Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Link roundup

1. Tales of students seeing ghosts during exam week:
There’s a condition known as hypnogogic/hypnopompic hallucinations from which many of us have or will suffer at some time in our life, especially during stressful periods (such as illness, finals, when we’ve just moved, or broken up with or lost a loved one).

When we’re just exiting or entering REM sleep, we can wake in a confused state, and hallucinate that we’re seeing or experiencing something that isn’t there. This hallucination can feel very, very real. Most people who’ve experienced this describe witnessing a person in their room who disappears only when the light is turned on, feeling an intense pressure on their chest, or even hearing voices or smelling scents that don’t exist.

These hallucinations aren’t at all indicative of mental illness or brain dysfunction, and happen to nearly everyone at some time or another, especially during periods when we aren’t getting enough sleep. That’s why they’re often mistaken for “paranormal” experiences, especially when they happen in a strange or new building, or at times when a death has occurred.
2. Students live-tweeted Malia Obama's visit to Brown.