Superstitions About Sleeping
Sleeping is a mysterious time where people aren't in control of their body or mind. Sleep can be pleasant and relaxing or fraught with torment and worry. Most cultures have some superstitions about sleeping and they range from how the direction you sleep will affect your life to sleep paralysis being the work of evil spirits.
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Feng Shui
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Feng shui is a Chinese system of aesthetic placement that can basically be boiled down to superstition. In feng shui, you arrange your furniture and belongings so that the correct amount of qi (or life-force) circulates around you. The commanding position principle of feng shui says your bed should be as far from the door as possible and not be directly in front of it. Being directly in front of the door exposes you to too much qi and may cause disease. You should also have a solid wall behind your bed and be able to see the whole room from it, including the door. Being unable to see the door may cause you anxiety problems. If the set up of your room is such that you can't see the door from bed, you should place a mirror so that you can see it. There are many elements to feng shui, but according to the Chinese, if you use it correctly, you can keep your life in balance while you sleep.
Bedding
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Superstitions can dictate the bed you sleep on. According to Superstitions Online, flipping a bed on Sunday will give a person nightmares for a week. Also, feather beds can keep a dying person from passing away. For unmarried women, sleeping with a bedspread that is still in the process of being knitted will keep you single, and sleeping with a slice of wedding cake under your pillow will allow you to see your future husband in your sleep. In Italian culture, hats on beds means death.
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Fan Death
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In South Korea, people are concerned about death from leaving an electric fan or air conditioner on while sleeping with the door closed. Because this is a prevailing superstition in the Korean culture, fans and air conditioners are equipped with timers so they shut off before killing someone. Some people believe they can die from hypothermia, asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning if the fan is left on. The Korea Consumer Protection Board has issued statements warning citizens about fan death and numerous websites, including Fandeath.net, argue whether fan death is indeed possible.
Sleep Paralysis
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When people are unable to move or speak or feel like chocking, they are experiencing sleep paralysis, according to Web MD. Sleep paralysis has invoked many superstitions from people thinking a demon is in the room to a fear of alien abduction. Shakespeare likens sleep paralysis to an old hag or demon in "Romeo and Juliet." Sleep paralysis is just the body transitioning from wakefulness to sleep, of which a person may suddenly become aware. Because this can strike extreme fear in a person, many superstitions have sprung from this fleeting condition.
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