I recently read this article: http://heidihollis.com/Info_on_The_Hat_Man.php Google will reveal other information about the supposedly-real "Hat Man." He seems to be something of an ominous figure; for example, in one recounting, he apparently spoke to the witness and said "This is your last chance."

I'm certainly not suggesting that the Cowboy symbolizes such a figure intentionally, or that Lynch deliberately tied the Cowboy to it, or anything like that. But it seems like an interesting coincidence. A strange figure in a hat that appears in your bedroom while you're sleeping, or that warns you that you're nearly out of chances? Interesting...

Thanks for this Derek, the similarities are indeed interesting! Any idea how universal the Hat Man is? The writer of the article you link to claims she named him and the name stuck, which suggests he's a recent addtion to the ranks of demons/shadow people/archetypes/cultural memes/internet scams/other favoured interpretation.

It's very difficult (but great fun) researching this sort of thing online because the myths, hearsay, scholarly research, anthropology, parapsychology, wild-eyed conspiracy throries etc. are all muddled up. Any evidence to suggest this Hat Man has been around for more than five minutes?

You've reminded me of the Old Hag, a vision commonly seen during sleep paralysis and documented by many cultures through history. She takes the form of an old women who sits on her victims chest while they sleep, often suffocating them or reaching out a clawed hand to stop their heart.

Sleep paralysis is a state between sleeping and waking that combines muscle atonia (present in REM) with a false awakening, lucid dreaming or true waking consciousness, possibly accompanied by terrifying hallucinations. It's commonly invoked as the 'real' explanation behind ghost sightings and alien abductions, amoung other phenomena. I personally experience sleep paralysis regularly, it can be extremely unnerving! I think it's relevant because half states, dreaming and 'real' explanations lurking behind the apparent are all very MD.

Specifically, Irene chases Diane onto her bed, arms outstretched to take her life away. A case of the Old Hag archetype surfacing in film?

Just saw on wiki re shadow people:

In contemporary western culture the phenomenon of supernatural assault are thought to be the work of what are known as shadow people. Victims report primarily three different entities, a man with a hat, the old hag... and a hooded figure.

We've got our man with a hat - The Cowboy, and we've got our old hag - Irene, so where's our hooded figure?

Of course...