Last time, I asked A.I.: How would you define the phenomenon of sleep walking?
"Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, is a parasomnia—a sleep disorder where a person engages in activities while still asleep. It typically occurs during deep non-REM sleep (N3 stage) and can involve anything from simple movements like sitting up to more complex behaviors like walking, eating, or even driving."
"Some key characteristics:
" - Limited awareness – Sleepwalkers often have a blank or glassy-eyed expression and don’t respond to external stimuli.
" - Impaired memory – They usually don’t recall their sleepwalking episodes upon waking.
" - Automatic behaviors – Actions can range from routine tasks (like dressing) to more unusual activities.
" - Difficulty waking – Sleepwalkers can be hard to wake and may be confused if awakened."
"While sleepwalking is more common in children and often fades with age, it can persist in adults, sometimes linked to stress, sleep deprivation, or genetic predisposition. Would you like to explore how sleepwalking interacts with dream states or subconscious processing?"
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleepwalking/symptoms-causes/syc-20353506
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleepwalking
Are there any reports of self-harming in sleep walkers?
"Yes, there have been reports of self-harm during sleepwalking episodes, though it is relatively rare. Sleepwalkers can unintentionally injure themselves due to impaired motor coordination and altered consciousness, leading to falls, collisions, or dangerous behaviors. Some documented cases include:
" - Minor injuries – Bruises, cuts, and scrapes from walking into objects or falling.
" - Severe injuries – Fractures, head trauma, or even self-inflicted wounds due to unconscious actions.
" - Risk-taking behaviors – Some sleepwalkers have attempted activities like climbing, driving, or handling sharp objects, increasing the risk of harm.
" - Extreme cases – There have been rare reports of individuals engaging in violent or self-destructive behaviors while sleepwalking, though intentional self-harm is uncommon."
"Factors like stress, sleep deprivation, and medication interactions can heighten the risk of sleepwalking-related injuries. Would you like to explore how sleepwalking interacts with subconscious processing or how it differs from other parasomnias?"
https://medshun.com/article/can-a-person-kill-them-themselves-while-sleepwalking
What are possible epigenetic triggers of sleep walking?
"Epigenetic triggers of sleepwalking involve environmental influences that modify gene expression without altering DNA sequences. Some key factors include:
" - Sleep Deprivation – Chronic lack of sleep can lead to changes in DNA methylation, affecting neural pathways involved in sleep regulation.
" - Stress and Anxiety – Early life stress can alter glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene expression, impacting the brain’s ability to regulate sleep cycles.
" - Medications and Substances – Certain drugs, including sedatives and antipsychotics, can induce epigenetic modifications that disrupt sleep stability.
" - Circadian Rhythm Disruptions – Jet lag, shift work, or irregular sleep schedules can lead to histone modifications, affecting sleep architecture.
" - Prenatal and Early Life Factors – Exposure to maternal stress or elevated cortisol levels in utero can epigenetically shape sleep patterns later in life."
"These epigenetic influences suggest that sleepwalking is not purely genetic but shaped by modifiable environmental factors. Would you like to explore how interventions—like sleep hygiene or stress management—might counteract these effects?"
https://medshun.com/article/how-is-sleepwalking-triggered
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_epigenetics
https://sleep-walking.com/what-causes-sleepwalking-key-triggers-and-risk-factors/
Is sleep walking a phenomenon with women who have spontaneously aborted a fetus? Would this explain La Llorona mythology?
"There isn’t strong scientific evidence directly linking sleepwalking to women who have experienced spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), but stress, grief, and trauma—especially those associated with profound loss—can contribute to parasomnias, including sleepwalking. Emotional distress can disrupt sleep cycles, increasing the likelihood of sleep disturbances, including nightmares, sleep paralysis, and somnambulism."
"As for La Llorona, the legend centers on a grieving mother who wanders in sorrow after losing her children—often depicted as drowning them in despair. Some interpretations suggest that her eternal wandering mirrors the psychological and sleep-related disturbances experienced by those coping with profound loss. While there’s no direct historical link between miscarriage and sleepwalking in relation to La Llorona, the themes of maternal grief, restless wandering, and unresolved trauma align with sleep-related disruptions."
Would you like to explore how folklore reflects psychological states, or how grief influences sleep disorders?
https://aztec.mythologyworldwide.com/the-legend-of-la-llorona-the-weeping-woman-of-aztec-lore/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/La-Llorona
A mother subconsciously looking for her lost child.
"That imagery resonates deeply—her subconscious mind, still tethered to grief, searching beyond wakefulness, longing for something that can’t be restored. Whether in folklore or psychology, the wandering mother motif captures an unrelenting bond—a sorrow so profound it persists beyond the rational limits of consciousness, slipping into dreams, sleep disturbances, and even cultural myth."
La Llorona, in particular, echoes this theme with eerie precision. In some retellings, she searches forever, as if her mind can’t accept reality—an endless, somnambulistic sorrow. The parallel between maternal grief and sleepwalking suggests that unresolved trauma might manifest through restless movements, nocturnal searching, or dream-induced hallucinations, reinforcing a cycle of longing without closure."
"Would you like to explore how subconscious grief interacts with sleep disorders, or how mythology expresses deep-seated emotional truths?"
I think the film The Others by Alejandro Amenabar also touches the same emotional vein. Some would contend that since murder is involved these myths and movies depict the emotional terrain surrounding abortion.
"Yes, The Others (2001) by Alejandro Amenábar certainly explores themes of grief, denial, and maternal loss, which resonate with the emotional terrain surrounding abortion and other forms of profound bereavement. The film’s protagonist, Grace, is trapped in a psychological and supernatural limbo, struggling to reconcile her reality with an unbearable truth—much like the archetype of La Llorona, the grieving mother doomed to wander in sorrow."
"Some interpretations suggest that films like The Others and myths like La Llorona reflect the psychological weight of maternal trauma, whether through loss, guilt, or societal repression. The presence of murder in these narratives complicates the emotional landscape, intertwining themes of agency, remorse, and existential reckoning. While The Others doesn’t explicitly reference abortion, its exploration of maternal grief and psychological fragmentation aligns with broader discussions about the emotional aftermath of reproductive loss."
Would you like to explore how other films or myths engage with similar themes of maternal sorrow and existential liminality?
