Shadow people
Shadow people (also known as shadow ghosts, shadow figures, shadow beings, shadow men, or shadow folk) are supernatural shadow-like humanoid figures that, according to believers, are seen mostly in peripheral vision and move quickly. They are sometimes known in modern folklore and paranormal popular culture as dark entities with malevolent intentions.Several scientific principles can be used to explain reports of shadow people, including optical illusions or hallucinations brought on by physiological/psychological circumstances, drug use or side effects of medication, and the interaction of external agents on the human body.
An illusion of a shadow person can be created when the left temporoparietal junction, a specific region of the brain, is stimulated.
Figures seen in peripheral areas of vision can sometimes be explained as pareidolia, a phenomenon in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of light/shadow or texture as familiar patterns such as faces and human forms.
Hypnagogia (also known as “waking-sleep”), a physiological condition in which one is partially between sleep and awakeness, could also account for such perceptions. During hypnagogia, one 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 hypnagogia commonly report seeing or sensing lights or shadows moving around them, as well as other visual hallucinations and even a (subtle or powerful) feeling of dread. Hypnagogia is sometimes known as ‘the faces-in-the-dark phenomenon’ because these people commonly report seeing faces while experiencing hypnagogia.
i fucking hate it when i get this. all the time when i’m not on my meds. fuck you shadow people, goddammit.
I used to get these all the time when I was younger. Then I just willed myself to stop believing I was seeing anything, because I was starting to be paranoid all the time.
Jaena Rae 