Shadow Ghost?

[sher]

What I am about to write about is an experience my sister and I had when I was eleven years old, my sister was fifteen.

It was and still is the most terrifying thing that has happened to me.

My mum and dad split when I was four and mum and us three kids moved from Yorkshire to Essex two years later, this meant that we would visit and stay with dad and his new partner in the six weeks school holidays.

It was when I was eleven that dad decided to re-marry, and my sister and I were to be bridesmaids, I feel I should point out that I was OK with this, didn't really have an opinion about it as the divorce from mum happened when I was still really little, so yea, just went along with it really.

The house that dad lived in was an ordinary council estate house, nothing creepy at all but, everytime I was there I felt a tension, not from people just an undercurrent that eventually became the norm.

On our visits, because the house was only two bedrooms, one for dad and julie, and the other for julie's son, my sister and I would take the double bedroom and dad would sleep on the sofa bed downstairs. We did this for years but it was only the year of the wedding that we had the frightening experience.

The wedding day came and went without a problem it really was a very happy day for everybody, as bridesmaids we were given a necklace as a gift which I really treasured! and that night, got ready for bed and remember taking of my necklace and shaping it into a love heart on the dressing table.

Laying there, my sis and I talked over the day and eventually I started to nod off, Angela always fell asleep after me as she would read for a while,we always left a lamp on through the night.

We had been asleep for around two hours, I think, when we were awoken by a clunking noise and then a creak. The noise had come from my side of the bed, but at the bottom where the airing cubpoard was.Never before, had the door to that cupboard ever done that and what made it worse was, that you had to really yank it to get it open as it would stick.

Petrified, I rolled to my sister's side of the bed, and remember her saying that she had heard it too and that she couldn't, didn't dare open her eyes..(remember, the lamp was on all night)..it all happened so quick, but whilst I was still laying there, cold sweat, crying, I guess she had opened her eyes because all I remember was the scream. It was the most awful, terrifying scream and still now, I find it upsetting. She was looking towards my side of the bed, but next to me, so instinct told me to look also.

What I saw will stay with me for the rest of my life. A figure about 4 foot tall, all black, no face, hunched and from what I remember, moving 'unnaturally' towards the dressing table that was next to me. I don't think words can describe how I felt, like my heart would stop, couldn't catch my breath, couldn't scream...but my dad had heard Angela's screams and ran upstairs, by this time I had pulled the cover over my head and was inconsolable.

We told dad what had happened, after we had calmed right down.We ended up sleeping downstairs with them.

The next day, dad came with us upstairs as we had to pack our things because we were too scared to stay there anymore, we were only ever going to stay at my aunties from then on. So, this was early, the boys weren't up yet but we all had had such a restless night that we were up around 7am.

The final straw for me, was when we went back upstairs.

The necklace that I had shaped in to a love heart was no longer like that, it was moved and there can be no explanation for this.

I never did stay there again, and from then on we stayed at either my grans house or our aunts.

So, sorry for the long story, but I felt I had to make it clear the events preceding what happened.

Thanks for reading, what do you think?

 

[samtheman]

Hi Sher,

very interesting story - than you for sharing

While never have seen a shadow figure myself - I have known 2 people who have. My sister was watching tv one night and a shadow figure moved through the wall and a friend (who had her back turned to it) reacted with a shiver, plus another friend next to my sister on the couch witnessed it all. I know my sister wouldn't make it up - so I take the story seriously.

one of my closest friends told me about a time he went to the toilet late at night and saw a dark figure apear and say the rather daunting words "you belong to me" to him. Again I take this story seriously (I keep an eye out now when going to the loo

Just to let you know your not the only one.

regards,

sam

 

[Hoffmeister]

So was the thing you saw like a shadow, or was it like a solid being that you could touch, and see the skin of?
Also, sorry if this was made clear i the post... but did you both actually see the thing or was it just you?

 

[sher]

My only memory is that it looked as though it could be wearing a shawl though it was all black, it had that kind of shape, outline to it..bearing in mind that I must've only seen it for around five seconds at the most. So my memory of it is perhaps a bit sketchy, there was no face and I definitely didn't see skin, all too quick, but could make out that it was a 'being'..whatever it was moved and seemed to know where it was moving to.

We both did see it, my sis first, that's when and why she screamed and her looking to my side of the bed made me look too.

 

[Aaron LeClair]

This a one time event or have you and others in your family etc. experienced anything similar before or since?

I'm curious, how did you father respond to you and what your sis reported?

Shadow beings as you described are fairly common, within the realm of uncommon experiences that is

 

[sher]

Hi Aaron, well since you ask there has been other events within my family, especially with my mum but I want to write about those as and when I feel comfortable...:redface: I have had other experiences as a child but no where near as scary and didn't involve ghosts.

With regards to how dad reacted, I think that I probably didn't want to mention it really.

He was cross!, and looking back fairly unsympathetic about it..but that's probably because he had been woken up! lol..., put it this way, I don't remember much comforting from him and actually, he didn't seem overly flustered either!

 

[Hoffmeister]

Do you have any idea what you think you saw?
Do you think it was real?

I have had some pretty crazy experiences not that disimilar to this which I talked about in another thread http://forum.theparacast.com/your-p.../abductions-ghosts-and-sleep-paralysis-t2482/
I personally like to think that my experiences are explainable, whilst others might think I experienced something paranormal.
I believe my own experiences can be explained by a number of things, mostly being:
1. Sleep paralysis
2. Mind playing tricks and seeing illusions that arent really there
3. Memories changing over time

Many people who have had experiences get angry at these sorts of suggestions because they feel that their memories are real and that their mind could not have been playing tricks with them as that would mean they are going mad.
I however believe that it doesnt matter who you are, the human brain is just prone to these things. I believe peoples memories can change slowly over time, yet they still think the new parts which they have added to the story are real.

However having thought about your story quite a lot i'm finding it hard to fit that in. The hardest things to explain are the cupboard opening and the necklace moving.

Thats why I am interested in your opinion to hear if what you saw you think was real or perhaps a combination of things which make it explainable.
For example is it possible that because you were in a new environment which can be scary at that age, is it possible that you both just heard a noise and then freaked out and saw your own shadow or something?

I don't mean to sound patronising if I am, I'm just looking at all the possible options.... as you can see in the other thread, i did the same thing with my own experiences...

 

[sher]

Hi Hoffmeister

well they are expected questions and perfectly understandable, and I don't find them patronising at all.

OK, so... 1. Sleep paralysis?..would be a possibility had been alone, but my sister saw exactly the same thing..
Mind playing tricks and seeing illusions that arent really there? well yeah..would be easy as we had had an excitable long day, could have been overtired..but again...seeing the same thing?
Memories changing over time?..if anything, I may have forgotton basic details over the whole story, but to my knowledge, I do remember it as it was.

The shadow idea would be a great solution to this, except beacuse we were so scared we hadn't dare move, we were laying down, and also, the 'figure', wasn't like it was aginst the wall, it seemed to be right next to me.

I suppose I could explain away the cupboard door and necklace by saying that perhaps the door wasn't closed properly in the first place and that in the sheer terror of the event, somehow the necklace got knocked, but to my memory it was too far away to be affected...

I would LOVE to come to a realisation of how all this happened and what it really was. I just can't shake of the feeling I get from this memory

 

[Aaron LeClair]

Hi Aaron, well since you ask there has been other events within my family, especially with my mum but I want to write about those as and when I feel comfortable...:redface: I have had other experiences as a child but no where near as scary and didn't involve ghosts.

With regards to how dad reacted, I think that I probably didn't want to mention it really.

He was cross!, and looking back fairly unsympathetic about it..but that's probably because he had been woken up! lol..., put it this way, I don't remember much comforting from him and actually, he didn't seem overly flustered either!

No pressure here. Only tell me if you want. I'm not hurting for paranormal reports You asked for our thoughts, and so I had some questions first. Only a fool would come to any sort of a conclusion given what you're posted so far.

He (your dad) seemed understanding from your first depiction. Not telling you to shut up and go to bed. He allowed you to sleep downstairs. I wondered if he himself had had experiences. Most parents tell their kids to basically stfu and go back to bed (in their own room) and be a big girl and boy. His response was nicer than most I hear. This lead me to wonder if he knew a thing or two.

 

[Hoffmeister]

hmmmm.... it seems to me that it woould only leave a few options left:

1. There really was some kind of crazy creature there

2. You had sleep paralysis and she was just scared in bed, when you told her what you saw she was so panicked she thought she had seen it too.

3. You somehow both had the same sleep paralysis somehow brought about by some sort of mental-link between the two of you

4. Its was discussed in I think one of the recent paracasts that when we see things, perhaps they are really there, but it is actually our minds that has created them. Meaning that you and your sister being so scared actually created the image of the apparition via your minds somehow.

Now since I don't truly believe in the existance of ghosts, I would probably put them in the likelehood of this order: 2, 3, 4, 1, but others might disagree

I am going to put together a thread sometime about all the possible factors that contribute (in my opinion) to these sorts of experiences. As mentioned before I have had them myself but I have only glossed over some of the reasons.

In the below thread there is a documentary on sleep paralysis and abductions. Its actually a bit boring, particularly for the first half but then it gets better. it does explain the subject quite well though IMO

http://forum.theparacast.com/general-freewheeling-chitchat-f5/new-documentary-t2544/

Cheers

 

[Ally]

Hoffmeister,
Are you convinced that most or every paranormal event reported has a "real world" explanation? I think it is always good to see if that fits but when it doesn't...well then what? If it looks, acts, sounds and smells like a duck it must be sleep paralysis?

At what point or any would you be convinced that an event is paranormal?

 

[Hoffmeister]

Hoffmeister,
Are you convinced that most or every paranormal event reported has a "real world" explanation? I think it is always good to see if that fits but when it doesn't...well then what? If it looks, acts, sounds and smells like a duck it must be sleep paralysis?

At what point or any would you be convinced that an event is paranormal?

Oh i'm not completely adverse to the paranormal at all, which is why I put forth 4 suggestions as to what this phenomena might be. I just think that sometimes people are quick to jump to the paranormal conslusion, particularly when the experience potentially have the hallmarks of certain phenomena that I see in everyday life.
People are not recording machines, and as a result I believe that they are not only succeptible to seeing things that arent really there, but also that memories change over time, and very easily.

I'll give you an example of the memory thing. In my job (recruitment), there are very few people who stay in the industry for any length of time due to the stress levels... so as a result we get lots of new people starting in our office where me and my friend have been for about 4 years.

In my first year at the company, a really funny thing happened at the xmas party and its a story I always tell to the new people. Now my friend wasn't actually there at the time, but as the years have gone by, and the story has been told over and over, he now tells it as if he was there... and truly believes he was there at the time.

This doesnt mean he is mad, stupid, or has a bad memory, it just shows how peoples memories can easily be affected. I have noticed this phenomena many times, with different friends, involving different incidents, and have even succesfully done it in an experiment.

I do think there are perhaps paranormal phenomena, I just think only about 0.00001% of the cases we hear about actually are this, and most the information has got muddied in the water.

What would it take to convince me of a paranormal experience happening?

Well in terms of UFO's I already do think that some of them are paranormal

In terms of ghosts, i'm not ruling out any experience, but if its a case which has all the hallmarks of sleep paralysis, i'll tend to side with that.

If someone witnesses a ghost when they are walking down the street, cooking the dinner, or doing anything other than lying in bed, or having been in bed within the last 10 minutes i would find it more compelling.

One of my friends had such an experience, which i can post about sometime... and that has me interested.

In none of my posts am I saying that "I am right, and you are wrong", i'm just giving my assesment of the data

 

[Raevenskye]

Sher,
Thanks for sharing your experience! It sounded pretty scary! I'm interested to know if you've seen other shadow people since, or if this was a one-time thing. I look forward to more when you're ready.

 

[Ally]

Hoffmeister,
Your last post made sense. I know a few examples of how memory can be distorted too.

Sher,
Sounds like a very scary encounter.

 

[Kieran]

Oh i'm not completely adverse to the paranormal at all, which is why I put forth 4 suggestions as to what this phenomena might be. I just think that sometimes people are quick to jump to the paranormal conslusion, particularly when the experience potentially have the hallmarks of certain phenomena that I see in everyday life.
People are not recording machines, and as a result I believe that they are not only succeptible to seeing things that arent really there, but also that memories change over time, and very easily.

I'll give you an example of the memory thing. In my job (recruitment), there are very few people who stay in the industry for any length of time due to the stress levels... so as a result we get lots of new people starting in our office where me and my friend have been for about 4 years.

In my first year at the company, a really funny thing happened at the xmas party and its a story I always tell to the new people. Now my friend wasn't actually there at the time, but as the years have gone by, and the story has been told over and over, he now tells it as if he was there... and truly believes he was there at the time.

This doesnt mean he is mad, stupid, or has a bad memory, it just shows how peoples memories can easily be affected. I have noticed this phenomena many times, with different friends, involving different incidents, and have even succesfully done it in an experiment.

I do think there are perhaps paranormal phenomena, I just think only about 0.00001% of the cases we hear about actually are this, and most the information has got muddied in the water.

What would it take to convince me of a paranormal experience happening?

Well in terms of UFO's I already do think that some of them are paranormal

In terms of ghosts, i'm not ruling out any experience, but if its a case which has all the hallmarks of sleep paralysis, i'll tend to side with that.

If someone witnesses a ghost when they are walking down the street, cooking the dinner, or doing anything other than lying in bed, or having been in bed within the last 10 minutes i would find it more compelling.

One of my friends had such an experience, which i can post about sometime... and that has me interested.

In none of my posts am I saying that "I am right, and you are wrong", i'm just giving my assesment of the data

Yes i have seen this happen regularly between my fiancee hilary and her friend nicole, ok i will try to explain it a little bit better here if i can. Hilary has travelled to many countries , and has had some amazeing Experiences by doing this travel , However when on rare occasions it happens to come up in conversation with strangers and sometimes family members. Nicole sometimes lives out that experience with her if that makes any sense , It is kind of strange to me why she does that, however maybe why she does that is somehow to feel more closer to her friend and perhaps so to gain some sense of closeness or attachment to want hilary is saying. "God" i am a moaner and i probably am talking shit here, pardon, My french.


I dont no if sleep paralysis could cause someone to see ghosts, i no you aint saying that is the reason, however i think people who suffer from that condition are very unlikely to go through there lives, withount ever realiseing that they had that condition in the first place.I do believe wifes girlfriends, family" who ever is may be.

would somehow experience or witness sleep paralysis and its effects.

Do many many people experience ghosts in there dreams.I wouldnt haste to guess, i dont believe i ever have, however that doesnt mean others have not.The mind is so complex and not fully understood even today. Seeing ghosts when you are sleeping is very likely, looking for a better word here, "highly probable" , i might say instead.

 

[Hoffmeister]

Yes i have seen this happen regularly between my fiancee hilary and her friend nicole, ok i will try to explain it a little bit better here if i can. Hilary has travelled to many countries , and has had some amazeing Experiences by doing this travel , However when on rare occasions it happens to come up in conversation with strangers and sometimes family members. Nicole sometimes lives out that experience with her if that makes any sense , It is kind of strange to me why she does that, however maybe why she does that is somehow to feel more closer to her friend and perhaps so to gain some sense of closeness or attachment to want hilary is saying. "God" i am a moaner and i probably am talking shit here, pardon, My french.


I dont no if sleep paralysis could cause someone to see ghosts, i no you aint saying that is the reason, however i think people who suffer from that condition are very unlikely to go through there lives, withount ever realiseing that they had that condition in the first place.I do believe wifes girlfriends, family" who ever is may be.

would somehow experience or witness sleep paralysis and its effects.

Do many many people experience ghosts in there dreams.I wouldnt haste to guess, i dont believe i ever have, however that doesnt mean others have not.The mind is so complex and not fully understood even today. Seeing ghosts when you are sleeping is very likely, looking for a better word here, "highly probable" , i might say instead.

Sleep paralysis can definately cause people to see ghosts.... as its done it to me, see my post http://forum.theparacast.com/your-p.../abductions-ghosts-and-sleep-paralysis-t2482/

However I can't say for sure it explains this case. With regards to the memories thing, yes I think it starts off by the person wanting to be close and part of the story but manifests itself in peoples head as a memory over time.

With regards to the original post, I sure as hell hope there wasnt really a monster there. I mean ghosts I can handle.. Aliens don't scare me either, but if there are freaky little black things in shawls moving around in the night, i don't think i'd ever be able to sleep again.... I can't even think of something in a film thats as freaky as that

 

[Kieran]

Sleep paralysis can definately cause people to see ghosts.... as its done it to me, see my post http://forum.theparacast.com/your-p.../abductions-ghosts-and-sleep-paralysis-t2482/

However I can't say for sure it explains this case. With regards to the memories thing, yes I think it starts off by the person wanting to be close and part of the story but manifests itself in peoples head as a memory over time.

With regards to the original post, I sure as hell hope there wasnt really a monster there. I mean ghosts I can handle.. Aliens don't scare me either, but if there are freaky little black things in shawls moving around in the night, i don't think i'd ever be able to sleep again.... I can't even think of something in a film thats as freaky as that

Sleep paralysis is well known to cause hallucinations , However when i have dreams they never seem to be fined tuned, they always seem to be messed up somehow like for example,you could be a "Racing"car driver in one dream , and then suddenly out of the blue you could be haveing another dream that is much weirder than that, you no what i mean, dreams are "distorted reality".Where i think people going through experiences have stuff going on, that is nearly always the same ,And rarely ever changes, i think that must count for something, i leave the possibility that i am totally wrong on this .

 

[Hoffmeister]

I think the difference is that with Sleep paralysis, you are awake, and you are scared, but then you hallucinate the thing that you are perhaps most scared of.
Whilst I used to commonly get sleep paralysis hallucinations when I was young, I now only get the effects of sleep paralysis without the hallucinations.
Often, when I wake at night, for the frist few minutes I am consumed by fear for no reason. I'm not scared of anything in particular, I'm just scared.
As soon as I wake up properly and my brain starts to function it goes away. I believe its to do with the fact that the inner part of our brain is the part that controls the animal instinct and the fear etc whilst the outer part and the frontal lobe evolved much later in mammals and controls thinking and rational thought. When you first wake up, the rational side of things isnt switched on yet so you are left with the inner part of your brain running wild.
This can make a mid - night trip to the toilet a rather harrowing experience LoL!!

Studies on people with anxiety attacks have come up with similar results. Basically the outer part of the brain can't control the inner part and anxiety kicks in and spirals out of control. Meditation has proven to strengthen this link to reduce the panic attacks.

The paralysis is basically the opposite of sleep walking. In sleep walking the part of your brain that stops your movement durting sleep isnt working. The opposite occurs with sleep paralysis, it keeps you frozen even when you are (half) awake.

Either way, sleep paralysis occurances are much more vivid than dreams. You are basically awake and sitting there watching the apparition in horror...

 

[sher]

Thanks for your responses, certainly food for thought:shy: How I wish there was a device invented so that you could print out memories in picture form, I just cannot do this justice by words alone.

Thanks for all the replies though

 

[digigeek]

Thanks for your responses, certainly food for thought:shy: How I wish there was a device invented so that you could print out memories in picture form, I just cannot do this justice by words alone.

Thanks for all the replies though

Sher,

Try respectable, professional hypnotic regression, a pad, and a pencil.