A recent blog post about how to recognize that you should cut off a psychic connection got me thinking about an experience I had in which I knew I was in the vicinity of an evil presence, or at least one that was very, very negative.
This was years ago, long before I was even aware of my interest in metaphysics or intuition. In fact, I was a child growing up in New Jersey and ideas such as intuition and ghosts and spirits were not even on my radar.
I was in my bedroom sleeping when in the middle of the night, I was jarred awake. Something had startled me, but when I opened my eyes and they adjusted to the darkness, there was nothing out of the ordinary around me. However, I could feel that I was not alone.
A feeling like a weight on my chest
The first thing I remember was the breathing. I heard breathing around me, yet no one was there. I recognize now that I was hearing the breathing through the psychic gift of clairaudience. Had my brother or sister been in the room with me, I doubt that they would have heard it.
In addition to the breathing, I felt a heaviness around me. It made me feel weighed down, almost as if someone was sitting on my chest. And there was a sadness about it, almost as if whatever negative presence was around me was sighing in sadness or pain.
Now before I go any further, I want to point out that a heaviness in the chest could be indicative of a serious health problem, so if you experience this, make sure you see your doctor.
However, there is also a metaphysical explanation of this phenomenon.
The terror of the ‘old hag syndrome’
So the ‘old hag syndrome’ describes an experience that is not uncommon in which somebody wakes up and not only is unable to move, but they feel like an evil presence is weighing them down by sitting on their chest.
People describe this as being rather terrifying and I can vouch for the fact that when I had the experience, I was afraid and I wanted the presence to go away. I have also heard it said that the heaviness in your chest area has to do with your heart chakra opening up to psychic activity.
There is also the possibility that I sensed the presence of a ghost that was attached to the house and the ghost was experiencing a lot of emotional pain.
While I don’t remember being unable to physically move at all, something kept me from getting up and running to the room of my parents, so perhaps on some level I knew I was under this presence’s spell. I do remember listening to the breathing and willing it to stop.
Eventually, I remember the breathing started to become more faint and eventually, it stopped. Shortly thereafter, the evil presence seemed to fade away, as well.
If you want to protect yourself from an evil presence
While I did not know how to protect myself from such an occurrence as a child, I know of some ways to reduce the risk of having an unwanted presence approach me now.
Surround yourself with protection crystals
Having protection crystals in your house is critical. Where you put them is up to you, but I prefer to keep protection crystals in the places where I am most vulnerable such as my bedroom. Some protection crystals include black tourmaline and black obsidian. You can learn more about protection crystals here.
You can also use room spray that is designed for removing negative energy. It’s up to you whether you spray it on a regular basis or simply when you sense an evil presence. (I personally prefer to be proactive.)
