Shadow person
Animate shadow figures in paranormal folklore.
A shadow person (also known as a shadow figure or black mass) is a popular subject in circles of the paranormal and the supernatural, detailing beings resembling animate human shadows, sometimes interpreted as the presence of a spirit. The topic was popularized by the Coast to Coast AM late-night radio talk show, particularly after an April 12, 2001 interview with a guest named Thunder Strikes (sometimes spelled Thunderstrikes). Listeners later submitted drawings of shadow people, which were shared on the show's website.
- Field
- Paranormal and supernatural folklore
- Known for
- Animate human shadow figures, often associated with sleep paralysis and deliriant substances
- First major media coverage
- April 12, 2001, on Coast to Coast AM
- Notable author
- Heidi Hollis, who published her first book on the topic in 2005
Lore & Background
A number of religions, legends, and belief systems describe supernatural entities such as shades of the underworld, and various shadowy humanoids have long been a staple of folklore and ghost stories, such as the Islamic Jinn and the Choctaw Nalusa Falaya. The Coast to Coast AM late-night radio talk show helped popularize modern beliefs in shadow people. The first time the topic was discussed at length on the program was April 12, 2001, when host Art Bell interviewed a guest named Thunder Strikes (sometimes spelled Thunderstrikes). During the show, listeners were encouraged to submit drawings of shadow people that they had seen, and these drawings were later shared on the show's website.
Reader's Guide
Shadow people occupy a contested space between paranormal belief and scientific explanation. Believers and paranormal authors disagree on whether shadow people are evil, helpful, or neutral; some speculate they may be extra-dimensional inhabitants of another universe. Scientific explanations include sleep paralysis, where a sufferer may perceive a shadowy shape approaching while paralyzed; hallucinations from methamphetamine addiction, which often produce shadow people rather than shadow animals; and the effects of deliriant substances such as datura, diphenhydramine, and benzydamine. Visual hallucinations from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may also appear as shadowy figures. The phenomenon has been featured in popular culture, including episodes of the 1985 Twilight Zone series, the 2013 horror film Shadow People, and the 2015 documentary The Nightmare, which attributes shadow people to sleep paralysis. The "Hat Man" variant, named for a fedora or other brimmed hat, is commonly associated with sleep paralysis and abuse of the antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
Did You Know?
- Heidi Hollis, who published her first book on shadow people in 2005, claims they can be repelled by invoking 'the Name of Jesus'.
- Methamphetamine addicts report seeing shadow people after prolonged sleep deprivation, with one subject noting, 'You don't see shadow dogs or shadow birds or shadow cars. You see shadow people.'
- The 2015 documentary The Nightmare proposes that shadow people can often be attributed to sleep paralysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shadow person in paranormal folklore?
A shadow person is an entity described as a dark, living human-shaped silhouette that some interpret as a spirit presence. It goes by several names, including shadow figure and black mass, and is a staple topic in supernatural circles.
How did the shadow person concept become widely known?
The idea gained a major audience when a guest called Thunder Strikes discussed it on Coast to Coast AM in April 2001. After that broadcast, listeners started sending in their own sketches of the figures, which the show then shared on its website.
What experiences are shadow people most commonly associated with?
They are typically reported during episodes of sleep paralysis or while a person is under the influence of deliriant substances. In both situations, the individual perceives a dark humanoid shape in their immediate surroundings.
Who is the most notable author writing about shadow people?
Heidi Hollis is the name most fans cite, as she published the first dedicated book on the subject in 2005. Her work helped move the topic from radio-show chatter into a more structured body of paranormal literature.
What broader category does the shadow person belong to?
It sits firmly within modern paranormal and supernatural folklore rather than any ancient mythological tradition. The concept is largely a late-20th- and early-21st-century phenomenon that grew out of talk-radio communities and listener submissions.
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