Shared Nightmares From The Hat Man from Reddit, 4chan & TikTok

Interestingly, the Hat Man is the latest iteration of an archetype that has existed since antiquity. In pre-Islamic Arabia, jinn was an invisible and powerful spirit that lived in a world that overlapped with our own. Latin cultures share folklore of similar creatures known as incubus and succubus that are impish and demonic. Stretching across countries, cultures, and centuries, this archetype has presented in multiple forms under countless names.

The modern iteration of this archetype appeared in the early 2000s when shadow people became popularized in modern American culture. Many have experienced these walking shadows, as a hallucinatory or paranormal experience. Trends indicated that witnesses commonly saw a shadow person with a brimmed hat and outdated coat. This figure was dubbed “the Hat Man” and was described as a malevolent being that brought feelings of intense dread. The Hat Man almost always watched his witnesses. Over the years, stories of the Hat Man began to spread beyond online paranormal communities on 4Chan and Reddit.

Stories of the Hat Man commonly appear on Reddit, especially on boards like r/DPH. This subreddit was created to discuss the recreational abuse of diphenhydramine (dph), commonly available as Benadryl. This subreddit became a popular forum, especially for infamous media cycles surrounding TikTok’s Benadryl challenge. There are many reddit stories involving diphenhydramine and the Hat Man.

Some believe that the Hat Man may be the result of sleep paralysis, a phenomenon where the body is conscious but paralyzed during REM sleep. Others have suggested that cultural preconceptions and folkloric ostension may be the cause. Alternatively, some have proposed the inter-dimensional hypothesis whereby the Hat Man is described as an extra-dimensional being, similar to the Mothman.

The phenomenon of the Hat Man has captured the attention of people worldwide. Many are left wondering whether the Hat Man is a manifestation of our deepest fears or a real entity that exists beyond our understanding.