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{{Short description|Perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure}}
{{For|other things named Shadowman|Shadowman (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Shadow People|the 2013 film|Shadow People (film){{!}}''Shadow People'' (film)||The Shadow People (disambiguation){{!}}The Shadow People}}
{{Infobox Paranormalcreatures
{{Multiple issues|
|Creature_Name = Shadow People
{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2018}}
|Image_Name = Shadpeeps2.jpg
{{more citations needed|date=June 2017}}
|Image_Caption = Shadow people, as commonly described<ref name=coasttocoast1>Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (2006-10-30) "", Coast to Coast AM (Broadcast)</ref>
}}
|Grouping = Ghost/Specter
{{Paranormal}}
|Sub_Grouping =
|AKA = Shadow Men,<br>Shadow Folk,<br>Shadow Beings
|Country = Various
|Region = Various
|Habitat = Various, most often reported<br>in bedrooms at night or common<br> areas in a house. Rarely reported outside
|First_Reported = Unknown
|Last_Sighted = Present day
|Status = Modern Myth
}}'''Shadow people''' (also known as '''shadow men''', '''shadow folk''', or '''shadow beings''') are said to be shadow like creatures of ] origin that appear as dark forms in the peripheries of people's vision and disintegrate, or move between walls, when noticed.<ref name=coasttocoast1>Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (2006-10-30) "", Coast to Coast AM (Broadcast)</ref>


A '''shadow person''' (also known as a '''shadow figure''' or '''black mass''') is the perception of shadow as a living species, ] figure, sometimes interpreted as the presence of a ] or other entity by believers in the ] or ].<ref name="Idiot's Guide">{{cite book|last=Ahlquist|first=Diane|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Life After Death|year=2007|publisher=]|location=USA|isbn=978-1-59257-651-7|page=122|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0lkscwxGSoAC&pg=PA122 }}</ref>
Reports of shadow people are similar to ] 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.<ref name=coasttocoast1/><ref name=wagner1>Wagner Stephen "", About: Paranormal Phenomena (2007-04-25)</ref>


==History and folklore==
== Appearance ==
A number of religions, legends, and belief systems describe ] entities such as ] of the underworld, and various shadowy creatures have long been a staple of folklore and ghost stories, such as the Islamic ] and the Choctaw ].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Marie D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=No8SDgAAQBAJ&dq=Shadow+person+Jinn&pg=PT183 |title=Demons, the Devil, and Fallen Angels |last2=Flaxman |first2=Larry |date=2017-09-01 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |isbn=978-1-57859-667-6 |language=en}}</ref>
] Accounts of shadow people typically describe them as being black humanoid ]s 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. Generally, they are described as lacking mass, though their specific nature varies from a two-dimensional ] to a vaporous or distorted three-dimensional form (as though made out of smoke or steam). Their movement is often described as being very quick and disjointed; they may first move slowly, as if they were passing through a heavy liquid, and then rapidly "hop" to another part of a witness's surroundings. 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 ]. This last type is referred as the "hat-man".<ref name=coasttocoast1/><ref name=coasttocoast2>Hollis Heidi ) "", Coast to Coast AM (Broadcast)</ref>


The '']'' late night radio talk show helped popularize modern beliefs in shadow people.<ref name="Kinsella2011" /> The first time the topic of shadow people was discussed at length on the show was April 12, 2001, when host ] interviewed a man purporting to be a ] elder, ], who is also known as Harley "SwiftDeer" Reagan. During the show, listeners were encouraged to submit drawings of shadow people that they had seen and a large number of these drawings were immediately shared publicly on the website.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bell|title=Art Bell - Shadow People|archive-date=September 25, 2001|url=http://artbell.com/shadows.html|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20010925192530/http://www.artbell.com/shadows.html|access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref>
Various depictions and artists rendering have been posted on the Internet.<ref name=coasttocoast3>Jim ) ", Coast to Coast AM )</ref><ref name=coasttocoast4>Hollis Heidi, "" (Various artistic renderings of Shadow People)</ref>


In October that year, Heidi Hollis published her first book on the topic of shadow people,<ref>{{cite book|author=Heidi Hollis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YyAXPQAACAAJ |title=The Secret War: The Heavens Speak of the Battle |publisher=iUniverse |date=October 1, 2001 |isbn=9780595203314}}</ref> and later became a regular guest on ''Coast to Coast''.<ref>{{cite web|title = Heidi Hollis - Guests|url = http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/hollis-heidi/5884|work = ]|access-date = 2016-01-12}}</ref> Hollis describes shadow people as dark silhouettes with human shapes and profiles that flicker in and out of peripheral vision, and claims that people have reported the figures attempting to "jump on their chest and choke them".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2008/07/23 | title=Shadow People & the "Hat Man" | work=] | date=2008-03-07 | access-date=2013-04-25}}</ref> She believes the figures to be negative aliens that can be repelled by various means, including invoking "the ]".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2006/03/27 | title=Shadow Beings | work=] | date=2006-03-27 | access-date=2013-04-25}}</ref>
== Types ==
=== Category 1 ===
This category falls into drugs use, seizures, and other mental issues.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
This category covers a very vast description and is known to have descriptions that may or may not match what others describe in category 2 and 3. Category 1 actually may not be considered shadow people at all due to the non consistancy in the descriptions.
=== Category 2 ===
This category falls more into the ghost and spirit category.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} The descriptions in this category are as follows: non human shaped shadows or masses of human shaped shadow people in one place, insect shadows, animal shadow people, and women shadow people. These are mostly see thru shadows. Category 2 shadow people tend to be drawn more to a location than a person. It is common for this category to actually try and not become seen. Light may affect this group.
=== Category 3 ===
This category does not fall into the ghost or Spirit category. This category has only 2 types of shadow people, One tall shadow man and several small hooded "twin" style shadow people.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
These are usually seen non see thru however they may be see thru. This category is more drawn to a person rather than a place, this category may actually be drawn to a certain spirit or ghost as well as humans. This category tends to not care about being seen. Light has no effect on this group.


Although participants in online discussion forums devoted to ] and supernatural topics describe them as menacing, other believers and paranormal authors do not agree whether shadow people are either evil, helpful, or neutral, and some even speculate that shadow people may be the extra-dimensional inhabitants of another universe.<ref name="Kinsella2011">{{cite book|author=Michael Kinsella|title=Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong's Hat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBK8Nr4edm4C&pg=PA117|access-date=9 February 2013|date=17 May 2011|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-60473-983-1|pages=117–}}</ref><ref name="Jenkins2005">{{cite book|author=Greg Jenkins|title=Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore: South and central Florida|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6icr8PSno5MC&q=shadow+people|access-date=14 November 2011|date=1 February 2005|publisher=Pineapple Press Inc|isbn=978-1-56164-327-1}}</ref> Some ] and authors such as Chad Stambaugh claim to have recorded images of shadow people on video.<ref>{{cite web|last=Luiz|first=Joseph|title=Paranormal investigator holds book signing|url=http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/paranormal-investigator-holds-book-signing/article_16ce0612-788d-11e2-8b09-0019bb2963f4.html|date=February 18, 2013|publisher=]|access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref>
== Hypotheses ==
Several explanations have been proposed to explain the phenomena of shadow people.


Shadow people feature in two episodes of ] paranormal documentary series '']'', where the phenomenon is described as a "black mass".<ref>'']''. ]. 2006. Episodes 1 and 2.</ref>
=== Paranormal ===


===The "Hat Man"===
A number of paranormal explanations for shadow people have been drawn from religion and from fields such as ], ], ], and the ]:


One example of a particular shadow person is the "'''Hat Man'''", who shares the characteristics of general shadow people but is named for a ] or other brimmed hat on his head. Descriptions of the Hat Man date back to as early as the late 2000s.<ref name="Klee 2022">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/hat-man-benadryl-tiktok-monster-1234620397/|title=How the 'Hat Man' Went From Benadryl Joke to TikTok Horror Villain|last=Klee|first=Miles|date=November 2, 2022|magazine=]|access-date=October 10, 2023}}</ref> The Hat Man is commonly associated with ] and the abuse of the antihistamine medicine ], commonly sold under the brand name ].<ref name="Klee 2022" /> He is typically described as having very little or no discernible features, although some witnesses have claimed they can "feel him staring" at them.
One proposed explanation is that Shadow People represent a ] (]), ] or ] that was created through the accretion of negative energy created by events in which extreme physical/emotional or stress/trauma has taken place, or which have been purposefully created through ] or other occult practices.<ref name=coasttocoast2/> They have also been claimed as being unattended shadow or ], said in some cultures, to be similar to that of a ghost, a flicker of a life unable to end for some reason. A second proposed explanation is that they are creatures from an ] whose dimension occasionally overlap with ours, allowing them to be partially visible,<ref name=coasttocoast1/><ref name=wagner1/> or that they represent creatures which exist on a separate ] that become visible through similar means.


==Scientific explanations==
Believers in UFOs and related fields have also linked them to ] as well as to the ]s found in conspiracy beliefs such as those promoted by ].<ref name=coasttocoast2/><ref name=wagner1/>
Several ] and ] conditions can account for reported experiences of shadowy shapes seeming alive. A sleep paralysis sufferer may perceive a "shadowy or indistinct shape" approaching them when they lie awake paralyzed and become increasingly alarmed.<ref name="Adler2011">{{cite book|author=Shelley Adler|title=Sleep Paralysis: Night-mares, Nocebos, and the Mind-Body Connection|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_t63WJiZb3cC&pg=PA3|access-date=10 February 2013|date=15 January 2011|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-8135-5237-8|pages=3–|quote=''In the field of sleep research, this experience is termed sleep paralysis: an individual, in the process of falling asleep or awakening, finds himself or herself completely awake, but unable to move or speak…Frequently, he or she sees a shadowy or indistinct shape approaching and becomes increasingly terrified.''}}</ref>


A person experiencing heightened emotion, such as while walking alone on a dark night, may incorrectly perceive a patch of shadow as an attacker.<ref name="OakleyMalik2011">{{cite book|author1=Clare Oakley|author2=Amit Malik|title=Rapid Psychiatry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q50UA-GUbL4C&pg=PA6|access-date=10 February 2013|date=15 November 2011|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-118-29418-5|pages=6–}}</ref>
== Scientific ==
Several scientific hypotheses have been proposed to explain sightings of shadow people, including ]s or ] brought on by the physiological/psychological circumstances of the witnesses, drug use, and the interaction of external agents on the human body.


Many ] addicts report the appearance of "shadow people" after prolonged periods of ].<ref>{{cite book | title=Shadow People: How Meth-driven Crime Is Eating At the Heart of Rural America | publisher=Coalition for Investigative Journalism | author=Anderson, Scott Thomas | year=2012 | isbn=978-0615551913}}</ref><ref name="Covey2007">{{cite book|author=Herbert C. Covey|title=The Methamphetamine Crisis: Strategies to Save Addicts, Families, And Communities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yFGJV5XSNhYC&pg=PA17|access-date=9 February 2013|year=2007|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-275-99322-1|pages=17–}}</ref> Psychiatrist Jack Potts suggests that methamphetamine usage adds a "conspiratorial component" to the sleep deprivation hallucinations.<ref name="pnt"/> One interviewed subject said that "You don't see shadow dogs or shadow birds or shadow cars. You see shadow people. Standing in doorways, walking behind you, coming at you on the sidewalk."<ref name="pnt">{{cite web | url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/methology-part-i-6422539 | title=Methology - Part I | publisher=] | date=18 December 1997 | access-date=19 August 2015 | author=Rubin, Paul}}</ref> These hallucinations have been directly compared to the paranormal entities described in folklore.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51568777 | title=Methamphetamine, Perceptual Disturbances, and the Peripheral Drift Illusion | author=Vila-Rodriguez, Fidel | journal=American Journal on Addictions | volume=20 | issue=5 | page=490 |date=September 2011 | doi=10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00161.x| pmid=21838855 | doi-access=free }}</ref>
=== Pareidolia ===
In most instances, witnesses report seeing shadow people in the ]. This area of vision is linked to the areas of the brain that recognizes patterns, however it provides less detail to the brain than ]r (center-forward) vision. This can lead to a condition known as ], in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of light/shadow or texture as being familiar patterns such as faces and human forms.<ref name=wiggins1>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</ref> 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.


Shadow people are commonly reported by people under the effects of ] substances such as ], ], and ].
=== Hypnogogia ===
Also known as waking-sleep, ] is a documented physiological condition in which a person is part-way between sleeping and waking.<ref>Ohayon M M, Priest RG, Caulet M, Guilleminault C (1996), , The British Journal of Psychiatry (October 2006)</ref> 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 ] 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.<ref>McKellar Peter (1957), "Imagination and thinking: A psychological analysis," ISBN B0007DES76</ref> Similar hypothesis have been put forward linking this condition to a number of other apparent paranormal experiences, including ] and paranormal nocturnal visitations.


Finally, visual hallucinations, such as those caused by schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, may appear to be shadowy figures at the edge of peripheral vision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screening.mhanational.org/content/i-see-ghosts-or-shadows|title=I see ghosts or shadows &#124; MHA Screening - Mental Health America}}</ref>
=== Chemical agents ===
The use of narcotics and ] agents, including ], cocaine, and ], can produce shadow human shaped hallucinations. ] drugs such as ] can sometimes cause these hallucinations.<ref>{{cite news |first = Carol L |last = Falkowski |authorlink = |author = |coauthors = |title = Methamphetamine Across America: Misconceptions, Realities and Solutions |url = http://scholar.google.com/url?sa=U&q=http://www.cityofclive.com/departments/police/online-documents/Meth-CLF-Spectrum-042.pdf |format = PDF |work = |publisher = Hazelden Foundation |pages = |page = |date = |accessdate = |language = }}</ref> Common over-the-counter medication can also have a similar effect if taken in sufficient quantity (see ] and ]).


==In popular culture==
=== Electromagnetic fields ===
*] is a 2015 documentary that discusses the causes of ] as seen through extensive interviews with participants, and the experiences are re-enacted by professional actors. It proposes that such cultural phenomena as ], ] and shadow people can, in many cases, be attributed to sleep paralysis.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/movies/review-the-nightmare-rodney-aschers-look-at-sleep-paralysis.html|title=Review: 'The Nightmare,' Rodney Ascher's Look at Sleep Paralysis|last=Kenigsberg|first=Ben|work=]|date=June 4, 2015|access-date=October 13, 2020}}</ref> The "real-life" horror film debuted at the ] on January 26 and premiered in theatres on June 5.
Under the right conditions, electromagnetic fields can interfere with the functions of the ]; creating altered states of perception in which auditory and visual hallucinations can occur.<ref>Becker Robert O (1990) "Cross Currents," Tarcher, ISBN 0-87477-609-0 </ref>
* Shadow people, described as "Shadow Men", feature prominently in the 2007 novel '']''. When they kill a person, that person is retroactively erased from existence, and history is rewritten as though they were never born.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bergin|first=Nicholas|title='John Dies at the End' has limited showing in Omaha|url=http://journalstar.com/entertainment/movies/john-dies-at-the-end-has-limited-showing-in-omaha/article_3110e9ad-f575-5fc7-b561-37597da78fda.html|work=March 07, 2013|date=7 March 2013 |publisher=]|access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref>
* The 2013 horror film '']'' depicts a fictional sleep study conducted during the 1970s in which patients report seeing shadowy intruders before dying in their sleep. The film follows a radio host and ] investigator who research the story, and the story is claimed to be based on true events.<ref>{{cite web|last=Liebman|first=Martin|title=Believe in the boogeyman? Prepare to die.|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Shadow-People-Blu-ray/63247/#Review|work=Shadow People Blu-ray Review|publisher=www.blu-ray.com/|access-date=7 April 2013|date=March 19, 2013}}</ref>
* In a 2012 episode of ]'s ] series, the subject Skyler is plagued by "shadow people", sometimes called "phase people", and sprays a mist to unveil them in the ]s.<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLHQw34ZYlo| title = 卍BATH SALTS INTERVENTION卍 | website=]| date = 22 October 2012 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> He also builds weapons to fight them and alleges that they are using stolen technology to telepathically communicate with certain individuals.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Skyler / Jessa|url=https://www.aetv.com/shows/intervention/season-11/episode-8|series=Intervention|series-link=Intervention (TV series)|season=11|number=8|network=]|date=2012-02-20|access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref>
* In the online game '']'' and its sequels, shadow people have existed since the dawn of the human race and lurk in lucid dreams. Players who realize that they are asleep can be paralyzed and possessed, and the character's dream self will be turned into a shadow person.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/27007/page2|title=Following Freeware: July 2014 releases|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=]|date=29 August 2014|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref>
* An episode of the ] series titled "]" dealt with a teenage boy who had a shadow person living under his bed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/features/389811-interview-joe-dante-reflects-80s-twilight-zone-episode-shadow-man/|title=Interview: Joe Dante Reflects on '80's TWILIGHT ZONE Episode, 'The Shadow Man'|last=Alexander|first=Chris|work=]|date=5 November 2015|access-date=13 January 2016}}</ref> The episode portrayed the shadow man as fitting the "hat man" appearance commonly ascribed to shadow people and added to the mythology that shadow people can kill humans but will not harm those under whose beds they live.
* In the 1998 video game ], a humanoid figure commonly known as the Gray Man may appear in some dreams, who, if touched, undoes all dream progress and erases saved flashback data. The figure, in both appearance and roles in dreams, is similar to that of the "Hat Man" phenomenon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=C |first=Luiz H. |date=2023-03-23 |title='LSD: Dream Emulator' – The Surreal Game and Its Spooky Conspiracy Theories 25 Years Later |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3754866/lsd-dream-emulator-25-years-later/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US}}</ref>


==See also==
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.<ref name=persinger1>Persinger Michael A (2001), (October 2006)</ref><ref>Arzy Shahar, Seeck Margitta, Ortigue Stephanie, Spinelli Laurent, Blanke Olaf (21st September 2006) , Nature 443 (7109): 245 - 370 (p287)</ref> Researchers have also documented correlations between variances in naturally-occurring magnetic fields and areas where paranormal events have been reported.<ref name=wiseman1>Wiseman, R Watt C Stevens P Greening E O'Keeffe C (2003). , The British Journal of Psychology, 94, 195-211</ref>
* ] – an anomalous experience in parapsychology

* ] – an atmospheric optical phenomenon
=== Infrasound ===
* ] – household spirits in Slavic religious tradition
Sound waves in the range 12-18Hz cannot be heard by human ears but can cause feelings of disquiet by disturbing the parts of the inner ear responsible for balance. They can also cause temporary moving blind spots in peripheral vision.<ref name=sound> {{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/08/1062901994082.html?oneclick=true |title=Sounds like terror in the air |accessdate=2007-09-19 |date=2003-09-09 |work=Reuters |publisher=smh.com.au }}</ref>
* ] – supernatural beings in Arabic culture

* ] – government agents associated with UFO conspiracy theories
=== Neurological conditions ===
Certain neurological conditions, such as ] ]s, have also been shown to cause sufferers to see shadow people.<ref>{{cite news | last = Shuper | first = A | coauthors = Vining EP | title = Photosensitive complex partial seizures aggravated by phenytoin | work = | pages = | language = English | publisher = Pubmed | date = 2005-04-23 | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1797011&dopt=Citation | accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref>



== Popular culture ==
<!--This section should be kept brief, with only references to shadow people more-or-less as described in this article, not 'anything that looks like a shadow' -->
*"The Shadow People" was the title of a 1953 episode of ''Hall of Fantasy'', an American horror ] program that dealt with beings very similar to modern shadow people.<ref> (available for free download; all episodes believed to be in the ])</ref>
* ''Keith Parker's Shadow People'', an independent suspense/horror feature from Tornspace Films features shadow people as the villain.<ref>http://www.tornspacefilms.com</ref>
* ]'s '']'' explores the concept of shadow people; first as a psychological phenomena, then as paranormal event.
* Shadow people are referred to as "It", and are tracked by a secret society in Rick L. Winters film
* In the novel '']'' by ], the protagonist sees malevolent, insubstantial shadowy entities that feed on the suffering of the dead and dying.
* Shadow people are a frequent topic on the SOH Radio Network podcast '']''.
*The novel ''John Dies at the End,'' written by David Wong of , features shadow people as main villains.
*Popular radio host Art Bell (]) has hosted many discussions on the topic of shadow people.
* In the movie "Ghost", entities similar to shadow people are briefly shown, but they are not remotely visible to the living and arrive only to collect a "damned" ghost.

== See also ==
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] – the perception of meaningful patterns or images in random or vague stimuli


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

==External links==
* UFO2U and first book written on Shadow People called The Secret War by Heidi Hollis:
* NC Paranormal Shadow Ghost Research Study:
* Paranormal Phenomena: , (October 2006)
* Ghoststudy: , (October 2006)
* Coast-to-Coast AM: , (October 2006)
* Mizrach Steve, , (October 2006)
* Paranormal & Ghost Society:
* Chatterjee Rhitu (20 September 2006) , ScienceNOW Daily News, (October 2006)
*
* http://www.shadowpeople.org/


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Latest revision as of 19:04, 3 December 2024

Perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure "Shadow People" redirects here. For the 2013 film, see Shadow People (film). For other uses, see The Shadow People.
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A shadow person (also known as a shadow figure or black mass) is the perception of shadow as a living species, humanoid figure, sometimes interpreted as the presence of a spirit or other entity by believers in the paranormal or supernatural.

History and folklore

A number of religions, legends, and belief systems describe supernatural entities such as shades of the underworld, and various shadowy creatures have long been a staple of folklore and ghost stories, such as the Islamic Jinn and the Choctaw Nalusa Chito.

The Coast to Coast AM late night radio talk show helped popularize modern beliefs in shadow people. The first time the topic of shadow people was discussed at length on the show was April 12, 2001, when host Art Bell interviewed a man purporting to be a Native American elder, Thunder Strikes, who is also known as Harley "SwiftDeer" Reagan. During the show, listeners were encouraged to submit drawings of shadow people that they had seen and a large number of these drawings were immediately shared publicly on the website.

In October that year, Heidi Hollis published her first book on the topic of shadow people, and later became a regular guest on Coast to Coast. Hollis describes shadow people as dark silhouettes with human shapes and profiles that flicker in and out of peripheral vision, and claims that people have reported the figures attempting to "jump on their chest and choke them". She believes the figures to be negative aliens that can be repelled by various means, including invoking "the Name of Jesus".

Although participants in online discussion forums devoted to paranormal and supernatural topics describe them as menacing, other believers and paranormal authors do not agree whether shadow people are either evil, helpful, or neutral, and some even speculate that shadow people may be the extra-dimensional inhabitants of another universe. Some paranormal investigators and authors such as Chad Stambaugh claim to have recorded images of shadow people on video.

Shadow people feature in two episodes of ITV paranormal documentary series Extreme Ghost Stories, where the phenomenon is described as a "black mass".

The "Hat Man"

One example of a particular shadow person is the "Hat Man", who shares the characteristics of general shadow people but is named for a fedora or other brimmed hat on his head. Descriptions of the Hat Man date back to as early as the late 2000s. The Hat Man is commonly associated with sleep paralysis and the abuse of the antihistamine medicine diphenhydramine, commonly sold under the brand name Benadryl. He is typically described as having very little or no discernible features, although some witnesses have claimed they can "feel him staring" at them.

Scientific explanations

Several physiological and psychological conditions can account for reported experiences of shadowy shapes seeming alive. A sleep paralysis sufferer may perceive a "shadowy or indistinct shape" approaching them when they lie awake paralyzed and become increasingly alarmed.

A person experiencing heightened emotion, such as while walking alone on a dark night, may incorrectly perceive a patch of shadow as an attacker.

Many methamphetamine addicts report the appearance of "shadow people" after prolonged periods of sleep deprivation. Psychiatrist Jack Potts suggests that methamphetamine usage adds a "conspiratorial component" to the sleep deprivation hallucinations. One interviewed subject said that "You don't see shadow dogs or shadow birds or shadow cars. You see shadow people. Standing in doorways, walking behind you, coming at you on the sidewalk." These hallucinations have been directly compared to the paranormal entities described in folklore.

Shadow people are commonly reported by people under the effects of deliriant substances such as datura, diphenhydramine, and benzydamine.

Finally, visual hallucinations, such as those caused by schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, may appear to be shadowy figures at the edge of peripheral vision.

In popular culture

  • The Nightmare is a 2015 documentary that discusses the causes of sleep paralysis as seen through extensive interviews with participants, and the experiences are re-enacted by professional actors. It proposes that such cultural phenomena as alien abduction, the near death experience and shadow people can, in many cases, be attributed to sleep paralysis. The "real-life" horror film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26 and premiered in theatres on June 5.
  • Shadow people, described as "Shadow Men", feature prominently in the 2007 novel John Dies at the End. When they kill a person, that person is retroactively erased from existence, and history is rewritten as though they were never born.
  • The 2013 horror film Shadow People depicts a fictional sleep study conducted during the 1970s in which patients report seeing shadowy intruders before dying in their sleep. The film follows a radio host and CDC investigator who research the story, and the story is claimed to be based on true events.
  • In a 2012 episode of A&E's Intervention series, the subject Skyler is plagued by "shadow people", sometimes called "phase people", and sprays a mist to unveil them in the refractions. He also builds weapons to fight them and alleges that they are using stolen technology to telepathically communicate with certain individuals.
  • In the online game Deep Sleep and its sequels, shadow people have existed since the dawn of the human race and lurk in lucid dreams. Players who realize that they are asleep can be paralyzed and possessed, and the character's dream self will be turned into a shadow person.
  • An episode of the 1985 Twilight Zone series titled "The Shadow Man" dealt with a teenage boy who had a shadow person living under his bed. The episode portrayed the shadow man as fitting the "hat man" appearance commonly ascribed to shadow people and added to the mythology that shadow people can kill humans but will not harm those under whose beds they live.
  • In the 1998 video game LSD: Dream Emulator, a humanoid figure commonly known as the Gray Man may appear in some dreams, who, if touched, undoes all dream progress and erases saved flashback data. The figure, in both appearance and roles in dreams, is similar to that of the "Hat Man" phenomenon.

See also

References

  1. Ahlquist, Diane (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Life After Death. USA: Penguin Group. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-59257-651-7.
  2. Jones, Marie D.; Flaxman, Larry (2017-09-01). Demons, the Devil, and Fallen Angels. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-1-57859-667-6.
  3. ^ Michael Kinsella (17 May 2011). Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong's Hat. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-1-60473-983-1. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  4. Bell. "Art Bell - Shadow People". Archived from the original on September 25, 2001. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  5. Heidi Hollis (October 1, 2001). The Secret War: The Heavens Speak of the Battle. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595203314.
  6. "Heidi Hollis - Guests". Coast to Coast AM. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  7. "Shadow People & the "Hat Man"". Coast to Coast AM. 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  8. "Shadow Beings". Coast to Coast AM. 2006-03-27. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  9. Greg Jenkins (1 February 2005). Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore: South and central Florida. Pineapple Press Inc. ISBN 978-1-56164-327-1. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  10. Luiz, Joseph (February 18, 2013). "Paranormal investigator holds book signing". Hanford Sentinel. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  11. Extreme Ghost Stories. ITV. 2006. Episodes 1 and 2.
  12. ^ Klee, Miles (November 2, 2022). "How the 'Hat Man' Went From Benadryl Joke to TikTok Horror Villain". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  13. Shelley Adler (15 January 2011). Sleep Paralysis: Night-mares, Nocebos, and the Mind-Body Connection. Rutgers University Press. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-0-8135-5237-8. Retrieved 10 February 2013. In the field of sleep research, this experience is termed sleep paralysis: an individual, in the process of falling asleep or awakening, finds himself or herself completely awake, but unable to move or speak…Frequently, he or she sees a shadowy or indistinct shape approaching and becomes increasingly terrified.
  14. Clare Oakley; Amit Malik (15 November 2011). Rapid Psychiatry. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 6–. ISBN 978-1-118-29418-5. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  15. Anderson, Scott Thomas (2012). Shadow People: How Meth-driven Crime Is Eating At the Heart of Rural America. Coalition for Investigative Journalism. ISBN 978-0615551913.
  16. Herbert C. Covey (2007). The Methamphetamine Crisis: Strategies to Save Addicts, Families, And Communities. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 17–. ISBN 978-0-275-99322-1. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  17. ^ Rubin, Paul (18 December 1997). "Methology - Part I". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  18. Vila-Rodriguez, Fidel (September 2011). "Methamphetamine, Perceptual Disturbances, and the Peripheral Drift Illusion". American Journal on Addictions. 20 (5): 490. doi:10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00161.x. PMID 21838855.
  19. "I see ghosts or shadows | MHA Screening - Mental Health America".
  20. Kenigsberg, Ben (June 4, 2015). "Review: 'The Nightmare,' Rodney Ascher's Look at Sleep Paralysis". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  21. Bergin, Nicholas (7 March 2013). "'John Dies at the End' has limited showing in Omaha". March 07, 2013. Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  22. Liebman, Martin (March 19, 2013). "Believe in the boogeyman? Prepare to die". Shadow People Blu-ray Review. www.blu-ray.com/. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  23. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "卍BATH SALTS INTERVENTION卍". YouTube. 22 October 2012.
  24. "Skyler / Jessa". Intervention. Season 11. Episode 8. 2012-02-20. A&E. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  25. "Following Freeware: July 2014 releases". Adventure Gamers. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  26. Alexander, Chris (5 November 2015). "Interview: Joe Dante Reflects on '80's TWILIGHT ZONE Episode, 'The Shadow Man'". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  27. C, Luiz H. (2023-03-23). "'LSD: Dream Emulator' – The Surreal Game and Its Spooky Conspiracy Theories 25 Years Later". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
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