Researchers from Pakistan, led by Khan Ahmed Ali, studied sleep paralysis by going to a typical shopping mall and interviewing 350 people. As it turned out, over a third of the interviewees had experienced this condition at least once. However, the scientists noted that the sample included a large number of students, who are known to be more prone to sleep paralysis than the general population.
The authors assumed that people in traditional Muslim countries would associate episodes of sleep paralysis with jinn or other beings. However, the vast majority of those who experienced sleep paralysis did not dwell on it for long, and many likened their episodes to normal dreams. Only 15% thought they saw ghosts or UFOs, and 20% were afraid they suffered from physical or psychological problems. Interestingly, women were more likely than men to experience out-of-body experiences and hallucinations.
It is believed that sleep paralysis is most likely to occur if a person is sleeping on their back. Indeed, almost 46% of respondents who reported experiencing this phenomenon slept in this position. However, 48% reported that their sleeping position didn’t matter. Participants also shared their tactics for dealing with sleep paralysis. The most common technique (reported by one-third of respondents) was complete inaction. Meanwhile, a quarter of the respondents tried to change their habits (e.g., changes in their sleep schedule or body position), and another quarter used religious practices (e.g., prayers, consultations with folk healers).
Have you experienced sleep paralysis before? How did you first experience this phenomenon?
The article was published in September 2024 in Sleep Medicine.
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