Shadow people

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For other things named Shadowman, see Shadowman (disambiguation).
Shadow People
Artist's impression of shadow people
Creature
Name: Shadow People
AKA: Shadow Men,
Shadow Folk,
Shadow Beings
Classification
Grouping: Ghost/Specter
Data
First reported: Unknown
Last sighted: Present day
Country: Various
Region: Various
Habitat: Various, often reported
in bedrooms at night or common
areas in a house,
occasionally reported outside
Status: Modern Myth

Shadow people (also known as shadow men, shadow folk, or shadow beings) are supernatural shadow-like creatures of both modern folklore and traditional native American beliefs. According to folklore, they appear as dark forms in the peripheries of people's vision and disintegrate, or move between walls, when noticed.[1][2]

Reports of shadow people occupy a similar position in the popular consciousness to ghost sightings, but differ in that shadow people are not reported as having human features, wearing modern/period clothing, or attempting to communicate. Witnesses also do not report the same feelings of being in the presence of something that 'was once human'. Some individuals have described being menaced, chased, or in some rare instance, attacked by shadow people. There have also been reports of shadow people appearing in front of witnesses, of which they stay there or lingering for several seconds before disappearing. Witnesses report that encounters are typically accompanied by a feeling of dread.[1][3]

Contents

[edit] Appearance

Artist's impression of two types of shadow people
Artist's impression of two types of shadow people

Accounts of shadow people typically describe them as being black humanoid silhouettes with no discernible mouths, noses, or facial expressions, though accounts also exist of them being child-sized humanoids or shapeless masses that sometimes change to a more human like form. The eyes are usually not described as being discernible but in some reports glowing eyes are mentioned. The color of the eyes, if any, is typically given as red. Their specific form is described variously as two-dimensional shadow to a vaporous or distorted three-dimensional body (as though made out of smoke or steam). Movement is often described as being very quick and disjointed. Some witnesses describe this movement as though the shadow entities they have seen "danced" from one wall to the next, or as moving around the room "as if they were on a specific track". Rarely, they are seen "standing" in the middle of doorways or off the wall. Often they are described as being seen staring at the floor. Some accounts describe what appears to be the outline of a cloak, and in some instances the outline of a 1930s style fedora hat. This last type is referred as the "hat-man".[1][4]

Various depictions and artists rendering have been posted on the Internet.[5][6]

[edit] Paranormal/Popular culture

A number of paranormal beliefs for shadow people have been drawn from various religions, parapsychology, metaphysics, demonology, and the occult.

[edit] Specters

One proposal is that Shadow People represent a Thoughtform (egregore), ghost or demon that was created by events in which extreme physical/emotional stress/trauma has taken place, or which have been purposefully created through black magic or other occult practices.[4] They have also been claimed as being unattended shadow or shades, said in some cultures to be similar to that of a ghost: a flicker of a life unable to end for some reason.

[edit] Inter dimensional

A second belief is that they are creatures from another reality whose "dimension" occasionally overlaps with ours, allowing them to be partially visible,[1][3] or that they represent creatures that exist on a separate plane of existence.

[edit] UFO

A third belief is that they are in some way related to Grey aliens, or to the Reptilian humanoids found in conspiracy beliefs such as those promoted by David Icke. [4][3]

[edit] Scientific explanations

Several scientific hypotheses have been proposed to explain sightings of shadow people, including optical illusions or hallucinations brought on by the physiological/psychological circumstances of the witnesses, drug use, and the interaction of external agents on the human body.

[edit] Pareidolia

In most instances, witnesses report seeing shadow people in the peripheral areas of their vision. This area of vision is linked to the areas of the brain that recognizes patterns, however it provides less detail to the brain than macular (center-forward) vision. This can lead to a condition known as pareidolia, in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of light/shadow or texture as being familiar patterns such as faces and human forms.[7] The same condition can also be observed in macular vision in low light conditions, or when viewing a complex but random image. A common example would be perceiving a shadow, thrown by an item of furniture in a darkened room, as being a person.

[edit] Hypnogogia

Also known as waking-sleep, hypnogogia is a documented physiological condition in which a person is part-way between sleeping and waking.[8] During hypnogogia, a person can be conscious and aware of their environment, but also in a dream-like state where they can perceive images from their subconscious. People experiencing waking-sleep commonly report the sensation of lights or shadows moving around them, as well as other visual hallucinations. A feeling of dread is also a sensation that occurs when experiencing hypnogogia. Hypnogogia is sometimes known as 'the faces in the dark phenomenon' because those who experience this state commonly report seeing faces while experiencing waking-sleep.[9] Similar hypothesis have been put forward linking this condition to a number of other apparent paranormal experiences, including alien abductions and paranormal nocturnal visitations.

[edit] Chemical agents

The use of narcotics and psychotropic agents, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and LSD, can produce shadow human shaped hallucinations. Dopaminergic drugs such as pramipexole can sometimes cause these hallucinations.[10] Common over-the-counter medication can also have a similar effect if taken in sufficient quantity (see diphenhydramine and pseudoephedrine).

[edit] Electromagnetic fields

Under the right conditions, electromagnetic fields can interfere with the functions of the temporal lobe; creating altered states of perception in which auditory and visual hallucinations can occur.[11]

Using electromagnetic fields, researches have been able to recreate many of the experiences reported during paranormal encounters under laboratory conditions, including those of shadow people.[12][13] Researchers have also documented correlations between variances in naturally-occurring magnetic fields and areas where paranormal events have been reported.[14]

[edit] Neurological conditions

Certain neurological conditions, such as photosensitive complex partial seizures, have also been shown to cause sufferers to see shadow people.[15]

[edit] Popular culture

  • "The Shadow People" was the title of a 1953 episode of Hall of Fantasy, an American horror old time radio program that dealt with beings very similar to modern shadow people.[16]
  • Wes Craven's They explores the concept of shadow people; first as a psychological phenomena, then as paranormal event.
  • In the novel Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, the protagonist of the same name sees malevolent, insubstantial shadowy entities that feed on the suffering of the dead and dying.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (2006-10-30) "Magic, Hauntings & Shadow People", Coast to Coast AM (Broadcast)
  2. ^ Jenkins, Greg (2007). Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore, Volume 3: The Gulf Coast and Pensacola. Pineapple Press, Inc., 215. ISBN 1561643998. 
  3. ^ a b c Wagner Stephen ": Shadow People", About: Paranormal Phenomena (2007-04-25)
  4. ^ a b c Hollis Heidi ) "Shadow Beings", Coast to Coast AM (Broadcast)
  5. ^ Jim ) Witness's rendering of a Shadow Person", Coast to Coast AM )
  6. ^ Hollis Heidi, "Shadow Being Images" (Various artistic renderings of Shadow People)
  7. ^ Wiggins Arthur W. Wynn Charles M. (2001), "Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction : Where Real Science Ends...and Pseudoscience Begins," National Academies Press, ISBN 0-309-07309-X
  8. ^ Ohayon M M, Priest RG, Caulet M, Guilleminault C (1996), Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations: pathological phenomena?, The British Journal of Psychiatry (October 2006)
  9. ^ McKellar Peter (1957), "Imagination and thinking: A psychological analysis," ISBN B0007DES76
  10. ^ Falkowski, Carol L. "Methamphetamine Across America: Misconceptions, Realities and Solutions" (PDF), Hazelden Foundation. 
  11. ^ Becker Robert O (1990) "Cross Currents," Tarcher, ISBN 0-87477-609-0
  12. ^ Persinger Michael A (2001), "The Neuropsychiatry of Paranormal Experiences" (October 2006)
  13. ^ Arzy Shahar, Seeck Margitta, Ortigue Stephanie, Spinelli Laurent, Blanke Olaf (21st September 2006) "Induction of an illusory shadow person", Nature 443 (7109): 245 - 370 (p287)
  14. ^ Wiseman, R Watt C Stevens P Greening E O'Keeffe C (2003). "An investigation into alleged 'hauntings'", The British Journal of Psychology, 94, 195-211
  15. ^ Shuper, A; Vining EP. "Photosensitive complex partial seizures aggravated by phenytoin", Pubmed, 2005-04-23. Retrieved on 2006-10-01. (English) 
  16. ^ Time Radio Horror (available for free download; all episodes believed to be in the public domain)

Heidi Hollis (2001), "The Secret War: The Heavens Speak of the Battle," Writers Club Press, ISBN 0-595-20331-0

[edit] External links