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Post by Charlotte on Jul 20, 2009 5:41:47 GMT -5
Who was it that mentioned old hag syndrome? I've never heard of it.
I'm inclined to agree with Dan (this might be the second time ever) - I'm not sure an open music forum is the place to discuss what is essentially a very personal experience. That said, I am happy to discuss things if people keep asking questions, just maybe not out on the forum.
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Post by Billy on Jul 20, 2009 6:44:06 GMT -5
Just a minor point Malky, but you can never actually prove anything; theories can only be falsified.
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Post by ed on Jul 20, 2009 7:19:13 GMT -5
I'm trying to remember from years ago, is it something like mitochondria that have similar characteristics to viruses? Or is it RNA or something like that? Mitochondria probably invaded uni-cellular life forms and began to co-exist (which could be considered similar to a viral phage infecting a cell and copying it's own DNA into the host genome). Mitochondria have their own DNA and they produce their own proteins. You can see the difference between evolved life before mitochondria were incorporated into cellular life, and you can track the evolutionary changes within the mitochondrial DNA. RNA can also be used to describe evolution, since certain RNA molecules have enzymic activity, and can replicate themselves. You can chart the growth and expansion of replicating RNAs in a test tube, they will evolve up to the optimum level given the conditions. Evolution will never be proved, there will never be a complete fossil record. However the evidence supporting the theory is astounding. I'm currently studying cellular machinery which repairs broken human DNA, i.e. the stuff that prevents us developing cancer all over the place. Humans have a complex set of repair molecules, and other mammals have nearly the same. Even bacteria have equivalents, like the proto-type models, and the same machines are found in protists. You can follow the evolution of the individual repair enzymes within the evolution of species. Apologies for taking the thread off on a tangent.
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Post by Nickyboi on Jul 20, 2009 8:02:09 GMT -5
Charlotte - Old Hag Syndrome is related to sleep paralysis and, in some cultures, the occult. I think it's safe to say most people have had a dream which has woken them up with a jolt feeling asphyxiated. Old Hag Syndrome is, I think, a common hallucination caused by sleep paralysis. I'm not sure on the specifics but I occasionally have sleep paralysis and weird dreams that go along with it. Never seen an old hag, though. There's a Wiki article about it, I think.
Also, Ed - that's fascinating stuff. As I say, I vaguely remember some of it from A-level biology. It's one of those issues that's so complex that my sub-rudimentary understanding prevents me from really getting my head around it all.
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Post by Charlotte on Jul 20, 2009 8:15:02 GMT -5
Ah yes Nick, I've heard about that but never heard it called that before. Makes sense though, as a lot of people who suffer sleep paralysis say it feels like someone is sitting on their chest, and old hags are fairly scary!
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Post by Dan on Jul 20, 2009 8:58:36 GMT -5
I've definitely experienced what you describe there Nick, though I've never seen an old hag either haha. I'll have to look into it, sounds interesting.
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Post by Wayne on Jul 20, 2009 9:50:18 GMT -5
My uncle has been having Old Hag Syndrome. He's also been talking to people that aren't there and smashing all his girlfriend's stuff up.
I attribute to him liking David Bowie.
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Post by Charlotte on Jul 20, 2009 12:14:21 GMT -5
I attribute that to mental illness, personally. Maybe the two are connected.
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Post by Beatende on Jul 20, 2009 16:14:24 GMT -5
Old hag syndrome is also known as dream seizure, for it's literal reasons.
Recently both myself and Katie have experienced the same thing in our dreams, which is not dream seizure as but slightly fucking disturbing all the same. I only found out we'd both had it when she explained to me about the weird dream she'd had, that pretty much mirrored mine. When that sort of thing happens and the Carbon monoxide detector in the house is in working order, I tend to attribute it to outside influences fucking about. Either somebody has had a go at me, or it's some sort of Concubiti. Either way, it's in for a rough ride or if it was sent then the person that sent it is going to get it back. Bet you didn't reckon on that possibility when you read LaVey or Peter Carroll's books! They make no mention of it, stating that any curse thrown is final and pretty much unstoppable, but they are wrong.
If "it" doesn't exist altogether and it's just a paranoid fantasy that we've both managed to experience, then "it" probably should be even more worried. Hehe.
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Post by Nickyboi on Jul 21, 2009 3:49:45 GMT -5
I've definitely experienced what you describe there Nick, though I've never seen an old hag either haha. I'll have to look into it, sounds interesting. What's really interesting about the Old Hag is that it's common across such a wide variety of cultures, from the Far East to central Europe. If I had the time (and indeed the inclination) I'd cross reference it against some of Jung's archetypes and theories of the collective unconscious. I wondered if it was in any way Freudian but I can't make an obvious connection. On a side note, whenevr I experience anything like this it's usually to do with dying, or losing my teeth. I frequently dream about my teeth just falling out of my mouth, particularly while I eat; I can vividly recall having a mouth full of broken teeth, chewing on bits of them while I eat. As I said to Wayne the other day, I also had one about dying of a brain tumour, waking up just as the thing killed me. I haven't had that specific dream before, as far as I'm aware. In both instances I tend to wake up with a cold sweat on and gasping for breath (although to be fair, you could attribute that to the fact that I smoke).
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Post by Charlotte on Jul 21, 2009 5:07:10 GMT -5
Dreaming about your teeth falling out or getting damaged is a very common and typical stress dream. A lot of people have worries about their teeth, therefore it stands to reason that if you are under a lot of stress then your brain will interpret this whilst you sleep and you will dream about stressful things.
For myself, a typical stress dream is about having too many snakes and not enough vivariums to keep them in, and they start to get aggressive with each other or with me, eating each other, escaping etc. It's a situation I cannot control. Generally this reflects how I am feeling when I am awake. Likewise if I'm really unlucky I'll have a zombie dream (I hate zombies), but these tend to be few and far between.
On very rare occasions I've dreamed about things that have then come to pass, such as the death of my nan. I don't put this down to any powers of prophecy, more a small child picking up on unspoken things and her brain interpreting them in a way that turns out to happen.
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Post by Evilluke on Jul 21, 2009 5:44:01 GMT -5
I once had this old hag syndrome when I lived alone a few years back - I woke up and literally could not move a muscle with what felt like a crushing weight on my chest. I can tell you, I have NEVER been so scared in all my life. It's a feeling of total helplessness, and as you can't comprehend whats happening its terrifying. I didn't know if I was paralysed or what.
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Post by Nickyboi on Jul 21, 2009 5:48:27 GMT -5
I've never had a vivid dream that's been realised, although I do frequently get powerful feelings of deja vu. It's never over anything significant. I guess if you live long enough, have a weird memory for the insignificant and perform the same task often enough, it's only natural.
I know the teeth thing is really common, and apparently is typically related to financial concerns in particular. I also got told once (by a gypsy) that it's related to ill health or death in the future. Either way, I have weird fixations about teeth. Sometimes I have weird daydreams that make me feel physically sick, and it's usually to do with eating small change. I can actually taste the filthy copper in my mouth while I type this; eugh.
What's interesting to me is that usually, when I'm stressed, I can't sleep at all. I'm a real sucker for insomnia (again, you can partly attribute that to the vats of coffee I drink, and the fact that I smoke and tend to get very little exercise), so I find it fascinating that the unconscious part of my mind can still be raging once the conscious part is comfortable with the situation.
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Post by Nickyboi on Jul 21, 2009 5:51:58 GMT -5
I once had this old hag syndrome when I lived alone a few years back - I woke up and literally could not move a muscle with what felt like a crushing weight on my chest. I can tell you, I have NEVER been so scared in all my life. It's a feeling of total helplessness, and as you can't comprehend whats happening its terrifying. I didn't know if I was paralysed or what. My mate Warren had it a while ago, where he actually saw an old woman staring at him. I've never had anything quite as bad as that; it must be absolutely terrifying.
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Post by ed on Jul 21, 2009 7:02:27 GMT -5
Vaguely on topic - I once dreamt of falling and actually hit the ground. It was odd. I observed my splattered pancake of a body for a minute, then woke up.
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