In the hazy threshold between sleep and wakefulness, a tall, shadowy figure emerges clad in a brimmed hat. As he approaches, he exerts a suffocating pressure upon your chest, paralysing you with bone-chilling fear and leaving you gasping for air. If this sounds familiar, you have been visited by The Hat Man, a night-time vision that has recently become TikTok famous as victims have come forward to share their stories.

If you’ve suffered at the hands of the Hat Man, you can rest easy knowing he’s not real, but rather a manifestation of sleep paralysis. This condition blurs the lines between dream and reality, making us aware while experiencing muscle atonia, a temporary paralysis that prevents us from acting out our dreams.