The Nightmare (DVD)

Rodney Ascher directs this documentary about those suffering from sleep paralysis. The feature interviews eight affected people and uses expert testimonies to shed light on the condition which immobilises sufferers while they are suspended in a transitional state between being awake and asleep but are still fully aware of their surroundings. Accompanying symptoms include the appearance of terrifying hallucinatory figures, referred to as shadow men, that victims are physically unable to fight off and other disturbing visions. Sufferers discuss their various experiences of the condition and how they try to combat the afflictions on a daily basis.