June 21st, 2006

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About This Site, Science
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My Favourite Post in the Long Tail

This blog has about 3500 entries. The old entries–each an individual page of its own–get various levels of attention, from one visitor a year to a couple hundred a day. One of my favourite entries falls somewhere inbetween those levels of activity.

It’s about sleep paralysis, and it’s not long–I wrote all of two paragraphs. I also cited my friend Sarah’s experience of the peculiar affliction.

Now the page is becoming this little sleep paralysis support community. Every week or two, somebody comes by and leaves their description of an episode:

Last night my paralysis started as I felt as if something was crawling in bed with me. Next thing that happened was paralysis and crushing on my chest. An image came and called itself the Hound of Hell and told me that Satan was not done with me yet. I tried calling for my friends but it seemed that each time I screamed, the crushing was more, I also am recovering from some broken ribs from a skiing accident 2 weeks ago, Dont know if that contributed to this. After what seemed like several minutes the paralysis went away Iand I came into what I guess would be awareness of my surroundings.

It’s cool to think that the page has turned into something more than a brief blog entry, and might be a little solace to those suffering from the disorder.

Comments: 4 Responses so far

Patty Foster
June 21st, 2006
11:22 am

I saw a program recently about sleep paralysis/sleep entities. It was really interesting about the sorts of hallucinations people have during an episode including the space alien type. They showed some old paintings from pre-modern times depicting sleep paralysis and the entities (hallucinations) they saw.

[Reply]

Ianiv Schweber
June 21st, 2006
11:49 am

We have an entry in Blogaholics that turned into a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show music trading forum. 306 comments so far and I’m still waiting for a cease & desist letter for facilitating “copyright theft”.

It is pretty cool when entries take a life of their own like that. At least yours may help people deal with a really crappy sleep disorder.

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john H
June 22nd, 2006
1:54 am

Speaking of disorder, 3500 blog entries?

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Chelsta
August 1st, 2006
6:31 pm

This recently started happening to me as well - three or four times a month for the past two months. (single parent who just bought a house, real ridiculously demanding job..etc..hmm)Although, I have to say I feel lucky to have what seems to be the “wimpy” version of SP going on; I’ve been spared the visual treat of having hallucinations of people or “things” in my room - the feeling of a presence exerting physical pressure is unmistakable though. It usually occurs right when I become lucid in a dream. When I realize I’m dreaming and can do whatever I want without consequence because it’s a dream, my initial thought is, “Cool,” and I don’t want to go anywhere - but then I am tugged or pushed with intense pressure until my eyes open and I lay there unable to move, breathe (or so it seems) for several minutes. The first time scared the crap out of me….felt like I was being pulled off of the bed…and immediatly thought, “Oh crap, someone’s in the house.” I think I’ve actually gotten used to it now - and it just kind of pisses me off a little bit instead. I prefer the scientific explanation to the incubus/hag/crusher ones for sure….Thank god for google. If all I had was an old encyclopedia with those wigged out stories to reference I’d be totally screwed right into a mental institution :)

Just thought I’d add to the discussion - oh - and it is really annoying so if anyone has discovered some magical root that can be made into a terrible tasting tea of some sort to decrease the occurrence, that would be just fine with me…..

[Reply]

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