Things that go bump in the night: Paranormal explanations of Sleep Paralysis.

What is the purpose of the study?
We are interested in paranormal experiences around sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is an experience where people are awake and conscious but their body is unable to move. Often people also experience tight or constrictions in their breathing. While the physical experiences that occur during sleep paralysis are universal (experienced by most people), the other sensations like what people see and hear seem to vary from one person to another. We are interested in hearing from people who have had paranormal experiences during sleep paralysis. We think that people who have other paranormal experiences may be more likely to have paranormal experiences when they have sleep paralysis.

Why have I been invited to take part?
You have been invited to take part as you meet the following criteria:

• Over 18 years old.
• Had sleep paralysis at least once.
• Had paranormal experiences during sleep paralysis.

Do I have to take part?
You are under no obligation to take part and you will not experience any loss of benefit or penalty if you choose not to participate.

What will I have to do?
We will ask people to complete some questionnaires as well as describe their most recent sleep paralysis experience. We will ask some question about you, your health, your current circumstances and your lifestyle. These questions help us to understand the characteristics of people who have sleep paralysis. Since we are interested in paranormal experiences, we will then describe a series of scenarios and we would like you to indicate whether you have had them and how you explained them. Following this, we will ask questions about lapses in attention and how your relate to your own thoughts. Since we are interested in sleep, we would like to know how sleepy you feel in different day-to-day situations. Finally, we will ask about your sleep paralysis. Some of these questions are structured questions where we give you options to select from. However, we will also ask you to describe your most recent sleep paralysis experience. We will provide a box where you can describe your experience. Alternatively, you can also record your experience and upload an audio file. The structured questionnaires will take no more than 15 minutes.

We would also like to talk to some people about their paranormal experiences during sleep paralysis. We will also ask about any paranormal experiences you have had more broadly. If you are interested in hearing more about the interviews please leave your email when prompted at the end of the questionnaires. We will get in touch with you with more information and organise a time that is convenient for us to talk.

What are the possible disadvantages/risks in taking part?
There are minimal risks to taking part in the study. Some people may find it difficult or disconcerting to think about the experiences they have during sleep paralysis. If this is the case perhaps consider whether this is the right study for you to complete. Most people find completing these types of studies interesting.

Will my taking part be kept confidential and anonymous?
Yes. For the questionnaire, your participation will be anonymous – we will not ask for your name or any identifiable information. This means that we will not have any way to identify your responses and it will not be possible for you to withdraw your responses. When completing the questionnaires if you change your mind about taking part please close your browser. We will not include responses from people where they stop responding to the questions part of the way through.

If you provide your email address to receive information about the interviews, this will not be associated with your data, we will be store your email separately. All data will be treated in accordance with GDPR.

How will my data be stored?
All data will be stored on password protected files within the university network.

What will happen to the results of the study?
Results might be presented at a conference or published in a journal, but they will always remain anonymous. All information and data gathered during this research will be stored in line with the Data Protection Act and in line with Open Data policies, deidentified data may be held indefinitely, but at no point will your personal information or data be revealed.

Who is funding the study?
The present research project has received no funding.

Who has reviewed the study?
This study and its protocol have received full ethical approval from Northumbria University College of Reviewers (reference number: 8134). If you require confirmation of this, or if you have any concerns or worries concerning this research, or if you wish to register a complaint, please contact the relevant Ethics Support on ethicssupport@northumbria.ac.uk

What happens if there is a problem?
If you are unhappy about anything during or after your participation, you should contact the researcher in the first instance. If you feel this is not appropriate, you should contact: Ethics Support: ethicssupport@northumbria.ac.uk

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