| | So I'm asleep and I'm dreaming that I'm watching a funny video on the internet. I know the video is supposed to be funny but nothing funny has happened yet, and I'm waiting for the punchline. Suddenly the video goes blank, there're two weird scratching sounds, and I become paralyzed and start to rapidly lose vision and consciousness. I have enough consciousness left to think: this video must be some kind of cruel trick, and then for a few seconds I feel tightness in my chest and struggle to open my eyes again. At that point I'm probably already awake but in sleep paralysis. In the meantime reality is strobing and behaving weird, it's hard to figure out where everything is, and with my eyes closed (already awake) I see fascinating geometric phosphenes. The phosphenes and strobing lasted for a few seconds after I was awake and fully conscious.
My immeditate reaction was "oh, A&P event", but then again, the experience completely matched the symptoms of sleep paralysis, didn't lead to any insights, and was unpleasant. In meditation practice I (still) have difficulty observing any vibrations, although other reasons lead me to believe I'm in Equanimity. I have had obvious A&P events before, but only on drugs. I haven't had any auras, migraines or seizures.
I wonder to what extent this (sleep paralysis, which is itself apparently related to migraine and auras) is related to mechanisms responsible for A&P. |