Old Hag Syndrome

Old Hag Syndrome or sleep paralysis as its now called is a type of sleep disorder where the person who is suffering it feels as though they are awake but cannot move.  All other senses are awake except they are paralysed. That is in very simple terms. There is a tonne of different things people can experience in sleep paralysis. One of the main experiences is a vision of an old ugly hag that sits on your chest preventing you from moving or breathing.  Thus it used to be called Old Hag Syndrome.
Accompanying the paralysis is usually a sensation of immense evil, a sinister presence etc.
From About.com The current explanation of sleep paraylsis is that it is a problem with the regulation of REM.  In this phase of sleep the body is relaxed so we do not act out the dreams, if this carries on when we wake up, it can cause temporary paraylsis. 


This seems a pretty good explanation but what baffles me is the similarities of what people experience. Why do they all experience the same feelings? The feeling of dread, a heavy chest, seeing eyes, hearing footsteps, feeling a presence etc?


Do you believe in the REM theory for Old Hag Syndrome? Or do you believe its something else? Ever experienced anything similar?

For further watching....

The Science of Sleep Paralysis