Sleep Paralysis In The 20th Century

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In the previous section I discussed the use of sleep paralysis in the 1800s, most of which was either a painful account or a figure of speech. In order to bridge the gap between folklore and medicalization it is necessary to first demystify some of the previous held beliefs. During my research, I discovered the work of a psychologist and philosopher named Ernest Jones. Jones wrote a book titled, “On the Nightmare” in 1931. In the introduction of his book Jones says, “... Nightmare experiences have played in the production of certain false ideas. These ideas- incubus, vampire, werewolf, devil and witchcraft - have a great deal in common” . This work presents an interesting contrast to the historical approach that many authors have taken, because …show more content…
Which leads me to believe that there was a shift in the 1900s and it was a medicalized shift. Although people in the mid 20th century were unaware of the medical causes of sleep paralysis, the approach they took included less myth. In a newspaper published in 1953, the header read “Work On Puzzle, Sleep Paralysis” in this paper author Alton L. Blakeslee reports that insulin could be a possible cure to sleep paralysis. Even though he mistakenly reports that sleep paralysis is “rare” it still shows that the narrative had once again evolved. The article further mentions other guesses that doctor’s concluded like it’s relation to the hypothalamus and diet. In 1968, we see yet another evolution as doctor’s conclude that sleep paralysis has to deal with REM sleep and the awakening of the mind during a deep slumber. This same article also mentions the transformation of the word nightmare from meaning sleep paralysis to it’s now general definition. Through this we can see the gradual progression of sleep paralysis from being clouded in superstitions and folklore, to the attempt to medicalize and philosophize, to the actual medicalization of
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