their chest, making it more difficult to breathe. Some people report hearing buzzing noises or whispered voices. Others may feel that they are floating. Sleep paralysis episodes may account for some reports of out of body experiences or supposed alien abductions. The feeling of something sitting on the chest that some people experience may be responsible for incubus/succubus legends. Of course, if sleep paralysis occurs in a horror story, those things might have actually happened.
Something to try: Write a horror story in which a character experiences sleep paralysis.
|
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2299723 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B07P4NVL51 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
| Question for next time: What subjects would you like to see in future horror newsletters? |
| ASIN: B004PICKDS |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction
of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
