After a long day of work, our bodies grow tired and signal us that it’s time to sleep. As we sleep we go through five stages of sleep. The first stage is weak sleep. You can easily be awoken and get those sudden jerks of muscle spasms. The second stage is where you spend 50% of your sleep. During this stage, eye movement stops and brain activity becomes slower. The first deep sleep is during stage three. During this stage, when awoken, you may feel disoriented for a few minutes. The fourth stage is the second part of deep sleep. Awakening is the hardest at this point and brain activity is at a low.

The most interesting and final stage of sleep is what is know as Rapid Eye Movement, or REM sleep. This is the stage where we dream. Our body’s function like breathing and heart rate become slow and irregular. The chemical Acetylcholine, is secreted from the brain and immobilizes our movement. In other words, this is where sleep paralysis takes place. The chemical protects us from acting out our dreams. In some cases, Acetylcholine is released so fast, we can still be awake when out body is paralyzed. You are still aware of your surroundings when this happens. Imagine the fear this might cause someone?

This phenomena may explain the ‘alien abductions’ people claim to have had happen. During sleep paralysis, we hear a static noise and clicks due to the ear drums vibration during REM sleep. This might mimic the sound of an aliens surgical drill probing your head or how an alien spaceship might sound.

Others who claim to have been abducted, remember a feeling of movement. A feeling of being taken by the aliens. REM sleep stimulates several areas of the brain and one being the Vestibular System. The area that controls our sense of movement and balance. During dreams it simulates movement. Ever feel like you were flying or falling? This is the Vestibular System at work.

So what about the claim of seeing the aliens? One man who claims to have been abducted said in an interview, “He (the alien) had a large head and pointy feet. When he moved, it moved in such an extravagant motion, lifting his legs and arms at the same time. Like a cartoon character. Then darted back behind a wall.” Recent neuro-imaging studies had shed some light on this. One section of the brain that becomes wildly active is called the Emigdula, our fear center. By waking up paralyzed, the Emigdula is activated unnaturally causing extreme fear to the point where the victim feels as if he might die. A side effect of this state of terror is hallucinations. Possibly explaining the presence of aliens in the room.

While as terrifying as it might all seem, victims look at sleep paralysis in a positive way. It’s a rare disorder and some victims believe it opens them up to the non-physical world around them.