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The following brief notes have been adapted from Wikipedia ...
Shadow people
Shadow people (also known as
shadow men,
shadow folk, or
shadow beings) are supernatural shadow-like creatures of both modern folklore and paranormal
popular culture that are said to appear as dark forms seen mostly in peripheral
vision.
Anecdotal reports of shadow people occupy a similar role in popular
culture to ghost sightings.
Shadow people are typically described as black humanoid silhouettes with no discernible mouths, noses, or facial expressions, child-sized
humanoids, or shapeless masses that sometimes change to human like form and
featuring eyes that are either glowing or not discernable.
Movement is said to be quick and disjointed, and some stories describe the
visible outline of a cloak, or a 1930s style fedora hat.
Paranormal popular culture
Authors such as Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Heidi Hollis have helped popularize the concept through books, articles and appearances on
radio talk shows devoted to paranormal subjects such as Coast to Coast AM where listeners are invited to call in to relate stories and "sightings".
Various authors and paranormal-themed web sites have drawn beliefs and
speculation regarding shadow people from religion, parapsychology, metaphysics,
demonology, and the occult, proposing that shadow people represent a
Thoughtform (egregore), ghost or demon that was created by events in which extreme
physical/emotional stress/trauma has taken place,
have been purposefully summoned through black magic or other occult practices,
or
are creatures who exist on a separate plane of existence that occasionally
overlaps with ours.
Others believe shadow people are related to Grey aliens, or to the Reptilian
humanoids found in conspiracy beliefs such as those promoted by
David Icke.
Scientific explanations
Several principles based in science can be used to explain reports of shadow
people, including optical illusions or hallucinations brought on by
physiological/psychological circumstances, drug use, and the interaction of
external agents on the human body.
Images seen in peripheral areas of vision can be caused by pareidolia, a condition in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of
light/shadow or texture as being familiar patterns such as faces and human
forms.
[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]
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.
Hypnagogia, also known as "waking-sleep", a physiological condition in which a person is part-way between sleeping and
waking, can also account for such perceptions.
[Ohayon M M, Priest RG, Caulet M, Guilleminault C (1996), Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations: pathological phenomena?, The British Journal of Psychiatry (October 2006)]
During hypnagogia, 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 dread is also a sensation that occurs when experiencing hypnagogia.
Hypnagogia is sometimes known as 'the
faces in the dark phenomenon' because those who experience this state commonly report seeing
faces while experiencing waking-sleep.
[McKellar Peter (1957), "Imagination and thinking: A psychological analysis," ISBN B0007DES76]
Similar hypotheses have been put forward linking this condition to a number of
other apparent paranormal experiences, including
alien abductions,
paranormal nocturnal visitations, and
religious experiences such as contact with
angels or
demons.
The use of various psychoactives, including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy) and LSD can produce human
shaped hallucinations. Dopaminergic drugs such as pramipexole can sometimes cause these hallucinations.
[Falkowski, Carol L. "Methamphetamine Across America: Misconceptions, Realities and Solutions" (PDF
— URL: www.cityofclive.com/departments/police/
online-documents/Meth-CLF-Spectrum-042.pdf
— Hazelden Foundation]
The use of various
Deliriants including Datura as well as
first-generation antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine (when used in very high doses) can often evoke dark,
vivid, entity-like hallucinations which may resemble reports of shadow people.
Electromagnetic fields have been demonstrated to interfere with the functions of the temporal lobe,
creating altered states of perception in which auditory and visual
hallucinations can occur.
[Becker Robert O (1990) "Cross Currents," Tarcher, ISBN 0-87477-609-0]
Researchers have used electromagnetic fields to recreate many experiences
similar to those reported during paranormal encounters.
[Persinger Michael A (2001), "The Neuropsychiatry of Paranormal Experiences" (October 2006) —
URL: neuro.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/13/4/515.pdf]
[Arzy Shahar, Seeck Margitta, Ortigue Stephanie, Spinelli Laurent, Blanke Olaf (21st September 2006) "Induction of an illusory shadow person", Nature 443 (7109): 245 - 370 (p287) — URL:
www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7109/abs/443287a.html]
Researchers have also documented correlations between variances in
naturally-occurring
magnetic fields and areas where
paranormal events have been reported.
[Wiseman, R Watt C Stevens P Greening E O'Keeffe C (2003). "An investigation into alleged 'hauntings'", The British Journal of Psychology, 94, 195-211 — URL:
www.psy.herts.ac.uk/wiseman/papers/BJP-hauntings.pdf]
In addition, certain neurological conditions, such as photosensitive complex partial seizures and Dementia with Lewy bodies, have also been known to cause individuals to experience visual hallucinations.
[Shuper, A; Vining EP (2005-04-23). "Photosensitive complex partial seizures aggravated by
phenytoin". Pubmed.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1797011&dopt=Citation.
Retrieved by Wikipedia on 2006-10-01]
