SPONTANEOUS AND INDUCED OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES DURING SLEEP PARALYSIS: EMOTIONS, “AURA” RECOGNITION, AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
April 26, 2022 Nerea L Herrero, Francisco Tomás Gallo, Miguel Gasca-Rolín et al. 1 citation preprint
Sleep paralysis (SP) involves an inability to move during sleep/wake transitions and often causes distress, but out-of-body experiences (OBEs) that occur during SP tend to be pleasant. An online survey of 329 participants divided into groups based on OBE occurrence, OBE induction ability, and SP perception found that positive emotions were more common with OBEs and negative emotions with SP episodes. Participants who reported being able to induce OBEs experienced more positive emotions during episodes. Auditory, tactile, and visual sensations were perceived before SP episodes, suggesting these may serve as an “aura” of SP.