Having experienced the bizarre phenomenon of sleep paralysis -- or Old Hag Syndrome -- myself, this new DVD from Paul Taitt and Soul Smack sounds fascinating. It's called Your Worst Nightmare (Supernatural Assault), a documentary that delves into the scary phenomenon that affects 1 in 5 people around the world. "Often people will wake to find they are paralyzed and cannot move or cry out," says Paul. "This is 80% of the time, followed by the appearance of a shadow-like creature in humanoid form, referred to as the Shadow Man, or a wizened old lady know by many cultures as the Hag or Old Hag, that climbs
up onto the paralyzed and helpless victim and tries to suffocate them." The documentary interviews experiencers as well as academics who have studied the topic. You can find out more about the DVD here.
Also see: The "Old Hag" Syndrome | What is Old Hag Syndrome?
Comments
In my experiences with sleep paralysis, I have only felt the inability to move. I have not sensed the presence of shadow people, old hags or even aliens, as some have. Anybody out there have this experience?
I have. A few times in the past. But when it did happen. I woke up and never saw anything. But you do know that something did have control of your body. They are very scary. Yes indeed. I fully believe that these are some kind of work of a Demon.
Have had it, complete with various forms/shadows. It’s amazing what the mind can get up to.
Yeah, have had sleep paralysis since I was young. No visions or anything, although sometimes it occurs when I am half-out of a dream. Things never seem more real than usual, I just can sometimes forget whether I am sleeping-waking-up or awake-going-to-sleep. As I understand it, however, the whole thing is just residual effects of the normal paralysis that occurs during the sleep cycle. The mind wakes before the body does, basically.
yeah. have had everything associated with it. Waking up but can’t quite move. There have been times where I’ve been attached from behind. Many times I can feel something moving around leaving depressions on my bed as it moves. I can feel it brushing against me and attacking me from my back and I usually have a feeling or dread and it’s a demon of some sort (many times with a homosexual orientation). Sometimes I can move and fight back a little bit but it’s all in my mind. During these times I often know what’s going on and that I’m between being awake and asleep. (The guy who says that mind wakes before the body is what it seems like, although the mind has different levels of functionality). Anyway I can sometimes force meself to wake up fully and then the experience ends. Once I’m totally awake I am shaken a bit, but i have been through it enough and know what it is, sleep paralysis. Most of the time when I have sleep paralysis I’ve been alone at home so in my mind I’m more vulnerable.
thanks for the DVD info. Looks scarey and I think these people are all experiencing sleep paralysis. Nice to hear what others have experienced. Interestingly, one religious woman thought the entity was trying to enter her. We all have our own worst fears and they tend to play out in this state.
I too have had episodes of sleep paralysis both were during the day and both were after I had done a relaxation exercise before falling asleep. I never saw or felt anything threatening and honestly thought if it happened often enough I could eventually get up and walk around without my body. Never happened though and was surprised to learn this is a frightening experience for so many since my desire has been to achieve that level of conciousness again.
actually i can think of one interesting occasion when I was a child, maybe 4-8 years of age. I was in bed half asleep but with eyes slightly open. The easter animal decorations my mother tacked on the wall started moving a little although never enough to beome free of the tack. They talked with me in cute animal voices for a bit. It could have been just a dream, but I remember seeing the animals tacked on the wall so it might have been an early episode of sleep-paralysis. Anyway I got my mom to untack the animal decorations and I carried them around talking to them for a week or so. Of course they never talked again.
Try playing this online virtual Ouija board:
http://www.shopoflittlehorrors.com/Ouija%20board%20-%20ask%20the%20spirits%20game.htm
I used to have this happen to me all the time. I never actually saw a person. I just saw shadows and voices going towards me while I was in bed and couldn’t move. Once they got near enough i felt like they would move to my chest and then i couldn’t breathe. The not breathing would help me wake up. I prayed to god that this would stop and it has. I haven’t had it in a long time.
I have had the paralysis, hallucinations while trying to sleep and even that horrible “falling” sensation while awake. What accounts for that sensation while awake? Like I’m trying to stay conscious? Luckily, I haven’t experienced that for years, but I still remember every episode as though it were last night. If I had never heard of Sleep Paralysis, I would have checked myself into a mental ward.
i to have this situation.i hear vioces people laughing but never saw sahdows.but have seen light flashes.but i honestly belive it what we make it.if we believe it strong enough.i believe its memories of family from the past recorded in our dna.parents and grandparents i mean.our body is programmed to work center ways at center ages in our lifes thanks to dnaand dna never dies it just transfer from one body to the next.caring along with it our traits and our future sicknesses if some are heriditary.i bel
Sleep Paralysis with HYPNOGOGIC/HYPNOPOMPIC HALLUCINATION (SPHH) runs in my family. Happens frequently to those of us that suffer. Mine started at age 7. My son about age 5. Mum’s stared as a child as well. Tis a common symptom of NARCOLEPSY, a neurological disorder originating in the hypothalamus. Frequent bouts of this with out excessive day-time sleepiness is referred to as “ISOLATED SLEEP PARALYSIS” (or FAMILIAL SLEEP PARALYIS when it runs in families tho this is rare) If symptoms are bothersom taking an taking an SSRI is effective in thearting the condition. I chose not as I have gotten used to the condition and have learned to “get rid of the boogiemen” and transition into lucid dreaming or flying dreams.