Sleep Paralysis

Haiku-Heights
prompt, SLEEP

God gets our full attention

Someday you’ll know why

“Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes.”  WebMD

Sleep Paralysis AKA
“The Old Hag”

Throughout history, demons, devils, and other beasties of the night have been blamed for these nocturnal ‘attacks’.  In some parts “The Old Hag” was blamed

“The main details remain constant across cultures: A man or woman is “attacked” during the night, usually lying on their back, when an evil entity sits upon their body, causes paralysis, and even sometimes chokes or smothers its victim. Though their motivation may differ, (possession, revenge, or just wanting to upset the living) the attack remains similar. 

• In Thailand people refer to being Phi um (ghost covered) and phi kau (ghost possessed), which include a feeling of pressure, paralysis, and something black covering the body.
• In Japan, kanashibara (“to tie with an iron rope”) is a common known and accepted experience.
• In the Far North one speaks of agumangia (Inupik) or ukomiarik (Yupik) in which “a soul” tries to take possession of the paralyzed victim.
• In Laos, da chor is described as follows: “You want to listen, you can’t hear; you want to speak, you are dumb; you want to call out, you cannot; you feel you are dying, dying; you want to run away. You piss with fear in your sleep””

 excerpts from The Shadowlands

My belief is that nothing we experience is accidental and everything we experience is for our protection, survival or enhancement of our soul.  

When we don’t understand it we try to avoid it, kill it and/or explain it away through ignorance or superstition.  

Pain is a #1 example.

What’s your belief?