8 Paralysis
Ever had a nightmare and found you couldn’t run or scream? While this can be terrifying, this phenomenon (known as “sleep paralysis”) is what keeps you from acting out all your dreams in real life (which is probably a good thing).
During REM sleep in which dreams occur, the brain blocks neurotransmitters and receptors in muscles, effectively paralyzing you.Occasionally, this can happen briefly when falling asleep or waking up, during which you are fully conscious but unable to move at all.
This state is quite terrifying.It is also the root of many ancient legends, usually involving hallucinations. In these legends, people are visited by demons or other creatures (from the Old Hag in Anglo-Saxon tradition to the “Pinyin” in Chinese folklore) and are unable to move.
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