1. Biological factors:

You are falling into a deep sleep, but suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes loudly. Outside the room, the sound of a stuck door opening echoes, and a hand begins to touch your head. In a hazy state, you wake up and see a horrifying scene: your younger brother, with narrowed eyes, hands raised like a ghost, opening a coffin, a knife in hand. He raises the knife, and you hear murmurs about ripe melons.

It's a scene from a horror movie, not everyone is lucky enough to witness. It's a phenomenon called sleepwalking, a special phenomenon during sleep. This condition causes people to perform strange actions while asleep, from meaningless talking to moving around, even doing tasks like eating, driving, cooking. During a sleepwalking episode, they appear vacant, eyes open or closed, and perform strange gestures like raising their hands like a ghost.

Although it may be frightening to those around them, waking them up is very difficult, similar to the feeling of seeing a ghost enter the house.

However, upon waking up, they may not remember what they did the night before. Statistics show that 1 to 5 minutes of adults experience sleepwalking. However, the highest rate occurs in the age range from 3 to 7, especially in children or adolescents. Although it often occurs in children, there are cases that extend into adolescence or even adulthood. The cause of this condition may vary in each person, but it is often related to physical and mental stress, poor sleep environment, or sleep deprivation.

There is also a genetic factor, about 80% of sleepwalkers have family members with a similar condition. Some cases of sleepwalking can create unique works of art and earn a lot of money. For example, 55-year-old Robert Good has been sleepwalking for 40 years and every time he sleepwalks, he creates wonderful dishes. Similarly, a man named H Queen from England has been painting in his sleep for over 10 years and selling them for millions of dollars.

2. Not dangerous:

Although not dangerous, if it occurs too frequently, this condition can affect health. There are cases where the affected person encounters many troubles, even death. For example, in June 2009, Anna Ryan gained over 60 pounds from eating while sleepwalking, although she did not remember this. Or like the case of Alison, living in the US, in August 2012, she woke up in the middle of a river because she sleepwalked and swam out, causing great concern for herself.

However, that is just a small example compared to the case of a man sleepwalking in 2020. Aga Corado returned home after receiving news from neighbors that her husband, a farmer in Ghana, had cut off his genitals with a sharp fence post. She and the neighbors called for emergency help and tried to stop the bleeding for her husband, who is Ci ATA, 47 years old. Ci ATA only remembers going to bed and then does not know why he held a knife to cut off his genitals while sleeping. When he woke up, he was sitting in a pool of blood. After being rescued, Ci ATA was taken to KF Anake Teching Hospital in Kumashi in critical condition. Four days after the incident, his health stabilized, but doctors revealed that it would take much more time for him to fully recover and it could affect his privacy in the future.

Another sad case occurred in November 2009, a British couple went camping. In a sleepwalking episode, the man murdered his wife, whom they had been married for 40 years. Upon waking up, the man was in extreme pain and reported to the police. Experts found that the entire murder event was caused by a sleepwalking episode. The court determined it was an unconscious act, and the lawyer argued that it was a case of murder during sleepwalking, a very rare phenomenon.

These events, although rare, have caused much fear. When seeing someone sleepwalking, should we wake them up? Sleepwalking often occurs at night and is difficult to detect. Due to lack of understanding of this phenomenon, many people have created various misunderstandings and fears about sleepwalkers. Despite many legendary stories about souls leaving the human body during sleep, waking up a sleepwalker is considered dangerous, as it may turn them into "soulless people". In reality, there is no phenomenon of soul leaving or soul loss transitioning to another world.

3. Another world:

However, according to experts, we should not wake up a sleepwalker, as it can cause confusion, panic, disorientation, even madness. Sleepwalkers often do not remember what just happened, so they can become agitated and unhappy when awakened. Although waking them up may be seen as a well-intentioned act, it can have consequences or tragedies that we cannot handle. Therefore, if you are not sure about waking up a sleepwalker, try to guide them back to bed and keep them away from sharp objects.

There are many other ways to prevent sleepwalking, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, increasing physical activity, avoiding stimulants like coffee and alcohol before bedtime, and not eating too close to bedtime. Most importantly, maintain sufficient and quality sleep every day. A story like the ripe melon can bring joy and humor. However, if you encounter a situation like that in the story, quietly leave the situation to avoid any potential risks.

The mind of a sleepwalker is a world full of colors and chaos, where emotions, thoughts, and images reflect ambiguity and abnormality. Stepping into that world, their brain begins to create complex reactions, simulating experiences they cannot control.

In the brain of a sleepwalker, areas related to sleep and imagery are strongly activated. Under the influence of the dreamy world, brain waves start to function unevenly. The conscious and subconscious areas of the brain, which usually control perception and alertness, are now immersed in a temporary state of dreaminess, unclear.

Images and ideas begin to appear in their minds, often a strange combination of memories, desires, worries, and anger. They may be flying in a vast sky, but suddenly sucked into a powerful storm. Or they may be strolling in a mysterious forest, only to find that they are being chased by strange creatures.

4. Sleepwalking condition:

In a sleepwalking state, time is no longer a fixed concept. Sleepwalkers may feel that they have experienced many hours, even days, in their world, while in reality only a few minutes have passed. This is due to the breakdown of time in their minds, as memories and imagination combine unpredictably.

Feelings and mental states also change in an irregular and unpredictable way. One minute can be extreme joy and happiness, while the next minute turns into fear or anxiety. This change can happen quickly and without clear reason, due to the influence of chemical and electrical processes in the brain.

However, although the sleepwalking state can be an interesting and creative experience, it can also cause problems and dangers if not controlled. In some cases, sleepwalkers may perform unsafe or harmful actions to themselves or others, due to complete loss of consciousness and awareness. This can lead to accidents, injuries, or serious consequences.

Therefore, understanding what is happening in the brain of a sleepwalker is very important. It helps us recognize and deal with these situations effectively, ensuring that the sleepwalking experience does not cause negative and dangerous consequences.