Photographer Nicolas Bruno has been haunted by episodes of sleep paralysis since he was 15-years-old. To understand his trauma, imagine waking up but being unable to move. While your mind is caught between sleeping and waking, you are confronted with terrifying visions such as an intruder in the room but are unable to react or even call out in fear.

Finding himself in a personal rut after having to deal with such horrible nightmares regularly, Bruno began to write down his experiences and draw inspiration for his conceptual photography from the recurring visions of silhouetted and masked figures.

Images via Nicolas Bruno Photography.
Quoted text via My Modern Met.