- An overwhelming sense of anxiety and dread
A cursory examination of any paintings, sculptures, or other works of art with sleep paralysis as the theme will reveal that the overwhelming majority of people who experience sleep paralysis will feel dread. When most people wake up from a dream (or are falling asleep for the first time) and transition to sleep paralysis, they don’t realize they’re dreaming, and the things they experience, see, and hear can make them feel as though they’ve just awoken in their own nightmare.
During sleep paralysis, panic attacks and an increased pulse rate are very common. Even if they are aware that what they are hearing, seeing, and experiencing are not real, the majority of people who experience sleep paralysis will experience fear when it occurs.
Again, experiencing panic and fear during sleep paralysis is a result of the body and brain attempting to “switch off” rather than actual anxiety: People who are unaware that they are experiencing sleep paralysis find it to be significantly more terrifying.
