Sleep paralysis is one of the most frightening experiences a person can have — and one of the most misunderstood.
Across cultures and throughout history, people have described waking up unable to move, sensing a presence, feeling watched, or convinced something was in the room with them. Some call it neurological. Some call it spiritual. Many are left somewhere in between, searching for language that fits what they lived through.
In this first episode of REALMS, the Commune explores sleep paralysis not to prove what it is — but to understand what it does.
Together, we examine:
what sleep paralysis feels like from the inside
why it so often carries fear, meaning, and supernatural interpretation
how culture, belief, biology, and personal history shape the experience
and what happens after an experience that can’t be easily explained
This is not a debate about belief versus skepticism.
It’s a conversation about impact, meaning-making, and how people learn to live with experiences that change them.
If your experience was real, the impact it had on you was real.
This is REALMS —
Real Experiences. Answers. Lore. Myths. Sanctuary.