How to make the ghosts in my bedroom disappear? Focused-attention meditation combined with muscle relaxation (MR therapy)—a direct treatment intervention for sleep paralysis
Frontiers in Psychology July 4, 2016 Baland eJalal
A novel meditation-relaxation (MR) therapy is proposed as a direct treatment for sleep paralysis (SP), a state of involuntary immobility at sleep onset or offset often accompanied by terrifying hallucinations. The intervention combines focused inward-attention meditation with muscle relaxation in four steps: reappraisal of the attack, psychological distancing, inward-focused meditation, and muscle relaxation. It aims to shift attention away from frightening hallucinations and paralysis toward a positive internal object, potentially reducing panic and arousal. A Panic-Hallucination (PH) Model describes how fear creates a positive feedback loop worsening attacks and driving hallucination content. Case examples illustrate feasibility, though no controlled trial data are presented.