A lethargic dream is a state that every person is afraid of, and the very fear of lethargy, or rather, the fear of being mistaken for the dead, even has its name - tafofobia. A person in a lethargic sleep becomes immobile, but retains his vital functions - he has heartbeat, breathing , brain activity, and those who "woke up" told that they even heard everything that was happening around.
Forms of lethargy
With a lethargic sleep associated with a lot of interesting facts, which, however, can not be called amusing.
So, there are different forms of lethargy. With a milder form, breathing and palpitation remain at the level of indicators of a sleeping person, and in more acute forms - it is 2-3 heart beats per minute.
Some cases suggest that lethargic sleep often precedes coma, with head injuries, severe blood loss, poisoning.
Also, scientists noticed the regularity - most often suffer from lethargic sleep those who many times suffered angina. Moreover, lethargy in such cases occurs usually immediately after the disease. This gave impetus to the development of the theory that lethargic sleep is caused by a mutating golden Staphylococcus aureus.
One of the most interesting facts about lethargic sleep is the so-called lethargic epidemic that struck Europe in the 20-30s of the last century. This is the main reason for those who explain this state of some viruses that damage the brain.
The longest lethargic dreams
Officially, the longest lethargic dream was recorded in Dnepropetrovsk. This happened to 34-year-old Nadezhda Lebedina, who, after a family quarrel, went to bed and woke up 20 years later. During this time her husband died, her daughter went to the orphanage, and Hope awoke on the day of his mother's funeral. Her daughter found her conscious with tears in her eyes.
The lethargic dream was observed and studied by Academician I.P. Pavlov. He examined a man who was in lethargy for 22 years. After awakening, the man said that he had heard and understood everything, but could not say or do anything, his body was fraught with weakness.
Gogol: a lethargic dream or a legend?
Perhaps the most frequent question asked in connection with this topic is whether it is a legend, or indeed a lethargic dream happened to Gogol. The writer was afraid of being buried alive all his life, and he had his reasons. Even in his childhood he suffered malarial encephalitis and endured life attacks all his life, after which he fell into a long sleep. Therefore, he preferred to sleep sitting, so that sleep was more sensitive.
When the writer was buried, it was found that the skull lay on its side. However, modern scientists have found this explanation in the property of uneven damage to the grave boards.