Terrifying Shadow Person account In London
The Londonist posted a story this morning from the archives of Fortean Times Magazine. It was a 2003 account from a few guys from London who witnessed a “Shadow Person” like creature strolling about the streets of Brockley. South east London.
From the Londonist:
I was walking from a friend’s house to my own, in the early hours of the morning after a night of general chat while I was at university here in London. I had drunk only tea or soft drinks all night and had consumed no drugs whatsoever. The time was around 6 am and dawn was literally breaking when a friend and I found ourselves walking down my street where my apartment was located. We saw a figure walking up the street towards us. The word we coined later to describe its movement was ‘lolloping’ — a kind of up and down bouncy walk. It took a few seconds for the two of us to realise this was no human being.
The creature was entirely black and like a cardboard cut-out, flat and one-dimensional. It had no features at all, and it had arms that hung down to its knees. It seemed to be ignoring us, then it seemed to realise we could see it and it began to lollop faster towards us. We ran to my front door and hid in the hallway as quiet and unmoving as possible when we saw the thing — we felt it was male — approach the front door and appear to look through the glass from the way its head moved up and down and around. It then turned away.
It’s difficult to take online testimonies serious. You just don’t know who wrote the story, and under what motive. Regardless, I’ve read weirder things and experienced a shadow person encounter myself. When I tell my personal story to some people, they roll their eyes as if I’m crazy. Well they might be a little on the right side, but I know what I saw.
Written by Javier Ortega - javier@ghosttheory.com
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Interesting story Javier. I’ve tended to put the shadow people stories into the realm of urban myth. It seemed to me that Art Bell started heavily promoting the idea about 10 years ago and all of a sudden everyone was talking about “shadow people”. But I don’t know- there might be something to it. You strike me as a fairly down to earth guy. I guess I should do a search in the archives for your account. I think part of what bothers me is the term- not sure why. Maybe because Art Bell started using it so much. And so many of the people who would call into his show with their own accounts seemed completely out of their minds- perhaps the combination of insane callers and a show that I didn’t particularly like and rarely found credible led me to have a negative view of the term. Thank goodness for podcasts like The Paracast. I haven’t listened to Coast to Coast in years- it was often a chore to make it through those shows.
This one does sound way out there. Why would they run from a 2 dimensional being when they obviously have an extra dimension advantage?
jbondo,
LOL.
I’d run too.
I live in L.A. and see crackheads everyday, no problem. The day I see a paper-like figure creeping around the streets is the day you’ll catch me running and crying.
-Javier
Javier and jbondo,
I agree with the running part. If I noticed something like and it noticed me and then starting “lolloping” towards me faster the reaction might be the same. There isn’t anything to prove the validity of these statements from the incident, but it does sound possible. How about a shadow figure breathing in your face and feeling the warmth from the breath that isn’t there. Had that happen to me once long ago. I just pretended not to notice (as much as could be done at that point) and left the area. no one was with me at the time so I couldn’t even share it with them. didn’t think anyone would believe me if I DID tell them.
Interesting story, Javier. Thanks
Alright Michka,
Now you have to tell the story. Come on, spill it.
Michka,
Yes please….spill it!
In fact, submit it as a “personal story” through our Contact us page
-Javier
I’ll save the juicier story for the Contact submission, but here’s a teaser.
Many years ago, I was visiting my father in Largo, FL. He was living in an apartment complext with a small patio. I was probably in my late teens and had just seen the movie Willow for the millionth time. (side note: cant remember much of the movie now) And I had gone out to have a quick smoke. While I was out there, a major storm was going on and i started chanting some of the words I remembered from the movie. And the storm got stronger. Me thinking it was because of what I was saying decided to do something that ended up scaring the s*** outta me.
In the air I made the sign of an inverted cross. Seconds after, a lightening bolt struck the lake, not 50 yards from me. I nearly jumped through the sliding glass door, screamed and my father and stepmother came running out of the bedroow to see what happened. They said I looked like a ghost. I told them about the lightening, but nothing else. To this day, they don’t know about my response from above.
Say what you want, but I never made that sign again.
Okay, there’s a story that almost none of the people that know me have ever heard.
believe it or not
LOL how Ripley’s can I get?
Hell, I’d run too. I hope I never see one of those things.
Glynis,
If you do…be scared, but be smart. I’m just glad that my own experience didn’t follow me from the building I first encountered it at. That would have been really hard to deal with. I learned to deal with it there. Oftentimes scared me, but as long as I knew that was what was going on, I didn’t react too much. It was other things that really scared me. Like the brick box in the basement.
And, here, you can’t tease people about stories of personal experiences. we will all bug you until you tell us. Right guys?
But (to everyone else) don’t put pressure to fess up. You do it when you’re ready to Glynis. We’ll wait.
I hope you never have to experience a shadow person, either.
Don’t be scared. I feel the better approach is to build up your resolve and be aggressive, hold your ground. Many of the stories and reports I’ve read seem to indicate that these things feed off of fear…
I hear shadows are demonic energy. Any truth in that?
There is a bunch of theories as to what shadows are: ghosts, demonic entities, dimensional beings, time travellers, aliens are just a few. I tend to relate Shadows to ghosts and spirits, though with reports of these things feeding off of fear, they could be demonic I guess.
The entire list of what describes what and how entities appear and what “type” they are, but I can tell you this. If you see a shadow, a mist, or an apparition and there is the smell of sulphur and/or dead roses GET A PRIEST. Or at least throw up those internal walls and get out. I would not recommend that anyone try and stand their ground in this situation because there is no telling what you are up against.
If you don’t encounter any strange smells when you see something, then just stand your ground and don’t feed it fear. One theory I have is that any energy we give to spirits when we encounter them feeds them. And if we feed them enough fear, we change them somehow. It’s almost like a drug that they seek out once they feel it. Of course, it’s natural for us to fear what we can’t see, but that doesn’t give them enough energy to change them. But of course this theory doesn’t apply to all entities since some of them are just residuals. It’s the intelligent ones we have to be wary of.
I hope I’m making sense with all this. Maybe someone can make it clearer if I confused anyone.