Night Terrors Case Study
Paranormal Experience
Hannah is a 30-year-old divorced, mother of one. Hannah describes herself as a practicing Muslim with strong spiritual/religious beliefs. Hannah has no history of mental illness.
Hannah reported for a few consecutive nights she had been unable to sleep due to some stressful situations she was facing. She would either have difficulty falling asleep or difficult remaining asleep. On this particular night she did not go to bed until approximately 4:00 A.M. Hannah woke up not long after falling asleep and was thinking it was going to be another night of tossing and turning. When she woke up she felt heaviness on her chest and found it difficult to breathe. She felt as though she was paralysed and was unable to move her limbs. This frightened her and she attempt to scream but was unable to produce any sound. After about a minute this feeling gave in and she was able to move and the weight felt as though it had been lifted off her chest. Hannah returned to sleep still with a little fear and confusion. She was unable to explain what had just happened to her. Hannah recalls awakening again with the same symptoms as before. Hannah felt more afraid this time. Her attempts to scream were once again met to no avail. After a minute or so, Hannah was able to move. She got up and went to the bathroom to get a glass of water and wash her face. Hannah returned to sleep. Shortly after to remembers waking up. This time it was a little different. She not only felt the weight on her chest and paralysis but felt a presence in her room. As she scanned the room she noticed four figures. They appeared to be male and approaching her. The figures appeared to be dark and mystical. Hannah felt very afraid and helpless. She was unable to do anything. The figures disappeared before reaching her and the weight was lifted from her chest. At this point Hannah recited some verses from the Koran. She believes this helped rid the evil spirits and prevented them from retuning that
Hannah is a 30-year-old divorced, mother of one. Hannah describes herself as a practicing Muslim with strong spiritual/religious beliefs. Hannah has no history of mental illness.
Hannah reported for a few consecutive nights she had been unable to sleep due to some stressful situations she was facing. She would either have difficulty falling asleep or difficult remaining asleep. On this particular night she did not go to bed until approximately 4:00 A.M. Hannah woke up not long after falling asleep and was thinking it was going to be another night of tossing and turning. When she woke up she felt heaviness on her chest and found it difficult to breathe. She felt as though she was paralysed and was unable to move her limbs. This frightened her and she attempt to scream but was unable to produce any sound. After about a minute this feeling gave in and she was able to move and the weight felt as though it had been lifted off her chest. Hannah returned to sleep still with a little fear and confusion. She was unable to explain what had just happened to her. Hannah recalls awakening again with the same symptoms as before. Hannah felt more afraid this time. Her attempts to scream were once again met to no avail. After a minute or so, Hannah was able to move. She got up and went to the bathroom to get a glass of water and wash her face. Hannah returned to sleep. Shortly after to remembers waking up. This time it was a little different. She not only felt the weight on her chest and paralysis but felt a presence in her room. As she scanned the room she noticed four figures. They appeared to be male and approaching her. The figures appeared to be dark and mystical. Hannah felt very afraid and helpless. She was unable to do anything. The figures disappeared before reaching her and the weight was lifted from her chest. At this point Hannah recited some verses from the Koran. She believes this helped rid the evil spirits and prevented them from retuning that
References: American Sleep Disorders Association (1990). The International classification of sleep disorders diagnostic and coding manual Cheyne, J. A. (2003). Sleep paralysis and the structure of waking-nightmare hallucinations Cheyne, J. A. (2002). Situational factors affecting sleep paralysis and associated hallucinations: position and timing effects Cheyne, J. A., Newby-Clark, I. R. & Rueffer, S. D. (1999). Relations among hypnagogic and hypnopompic experiences associated with sleep paralysis Cheyne, J. A., & Girad, T. A (2004). Spatial characteristics of hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis Cheyne, J. A., Rueffer, S. D. & Newby-Clark, I. R. (1999). Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations during sleep paralysis: Neurological and cultural construction of the nightmare Gangdev, P. (2004). Relevance of sleep paralysis and hypnic hallucinations to psychiatry Girad, T. A. & Cheyne, J. A. (2004).Individual differences in lateralisation of hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis Harris, J. C. (2004). The Nightmare. Archives of General Psychiatry,61(5), 439-440. Parker, J. D., & Blackmore S.J. (2002). Comparing the content of sleep paralysis and dream reports Powell, R. A., & Nielsen, T. A. (1998). Was Anna O. 's black snake hallucination a sleep paralysis nightmare? Dreams, memories and trauma Sherwood, S. J. (2002). Relationship between hypnagogic/hypnopompic state and reports of anomalous experiences