M.J. Rose

As someone who has experienced sleep paralysis many times, I am always interested to hear more about it. Scientific explanations are just as compelling to me as the more paranormal claims – and I am usually caught somewhere in the middle when I consider my own theories on it.

Here is an interesting group of personal accounts and responses from an expert on the subject that you may find enlightening:

Sleep Paralysis and the Paranormal

“Recently, I have been contacted by several readers who are all asking the same basic question. These readers are experiencing something from which many of us may have suffered at one time or another, sleep paralysis.

First, just to be very clear, there are several types of sleep paralysis, not all of which are indicative of paranormal interference. I am not a medical doctor, and my perspective and observances should not be taken as such.

The following is a letter I received regarding this subject and includes my response. The name of the sender has been changed to protect his privacy.
Ms. Costanzo,
If you have time, can you explain to me the interaction of negative spirits or beings and sleep paralysis. I have had numerous bouts of sleep paralysis throughout the past years, never knowing when another will occur. During these episodes, bizarre things and creatures seem to manifest or at least I am dreaming they are. However, as you know during this time I am wide awake but unable to move. I have also had OBEs (out of body experiences) during these episodes, traveling and floating around the house. I am disturbed by much that has gone on, and I had never thought about the possible explanation alluded to in your article, “The Nature of Negative Hauntings”. Any information you are able to provide will be helpful and appreciated.
P.S. All the web sites on sleep paralysis are scientific in nature and all repeat the same things.
Sincerely,
“Michael”

Click here to go to Elizabeth Costanzo’s Examiner page where you will find many more personal takes on sleep paralysis.

We must begin to learn from the mistakes of the past – When the ancient Maya abandoned their forest conservation practices, it was to the detriment of their entire culture.

Ancient Mayans practiced forest conservation 3,000 years ago

Washington, July 27 (ANI): In a new study, scientists from the University of Cincinnati (UC) have determined that the ancient Mayans practiced forest conservation about 3,000 years ago.

Paleoethnobotanist David Lentz from the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practice forest management, but when they abandoned their forest conservation practices, it was to the detriment of the entire Maya culture.

“From our research we have learned that the Maya were deliberately conserving forest resources,” said David Lentz, a professor of biological sciences at the UC and executive director of the Cincinnati Center for Field Studies.

“Their deliberate conservation practices can be observed in the wood they used for construction and this observation is reinforced by the pollen record,” he added.

Read the complete article here.

Health Ministry to hypnotists: Stop helping clients explore past lives

By Haaretz Health Correspondent, Dan Even

Israeli hypnotists were told to refrain from helping clients explore past lives, following a recent decision on the matter by a special Health Ministry advisory committee.

The Advisory Committee on the Law on Hypnosis made the ruling following complaints by clients who said that they had sustained serious emotional damage because of reincarnation hypnosis sessions.

Israel has several experts on reincarnation hypnosis, who give sessions that aim to “discover who they were in past lives,” as Dr. Lianna Sofer defines her treatments. “The reincarnation hypnosis allows us to return to the prenatal stage.”…

Click here for the complete article.

…And for a different perspective on regression, and how it may be of use to us in our present lives – here is an article from Past Lives Regression (dot) com:

Past Life; Is Remembering Important?

Ancient people, especially the Japanese, Australian aborigines, Africans, modern Wiccans and many other New Age religions, believed the idea of reincarnation. This is about the thought that all people had past life and the person you are now and the behavior you have now has everything to do with that particular past life.

Your past life is believed to have been influencing your health, your mental well being, and your social interactions at this present life. And because of this, it will be better for you if you will be able to make yourself stronger and better now by knowing your past life, whether what you were before or settling what you haven’t settled before.

How would you determine your past life? It may be impossible to know your past but sometimes, people have some dreams that kept on bothering them or some unclear recollection of the past memories and interaction with other unfamiliar people. Those who strongly believed the reincarnation consider different happenings in their present life to be an effect of past life. Some indications are:…

Click here to read the rest.