Shadow Beings

Encounters with Shadow Beings: A Paranormal Investigation

Many of us in the paranormal field have heard of—or even seen—shadow beings. These entities, often referred to as "shadow people," are typically described as being darker than darkness itself. Some witnesses only catch glimpses of them out of the corner of their eye. Others report seeing them clearly, and even feeling their presence. But what are these beings? Where do they come from? What do they want? Are they good or evil? Or perhaps they aren’t even aware of us at all. Maybe we are as much a mystery to them as they are to us.

A Community of Experiences

To better understand shadow beings, I reached out through several paranormal-focused social media groups, asking for others’ experiences. The responses were overwhelming—more than 300 people shared stories, and while each one was unique, certain patterns began to emerge.

Some respondents believe shadow beings are human spirits that have been consumed by dark energy. According to this theory, a medium can help release that energy, allowing the spirit to transition into a more recognizable form—a "regular ghost"—and possibly move on. Others have seen these entities for as long as they can remember, suggesting shadow beings might simply exist alongside us as part of our world. Many believe they go about their own business, barely noticing we’re here.

The Shadow’s Reputation: Malevolent or Misunderstood?

Among the hundreds of responses, the most common belief was that shadow beings are malevolent. Most people described feelings of intense unease, dread, or even fear for their lives during an encounter. On the milder end, witnesses reported the sensation of being watched. Some mentioned a sudden shift in mood—going from calm to irritable or fearful for no clear reason. A popular theory is that shadow beings feed off negative emotions. Once they know they’ve affected someone, the negativity intensifies, creating a sort of emotional feedback loop.

Others claimed these entities have the ability to communicate, and that their messages are typically disturbing or threatening. Some witnesses experienced sleep paralysis in connection with shadow sightings, though it's unclear whether the beings cause the paralysis, or if their appearance is a symptom of that state. A few people even described physical interactions—being held down, having difficulty breathing, or seeing a shadowy figure pressing on their chest.

In rarer cases, people noted missing personal items that mysteriously reappeared days or weeks later. Unusual sounds, such as footsteps and disembodied voices, were also common, along with strange odors. Some reported interference with electronics—TVs flickering, lights dimming, radios cutting out. If shadow beings can affect electronics, perhaps they emit some kind of energy we don’t yet understand.

Not All Encounters Are Negative

Despite the overwhelming fear these beings inspire, not everyone reported a hostile experience. Several respondents said they’d seen shadow figures since childhood but had never been harmed. As long as they didn’t engage or show fear, the shadows kept their distance. Still, even in these neutral encounters, many reported a lingering sense of unease or discomfort.

A smaller group claimed shadow beings were simply observers—passing through a room or lingering outside a house without interacting. Interestingly, one person even believed a shadow being had protected her from something far worse.

What Makes Them Visible?

Many paranormal investigators, myself included, have witnessed shadow beings while on investigations. They appear capable of choosing when—and to whom—they reveal themselves. People with heightened sensitivity to the paranormal, such as mediums or inituatives, often report more frequent sightings. Perhaps these entities exist slightly out of phase with our reality, on a frequency just beyond our normal perception. Those who are more “tuned in” may be able to see what others cannot.

A Scientific Perspective

What does science make of this phenomenon? Surely there must be a logical explanation—right?

The most common scientific theory involves sleep paralysis, a type of parasomnia. It’s a condition that occurs when the body is temporarily paralyzed during the transition between sleep and wakefulness. During this state, doctors believe people may experience vivid hallucinations, including the sensation of being watched, a heavy pressure on the chest, or even shadowy figures appearing in the room.

These episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Other symptoms may include intense fear, anxiety, helplessness, and physical sensations like weight or pressure. According to the Cleveland Clinic, as much as 30% of the global population will experience at least one episode of sleep paralysis in their lifetime. (source)

Thirty percent—yes, that’s a significant number. But it also raises another question: what about the people who see shadow beings when they're fully awake, going about their day or wide awake at night?

I count myself among that group. During a ghost hunt on Blennerhassett Island in Parkersburg, West Virginia, I encountered something I still can’t explain—and I was wide awake. No sleep paralysis, no dreams, no in-between state. Just an overwhelming sense that something was there, watching.

And then there are the stories passed down by ancient cultures across the world. Tales of dark figures, watchers, and beings that walk between worlds. Were these just early attempts to explain sleep disorders—or were they documenting something very real?

Ancient Echoes: Shadow Beings in Egyptian Belief

Long before the term "shadow person" entered the paranormal lexicon, ancient cultures had their own interpretations of shadowy figures. The Egyptians, in particular, believed the human soul was made up of several distinct parts. One of those parts was the Khabit (also known as Shuyet), which took the form of a shadow and remained on Earth even after the rest of the soul moved on.

(Source)

In a commentary on the Book of the Dead, Egyptologist Ogden Goelet, Jr. offered fascinating insight into how the Egyptians viewed shadows:

“In many Book of the Dead papyri and tombs, the deceased emerges from the tomb during the day in the guise of a shadow—a thin, black, featureless silhouette of a person. This form represents a mere shadow of their former existence, yet they continue to exist.

Another manifestation of the shadow, especially concerning the gods, is an ostrich feather parasol—an object capable of creating a shadow.”

This imagery is compelling. The idea of the shadow as a lingering essence, a remnant of identity, aligns eerily well with modern accounts of shadow beings: black silhouettes, featureless forms, still somehow connected to the presence of a once-living soul. Could the ancient Egyptians have been witnessing the same phenomena we are—interpreted through the lens of their own culture and beliefs?

Shadowed in Antiquity: Demons of the Ancient Near East

Long before the modern concept of “shadow people” took root in paranormal circles, ancient civilizations already wrestled with dark, formless entities that haunted sleep and stalked the night. In the cradle of civilization—Mesopotamia—these beings were named, feared, and fought through elaborate rituals preserved on clay tablets.

Join us as we uncover the shadowy lore of Alû, Utukku, and the demonic hosts of Babylon and Assyria.

⚫ Alû – The Faceless Sleeper Demon

“It comes in silence. It has no mouth, no ears, no eyes. It chokes you in the dark.”

– Maqlû Tablet IV

The Alû demon is perhaps the most unnerving of Mesopotamia’s spiritual threats. Described as faceless, voiceless, and invisible, it crept into rooms like a shadow and attacked sleeping victims—often sitting on their chest. This eerily mirrors modern accounts of sleep paralysis and shadow beings.

Alû was considered both a spiritual attacker and a bringer of disease. Protective incantations were chanted over clay figures or inscribed on tablets to guard against it.

🔗Read More: Demons and Illness from Antiquity to the Early-Modern Period(Brill)

⚫ Utukku (UDUG) – Spirits of the Unrestful Dead

Originally ancestral spirits, Utukku (or UDUG) were generally benign—until they weren’t. Some transformed into malevolent forces, invisible or shadow-like, that haunted the living. They were blamed for sudden death, infertility, madness, and unexplained illness.

Entire ritual series, such as the Udug-halincantations, were created specifically to drive out these dark spirits.

🔗Explore the Texts: Healing Magic and Evil Demons: Canonical Udug-hul Incantations on Academia.edu

⚫ Gallû – Underworld Enforcers of Darkness

Gallû demons served as enforcers of the underworld. Described as black, brutal, and relentless, they dragged souls to the netherworld and haunted the dying. In Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld, they appear as gatekeepers of death and hunters of escapees.

While not typically “shadow-form” in description, their silent movements, dark appearance, and night associations place them firmly within the mythology of ancient nocturnal fear.

🔗Read the Myth: Inanna’s Descent to the Netherworld (Oxford ETCSL)

🔥 Maqlû – The Ritual Against the NightThe Maqlû series is one of the longest and most detailed magical texts of the ancient world. Written in Akkadian across nine tablets, it contains rituals for burning witches, expelling demons, and defending against shadowy, invisible forces of the night. Alû and similar spirits are named directly in these incantations. The rituals often involved crafting effigies, chanting incantations, and destroying representations of the enemy at dusk—emphasizing fire as purification.

🔗Full Translation PDF: Maqlû: The Ancient Mesopotamian Witchcraft Series(Society of Biblical Literature)

⚫ Lamashtu & Pazuzu – The Mother of Shadows and Her Foe

Though not a “shadow person” in the modern sense, Lamashtu is a night spirit of nightmares, disease, and death—particularly targeting infants and pregnant women. She rides the wind, her presence marked by unnatural stillness and creeping dread.

To repel her, ancient Mesopotamians invoked Pazuzu, a terrifying wind demon who ironically served a protective role. His grotesque face was used on amulets placed near beds to drive away Lamashtu and other nocturnal spirits.

🔗 Further Reading: Mesopotamian Magic: Textual, Historical, and Interpretative Perspectives

🇬🇷 Ancient Greece: Keres – Spirits of Violent Death

The Keres were female death-spirits associated with violent, untimely ends. Often depicted as dark, winged figures hovering over battlefields, they would swoop in to claim the souls of the dying. Their appearance was a harbinger of terror and bloodshed.

🔗 Source: KERES – Greek Spirits of Violent Death – Theoi.com

🇮🇱 Hebrew Tradition: Shedim and Tzelmavet

In Jewish texts, Shedim are spirit-like beings—sometimes considered demons, other times interpreted as foreign deities or natural forces. Meanwhile, the word Tzelmavet, meaning “shadow of death,” appears in Psalms and other scriptures as a symbol of deep darkness, peril, or spiritual danger.

🔗 Sources: Shedim – Wikipedia

🔗 In the Image of God – Hebrewversity

🕌 Islamic Belief: Jinn – Beings of Smokeless Fire

In Islamic theology, Jinn are supernatural beings made from smokeless fire. They are capable of invisibility, shapeshifting, and psychological influence. While some are benign or even helpful, others are tricksters or malevolent—often reported as appearing in shadowy forms.

🔗 Source: Surah Al-Jinn – Quran.com

🇨🇳 Chinese Tradition: Gui and the Hun-Po Soul Duality

Traditional Chinese belief holds that the soul consists of two parts: the Hun (ethereal, yang) and Po (corporeal, yin). If not honored after death, the Po can become a Gui—a wandering ghost or spirit. These are often tied to hauntings and are sometimes described as shadowy presences.

🔗 Source: Hun and Po – Wikipedia

🇯🇵 Japanese Folklore: Kage-Onna – The Shadow Woman

The Kage-Onna is a yōkai (supernatural spirit) who manifests only as the shadow of a woman, typically seen on paper screens (shoji). She lacks a physical form and is commonly linked with haunted locations, inexplicable phenomena, and ghostly unease.

🔗 Source: Kage-Onna – GeGeGe no Kitarō Wiki

🪶 Native American Lore: Shadow People and Nightwalkers

Various Native American traditions include shadow-like beings. Some tribes speak of Nightwalkers—spirits that move silently through the forest, appearing in peripheral vision. These beings can be either protective or harmful, depending on the context and the individual’s relationship with the spirit world.

🔗 Source: Native American Entities – Disquieting Visions

🌍 African Mythology: Egbe and the Tokoloshe

In Yoruba belief, Egbe are spiritual counterparts who exist in a parallel dimension and can influence a person’s fate. When neglected, they may cause misfortune or withdrawal from the physical world. Meanwhile, the Tokoloshe in Zulu mythology is a mischievous, dwarf-like spirit that can become invisible, enter homes, and cause illness or chaos—often described as creeping in the shadows.

🔗 Sources: Tokoloshe – Wikipedia

🔗Egbe in Yoruba Religion – Old World Gods

🍀 Celtic Traditions: Fetches and the Sluagh

In Irish folklore, a Fetch is the spectral double of a living person—often seen just before death. They are ghostly and silent, and their appearance is considered a dire omen. The Sluagh, by contrast, are spirits of the restless dead. These shadowy, flying wraiths are said to travel in groups, seeking to steal the souls of the dying by slipping through windows at night.

🔗 Sources: Sluagh – Wikipedia

🔗 Why Is The Fetch Seen As A Death Omen? – Icy Sedgwick

Conclusion: Shadows Through Time

Shadow beings have walked beside us for thousands of years—perhaps longer. From Mesopotamian demons to the spectral doubles of Celtic lore, from ancient Egypt to modern ghost hunts, these formless entities persist across cultures, continents, and centuries.

But the central questions remain: What are they? Where do they come from? What do they want? Are they spirits, interdimensional travelers, reflections of our unconscious minds—or something else entirely?

Despite centuries of belief, ritual, and research, the answers still elude us.

Yet we stand on the edge of a new frontier. As modern technology continues to evolve—thermal imaging, electromagnetic field detection, AI analysis of patterns—perhaps we are closer than ever to glimpsing what hides in the shadows. With each investigation, each story shared, each unexplained encounter, we inch closer to understanding these age-old visitors.

Sources

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21974-sleep-paralysis

https://historicaleve.com/shuyet-ancient-egyptian-shadow/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21974-sleep-paralysis

https://historicaleve.com/shuyet-ancient-egyptian-shadow/

Maqlû: The Ancient Mesopotamian Witchcraft Series (Society of Biblical Literature)

Mesopotamian Magic: Textual, Historical, and Interpretative Perspectives on Amazon

KERES – Greek Spirits of Violent Death – Theoi.com

🔗 Sources: Shedim – Wikipedia

🔗 In the Image of God – Hebrewversity

🔗 Source: Surah Al-Jinn – Quran.com

🔗 Source: Hun and Po – Wikipedia

🔗 Source: Kage-Onna – GeGeGe no Kitarō Wiki

🔗 Source: Native American Entities – Disquieting Visions

🔗 Sources: Tokoloshe – Wikipedia

Sources: Sluagh – Wikipedia

🔗 Sources: Sluagh – Wikipedia

🔗Why Is The Fetch Seen As A Death Omen? – Icy Sedgwick

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