https://www.facebook.com/319920701211108/

The Mage, 10/J/1, Tolarbag Residential Area, Mirpur, Dhaka (2025)

01/07/2025

Oh, monsoon — when heaven comes cascading down, the earthy scent wafts through the air, and Dhaka's streets become a water park as much as an obstacle course. It is romantic for some, wet for others. But no one can argue the reality that this time of year is followed by more than a sprinkle — it's followed by mood swings, sluggish mornings, and a combination of ailments. But don't give up hope — you're not alone, and you don't have to suffer through it. Let's talk about how you can keep your health — and your attitude — afloat when the rain just won't stop pouring.

The Gloom is Real — and So is the Science Behind It
Have you ever noticed how the grey outside can get the inside, well, a bit greyer too? You're not imagining things. The lack of sunlight takes a toll on serotonin — that "feel good" hormone that gets you smiling and going. That's why you might feel sleepier, sappier, or just plain "off" during monsoons. In Bangladesh, where monsoon lasts from June to October, people usually say they feel "moner kharap lage" — their heart feels heavy — without actually knowing why.

Food for the Soul… and the Gut
Let's be honest — bhuna khichuri and dim bhuna on a rainy day can feel like a hug in a bowl. And nothing is wrong with consuming comfort food! But balance is the key. Monsoon can wreak havoc with your digestion because of the humidity and overgrowth of bacteria, so don't go overboard on street food (yes, not even that mouth-watering fuchka from the nearest vendor). Go for warm, homey meals, drink boiled water, and throw in some ginger and garlic to enhance immunity — the body's natural umbrella.
A sneaky trick? Imagine your stomach is like a rickshaw in floodwater — the more rubbish you toss into it, the more it thrashes about trying to make progress.

Move Your Mood
Yes, running in the rain may not be an option when it's raining like the Meghna's about to overflow. But your body doesn't need to turn into a couch potato. Try some indoor yoga, watch free YouTube exercise videos, or just dance around your bedroom to that favorite Bangla pop song. Exercise releases endorphins, which act like miniature raincoats for your mood, keeping you dry from the emotional pour.

Light Up Your Life — Literally
Natural sunlight is a welcome visitor only during monsoon, but your body continues to miss it. If your room resembles a cave, open your curtains wide, sit in the window, or even invest in a daylight lamp. And make the most of the sun whenever it makes an unexpected cameo appearance — even 10 minutes make a difference, lifting the mental fog. In villages across Bangladesh, you’ll often see people just standing outside during a brief dry spell — soaking up sun like it’s liquid gold. That’s instinctual healing, right there.

Stay Connected (and Not Just to Wi-Fi)
Rainy days have a tendency to lock you in, especially if waterlogging keeps you indoors. Don't be weathered down to be in a corner of your mind. Grab the phone and call a friend, have tea with the family, or video chat with your Chattogram cousin. People connect is a wonderful mood lifter.

Immunity: The Silent Warrior
It’s no secret that flu, fever, and fungal infections are monsoon’s favorite guests. Boost your immunity with Vitamin C (seasonal fruits like guava and orange work wonders), sleep well, and stay dry. Keep an extra pair of sandals at work if your office floods regularly (yes, we’ve all been there). And don’t ignore the little things — a wet sock today could be a cold tomorrow. Prevention isn't sexy, but it works — kind of like sandbagging the riverbanks before a flood.

Last Pour of Advice
Monsoon doesn’t have to be miserable. Like a stubborn rickshaw ride through knee-deep water, it might be bumpy and slow, but with the right mindset and care, you’ll get where you’re going — maybe even with a story to tell. Embrace the rhythm of the season, adjust your sails, and remember: even the heaviest rain eventually makes way for fresh blooms.

So grab that cha, wrap yourself in a shawl, and take care of your mind and body. After all, health is the best umbrella you’ll ever own.

~MST.AKHI KHATUN TOMA (Intern)

30/06/2025

Have you ever dreamed of turning the entire world into your office?

Imagine waking up in Bali, sipping coffee in a Parisian café, or taking a work call while overlooking the serene beaches of Thailand. This isn’t just a dream it’s the reality of digital nomads, a growing tribe of professionals who have traded traditional office spaces for a life of adventure and flexibility.

Digital nomadism is reshaping the way people think about work and lifestyle. Enabled by advancements in technology, high-speed internet, and cloud-based collaboration tools, professionals across industries freelancers, entrepreneurs, and remote employees—are embracing a location-independent career.

One of the biggest draws of this lifestyle is freedom. Digital nomads can explore new cultures, meet diverse communities, and work from anywhere with a stable internet connection. However, the nomadic lifestyle also presents challenges, including maintaining productivity, navigating different time zones, and securing reliable income.

Countries worldwide are recognizing this trend by offering digital nomad visas, allowing remote workers to stay for extended periods. Cities like Lisbon, Bali, and Medellín have become hotspots, providing coworking spaces and robust expat communities to support the nomadic workforce.

So, are you ready to break free from the mundane and let the world become your playground? Embrace the digital nomad life—where every sunrise offers a new chapter in your professional and personal adventure.

~ Tawsif Murtaza (Intern)

29/06/2025

Have you ever thought about what it feels like to lack innate immunity? During a severe illness, you take your medicines, but your body makes no effort to help you recover faster. It sounds normal, but the reality is harsh! So, guys, it would be easier for you if I gave an example of civilian life without a country’s security system. You can’t have normalcy without this inner petrol. Oh, I see, you may claim to be safe when staying at home- oh, mango people, you may have forgotten that you are human beings, not microscopes, okay! You just can’t see that you are in an ocean of Various, flying, tiny microorganisms around you. So don’t dare to mess with
this guard.

The Border Patrol: Innate Immunity
In your daily life, you breathe, touch, eat, or blink, but have you ever wondered what’s protecting you from every invisible enemy? Is the immune system just biology’s version of national defense? Wait, let me remind you that the human body isn’t a computerized
application or software; then how does your body know when something is dangerous? I know it's mysterious. In this question, you can’t deny the superpower of our body: the immune system.

The Border Patrol: Adaptive Immunity
Have you considered it a constant system? Don’t act like a fool, okay! Although you can’t change or update this system, it still learns and remembers. That’s where your body’s elite military intelligence kicks in: the adaptive immune system. Meet the T-cells and B-cells. Do you know that there is a hidden lab in our body? – Yeah, I’m not gossiping, guys, B-cells are the secret lab that produces antibiotics. What is the use of a lab if there is no instructor or application of those antibiotics? That’s why there are T-cells that act like commanders giving orders, like assassins quietly eliminating infected cells.

The Border Patrol: Immune Memory
What if your memory forgot the damaged manhole shield in your school going road? As you can’t memorize, you can’t deny the accidents. Day by day, disease variants evolved, and also
our immune system. After an infection, the body retains a memory of the invader, allowing it to respond faster and more effectively if exposed again- this is the basis of how vaccines work.
When did the system glitch?

Have you ever wondered what if the Protector turns into a destructor? - It’s scary! The immune system is a double-edged sword. When it works right, it’s a genius. When it misfires, it becomes its own worst enemy.
The immune system – nature’s most astonishing balancing act. It is one of the most extraordinary creations of nature. It’s our internal security system, our invisible army, and ourbody’s self-regulating government. The immune system reminds us that inside each of us is a complex, living story. Your immune system is continuously functioning for us.
So, nourish it, rest it, train it, and trust it.

~ Shrabone Das Boishakhi (Intern)

25/06/2025

If we look into the distribution of the world population in different regions, we will get a surprising result. But the matter that will raise our eyebrows is not the population in each region, but the number of daily inter-bank transactions in those regions. The reason for linking the region's daily inter-bank transactions with its population is a matter of subjective interest. In our mind, common sense suggests that if a region has more population, its people and businesses will transact more like withdrawing money, making payments, and making more deposits. Before discussing the findings and analyzing the results we set the ground with 3 assumptions:

Assumption 1: The maximum amount of daily interbank transactions in a region will indicate the largest free market economy.

Assumption 2: The highest population of a region should result in the maximum amount of daily inter-bank transactions. Under this assumption, it is assumed that people of any part of the region are receiving a fair salary/wage and have a good standard of living.

Assumption 3: If the present data does not follow the aforementioned assumptions (1+2), then the largest population region is sunk in corruption, and there is a tension among individuals resulting from the low population region to continuously do more for less salary. This indicates the unfair advantage of a low-population region over other regions of the world.

Now let's look at the findings:

As of 2025, Asia has a population of 4.8 billion, the Middle East has 497.6 million, Africa has 1.5 billion, Europe stands at approximately 744.4 million, and the Americas' population reaches over 1.05 billion.

In Europe, daily large-value euro payments are processed by TARGET 2, EURO1, and retail payments are processed by SEPA, STEP2-T, CORE, and RPS. The accumulated value of these payment processing systems in a day is well more than €3.4 trillion.

In Asia, there is a lack of transparency, and no single entity captures and reports daily inter-bank transaction data in real-time. China's payment systems, HVPS and CIPS, handle transactions similar to roughly $2.1 trillion per day. Japan's BOJ-NET is estimated to process $2.6 trillion daily. India's RTGS system processes approximately $0.19 trillion. Hong Kong's CHATS system processes approximately $0.14 trillion daily. Australia's RITS handles a similar value of roughly $0.17 trillion. South Korea and Singapore's BOK-Wire+ and MEPS+ daily processes around $0.3 trillion each.

The sum of these values gives a figure exceeding $6 trillion per day. However, if Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are considered though real-time data are not available for these countries, the estimated daily inter-bank transactions would exceed $10 trillion.

In Africa, there is also a lack of transparency as the continent's 54 countries employ diverse and often fragmented banking systems. As a result, key indicators from major economies and systems, and estimations are considered to take a glimpse into the region's daily inter-bank transactions. South Africa's RTGS system, SAMOS, handles daily inter-bank transactions similar to $35 billion. Nigeria's NIBSS processes $2.1 billion per day. Other large-volume payments are processed by PAPSS, SADC-RTGS; however, these systems do not show the real-time daily inter-bank transaction data. Moreover, there are significant data gaps for Kenya and Morocco. By relying on estimation, the considered daily inter-bank transactions processed by RTGS of Africa's continents are as high as $40 billion.

America has the largest value of inter-bank transactions in a day. In the USA, Fedwire Funds Service, operated by the Federal Reserve, routinely processes over $5 trillion per day. CHIPS, the largest private-sector $ clearing system, handles approximately $1.8 trillion daily. ACH, which processes retail payments, handles $180 billion in transactions per day. The sum of these processing systems of the USA indicates a daily flow of over $7 trillion. On the other hand, Canada's Lynx handles approximately $320 billion daily. Brazil's SPB & Pix processing system combinedly processes around $25 billion. Mexico's RTGS system is SPEI and is estimated to handle many billions of dollars daily inter-bank transactions, but real-time data of the processing system is not available.

By looking at the aforementioned data, it is clear that America's daily inter-bank transactions well exceed $10 trillion.

Again, the Middle East's daily inter-bank transaction data lacks transparency due to the unavailability of a single currency, highly integrated payment systems, and a lack of real-time aggregate figures. However, key indicators from major economies are readily available and observed. UAE's RTGS UAEFTS processes a similar volume of $14.85 billion in daily transactions. Egypt's RTGS handles a daily transaction volume of $16 billion. Saudi Arabia's high volume payments are handled by SARIE, but its transaction data is not available for observation; however, the kingdom's daily retail-level inter-bank transactions are around $0.63 billion. Qatar's RTGS does not show the real-time data of daily inter-bank transactions, nor does Israel's ZAHAV. Buna payment system, the Arab regional payment system that processes around 15,000 cross-border transactions in a month; however, real-time data of the daily inter-bank transactions is not available.

Estimates indicate that, given the large volume of economic activity in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, and other countries of the Middle East, the total daily inter-bank transactions should exceed $200 billion or more.

Before sharing our insights we have considered Europe as the base region for comparison. As Asians, we are considering it first for comparison. Asia's population is 6.5 times greater than Europe's, and the device you are using to read this article was made in Asia, definitely in China, and China is part of Asia. As Asia has 6.5 times the population compared to Europe, its daily inter-bank transactions should be 6.5 times higher than Europe, which translates to $20.9 trillion, but the estimates show only $10 trillion. So what does it mean? It means, according to Assumption 1, we have a free market economy, but according to Assumption 2, the region is sunk in corruption, and there is a continuous pressure from non-Asian regions to lower our employees' and laborers' salaries and wages. The same thing is true for Africa. Its population is 36% higher compared to Europe, but its daily inter-bank transaction is significantly lower, only $40 billion! This region supplies a significant number and variety of raw materials to other parts of the region, yet there is very low economic activity.

We believe we do not need to explain more at this point. In our corporate world, we always hear we should lower the product cost and lower the operational expenses. But lowering these costs and expenses punishes the employees as they have very little to spend but a lot of work to do. We believe that by doing this, it only maximizes the poverty ratio of a region and brings no pride and development to the continents that constitute that region.

By~
Md Tanjim Islam

24/06/2025

𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

Let’s admit it—“𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻” is one of those phrases that makes people laugh, roll their eyes, and sometimes sigh all at once. It’s a sentence that’s survived generations, memes, and hundreds of WhatsApp forwards. But behind the chuckles and chaos, there’s a more human, loveable story about men being... well, delightfully complicated.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

You know the drill. A man refuses to read the instruction manual because “real men don’t need guides.” Three hours and 17 screws later, he’s “invented” a new form of shelf. Or the moment he insists he’s not hungry—only to eat half of your fries “just to taste.”

Let’s not forget the heroic dad trying to fix the WiFi by unplugging everything and staring intensely at the router like it owes him rent. Or the guy who claims he’s great at multitasking, but can’t talk and chop onions without endangering national security.

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

Sure, we laugh. But the phrase “men will be men” has evolved. It used to be a lazy excuse—an easy way to overlook bad behavior or emotional distance. But not anymore.

Today’s men are showing us that they’re not just walking stereotypes in sneakers. They’re learning how to feel, how to listen, and even how to say, “I don’t know” (without combusting inside). They’re showing up for mental health, parenting, partnerships, and even group selfies.

They cry at movies. They read books on emotional intelligence. Some of them even moisturize now—voluntarily!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫

When you peel back the layers of dad jokes, gym obsessions, and weird loyalty to old T-shirts, you’ll find a man trying his best. Maybe he doesn’t always express emotions like a poet, but he shows love through late-night food runs and silently fixing that squeaky door.

Because the truth is, most men aren’t trying to be difficult. They’re just navigating life the only way they know how—with a little bit of chaos, a lot of love, and the occasional YouTube tutorial.

𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

So maybe it’s time to upgrade what we mean by “Men will be men.” Let it stand for vulnerability, growth, awkward hugs, random dance moves in the living room, and the kind of silent strength that doesn’t always get noticed.

Because in the end, men aren’t just clichés. They’re brothers, friends, partners, fathers—and yes, sometimes walking, talking funny fiascos. But that’s exactly what makes them human. And honestly? Kinda lovable.

23/06/2025

In the last few years, the presence of lab-grown meat at supermarkets has caught the public’s attention, as some see it as the future and others believe it is nothing but excessively hyped and costlier meat. Otherwise known as cultured or cell-based meat, it may change the way we source and enjoy meat. However, the appeal of this aesthetic covers up a bigger question: Is the idea of growing meat without animals good for the environment, or is it just advertising in green packaging?

What Is Lab-Grown Meat?
Lab-grown meat is a type of meat that comes from animals that were not raised or killed for it. Stem cells are taken from the body of an animal during a minor surgery called biopsy. The cells are given nourishing liquids in a bioreactor, where they start to become muscle tissue, as found in the meat we eat. While plant-based meat is flavor and texture similar to real meat, lab-grown meat is just meat grown through different processes. It’s meat—but without the farm.

Sustainability Promise:
Advocates of lab-grown meat point to its potential to drastically reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture, which is one of the largest contributors to climate change.
According to a 2011 study by researchers at Oxford and the University of Amsterdam, cultured meat could reduce:
1.Greenhouse gas emissions by up to 96%
2.Land use by 99%
3.Water use by 96%
These numbers suggest a dramatic environmental benefit if cultured meat replaces conventional meat on a scale. Supporters also highlight the ethical advantages—no animal slaughter, fewer antibiotics, and less risk of zoonotic diseases.

Additionally, with global meat consumption projected to rise significantly by 2050, lab-grown meat offers a potential solution to food security by creating a stable, efficient source of protein without relying on climate-sensitive farming.

The Challenges Behind the Scenes :
Even though the prospects are promising, most people still do not eat lab-grown meat. It has been suggested that the over-hyping of these new technologies could be erroneous.

1. High Production Costs: A lab-grown burger revealed in 2013 was so expensive that it cost around $330,000. Despite a big drop in prices, lab-grown meat is still not as affordable as regular meat. Making this material on a large scale is still a big challenge.
2. Energy Consumption: Lab-grown meat requires a lot of energy to be produced. The study concluded that if clean energy alternatives are not used, then lab-grown meat could eventually release more carbon dioxide than beef does.
3. Consumer Skepticism: Public acceptance remains uncertain. There are some people who find it hard to believe they could enjoy “laboratory meat,” as they prefer the traditional types of meat. According to surveys, a lot of people still prefer not to move away from meat, despite the benefits it has for animals and the environment.
4. Regulatory and Logistical Hurdles: Even though Singapore was the first to allow the sale of lab-grown meat in 2020, other countries are still taking a long time to approve it. Another issue is that only a few products have been cleared for inclusion in U.S. and European hospitals and clinics.

Marketing or Meaningful Innovation?

The phrase “clean meat” and other similar one’s help draw in people who think about environmental and ethical concerns. Several critics believe that firms are exaggerating the good sides of the technology and simply using sustainability as an advertising strategy while the cost and size of the technology are still being worked on. This kind of hype does not always suggest that the concept isn’t worthwhile. At one time, electric cars and solar panels were viewed with suspicion, but they are now common and getting better all the time.

A Glimpse into the Future The success of lab-grown meat will be determined by the progress of the technology and its ability to tackle barriers related to costs and the environment. Should energy use in production come down and renewables be used, meat made in the lab might truly revolutionize the global food industry. Should food be seen as a status symbol and a luxury item that only a few can have, it could quickly be forgotten as part of the long quest for sustainable food production.

The development of lab-grown meat lies in both the realm of science and the desire for business success. Although it appears to support a better and ethical world, current flaws suggest that the dream is not yet a reality. Right now, lab-grown meat is an attempt to find better ways to produce food and a story being told to consumers. If the promise is fulfilled, science, the decisions of consumers, and actions by various countries must make that happen.

By~
Md Jahid Hasan (Intern)

21/06/2025

From scorching heat waves and raging wildfires to floods that swallow entire towns, climate change is no longer a distant threat. It's here, and it’s serious. But guess what? So is technology. Among the smartest tools we have in our arsenal today is Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially a branch of it called Machine Learning (ML).
But can machine learning actually help predict and reduce the damage caused by climate disasters? Short answer: Yes, it can — and it already is! Let’s dive into it!

What is Machine Learning, Anyway?

Machine Learning is like teaching a computer to learn from data — just like how we learn from experience. Instead of programming every step, we feed computers massive amounts of data, and they figure out patterns on their own.
For example, show an ML system thousands of satellite images of hurricanes, and it will start to predict future hurricane paths more accurately than traditional methods.

Prediction Power: How AI Forecasts Disasters

Just like a futuristic time machine, machine learning (ML) models can predict extreme weather events days or even weeks in advance by analyzing weather data, ocean temperatures, wind speeds, and satellite images. This is not a bluff , here's some jaw-dropping projects like-

IBM’s AI weather models can accurately predict the paths of tropical storms or cyclones—sometimes even outperforming human experts!

Google’s Flood Forecasting Initiative now covers several countries and sends alerts to millions of people based on real-time data.
Additionally, NASA utilizes ML to detect fires from space and track smoke movement, helping emergency services respond more quickly.

Fun Fact: Did you know that AI systems can “hear” earthquakes using seismic data — sometimes seconds before humans can feel them?

Mitigation Magic: Stopping the Worst from Happening

Back in august 2018, Kerala, a state of India, faced a massive flooding disaster causing over 400 deaths and billions in damages. The disaster exposed major weaknesses in forecasting and response. Therefore in 2019, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) partnered with IBM’s Weather Company to use AI-based predictive models before the next monsoon season. Those AI models used rainfall forecasts, river flow levels, and topography to simulate how rivers would rise. Authorities ran multiple “what-if” simulations to see which districts would flood, when, and how deep. The AI system triggered timely evacuations in high-risk areas before the water arrived. After this initiative Over 100,000 people were evacuated before the water levels rose. Casualties were dramatically lower compared to 2018. Relief materials reached faster, since emergency services knew which routes would remain accessible.

Beyond Disasters: AI for a Greener Future

AI isn't just about reacting to climate change, it’s also helping to fight the root causes like Hangzhou, China is using "Alibaba’s City Brain" an AI-powered traffic lights to reduce traffic jams which in turn reduces CO₂ emissions! Also Ambulances and fire trucks get green-light priority through the AI system!

So, What’s the Catch?

While AI has huge potential, it’s not a magic wand. Challenges include:
1. Data Gaps: Many regions, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh, lack the data AI needs to work effectively. Therefore to achieve the benefits of AL we need more accurate data, researchers, AI model trainers and build AI models which are suitable for Bangladesh and implement the predicted results accordingly.
2. Bias: If the data is biased or incomplete, AI predictions can be wrong — and in a disaster, that could be deadly. Hence experts in AI are a must.
3. Energy Use: Some AI systems themselves use a lot of electricity, which can ironically increase emissions if not sourced from renewables.

Can AI Help Bangladesh Better ?

On November 15, 2007, Cyclone Sidr slammed into the coastal districts of Bangladesh, including Bagerhat, Barguna, and Patuakhali. Though early warnings were issued, many people didn’t evacuate because they didn’t trust the severity of the warnings,lacked access to real-time updates,and had no idea where exactly the cyclone would hit the hardest, causing the death over 3,000 people, 1.7 million homes destroyed and $2.3 billion in losses. If modern AI-powered models had been used in 2007-predicted where and when a cyclone will hit with higher accuracy, Which villages would flood,Which roads and embankments might fail, Send mobile SMS alerts in Bengali, tailored to the exact location, Analyze satellite images and drone footage to locate damaged zones. Therefore -
1)Thousands could have evacuated earlier .
2)Property loss could have been reduced.
3)Relief could have reached faster.
4)Panic could have been replaced with preparation.

A Smarter Way to Save the Planet:

AI and machine learning are not superheroes with capes but they’re powerful sidekicks in our fight against climate change. From sounding the alarm before disasters strike to helping communities rebuild smarter, this technology is proving to be an essential part of our climate toolkit. Hence “Imagine getting a flood alert on your phone saying, ‘Leave now — your home will be underwater in 6 hours.’ Would you trust it? Would you act?”

By~
SAMIA KHAN (Intern)

19/06/2025

Is a Ghost Sitting on Your Chest? Have you ever felt like something was pressing down on your chest while you were asleep as if a shadowy figure was holding you down? You try to move, scream, or even blink, but your body refuses to respond. In rural areas, this terrifying experience is often called “being possessed by a ghost.” But in the world of medical science, it has a name: Sleep Paralysis.Let’s explore what this phenomenon really is and how to deal with it.

What Is Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is a temporary condition where a person is unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. Though fully conscious, the person loses voluntary muscle control, leading to a terrifying feeling of helplessness. It may feel supernatural but it’s rooted in science.

Why Does Sleep Paralysis Happen?

There are two key processes that occur during sleep:

1. Our conscious mind switches off, and the subconscious takes over.
2. Our voluntary muscles are paralyzed temporarily.

Why? Because in dreams, we might run, fight, jump, or throw things. If our muscles stayed active, we could unintentionally harm ourselves or someone sleeping next to us. To protect us, the brain puts these muscles into a relaxed, paralyzed state during REM sleep. But during sleep paralysis, something goes wronYou suddenly wake up, your brain becomes conscious, but your body is still “asleep.” You want to move your arms or legs, but they won’t respond. You try to scream, but no sound comes out. Some even feel a heavy pressure on their chest, like someone sitting on them. This mismatch causes panic. But it's important to know, it’s not harmful.

Sensitive Sleep Phase & Hypnagogic Hallucinations:

Just before falling asleep or right after waking, some people hear sounds, whispers, or feel an odd presence. This is known as a hypnagogic hallucination a normal but unsettling symptom. If not handled calmly, it can increase anxiety and worsen sleep paralysis.

How to Prevent Sleep Paralysis?

While there is no guaranteed permanent cure, there are effective ways to reduce the frequency and regain control.Try these simple habits:

1. Avoid sleeping on your back or chest. Sleep on your side instead. (Some suggest avoiding the left side to reduce heart strain, though evidence is limits)
2. Stick to a sleep scheduled.Try to get 6–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
3. Avoid naps during the day, a short rest is fine, but long daytime sleep can disrupt your rhythm.
4. Don’t sleep on overly soft beds. A slightly firm (orthopedic) mattress is better for circulation and brain oxygen supply.
5. Turn off electronics before bed. The blue light and buzzing from phones, laptops, and TVs over-stimulate your brain.
6. Calm your mind before sleep.Avoid engaging in stressful thoughts, arguments, complex tasks, or emotional series or books before bed. Remind yourself that you are safe, happy, and relaxed.

What to Do If Sleep Paralysis Happens?

Despite all efforts, sleep paralysis may still happen. Here's what you should do in the moment:

1. Don’t panic.Stay calm and breathe slowly. It will pass in seconds.
2. Remind yourself it’s harmless. You’re not being attacked your body is just catching up with your brain.
3.Try moving small muscles. Wiggle your toes, thumbs, or fingers. Even a tiny movement can break the paralysis.
4. Move your tongue. It’s one of the strongest muscles in your body. Activating it may help wake the rest.
5.Don’t go back to sleep right away. Drink water, sit up, and do light stretching. Clear your mind before lying down again.

Sleep paralysis can feel like a terrifying, supernatural experience especially if you’ve never heard of it before. But now that you know the science behind the shadow, you can face it with understanding, not fear.

So the next time it feels like a ghost is pressing down on your chest, don’t panic it’s just your brain forgetting to send the “wake-up” memo to your body.

And if it is a ghost... well, now you know how to politely ask it to move.

By~
Asma Sultana Nizami (Intern)

The Mage

01/07/2025

30/06/2025

29/06/2025

25/06/2025

24/06/2025

23/06/2025

21/06/2025

19/06/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category