wario

Sometimes when I'm really tired and go to bed, I end up in this not-quite-sleep and not-quite-awake phase where my body gets all tingly and it really feels like somebody was snuggling up with me. I always loved this feeling as I could imagine it to be anybody I want. Then I read the Old Hag stories. For those that don't know, these occurrences are basically the same thing, except these people report seeing an evil old hag sitting on them. I don't buy it since I've been experiencing the effect they describe for years. But, dammit, after reading the Old Hag stories, my 'phantom snuggles' have been ruined. Now when I feel them I have to immediately force my eyes open to make sure there's no old hag trying to get some lovin' from me instead of continuing to imagine a supermodel has crawled into bed with me. I need to stay away from ghost stories that strike so close to me cause they still freak me out even when I don't believe them.

Charlatan

I have experienced the Old Hag phenomenon many times.

Every time it completely freaks me out.

I don't get snuggles... I get the FEAR. I can't move but am certain that someone is in the room. I try and try to move but to no avail.

Finally with great effort I snap out of it and the spell is broken.

When I first came across the Old Hag stories I was greatly relieved to find it was a condition of sleep... I was worried I'd have to adjust my world view to incorporate life after death (ie ghosts).

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Baldrick

I very much experienced the "Old Hag" phenomenon when I was younger.

When I was around 6 years old or so, I vividly recall trying to fall asleep in my parents bed when my Dad was out of town on business. My Mom was still up watching television, and I had pulled the blankets over my head trying to fall asleep when I felt what seemed like someone who suddenly perched on top of me. I was far to scared to pull my head up to see what it was, or even call for my Mom. So scared, in fact, that I remember it even today - 25 years later - as if it were yesterday.

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Annabella

No this is something...!HowHoe...

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rev_skarekroe

Here's an interesting usenest post about this:

<i>In <3kdf8r$m8q@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> mlingwal@ucs.indiana.edu (Malinda
Jane Lingwall) writes:

>
>: Tim Beeman (Tbeeman@gladstone.uoregon.edu) wrote:
>: : This message may sound a bit odd but here goes. For about four
>: : years I have had something that i would call night paralysis. I wake
>: : up and I am concious but I can't move. It might last for a few seconds
>: : or a few minutes. Once I move part of my body, i will 'wake up'. Once
>: : awoken I tend to be breathing rather heavily and somewhat disturbed.
>: : It might happen 3 times in one night or once in a year. So that
>: : is that.
>: : About a year ago this paralysis happened about 4 times in one night.
>: : The final time I awoke and made a consious effort to not let it happen
>: : again. I fell back asleep and the next time i awoke it felt as though
>: : something was sitting on my back. It became hard to breath. I could
>: : only move my legs and arms. I thought I heard 'voices' laughing at me in
>: : the corner of my room. after some effort, i 'snapped out of it.'
>: : I have tried to research this in the library but haven't had much
>: : success. the only luck I have had was from a friend who had taken a
>: : folklore class. I was hoping someone out there could help me. I would
>: : appreciate it.
>: : Thank you,
>: : tim
>
> Since your friend had a folklore class, I assume he/she told you
>about the "Old Hag" phenomenon . . . its classic symptoms are paralysis,
>a feeling of being awake, a sense of someone being in the room, and
>an inability to breathe--like something is pressing on your chest.
>Actually, ppl who are being observed while they are experiencing this are
>said to be hyperventilating and, even though their eyes are often open,
>they are asleep. The old folktale is that an incubus or succubus (male
>or female demon) is attacking the person having the "dream". One theory
>listed in my folklore book is that it always occurs to ppl lying on their
>backs and is most likely caused by improper circulation. I can't really
>remember much more, but if you haven't looked up "Old Hag", that might be
>a place to start. I hope this helps you out!
>
> Malinda
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------
>Malinda Lingwall "Cyberspace . . . the final frontier. These are
>mlingwal@indiana.edu the voyages of the starship Emailprise."
>----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------
>

If you are interested in reading more about the "Old Hag" phenomenon,
you should order the following book from the University of Pennsylvania
Press, Blockley Hall, 418 Service Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6097:

"The Terror That Comes in the Night: An Experience-Centered Study
of Supernatural Assault Traditions", David Hufford, University of
Pennsylvania Press, 1982 (ISBN 0-8122-1305-X).

The book is a detailed case study of this phenomenon. The author
reaches the following conclusions:

1. The phenomena associated with the "Old Hag" syndrome constitute
an experience with a complex and stable pattern, which is
recognizable and is distinct from other experiences.
2. This experience is found in a variety of cultural settings.
3. The pattern of the experience and its distribution appear
independent of the presence of explicit cultural models.
4. The experience itself has played a significant, though not
exclusive, role in the development of numerous traditions of
supernatural assault.
5. Cultural factors heavily determine the ways in which the
experience is described (or withheld) and interpreted.
6. The distribution of traditions about the experience, such as
those involving the Old hag or the Eskimo augumangia, has
frequently been confounded with the distribution of the
experience itself.
7. The frequency with which the experience occurs is surprisingly
high, with those who have had at least one recognizable attack
representing 15 percent or more of the general population.
8. The state in which this experience occurs is probably best
described as sleep paralysis with a particular kind of
hypnagogic hallucination.
9. Although there may be some connection between the etiology of
this experience and narcolepsy, and although certain illnesses
could be confused with the experience, the Old Hag experience
itself does not indicate the presence of any serious pathology.
10. The contents of this experience cannot be satisfactorily
explained on the basis of current knowledge.

-- Don</i>

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D. Tibet

fillips

i experienced this for the second time in my life last night. the first time i was young and had no idea what it was because i only thought paralysis is the only symptom but i found out there was more...it is very freaky :S

ariekitten

wow when i was about 10 i experienced something very similar to that....except whatever it was followed me to the bathroom (i heard it's boot footsteps on the linoleum floor)
but it definitely sat on me so i couldn't breathe....dunno

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~Vash, Trigun

>'.'< kitty kitty, meow ^..^~

kwoodmex

Heh, you guys have had things sit on you at night, although I'm sure these experiences are damn freaky, it sounds a little funny when you describe things sitting on you.

I myself have not had this experience. The only night-attack/nightmareish incident I've ever experienced was waking up in the middle of the night, at age 4 or 5, to my whole bed (frame and all) shaking rather violently. It stopped the instant my dad busted in the room after hearing me scream like a little girl.

On the other hand, my sister experiences it quite often, now I'm interested, and will have to do some more reading on this....so I can freak her out even more

Infernal

I only experienced once. I woke up one night and I couldn't move my body. I could see my room and stuff but my body just doesn't move, it doesn't felt like someone is sitting on me though.

nash

It happened to me once and I just lay there thinking "Hmm, interesting." It was kind of scary but I looked up and didn't see anything. I didn't try to move, but I think I should have. There was another time when I woke up when my friend's cat decided to sit on me. She was a cute cat so I tried to hug her tight but she pounced away.

Slayer

Old hag need some lovin too.

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