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What's the difference between night terrors and meditation?

M

Mootoo

Greenlighter
Joined
Aug 8, 2011
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Both work physiologically similar, it appears... in both the mind is 'awake' while the body asleep (night terrors are, of course, distinct from nightmares in that they're parasomniac in origin - similar to sleepwalking) - but, of course, both have widely differing results. In fact, almost antithetical to each other... in deep meditation one can reach a certain level of deep tranquility, whereas with the other one just feels unspeakable horrors.

Anyone knows anything about the neurochemistry behind either of them, by any chance? I know acetylcholine might be involved...
 
during meditation the mind is clear - during a night terror it is filled with anxiety and fear.

One state you are in control of, the other you are not, you just have to take it.

in terms of neurochemistry, the amygdala is triggered in a night terror releasing NE and likely other neurotransmitters. There's likely quite a bit going on besides that too.

During meditation, well i'm not sure what happens but it's certainly not a trigger for intense fear or the release of NE.
 
Meditation is a state of consciousness that brings tranquility, clarity and bliss. As a person becomes more and more meditative, he/she is aware of being at a conscious level (supreme awareness)

Night terror is when you have this feeling of dread and usually occurs in the first few hours of sleep (stage 3 or 4). Stage 3 is where slow brain waves called "delta" waves are interspersed with smaller, faster waves. Stage 4 is where the brain produces delta waves exclusively.
 
Depends on what kind of meditation you're talking about. The standard or common meditation approach, sitting with eyes closed or sitting in some posture.. I don't think there really is that much difference between it and aspects of sleep.
 
There are certain types of deep meditation where intense visions sometimes occur, but this isn't the norm, and even then, the person meditating knows they're meditating...It could be considered similar to "dreaming while awake" but not to "night terrors" imo.....
 
Pretty much everything. For one thing, night terrors (as distinct from nightmares, in formal medical definitions) occur during deep delta wave sleep, during which there is loss of consciousness. Meditation does not involve a loss of consciousness, just a different working relationship between external sensory perception and awareness. Night terrors involve an accidental and inappropriate burst-like activation of the norepinephrine-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Meditation involve a deliberate deactivation of this same pathway. Night terrors typically leave no trace on people's memories. Meditation's lasting impressions can be profound and lasting.
 
Meditation is done during consciousness, night terrors are unconscious. If you're really tired it's not going to be possible to meditate, and you'll instead want to sleep.
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
Pretty much everything
Click to expand...
Way to say it how it is. lol

Foreigner said:
Meditation is done during consciousness, night terrors are unconscious.
Click to expand...

Good posts.

These two are solid answers. ^^

I don't know why you're interested in night terrors. Meditation is relaxing, lucid dreaming amazing, sleep paralysis can be a bit freaky unless you can get a grip of yourself, but anything beyond that nty :p
 
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