You wake up unable to move, you can hardly breathe. Feeling a heavy weight on your chest, feeling someone's evil presence in the room - this is the attack of the Old Witch! Happened to you such a terrible incident to death?
In some foreign Internet publications, the mystical phenomenon is called the "old hag" syndrome. People with a normal stable psyche, unexpectedly in the middle of the night, are attacked by an unknown force.
The phenomenon is unimaginably very frightening, discouraging even strong personalities who laugh at everything mystical. Here is what a reader of the paranormal.about website writes:
In the arms of an old witch
In the middle of the night I was awakened by a gasp, absolutely could not breathe. I could not move from my place and could not even scream. The frightening sensation lasted for half a minute, no more. When it happened again, the other night, I felt a very powerful force seize me, literally pushing me into bed.
-In a panic, the man tried to call his daughter for help, but was unable to even squeak. He wanted to hit the wall with his hand, but the devilish force would not let him. This went on again for about 30 seconds and it was over.
“I really don’t believe in ghosts and didn’t see anything,” explains the frightened man. Have you ever had a similar experience? That ominous feeling of death roaming nearby, isn't it?
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The incident described above is a stereotyped example of a terrible problem, which has received the term - the "old witch" syndrome.
Clients of the demonic old woman wake up and cannot move, although they are able to see, hear and touch smells. Often, an eerie phenomenon is accompanied by a feeling of heavy weight on the chest, and an understanding of an alien, ominous presence in the room.
Of course, people are scared of what is happening to them, and then the popular rumor adds that this is a witch, hearing death following her, wants to convey all her experience. She always comes to a person wandering between sleep and reality, this is the most convenient state for capturing and transferring experience. But the old witch is unable to attack for a long time, and if the intended victim resists, then the devil of the night retreats.
Obviously, the disgusting phenomenon is rooted in superstition, they say, a witch - or an old hag - sits or "rides" on the victim's chest, completely immobilizing the person. Despite the absurdity of the explanation, the frightening nature of the nightmare leads many people to believe in the existence of supernatural forces - evil demons.
Indeed, this is a frightening sensation, because although victims are paralyzed, they can use their feelings to the fullest. In addition, the nightmare is accompanied by strange smells, sounds of approaching footsteps, visions of strange shadows, or glowing eyes.
Worse, there is a heavy weight on the chest, making it difficult to breathe, or even completely for long seconds it is impossible to inhale.
All organs of touch of the attacked "old witch" report the reality of what is happening. In shock, the victims wake up completely and jump up completely confused - what just happened to me?
Faced with such a terrifying phenomenon, it is not surprising that many people begin to accuse an old witch or demon, or even an alien visitor, of attacking them.
The phenomenon attracts both men and women of different ages, covering approximately 15-20 percent of the population (estimates vary). This can happen at any time of sleep, day or night, which has been mentioned since ancient times. In the 2nd century the Greek physician Galen attributed it to an upset stomach,”according to Rosemary Ellen's Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts.
Some people have attacks for a limited period of time, others have attacks for many years."
Another example, the attacks of the old witch
I am 27 years old, writes a woman who has had a nightmare attack for the past 12 years. I wake up unable to move, as if someone is holding me tight. And although I try with all my might, I cannot move or even scream. Some kind of spasm twists my body and throat, all I can do is barely move my toes.
At first it was very scary, I wanted to wake up with all my might. After waking up, when everything had already passed, I could not fall asleep in any way, at least for several hours. Now I have gotten a little used to attacks.
Sometimes I even try to estimate how long a terrible, all-consuming feeling keeps me. I always try to wake myself up because ceasing to be afraid of the "old hag", the hellish sensations immediately disappear.
It's a terrible thing, but is it really true for many years, people are tormented by the dark creature of the night, the old witch demonized in fairy tales. What's happening? Is there a rational interpretation of bizarre experiences?
Scientific coverage of the problem
Medical professionals are quite aware of this strange phenomenon, calling it "Sleep Paralysis". In general, the explanation comes down to the borderline phases of sleep: sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is in a state of transition from the "dreaming" phase to deep sleep.
During a dream, our brain goes into an "energy-saving" mode, turning off a significant part of the body's muscular activity. In rare cases, when violations occur, partial shutdown occurs, dream researchers say. At such moments, attacks of sleep paralysis occur - in general, a harmless phenomenon, although very frightening.
The frightening effect really does not exceed a couple of minutes - while the patient is half asleep. For a fairly short period of time, which may seem longer to the patient, colorful visions of realism capture the imagination.
Sleep paralysis is almost always accompanied by vivid hallucinations … there may even be a feeling of a stranger in the room, as if someone is hovering over you … you may feel pressure on your chest, or even sexual attacks - all this is associated with hallucinations, experts say.
The sound of footsteps, voices sounding, doors opening, are all an extremely frightening part of sleep paralysis, bringing in hypnotic vibrant experiences. Yes, many people are afraid of episodes of "sleep paralysis", but doctors calm down no involvement of mysticism, let alone the old witch in this.
Who does the "old witch" come for?
Paralysis can occur in any position of the body, but it most often occurs when a person sleeps on their back. The syndrome is triggered by overwork and lack of sleep - you just do not get enough sleep.
The "old hag" problem, or rather sleep paralysis, plagues people suffering from severe anxiety, stress, or bipolar disorder. Research shows that sleep paralysis is five times more likely to attack people who take certain types of anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium.
According to clinical studies, the recipe for minimizing frightening episodes is simple: first of all, get enough sleep, minimize stressful situations. Exercise on a regular basis. And of course, keep to your sleep schedule.
For some people, this may seem impossible, notes Florence Cardinal in a medical journal publication, so let's look at ways to break the grip of sleep paralysis.
The best way to free yourself is the desire to move, even if you can only move one little finger. This is often enough to break a terrible spell. Finally try to scream! The roommate may not understand what is happening, but this is better than going through an episode of suffering from another nightmare.
Finally, you can always seek professional help if you cannot solve a troubling problem on your own.
So what is it, no old witch really exists? Yes, apparently there is nothing to be afraid of, in the mystical sense. The evil power is clearly felt by sitting on her chest, nothing more than lack of sleep and anxiety from living in a stressful world.
Nevertheless, there is a bit of the paranormal in the nighttime incident. Based on a number of astral practices, the sleep phase between reality and deep sleep (the moment of consciousness free from the body of dreams) resembles the state of alpha immersion, reaching theta immersion.
All this, of course, lies in the field of paranormal phenomena, however, sleep paralysis is extremely reminiscent of the practice of consciously slipping out of the body into the outside world. Naturally, such an experience is often immensely frightening, giving the impression of imminent death.
But if you manage to turn around fear, do not panic, then you can try to use the natural ability to “leave your body”. At the same time, you should not get carried away with an amazing phenomenon at once and a lot. You should start with a few meaningful seconds of "looking around" in the so-called. the astral world. It is necessary to learn to control the process of out-of-body experience, gradually moving on.
One thing is clear: a third of our life falls on the period of dreams, fascinating events take place in a dream, shocking creatures appear at night. What kinds of paranormal experiences are going on? Despite research, life in a state of sleep has been little studied for us.