Revisiting the Shadow Men

[Sinny91]

So not last night, but the night before, I think I encountered a Shadow man.

Now there is the slight possibility that the encounter was a figment of my imagination - but I don't see why I'd imagine the great black shadow I'm sure I saw.

It was between 4-5am and I'd been nodding off on the settee and I'd probably been napping for about 20 minutes, but for no real reason at all my eyes shot open and I saw the great shadow a couple of meters away from me, almost leering over me.

I immediately closed my eyes , drew the blanket over my head, paused for a moment in thought, then decided to turn my back to it.

In instances like these, I assess how likely it was I imagined it, I reflect on the mental image, and study it as though it were a still photograph. I decided that the Shadow was there, so I wasn't even going to address it.

I felt it's presence with me for about a good hour, but in the end I managed to distract my self from the fear, and fall back into sleep.

.....

Now, the funny, odd, or coincidental thing about it is, that earlier that night (about 9pm), I was watching Paranormal Activity, The Ghost.

I thought that it would be a boring rehash it's predecessors but it was pleasantly surprising with it's portrayal of the Bodach, or Shadow Man. They nailed it.. Shadow men have been caught on camera, and when the come and go in their manifestations.. they look.. whispy and liquidy.. before they compose themselves into their more solid looking shadowy forms.

I'm visiting at my friends and they have a resident shadow man who's been witnessed numerous times, even by myself.

The creepy bastard needs to keep away from me...

 

[Pyropyro]

Sinny, try this one for size, I touched one.

I "woke" up in the middle of the night to find one pulling me towards the wall of our apartment. It was a long and spindly arm and its color is darker than my already dark room.

I wasn't afraid of the thing and instead of moving away I grasped an arm. I think it was not the first arm since that arm was still holding my shoulder while the arm that I grasped is looming above my eyesight. It was solid to the touch even if the figure itself was wispy. The arm was as thin as my wrist is so it as easy to hold on to. It was also "alive" since it tried to free itself from my touch and pull back towards the wall. I lapsed back to sleep afterwards.

Whether it's a false awakening (which is still a high possibility since I'm a lucid dreamer and I know that I'm prone to false awakening) or an actual entity, I don't know though.

 

[Sinny91]

Sinny, try this one for size, I touched one.

I "woke" up in the middle of the night to find one pulling me towards the wall of our apartment. It was a long and spindly arm and its color is darker than my already dark room.

I wasn't afraid of the thing and instead of moving away I grasped an arm.

Ugh fuck, you've got some balls, lol.

I think it was not the first arm since that arm was still holding my shoulder while the arm that I grasped is looming above my eyesight. It was solid to the touch even if the figure itself was wispy.

How cool.

The arm was as thin as my wrist is so it as easy to hold on to. It was also "alive" since it tried to free itself from my touch and pull back towards the wall. I lapsed back to sleep afterwards.

Whether it's a false awakening (which is still a high possibility since I'm a lucid dreamer and I know that I'm prone to false awakening) or an actual entity, I don't know though.

I think we may be more perceptive of them in whilst in hypnagogic state. Dunno why.

Damn, its 2am here, I hope I don't see him again..

And yep, they are blacker than black usually, and that's just what I saw.

 

[Pyropyro]

Ugh fuck, you've got some balls, lol.

It's probably because I've become so used to them that my numinous fear of them subsided and was replaced by by burning curiosity. I did have some hostile encounters with them which is similar to a night hag attack but otherwise their presence seems to be benign.

It's probably best to just ignore it and do other stuff. They tend to disappear if ignored.

 

[Tannhauser]

So you saw a shadow man while half asleep, after watching a TV show about shadow men...

I see no other possibility here than this was indeed a supernatural occurrence.

 

[Brontosaurie]

I saw the Baha Men

 

[Lot]

I had a shadow man and some other thing fight over me. It was pretty crazy, because I didn't have sleep paralysis. The shadow person was more like a bundle of tendrils coming from my bathroom, but I'll still call it that. Also this happened before my time with drugs, and shortly after my time in the cult.

I kept trying to fall back asleep, but there was no sleep to be had with what was going on. The non shadow being gave a me a sense it was protecting me. The shadow being couldn't get near me. When it was all over, I noticed my cat was laying right where the protective spirit was. Now sure if that has anything to do with it, but I'd like to think my kitty scared off an evil spirit.

I'd also like to add that I was watching a lot of new age spiritual stuff before bed and at one point said out loud that I would like to meet a reptilian. So I could have induced a weird vivid dream from all the conspiracy and spirit science. Or maybe I did in fact invite a reptilian spirit into my apt and some force kept me safe.

 

[Sinny91]

So you saw a shadow man while half asleep, after watching a TV show about shadow men...

I see no other possibility here than this was indeed a supernatural occurrence.

Well, I know that's the obvious explanation.

But I think it's the wrong one, I know what I saw... and more to the point, felt.

My previous ruminating on the subject was probably an invitation for the visit.

 

[Seteleechete]

I usually say hi when I feel someone watching me... no one ever replies. If they exist they sure seem shy *shrug*.

 

[QuickTwist]

I have never had an experience like this before. I am sure if I did I would remember it.

 

[Cipher]

So even INTPs tend to trust their flawed human minds for no reason at all?

 

[Owl]

So not last night, but the night before, I think I encountered a Shadow man.

Now there is the slight possibility that the encounter was a figment of my imagination - but I don't see why I'd imagine the great black shadow I'm sure I saw.

It was between 4-5am and I'd been nodding off on the settee and I'd probably been napping for about 20 minutes, but for no real reason at all my eyes shot open and I saw the great shadow a couple of meters away from me, almost leering over me.

I immediately closed my eyes , drew the blanket over my head, paused for a moment in thought, then decided to turn my back to it.

In instances like these, I assess how likely it was I imagined it, I reflect on the mental image, and study it as though it were a still photograph. I decided that the Shadow was there, so I wasn't even going to address it.

I felt it's presence with me for about a good hour, but in the end I managed to distract my self from the fear, and fall back into sleep.

.....

Now, the funny, odd, or coincidental thing about it is, that earlier that night (about 9pm), I was watching Paranormal Activity, The Ghost.

I thought that it would be a boring rehash it's predecessors but it was pleasantly surprising with it's portrayal of the Bodach, or Shadow Man. They nailed it.. Shadow men have been caught on camera, and when the come and go in their manifestations.. they look.. whispy and liquidy.. before they compose themselves into their more solid looking shadowy forms.

I'm visiting at my friends and they have a resident shadow man who's been witnessed numerous times, even by myself.

The creepy bastard needs to keep away from me...

They're entirely harmless. [I think. *shrugs*]
Common occurring all the way back from the dark ages. They're called the sitting demons for a reason and occurs during sleep paralysis.
Less likely to occur if you sleep on your side.

The first time I encountered one was not much different from your own. But it happened the first time I took Xanax and then woke up in my bed but couldn't move. It's presence was immense and dark. A shadowy figure was lurking beside me but I dared not to look at it and broke out the hold after forcing myself awake.

I decided then it would be a good idea to just sleep again anyways.
Again, I awoke paralyzed but this time I saw shadow-like dogs eating me alive.
Broke free of the hold again and was like, "Oh, so that's what sleep paralysis is like."

The cursed dogs most likely belonging to the shadow figure that visited me.

My theory is that they're most likely just some entity that is always present but not from this plane of existence.

Just a shadow. Most likely just visiting. But I wouldn't trust anything that they say but they can only connect to our world through dreams or some shit.

Or it's just your own shadow. *shrugs*

I would be more wary of other real human beings then ones that only exist in dreams.

 

[Sinny91]

I've seen them several times in an awake state.

I think they might be different but similar entities.

 

[Architect]

It was my Doppelgänger. I admit it, I want to see you naked.

 

[Owl]

I've seen them several times in an awake state.

I think they might be different but similar entities.

Where did you see them? Haha

Drug induced or sleep paralysis?

Like you were fully conscious and in a cognizant state of mind?

Could be schizophrenia.

What kind of vibe did you get from them? They're most likely just as afraid of you as you are of them.

But this is why INTPs shouldn't watch horror films that shit fucks with my mind too much.

Probably just your imagination. Light some candles and incense.

Evil spirits don't fuck with me because I already worship the dark lord. lolol

Also, did you fuck around with any artifacts or try to summon any spirits? Be careful of what spirits/demons you invite into your home.

I'll cast some prayers/spells for you.

 

[Sinny91]

Oh so a Succubi sat on your chest at night is perfectly normal, but other reported entities are not, and so the witness is delusional?

Great critical thinking skills you got going there.

 

[Owl]

Oh so a Succubi sat on your chest at night is perfectly normal, but other reported entities are not, and so the witness is delusional?

Great critical thinking skills you got going there.

I can only talk to my demons in dreams.

I never claimed that your delusional. Was just wondering where you saw yours?

I mean we are always watching.

Was just trying to help but I mean it sounds like your fucked anyways. Hahahahaha

 

[Yellow]

I have a long history of incubus attack/incomplete sleep paralysis, intermittent episodes of night terrors, and I suffer from sleep anxiety (probably related to the first two issues), and I don't take any kind of medication for it, and I can't. I have a paradoxical reaction to the medication they use to treat the terrors.

I say all this to illustrate my for sympathy for those who experience shadow men, alien encounters, demon attacks, etc.

Our brains are powerfully imaginative, and we have an insatiable need to disseminate all input into [relatively]rational packets of information. You don't have to be delusional to interpret a hallucination as real, and you don't have to be mentally ill to hallucinate. But the simplest explanation is usually the most rational one. To wit, It's simpler to conclude that you're experiencing something that's not real, than to decide that there's an invisible reality full of self-aware beings living within/in contact with our own.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

I almost wish that I could have encounters like these, so I could tell the story afterwards - though, it would no doubt be terrifying at the time.

I felt that you have more thoughts to share regarding the incident, Sinny. Please do say whatever else is on your mind about it!

Also, did you fuck around with any artifacts or try to summon any spirits? Be careful of what spirits/demons you invite into your home.

I once invited the Devil into my home. That night, I had a dream about RZA from the Wu Tang Clan.

I think I may have said RZA was the Anti-Christ.

 

[Pizzabeak]

I haven't had much experience with these but they may remain a poignant phenomena. I know that you can see some stuff like that when you do certain drugs, but they may just be hallucinations. I've always had a skeptical outlook on such things including when people told me about them so, it was kind of interesting when I saw the first glimpses of what they may have been talking about.

I've only had sleep paralysis once but didn't really see any shadowmen or entities. Sometimes I'll remember about it after seeing flutters in my periphery but it's usually just my hair or a leaf. After getting into it, me and my friend were in a car on a windy day with leaves falling all around, so I briefly mentioned to him the whole thing and how it may be related to deja vu; etc but he just stayed there like I was retarded or something, even though I just mentioned the possibility after reading about it in a book.

There's also the theory of the shadow psyche, which could be related. There's been at least one or two documented cases in which after an exorcism is performed, something may have been remained, left behind, and which causes anxiety and paranoia. Usually, it is described as being a quick shadow thing that flags around the room and has even been known to arouse dogs, specifically ones who are usually somewhat docile about things. Regardless if this is that or not, after extensive therapy work (with MDMA, in this case), the issue can be resolved.

In fact, this is the same thing Jung was talking about when he said the Shadow. Obviously, this darkness ends up being a manifestation of the person's own dark side. In this case of the exorcist, it used that as an opportunity to emerge and beg for attention. And also in this case, after months of work and study, they were finally able to face the beast, which kept running away, but after capturing it, it ended up being a fuzzy spider like entity, which also had tremendous strength and the ability to be an ally. And after even more work, the spider was able to transform into something less threatening, thus practically concluding the sessions. The dog also stopped acting so erratic after that.

So it might not be the same thing but yes I understand on acid you could see some things, shadowmen or entities in the corner of the veil, just kind of watching. You can pay it mind or no. Same thing with DMT; odd that you can only see when your brain is in a certain mind state I suppose. Are they real or not? Perhaps, for some reason, while your brain contains particular concentrations it grants some kind of temporary access to worlds or dimensions made of other kind of matter. The plane of existence is always there but we normally can't perceive it. It's the same thing, except you can just slightly see what's going on behind the scenes. Could just be a hallucination or human creativity using symbols and metaphors for stuff, but if it's related to dreams then it should be easy to see why watching certain things before sleep makes you see those in them.

Otherwise I've had no real experience with this so I can't say how much of it is bullshit. Again, sometimes I'll see a shadow thing flicker in the corners of my vision but it's usually just my hair, giving me a surprise that it can do that. I don't think that typical pharmaceuticals can help in this regard.

 

[Cognisant]

They're entirely harmless. [I think. *shrugs*]
Common occurring all the way back from the dark ages. They're called the sitting demons for a reason and occurs during sleep paralysis.
Less likely to occur if you sleep on your side.

I was attacked while sleeping on my side, I was paralyzed and could feel the presence behind me like spindly fingers running down my spine, after a few moments of absolute terror it occurred to me that if thing was going to attack me it would have attacked already, therefore its purpose isn't to cause harm but rather frighten me.

I call them nightmares because that's essentially what they are, now I grew up with terrible nightmares (the regular kind) but I learned the monsters in a nightmare are only as powerful as your fear of them, once you realize this the nightmare becomes a lucid dream and the monster becomes the victim

The night hag / nightmare got shitty and left while I laid there (still paralyzed) giggling to myself at the absurdity of the situation.

 

[Sinny91]

Man, I was hoping this would take a more literal turn. As a child, I was absolutely sure there were monsters lurking on the other side of all mirrors and some arches. I don't know where the belief came from, only I never, ever spoke of it, and I still have the tingle of the fear as an adult, though I do a good job of pretending I'm not afraid and that there's nothing to be afraid of.

I'm sure that a "thing" and not just you... Like, a viable myth...

Myth.. Myths are cool.

I'm just trying to search for my other posts about encounters..