Thread: Slow Motion/Can't Speak Hypothesis

I believe I've heard this explanation before. However, something that I've wondered about is why this effect is not consistent. I mean, we are always in sleep paralysis during REM sleep (where most dreams occur), but (for me at least) the "slow motion effect" seems pretty rare. It usually only happens when I'm trying to escape or defend myself from some kind of entity that is attacking me. Usually, I have no problem with general movements, running, sparring, etc in my dreams.

Maybe the brain activation involved in fear causes the brain to receive proprioceptive feedback from the physical body? I haven't gotten around to researching this issue in much depth, but it is something I find very interesting!

Originally Posted by Denholm

I believe I've heard this explanation before. However, something that I've wondered about is why this effect is not consistent. I mean, we are always in sleep paralysis during REM sleep (where most dreams occur), but (for me at least) the "slow motion effect" seems pretty rare. It usually only happens when I'm trying to escape or defend myself from some kind of entity that is attacking me. Usually, I have no problem with general movements, running, sparring, etc in my dreams.

Maybe the brain activation involved in fear causes the brain to receive proprioceptive feedback from the physical body? I haven't gotten around to researching this issue in much depth, but it is something I find very interesting!

Interesting Idea. Makes sense to me.

I didn´t have the slow motion for ages - but what recures is problems vocalizing - esp. vocalizing loudly.
Now - it is so - when I once had a nightmare with exactly that problem - almost not bringing out a tone - I woke up - and my husband told me, I had again been talking in my sleep.
But not talking - he said, he can never understand anything.
But he imitated it - and it sounded, like what I felt had come out in the dream only.

So - yeah - makes sense - I am a notorious sleep-talker - in one lucid lately - I did have the same problem also.
Got to read up on the topic, if it keeps disturbing me.

I have the slow running thing a lot, and I think you're right that it could be related to physical sensations from the sleeping body. I always notice this really heavy feeling from my legs, very similar to how it feels when I'm about to fall asleep and my whole body becomes super relaxed. But whenever I become lucid, I can shoot off at normal or super running speed and I don't notice that heavy feeling anymore. When I'm scared and running from things in a dream (as lucid) I will tend to run slower, even fly slower. For running alone, certainly that would make sense, but the fact that I have trouble flying when I'm afraid tells me that it's something different. So I'm not sure that it is related to proprioceptive feedback, for me at least, as much as it is related to doubt in myself and the fear overriding my confidence which is essential to my dream control.

I am a notorious sleep-talker as well. I have noticed that I will occasionally wake myself up from the noise, and it usually gets louder when I am trying to talk loudly in my dreams.

Yeah - shouting for snow was very strenuous, a while ago..
Took an other route the last time - still no snowman, though..

Originally Posted by anotherdreamer

When I'm scared and running from things in a dream (as lucid) I will tend to run slower, even fly slower. For running alone, certainly that would make sense, but the fact that I have trouble flying when I'm afraid tells me that it's something different. So I'm not sure that it is related to proprioceptive feedback, for me at least, as much as it is related to doubt in myself and the fear overriding my confidence which is essential to my dream control.

Yes, this sounds very plausible to me. I read a few days ago in one of LaBerge's books how fear implies a certain degree of expectation that the object of fear will come to pass. So in other words, if you're afraid of something chasing you and catching, perhaps you expect on some level that you wont be able to escape. This expectation may then become realised in the dream in the form of an actual inability to escape due to the slow motion effect.