Sleep paralysis in Brazilian folklore and other cultures: a brief review
Frontiers in Psychology December 22, 2016 José Felipe Rodriguez de Sá, Sérgio Arthuro Mota-Rolim
Sleep paralysis is a dissociative state during awakening marked by inability to move, visual hallucinations, chest pressure, and fear. While most people experience it rarely, it becomes a parasomnia when recurrent or distressing. Across cultures, sleep paralysis has been interpreted supernaturally: Canadian Eskimos attribute it to shamans' spells, Japanese tradition to a vengeful spirit, Nigerian culture to a female demon, and modern accounts to alien abductions. This review examines the Pisadeira, a Brazilian folk figure who tramples the chest of those sleeping on a full stomach, and compares it with other cultural manifestations. The work argues that sleep paralysis is a biological phenomenon shaped by cultural context.