If your definition of a smart person is someone who is an extreme materialist, then of course your not going to find a 'smart person' to believe in any paranormal phenomena, or any phenomena that can't be detected by current scientific instruments.
You talk about sleep paralysis and suddenly it means all paranormal phenomena is bunk and can be rationally explained? You can't expect to find evidence with your eyes closed

. Here's
Scientific evidence for survival of consciousness after death
Of course is is true that are some people out there who are delusional, but that doesn't mean to say all paranormal phenomena is then ludicrous.