Post by maiherpra on Jan 9, 2012 23:56:32 GMT -5
Night Terror or Incubus Attacks affects millions of people. It is a kind of nightmare where the sleeper is somehow fully conscious that he is asleep; but however is oppressed by what feels like a very real and malevolent presence trying to inflict grievous harm to him. Guy De Maupassant was a 19th century French writer who described the experience quite succinctly in his novel Le Horla:
I sleep – for a while – two or three hours – then a dream – no – a nightmare seizes me in its grip, I know full well that I am lying down and that I am asleep... I sense it and I know it... and I am also aware that somebody is coming up to me, looking at me, running his fingers over me, climbing on to my bed, kneeling on my chest, taking me by the throat and squeezing... squeezing... with all its might, trying to strangle me. I struggle, but I am tied down by that dreadful feeling of helplessness which paralyzes us in our dreams. I want to cry out – but I can’t. I want to move – I can’t do it. I try, making terrible, strenuous efforts, gasping for breath, to turn on my side, to throw off this creature who is crushing me and choking me – but I can’t! Then, suddenly, I wake up, panic-stricken, covered in sweat. I light a candle. I am alone.
John Cline of Psychology Today describes the experience of his patient or case study jason:
Jason struggled to open his eyes as the oppressive pressure on his chest became more severe. He sensed a presence in the room and felt her weight pushing down on him as he struggled to breath. As his eyes opened slightly he saw the shadowy figure above in the dimly lit bedroom. Her presence and a vague sense of dread filled him as he realized that he could not move. No matter how hard he willed his body to come to life and take protective action, nothing happened. What was happening and why? Time stretched on and his fear grew. Finally his arms and legs responded and he sat up, finding himself alone in the room and shaken by this frightening visitation. He found it difficult to fall back to sleep and wondered what had happened. Had he somehow been violated? Off and on during the next day he shuddered as he thought back on the unearthly presence he had encountered in his bedroom.
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/200809/incubus-attack
John Cline goes on to explain:
Jason's experience, surprisingly, is not that uncommon and is certainly not the most dramatic report of what is sometimes referred to as an incubus attack. In this case it may be more appropriate to call it a succubus attack as that is the term used to denote the demonic female presence. This kind of experience is commonly reported around the world but with differing mythological explanations. For example, in Japan they have been referred to as kanashibari, in China as ghost oppression, and in England and America as the Old Hag. Frightening and overwhelmingly realistic, these experiences are another example of a parasomnia, specifically, sleep paralysis. They can be hypnopompic (occurring while awakening) or hypnagogic (occurring while falling asleep) and are associated with frightening imagery or hallucinations.
Ofcourse as far as John Cline is concerned all this has a rational scientific explnation:
The scientific explanation for the incubus attack is that the person experiences a state dissociation in which part of the mental apparatus comes to conscious awareness even as the rest of the brain is in the REM stage of sleep. The body remains paralyzed so as to prevent acting out the dream. The realization that it is not possible to move contributes significantly to the unpleasant and frightening quality of this event. In addition, a potential sexual aspect to the experience is provided by the physiology of REM sleep which causes erection in men and lubrication in women. Awakening from a frightening experience and subconsciously recognizing an erotic bodily feeling lends itself to seeing a connection between the experience, and the working of dark and evil forces. The conscious experience is a combination of dream mentation superimposed on the sensory background of the room in which the person is sleeping. Long before Hollywood perfected the green screen technique or computer graphics allowed for the easy integration of the fantastic with the realistic, the brain was able to seamlessly blend together the inner world of the dream with the outer world of sense perception during these state dissociations.
However despite his elaborate scientific explanation Mr. Hine does not seem to care to give possible solutions to this state dissociations as he puts it. Neither does Guy Der Maupassant the french novelist who describes the experience so well. However another artist of the last century describes not just the experience but his own unique remedy for it. That Artist is none other than the Reggae Artist and Wailer--Peter Tosh.
I sleep – for a while – two or three hours – then a dream – no – a nightmare seizes me in its grip, I know full well that I am lying down and that I am asleep... I sense it and I know it... and I am also aware that somebody is coming up to me, looking at me, running his fingers over me, climbing on to my bed, kneeling on my chest, taking me by the throat and squeezing... squeezing... with all its might, trying to strangle me. I struggle, but I am tied down by that dreadful feeling of helplessness which paralyzes us in our dreams. I want to cry out – but I can’t. I want to move – I can’t do it. I try, making terrible, strenuous efforts, gasping for breath, to turn on my side, to throw off this creature who is crushing me and choking me – but I can’t! Then, suddenly, I wake up, panic-stricken, covered in sweat. I light a candle. I am alone.
John Cline of Psychology Today describes the experience of his patient or case study jason:
Jason struggled to open his eyes as the oppressive pressure on his chest became more severe. He sensed a presence in the room and felt her weight pushing down on him as he struggled to breath. As his eyes opened slightly he saw the shadowy figure above in the dimly lit bedroom. Her presence and a vague sense of dread filled him as he realized that he could not move. No matter how hard he willed his body to come to life and take protective action, nothing happened. What was happening and why? Time stretched on and his fear grew. Finally his arms and legs responded and he sat up, finding himself alone in the room and shaken by this frightening visitation. He found it difficult to fall back to sleep and wondered what had happened. Had he somehow been violated? Off and on during the next day he shuddered as he thought back on the unearthly presence he had encountered in his bedroom.
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/200809/incubus-attack
John Cline goes on to explain:
Jason's experience, surprisingly, is not that uncommon and is certainly not the most dramatic report of what is sometimes referred to as an incubus attack. In this case it may be more appropriate to call it a succubus attack as that is the term used to denote the demonic female presence. This kind of experience is commonly reported around the world but with differing mythological explanations. For example, in Japan they have been referred to as kanashibari, in China as ghost oppression, and in England and America as the Old Hag. Frightening and overwhelmingly realistic, these experiences are another example of a parasomnia, specifically, sleep paralysis. They can be hypnopompic (occurring while awakening) or hypnagogic (occurring while falling asleep) and are associated with frightening imagery or hallucinations.
Ofcourse as far as John Cline is concerned all this has a rational scientific explnation:
The scientific explanation for the incubus attack is that the person experiences a state dissociation in which part of the mental apparatus comes to conscious awareness even as the rest of the brain is in the REM stage of sleep. The body remains paralyzed so as to prevent acting out the dream. The realization that it is not possible to move contributes significantly to the unpleasant and frightening quality of this event. In addition, a potential sexual aspect to the experience is provided by the physiology of REM sleep which causes erection in men and lubrication in women. Awakening from a frightening experience and subconsciously recognizing an erotic bodily feeling lends itself to seeing a connection between the experience, and the working of dark and evil forces. The conscious experience is a combination of dream mentation superimposed on the sensory background of the room in which the person is sleeping. Long before Hollywood perfected the green screen technique or computer graphics allowed for the easy integration of the fantastic with the realistic, the brain was able to seamlessly blend together the inner world of the dream with the outer world of sense perception during these state dissociations.
However despite his elaborate scientific explanation Mr. Hine does not seem to care to give possible solutions to this state dissociations as he puts it. Neither does Guy Der Maupassant the french novelist who describes the experience so well. However another artist of the last century describes not just the experience but his own unique remedy for it. That Artist is none other than the Reggae Artist and Wailer--Peter Tosh.