Guest Post: Shadow Figures by Vanessa Morgan

I would like to welcome Vanessa Morgan, the wonderful author of Drowned Sorrow (click for review). Her paranormal suspense novel is a creepy and enjoyable read that will leave you breathless. She has also written The Strangers Outside, which has received high praise among many reviewers. Both books are being turned into movies, so keep an eye out. Morgan was kind enough to provide us with a chilling guest post about Shadow Figures, things you might have come into contact with without really knowing what they are. If you want to know more about Shadow Figures and possible explanations for their existence, then just continue reading.

Shadow Figures

by

Vanessa Morgan

Shadow figures are human shaped forms that can be seen out of the corner of your eye. They are opaque black and move quickly, and when you turn to face them, they vanish into the ether. They often come with a feeling of dread and doom as if something bad is about to happen. Some believe that more people will see shadow figures when the end of the world will be near. Strangely enough, the number of eyewitness accounts is increasing at an alarming rate. Is this because everyone is talking about this phenomenon so others are admitting to it? Or is something more eerie going on?  

These shadow figures were my initial inspiration for the dark hooded beings in my short story The Strangers Outside. Although I haven’t remained entirely faithful to the phenomenon (the dark figures in The Strangers Outside are clearly visible when you look at them directly and even seem to come closer and closer), I have kept several of its characteristics such as their dark nature, their hooded shape, and the fact that they seem to be harbingers of catastrophes.

Shadow figures are commonly believed to be spirits or ghosts, but paranormal investigators argue that they are too fast moving and too solid to be ghosts, that it is much more likely that they are demons or inter-dimensional creatures that do not like for us to know that they are watching. A minority also believes that they are time travelers or aliens.

There are also many scientific explanations for the presence of shadow figures. Humans are capable of seeing only a small fraction of an object and filling in the blanks to understand what the complete object is about. It is not uncommon to see part of a lamp post out of the corner of your eye and believe it is a cat.

Also, living in a world with HD TV, computer screens, and other kinds of electronics that constantly update their screens at a high rate of speed is changing our vision rapidly. Things we didn't see in our peripheral vision before are now available to us. A peripheral vision of up to 90 images per second is also able to handle faster light waves than the central vision of 3 to 4 high quality telescopic images per second. That means that your peripheral vision would be more likely the place to pick up something that moves in a higher speed spectrum. Perhaps shadow figures are the only images out there that are rapidly refreshing, other than our electronics, which might explain why we aren't seeing anything else.

However, those who have had encounters with shadow figures firmly believe in the supernatural aspect of this phenomenon. For them, the scientific theories only explain why we are able to see these beings, but they don't explain what they are or where they come from. One of the weirdest things is that some people do see them with their central vision, especially young people who trained their eyes on high-speed computers and televisions from a tender age while their visual perceptions are still forming. And what about shadow people who seem to have a mind of their own and move off to incredible speed when someone notices them? An eyewitness says: "The figure seemed to be made of darkness, no discernible features other than the outline. It was mid afternoon and the kitchen was quite bright, yet the figure seemed to just absorb the light. For two or three seconds I stared at the figure, then it seemed to notice me. As soon as it did it moved off to the left at incredible speed, almost seeming to melt away in that direction."

Let's finish with your opinion on this. Which theory do you think is the correct one? And have you ever had an encounter with a shadow figure?

About Vanessa Morgan:

Screenwriter and novelist Vanessa Morgan is known as the 'female Stephen King'. In her short story THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE, two sisters return to their remote holiday cottage after a day at the seaside. Soon after their arrival, they will find themselves surrounded by shadow figures. When these beings make their intentions known, things take a shockingly terrible turn and an intense battle for survival will begin. The Strangers Outside has also been turned into a film directed by Philippe Geus. You can find out more about Vanessa Morgan and her work by going to her personal blog http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com .

Also by Vanessa Morgan:

DROWNED SORROW (novel): A creepy story about a remote New England village where water has become a supernatural element that can think... and kill.

AVALON: Cute online cartoon series about Vanessa's cat Avalon. Available at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com

I just wanted to thank Morgan for this eerie article. I really learned a lot. I think I might have even encountered these shadow figures before. Which theory I believe, I am not sure. I may lean towards the scientific explanation but I always keep an open mind when it comes to the paranormal. How about you? Which explanations do you believe?