PROJECT ONE:
"SLEEP PARALYSIS"
I have been a long time "sufferer" of sleep paralysis. Plainly put, a person experiences sleep paralysis when his or her mind wakes up before their body. So, they are basically half conscience and unable to move. This is usually associated with difficult breathing and visions of someone or something pushing down or sitting on your chest. It is also directly linked to lucid dreaming and hallucinations. Some people are "visited" by their deceased loved ones while in a state of sleep paralysis. As for myself, I usually dream I'm crawling on the ground trying to look for help only to be snapped back into my body two seconds later realizing I haven't moved an inch off of my bed. The condition usually lasts about 30 seconds but it can feel like hours! Sometimes I can get it so bad that I'll be afraid to fall asleep! This film is supposed to represent the uncanny feeling of losing control or being detached from one's self while experiencing sleep paralysis.
Filmed using a Sony Handycam and a Canon Rebel.