Final answer:
The symptom of sleep paralysis that can be associated with alien abduction stories is hallucinations, where the individual experiences vivid sensory phenomena that may be interpreted as an alien encounter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptom of sleep paralysis that could be connected to stories of alien abductions in recent years is hallucinations. Sleep paralysis is a transient inability to move or speak when falling asleep or upon waking, often accompanied by vivid sensory experiences. These hallucinations can include the sense of a presence, pressure on the chest, and visual or auditory phenomena. Because of these sensory experiences, those undergoing sleep paralysis may sometimes believe they have been abducted by aliens or have had a close encounter, which contributes to such narratives. In reality, however, these experiences are a product of a sleeping brain partly emerging into wakefulness, creating a blend of dream and environmental awareness.