5 Ways The Science Of Sleep Can Make You Believe In The Paranormal
Despite living in the 21st century, there are still a multitude of people who believe in ghosts and demonic possessions. But, all of these ghostly signs all come down to one thing; your sleep cycle is driving you crazy. So if you start thinking there might be something moving things around in your apartment or sitting on your chest trying to kill you, just remember these 5 things.
5. It’s not a Poltergeist…
Maybe you’ve been noticing things going missing around your house; your keys disappear from that bowl by the door and wind up in your bed. Your PS4 controller ends up in your roommate’s room when it should have been on the coffee table in front of you. There is only one reasonable explanation, it’s time to call Ghostbusters… Or maybe you’re just suffering from sleep deprivation(maybe all those late night raids?) Studies have shown that lack of sleep can cause lapses in your memory. These in turn can make you believe that you didn’t in fact take your keys into your bedroom or your controller into your roommate’s room. Your brain cuts out for a bit leaving you to believe that your stuff is being moved about by some ghostly entity.
4. It’s not Aliens…
After a long day of throwing your controller against the wall and howling against the indignation of the new Dark Souls 2, you finally get to bed only to awaken to find yourself on a cold, hard table with an alien about to explore your various body cavities. This is going to end badly or it’s just a false awakening. This is just as it sounds, you think you’re awake but you’re still in a dream. It seems so realistic that it has caused many people to believe they’ve been abducted or seen ghosts.
3. It’s not Possession…
You awake to find your roommate walking towards you, knife in hand. Their eyes are closed and they are gibbering. After watching all those horror movies, you know the truth. A demon has come for your blood. Or, you know, it’s just sleep walking. Many people know to recognize sleep walking when they see it, then there are people like Nelly Vasquez-Salazar (click at your own risk!) who can’t think of any other explanation for her 6 year old walking around at night except possession. Though, it’s always best to be careful since some sleep walkers can actually become violent when awakened like Kenneth Parks or Scott Falater.
2. It’s not a Monster…
You’ve just gone to bed when you hear a noise. Then out of the corner of your eye, you see something move in the shadows. You know you’re not asleep but you don’t have a pet and your roommate’s out. Then you see it, a figure by the window raising its arms. You leap out of bed and fly to the light switch. Only to find nothing. Was it a ghost, a monster, a hypnagogic hallucination? Wait, what? Quite simply, it’s a hallucination that can occur when you’re not quite asleep but part of your brain has shut down. This sleep disorder has been linked to all sorts of supernatural sightings like witches, demons, and spirits.
1. It’s not a Succubus…
You’re having the best dream with that favorite sexy star of yours but of course, you wake up before the best part – only to find yourself unable to breathe, move, or scream. Is that a succubus on your chest about to seduce your pure and dainty soul? No, it’s just sleep paralysis. This means your brain has woken up but your body hasn’t. It’s still in sleep breathing mode so you can’t take those deep breaths to scream for help. This sense of helplessness is what inspires the terror and then the hallucinations. This disorder has led many to the belief that they had been visited by aliens, hags, succubi, incubi, and other fun creatures when really, they are just bad at sleeping.