re: Physicists ... what do you think about fifth dimension travel?

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It's a circular argument with you.

I asked if you had anything to add. You have been reading the thread.

My focus was my lifelong experiences in SP. Do you have any insight as to why this is happening to myself or others suffering the same phenomenon using your science background?

Serious question. I'll be checking back later for a response. Thanks in advance.

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The experience of sleep paralysis, including the strange experiences or hallucinations, is the consequence of REM sleep overlapping with wakefulness. REM sleep is characterized by atonia (paralysis) due to the inhibition of motor neurons in your brain which control your skeletal muscles, plus increased activity of neurons in the cortex and thalamus. In other words, during REM sleep, most of your muscles are paralyzed, but some parts of your brain are unusually active. Most importantly, your thalamus and cortex are more active, and those structures are responsible for your sensory experience. That's why you dream during REM sleep.

However, if you become conscious while your mind is still at least partially in REM mode, then you can experience paralysis and unusual sensory experiences (one might call these 'hallucinations') while you are conscious. This usually lasts just a short time before you regain your ability to move and the hallucinations end.

Sleep paralysis isn't that uncommon. I've experienced it once or twice that I can remember. I woke up and couldn't move, and had the strong feeling that something was in my room at the foot of the bed, but I couldn't make myself turn over or sit up to look. However, I'd read about sleep paralysis before, and I knew that if I concentrated on moving my fingers and toes, that I could eventually move. After about 10 seconds I was able to slowly move my toes, and soon I was able to get up. As I regained my ability to move, the sensation that something was at the foot of my bed also diminished.

People who experience sleep paralysis regularly usually have underlying sleep disorders like narcolepsy or sleep apnea. Others have anxiety disorders (since various neurotransmitters play a role in your sleep cycles... for instance, in REM sleep, monoamine neurotrasmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are normally completely absent).

Taking anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication can get rid of sleep paralysis for some people. But it likely depends on the specific physiology of the person and the reason they're experiencing sleep paralysis.

Ultimately, sleep paralysis is a physiological phenomenon that is best understood through the lens of science and medicine. It is often associated with sleep disorders and anxiety disorders, but it's not uncommon for people who don't suffer from these disorders to experience sleep paralysis on occasion.

It's notable that REM sleep is when dreaming occurs, so it makes sense that the continuation of REM sleep during consciousness results in strange sensory experiences.