The Hag Phenomenon: Sleep Paralysis

by: Kady Harrington

One of the more common reports is that of being held down in bed while waking up or falling asleep. Usually the report falls along the lines of someone in bed going to sleep or waking up, and suddenly feeling something holding their arms and/or legs down, sitting or pressing on their chest, and even seeing or otherwise sensing a figure standing at the bedside or nearby. The term for this phenomenon is not ghosts - it's hypnogogic/hypnopompic paralysis, or simply sleep paralysis. It is commonly referred to as the Hag Phenomenon because of old beliefs that it was caused by evil spirits, ghosts or hags sitting on the chest and attempting to hurt the sleeping person. In this article we are focusing on hypnopompic, or awakening, sleep paralysis only because this is the most common report we get and is most frequently associated with hallucinations.

Simple sleep paralysis occurs in almost every adult at some point or another in their lives. Characterized by coming alert mentally but finding an inability to move or vocalize, it's frightening but lasts literally seconds in the majority of cases. During sleep, the body goes through several stages of sleep - the deepest being the REM stage. It is this stage that you dream in. The body provides it's own 'safety' feature during this stage, essentially locking down the body by blocking certain motor signals and relaxing the muscles to prevent the physical body from acting out the dream. Otherwise every time you dreamed you were being chased by something big and hairy, you might wake up to find you'd actually fled down the street! Embarrassing at least (especially if you still sleep in Star Wars pajamas) and certainly potentially dangerous. Occasionally as the mind moves through the stages of sleep and comes back to the lightest phase of sleep there is a brief moment when the mind gets to an aware stage before the body does. Out of synch for a few moments, the now lucid mind realizes that the body can't move, resulting in panic and even struggle. Usually within seconds the body catches up and all is normal again. At times these moments of sleep paralysis can be somewhat extended and/or are accompanied by extraordinarily realistic and intense hallucinations from visual to physical.

Sleep paralysis can include one or more of the following effects:

• Unable to move legs, arms or even torso
  
  
• Unable to vocalize
  
  
• Feeling of pressure on chest, as if someone was sitting or pressing on it, even a strangling or attacked feeling
  
  
• Feeling of choking or inability to breath
  
  
• Emotional reactions such as terror, dread, panic
  
  
• Sounds become very intense
  
  
• Auditory hallucination - such as ringing, whistling, breathing, rustling, scratching, buzzing, knocking, animal noises, music, moaning, laughing and yes even footsteps. Sometimes distinct voices or phrases are reported. Some sounds are very 'natural', some are extremely loud or piercing. It is notable that they are most often reported as very clearly "external" - not "in the head".
  
  
• Visual cues become very intense
  
  
• Floating or out of body feeling, feeling of levitation or sinking.
  
  
• Seeing or sensing a presence in the room. Often it is reported to be looking down or watching the person experiencing it, is usually dark, most often human shaped but can be vague or amorphous, or even animal shaped.
  
  
• Seeing or sensing a presence actually causing the pressure on the chest
  
  
• Numbness
  
  
• Vibrations
  
  
• Occasionally pain, especially if in a panic someone becomes very forceful in trying to move a limb.
  

It is easy to see how this occurrence can be interpreted as an 'attack' or 'visit' by some kind of entity. Interestingly, the 'entity' that is reported is virtually always going to be in line with the individual's belief structure. Aliens, ghosts, angels, demons, human intruders... what ever a person most strongly identifies with or fears is what they are likely to perceive. In some cultures it is even perceived as an attempt at possession by another soul or evil spirit. Not all cases are reported as malignant... many times they are reported as being comforted, hugged, or otherwise safe and cared for.

A Real Case:

An incident occurred early one morning. My family was scheduled to leave very early on a trip, and my husband had awakened and got out of bed about an hour before I did. He turned on the hall light and went about his morning routine leaving me to get a little extra sleep. Shortly thereafter I awakened to see the light on, hear him moving around in his office, etc. But I could NOT move and began to panic. I clearly remember KNOWING I was awake, but still hoping it was just a bad dream I could wake up from. As the panic grew a stuffed bear on a nearby dresser suddenly turned it's head to watch me. The feeling of evil radiated from it and my panic grew. I began to cry out as hard and loud as I could for my husband, but all I could get out was the tiniest almost inaudible squeak. Almost with a noticeable jolt I was suddenly free - I could move, the bear was where it belonged, I could talk. I know I was awake and not dreaming, and that physical jolt just reinforced that. The feeling of panic and fear took a long while to dissipate though, and I had a sore throat throughout the rest of the morning.

Sleep Paralysis in itself is not dangerous nor does it indicate the person experiencing this phenomenon is "crazy" or mentally unstable. It is not typically linked to physical causes such as tumors or brain disorders. You are not going to be possessed or permanently paralyzed. It is also not caused by ghosts, demons or aliens. In cases where this occurs frequently, it is possible to work with a doctor and even be prescribed medication to prevent it. However it is usually considered non-threatening to one's health.

This phenomenon is so often reported in the context of the paranormal, however it is very well documented as a sleep disorder. Be sure to be aware of this possibility the next time someone reports a ghost is holding them down.