# Sleep and Dreams > General Dream Discussion >  >  The "Old Hag" I've heard so much about.

## Ryan Macaroni

So I've heard in various posts on this website, people just casually mentioning the Old Hag. Now I've had many dreams involving a particular old witch-like woman. When I was younger, she used to stand over me, and sometimes attack me. I'd experience real pain, the sort that you get when someone pokes you really hard in your ribs. When I awoke, the pain would linger for a few minutes, then disappear.

Obviously not all these details will be the same, but is this "Old Hag" a common DC, so much so that it's actually named?

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## Iliad Keys

I for one have never had any such experience.  We dream about what we encounter and think about during the day though.  That's why we are able to use RC's.  I wonder how many people that have encountered this "Old Hag" have done so only after hearing about her in these forums. . .

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## Ryan Macaroni

Hah that's a good point, Iliad.

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## OrionStyles

Watch out for the midget kung-fu master... he will kick your ass hardcore.  :wink2:

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## DuB

The "Old Hag" isn't a DC, strictly speaking, it is a hypnopompic hallucation which sometimes accompanies sleep paralysis. Other people experience the old hag as a "shadowy figure" or just a vague, oppressive presence or force. Old Hag syndrome is the folk name for sleep paralysis.

"The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation."
~Wikipedia, "sleep paralysis"

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## MrBeelzy

The Old Hag is a common experience associated with sleep paralysis. It usually happens when you've just woken up. It is usually accompanied by paralysis, or feeling restrained, and pressure on the chest. You might hear voices, and feel a malevolent presence.

The Old Hag is just one (a western) embodiment of this malevolent force. Aliens and alien abductions are associated with the same phenomenon. Every culture has their own folklore and their own version, and the reason many people experience it in similar ways is because of the similar sensations and similar socialization.

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## Hazel

DuB is right, it's just something that goes along with sleep paralysis. Many people see creatures and demons.

Mine wasn't an old hag, she was a strange, pale young lady sitting on the foot of the bed, singing to me in a hypnotic voice, the moonlight giving her an eerie glow. She was clothed entirely in blue satin, even her hat. I knew it was her song that was paralyzing me, and I was really afraid.

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## NocturnalDreamer

> DuB is right, it's just something that goes along with sleep paralysis. Many people see creatures and demons.
> 
> Mine wasn't an old hag, she was a strange, pale young lady sitting on the foot of the bed, singing to me in a hypnotic voice, the moonlight giving her an eerie glow. She was clothed entirely in blue satin, even her hat. I knew it was her song that was paralyzing me, and I was really afraid.



how ... did that ever happen? that's really creepy.  :Sad:  thank god my SP is only SP itself, there's no other characters around my bed or something like that.

I remember my friend seeing this girl from the grudge, and that's really scary. But yours, the way you describe it...  ::bowdown::  I really respect you for being able to even remember every single detail bout that girl. happens to you often?

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## HyperNova

I was rudely awoken one night to find myself paralised and could feel something heavy on my chest and something wrapped around my neck - I was being strangled. I could breath though, just not 100&#37; and I could see thin arms around my neck. I tried to grab them and pull them off but no use. Then after about 2 minutes I awoke out of it. 

I have met the hag and lived to tell the tale! :p

(Also I have seen dark figures near my door and walk to my bed and sit on it during SP.

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## phoenelai

heheh...when I was a kid; I had a dream that a devils hand came out of the ground and grabbed my arm, his hand was real hot! 
 ::evil::  

sorry  :Off topic:

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## quattykitty

in the book series that i just finished reading by Tamora Pierce (both the Immortals quartet and the Trickster's Choice/Queen series) have the mention of the "Graveyard Hag." this "goddess" in her books is kind of like the annoying old woman goddess, one of the major gods, who causes havoc in people's life as gods in most ficiontal books usually do. ive actually never heard of nor had this 'olg hag' in dreams but thats something to think about. im sure Pierce, as she is such an AMAZING writer with SO much experience in fictional writing, has drawn that inspiration of the graveyard hag from some actual historical place... check it out, interesting idea that she shows up in random peoples dreams all over the world!

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## CDR

I don't get old hag. If I wake up in sleep paralasys I know what it is, not scared, I don't wait for it to pass I try with all my force to shake my arms and legs and head violently, and after a while I regain some and then it gets more. It's like it drags you down, I have to keep going or I slip back into the sp.

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## Hazel

> how ... did that ever happen? that's really creepy.  thank god my SP is only SP itself, there's no other characters around my bed or something like that.
> 
> I remember my friend seeing this girl from the grudge, and that's really scary. But yours, the way you describe it...  I really respect you for being able to even remember every single detail bout that girl. happens to you often?



It happened on Christmas Eve several years ago when I was about 7 or 8. (Before I knew about SP.) I guess I just remember her so vividly because it was quite an extraordinary expirience. As far as I know, that's the only time I ever saw imagery along with SP.

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## NocturnalDreamer

> It happened on Christmas Eve several years ago when I was about 7 or 8. (Before I knew about SP.) I guess I just remember her so vividly because it was quite an extraordinary expirience. As far as I know, that's the only time I ever saw imagery along with SP.



I really don't know how to handle this kinda situation. it is like 'shoot, i rather die now, please just kill me' its worst than a horror movie. and on christmas eve...? That's just sad..but I guess you're alright, and you didn't sound like you're afraid at all or anything close to that. you're really brave  :boogie:

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## Dizko

I had a major episode of old hag once.

Only it wasnt an old hag. It was a hawt young girl.

Sure was fun being paralysed by a gorgeous woman....

xD

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## Griman

> So I've heard in various posts on this website, people just casually mentioning the Old Hag. Now I've had many dreams involving a particular old witch-like woman. When I was younger, she used to stand over me, and sometimes attack me. I'd experience real pain, the sort that you get when someone pokes you really hard in your ribs. When I awoke, the pain would linger for a few minutes, then disappear.
> 
> Obviously not all these details will be the same, but is this "Old Hag" a common DC, so much so that it's actually named?



As others here have pointed out, the 'Old Hag' is a sidekick for sleep paralysis.  I once read that 99&#37; of the world's population have this experience at least once, which I find amazing when you consider the difference in cultures, etc.  We are all really so much alike.

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## juroara

> I really don't know how to handle this kinda situation. it is like 'shoot, i rather die now, please just kill me' its worst than a horror movie. and on christmas eve...? That's just sad..but I guess you're alright, and you didn't sound like you're afraid at all or anything close to that. you're really brave




you might be surprised! sometimes some of the scarier dream related experience is much scarier when you look back on it, and not when you are experiencing it

Ive never had the old hag, instead I get a dark fuzzy figure pressing on my chest, choking me, or turning my head so I can't see him.

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## kingofclutch

> I had a major episode of old hag once.
> 
> Only it wasnt an old hag. It was a hawt young girl.
> 
> Sure was fun being paralysed by a gorgeous woman....
> 
> xD



Haha, that must have been fun...

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## NightLife

If I ever see the Old Hag, I'm gonna ____ beat the crap out of her... Sounds like she'd be annoying and I wouldn't want her in other dreams...

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## quattykitty

> As others here have pointed out, the 'Old Hag' is a sidekick for sleep paralysis.  I once read that 99% of the world's population have this experience at least once, which I find amazing when you consider the difference in cultures, etc.  We are all really so much alike.



where did you see that?? i find that amazing!!

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## quattykitty

> If I ever see the Old Hag, I'm gonna ____ beat the crap out of her... Sounds like she'd be annoying and I wouldn't want her in other dreams...



lmfao watch she comes tonight in your sleep XD

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## NocturnalDreamer

> you might be surprised! sometimes some of the scarier dream related experience is much scarier when you look back on it, and not when you are experiencing it
> 
> Ive never had the old hag, instead I get a dark fuzzy figure pressing on my chest, choking me, or turning my head so I can't see him.



hahaha that's cute! Isn't that Sully from Monster Inc?  ::D:  Lucky you!!!

so where did that dark fuzzy figure come from? I'm sure you'll be able to think bout it only because you've seen it somewhere else once before. right? =) that's partly how this old hag thing comes, it is formed by how your mind is playing with you.  ::shock::  that sounds scary. 

oh and how did he turn your head!! That's just plain creepy. I'm really lucky My SPs are not like that. Dark fuzzy purple Sully. that's just cute, and choking you and turning your head around just makes it plain creepy.  :Sad: 





> If I ever see the Old Hag, I'm gonna ____ beat the crap out of her... Sounds like she'd be annoying and I wouldn't want her in other dreams...



haha sorry dude, but you can't 'beat the crap' out of her, you're kinda in SP mode, so you can't move =P she'll scare the crap out of you though. xD

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## quattykitty

this thread was actually the first time ive been hearing of people feeling hallucinations during sleep paralysis...... so weird o.O ive never experienced this!!!

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## NocturnalDreamer

> this thread was actually the first time ive been hearing of people feeling hallucinations during sleep paralysis...... so weird o.O ive never experienced this!!!



thank god we didn't experience it, yet. Pray hard that it won't hit us. I really don't know if I can take the shock. I'll probably be shouting so loud inside till I don't know what will happen.  :Sad:  I mean, think about it...a girl that looks like an old lady on top of you? Thats just freaky! And not to mention, wrong.

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## Jimmehboi

I've only ever had this happen to me once, but I had imagined it was a huge black panther that had me pinned down.  :tongue2:  This was a few years ago, I first heard about it from my dad.. he gets it all the time, he tells me every now and again when he has them and he said he has never got used to them  :tongue2: 
My dad has wierd sleep occurances though, recently I think he has started to sleep-walk  ::D:

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## quattykitty

well i have sleptwalk (geez horribel grammar!) in the past but never paralysis... yea and hopefully well never get it!! XD

watch that ol hag comes tongiht AHH =/

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## Jimmehboi

> yea and hopefully well never get it!! XD







> watch that ol hag comes tongiht AHH =/



muahuaha! you cant expect to not get it now! your own fault for jynxing it  :tongue2:

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## KitsumiChan

> If I ever see the Old Hag, I'm gonna ____ beat the crap out of her... Sounds like she'd be annoying and I wouldn't want her in other dreams...



LOL. 
The best way to overcome the Old Hag is confidence.  ::D:

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## Griman

> where did you see that?? i find that amazing!!



I'll have to dig through the mountains of books I have on sleep and nightmares to find the exact one (it was several years ago), but I promise to get back to you as soon as I find it!  ::reading::

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## Xibran123

I heard that the Old Hag is like the leader of the NightStalkers, people who jump into other peoples dream and terrorize them.

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## quattykitty

> I'll have to dig through the mountains of books I have on sleep and nightmares to find the exact one (it was several years ago), but I promise to get back to you as soon as I find it!




yayythznks =]

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## Jimmehboi

> I heard that the Old Hag is like the leader of the NightStalkers, people who jump into other peoples dream and terrorize them.



i wouldnt believe it  :tongue2: 

I *THINK* it's something like this-

You know your body has reflexes during your sleep, say something covers your nose, your brain sends the reflex to your arms to move it out the way.

Then imagine, that your body has completely fallen asleep so the reflex doesn't work, your brain would be inclined to believe that something is physically stopping you from moving, hence influencing your dreams to have a sort of nightmare based around the fact that you cannot move.

That's my idea anyway... I could just read about it somewhere, but I'm really rather tired right now  :Sad: 
G'night!
Jim

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## Mrs. Jones

my HI is sometimes very frightening but i don't think that counts.

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## Natureboy622

I think I know what this is.

I use to live in korea and we talk about this too.

We call it a ghost.

Like how we explained it was by saying that a girl ghost would sit on your chest and choke you. (very scary)

you would wake up and have conscientiousness but can't move and feel like someone is sitting on you. It's almost impossible to get up and very powerful

This is prob because your brain isn't fully awake to tell the bodies what to do.

This happens when you are very tired or wake up at a wrong moment of your sleep

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## psy

> We dream about what we encounter and think about during the day though.



No, actually we don't, as several studies discovered. If you dream about actual events, it is only for a short while after falling asleep and it is usually related to the last things you thought about before entering sleep. Next to nothing is really known about how dream content is generated or what dreams are.

Some claim that the OH-phenomenon is a mechanism of the subconscious to prevent you from entering sleep consciously. I see no reason for that, because there are no indications that conscious dreaming is physically or mentally harmful, so why should there be a mechanism to prevent it? On the other hand, why don't we always dream consciously?

Esoteric sources claim that the OH is a negative entity that wants to induce fear to suck from your life energy. I leave that uncommented.

I haven't seen any hags so far - at least not when dreaming - but met several other monstrosities. The dweller-phenomenon I have encountered many times. It is a presence nearby when awake in sleep paralysis or in hypnagogic or hypnopompic states. I've never seen it though, just felt it.

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## fy_iceworld

Isn't the old hag just a type of hypnagogic manifestation of sleep paralysis?
If she happens to strangle you or sit on your chest again, I'd advise you to take advantage of this situation because you can use it to WILD. Then you can utterly maim that wench.

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## Natureboy622

> Isn't the old hag just a type of hypnagogic manifestation of sleep paralysis?
> If she happens to strangle you or sit on your chest again, I'd advise you to take advantage of this situation because you can use it to WILD. Then you can utterly maim that wench.



haha its not that its real but thats what we say. its like an urban legend.

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## Griman

Here is a fantastic work of art by George Grie of sleep paralysis/old hag:  http://www.neosurrealismart.com/mode...paralysis.html

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