🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <BzF4sA.Jyx@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes:
>geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) wrote:
>> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>>> Does anyone know what causes the sensation (when just falling asleep)
>>> of sudden literal falling, followed by a startle reaction that wakes
>>> you right up?
>> It is a myoclonic jerking that originates in the brain.  It is common
>> to humans and most animals.  It is normal and portends nothing at all
>> psychologically.
>
>A question that comes up over and over again.  Gordon must have answered it
>ten times at least...  but (and this is why I'm redirecting this to sci.bio)
>what the heck is it FOR?  Anything this widespread ought to have some
>physiological function and evolutionary rationale, surely?

I'm not sure that it's *for* anything.  It can be a symptom of stress, and,
in acute form, cause insomnia, `nervous breakdown', etc.  This happened to
me.  From the little that is written about it, I seem to recollect that
the main theory is that `hypnogogic imaging' that the body uses to lull
itself to sleep becomes disturbing (e.g. the sensation of falling, a scary
face, etc), causing a startling wake response.  In my case, lack of sleep
exacerbated the condition, which kept me from sleeping, which...
Well, let's just say it can be serious.  How stress causes the hypnogogic
process to deteriorate- I have no idea.





>
>(Do you really mean "most animals"?  I've seen cats and dogs do it, wouldn't
>be surprised if other mammals were the same, but frogs, houseflies and sea
>anemones...???)
>
>-- 
>--  Jack Campin    room G092, Computing Science Department, Glasgow University,
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