When we are asleep, somewhere between dreams and wakefulness, our brains can sometimes blur the line between what is real and what feels real. Actor Sonakshi Sinha recently opened up about one such experience that shook her belief system.
In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, she shared, “I used to not believe. I used to not believe at all. But one day, something very weird happened to me in my own house. So, since then, I’m a little bit shaken in my belief. But then after that, nothing happened, so then I was like, maybe it was a dream, you know? So, I don’t know. It was a harmless ghost. Possibly.”
She described the incident in vivid detail, pointing to a strange early morning episode that left her frozen in fear. “So, I was sleeping. You know that sleep where you’re awake, but you’re not awake? Your eyes are shut, but your mind is on, and like that. So, it was just that. And it was around 4 am or something like that. And I don’t know if it was a dream or not. I suddenly felt, you know, some sort of pressure, like somebody’s just like, waking me up. I died. I was so scared. I didn’t even open my eyes. I didn’t even open my eyes to see, if there’s someone or not. I just froze. Like, I literally froze. I couldn’t move. And then, I didn’t open my eyes till the morning, till the lights came. It really shook me up.”
She admitted that the fear and discomfort lingered the next day. She said, “The next day, when I was coming home, it was late at night again, so when I opened my door, and I peeked in first. And then I said, very loudly: Jo bhi aaya tha kal raat ko, phirse aise mat karo main bohot darr gayi thi. Agar kuch bhi baat karni hai toh mere sapne mein aana… no face to face conversation. (Whoever came last night, please don’t do that again, I was very scared. If you have anything to say, come into my dreams… no face-to-face conversation). And then I walked in. And I swear after that nothing of this kind has happened.”
So, could this be an episode of sleep paralysis, and how does the brain misinterpret it as something supernatural?
Dr Bhaskar Shukla, consultant neurologist at PSRI Hospital, tells indianexpress.com, “Yes, what Sonakshi described is most likely an episode of sleep paralysis. This phenomenon occurs when a person is either falling asleep or waking up, and the mind becomes conscious while the body remains temporarily immobile. During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain paralyses most voluntary muscles to prevent us from physically acting out our dreams.”
He continues, “In sleep paralysis, the person becomes aware before the REM phase is fully over, causing a frightening mismatch between mental alertness and physical immobility. The experience is often misinterpreted as supernatural because of the intense fear, vivid hallucinations, and a strong sense of ‘presence’ or danger — especially in cultures where there are myths around spirits or shadow figures during sleep.”
Why do such experiences feel intensely real and terrifying even after waking up?
Dr Shukla says these experiences feel real “because the brain, still partially in a dreaming state, blends dream imagery with conscious perception.” This overlap can create vivid hallucinations — visual, auditory, or tactile — that feel like they are happening in the real world.
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“Neurologically, the brain’s amygdala, which processes fear, becomes hyperactive during sleep paralysis. This heightened fear response, coupled with immobility, can produce the sensation of a threatening presence,” notes the doctor.
Additionally, many people report feeling “pressure on the chest” or difficulty breathing, which is linked to shallow breathing patterns during REM sleep and the body’s immobile state. Though temporary and harmless, these sensations feel extremely real and can leave lingering fear even after fully waking up, concludes Dr Shukla.
