James Tynion IV and Letizia Cadonici’s Truth of Truth #32 have a new kind of villain, but this one doesn’t come from a suspicious government office or has no badges. He does not even exist beyond the realm of hallucinating and drug-induced dream states.
Covered by shadows (is he wearing a shadow?), Hatman’s office is actually your own bedroom in the middle of the night. His visits are often unwanted (though some people try to “contact” him), and the experience is usually frightening. All you need to do is a dangerous amount of antihistamines or cold medicine.
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There are many subreddits specialising in the topic of drugs used to induce visits from Hatman and him. Some contacts report seeing him on low or safer doses of over-the-counter medication, but there are challenges to increase the dose, but some of them ended with the loss of life. These challenges gained new traction through Tiktok in 2020.
Hatman’s first report comes from the early 2000s, but the notion that it is visited by being evil at night has always been with us. The Nightmare, Henry Husseli’s painting in 1781, depicts a demon sitting on a woman while she was asleep.
Hatman is classified as a Shadowman, like some kind of Dreamstate Cryptid-Ghost-Demon. Shadow People are shadows that, as the name suggests, look essentially humanoids. They are seen at night, but often they are between awakening and sleep. The human body is terribly paralyzed, unable to move, and can be completely wary. (I went through this once. A headless man stood at the foot of my bed and whispered, “This is what became the voice in your head,” and was pinned to the groaning wolf.
In the world of Truth, people become existence through belief as non-realistic things. It is the perfect space for Hatman and the shadows. There are plenty of online claiming that Hatman is still there long after sleep paralysis and drug-induced st misconduct has ended. These are probably fabrist stories, but they are also signs of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Some mental disorders can be caused by meta addiction and other medications. Crystal Meth is the major drug associated with sleep deprivation and overuse of brain pattern detection, as it can promote wild ideas and mild hallucinations.
You may not notice, but Hatman is not the first time he has seen the sleep paralysis demon appear in Horror Entertainment. The Elm Street nightmare was very slightly based on actual events. That particular sleep demon was associated with cultural beliefs and only influenced Lao refugees.
The Associated Press story from December 1981 reported that “(a)n’s unclear suffering is killing Lao refugees at a very high rate, bringing the victims to sleep quickly and without warning.”
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While researching this topic, I came across an interesting collection of stories and “meetings” that I have gathered on his website, Hatman Project. The site appears to lean slightly towards the idea that Hatman is authentic, but also has a folklorist editing feel.
All challenges and internet games that require users to take deadly doses of drugs, whether legal or not, should be avoided. If you or someone you know is experiencing the idea of self-harm, dial 988 on your phone. If you think you or a loved one has consumed a fatal dose of the drug, dial 911 immediately.
AIPT Science is presented jointly by AIPT and New York City skeptics.
