Social Parapsychologist Elliott Madison of the White Crow Society differentiated standard sleep paralysis from Nocturnal or Old Hag assaults as the guest on the first half of Friday's show. Regular sleep paralysis, he said, is associated with hormones that suppress motor functions during the dream state, that haven't completely worn off upon awakening. And while the Old Hag Assaults were related to this condition, Madison believes these incidents in some ways defy a strictly medical interpretation.
"She was like living death, white straw-like hair, one glowing eye--¦skin stretched over a skull," one caller described his encounter with the Hag. Such stereotypical descriptions of a small menacing humanoid run cross-culturally, leading Madison to conclude that the phenomenon is not related to hallucination or dreams which would show more variability. "There has to be some kind of an external trigger," that could include some type of paranormal explanation, he said.
90% of the Nocturnal Assaults occur when a person is lying on their back, so by not sleeping in this position, one can reduce the likelihood of it occurring, Madison said, adding that sleep deprivation and stress can also be contributing factors. Should one find oneself in a threatening episode of paralysis, he suggested trying to make small incremental motions, as well as "mental movements," such as repeated prayer.
Open Lines
Friday Night's Open Lines in the second half of the show, continued in the Old Hag vein with many callers sharing their encounters. One young man told of an incident where a strange creature actually got into his bed with him, and he could feel its long hairs.
Later "Caller 66" gave a dire prediction (which he said came from God) that there would be a worldwide blackout this Sunday, and that some nuclear weapons would accidentally go off during the outage.