The Hat Man
People who have never met describe the same figure standing in their bedroom at night: a tall shadow in a wide-brimmed hat and a long coat.
What was reported
Many people report waking at night unable to move and seeing a dark figure in the room. One version comes up again and again: a tall shadow wearing an old-fashioned brimmed hat and sometimes a long coat, standing in the doorway or at the end of the bed, watching.
The 'Hat Man' became widely known in the late 1990s and 2000s through callers to Coast to Coast AM, a late-night radio show about the unexplained, broadcast by Art Bell from his home in Pahrump, Nevada. Listeners were surprised to hear strangers describe their own visitor.
Explanations offered
Most researchers link the Hat Man to sleep paralysis, when the mind wakes before the body and dream images can appear in the room. Shadowy figures are among the most common things seen, and a widely shared description can shape what people see. The same figure is also reported by people who have taken too much of certain allergy medicines.
- When
- Reported widely since the late 1990s
- Where
- Pahrump, Nevada, USA
- Witnesses
- People around the world, many on late-night radio
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Nevada