literature

Shadow Folk: An Essay

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Introduction


The paranormal (defined as experiences that lie outside the range of what is considered normal) has been influencing the media for years. Paranormal phenomena include but are not limited to ghosts, spirits, tulpa’s, demons, and aliens. Cryptids are also included in the list of paranormal phenomena. Creatures categorized as cryptids are mythological beings such as Big Foot, the Jersey Devil, unicorns, vampires, and werewolves.

Belief in the paranormal has sparked television shows like Ghost Hunters, movies such as The Ring and The Grudge, radio programs and even Internet chat sites. The existence of the paranormal has been fiercely debated in the past, with opinions being influenced by media, religious backgrounds, geographical locations and upbringing. Personal experiences also factor in to what people do and do not believe as far as the paranormal is concerned.

Belief in paranormal entities such as shadow men stems back to the beginning of recorded history. Accounts of haunted castles and graveyards are countless in number and have come from virtually every country on the planet. Even more accounts of personal experiences had in peoples homes are in existence. There seems to be no end to the stories told by people who have seen ghosts and shadow men from the corners of their eyes or lurking in the corners of their rooms. Countless pieces of evidence have arisen all over the world, collected by normal, everyday people and by those who intentionally seek out the paranormal beings of this world. But are these shadow men real? Do these entities actually exist?

Paranormal Basics

Paranormal happenings can occur anywhere at any time. Ghosts and other specters can be seen in various locations. They can appear at any time, day or night. They can show themselves in common homes, no matter the age of the house. A newly built home can have a resident spirit or be home to a soul that’s just wandering by. However most of the stories that concern ghosts and the paranormal occur in famous places. These famous places include ruined castles, abbeys, plantations, mansions, and the like (Smyth 45).

Odd noises, smells, and sounds are often reported when a house or place of residence is said to be haunted. Not all paranormal beings show themselves as people, however. Some beings show themselves as balls of light or wisps or energy. Some don’t show themselves at all, choosing instead to make themselves known my moving objects (Willin 9).
Shadow Folk

Reports of shadow-like beings have come from all over the world. Records of people seeing these shadow people date back to when recorded history began. Most people believe that shadow people are in fact not ghosts because of the differences between in appearance and behavior between the two (Harrison).

There are plenty of differences between shadow folk and your typical ghost. Shadow folk are said to appear as black columns of smoke or as huge human-shaped shadows. Few human features are seen on these shadow people besides their eyes. When eyes are seen, they are reported as being red. Where shadow beings are said to be shadow-like, most spirits are said to be ethereal and glowing white. Ghosts tend to have noticeable human faces and some are reported as wearing clothes from the era in which they died. Ghosts are sometimes identified as being relatives to the living people that they appear to. Shadow folk are rarely identified as being related to the people they show themselves to (Powell).

Despite these differences, there are similarities between some ghosts and shadow people. Obviously these two are both associated with the paranormal world. Both shadow people are spirits can appear totally at random and to anyone they choose. Documentation of ghosts and shadow people have been around since early recorded history. Evil auras have been reported in sightings of both ghosts and shadow folk. Both ghosts and shadow folk have been reported to have the ability to fade through solid objects such as walls and doors (Smyth 45).

Sightings and Behavior

Some people that see shadow people say that they can appear as childish. These reports are in the minority. Shadow people are said to have a manlier shape and have no specific features beyond their eyes. Shadow people are reported as being solid shapes where most other spirits are said to be ethereal, or transparent. There are very few positive stories surrounding shadow people. People that have seen shadow folk have said that they seem to be aware of the living (Russell 1) .

People that see shadow fold claim that the folk appeared to be going about their daily business. These shadow people rarely try to communicate with the living. They are also reported as being curious as to the lives of people. Those that have seen these shadows say that their movements are quick and almost unnatural. Other claims say that they moved slowly as though submerged in water (Powell).

What makes these sightings is the consistency. People seem to see relatively the same thing, no matter where the claim originates. Though not many have said the bad things have happened before or after a shadow man is seen, people say that shadow folk bring with them feelings of extreme dread and panic. These shadow people simply fade away when spotted by the living.

Below is the account of an unnamed narrator who claimed to see shadow people while walking from a friend’s house.

“In my childhood town of rural New York one dark evening, I was walking past an abandoned house, on my way home from visiting a friend, when I noticed three figures standing at the back corner of the building. It appeared that they were standing in a line. Just inside the shadow of the row of trees that separated this home’s yard from the neighbor to the rear.” – Unnamed Narrator (“Who Knows What Evil”)

Theories

There are many theories surrounding shadow folk and their appearances. One of these theories is that shadow people are time travelers. Mainstream science is fairly convinced that there are realities parallel to our own but that they are invisible to us. It’s possible that if there are people that live in these separate dimensions, that they have found ways to travel to our reality. The psychic world and its representatives (mediums, shamans, seers, etc) are as old as most primitive societies. Psychics and mediums have held that there are beings that are of other ‘vibrations’ or ‘auras’. Science is also beginning to see that atoms exist as vibrations (Imich xxiii).

It’s also possible that these shadow folk are aliens from other worlds. Abductee’s in the past have said that the alien grays that kidnapped them could pass through solid objects like walls. The theory behind the aliens is that they have found ways to disguise themselves. They hide themselves in the shadows when the travel to our world, thus sparking the stories of shadow men appearing in and around people homes. They could be appearing to observe and gather information from the people whose homes they appear in.
Researchers also speculate that shadow folk could be demons. This would explain the evil auras and the malevolent feelings shadow folk bring with them when they manifest in peoples homes. It’s been speculated that they appear to observe or just to frighten the living. One theory states that shadow men are the essences of people who are having out of body or near death experiences. Jerry Gross states, “We all travel from our bodies when we sleep.” Perhaps the shadow men are the wandering projections of the souls of sleeping people.

The manifestations of thought forms or ‘tulpas’ are also possible. Thought forms are beings that can be created through intense meditation or through feelings of extraordinary pain, fear, and panic. Should these tulpa’s separate from their creator, it is possible for them to travel away from where they are created (Wagner).
Skepticism

Skeptics say that shadow folk are the products of over-tired or over-active imaginations. Hallucinations are a common symptom of easily obtained medications and are also the product of sleep deprivation. People have claimed that the shadow people that appear before them hold them down to their beds. This sensation is a common symptom of hyphagogic paralysis, which is a type of sleep paralysis. David Bender states, “During normal REM sleep, when the majority of dreams occur, the skeletal muscles are paralyzed.” It is assumed that this is to prevent humans from acting out there dreams as some animals do.

There are people who have claimed to see shadow people before falling asleep or just after waking. Skeptically speaking, this would be because of the brain catching up to the body upon waking. When the brain is still tired and is waking up, so to speak, it’s possible to be a bit fuzzy as to what your surroundings. Simple eye problems or ‘floaters’ in the eye can also cause people to see things that aren’t there.

The simplest skepticism offered is by people who simply don’t believe in the paranormal, paranormal phenomenon. These are the people who disregard personal experience as impossible and are likely to call documentation of evidence a sham. Perhaps it’s because the paranormal resides outside their comfort zone or simply outside their system of belief.

To Conclude

Accounts of shadow folk and beings like them have cropped up from places all over the world. The belief in these creatures, these beings that can be seen and felt, but often are dismissed, has influenced media from television shows to websites frequented on the internet. The belief in ghosts and shadow men has been greatly influenced by this media.

The personal experiences of people are too high in number to count, and the theories surrounding them are almost as numerous. These theories include the existence of aliens, travelers from alternate dimensions, and demons. Or perhaps they’re the products of human feelings, the fear and panic felt during extreme situations, or the traveling essences of people under the spell of sleep. Will we ever know?
An essay written for my English III class earlier this year.

Works Cited

Bender, David. Paranormal Phenomena. Greenhaven Press. San Diego. 1997. Print.
Harrison, Erica. “Scientists discover ‘shadow person’.” Cosmos Online. 25 Sept. 2006. Web.
Imich, Alexander. Incredible Tales of the Paranormal. Bramble Books. New York. 1995. Print.
Powell, Bernard. “The Mysterious Phenomenon of Shadow People”. Salem News. 14, Mar. 2010
Russell, Shaan. “Shadow People Phenomena”. 7 Nov. 2012. Web.
Smyth, Frank. Ghosts and Poltergeists. Garden City: Double Day. 1977. Print
Wagner, Stephen. “Shadow People”. 1 Nov. 2012. Web.
Willin, Melvyn. Ghosts Caught On Film. David & Charles. Cincinnati. 2007. Print.
“Who Knows What Evil Lurks n the heart Of Men”. Cursed House. 18 Mar. 2011.
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