3. A feeling of overwhelming anxiety and panic
A quick look at any paintings, sculptures or other art with sleep paralysis as the theme will tell you that the one thing most people who go through sleep paralysis will experience is fear. When most people wake up from a dream (or they’re falling asleep for the first time) and switch into sleep paralysis, most people don’t realize that they’re dreaming – and the things you experience, see and hear can make it feel like you’ve just woken up into your own nightmare.
Panic attacks and an increased heart rate are very common during sleep paralysis. Most people who experience sleep paralysis will experience accompanying fear when it happens, even when they know that what they’re hearing, seeing and feeling isn’t really there.
Again, experiencing the panic and fear of sleep paralysis is a byproduct of the body and brain trying to “switch off” instead of being actual terror: And it’s a lot more scary to people who don’t know that it’s really sleep paralysis they’re going through.
