New Documentary Reveals the Cause of Evil Spirits that Visit the Sleeping and Leave Them Paralyzed

Often people see vivid figures in their rooms or a disturbing figure lurking behind leaving you paralyzed and gripped with fear. Sometimes you experience as if someone is seated on your chest, sucking the life out of you. In a state of fear, the sufferer wakes up with a start, unable to move and convinced of a malevolent presence in the room. If you have never experienced such a phenomenon, then you may not be able to associate with this feeling. But it has been recorded in almost all the cultures around the world, throughout history and is one of the most plausible explanations for spirits, demons and other ghost sightings when one is asleep, reports Daily Mail.

While the images and the sensations may vary from person to person, the one thing that is common in all the cases is an experience of intense fear. It is not necessary for them to see evil spirits or ghosts to feel the dread. Scientists have a faint idea about what leads to sleep paralysis and why some people suffer more than others. According to Professor Chris French, psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, and leading expert in sleep paralysis, explains that while asleep we all go through various stages of sleep cycles, each for 90 minutes. One of these cycles is called REM or Rapid Eye Movement. During REM Sleep, we experience vivid dreams. During this phase, your muscles experience paralysis to prevent you from acting your dream out, reports JSPRW.com

The whole concept has been explained in a documentary, The Nightmare, that comes from the director who made Room 237, Rodney Ascher. In this movie, he interviews people that are suffering from sleep paralysis. Based on his interviews, Ascher makes a strong case that sleep paralysis is a psychological phenomenon which leads to vivid nightmares, reports the Guardian.