“Felt presence” is a phenomenon where you feel that someone or some entity is near you, sometimes accompanied by an actual hallucination of some form. The phenomenon occurs in sleep paralysis (see this blog post) but also in certain neurological conditions. It can even be induced in healthy people while they're awake.
A recent paper surveyed the available research on felt presence to uncover some commonalities in the experience across different studies and seek clues as to the biological basis of the phenomenon. The psychological quality of felt presence is typically associated with feelings of fear and anxiety. In the case of sleep paralysis, which is a state of paralysis that sometimes persists shortly upon waking from sleep, the feeling of presence often takes the form of a threatening intruder hovering near the sleeper. This threatening feeling of presence is persistent in most sleep paralysis episodes, and it has been associated with anxiety and depression.
Felt presence also occurs in certain neurological diseases such as epileptic auras or neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. Felt presence is also reported following Traumatic Brain Injury, and in these cases, it may be associated with changes in electrophysiology over the right temporal area of the brain.
In one case following Traumatic Brain Injury, a patient described felt presence as being preceded by an “electric shock” sensation, which is also commonly reported in cases of epileptic auras. It seems that changes in electrophysiology in the temporal area occurs across these varied diagnostic pathologies.
This commonality provides some support for a brain basis of felt presence as a neuropsychological phenomenon that involves electrophysiological glitches, particularly in temporal areas of the brain. There also seem to be some changes in activation in subcortical areas such as the amygdala and hippocampus. Even in sleep paralysis episodes, it’s possible that felt presence is enabled via high amygdala activation levels during REM sleep, which induce a hypervigilant state.
Besides these spontaneous episodes, felt presence can be artificially induced both behaviorally and biologically in healthy subjects, reinforcing the notion that it is a neuropsychological phenomenon. Magnetic stimulation in temporal areas of the brain can create illusions of felt presence. Or, a paradigm called the master-slave robotic system that leads to sensorimotor confusion can also induce feelings of presence.
In the Presence Detected Protocol, felt presence can be induced through wearing a helmet with solenoids over the temporal lobes. Weak magnetic stimulation is applied while the participant is in a state of sensory deprivation or relaxation, inducing feelings of presence. In the robotic master-slave mechanism, subjects perform movements with their finger on a touchpad, and the same movements are then applied to the subjects’ backs with a robotic arm. When the robotic arm diverges from the intended pattern, feelings or presence are reported.
In the majority of cases, felt presence is associated with unpleasant feelings like fear and sadness, although it sometimes takes a positive form, in which the presence feels like a friend, family member, or religious entity. Some have suggested that the feelings associated with the presence are determined by its felt location. For instance, a presence on the right side might be more associated with fear and anxiety whereas on the left side the presence is suggested to be less unpleasant. Nevertheless, most instances occurring during sleep paralysis are associated with negative feelings.
The electrical alterations in the temporal lobe and common qualities in experience provide evidence that cerebral alterations could induce feelings of presence across pathologies. Relative sensory deprivation, such as in the case of REM sleep, also seems to be a predisposing factor for feelings of presence.
References
Roballo, Francisco; Delgado, Ana R. Analysis of the empirical research on the feeling of presence. Dreaming Vol. 29, Iss. 4, (Dec 2019): 358-369. DOI:10.1037/drm0000113
FAQs
“Felt presence” is a phenomenon where you feel that someone or some entity is near you, sometimes accompanied by an actual hallucination of some form. The phenomenon occurs in sleep paralysis (see this blog post) but also in certain neurological conditions. It can even be induced in healthy people while they're awake.
What conditions are linked to sleep paralysis? ›
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) generalised anxiety disorder. panic disorder. a family history of sleep paralysis.
What is a differential diagnosis of sleep paralysis? ›
Differential Diagnosis
It is important to differentiate sleep paralysis from other similar disorders, including narcolepsy, familial periodic paralysis, conversion disorder, and cataplexy. It also requires differentiation from the symptomatology of PTSD as well as other mental/psychiatric illnesses.
What mental health conditions are associated with sleep paralysis? ›
The most common mental disorders with which SP coexists are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder [14]. Studies show that from 27.8% to 76% of patients diagnosed with PTSD experienced at least one sleep paralysis in their lifetime [14].
What does it mean when you feel a presence? ›
A felt presence feels as though it's there with you in your personal space. It's hard to pin down exactly what a felt presence consists of. It's not experienced via the five physical senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell or taste, so it's not an hallucination. Objectively, in reality, there is nothing there at all.
What is the incubus syndrome? ›
INTRODUCTION. Incubus Syndrome is a psychopathological disorder in which a person, especially females, have a strong delusion that they have been sexually approached at night by a devil/demon.
What is cataplexy? ›
Cataplexy—This sudden loss of muscle tone while a person is awake leads to weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It is often triggered by sudden, strong emotions such as laughter, fear, anger, stress, or excitement.
What is the sleep paralysis demon? ›
Key Takeaways. Sleep demons commonly involve temporary paralysis when falling asleep or waking up. Sensations may include chest pressure, hallucinations, and perceiving a presence in the room. Sleep demon hallucinations differ from nightmares as individuals are semi-aware during the episode.
Why do I wake up feeling like I've been beaten up? ›
That heavy feeling right after you wake up is called sleep inertia. You feel tired, maybe a little disoriented, and not quite ready to hit the ground running. It can affect anyone. Sleep inertia usually doesn't last that long, but some people experience a version that lasts longer, known as prolonged sleep inertia.
What is the difference between psychosis and sleep paralysis? ›
Diagnostic and Treatment Considerations
Psychiatric conditions, such as psychotic disorders, PTSD, nocturnal panic attacks, sleep terrors, and nightmare disorder, should be distinguished from sleep paralysis by the timing of hallucinations and presence of atonia.
Whereas, SP is more likely to lead to bizarre descriptions which may lead to a suspicion (diagnosis) of psychosis, and which may also lead to “delusional” explanations.
What is parasomnia? ›
Parasomnias occur in a state that lies between sleep and wakefulness. A person with parasomnias may seem to be alert, walking or talking or eating or doing other such activities but without awareness because the brain is only partially awake.
Who is more prone to sleep paralysis? ›
Data Synthesis. Aggregating across studies (total N = 36533), 7.6% of the general population, 28.3% of students, and 31.9% of psychiatric patients experienced at least one episode of sleep paralysis. Of the psychiatric patients with panic disorder, 34.6% reported lifetime sleep paralysis.
What causes sleep paralysis physiologically? ›
Sleep paralysis is caused by the marked dissociation between level of alertness and muscle atonia that often occurs in SOREM sleep episodes.
How do you break out of sleep paralysis? ›
Wiggle your toes or fingers
The suffocating feeling is felt most strongly on the chest, shoulders and throat. Shift your focus to the furthest parts of your body. Moving your fingers or wiggling your toes may help break the paralysis.
