Michelle Carr remembers the first time she experienced dream paralysis. She was in high school and awoke to a terrifying sensation; she couldn’t open her eyes no matter how much she tried. Nor could she scream. A shadowy presence appeared in her bedroom. She couldn’t move. Then suddenly, she was able to open her eyes, and all was well in her empty bedroom.
Because of these experiences, and others that carried on for years, Carr chose to study the science of sleep in college, eventually becoming director of a dream lab at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine.
