From: trifid@agora.rain.com (Roadster Racewerks)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: Re: Night struggles
Date: 27 Jan 93 08:39:45 GMT
Organization: Open Communications Forum

In article <1jt3n0INN5aq@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Prabal Nandy) writes:
>  Again, this is exactly what I'd expect from that kind of problem. Take a
>look at my long post on this subject awhile back, ("The Old Hag" phenomenon,
>or I will repost it for you.)
>  Though I must say, I am surprised that you are still having these episodes
>at your age. Mostly I've seen it in younger children or people under
>considerable emotional stress. Me, I had it until I was about 12 or so, and
>then I managed to teach myself out of it. (Very distressing it was!) The
>interesting thing was, was that learning that it wasn't dangerous and that
>lots of people had the problem was KEY to getting over it. When it wasn't
>scary anymore it stopped coming.
>
>   Hope this helps alittle!
>
>
>-- 
>      /| ________________   |probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu|  Lord of the Flies 
>O|===|* >________________>  |probe@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu|  1st MPC Division
>      \|                    | nandy@scivax.stsci.edu |  Colony Mechworks
>  Velox - Durus - Infestus  |  nandy@fos.stsci.edu   |  Colony World Myops


I don't know how often "often" is, but Ed seems to get into this state roughly
once a month to six weeks. Perhaps it has something to do with his having been
a fairly successful wrestler in college, and retaining a dislike of being
pinned, or something. It happens to me much more seldom, maybe 4 times or less
in a year. I had no idea it was unusual in older people. (I wonder if it's
just one of those statistical artifacts, where older people accept it, so it
doesn't get reported...?) He also is much more succeptible to insomnia, 
although I actually have it more often, ie, he is more upset by it. When I
first started seeing him ten years ago, he was so upset by a week of insomnia
that he was in a real state, and went to the emergency room. I, being a night
person, look upon insomnia as just one of those things, and if I can't get my
*mind* asleep, just make sure I take plenty of rest for the remainder. He used
to get quite frantic. (He was so used to sleeping really well that it seemed
like the end of the world! :-) Now that he's seen that I get along without a
really peaceful sleep, and come to bed at all hours, he's become less upset by
the idea.

But we are getting way off the subject of dreams themselves....  :-)

And further off the subject of ghosts...

I have been wondering how often "ghosts" and dreams are influenced by our
hearing something without being conscious of it. I know I once thought our
campsite was being attacked by aliens or something... there was this amazing
throbbing sound right out of a good S-F movie, and I was even afraid to go
look outside the trailer... The next day I discovered, quite by accident, that
it was the sound of a passing diesel train a couple of miles away, filtered
through the sound of a large, active waterfall near our camp. Amazing noise.
The greatest fear I have ever felt... It sounded HUGE, and right on top of us,
but during the day when there were other sounds to mask it, it was hardly
audible until you got to the falls themselves.

I know the sleeping mind can manufacture interesting dreams from ordinary
sounds, and I sometimes wonder if it can manufacture images when we are awake
if we are in a vulnerable position mentally...

Suze