1.
sleep paralysis
A condition where one is temporarily unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. In Japanese folk belief, often attributed to supernatural causes.
2.
being bound, unable to move
Being physically or metaphorically restrained, unable to act freely.
金縛り literally means "bound with metal" and most commonly refers to sleep paralysis — the inability to move while falling asleep or waking up.
Common patterns
- 金縛りにあう: to experience sleep paralysis
- 金縛りにされる: to be paralyzed, bound
- 金縛りにかかる: to be struck by paralysis
- 金縛りが解ける: for the paralysis to wear off
Cultural note
In Japanese folklore, sleep paralysis was traditionally attributed to supernatural causes — spirits or ghosts pressing down on the sleeper. This folk belief remains culturally significant, and many Japanese people describe the experience in supernatural terms even today.
Usage
Also used metaphorically for being unable to act due to fear, debt, regulations, or other constraints: 借金に金縛りにされる (to be shackled by debt).
Etymology
金 (metal) + 縛り (binding) — originally referred to being physically restrained with metal chains.