An oldie but goodie while Ali takes a well-deserved break. How well do you know your haunts?
Hey, ghost hunting ghouls and fiends. In this week’s installment of Weird Wednesday, I thought it might be good to pause on the locations and tell you a little about the things possibly haunting those locations. There are quite a few different spiritual entities and forces that exist in our world. One type is known as a Shadow Person or more commonly called Shadow People.
Did you know that there are entire websites devoted to just shadow people, as an entity all their own? Some theorize that they are not spirits in the more widely known use of the term spirits, typically a spirt or ghost is the essence or energy of a person that is still lingering in this realm, unable to move on.
One such website is shadowpeople.org, that holds hundreds of firsthand experiences of shadow people. If you are interested in learning more about this kind of spirit, please visit at the link below.
Shadow people or shadow figures have seemed to become a stand-alone type of haunting, right up there with the boogeyman. Pararational.com has come up with four types of shadow people, which include the typical human-shaped shadow figure, a black mass shadow figure, demonic shadow people characterized by their red eyes, and the “old hag” shadow person. These types are classified as such based on their general descriptions, and how often these same descriptions appear. Often enough to be able to classify them each into a sub-set of the typical shadow figure.
Normally, shadow people are just ghosts without the ability to manifest enough energy to properly show themselves to you in full form, so they can only present a shadow of their former self. Often, they can see you, interact with you, and can approach you if they so choose. The consensus seems to be that most shadow figures are associated with negative energies, so while they may not always intend to harm you, it is often best practice to avoid them.
The Demonic shadow figure tends to have red eyes, wings, or horns, rather than looking like a normal human in shape. They are often taller in height than most humans and contact should be avoided at all costs. In most encounters, they do appear to be tied to one location, meaning they cannot attach to you or follow you around.
Black mass shadow figures are exactly what the description sounds like and can be found lurking in dark corners and around doorways. No human shape can be discerned but a black shifting shadow of a large bulk is most often seen from the corner of your eye, just behind you, just above you, just rounding the corner. One theory is of the mindset that these types of shadows are losing their human essence and are absorbing negative energy, therefore becoming more like a demonic shadow figure rather than a human-shaped one.
Most ghost hunters seem to agree that most shadow people seem to be tall, slender men, often with a hat on or a cloak about their shoulders. Women and children have been seen and described, but most of this group, seem to be male. A post on myhauntedsalem.tumblr.com has an interesting theory of its own, which states that shadow figures can be the astral forms of people having out-of-body experiences. These forms are known as tulpas, a psychically created thought-form ghost that is a temporarily disembodied human. I can see this being a popular explanation. Astral projection has been around for hundreds of years, and probably longer.
I can relate to the black mass theory as I often think I see shadows just lurking beyond my field of vision, always just a step around the corner, or vanishing into a dark hallway. Not quite a ghost, not exactly a mist, but something more tangible than either of those. I always catch a glimpse of something moving late at night, just out of my field of vision. I’m usually left with a feeling of dread and a small twinge of fear, and then I hold my breath, waiting to see if it will happen again.
Fascinating beings, aren’t they?
I would suggest that if you encounter, to observe from a safe distance. These do not seem to be very friendly ghosts and most likely will not leave you with a pleasant feeling. As per the normal rules, do not engage, do not provoke, do not disrespect in any manner. You are a guest in their domain, not the other way around.
*Originally posted on the House of Stitched Blog in 2022. Series co-authored/researched by Dark Rose.
Want to Learn More about Shadow People? Check out the below links:
Comments