What is "Old Hag syndrome"?

Question

I've heard of it a couple of times, but never researched it.

Answer 1

It's nightmares. The word "mare" in nightmare refers to a demon, in some cultures a witch or an old hag, that is riding the sleeping person.  Sleep paralysis seems to be the explanation as to why people thought/thinks that someone was sitting on them.

Answer 2

Good question!

The Old Hag Syndrome or being "hagged" has been reported in almost every culture and from almost every country.

The short version is a person wakes up and feels like something isn't right. (Key point - you are awake - not dreaming) Sometimes you will see someone who looks like an old hag come into the room and crawl up on your chest.

Most people when they experience this will be unable to move and feel very afraid - like they are suffocating.

- reasonably so, the entity is sucking your energy.

Its NOT the same thing as sleep apnea although there are some similar elements - feeling like you can't breath.

The thing that I find most fascinating is that it is reported all over the world, and by very credible people.

Check out this article - its an interesting read.

I hope that helps. :)

Answer 3

"Old Hag Syndrome"  I've seen this so many times, it  makes me ill to get up and go to bathroom in the morning...LOL...*Small Joke*, Other than that, I have enjoyed reading other's comment's on this, because I for one had no idea.    Rock On!!!

Answer 4

Old Hag syndrome is when you wake up paralyzed to a dark being sitting on your chest. She sucks the life out of you, drains you. This part is true, because I know that dark entities feed on fear.

Answer 5

different countries or cultures see different nightmare monsters.'

One is the old hag, where they wake up paralysed with her sitting on their chest.

They will see a different one in Japan than in Finland, but when described, they are very similar.

Answer 6

maybe Silvia Browne is the old hag?

Answer 7

it is the nightmare one sees and feels when you wake up paralyzed. The subject often feels as if someone or something is sitting on their chest  or holding them down. the subject cant breath or move. Often they see shadows in the room and hear things. A lot of people suffer this, some a lot more than others. the good news is, this is called sleep apnea. it has been studied and can be treated. the bad news is, it can be fatal. your body is usually awakened because its is not breathing or your heart stops. but your brain is still in rem sleep for a few split seconds. this causes the paralysis. Until your brain reconnects with the body, you cant move or breath. during this time, your seeing things and hearing things. much info is available on the net.

Answer 8

First of all, Sylvia Browne is not and should not be seen as an authority on *anything*.  She is an outright fraud and charlatan.

Secondly, Old Hag syndrome is not sleep apnea, but sleep paralysis.

Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing in your sleep, due to blockage of your airway.  (I suffer from it.)  It causes you to awaken out of deep sleep several times during the night to clear the passage and allow you to breathe.

Sleep paralysis is when you awake and are at least semi-conscious, but when your body is still in the REM sleep state.  Your body shuts down motion in REM to prevent your body from reacting to the dreams your mind is having (i.e. to keep you from swimming in bed when you're swimming in your dream).

When awakening during sleep paralysis, you are still in semi-sleep, so you can attribute the discomfort associated with the paralysis with a number of different things, depending on your culture and background.

Answer 9

hi denie...this topic is something ive been looking into for a while now...it started happening to me when i was a teenager...sleep paralysis....during the last two years its getting out of hand, its been happening at least once or twice a week...ive read other stories of the same experiences...now i know what goes on with me when it happens, and i cannt help thinking that it is more than just sleep paralysis....only because of what happens when im under...ill wake up, then while laying there, ill get sucked under, and i fight with all my energy to snap out of it...but cannt, now while im under, i start to get a loud buzzing noise that starts around my head, with a strange sensation to it.....its always evil...an evil pressence...so many others feel the evil pressence also...i always remember to call out for god, and then it releases me.....i truelly believe there is more to this...why would the brain, which they say is causing it to happen, why does it respond to god.....i always take note of when it happens....one of the most recent ones...i got sucked under (thats what it feels like been sucked into a vacume)...anyway i was been held against my will by an evil pressence...then suddenly mary appeared a short way away, couple of metres away...and i was warned not to go to her..but the more i fought and as i was calling her, i slowly got away from what ever it was, and i was able to wake up.....what i dont understand is...if its just sleep paralysis, why is there always an evil pressence with it, and been held under.....my thoughts i believe there is more to it.........Denie, from what ive experienced, with sleep paralysis, i truelly believe astral has something to do with it.....what i feel when its happening is very hard to put into words...but when the buzzing sound starts and i get a weird feeling around my head, sometimes ill feel my body shaking quite hard, when this occurs there is quite a strong feeling of been distorted....like something is detaching...i remember this happening when i was a teenager, the horrible feeling of not been able to wake up, no matter how much i tryed to call out...but i do remember one night very vividly from many years ago...i got pulled under, i was seing bright colours flashing around, i remember a demon being there with me, but i couldnt see him, only felt his pressence, he spoke in a complete different language, (i can still remember his voice when he spoke thise words ) and he strictly warned me to never REPEAT what he had just said....while i was under i could understand him, word for word....anyway i repeated the words straight back at him..(i dont why ) and my god the whole feeling got so intense, there was just this really loud noise, and the colours became so bright and all smudged into one another, i was fighting the whole time to wake up, and eventually i did...i rememberd the words that were spoken but coulnt understand what they meant.....that medal i only got early this year, and the sleep paralysis with mary in it happened after i got the medal....the last one i had was about 4 nights ago, when i called out for god, my sister heard me making muffled sounds....if it is only sleep paralysis then i wouldnt be scared for it to happen....why does everyone who has one experience this evil pressence, and why does our brain react to god....however i do take notes of when it happens and what happens....honestly im not comfortable with it been just sleep paralysis....