From feeling utter terror while falling asleep, to waking unable to move or speak. Sleep Paralysis is real and it can be terrifying!

Many sufferers describe Sleep Paralysis as a Paranormal feeling and often claim to feel a ghostly presence nearby., accompanied by strange sounds and smells. Commonly, the smell of smoke and sweet incense are present. Some even claim that there is evil present, even going as far as to report physical and sexual assault.

Some experience autoscopy – a condition where one sees a mirror image of oneself or the feeling of levitation.

Religion plays a massive role. According to certain cultures, there could be witch craft, supernatural occurrences and even alien abduction at play. Contemporary medical reasoning suggests however that the experience is not so “way out” as suggested.

Suggested causes range from Schizophrenia, seizures, hypertension, narcolepsy, waking up frequently to shift work all being contributors.  There are even reports of normal healthy people experiencing Sleep Paralysis.

Sleeping on your back may be a contributor, try a new sleep position and see if this makes any difference.

There is a psychological side to Sleep Paralysis too. Disassociated phenomena (emotional numbing), panic disorder and even post-traumatic stress disorder are all linked to Sleep Paralysis. Those who are highly stressed, emotionally sensitive or experiencing chronic fear seem to be more at risk.

Researchers (Denis, French, Rowe, Zavos, Nolan, Parsons & Gregory, 2015) for the Journal of Sleep Research, conducted a study titled “A twin and molecular genetics study of sleep paralysis and associated factors.” The study investigated the link between sleep paralysis and genetics.

Researchers compared sleep and sleep paralysis data for identical and nonidentical twins and siblings. Apparently, genetics was a factor in 53 percent of cases of sleep paralysis among their subjects.

While research revealed that stress, trauma, anxiety and depression made sleep paralysis more likely, it also suggested that family links to sleep paralysis could exist. – Extract from Body Mind Soul Spirit

One must remember that Night terrors and Sleep Paralysis are not the same. Where Sleep Paralysis is linked to the physical inability to move, Night Terrors wakes a person with a  jolt followed by screaming, crying, an increased heart rate, heavier breathing and sweating. Quite often, the sufferer will fall asleep again only to wake later on completely unaware of their ordeal.

On a more mysterious note, the “Hag Phenomena” is still largely unexplained, where people claim to see an old woman or witch in description standing over them. Could this be our psyche playing tricks on us?

Things you can try to ease the effects are trying to follow a healthy sleeping pattern.

Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugars before bedtime, exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet. try to avoid late night snacking.

One also needs to monitor their health closely. Stress and depression are major contributors. Keep these in check and try to find ways to better cope with them.

Summing the disorder up, we need to remember that it is just that. A disorder. No need to stress about it or panic. It’s one of those occurrences that may possibly happen to each and every one of us at some stage. It’s temporary, harmless and will pass.

H/T Body Mind Soul Spirit

Chantel

 

Parenthood lies deep within us. We are wired to help our little ones survive and prosper.

Modern life, however, has removed us from our natural environment. It can be hard to raise a child in world of fear and distractions. Science and psychology bring back a big dose of reality and give practical tips for how you can help your kids turn into amazing human beings.

Rogers’ Secret for Personal Growth

Carl Rogers, a famous psychologist, believed that all humans have a built-in need for personal growth and self-actualization. To unleash this great power within us, we have to remove our internal blocks [1].

An important part of his theory was our strong need for positive regard. We need others to regard us in a positive light – we need sympathy, love and acceptance.

Positive regard comes in two different packages – unconditional or conditional.

Related reading: How to Grow Through Blockages and Find Your True Self

Perform and then You’ll Have My Love

Conditional positive regard is when parents only show affection when children behave in a way that pleases them. Research shows that conditional positive regard can have long-term consequences.

“The last year of high school is over and Sarah is coming home with her final grades. She’s gotten all A’s with one exception – a C in math. She proudly hands it over to her father who says, ‘Why did you get a C in math? You could do better than this’, then his gaze returns to the TV. Sarah goes up to her room disappointed in herself and frustrated with her father.”

College students who reported that parents used conditional positive regard for emotional control, prosocial behavior, academics and sports performance experienced large fluctuations in self-esteem and how they thought their parents perceived them. They tended to resent their parents [2]. Continue reading →

We all dream, some being less expressive, others lucid. Dreams usually relate to our subconscious, relaying messages we cannot decipher in plain written reality. There is no hard-and-fast guarantee, but studying dreams allows us to better understand the underlying messages being portrayed.

Being Chased:

Mostly remembered due to the anxiety felt, being chased usually relates to what we’re running from and not the chase itself. This could be something flagging you that needs your attention. Try to evaluate what may need addressing that you’ve been avoiding for a while.

Falling:

You may subconsciously feel like you’re lacking control of a situation, overwhelmed with something in your life or feeling generally insecure.

Losing Your Voice:

Ever heard of sleep paralysis? During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the sleep cycle during in which we dream, our bodies experience REM atonia, a natural paralysis during the REM cycle.

We quite often wake up before the end of the REM cycle and get trapped in that moment of feeling completely mute and unable to move. Some even report being unable to breathe properly.

Naked, In Public:

Continue reading →

Your intuition protects you from danger, it’s the little voice inside us that helps us make decisions.

If you are tuned in to yours, you’ll know when a loved one needs you, you’ll feel when something isn’t right, and when something is!

Sometimes, we block our intuition and we lose our ability to interpret it properly and clearly, these signs may help you realise if your intuition may be blocked.

Regret

When we are tuned in and guided by our intuition, it helps us make choices and decisions we won’t regret later. When our intuition is out of touch, we make ego and mind based choices, and that is often why we end up regretting our decisions.

When you allow your inner voice to guide your soul and stop fighting it, decisions come easily and you never feel regretful about them.

Lacking Flexibility

If you are attuned to your intuition, you are willing and “going with the flow”, and this often means your plans and decisions change as you are guided down your path. When out of touch, you ignore the warning signs that you would otherwise have seen and, then, ultimately, changed direction.

One of the biggest reasons people are not flexible is because they ignored their intuition the first time, and then don’t want to let anyone down after already saying yes.

If you really are listening to your inner voice, this won’t happen often, you’ll be saying no right from the beginning!

Confusion

A major sign that you aren’t tuned into your intuition is the feeling of confusion, you are struggling to make the right decisions for you and clarity is lacking.

When you are listening to that voice inside, you won’t be confused, you’re inner knowing and outer synchronicities will align a decision that will push you towards the right path for you.

The crazy Irrational

Do you dismiss your intuition as crazy or irrational? Perhaps your inner voice tells you to go somewhere or do something you would never go or do! But what if behind that door you would never open is someone who needs your help?

What if your dream job is behind door number 2 even though you always use door number 1?

You could be missing out on the most aligned relationships, careers and many other experiences all because you ignored your intuition and called yourself crazy for wanting something out of the norm.

Giving Away your power

Allowing and expecting someone else to make all your decisions for you is definitely a sign of blocked intuition.

When you visit your doctor, do you expect him or her to make every decision?

Or do you question him or her? Do you allow your partner to decide everything around the home, even if you feel something else might be better?

Tune in to your intuition, pay attention to your inner voice!

 

 

Plants naturally protect and heal us every day without us even being conscious of the benefits. Safeguarding us from the dangerous influence of toxins, chemicals in cleaning products, paints, harmful odors, smoke, and radiation emitted from TVs.

According to the experts, having at least one plant in every 75 square feet of your home will help cleanse the air.

Fern, Cactus, dragon tree and fig are among the best plants to have inside.

The humble Cactus

Cacti absorb carbon dioxide at night, releasing oxygen. Having a cactus in your bedroom is helpful for sleeping as it supplements oxygen.

It’s one of the best plants when it comes to reducing radiation, bacteria and tackling pollution. Continue reading →

Hydration, diet, medical conditions. So many reasons why your urine could change color. The real issue arises when it relates to your health!  Do you know what to look out for?

No color: This means you’re drinking a lot of water, and if it is not in combination with the right amount of food, then you might be drinking a bit too much water and can cut back a little. Good job!

Pale yellow: This means you’re normal, healthy and are well hydrated. Keep doing what you’re doing!

Transparent yellow: This also means you’re normal and hydrated but your body is in the starting stages of getting dehydrated again.

Dark yellow: This is also normal but on the very edge of needing to drink more water, your body already needs to drink some more water soon.

Amber or honey: When your pee is this dark, and can have a pungent smell, this means you are definitely dehydrated and need to get some water in your body as soon as possible.  Continue reading →