I first heard this term a month ago, after talking to some friends about my odd experiences after waking up from dreams in a paralyzed state (this is known as Sleep paralysis). Over time the experiences have got more real and more intense. Here are my experiences:
1) When I was about 22, I stayed at a house where I felt very unconformable. I woke up in a paralyzed state, feeling the presence of two figures all over me. I felt they are abusing me.
2) When I was about 26 and 27 (when I started to get into inducing lucid dreams, and as a consequence started having many lucid dreams). I woke up in a paralyzed state about 5 different times over a year period, to see a tall humanoid dark figure standing at a door way (sometimes it was my bed room door, other times it was a doorway that was not really there). I knew I was awake and in bed and couldn’t help my self from yelling at this figure. However I didn’t feel threated. My girlfriend also woke up to my yelling, some of these nights.
3) When I was 29 I had my most threating and scary experience (I’ve never felt so scared). That night I was dreaming about M-theory (string theory). In this dream I got the feeling I was on to something big (maybe the answer to universe/multi-verse?). Anyway, during the dream I was showing a friend these invisible strings. We were following these invisible strings (I could see them, as it bent the light), when the invisible strings started to wrap around me and constrict me (like a snake). It was then I woke up to a short (about 1 meter tall) humanoid figure right next to my bed (only half a meter from my face), it appear to be wearing a hood and was looking right at me (and I was looking straight back at it). My heart was racing and my breathing was extremely heavy (I’ve never been so scared or felt so threated). The figure then started to move towards me, and I saw, what appeared to be an arm/hand moving in a stabbing motion at my chest. I was trying to yell at it but was too scared, I know I was also trying to wake up my girlfriend (via yelling). When I snapped out of my paralyzed state, I woke up my girlfriend to tell her about the dream and the figure (which I now know to be a “Shadow Person”). While I was telling her the story, I could still feel/see a moving shadow (no clear figure) back and forth in the corner of my ceiling, and was asking her if she could see that – she couldn’t see anything. Another odd thing, was as I was telling the story, my father was in the spare room and woke up and started walking about the house. When I told him in the morning about what happened, I asked “why did you get up?”. He said he didn’t feel right and just felt he needed to get up and walk around. How bloody strange!
Experience (3), was so strange and scary it made me re-think my experimenting with lucid dreams. I don’t know what I’m dealing with, and that small shadow person made me feel like I was tapping into something I shouldn’t. Who knows, but the last thing I would want, is to learn something my human mind can’t handle, and as a consequence, my mind crashes (like a computer, like “Snow Crash”).
So this begs the questions: “What are Shadow People?”, “If they are real, why do they exist? why during sleep paralysis? why a humanoid figure?”, “Can I be hurt?”. Since learning the name of these phenomena, and realizing they have been witness by other people, and recorded for centuries.
I’m not religious, but I’m very opened minded. And through my research of robots, the human mind and the universe/multi-verse. I know there is more to this multi-verse, than meets the eye. Hopefully one day science will understand more on this phenomena, but until then I have the following theories:
1) A very good mind trick (from a dream like state appearing in my awaken state, aka Hypnagogic hallucination).
2) A being from another dimension (or parallel universe), and when they cross into our dimension (or universe), they appear as dark shadow’s. Steven Hawking has talked about this and its connection to dark matter – watch the youtube video.
While theory (1) is well documented, the feeling I got and how it happened, makes me think there is more to this than “hallucination”. It felt so real, not like a figure in my dreams at all. So: Why did I feel threated? Why was it looking at me? Why did it come at me? Why did it happen during a dream about M-theory?, and why did my father wake up?
Anyway, I may never know why these figures exist or not. But I do know it was the most strangest experience I’ve never had. The mind and the multi-verse is one amazing place and the more I practice and learn about lucid dreaming and our multi-verse, the more I feel connected to the reasons why this world exists, and what we maybe required to understand, in order to develop a human-like robot/brain.
It’s common to see a “shadow figure” during sleep paralysis.
There’s a theory that this is related to tonic immobility in prey animals – when a prey animal appears to be dead after it is grabbed by a predator.
Sleep paralysis usually happens when you are lying from your back, just as a prey animal would be held down on its back if it had been grabbed by a predator.
The “evil presence” is your mind’s image of a large predator that wants to eat you.
During sleep paralysis, people often dream that someone is crushing them and keeping them from breathing. Your breathing does slow down during REM sleep, and during sleep paralysis, you can interpret this as someone/something suffocating you. Once again, this relates to the idea of being attacked by a predator.
Sleep paralysis can be brought on by stress/lack of sleep.
Does any of your work/studies have to do with string theory?
Since you dreamed of M-theory, and even that the strings were turning into snakes, maybe you are taking work home with you too often.
At last!!! I am not the only. My experience happened when i was alot younger. I am 30 years of age but the dark figures i had seen were so much clearer. But the strange thing is i could not see anything else other than black. but the outline was so clear. Always 2 i could see. But the 3rd stood by the door. This always happened when i stayed at my grandparents. The two would be really close to me making rapid breathing sounds. I have had no explanation then it being just a dream. But how can this be when i am so awake with fear!!! which is why it can be explained as sleep paralysis……..I do not think so! its because i was petrified. Hence the explanation of predator over prey. I need an explanation!!! i need an answer!!! Please if anyone else has seen these figures please get back to me. jason.james80@live.co.uk Many thanks
Very good logical explanation. I love your prey tonic immobility idea, very interesting connection. Every time I’ve had sleep paralysis, I’ve woken up on my back (interesting). FYI, the strings didn’t turn into snakes, I was just using that as an example of our these invisible strings were constricting me. I’ve updated the post to try and reflect this.
My work (see http://www.lukecole.name) is robotics based (and yes I work to much, but in all my interest areas – not just robotics). But I love learning about the universe, so I often read/watch info on it – but when I had that dream, I have not read/watched anything on M-theory in a month or two.
I’m rather sure I was not stressed that night, nor in lack of sleep. But subconsciously I may have been.
Any ideas, why these shadow figures are a human figure. Maybe for humans, our biggest predator are humans?
I did feel like someone/something was suffocating me.
Assuming it was a prey reaction. Shouldn’t the mind snap me out of sleep paralysis asap, so I can defend myself?
That’s an interesting idea put forward there, Macia. Very much from the roots of evolutionary psychology.
Could you provide a link or reference to some material on the topic please?
Phil Imbrogno has written a couple of books in this area (ufos, shadow people, the “djinn”, et al). There are others.
Have fun.
Interdimensional Universe: The New Science of UFOs, Paranormal Phenomena and Otherdimensional Beings
http://www.amazon.com/Interdimensional-Universe-Paranormal-Phenomena-Otherdimensional/dp/0738713473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279653821&sr=1-1
Ultraterrestrial Contact: A Paranormal Investigator’s Explorations into the Hidden Abduction Epidemic
http://www.amazon.com/Ultraterrestrial-Contact-Paranormal-Investigators-Explorations/dp/0738719595/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3TX57JVVFEMWK&colid=38V5Z63AS4B01
I should have mentioned Imbrognos’s co-author on a book about the Djinn, Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Her web site is:
http://www.visionaryliving.com/
Marcia said (via email), after a request for a reference on the Prey idea:
“Here is some more information from our website:
http://www.meaningofdreams.org/lucid_dreaming/sleepparalysis.htm
You can scroll down to the section on “Sleep Paralysis and Paralysis in Prey Animals”.”
However that pages still doesn’t have any primary source references, so at this point I’ll have to take the benefit of the doubt.
Marcia said (via email):
“Here is one:
http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/incubus.html“
Some people pretend that they are hallucinations due to sleep paralysis. That is not true. There are reports of people who have seen Shadow People when they were awake and there are witnesses. Google it and do research. They are real, evil and they want us dead. I’ve been attacked countless times by Shadow People who sucked the lifeforce out of me, tried to steal my soul or tried to force me to go to the other world with them. I fought them with my mind and I’m lucky to be alive. Hallucinations can’t drain your lifeforce and try to take you to the other world. They’re evil spirits…
Quick question. Ever had the feeling of been dragged half way down your bed and suddenly woken stiff as a board. Ive posted my first experience so take a look. Your help would be gratefulshampu and.
Not true, where’s your proof??
Why do you say they are evil and want us dead, where is your proof?
Evil Spirits? Spirits are not even a known substance. If you are looking for an out of this world explanation, try looking into Quantum Physics. Maybe you are seeing something from another parallel universe, or yourself in a future or past time. Maybe it’s dark matter? And just maybe evil spirits live in dark matter. But there is no proof of this yet, but don’t just blindly say they are “evil spirits”.
That explains everything:
http://www.aeoluskephas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=546&view=previous
I stumbled upon this page because I had a pretty similar experience yesterday. I’ve experienced various forms of sleep paralysis throughout my life. Typically when it happens I hear people repeatedly entering and exiting my home and I’m unable to confront them or even identify them. It’s slightly startling, but it’s not very threatening. However, yesterday I was frozen and there was a large black figure lingering RIGHT above me. The only way to describe it was “shadow person,” which led me here. That alone wouldn’t be enough to terrify me except that the shadow person was telling me over and over he was going to “fucking kill me.” The only way to describe the feeling that followed was that every single inch of me was trying to pull away from this terrible terrible thing! I should also clarify that I’m not religious, and I’ve never had any kind of problems with mental health or anything. I’m just a little freaked out. Just thinking about the encounter right now is causing my hands to clam up and get all sweaty. I just thought I would share my experience here and see if anyone could relate or offer advice. Thanks.
I just woke from a dream last night. I was on my back and I hardly can ever sleep on my back for some reason. When I woke I was looking at what I thought was my daughter in the doorway looking at me I was thinking maybe I was making noise cuz of my dream. So I called out her name and no respond so I called out her dads name the then the dark shawdow walked down the hall. I grabbed my phone and ran after it and everyone was asleep in the house. I laid back down to see if maybe I was seeing some shawdow from another room cuz the computer room is right next door so the hall way has a little light but the same dark and kinda tall shawdow never came back.
Wow, I googled because I had a dream at least I think it was last night. A dark figure over my bed and it touched me. I wasnt scare until I became unable to move on my bedroom floor unable to speak and call for my boyfriend who i saw laying in the bed. i was finally able to move my arm a little and reached for the phone to try and throw it to make noise to get his attention and i woke up in my bed with his arms around me. I know it was a dream as he never woke up but to dream being in my room exactly as it is and in the very pjs i slept in was alarming. It seemed so real. If I lived alone I would have slept the rest of the night with the lights on. The only other time something simular happened was when I was pre-teen maybe and I fell asleep w headphones on and there was a dark shadow man starring at me at the end of my bed and the wires kept tangling around me and i couldt move. i knew i was dreaming and eventually was able to thrash around to wake myself up. never connected until the dream last night. FREAKY!
I have never had a dream of being in the same room that is really weird and scary. But I have once had the feeling of trying to move but couldnt and trying to scream but couldnt. I also felt like I was falling off the bed but when I woke up I was in the same spot on my bed. I didn’t see anyone but I don’t know why I couldn’t wake yell and felt like I was falling. Other then the dark shawdow that I saw in my room the other day I have never seen anything that scared me. When I was 17 I live in WY for a while and heard someone outside asking me for something but no1 was out their. But seeing this dark shadow in the doorway and then walking down the hall way was scary. I wish I could understand why.
I often have the feeling of falling and/or floating when “awake” on my bed. I often try this when practicing my lucid dreaming. To my knowledge that is quite normal and explainable. Basically its a form of Sleep paralysis and semi-lucid dreaming – you sense your (lucid) are in the room, but you can feel anything, instead you float, fall or rise (sleep paralysis). It’s happened my whole life every 3-6 months. Sometimes every night for a week or so. I’ve found, it happens more when I don’t have to get up by an alarm clock. I love the floating/falling/rising feeling as its basically lucid dreaming (but I’m in my room). But still these shadow people have got me at a loss – a very strange (and threating) phenomena.
Ive had paralyzing dreams also…Its has happened to me maybe four or five times and the last time was about six years ago, but I remember it like it happened yesterday. I was asleep on my back and woke up not being able to move but my eyes were open. I then saw a black figure walk slowly into my room and walk over to my side of the bed. It then stabbed me in the chest..and to this day I swear I felt something when it happened..the scariest time was when my son was sleeping in bed with me and I woke up not being able to move and a black shadow floated over me with an evil face and as it was looking at me it turned and looked at my sleeping son…every time I have a paralyzing dream I wake up trying to scream with my heart racing.
I’ve been having these “shadow people” appear to me every since I was a small child, at 29 years old, they still attack me often in my sleep or just as I am falling to sleep. As a result of these attacks I have developed severe insomnia over the years and have to take sleep meds to fall asleep. I find it odd that these figures appear during certain times in my life, kind of like a stimulus effect. #1 if I do not medicate myself to sleep and my mind is fully functioning, I see them. #2 when I do see them, something terrible happens in my life. Always some sort of confrontation from someone close to me. I feel and sense that same energy coursing through whomever it is during that time of turmoil. I can recall being dragged out of my bed when I was four and the only thing that saved me was my grandmother pulling me back into the bed. I cannot lie, I still fear these figures because they just will not go away. I don’t know what they want or why they will not leave me alone. I find that they get weaker when I attempt to quote bible scripture to them and trust me, I am not a religious person. I wish I knew how to make them go away for good. The last one was hovering in my bedroom just over my wall and my entire body went numb and I was so cold. I just get so tired of them. Any ideas on how to get them to leave?
Hi there
sorry to hear about your troubles with the so called shadow people
just do this:
Dont beieve in their existence
the more u think abt them and give them importance, the more u r making them powerful
Just dont beilive in them , say to urself that it was just ur wild imagination
Mediate and imagine pure white energy surrounding you and protecting you always.
believe that this pure white energy field is there for u always.
mediate on it as much as u can, imagine it as u meditate
when u go to bed
say to urself that
You are fine and that you are going to have a good sleep and that u r always protected by the white energy.
all the best to u
only ur believe will heal u
Ok, now I’m getting angry. This post is not saying shadow people are bad or good. Bad or good is just made up by humans Do you know ferrets bread? The adult male goes into a nest of baby ferrets and rapes all the baby females. That is nature for them. So what is bad?. Look at the universe, the universe was created through chaos and destruction. Before there was light in the universe, there was darkness for eons. So based on that, you could say bad is the real good! In my mind, good and bad are one in the same. There is no bad/dark or good/light, just grey!
This post is to make sense of the phenomena via analysis known theories and studies via the science!
So I say to you, believe in them, its a real phenomena and it will be understood one day. Maybe that is the real reality and humans are just toys! I can live with them just fine, its the way the universe was designed! Take a chill pill and read a book to learn something!
Hey Jason, i’m Makayla. Wow.. this also happens to me! I’m only 13 years of age, but i have experianced this, ALOT. i would either wake up randomly or after a dream, paralyzed, and then i would see a black figure. One of my most frightening experiances was when i was over at my friends house, and i was sleeping right in the middle of the room on a stretcher, and i woke up around 3 times, paralyzed, only each awakening moment , the black figure was in a different place. the first time, it was in the hall way, and i could see it as the bed room door was wide open. the second time, it was at the door way.. and lastly… – the most frightening part-… the third time , it was right behind the stretcher i was sleeping on, leaning right over my head. i looked up at it, frightened as ever, and it came to my face but i fell strait back asleep before it could even touch me.. but i didn’t fall asleep, it felt more like it was forcing me.. somehow.. and i have experianced similar situations to this a number of other times… although a few of the times i woke up , its not there, i’m just just paralyzed. but because i can’t move, it could be somewhere in the room that i can’t see because i can still feel it’s presence. all the questions that you want answered are also what i would like to know, because what is the purpose of this \black figure\ to do this particular type of thing to human beings? you would think that they would just move on to the after life rather then disturbing human beings, right? sometimes i wake up to the feeling of something breathing on my chest.. and also, there is nothing wrong with my house, so why does it happen ? it dosn’t only happen at my house though… it dosn’t really matter where i am, it’s still there.
From what I understand, the shadow figures are frequently humanoid. However, I’ve read about shadow figures in the form of animals like dogs or spiders.
Personally, I had my first episode of sleep paralysis yesterday, and I was utterly confused by and interested in the experience (I learned what sleep paralysis is today).
The figure I saw was the shape of a demon with bat-like wings and a square head (for some reason). When I woke up I thought I was on my back and I thought I saw the figure on the ceiling looking down at me. After a few seconds (of trying to scream, then trying to swear at it) I snapped out of paralysis and found myself on my side looking at the wall on the opposite side of the room.
Interestingly enough, I couldn’t make out a definit face until the last moment before I snapped out of it. For the majority of the experience I felt like I knew it was looking at me, then at the last moment It’s face changed and occupied a lower quadrant of the its head (square remember?) Its face was distorted and appeared to be smiling. I couldn’t tell if it was a malicious smile or not, as I don’t really recall what the face actually looked like, and I only got to see it for an instant.
Lately I don`t have this experiencies so often (Im 30 years old now) but when I was about 20 I did a lot of experimenting with lucid dreams: I even got to control flight in my dreams and utra fast traveling to places I selected before falling asleep.
But unfortunately I also met this “shadow people”…The worst encounter I had was one night when I was just falling asleep, laying on my back…this three figures started to sorround me, they where like floating over me. They kept just comming closer and moving away until one of them kneeled over me and grabbed me from mi head. Then he or she started tu pull up and it was like he/she was lifting me from my head…but my terrenal body just kept in the bed…It was like he/she was splitting my soul from my body…I woke up terribly scared and agitated. It wasn`t the last time i`d meet them, but it was a very scary one…The strangest thing was that in that ocassion I could actually see their faces, not only a black silhouette…they looked like mummificated or something similar
Uhm, I’m sorry for bumping this topic, but none of my friends offline will even listen when I try to talk about this. All my life my dreams have been a huge factor for me, I have a disorder called Nightmare Disorder which means I have a higher number of nightmares than the average person, and they are always horribly realistic and horrific. I always thought that this was what was happening to me.
I have always been curious about the idea of lucid dreaming, who wouldn’t be right? The ability to have total control over a dream, only I was never able to achieve it. Then one night I was dreaming and realised I was, but the moment I became aware of it I sensed a feminine figure on the edge of the dream, she was turning towards me and I was absolutely petrified, I did not want to see her face, somehow I managed to force myself to wake up. It happened again a few weeks later, only this time the moment I became aware I was dreaming, I felt her presence behind me, and she was whispering. Again, I freaked and evacuated the dream. Then came the third time, and this is the reason I am writing this now.
I was having a nightmare, as I often do, when I became aware that I was dreaming, I was excited because I couldn’t feel her presence this time. I tried dream spinning (a method said to change/prolong a dream) and as I was spinning I was suddenly in my room looking down at myself asleep. Crouched in front of me was the woman, she was peering into my face and she kept repeating “Tell me who is trying to contact me” over and over. I tried to scream but no sound came out and I was back in the dream, I forced myself to wake up but it made me really uneasy for days afterwards.
Since then whenever I lucid dream, I feel her presence, it is as though she is waiting for me to realise I am dreaming so she can contact me, which has led to some really bizarre dreams where I have had to pretend I am not aware and just go with the flow of the dream, considering the nightmares I have, this hasn’t been pleasant.
I have never suffered from sleep paralysis, so I can’t comment on the feeling of being held down etc, but I have my own experiences with these shadowy figures that affect me just as much.
Of course it is entirely possible that she is just another part of the nightmares, but sometimes when I am falling asleep, or just waking up, I feel her there still, it is like she is closest to me during sleep and those grey areas around it. It worries me because each time she appears, she is stronger and more substancial.
Sorry for the essay, and maybe you reading this will think I am nuts too, like my friends. I just needed to get this out of my head.
Hey Lara, thanks for your post.
It sounds as though your dreams are quite traumatic and distressing. When approaching nightmares, have you heard of cognitive defusion (as opposed to cognitive fusion)? In cognitive fusion we give images our attention and react to them as if they were actually happening. Whilst with defuion we recognise these images as pictures and attend to them only if they are helpful.
Importantly, you set aside fear and anxiety. As people we evolve over time through our experiences and fear can prevent this evolution – we become stuck and unable to challenge/change/grow in our perspective. Nightmares by their nature elicit fear. But you manifest this environment, so no need to feel you are prey to it. You are already succeeding in your lucid dream states.
If this female presence is a being in contact with you, rather than an aspect of your archetypal mind, then you still do not need to fear. It may help to practice relaxation and meditate. There is never anything wrong in responding with kindness to ourselves and to others. But be mindful of your intuition and your boundaries. What is, already is.
@Lara
Sorry to hear about your troubles sleeping… What are you doing to try and cope or counter the bad dreams? What exactly is lucid dreaming?
These dreams happened a lot to me after I chased peepeing toms off of our back porch at an apartment complex me and my girlfriend lived at about 4 or 5 years ago. For the first 6 months I couldn’t sleep at all, getting up every 30 mom checking all doors and windows. Finally I started sleeping longer but I was waking up, at least I thought I was, to a tall shadow person standing in my bedroom doorway. I always felt threatened by this figure. I would wake up laying in various positions but always breathing heavy and fast. My girlfriend has even woken me up because I was breathing funny.
So we moved to an upstairs apt in another complex and everything was fine. I wasn’t worried about checking doors and windows throughout the night. Then the shadow people came back. Still felt very threatened and always standing in my bedroom doorway.
Only twice was there a time when the figure moved towards me or was standing above
me. Once was when I was very young… Prolly 9 or 10. You can ask how I can remember something like that after 21 years or so but if you were as scared as I was it’s not hard. The other was at the last apt complex right before we moved out.
Now, just about 30 min ago I woke up from a nightmare of me fighting a shadow figure. It was at the bottom of a set of stairs that seemed to lead to a basement. I was throwing things down at it. I then pushed a small love seat down the stairs and hit it. As soon as the couch hit it I woke up laying on my side breathing very deep and fast. Could watching court TV style shows while falling asleep and sleeping be playing a role?
Dear “Sleepless”:
Lucid dreaming is when you know you are in a dream and can then start to control it. Its awesome, with practice you can even feel, smell and taste everything in your dream and can transform into anything (e.g. a bird, dog, what ever) or go anywhere (e.g. Mars). And being a robotics research, I find it a very interesting way to understand humans, so I can build a robot like them.
Re bad dreams: While I understand some people may have issues sleeping and may need treatment. This post outlines that this phenomenon is not a issue with people, but a well-documented phenomenon among humans (I don’t know of any animal studies so I can’t comment there).
FYI: Science first showed that we only dream during REM sleep, however studies are now showing we also dream during non-REM sleep. And we generally have bad dreams during REM sleep and good dreams during non-REM sleep. This could be related to a primitive subconscious that is preparing for day to day things (eating and avoiding being eaten). Generally if you wake up during REM sleep you have a bad day, and may remember having a bad dream.
So bad dreams are normal and can be a reflection of you way of life. So when you say “Could watching court TV style shows while falling asleep and sleeping be playing a role?”. So my answer to yes, because:
1) its well know (and I’ve also experienced it) that you can dream about things that are really happening around you. e.g. you mates are about to jump on you while your sleeping and while you are asleep you dream of a big rock about to fall on you!
2) if the TV show had bad things in it, then there is a good chance your brain will process bad things that night, since its processing and preparing your brain for bad experiences (e.g. being eaten by a tiger).
So I suggest watching the Matrix or something on repeat while you go to sleep and then you may experience lucid dreaming…
Firstly, no point get in getting angry dear
Well if u read “sleepless” request, she wanted to know how to get rid of the so called shawdows
I used to have sleepless night having nightmares abt such things.
Then i decided not to think or give importance to such beliefs. It worked, now i sleep peacfully.
I dont need to believe in something that is not good for me, whats the point..
So whether this things exist or not is not the matter. How does one have peace of mind when going to bed.
I hope u get my point of view.
Cheers
Bala
Fair enough, I assume you mean “Zuri Malenga” request, as that is who you replied to. I understand your just trying to help people get a good night sleep – but that is kinda off-topic – anyway, fair comment. I just was trying to point out some obvious things for people, so they may re-think how them think of this stuff, which may indirectly help with sleeping I guess.
Thank you for your understanding
I am very interested in the paranomal
I have experienced lucid dreaming and astral travels
One has to learn how to protect or saveguard from any unpleasant incidences. I was afraid of the dark and would imagine shadows moving around and the wispering voices. Now all that is past.
My way of handling it was strengthen my belief that my guardian angels are always with me and that i only have good experiences. The reason being that i dont want to encounter any unpleasant entities and if i do, knowing how to deal with it.
The journey should be pleasant experience.
Thanks for the site, it is interesting read
Cheers!!
bala
Thank you both Bala and Luke for your replies. I do value both points as I have been trying to figure out all of the shadows occurrences in my life and why they happen and how I can stop them. I experience a mixture of feelings during these encounters and some of them can be simply explained and some cannot. The nagging question would be why I also experience the paralysis and why can’t I simply communicate with them to ask what they want and why they appear. It’s like searching for answers in a dark room : (
Hi Zuri,
Well from my experiences I only see them during (or just after) Sleep paralysis. And I only get sleep paralysis when I wake up on my back. So from that, I guess if I could ensure I didn’t sleep on my back, I wouldn’t get sleep paralysis nor see them. Maybe you could try that also.
I also have never been able to talk to them. I always yell at them for some reason. However I’m trying to train myself to calm down during it, so I can speak with them, or at least not yell at them. So I can try to understand/study them.
Seen another one last night, one of the tall ones. My partner got woken up by me trying to yell at it (as I commonly do for some reason). I tried to get out of bed to get closer to it – but again I was paralyzed. When my partner woke up she looked at me but blocked my view to it. I kept trying to say to my partner “turn around”, but it was very hard to move my tongue. She worked out what I was mumbling and turned around, but she said she could not see anything. By the time I could move again (1-2min later), I couldn’t see it anymore. Interesting stuff…
I just read that the dreammachine can bring on “Hypnagogia”. So if dark shadows are an artifact of Hypnagogia I would love to test it out. So I plan to make one as suggested here:
http://www.noah.org/science/dreamachine/
I’ll let you know my experiences with these dream machine. Sounds like a cool experiment……
Just read about a 2008 documentary called “Flicker”, which is all about studies using the Dreamachine. The movie can be watched online at:
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=DJTSFL9S
I’m about to watch it right now…
i saw 1 of these dark shadows when i was about 19 at my grans house,i remember reading my nans bible, it was the 1st few chapters i read i remember saying goodnight to my nan and going to bed,i was awoken by a presence i opened my eyes and saw a tall dark shadow next to my bed,i tryed to yell out but i was paralyzed it then seemed to go backwards and shrink into the bedroom door.I have never been so scared in my life i am now 38 and never had another experience like that .I would love some sort of explanation,i did ask a jevoh’s witness he seemed scared he told me it was imps playing me up.
Well at this point the best explanation I can give can be found in my original post, i.e. Hypnagogic or dark matter
I highly doubt a Jehovah Witness or any religious figure is going to help. They don’t even believe in Dinosaurs. When there is so much proof they existed 65 million years BC. Or evolution, when you can watch evolution take place in our life time on islands.
While there maybe some truth to the bible, how can anyone believe a secondary source of information. To say “So God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27), is like thinking the world is flat. The universe is huge and to say we are made in the image of the so-called creator, is so selfish it makes me sad to think how stupid the human race is, to still believe in such things. Clearly they have no education or are simply brainwashed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m spiritual, and believe there is more to this world. But currently all religious are just a marketing tool to control the masses.
Hello Luke Cole,
All of this sounds very similar to my experiences with what you all are calling Shadow People. However, mine do have a couple differences that I haven’t yet read about or heard anyone explain. Iam 23 years old and my my very first experience with shadow people was when I was approximately 6 or 7 years old…Ill explain the best I can.
(1) I would wake up in my bed, sit up nice and calm and look at my bedroom door to see a red glowing figure (about 6 feet tall) standing and watching me. It never moved, it never made a noise, it only stood in my door frame staring at me. I did not feel threatened, though it did scare me. The first night it happened I thought it was only a nightmare. However after that night, it began happening every single night to follow. After maybe a week of this re-occuring, I began sleeping in between my parents in their bedroom…but that did not cease the experience. In fact, it stayed exactly the same. The only difference now was I was waking up in my parents bed, sitting up nice and calm in between them, looking to my left and seeing my dad sleeping, looking to my right and seeing my mom sleeping and looking at their door way and seeing the red glowing figure staring directly at me. All I could do is lay back down, pull the covers over my face and drift back to sleep. To this day, I have the image scarred in my memory and I can draw it out exactly as I saw it. My parents dismissed it as night terrors, though I feel like they may believe I was truly awake when this was happening because they had our house blessed with holy water. To me it felt as real as anything else. It finally stopped after about 3-4 months.
(2) I hadnt experienced anything like that again until I was about 19 years old and luckily it was only a single night. I fell asleep next to my girlfriend while watching a movie in my bedroom. This time I couldnt recall how everything looked to me, but I do remember feeling like something was after me. I began thrashing in the bed and moaning like something was hurting me. My girlfriend then was able to awaken me and as I opened my eyes the first and only thing I remember seeing was a dark shadow move quickly up to the corner of the bedroom wall, I looked away in fear and when I looked back, it was gone. My girlfriend said before I began thrashing, I was asking for a Doctor. My heart was racing and I had a thin layer of sweat on my forehead.
(3) My third experence, last night, 3/27/11. I recall everything. Im laying on my back (as I was with my previous experiences), I opened my eyes and got out of bed to the left side. My girlfriend was still sleeping to my right. I stood up next to my bed and took 3 steps towards the dresser to get my phone (I thought it was time to get up and get ready for work), I suddenly got extremely dizzy and turned around and fell on my knees next to the bed. Once my knees met the carpet, the dizziness went away and my eyes focused, and as they did a black shadowy figure about 3 feet tall was staring directly in my face, about 5 inches away. It moved its head quicky towards me and I fell backwards, all I could hear was a loud ruffling/growling noise as I fell back and I began yelling. Thats when my girlfriend shook me and I was laying back in bed breathing very heavily. I scared the sh*t out of her. I couldnt get back to sleep because I felt very uncomfortable and had a feeling like something was watching me.
Ive had my share of nightmares and when I do, I can tell they are nightmares. However, these 3 experiences felt extremely real to me and each and every time, they occur in the same location I indeed fell asleep, wearing the same clothes, next to the same people I fell asleep next to, and they leave me with a very bad feeling. I dont know what it is. I dont know if its my imagination. I dont know how to deal with it. I do believe in God, but I do not practice any religion, my family however is mainly Catholic. I am open to all opinions…scientific or religious. I am also very glad to know other people have experienced something like this.
So I read the wikipedia articles on Hypnagogia and Shadow People…and it does explain a lot of what I have experienced. I haven’t found anything relating to the red glowing figure I used to see, only the dark/black figures. And from what I read and from what Ive googled, I havent found that to certainly be a symptom of Hypnagogia or Sleep Paralysis though I guess it could be. Has anyone else witnessed a red glowing figure of any kind?
I’m sorry I have to tell you that these figures that I have seen wasn’t even when I woke up …it was everywhere…suddenly when I walk around the house I see them!
but they have never shown in my dreams or even when I woke up!
it’s really weird and strange!
It’s exciting to know other people have seen a black shadow figure. Slight differences. The first time it appeared to me I was awake. I had seen it several times throughout my life. I never told anyone because I am not a believer in ghots, etc and I didnt want my friends to think I was weird. However, two people had also encountered it while awake.
I am not religious and I have always had a skeptical mind, always thinking of rational possibilities. I am unclear if the feeling of aprehension or fear is related to the fact that the shadow is not familiar (meaning you dont see this everyday), or if it did incite fear cause of some malice, or just a reaction from primitive instinct.
The shadow would tell me things, force me to answer questions both in my dreams and in my sleep. I never remembered what it would say or even ask. My defense against this scary event was my rational mind. I would tell myself to ignore it, it does not exist if I do not believe. My will is stronger than the shadow and it can not harm me. Dont show fear, be ambivalent. It is a dream, hallucination. Things like that (I was 14yrs old). I was thankful that my brother had witnessed it and so did a close friend. Both had no knowledge of my own encounters.
First, my brother had seen it in his room while I was in there. We were going to watch tv, he had followed me in. He switched on the light but no light came on. We assumed the light bulb had burned out. As he flicked it a couple of times he said he saw a shadow climbing in the window behind me. Finally the light went back on and the shadow disappeared.
The second, a friend had a similar experience. I was in his room listening to music. He came in to check on me. He began to say something to me and then cut himself off and then ordered me out of his room. I was startled and ran out. He had never spoke to me in that form. He stayed in the room for a bit then came out. I asked him why he was upset and yelled at me. At first he didnt want to tell me then he said, I dont ever want you to be in that room alone again. When I pressed for answers, he relented and stated that he had seen a black shadow attempting to climb in the window behind me. When he ordered me out and turned he said it was still standing there, outside. He said it was looking at him and it appeared to be laughing with an”evil grin.” Even then I didnt tell him about the dreams, etc. All these years later I never spoke of it again. I thought he had forgotten. Strangely yesterday I spoke to him (fast forward 20yrs later) and he brought it up. I was stunned. It prompted me to google. and brought me here.
I dont really care too much about it, but if you find a scientific, rational answer, I want to know! I read a lot about noetic science, quantum physics, and things of that nature. I dont think it was a “demon” or anything like that. I am a grad student studying neuropsych. I am a huge fan of the brain and all of its mysteries. So everything in me states that there has to be a rational answer and I would like to know what that is…. I hope you find it and share!
i told all my friends about this problem i have seeing black shadow person so they call it. i Think our minds are to weak to deal with the real world so the people that post here and actually believe what they r saying are the world 1% population’s schzophrenic people, and make these images up. i think they are absolutely real, and i keep telling all my friends hoping that they will tell me its not real and im going crazy, so i can get help for schzophrenia.
I had my first experience with shadow “person” tonight, in my case only one person standing to the left of my bed. However I had a very different experience than most of you that seems to have had a scary experience.
My experience was somewhat different. I didnt feel scared, but assured and “strong in conviction” like I was being pumped by my trainer ahead of a game I needed to perform very well in. But ofcourse I was a bit annoyed and currious of why I could not move. The person standing to my left stood out to be very short, he/she/it was holding on to my left leg with the left hand and held the right hand above my head slightly away from my body. There was no heavy breathing that some of you others are talking about, but I heard what I can only interpret as a chant or at least a spoken language/sound I did not understand. Not whispering but rather mumbeling.
I Remeber that I dreamt before the shadow person but I dont remember what. When I woke up I knew instantly what it was, because I watched a documentary about this phenomenon more than 10-15 years back (Sleep paralysis + shadow men). Only thing differing is the fact that I never felt threatened or afraid but rather fullfilled.
When I “woke up” my first instinct was to ask he/she/it to talk to me, for some wierd reason in both languages I speak without thinking about it. I just reacted to it after having said out loud “talk to me” in english and then saying “prata med mig” which is the same in swedish my native language.
When I fell asleep again I went straight into a dream where I could jump in great leaps and bounds without hurting. Jumping around between mountain tops I met a woman who I never had met before/didnt recognice. But I instantly understood her to be my soulmate and I felt that she knew the same about me, I even think she kind of told me and that without opening her mouth. I guess we both opened our minds.
It was all toghether very weird and beautifull.
I really hope that this will come back and that it will be an as positive event following times. Obviously I would want it to be more than a evolutionary pray thing aka Tonic immobility and rather it to be some kind of “contact” over different realms.
Another possible point of interest is that I fairly often (perhaps 1 out of 5) figure out during a dream that it actually is a dream. I then usually start jumping really high or strat flying and then wake up what feels like 20-30 seconds after the reveletion.
I’m looking if someone can help me…..is it a dream or something else?…….A few weeks ago it started but every now an again i dream the same dream. There is this tall dark figure standing at the edge of my bed. I cannot see its face, only its long hair and its outline, but i just know its a man for some odd reason?……this thing is huge at least 9ft and its pretty well built. He doesn’t harm me or do anything, he just stands over my bed. The weird thing is, i know its looking straight at me and it knows I’m looking straight at him… although he doesn’t have eyes (because i cant see any features, just the outline of its body) the gaze it gives me is horrible i have a knot in my stomach when it gazes upon me. I have told my girlfriend and my friend and they think its pretty weird……..Ive been searching on the net for answers so any reply would be appreciated. If there’s anyway i could upload a picture of this thing i have drawn it on a piece of paper so that could be use to someone!? Thanks for your time. Ryan x
So I just woke up about 30mins ago and saw a figure walk towards my bed from the shadows. I immediately sat up and said confidently, “you know I ca see you right. I can see you!” Then I stood and had a sort of staring competition ethnic the figure. It was about two feet away but it was dark in the room so I still couldn’t see it. I could just feel its prescience. After around ten seconds of me impatiently waiting for it to leaves I just graved my phone and shined the light at it. .. there was nothing there.
It was strange because I could move, I wasn’t scared (in fact I sort of mocked the being, I laughed at it for being so bad at hiding then challenged it to leave),
This is my first post, i had many experiences with black shadows/black spiders…
Today i will tell you of a experience i had with one of these Black figures when i was between 10 – 14 (Sry my exact age escapes me)
Me and my family were kinda homeless, we would travel from hotel to hotel, my dad was on unemployment, me and my brother use to steal food for the family so we can eat..
after a while of being homeless we were put in these apartments, the apartment was full of other peoples clothes,etc.. we went to sleep at night like usual (we all were sleeping in the living room together) i woke up to see everyone sleeping on the floor
(exactly where they were before i went to sleep) then i saw this black shadow… although i didn’t feel any anger or intent from this thing, i was suddenly being choke by it..i fought for my life i believe, it then suddenly disappeared.. i woke up terrified.
But now for some reason after a few other experiences,these things can’t harm me, i don’t fear them at all and if they tried i’ll always fight back..i even seen a Black shadow spider last night climbing on the blinds of the window when i woke up last night, that suddenly disappeared.. i smiled and went back to sleep.
I can draw a few c0onclusions of what i believe these things to be.
1. Evil figures trying to steal your soul or Lost souls that wanna exist.
2. Guardians or Fear inducers, maybe were venturing into a dangerous state… maybe too far mean death. (We see them when we awake while sleeping)
3. There seem to be different types, although they appear all to be Shadows, they always stare directly at us.. maybe not to scare us but to make sure nothing gets to our bodies while we leave them.
Sadly it’s unknown what type thats there with you.. but w/e they are the courage is based on yours, don’t fear them..