Dr. Baland Jalal

And an identity. It takes a face, identity, and then you hook up the emotional part of the brain so it gets emotions.

Yeah, it's very interesting. There's two points on that I want to go into that's very fascinating. So first of all, we've shown that when you have a specific cultural narrative for it and a name for it, right, the more terrifying and salient it becomes.

Yeah, it's very interesting. There's two points on that I want to go into that's very fascinating. So first of all, we've shown that when you have a specific cultural narrative for it and a name for it, right, the more terrifying and salient it becomes.

Yeah, it's very interesting. There's two points on that I want to go into that's very fascinating. So first of all, we've shown that when you have a specific cultural narrative for it and a name for it, right, the more terrifying and salient it becomes.

So, for example, if you live in Egypt and you say it's these evil genies, they come at night, they choke you, they strangle you, they kill you, then you will, first of all, have this experience much more frequently. So up to one third of more frequency to the experience. That's the first thing. If there's a cultural narrative. If there's a cultural narrative.

So, for example, if you live in Egypt and you say it's these evil genies, they come at night, they choke you, they strangle you, they kill you, then you will, first of all, have this experience much more frequently. So up to one third of more frequency to the experience. That's the first thing. If there's a cultural narrative. If there's a cultural narrative.

So, for example, if you live in Egypt and you say it's these evil genies, they come at night, they choke you, they strangle you, they kill you, then you will, first of all, have this experience much more frequently. So up to one third of more frequency to the experience. That's the first thing. If there's a cultural narrative. If there's a cultural narrative.

So we compared Egypt to Denmark, my home country. So we compared these two countries. And it turns out, in Denmark, by the way, people say most of the time it's just the brain, it's stress. It's nothing terrifying. There's no higher explanation for it, right? So it's just physiology. In Egypt, you have the opposite, right? The complete opposite. more frequent, more fearful.

So we compared Egypt to Denmark, my home country. So we compared these two countries. And it turns out, in Denmark, by the way, people say most of the time it's just the brain, it's stress. It's nothing terrifying. There's no higher explanation for it, right? So it's just physiology. In Egypt, you have the opposite, right? The complete opposite. more frequent, more fearful.

So we compared Egypt to Denmark, my home country. So we compared these two countries. And it turns out, in Denmark, by the way, people say most of the time it's just the brain, it's stress. It's nothing terrifying. There's no higher explanation for it, right? So it's just physiology. In Egypt, you have the opposite, right? The complete opposite. more frequent, more fearful.

So 50% of Danish people will say, I think for Egyptians will say, I will die from this. This is fatal. So this is Egyptians, okay? So they have that. They say the paralysis lasts much longer. So they will say the paralysis is intense. It lasts much longer. So it seems like through their cultural beliefs, the experience becomes much more salient, much more profound and impactful.

So 50% of Danish people will say, I think for Egyptians will say, I will die from this. This is fatal. So this is Egyptians, okay? So they have that. They say the paralysis lasts much longer. So they will say the paralysis is intense. It lasts much longer. So it seems like through their cultural beliefs, the experience becomes much more salient, much more profound and impactful.

So 50% of Danish people will say, I think for Egyptians will say, I will die from this. This is fatal. So this is Egyptians, okay? So they have that. They say the paralysis lasts much longer. So they will say the paralysis is intense. It lasts much longer. So it seems like through their cultural beliefs, the experience becomes much more salient, much more profound and impactful.

Absolutely. And we said, is this true? Is this actually the case? And we went to Italy and we looked at the Egyptians, the Italians, with these terrifying explanations of sleep paralysis. And we saw the same pattern. The Italians would also have these long episodes. They would have them frequently and they were extremely fearful.

Absolutely. And we said, is this true? Is this actually the case? And we went to Italy and we looked at the Egyptians, the Italians, with these terrifying explanations of sleep paralysis. And we saw the same pattern. The Italians would also have these long episodes. They would have them frequently and they were extremely fearful.

Absolutely. And we said, is this true? Is this actually the case? And we went to Italy and we looked at the Egyptians, the Italians, with these terrifying explanations of sleep paralysis. And we saw the same pattern. The Italians would also have these long episodes. They would have them frequently and they were extremely fearful.

Absolutely, right? And so it turns out we have a theory for why that occurs. So imagine little Lisa living on this fictitious island in Timbuktu, for example, and she has this conversation with her grandmother over dinner. Let's say the grandmother says, at night, you will have this monster. It comes and attacks you, chokes you. It looks like this and that. It has all these features.

Absolutely, right? And so it turns out we have a theory for why that occurs. So imagine little Lisa living on this fictitious island in Timbuktu, for example, and she has this conversation with her grandmother over dinner. Let's say the grandmother says, at night, you will have this monster. It comes and attacks you, chokes you. It looks like this and that. It has all these features.

Absolutely, right? And so it turns out we have a theory for why that occurs. So imagine little Lisa living on this fictitious island in Timbuktu, for example, and she has this conversation with her grandmother over dinner. Let's say the grandmother says, at night, you will have this monster. It comes and attacks you, chokes you. It looks like this and that. It has all these features.

She now goes to bed, right? And she has never had, by the way, she's never had sleep paralysis before, right? For the first time, she will have sleep paralysis now. She will wake up the next day and she will have sleep paralysis again. A few days later, she'll have it again.