Problem With Old Hag

[Shadowboxer]

Well, that's it. I'm not sure if I'm going to try lucid dreaming anymore. For the past four nights, I've been more aware of my dreams than ever. I go to sleep thinking about becoming lucid and it works... to a point. It never lasts more than a few seconds, right before I wake up. Now, check this out.... I wake up completely paralyzed, yet totally aware of my surroundings. The first two nights weren't that bad because it was simply paralysis. BUT, the past two nights have been unbearable. Two nights ago, I woke up in my bed (my wife was next to me) after a very brief LD. I couldn't move. I remember thinking "no big deal" since it had happened twice before. I started doing my exercises to come out of it (wiggle my fingers, scream, etc...) when I heard the front door open and SLAM shut! Then I could actually hear footsteps in our house! There was also a long, gurgling-type sound that got louder and louder. I tried to move, tried to scream, tried to do anything! It didn't work. I'd never been so scared in my life. After that, I felt like I sunk into the bed and struggled to come back up. I heard the familiar whooshing noise in my ear and woke up, sweating bullets. Last night was worse. The above scenario repeated itself except I heard our glass doors in the basement shattering before I heard the gurgling sound and footsteps. The main difference was, last night I could actually make out voices. It sounds like little kids trying to be menacing. Kinda like that scene from Blair Witch. And I could have sworn someone was in the room with us. I didn't see anyone, but I KNEW they were there. Then it was over. Unless someone has some advice on how to lose the Old Hag, that was it for me. No more lucid attempts.

[nightowl]

Damn, that sounds scary. I can't help you because I've never experienced it before and I only read a little about Old hag just to be familar with the term. But I did learn that sleeping on your back can cause Old hag to occur more frequently than sleeping on your stomach or side. Try those positions instead.

[OpheliaBlue]

Originally posted by Shadowboxer Kinda like that scene from Blair Witch. Omg, I had a dream almost exactly the same right after seeing that damn movie. I never said anything about it before, because i was so embarassed!! But I half-awoke with sleep paralysis, and my [ex]husband was still sleeping next to me. I had just been dreaming about the hag, and I could still feel her presence in the bedroom. I tried to move and scream but I was totally paralized. I remember being able to barely move my thumb and tap my ex's arm, trying to wake him up so he could wake me up, but he just kept snoring away. I thought I was going to die! I finally woke up, probably because my heart rate was going through the roof. Then it was forever until I could get back to sleep, and I left the lights ON! I've never had that nightmare since then, so I don't really have any advice on how to make them stop (I just wanted you to know you weren't alone on this one). I guess don't watch any scary movies for a while and maybe it will just pass naturally. Wouldn't want you to have to give up LDs permanently!

[Alric]

Yea I heard that about sleeping on your back too. Normally people feel like a pressure on their chest with it, if you sleep on your side then it won't happen. What I would suggest is just try relaxing. Infact you should take the chance and fall back to sleep doing a WILD. Since your already in sleep paralysis it is a lot easier to do. That and remeber hearing sounds and stuff is normal and it can't hurt you. Just ignore it.

[killfrenzy]

dont give up. I say its better to fight your demons than to run away from them. Ive only experienced the old hag thing once and I dont even know if that is it...(I once was half awake half asleep and I felt someones chest leaning hard on my face suffocating me so i gasped for breath, my girlfriend woke me up) I dont have any suggestions on how to overcome it, just go to sleep not feeling afraid of it, tell yourself that you arent going to experience it, and if you do your not going to be afraid because it isnt real. (I know I would shit myself tho, your experience does sound very scary)

[killfrenzy]

thanks man, I couldnt sleep last night thinking about your story...i kept imagining hearing those noises and stuff and got freaked out. (id did sleep in the end tho so its okay hehe)

[Danski]

i used to suffer from that loads last year even before i tried LDs. i never knew what it was but it is so scary and the fear is uncontrollable. the worst part is not being able to move but knowing your about to be attacked by something very very evil

[Scwigglie]

HEY LOL I think I've experienced this 'old hag' business. I'm new and haven't heard the term before, but I did a quick search on google and read that it's a term describing sleep paralysis, right? And that you're still semi-awake so you see/hear things that really aren't there. Do I have this down right? Anyway, assuming I do, I have a funny one. Mind you, it wasn't funny at the time. I have a small obsession with Legolas from "The Lord of the Rings" (by now I bet everyone's tired of hearing about that movie), and I have a large poster of him hanging above my bed in which he's holding a sword in front of him. So, I woke up one night unable to move or speak or anything, and I looked at the ceiling and saw MY LEGOLAS crawl out of the poster, intending to fall on me and kill me. And all I could do was stare at him, screaming inside my head. Anyway, next time you worry about experiencing this, just think about Legolas attacking his most loyal fan and you'll be okay.

[Uriel]

I have had a bunch of old hag experiences though yours sound much worse. But I do think killfrenzy is right, you have to fight your demons. Learning to control my dreams more has helped me greatly lessen the intensity of old hag visits.

[clarkch]

I think I have similar experiences, but not quite the same thing. I'll have that paralysis, and it feels like there are snakes or other lizards (like small alligators) in the bed, biting my legs and feet. It usually freaks me out for a good long while, but I don't necessarily have to be lucid dreaming to feel that presence or sensation. Happens to me about once or twice a year.

[Bastard_x5]

no lol...well sleep paralyisis as i read is completelly normal and is anything but scary...and just for the record did experience it and it is freaky as hell theres two point of view on this topic the spiritual point of view im gonna discuss later heres the scientific point of view see whats happens here in order to wake up from a dream ur body goes through steps..like 321 and hes completelly awake sometimes when ur in a dream u trigger something that wakes u up so quick ''ur eyes only'' ..that ur body still has 2 or 3 or 4 mins before it completelly wakes up..see the paralyisis u experience is comletelly normal..when ur in an rem stage ur body blocks all sensory muscles ''except for you heart and lungs'' so that u wont act out ur dreams..some ppl have a disorder in that mechanism ''hence the whole sleep walking thing''....when you woke up u were in a stage of fully awake yet still in the dream ur eyes were in the waking world and ur ears or what ever is still dreaming....like ur still experiencing hypognogic imagery and sound..whossing sounds presence in the room..blah blah...then u experience a drowsy like effect right ..u know like ur drunk but scared and dont want to be drunk ur eyes are shutting and ur fighting it...well thats ur brain telling u..hey u idiot go back to sleep ur earlly..and its way of trying to corect the whole mess up uve done but u keep fighting to rationalise then u finally wake up..its completely normal the spiritual point of veiw says that ur actually sinking ''having an out of body experience and when ur in paralysis u could float ''i did expreience that by the way which is really fun'' when i woke up i told my folks that i saw them doing blah blah and they said ..how come u were at sleep in your room..!!