Hello, my lovelies I hope you are well, it’s been a while. Life as you know tends to get in the way of things. I’m hoping to get at least one post out a month. I know that’s not much but it’s the best I can do whilst juggling numerous other things as well. Maybe in a years’ time I will finally get around to turning this into a podcast too, who knows? Grab a cuppa and a blanket and let’s get into it.
Have you ever seen a shadow out of the corner of your eye, only to turn around and for there to be nothing there? If the answer is yes, it could have been a shadow person.
Shadow people have been described as dark or black figures that are humanoid in shape. They are mostly seen in people’s bedrooms, hallways and dimly lit areas. On paranormal online forum discussions people cannot agree if they are evil, helpful or neutral in nature. Other people, however, believe they are inhabitants of a different dimension or universe.
Types of encounters
There are reportedly 3 types of shadow people encounters.
- Only being seen out of the corner of your eye. Mostly a very quick partial sighting so not being able to fully see what they look like. This are often put down to a figment of the imagination. (I have had this many times)
- A full sighting. When all the shadow person can be seen, even waving at you or being followed by them for a period.
- Known to be the scariest type. Some people have reported encounters with these entities where physical contact has been made or being affected by the shadow. Often with these types of encounters it is said that they seem sentient.
Origins
One of the earliest documented cases of the shadow like people comes from the Quran, known as Jinn (or Djinn). The Muslim faith portrays these creatures as being almost human like although they are rarely seen. They appear as dark shadowy ghosts when they enter the physical world but can change their form at will. Jinn are neither innately good nor evil. Their exact origin is not clear but as well as the Quran they have been documented in pre-Islamic literature in the 7th century.
In ancient Europe there are many reports of strange dark creatures that caused fear amongst the people. Many people in that society believed that these beings desired blood, without which they could not be reborn.
Native American people have also documented encountering these being most prominently these reports come from the Choctaws tribe. The Choctaws believed in beings called “Nalusa Chito” otherwise known as ‘Impa Shilup’ ‘The Soul Eater’ and ‘The Great Black Being’. One description tells that these beings look like tall dark shadows that resembled a man. It was so feared throughout the tribe that they refused to speak its name. It was also believed that if people allowed depression or evil thoughts to enter their heads then it would creep inside them and eat their souls. (Well consider my soul consumed!).
The Choctaw also believed that every man had an outside shadow that always followed them, this was called a shilombrish and a Shilup which after death goes to the land of ghosts. The Shilombrish was supposed to remain on earth and wander around its former home to frighten its surviving friends. It was supposed to assume the form of a fox, or owl imitating their noises and its cries were considered ominous of bad things.
Modern times
One account I found online was made by a man called Mike. This happened in 1998 in the middle of the night. Mike had been spending the day renovating his new home. He was at the property alone as all his friends who had been helping had long left. He woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, this is when he got an overwhelming feeling that he was being watched from the top of the basement stairs. He could see a figure stood in front of the light, whom he first thought was his friend who was one of the people who had been helping him earlier that day. He called out to his friend but got no reply, convinced this was facing an actual person Mike’s guard went up due to the potential danger of an unknown person in his home. Mike pulled out his pocketknife preparing to defend himself against the intruder. It was then the shadow started to approach him. Mike lunged, knife extended, when he saw the shadow move into his arm as if it were trying to impale itself. As it continued to pass through, Mike turned suddenly to watch the figure slowly move away from him and through a wall and outside the property. (I would nope right outta there!)
In 2001 the Coast-to-Coast radio talk show helped to popularize the modern belief in shadow people. It was discussed at length when the host Art Bell interviewed a man purporting to be a Native American Elder. During the show listeners were encouraged to submit drawings of shadow people they had seen, and these were shared on the website. Later Heidi Hollis published her first book on shadow people and became a regular guest on the Coast-to-Coast show.
The Hat Man
Little is known about the entity known as the hat man. The earliest accounts of the hat man are from the 1970’s however, there has been a spike in sightings in recent years. Thousands of people have seen him either in dreams or in the waking world. The hat man is described in most cases appears as a pitch-black man always wearing a trench coat and a wide brimmed hat that resembles a 1930’s fedora. In rare cases people have seen his eyes which are described as wholly red, green or white and sometimes glow (Extremely creepy, I don’t like this no thankyou). People who see him in their dreams say he particularly appears in lucid or reoccurring dreams. The hat man’s origins are unknown, and some witnesses are certain his presence is a bad omen. Some people who encounter him in their dreams believe he is in fact formed by repressed tendencies and provides useful information and guidance. It is believed that the hat man and other shadow like people can only manifest in this world due to uncleanliness and negative energy.
Scientific explanations
A variety of psychological conditions have been blamed or used to explain these sightings. The most common of these is sleep paralysis. This is because sufferers of sleep paralysis commonly perceive a shadowy shape that approaches them and even lies on them whilst they lie awake and unable to move. Other sightings have been from meth users after prolonged periods of sleep deprivation. The use of certain substances is also attributed to the sightings of shadow people such as, Datura (poisonous plants), Diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) and Benzylamine (an anti-inflammatory). (Don’t do drugs kids).
So once again my lovely readers I leave it up to you to decide. Are shadow people real? Have you seen one? I would love to hear your stories. You can find me at these places:
Also if you haven’t already be sure to check out my other posts!
The Nameless Horror of 50 Berkley Square
As always, thank you and take care.
Chris xxx
Chris's Curiosity Chronicles 