Who Is The Hat Man? Theories About This Spooky Shared Experience

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Where did the Hat Man legend start, and are the stories true?

Co-authored by Brittney Crabb and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: September 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is the Hat Man?

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Origin

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Theories

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Whether you've actually seen the Hat Man yourself or you’ve just heard about him in memes, TikTok videos, or Reddit posts, you might be wondering—just who is this creepy creature? The Hat Man is a tall shadow person who wears a wide-brimmed hat, and he’s reportedly been seen by people around the world. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Hat Man, including what he is, how the legend started, and a few theories for why he appears.

Who is the Hat Man?

The Hat Man is a tall, slender man who wears a wide-brimmed hat. He’s often associated with sleep paralysis, which is a period when you can’t move when you wake up during REM sleep. The Hat Man doesn’t typically harm people, but he does cause an intense feeling of fear in most people who see him.^{[1]
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Section 1 of 3:

What is the Hat Man?

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The Hat Man is a shadow person seen by people around the world. He is tall (between 6–10 ft (1.8–3.0 m) tall) and thin, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora or top hat. His features are usually hidden by shadows, but some witnesses report that he has red or white glowing eyes or a creepy smile. He’s sometimes described as wearing a long trench coat.^{[2]
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- Some people say the Hat Man had a mist-like appearance, similar to a ghost, while other people say he looked more solid.
- Witnesses generally report an intense feeling of fear or dread when they see the Hat Man. Most people say they felt paralyzed when they saw him.
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The Hat Man is described as an “observer.” He usually stands in people’s doorways or in a corner of their room. Most of the time, he just watches the person for a while, then walks away or disappears. However, according to some accounts, he’ll sometimes sit on the person’s bed or even their chest while they’re sleeping.^{[3]
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- Some people believe that the Hat Man is a bad omen, while others believe that he’s distinctly evil, even though he doesn’t generally harm people.
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Most people see the Hat Man during periods of sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon where people are somewhere between being asleep and awake, and they’re unable to move.^{[4]
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Expert Interview} Some people have also reported seeing the Hat Man while awake, and some people have seen him in their dreams.^{[5]
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- Some people say that the Hat Man tends to appear during periods of intense stress in a person’s life.
- Witnesses sometimes claim that their experiences with the Hat Man were limited to the time they spent in a particular home. This may indicate that the Hat Man frequents certain locations rather than following specific individuals.
- People sometimes report seeing the Hat Man after taking the allergy medication diphenhydramine, or DHP (the active ingredient in Benadryl).

Section 2 of 3:

Where did the Hat Man legend start?

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Online posts about the Hat Man started to appear in the late 2000s. Discussions about the Hat Man were popular in online communities like 4chan and Reddit. The story of the Hat Man became a type of “creepypasta”—a scary story or meme that gets repeated and shared until it becomes a cultural legend.^{[6]
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- Fascination with the Hat Man has led to a website dedicated to him (The Hat Man Project), a subreddit (r/HatMan), and numerous podcasts and videos.
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The Hat Man legend is currently experiencing a surge in popularity. This is thanks largely to TikTok videos where people share their accounts of seeing him. Memes about the Hat Man are also popular, like this one where someone posts, “First date idea: We both take 23 Benadryl and try to fight the hat man.”
- The legend of the Hat Man is further fueled by online communities where people post their experiences after intentionally (and dangerously) taking high doses of DHP or other mind-altering substances in an attempt to see him. The Hat Man is a sort of mascot role in these communities, often treated as equal parts terrifying and endearing.
- Safety note: Taking more than the recommended amount of Benadryl is extremely dangerous. The effects of an overdose can include seizures, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, and tremors.^{[7]
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  MedlinePlus
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  Go to source} In some cases, overdosing on Benadryl can be fatal.^{[8]
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Similar experiences have been reported since ancient times. The Hat Man himself might be a relatively recent legend, but similar stories date back almost as far as human history. The ancient Egyptians believed that a jinn (or genie) caused sleep paralysis. Similar tales in South Africa and Turkey attributed the experience to mischievous spirits.^{[9]
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- In some communities in Southeast Asia, it’s believed that sleep paralysis is caused by a nightmare spirit that descended from the ancient she-demon Lilith. Similar stories exist in Newfoundland, where the spirit is called the “Old Hag,” and the Caribbean, where it’s called Kokma.
- In 1664, a Dutch physician described a patient who was plagued by an incubus (or “Night-Mare”) that held her down while sleeping.

Section 3 of 3:

Theories About the Hat Man

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Sleep paralysis hallucination Most people who see the Hat Man experience a vision of him during sleep paralysis, a phenomenon where your body is not quite awake and not quite asleep.^{[10]
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Expert Interview} Hallucinations and feelings of anxiety are common during this experience.^{[11]
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- Your brain temporarily paralyzes your body to prevent you from moving when you’re in REM sleep. If you partially wake up during that time, you may find yourself unable to move for a few minutes.^{[12]
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  Research source} This could explain the paralyzed feeling when the Hat Man is near.
- Sleep paralysis and the accompanying hallucinations may be prompted by altered states of consciousness—like after drinking alcohol or taking mind-altering substances.^{[13]
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- While it’s a convincing argument, sleep paralysis doesn’t explain why some people experience the Hat Man in dreams or wakeful states.
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Chad Denman
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Dr. Chad Denman is a Sleep Medicine Provider and is the Owner of Sleep Cycle Center in Austin, TX. With over ten years of experience and over 500 hours of Continuing Education in Sleep, he specializes in identifying and offering multiple treatment options to patients suffering from sleep issues. Additionally, he previously treated patients as a general dentist for over a decade! Dr. Denman completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Marquette University and earned an undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology from Florida State University. He’s also a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the American Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. In addition, Dr. Chad is the Director of Doctor Success for the International Academy of Sleep (IAOS). There, he coaches other dentists on how they can become healthcare entrepreneurs and lectures nationwide on the importance of treating sleep apnea.

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Feeling numb when you wake up is nothing to be alarmed about. Numbness in your extremities is normal during the deeper levels of sleep. If you’re woken up, you might feel like you’re paralyzed. Just relax, stretch, and slowly wake up—your muscles will respond quickly.
Some people believe that the Hat Man is a demon, extraterrestrial, or interdimensional being that is on earth to monitor humans. Others believe he is a type of parasitic being that feeds on trauma and fear, which is why so many people experience intense terror when they see him.^{[14]
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Cultural manifestation Some people believe that people see the Hat Man after learning about him—he’s a manifestation of the image we create in our heads when we learn about him.^{[15]
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Research source} Others think he may be a manifestation of pop culture figures like Freddy Krueger, who wears a hat and preys on people while they sleep.
- That said, numerous witnesses claim to have seen the Hat Man without having any prior knowledge of the legend at all, saying that they only learned about him when they started researching their own experiences.