Personality of Healthy Young Adults with Sleep Paralysis

Abstract

Sleep paralysis occurs in normal persons. This phenomenon had been studied psychoanalytically or in terms of the deviation of the victims' personality. This present study aimed to assess the personalities of such persons by using the MMPI and the Maudsley Personality Inventory. The subjects showed a slightly higher mean T score on the MMPI Paranoia Scale than those who did not have this experience. Although this personality difference might be related to the occurrence of the phenomenon, this difference is probably too small to take a major role. It is unlikely that the subjects developed paranoic behavior through their experiences of sleep paralysis, since their experiences were very few. Some of the subjects might have only overestimated their behavior and experiences concerning delusions and hallucinations, with the result that their Paranoia scores were higher and perhaps their kanashibari experiences exaggerated.

Cultural note on dreaming and dream study in the future: Release from nightmare and development of dream control technique

“…This strategy was supported by research of the “Kanashibari” phenomenon in Japan 3,4 , 24,25 . The “Kanashibari” experience involves paralysis, usually with terror or anxiety and with or without hallucinations during the transitional period between sleep and wakefulness.…”

“…This strategy was supported by research of the "Kanashibari" phenomenon in Japan. 3,4,24,25 The "Kanashibari" experience involves paralysis, usually with terror or anxiety and with or without hallucinations during the transitional period between sleep and wakefulness. By using the sleep interruption method (SIM), Takeuchi et al 25 succeeded to elicit a "Kanashibari" episode and demonstrated that this experience is closely related to an isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) occurring in the sleep onset rapid eye movement period (SORENP).…”

“…Some effort has also been made to develop the method of eliminating nightmares, or minimizing the negative impact from a nightmare, yet it is still far from accomplished. Unfortunately, it seems that nightmares become more intense and vivid under intensified stress and/or depressed mood 1–4 . It is known that the patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 5 frequently suffer from nightmares, which is a plausible cause of exacerbation of their symptoms.…”

“…Unfortunately, it seems that nightmares become more intense and vivid under intensified stress and/or depressed mood. [1][2][3][4] It is known that the patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 5 frequently suffer from nightmares, which is a plausible cause of exacerbation of their symptoms.…”

Comparative Prevalence of Isolated Sleep Paralysis in Kuwaiti, Sudanese, and American College Students

“…Isolated sleep paralysis was also frequently reported and recognized by several names in nonwestern cultures. The Japanese refer to at least some episodes of isolated sleep paralysis as "kanashibari" (Fukuda, Miyasita, Inugami, & Ishihara, 1987;Fukuda, Inamatsu, Kuroiwa, & Miyasita, 1991;Fukuda, 1993). The Chinese refer to these episodes as "ghost oppression" (Wing, Lee, & Chen, 1994).…”