Catalepsy, << KAT uh `lehp` see, >> is a condition in which a person temporarily loses the ability to move voluntarily. A person suffering from catalepsy is not paralyzed, but simply lacks the will to move. The arms and legs of a cataleptic person can be placed in unusual positions. The person will maintain such positions for many minutes. Sometimes the facial muscles also become immobile.
Catalepsy is often associated with severe cases of a mental illness called schizophrenia (see Schizophrenia ). Individuals may also exhibit this condition under hypnosis with appropriate suggestion from the hypnotist. Catalepsy is often confused with cataplexy, the temporary loss of muscle tone (see Cataplexy ).
