Sleep paralysis has also been identified with the expression “Old Hag Syndrome”, and that already gives us an idea of the experiences that affect those who suffer from the condition, whether casually or recurrently. The short film called Paralys lets us see more closely the kind of horror that a person with sleep paralysis experiences, marked by strange noises, demonic presences, and the most absolute helplessness.
According to available data, sleep paralysis lasts no more than a few minutes, but those who suffer it firsthand often describe those minutes as the most terrifying of their lives. It all starts with noises. Buzzing, static, whispers... growls. Then there is talk of tingling, numbness, a feeling of pressure on the body, or even being moved. Then we get to hallucinations. Shadows, demons in the middle of the night, aliens. They approach, threaten, and even touch the victims, who remain completely immobile. If you have never experienced sleep paralysis, I recommend that you do not seek it. As an alternative, you can watch this:
The short film is called Paralys, and was directed by John Boisen and Björn Fävremark for the group Is This It. It participated in the It’s Alive program organized by the Swedish Film Institute, and found a new home on Vimeo, where it was published three weeks ago. The story shows us a young woman talking on the phone, much more tired than she appears, who falls asleep on the couch watching a quiz show. Paralys begins to play with us immediately presenting blood, spiders, food that seems rotten, and the strange images of the television that reveal... something.
Paralys lasts less than eight minutes, but it fulfills its objective without a doubt. Those who wish can explore the rest of Is This It's projects on their official Vimeo profile (link below), or look for additional material such as the documentary The Nightmare from 2015. There are many people out there willing to share their stories about sleep paralysis. With a bit of luck, you won't be part of that group.
