The Old Hag
By rdadey
@rdadey (484)
Canada
June 12, 2009 3:10pm CST
There is a type of nightmare that occurs that many people find very frightening. There have been studies done on it and some answers have been put forward. Here where I live it's very commonly known as the Old Hag and I have had it at least 3 times during my life. The dream really frightens many people because they wake up and have the feeling that someone is in the room with them, that someone is pressing on their chest and what makes it bad is that you are paralyzed.
It's not something that really occurs very often, like I said, it has happened only about 3 times during my life but I'm sure some people have had more. I once did an online survey that was conducted by a doctor but I never did get any results back from it.
From my understanding, it relates to the condition of your blood at the time. All I can say is that it probably means your blood can be in different states and in a certain one it triggers these nightmares.
It's not something that is new and it does have its folklore and superstitions built around it...what else would you expect from something called the Old Hag.
Anyway, does anyone have any of what I described happening to them? This is different than your typical nightmare and if you had it, you know what I'm talking about. Please share.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
22 Jun 09
I don't know if it's the same with your chest feeling heavy-set like as though someone is sitting on it or some sort. I have heard such encounters where people sleep and there's some sort of breathlessness going round, and they can't breathe, can't turn around and stuff like that.
I think it has got something to do with nightmare or perhaps there is a paranormal explanation or a scientific one at that. I do hope that whoever suffers from this will try their best to fight it and breathe. In my culture, at least, some elderly refer to this as spirits sitting or stepping on someone when they feel a constriction in breathing or some sort.
I won't say it's true or false. I respect all views. I'm sorry that you have had to suffer it for 3 times even. That must be quite an experience for you. I have not had this so far, but then again, I work on most nights. So the only sleeping time I have is during the day and my mom is always at home keeping the house tidy and all that. Do take care, my friend and have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@rdadey (484)
• Canada
6 Jul 09
Sorry it took so long for me to respond to your comment and I should have done it long ago. Anyway, you have described the Old Hag in detail there. The name is a culture thing so other cultures have spirits and animals and whatever else in place of a hag. It didn't really bother me much and I'm kinda happy i was blessed to have it, even though some believe you can die. I really like weird things like that and it really is a condition rather than a spiritual happening.
I don't know if you're safe during the day. I know when I worked nights and slept during the day I would wake up and feel like I was in the twilight zone. A similarity there with the old Hag was a feeling of being all alone. Now you mention your mother being around, my father told me that if you see someone having the Old Hag you have to say their name backwards to save them. So maybe you better tell your mother that, just in case...LOL.
It would make a great movie.
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
7 Jul 09
It's alright.. 
LOL...I like your tongue-in-cheek answer there..
Apparently, in my culture, it's some sort the same. Almost.. they say if we feel someone is having an old hag going on, we detecting it, should touch the feet and waking up the person from the feet. In that way, it's more 'safer'.
Have a nice day mylotting.. 
LOL...I like your tongue-in-cheek answer there..
Apparently, in my culture, it's some sort the same. Almost.. they say if we feel someone is having an old hag going on, we detecting it, should touch the feet and waking up the person from the feet. In that way, it's more 'safer'.
Have a nice day mylotting.. 
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
12 Jun 09
I generally only remember dreams (or nightmares) if I think about them first thing upon waking up. If I'm distracted in any way in awakening, I forget all about them.
However, I did wake up "paralyzed" once. I can't remember if I had had a nightmare before then, though. Just realizing that I could not move freaked me out so badly that I forgot anything I may have been dreaming about.
So, do you think that it may have been something with my blood that had me paralyzed? I honestly could NOT move, not one inch, not one finger, for at least a half-hour after waking up! I had 3 dogs at the time and they were begging me to let them outside, but I simply could not move!
I never did look into it. At the time, there weren't even desktop computers, let alone the internet, so I didn't think about trying to find the reason for it. I was just very thankful that I could finally move after around a half-hour. My dogs were greatly appreciative, too! LOL
@rdadey (484)
• Canada
12 Jun 09
My wife has sleep apnea and has had a few bouts of the Old Hag. She says it's not the same because during the Old Hag you are awake for a period of time and you're not really struggling to breathe. It has been recorded as occurring to many people around the world, here where I live we tend to talk about weird things like that.
