Anonymous asked (edited for length):

What’s your attitude towards sleep paralysis and the supernatural/spiritual warfare involved with that? … Most nights I’m fine with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is protecting me … but some nights (like tonight) it’s really hard to make myself sleep. … Do you think there’s a reason that it happens, aside from the fact that Satan pretty much likes attacking the children of God? Just thoughts.

It’s a bit crazy you’re asking me this since I’ve suffered from “sleep paralysis” for about twenty years.  It’s the basis for the “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies and in the olden days was called the incubus or succubus, which are male and female demons. It’s also called night hag or night terrors, and in Korea it’s called gawi, which was also a Korean horror movie. 

It’s apparently hereditary since family members are more likely to suffer together.  I had a cousin I never met until I was 18, and her whole family has it.  I only found out a few years ago that my brother has had it since he was little.

Recent studies have shown that your body in sleep-mode locks up so you don’t act out your dreams, so that sleep paralysis is your lock-up mechanism occurring early while you’re falling asleep. To get out of it, most people have to fight to move, breathe, or scream to reverse the lock-down.

I understand the psychological reasoning here, but it doesn’t explain the hallucinations, voices, and general feelings of terror.  All which I’m sure some scientist will discover is “neurons firing randomly” or “oxygen intoxication” or something else. 

But as always, I agree there’s a spiritual element here.

Continue reading “Question: Sleep Paralysis — Satan or Psychological?” →