Nicolas Bruno- Battling Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by the non-permanent paralysis of the body. It happens shortly after we wake up or shortly before we fall asleep. It occurs when the brain is in the REM state and then you suddenly wake up even though some body paralysis persists.

Nicolas Bruno, a victim of sleep paralysis for many years recreates his experiences through art. The 22-year-old re-creates his sleep paralysis experiences through photographs. During an interview with Yatzer, Nicolas Bruno explains his hallucinations whereby faceless silhouetted figures and grasps from shadowy hands corrupting reality would appear in his hallucinations. Since an early age of 15 when He started experiencing sleep paralysis, Nicolas has had a horrific experience with sleep paralysis.

Nicolas Bruno, however, discovered that He could channel these fears into art. One of his high school teachers recommended him to archive these horrors. The uniqueness of His art has aided Nicolas Bruno rise from just an ordinary photographer to an experienced and talented photographer, rising the ranks.

Nicholas started by sketching down these vivid terrors of sleep paralysis on paper which He would compile into a journal. As He progressed, He transformed the sketches into photographs inspired by His childhood coastal town in Italy. The Italian culture He is associated with influences the titles, while his appreciation of nature inspires his imagery.

During the initial processes of developing these unique photographs, Nicholas incorporates props like bowler hats, lanterns, burning chairs, face masks among others. Recently Nicholas Bruno has created an online portfolio, where art enthusiasts can view his rare art. His art is also showcased in many art galleries, making him a role model to people out there to people going through sleep paralysis

Sometimes, dreams get so stressful that the mind suddenly gets overwhelmed and jumps to a conscious state, thus causing you to become awake. The only problem is during these dreams the brain secretes a paralyzing chemical to keep you from acting out your dreams every night. These paralyzing agents do not last very long as soon as the body realizes that your mind is no longer unconscious, on account of natural defense mechanisms will start straining them from your brain.

Sleep paralysis can make a person conscious of everything that is happening but cannot move his or her body. There is also a hallucinatory element of this state, on which you see fanciful objects similar to dream-like objects that may appear in the room along with one’s regular vision. Some scientist proposed that this condition calls for a theory on alien abductions and ghostly encounters. The effects may be observed for a fraction of a second or up to several minutes. The possible causes that some scientist suggested were:

1)Some motor neurons or cells in the brain, which are responsible for a person’s motor skills, are affected by an impediment of their release and thus, stops functioning;

2)Low levels of melatonin, which is a substance in the brain responsible for sleeping. This can prevent the stimulation of the muscles of the dreamer.

Factors that can induce sleep paralysis are sleeping in an upward position, sleep deprivation, sexual abuse, having an irregular sleeping schedule, increased stress, sudden environmental or lifestyle changes and a dream, which precedes the episode. Treatment involves drugs like Clonazepam and Ritalin. Seeing a Sleep specialist is a must!

Regular sleep is highly recommended to reduce the likelihood of sleep paralysis significantly. The average amount of sleep an individual needs per day depends on the age of that person. If you are an adult, mainly seven hours up to eight hours or more of sleep will do. If you are an adolescent, between 13 up to 17 years old, nine up to ten hours is required. When you are a teenager sleep paralysis may be frequent, but once you get to your thirty’s, it may lessen.

Knowing the symptoms can provide you not just with an understanding of the situation but the right way on how you can deal with sleep paralysis. Although it is much easier said than done, being afraid can do more harm than good, so try to relax and maintain a healthy way of living and sleeping, and who knows, maybe you too can use the material to your advantage; after all, who isn’t fascinated by Sleep Paralysis!?

See more of Nicolas Bruno’s photography here