Amanda Samuels Project #2 Contraints

Amanda Samuels

Project #2 Conditions

For this project I will be exploring sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder in which

the mind awakes while the body remains asleep. Upon this occurrence, the body is completely paralyzed,

unable move, open eyes, or use voice. I have had this condition since I was three years old, yet I have

never comprehended it. It is terrifying, and I often experience visual and auditory hallucinations of

shadows and dark spirits while in this state. This condition can also serve as a gateway to lucid

dreaming. Through this project, I vow to pay close attention to these times of sleep paralysis, rather than

resisting and avoiding them, in order to gain an understanding of this space and to release my fear. I will

write and sketch immediately after waking from these states, and eventually create an installation using

sound, video projection, and sculptural elements, alluding to this “in between” world that I enter, and the

entities that exist within it.

1 Use different kinds of senses to obtain knowledge

-I will play a different type of music each night to fall asleep to. For the first week of this experiment, I

will play music from my childhood that is strongly nostalgic and comforting. This includes Joni Mitchell,

Jewel, Mariah Carey, Grateful Dead, the soundtracks to Disney movies (Aladin, The Little Mermaid), and

Jimi Hendrix. The Second week I will play music that I do yoga and meditation to, including

emancipator, StS9, Ravi Shankar, Bonobo, Tipper, and Random Rab. The third week I will play music

music that I find beautifully haunting and eerie, such Cocorosie, Angel Olsen, Billy Holiday, Pat

Matheny, and Rio en Medio. I will also the sense of smell and taste, diffusing lavender oil as I sleep

every three nights, and drinking chamomile tea for week two, seeing how this effects the quantity,

intensity of sleep paralysis.

2. Adopt various professional roles.

-I will adopt the role of a psychologist, as I will research and analyze what psychological factors cause

and associate with this disorder. I will adopt the role of a meditation warrior, as I will attempt over and

over again to meditate while in sleep paralysis. I will adopt the role of a medium, as I will confront and

communicate with the spirits and entities that appear in this state.

3. Create “small assignments” for yourself along the way.

-My first assignment is to research multiple psychological perspectives on what causes sleep paralysis. I

will have this research done by the end of week one.

-My second assignment is to research multiple spiritual and energetic views of this condition, along with

its link to lucid dreaming. I will complete this research by the end of week number two

-My third assignment is to research and collect data about others experiences of sleep paralysis along with

how long they have had it for, what entities (if any) they have seen, and what there perspectives are. I

will complete this by the end of number three.

-My fourth assignment will be to make a large board of all of my writings and sketches I have gathered

and recorded after waking up from sleep paralysis. I will then review all of them as a whole to try to

gather links and associations between them.

4. Create severe constraints for yourself.

-I will create very specific sleep schedules. I will go to sleep at the same time every night for week one. I

will sleep for only three hours at a time, taking naps throughout the day for week two. I will deprive

myself of sleep for week three, only sleeping for short amounts of time and only once I have reached the

point of exhaustion. I will sleep completely at random for week four. With this sleep schedule, I can

figure out if and how these conditions relate to the occurrence of the disorder.

5. Create unrealistic ambitions for yourself.

-My unrealistic ambitions for myself are to successfully transition into lucid dreaming from the state of

paralysis, to communicate with the entities that I see, feel, and hear, and to create an installation that

portrays this realm.

6. Photograph, document, collects

-Along this journey I will be continuously writing and sketching my experiences, and gathering research.

I plan to cope with these conditions by giving extra attention to the health of my physical body. I am

aware that having such bizarre, inconsistent, and limited sleep patterns will be hard on my energy levels.

In order to compensate for this, I will put special time and energy into taking care of myself. During this

time of working on this project, I will be eating an organic, well balanced, vegan diet with plenty of

protein and water. I will also make sure to take vitamins and supplements every day to make sure that I

have enough energy and focus to stay awake and alert for my classes and to complete this project. I will

also be sure to do yoga and go to the gym regularly to have extra energy and strength. Writing and

sketching about my experiences will also help me process all of this.