MEDITATION MAY AID SLEEP PARALYSIS

Sleep paralysis – a condition affecting one in five of us and thought to explain several mysterious experiences including alien abduction and demonic night-time visits – could be treated using meditation-relaxation techniques, a study from the University of Cambridge has found.

During a bout of sleep paralysis, the sufferer is rendered temporarily unable to move, just on the onset of sleep or waking, but remains acutely aware of their surroundings. The episodes are frequently accompanied by visions of dangerous bedroom invaders such as aliens or ghosts.

The team found that episodes more than halved over a period of eight weeks, if during an attack, patients reminded themselves that the episode would pass, that there was no need to be afraid, and by relaxing their muscles.