Spooky woman in Church

[HotelMinion]

This happened a few weeks ago. I hardly ever go to church, and my sister asked me to go with her. I said ok.
So we arranged to meet at this church. I pick a pew at random, and go to sit and try to save a seat for her. But my sister's running late and the church quickly fills.
So mass begins, and I'm listening to the priest drone. Ah, so peaceful...
Then this woman (about 55 yo) next to me starts whispering....but LOUDLY.
"I hate this place. I want to go home."
I hear her husband, I guess? admonish her quietly.
"Why did you bring me here?! I hate hate hate the PLACE!"
She said it so loud that I'm surprised that the whole church didn't turn around and look. And out of the corner of my eye I saw that she had leaned over to me and whispered it in my ear. I've learned to ignore weirdos, but I turned to look at her.
She had this crazy blank stare and was looking right at me, so close I could've breathed on her, with this...defiant expression, like she dared me to tell her off (I also thought that maybe she knew me but she was a complete stranger!).
I felt very uncomfortable and looked away quickly. The priest droned, no one said anything. The husband looked embarrassed and didn't say anything more.
So I had to put up with this woman crazy whispers in my ear for another few minutes, and then I slipped out. I'm used to having crazy kids whisper in my ears in church, but not crazy woman!
I went to sit down on the bench outside, and had to take a breather. The mass ended and my sister saw me and came up.
"Hey, why did you leave early?"
I told her about the woman next to me and that I was uncomfortable, so I left.
"Oh yeah, I saw her STARING at you. So she was saying that?!"
I said yes and we chatted for a few minutes before leaving. I didn't see the woman or her husband come out. I was afraid they would and she'd I don't know attack me! She seems really hateful!
Spooky. It would be an understatement to say that I was unnerved by her. Honestly if it had happened to my sister instead, I would be skeptical. Brr.

[Victory Sabre]

If she hates it so much, why the heck did she go?

Yes, weirdo indeed.

[cindybubbles]

Maybe she was possessed, and the husband thought taking her to church would drive the demons away?

[Ree]

Possibly early stages of dementa or alzheimer's?

My Mom developed that blank stare and whispering nonsense.
One day she freaked me out by mumbling in a half whisper to ask me if I knew those 2 girls that were sitting in her living room. It was just Mom and me there.

She made a "psst" noise at me one night after dinner to get my attemtion, and then handed me something that seemed rather precious to her. I looked at it and had no idea what it was. I went out to the kltchen, and my older sister recognized it as chewed up ball of food. She had forgotten how to swallow.

Once the mind starts to go, who knows why people do and say what the do, but it can certanly be creepy at times.

[raudf]

I was thinking early stage dementia myself. Friend's mother loved going to her church, until not too long after she was diagnosed. Then, she would say things loudly, and inappropriately during the sermons. Everyone was concerned, asking the husband why she was acting so differently from her normal self. Well, needless to say, they were a lot more considerate once they found out. Good thing too, because it meant my friend's father had a support network as she grew worse.

I can totally see an outsider finding her creepy when she was on a bad day during church. Her sense of personal space vanished, as well as her ability to actually "whisper." She had a toddler's idea of whispering.. at the top of her lungs.

[Sapphire Silk]

If she hates it so much, why the heck did she go?

Yes, weirdo indeed.

Her husband made her, no question.

Maybe she was possessed, and the husband thought taking her to church would drive the demons away?

You would need an exorcism for that.

I'm thinking mental illness or dementia as others suggested. Not much you can do about those other than medication and eventually the person simply becomes incapable of attending Mass.

[cindybubbles]

You would need an exorcism for that.

I'm thinking mental illness or dementia as others suggested. Not much you can do about those other than medication and eventually the person simply becomes incapable of attending Mass.

That is a more plausible explanation. Much more logical than my demon-possession one, that's for sure!

Perhaps the husband is hoping God can help through prayer and attending Mass. Nothing wrong with praying for a miracle. Too bad that doesn't always happen, though.

[HotelMinion]

Possibly early stages of dementa or alzheimer's?

My Mom developed that blank stare and whispering nonsense.
One day she freaked me out by mumbling in a half whisper to ask me if I knew those 2 girls that were sitting in her living room. It was just Mom and me there.

She made a "psst" noise at me one night after dinner to get my attemtion, and then handed me something that seemed rather precious to her. I looked at it and had no idea what it was. I went out to the kltchen, and my older sister recognized it as chewed up ball of food. She had forgotten how to swallow.

Once the mind starts to go, who knows why people do and say what the do, but it can certanly be creepy at times.

That's really sad. I hope I don't lose my mind that way. I've seen a little a bit about it and heard stories when I used to work in a retirement home.
If her husband said, "Sorry, she has dementia" I'd be less upset about it. So I guess he's the sucky one? Oh well. Poor man.

[KellyHabersham]

Add me to the list of people suspecting this woman might have had early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's.......I remember when I first started as the church secretary, one of the women in the choir was having increasing issues with dementia. I don't know the exact details, just that this woman was already in a care facility, and nobody in the choir was trained/equipped to deal with whatever was happening)

[wordgirl]

There are also manifestations of OCD/Tourette's that will get a particular phrase/sentence beating its wings against the inside of your skull wanting out.

I have mild OCD, and for a long time (years) it was the phrase "How was your weekend?" Pretty innocuous, but it sounds very strange of a Thursday afternoon. And when I get really stressed it is, yes, "I want to go home." (said even when I AM home.)

Fortunately, I have almost always had bosses/co-workers who are able to put up with quirks, but I was on one ADD medication that made it MUCH worse, to the point where I was fighting the urge to chatter in important meetings, etc. -- and sometimes losing.

[WishfulSpirit]

I'm also guessing dementia. Try to be patient with people like that, they literally cannot help it. I agree that the husband saying something might have helped, but people react differently to a serious illness in a loved one, and he's from a generation where you didn't go around talking about medical conditions to complete strangers. Being out around people, in familiar settings, might actually help slow the progression of the disease.