Sleep Paralysis In The Brothers Karamazov By Dostoevsky

Analyzing the effect of culture on the psychology of sleep paralysis is challenging in that there is no conclusive evidence in regards to the genetics or even rates of incidence between different groups. Consequently, I argue that the best way to tackle this problem is to evaluate the differences in experience between different cultures. In Algeria, for example, there is a high prevalence of out-of-body experiences during sleep paralysis (Adler). Out-of-body experiences occur when the parts of the brain that control coordination of movement are still active during REM. This is problematic during sleep paralysis, because while awake we are aware of our paralysis. The brain reconciles this competing sensations by forming an out-of-body experience
In “Description of Sleep Paralysis in The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky”, Stefani and Santamaria describe how the classic perfectly illustrates the stunning nature of sleep paralysis. After consulting a doctor about his madness, the protagonist returns home to witness a gentleman claiming to be the devil suddenly appear in his room. Realizing that he is in a quasi-dream state, Ivan tries to get rid of the apparition by putting a wet towel on his head and then continues to throw a glass at it. Things change once he starts to hear
This makes for a great story, but can have devastating effects in real life. There is now an emerging theory that some cases of repressed sexual abuse are in fact misdiagnosed episodes of sleep paralysis (Adler). This is based off of the idea of transminiality, the tendency for psychological material to cross thresholds into or out of consciousness”(McNally and Clancy). The Harvard study showed that adults claiming to have had repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse (either by inferring abuse through indicators like sexual dysfunction or remembering the event years after the fact) experience higher rates of sleep paralysis than the control. However, so did those who were sexually abused with no repressed memories. And unlike, those who claimed who to have been abducted aliens, these participants did not correlate repressed memories with any psychotherapy practices (McNally and Clancy). Nevertheless, the possibility of repressed memories being misinterpreted episodes of sleep paralysis should be further