More people are seeing shadowy figures appearing in their peripheral vision. What does it mean? It prompts the question, why do I see shadow people? Am I being haunted by some sector? If so, why am I being haunted or contacted?
If you have seen these shadowy figures, you are not alone. The history of seeing specters or apparitions isn’t a recent phenomenon. People have been reporting these sightings as part of our cultural folklore since the Dark Ages, closely linking them to ghosts, Jinn, and other spirit entities.
With the number of sightings increasing, it’s important to investigate what’s going on. What are they, and why do we see them?
What Are Shadow People?
If you’ve had this odd experience, you aren’t alone. However, people don’t talk about it. We want to know what’s going on. Could this be a sign of a mental problem? Is it a hallucination or a glimpse of some other-world entity? Are you under spiritual attack? Are you haunted, hunted, or stalked by something? Or perhaps something is trying to warn you?
The best answer is it all depends. There are many reasons people see these entities. The similarity of these experiences across different cultures shows it is a typology, a common pattern. The experience is genuine, but is the entity that is it an actual creature or spirit? (1) Or is this experience a mechanism of the mind? It depends.
There could be shadow galaxies, shadow stars, and even shadow people.” — Stephen Hawking
Why Am I Being Haunted?
Learn to trust your gut. Your feelings come from a place of wisdom. If you sense danger, then trust your instincts. Do what you can to be safe. It may be as simple as blinking, shifting your focus, or walking away. Remember, if your feelings are incorrect and you are not in danger, no harm is done. However, if you ignore your gut instinct and your fears, you might jeopardize yourself.
Are these spectators or entities something to fear, or are they benign? Trust your gut instinct. If you sense danger, do not engage with the entity. Otherwise, if the entity does not seem harmful, try to maintain a connection and see what else happens.
Am I being haunted, and if so, why am I being haunted? Well, the truth is, there is no way to tell for sure, so it is best to be on the side of safety. Trust your gut feelings. If you feel threatened, leave it alone. If you just feel curiosity, then investigate further.
“Apparitions are often confused with hauntings. The difference is that apparitions are live (intelligent consciousness) and hauntings are recordings.” — Loyd Auerbach
Why do I see Shadow People in the corner of my Eye?
We conduct learning assessments for our workshops, which include an experiential inventory. We ask participants about their experience with supernatural or unexplained phenomena. Here is what the data tells us:
1) Spiritually Aware
The data shows that 40 to 50% of people with these encounters consider themselves gifted or Empathic. Twenty to thirty percent practice witchcraft or shamanism. Approximately fifty percent of those who have these encounters belong to Abrahamic faiths. Twenty to thirty percent are not involved with any religion or spiritual practice. Which group are you in?
We suspect the ongoing trauma of the pandemic is enough to jar perception and increase the number of people who see these entities.
When you encounter this apparition, ask yourself, why do I see shadow people in the corner of my eye? Our research shows it is common for those with near-death experiences to have these encounters. Many people who have these experiences will have recently lost a loved one. So, death or near-death experiences increase the chance of having this occur.
Many people tell us that once they recognize this entity, they remember seeing it before but have discounted or ignored the event. This follows our tendency to discount experiences that do not fit our worldview. We learn to ignore these unusual occasions until they become so pervasive that we cannot ignore them any longer.
2) After Awakening From Sleep
What if I see shadow people in the corner of my eye just after awakening? It is common to have these encounters right after sleeping or meditating. The Shaman will tell you that when we are shifting frames of consciousness, we can perceive the spiritual realm intersecting with the physical.
“Every morning we awaken from sleep and from our dreams and enter the state we call wakefulness. A continuous stream of thoughts, most of them repetitive, characterizes the normal wakeful state.” — Eckhart Tolle
3) Environment and Time of Day
Most have these sightings in either the early morning or just after sunset. Perhaps the lighting makes them easier to see. Also, most see them when they are at home. About half the time, they are indoors.
The time of the day when the sun rises or sets these events are called the twilight windows. These are when spiritual energy is shifting. Those who practice sun gazing train their peripheral vision. In doing so, they also make sporting these entities more likely—perhaps one in five who do sun gazing report glimpsing these shadow forms.
4) The Appearance of the Apparition
These experiences have common characteristics. At least half reported the shadow wearing a wide-brim hat, and this figure had eyes that shined red or white.
In some cultures, if the apparition has glowing eyes, it means it is a demon. So, if I see shadow people in the corner of my eye, it means I am in danger.
They appear to be darker than a normal shadow, which is one reason you can see their outline in low-light conditions. The darkness of these entities is more like a black projection than a shadow.
Sometimes, the shadow is irregular but still very dense. These apparitions are more likely to move from the peripheral view out in plain sight.
5) Sighting Duration
The length of the sighting is often a matter of seconds. Once you recognize the entity, it usually disappears. Some report that maintaining peripheral vision and looking straight ahead makes it possible to keep the apparition within sight. The longer you can keep the phantom in your peripheral vision, the more likely you can see it move. Then, as they move, they always keep watching you.
6) Emotional Impact
Because the sightings are often so fleeting, some people don’t have time to react emotionally. Most people who see them say that the experience leaves them unsettled, even frightened. Some report that they thought the apparition had ill intent, especially those who encounter those with an irregular outline that moves from their peripheral vision into plain sight.
A Historical Perspective on These Events
In Shamanism, these entities are often guardian spirits that are trying to warn us. When most people think of guardian spirits, the Angel of Western theology comes to mind. This typology is a recent development stolen from the early symbolism of the fairy with its butterfly wings.
Start with the question, why do I see shadow people in the corner of my eye? Record the incident in your diary with as much detail as possible.
The guardian of the Shaman takes many forms, one of which is a dark, foreboding shape. They are there to protect the spiritual traveler’s soul. Their job is to keep you from going where you should not venture. So, they appear to warn you are not ready or should not try to do something. Most often, this relates to the misuse of the journey for selfish gain.
In Witchcraft, this experience indicates the presence of a sorcerer. The stories of Carlos Castaneda and his apprenticeship under Don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian Nagual or sorcerer, detail how a sorcerer might appear as a shadow. Today, many believe Juan Matus was a composite of several teachers. Castaneda explains how sorcerers use psychotropics to breach time and reality. Walking through these portals may appear as a shadow from another dimension.
Usually, the sorcerer can venture unnoticeable to those who have not trained their awareness. If you see one, it could be a purposeful exposure on their part. They may be testing to see if you may be a candidate for an apprenticeship. How you react to their presence will tell if you are curious or fearful.
“The image wanders ghostlike through the present. Ghostly apparitions occur only in places where a terrible deed has been committed.” — Siegfried Kracauer
Questions and Answers
So, if shadow people appear in the corner of my eye, I should not overlook them. If you are, please let us know and give us as much detail as possible about the incident. Tell us how many times it had occurred, when and where it happened, and how these incidents made you feel. It is also helpful if you provide some demographic information about your background, spiritual beliefs, and practices.
Don’t discount the experience. This kind of sighting can signify that you are glimpsing another reality.
Are they a hallucination? It’s possible, especially if you see other apparitions such as angels, demons, or aliens. Several other shadow-like creatures are more common in indigenous cultures. It includes shadow dogs, birds, etc. No one knows precisely what these types of sightings mean. It isn’t clear if these experiences are becoming more common or if people are becoming more comfortable talking about them. When we encounter this experience, some important questions come to mind. Am I being haunted? Why and I being haunted?
“A specter is haunting the cinema: the specter of narrative. If that apparition is an angel, we must embrace it; and if it is a devil, then we must cast it out. But we cannot know what it is until we have met it face to face.” — Hollis Frampton
In Conclusion
If or when you have this type of experience, it’s important to investigate the reasons or origins of the phenomena. Start with the question, why do I see shadow people? The experience of this phenomenon provides us with a unique opportunity to review our memories and the beliefs of our worldview. Is it a sign of a glimpse into another world, or is it a sign of mental illness?
Because many people share the same experience, we tend to perceive these encounters as a leap of perception. However, if you have a history of other mental illnesses and delusions, it is a sign you need help. In either case, do not ignore these encounters.