Into the Shadows...

Let's jump back to 1980.  After experiencing the entity I now refer to as "the vomitus whirlpool," things started getting wiggy, and it's been one helluva roller coaster ride ever since.

Immediately following that initial, terrifying encounter with the paranormal, I began seeing so-called "shadow people" regularly.... that is, if you can call witnessing the manifestation of dark, non-corporeal entities that appear out of nowhere "regular."  Anyway, although less frightening than my first experience, catching glimpses of these shadowy forms was nonetheless disconcerting, especially at first.  After a while, though, it became so commonplace that my reactions would range widely... I'd be anything from scared, to startled, to interested, to downright pissed off.  Nowadays, I usually just find it amusing.

These sightings seemed to occur in waves, often happening multiple times a day for stretches that sometimes lasted a week or more, before temporarily letting up.  This would continue over the course of my entire childhood and into my early twenties.  In a way, I came to use my sightings of shadow people as a sort of gauge, to assess how relatively "tuned in" I was to the world of the paranormal at any given time.  After conscientiously breaking away from my involvement in occult activities around the age of 22, I experienced a short-lived surge in shadow people sightings, before it progressively tapered off almost entirely.  Rarely, perhaps once or twice a year, I will still catch a glimpse of these forms.  In a way, seeing them now makes me feel a bit nostalgic, and I simply respond with the same sort of friendly smile and nod that a person might offer to acknowledge someone they used to see around town when they were growing up.

So, what exactly are shadow people?  What is it like to see one, and what the hell do they want?  After the internet came along, I was fascinated to learn that this phenomenon has actually been witnessed by many people, and that their experiences have been very similar to my own.  Theories abound regarding what these beings actually are.  Until I was well into adulthood, though, I had only my own experiences from which to gain perspective and draw conclusions.

Here's what I came up with:

First of all, let's paint a mental picture of what it's like to see one of these buggers.  Shadow people typically manifest as a visual form on the edge of one's peripheral vision.  I have seen more of these entities during the daytime than at night.  They are usually about the height--and in the approximate shape--of an adult human, though I've seen some that were shorter and stouter (think "dwarfish"), and a couple that were a bit larger than an average person (up to seven feet tall, or so).  Much of the time, they appear to be robed and/or hooded.  Though often seen standing still, their appearance is sometimes observed to be moving or shifting in place.  Shadow people do not seem to have a physical, discernible mass; rather, their shape and form is defined by a space occupied by deep shadow, with varying degrees of translucency.



Note the relative translucence and hooded appearance of this figure.



This form presents as a very deep shadow.

Often, their sudden appearance is preceded by the sensation of being in the presence of a sentient being, and accompanied by a feeling of being observed.  Usually--in my experience, about 80 percent of the time--a shadow person's visual form dissipates almost immediately upon turning to look directly at it.  Less frequently, the form will remain in full view throughout the duration of direct observation; this can be extremely disconcerting, to say the least. 

Before exploring the concept of what shadow people are, let's consider briefly what these beings most likely are not.  Specifically, I tend to favor the theory that a shadow person is not a "ghost," or the disembodied spirit of a human being.  My experiences with them have demonstrated that they do not seem to be attached to specific locations, per se, nor are they representative of specific historic eras or events, in the same way ghosts tend to be.  Rather, they tend to manifest as visible entities, to persons who are open or sensitive (even inadvertently) to psychic, spiritual, or supernatural energies.  When the person moves to a different geographic location, the shadow people often follow.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had the feeling that shadow people are something distinctly not human.  Of course, this is all just conjecture on my part, based upon personal experiences, observations, intuition, and the examination of evidence and the accounts of others.  Take it for what it's worth.  Although they seem to be, in some ways, similar to what could be described as demons, I do not believe they are truly demonic in nature, either.  Friendly?  Certainly not.  Malicious or dangerous?  Not really, no.  My sense of shadow people is that they are a unique type of entity unto themselves.  If anything, I interpret them more as beings capable of interdimensional movement, interestedly and somewhat coldly observing us here, and possibly taking some pleasure in the discomfort their appearance sometimes causes people.

While not necessarily menacing, I have never had the feeling that shadow people are exactly friendly, either.  They carry an air of superiority.  At best, their presence seems to be accompanied by the sense that they have a sort of neutral curiosity regarding the people they are observing.  At worst, I get the feeling that they are deriving some measure of enjoyment from causing a person to be startled or afraid, more often in the cases of those that linger long enough to be full-on, directly observed.

Of course, there have also been many instances in which dark, shadowy entities that I would classify as actual human ghosts have been witnessed and/or caught on film.  How does one tell the difference?  The short answer is that sometimes you don't.  It is oftentimes virtually impossible to accurately identify or classify paranormal phenomena.  However, there are some steps one can take in an attempt to do so, and I believe it is our responsibility as investigators to put forth the effort to be as discerning as possible.  Indeed, the advancement of the field of paranormal research depends largely upon the investigator's willingness and ability to gather evidence, to make unbiased scientific observations, and to continue distilling and cataloguing the available data into progressively purer information, properly and skeptically "debunked" to the greatest possible extent.

In my experience, some distinguishing characteristics of a true shadow person, in contrast to a ghost, include the following:

• Sudden manifestation, usually--though not always--on the edge of the peripheral field of vision.  (Ghosts characteristically manifest visually in the direct line of sight.)
• Are not specific to nor geographically linked to a particular place, era, or historic event.  (A ghost tends to remain at a given location, and is often representative of a particular time period or event.)
• Commonly appear in full daylight.  (Ghost sightings occur more often at night.)
• Form defined by dark, shadowy mass, with varying degrees of translucency.  (While often translucent in appearance, ghosts more frequently manifest as lighter colored forms.)
• Humanoid shape, often appearing to be robed and/or hooded.  (The visual shape of ghosts varies widely, from distinctly human with detailed characteristics, to vaporous shapes or indistinct masses of light.)
• Typically stationary, often unmoving, though sometimes dynamic or shifting in place.  (Ghost sightings usually involve the visualization of an entity moving from one point in space to another and then dissipating.)
• Most often dissipates upon full, direct observation; sometimes remains in place throughout the duration of observation.  (The appearance and subsequent dissipation of ghosts tends to occur with relatively less regard to observation.)
• Appears to be observing the observer; that is, seems to be intently watching with a feeling of cold curiosity, perhaps even taking some enjoyment in causing anxiety or fear.  (Ghosts often seem to be oblivious to--or at least uninterested in--the presence or activities of living humans.)

Again, all of my theories concerning shadow people are based upon personal observation, reflection, and intuition.  I have never gathered data in regards to environmental temperature or electromagnetic frequency, nor have I attempted to record electronic voice phenomena in association with shadow people sightings.  Unfortunately, the sudden manifestation of these entities is so highly unpredictable and often short-lived that it would be extremely difficult to do so.  If anyone else has been able to obtain these or other types of evidence, I would be very interested in examining it.

As always, thanks for reading.  Please feel free to comment below, or to contact me with any thoughts, comments, or suggestions.

Until next time... stay tuned, keep it weird, and happy hunting!