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Sleep Paralysis symptoms
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Contents:
Introduction
While conducting research on SP, other hypotheses, in addittion to the geomagnetic effects we study, have drawn our latest attention.
We have theorized that populations that have lived in geologically active areas of the Pacific Ocean, the so-called "Ring of Fire", would report incidences of SP more frequently.
Specifically, cultures that have a long history of inhabitance in these regions would have terminology that describes the SP experiences. This prediction lends itself to quantification and
testing by measuring the wealth of folklore references, taboos, practices and definite terms associated with the phenomena. Additionally, this hypothesis also predicts diffent percentages
of individuals reporting SP, at least once in their lives, across cultures and geographical regions. The North American incidence of SP has been estimated at 16% and some European writers
have estimated this incidence at 6%. However, the incidence of SP in these geologically active areas may be higher. Even in the abscence of a complete picture of the prevalence of SP for
the "ring of fire" areas, it is interesting to note the variety of terms, and cultures which employ them,referring to SP. In the following pages, I offer a brief description of these cultural descriptions
of SP.
Cross-cultural Descriptions of Sleep Paralysis
Indonesia
Other researchers have written about the Indonesian description of sleep paralysis or "tindihan"("to be weighted down"). Recently, Mr. Blasius Winang Asmara from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, added to this knowledge,
by informing me that tindihan, according to ancient Javanese beliefs, is attributed to a variety of causes from spirits to underwater reservoirs running underneath the dreamer's bed. He thinks
the phenomenon is more prevalent among indonesians because he hears frequent allusions and descriptions of SP symptommology among his friends. Additionally, Mr. Asmara reports that in Indonesia tindihan is not
considered a dangerous condition.
Spain
The word for nightmare in Spanish is pesadilla" and is analogous to tindihan since it conveys the phenomenom of being pressed down.
Japan
The word describing SP in Japanese is kanashibari" and it too alludes to the phenomenon of SP. Fukuda et al (1987,) have reported a high incidence of kanashibari in the normal population giving support to our earlier hypothesis that cultures in the
Pacific ring of fire would report its incidence via folklore and more frequently.
