Image: The Nightmare by Henri Fussli.Have you ever had a horrible, terrifying dream from which you were unable to awake? Or experienced the dreadful sensation of trying to wake from a bad dream, only to discover you’re unable to move, or that a heavy weight presses down on you?
You may have had a visitation from an ancient creature known as the night mare. These demons or goblins sit or “ride” upon a person’s chest while they are sleeping, inspiring the bad dreams we call nightmares.
The night mare is similar to its cousins the succubus and incubus, both of which haunt the dreams of men and women while syphoning away their lives. Victims experience insomnia, stress, weakness, difficulty breathing and if plagued by persistent visits - even death.
Scientists believe the origin of the night mare to be an explanation for the disorder known as sleep paralysis in which upon waking, a person experiences a sense of danger, hallucinations and yet is unable to move. This immobility usually lasts several seconds, but can be endured for several minutes and in extreme instances – hours.
Survival tip: Don’t sleep on your back, or indulge in sleeping in too late in the morning as you may be unwittingly offering an open invitation to a night mare.
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