The Terror That Comes in the Night: An Experience-Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions

by David J. Hufford

Book Overview

David Hufford's work exploring the experiential basis for belief in the supernatural, focusing here on the so-called Old Hag experience, a psychologically disturbing event in which a victim claims to have encountered some form of malign entity while dreaming (or awake). Sufferers report feeling suffocated, held down by some "force," paralyzed, and extremely afraid.

The experience is surprisingly common: the author estimates that approximately...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081221305X
• ISBN13: 9780812213058
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Wake Me Up When It's Over

Well, if the title 'The Terror That Comes in the Night' doesn't immediately spark your interest how about that secondary subtitle, 'An Experience-Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions.' Doesn't it sound like a book you'd like to have resting on your lap while riding the subway, or sitting in a busy doctor's office. I just love those weird looks people give you when they see what you're reading. Being one of those people who have a long history of suffering from "Night Terrors" I had a personal interest in purchasing this book. I wanted to compare my own nightmarish encounters with what others had endured during those long and dreadful hours preceding dawn. For me it was a cathartic and affirming endeavor. Therapy you might say. Since my primary attraction to this book was the first-hand accounts provided by the participants in this study, not the research or conclusions drawn by Mr. Hufford, it turned out to be a worthwhile read for me. However if you're looking for some world shattering conclusions or monumental breakthroughs you'll probably be disappointed. An overall intriquing read for those fascinated by nightmares and the realm of dreams.

A thorough investigation of a fascinating phenomenon

There are reports from people around the world that they have wakened in the night with a sense of terror, unable to move, and aware of the presence of a frightening old hag. David Hufford brings us a thorough investigation of this fascinating phenomenon. Hufford is Professor in the Department of Humanities at the Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey Medical Center. He has had a long-standing interest in traditional healing and parapsychology, both of which serve him will in his analysis of the old hag reports, which have not been included in much of the literature on psychic and spiritual experiences. Hufford gathered 93 reports from students at Memorial University in Newfoundland, clarifying their experiences with a detailed questionnaire. Hufford investigates and writes with great clarity. Here are some of his conclusions: 1. The phenomena ... constitute an experience with a complex and stable pattern, which is recognizable and is distinct from other experiences. 2. This experience is found in a variety of cultural settings. 3. The pattern of the experience and its distribution appear independent of the presence of explicit cultural models. 4. The experience itself has played a significant, though not exclusive, role in the development of numerous traditions of supernatural assault. 7. The frequency with which the experience occurs is surprisingly high, with those who have had at least one recognizable attack representing 15 percent or more of the general population. 8. The state in which this experience occurs is probably best described as sleep paralysis with a particular kind of hypnagogic hallucination. 10. The contents of this experience cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of current know1edge. This book does much to clarify an interesting element in the spectrum of transpersonal experiences.

Eye-opening Study

David Hufford looks at a phenomenon called "The Old Hag" in this remarkable study of folklore. The "Old Hag" consists of a belief that a person is stunned by supernatural forces and ridden by a ghost, witch, or other supernatural being in the night. He became interested in the unified way in which people described eerie nightmares that froze people with fright. Hufford discovered that the experience was shared by people who had never even met, thereby challenging the idea that "The Old Hag" was merely a folk belief passed along in an oral tradition. The book provides an excellent way to understand belief from the point of view of a person who accepts it as part of reality. It also provides interesting ways to think about ways to reconcile belief with science. Finally, the book adds great insight into beliefs in alien abductions.

a great book for anyone suffering from sleep paralysis!

If you have ever awoke to the sudden realization that you cannot move, and this experience has been accompanied by a convincing feeling that there is something with a sinister intention there with you in the room, or if you have felt, heard, or even seen something strange and haunting during this state of immobility, then this book is for you my unfortunate friend! I have suffered from sleep paralysis most my life, and this is the only book I have ever found that explores the subject. A very interesting read! Although I do not agree with some of the conclusions that the author suggests, it is nevertheless a well researched and informative book. By the way, if you do suffer from sleep paralysis or the "old hag" as Hufford calls it, it is completely harmless based upon my own experience, other than it can scare the bejeebers out of you. If you do suffer from the above mentioned symptoms, there are several BB's on the web where you can talk with others that suffer from SP, and don't get too worked up over it, it happens to a lot of us as this book skilfully demonstrates.