Sleep paralysis: Science or superstition?

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night in fright wanting to run away but feeling like an ominous presence is holding you down? Studies suggest that 15-40% of people have experienced an episode of sleep paralysis. Listen along as we discuss the science behind this phenomenon, why some people sense or even see demons, and the three-factor structural model that has been proposed for hallucinations. TLDR: Muscle atonia affecting the limbs and the auxiliary respiratory muscles are respectively responsible for the paralysed state and the feeling of a heavy weight on the rib cage Links: https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs13311-020-00966-8 https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-paralysis-demon https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wawlHtimDdzG4m34kCnQn?si=AxwnPqbBTkWtOMPc6JH1MA Socials: instagram.com/thelabdoctors twitter.com/thelabdoctors Credit for theme music: Fresh Time by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031 Email: [email protected]