Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Quaderni di
Parapsicologia, vol.XXVIII, N. 1, 1998
LA "SLEEP PARALYSIS"
PANORAMA STORICO
NUOVE INTERPRETAZIONI
Modello realistico
Modello neurologico
E' stato ripetutamente osservato che persone che soffrono di
disturbi neurologici, come ad esempio alcune forme di epilessia e
di schizofrenia, possono avere frequentemente quadri allucinatori
i cui contenuti possono coincidere con quelli della HSP. Appare,
comunque, evidente che questa interpretazione pu essere adottata
solo per un numero limitato di casi, quei casi in cui sia presente
una patologia a carico del sistema nervoso.
Modello psicodinamico
Modello psichedelico
Modello psico-fisiologico.
CONCLUSIONI
Bibliografia
SUMMARY
The Author deals with the problem of Old Hag, i.e. the nocturnal
attack by supernatural beings such as demons, monsters, witches,
vampires, etc. The victim awakes abruptly feeling a weight
pressing on his chest, at times seeing or perceiving a threatening
presence in the room. He tries to move, struggle or scream, but in
vain: he is paralyzed. These dramatic experiences appear to be
transcultural and have always alimented the folklore, the legends,
the tales, and the mythologies. It seems to exist a close
connection between these experiences and the modern notion of
alien possession/abduction. Such phenomena are now mostly
retained to be the expression of a sleep disorder known as
hallucinatory sleep paralysis or hypnagogic/hypnopompic sleep
paralysis. This disorder is characterized by horrifying
hallucinations accompanied by paralysis of the victim's body at
the moment of falling asleep or at the awakening . The origin of
this condition is believed to reside in the dream state which, in
some instances, begins just prior to falling asleep or persists in
the period immediately upon wakening. The subject is fully aware
of his condition, but is unable to move any of the involuntary
muscles of his body and speak. At this point dramatic
hallucinations of different type appear: tactile, kinesthetic,
visual, olfactory or auditory, accompanied by fear. Or, more
simply, he vaguely feels an undetermined, generally malevolent,
presence. The similarities between the Old Hag syndrome and the
hallucinatory sleep paralysis are quite striking. According to an
increasing number of researchers, the hypothesis of a direct and
reciprocal relationship between them appears fully justified.
Narcolessy too, an other so-called sleep disorder, seems often
involved in these experiences. The Author suggests that there
might be a direct role of endogenous hallucinogens which
contribute to provoke such experiences.