Sleep Paralysis -- Old Hag -- Night Hag -- Etc.

On occasion, I'll wake up from a dream blind, shaking, terrified, and unable to move. This has happened to me a few times, probably around six that I can remember.

Anyways, the other night this happened, but in an even more unusual way. I awoke from a dream - an EXTREMELY weird dream, not really a nightmare though - with the usual shaking, terror, blindness, and inability to move, but then something strange happened.

All of a sudden, I gained my sight, and was looking at my arms when I realized that although I was shaking pretty intensely, it looked as if my arms were lying completely still. Then, somehow, I gained the ability to move them. When I did this, however, my vision stayed exactly the same! I felt myself moving my arms, but saw them staying completely still!

I've heard this referred to as things like the "Old Hag Syndrome"
or "The Night Hag", but those sound a little wive's tale-ish to me. I think that I am either awakening from REM sleep while still in sleep paralysis, or maybe (I HIGHLY DOUBT THIS, but am not denying it as a possibility) a false awakening.

Experiences? Explanations? Anybody?

you were probably experiencing a false awakening. I have fallen asleep in a vehicle and and opened my eyes and tried to move my arms and thought they did, however when I awoke they were right where they started. now its not exactly your story but its a bit close, So I 'll assume that is what you experienced.

Kind of, except as I was moving them, I saw my arms staying still. I could move my arms, and feel things around me, but I couldn't see them move.

You were partially dreaming and experiencing tactile sensations from the dream.

The Old Hag is a reference to a common imagery produced by the brain during sleep paralysis, in which the paralyzed person is visited by what appears to be an old woman with hostile intentions. It may also be an alien or a demon. The person will often perceive the old hag sitting on their chest, which is the brain's way of rationalizing the sensation of difficulty breathing that results from paralysis.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drewmandan

You were partially dreaming and experiencing tactile sensations from the dream.

The Old Hag is a reference to a common imagery produced by the brain during sleep paralysis, in which the paralyzed person is visited by what appears to be an old woman with hostile intentions. It may also be an alien or a demon. The person will often perceive the old hag sitting on their chest, which is the brain's way of rationalizing the sensation of difficulty breathing that results from paralysis.

---

Hmm, this is fascinating... I think this is the explanation I've been searching for to explain a long period of time in which I experienced this almost every single night. For me, though, I would always emerge from some other dream and find myself kneeling, kind of in the fetal position, on the floor. It was always in the one spot, facing the window, too. There would be the large weight of a frog (I'm not entirely sure where that comes from... xD) on my back, and I'd be terrified. That would usually only last what felt like five or ten minutes at most, and then I'd find myself either falling straight asleep and waking up the next morning in that same position (which did wonders for my posture and knees... >_>) or waking up right away, upset and sore from being in that position, then climb back into bed, and go back to sleep again. =P

My god, that sounds horrible!

Interesting though.

And thank you, drewmandan.

man... i wonder how in the hell you got into that position in the first place... thats really really weird. really weird. wow. weirdo!! haha

Yeah, Beeyahoi, it was pretty awful. I think I experienced this for a period of at least a few months, every single night; then for the next few years on random nights once in a while. I would have been about seven or eight at the time it started. Luckily I was over it by the time I got a bunk-bed, LOL.

punkstar, I'm not sure, I think it was most likely a child's instinctive way of responding to fear... it might have also been because children in our area learned the earthquake safety position pretty much before they could talk. =P