She Banshee ep 4. scissor-pressed

Identity and why we do what we do.

Sleep paralysis. Better known in Korea as 가위눌림 (Gah-wee noollim) — scissor pressed or scissor locked. The origin of the phrase is unclear with speculation that it derives from a wrestling move, but given its longevity and the ghostly ambience I’m not certain. When a person mentions they have been scissor pressed in their sleep most times it is with, how lighthearted or in earnest depends on the person and occasion, a touch of mysticism. Though a pair of scissors is mentioned in this case it holds a different meaning as it is imagined that a ghost is sitting on top of the person holding them down. A further myth is that you must not look at the ghost in its eyes. When I first heard this as a kid I was also informed that sleeping on your side can help you prevent this ghostly visit, so even when I slept on my back I tried to turn my head sideways hoping this was enough to deter the ghost away. Elsewhere, the phenomenon is known as sleep paralysis and from what I have seen, the one thing that matches with the mystic take on this is that sleeping on your side does help prevent an episode. I never quite had an episode that felt like sleep paralysis. They were either mini versions or false awakenings or something between the two. Then thanks to the Banshee, I had an episode one sleep deprived morning. I panicked in my unmoving state. My brain was fully awake, but my body wouldn’t budge. I tried to order my body to gently move to one side and open my eyes. Then I asked it to move violently, it doesn’t matter if I fall off the bed, just move to the side, my body wouldn’t listen. I was stuck. “So, this might be what it feels to be paralysed” I thought. To be fully awake and conscious of what is happening around you and to you, but with no means to express yourself, no means to communicate or have agency over my body. When I finally managed to wake myself up, the extreme fatigue had washed over me for the entire day. For most days of the week I resorted to drinking shots of coffee in a row.