Beyond the Veil Magazine

Dark Watchers: The Shadowy Figures Among Us

Issue #32: August 1981

They are seen at the corner of the eye, in the moment between waking and sleep, in the darkness of empty rooms. They are humanoid in shape but utterly black, as though cut from the fabric of night itself. Reports of these dark figures have grown steadily in recent years, and our readers have provided disturbing accounts.

Reader Accounts

Our postbag contains numerous accounts of shadow encounters. We present a selection here.

Mrs. Patricia Holloway of Derbyshire writes:

“I woke in the night to see a figure standing at the foot of my bed. It was shaped like a man but completely dark, without features or substance. I could not move or cry out. The figure stood for what seemed like minutes, then simply faded. My husband slept through the entire experience.”

Mr. David Trent of Essex reports:

“While working late at my office, I repeatedly glimpsed a dark shape moving in my peripheral vision. Each time I looked directly, nothing was there. But I felt watched. When I finally left, I saw a figure standing in the car park, watching me. It was a shadow, nothing more, but it was standing upright like a man. I drove away without looking back.”

Miss Sarah Compton of Yorkshire describes a childhood encounter:

“As a girl, I saw shadow figures regularly in my grandmother’s house. They would pass through walls, stand in doorways, and watch from corners. I thought everyone saw them. When I mentioned this to my grandmother, she grew very pale and told me never to speak of them again.”

Characteristics

The accounts share common features:

Humanoid Shape: These dark figures are invariably described as human in outline. They have heads, torsos, and limbs, though they lack facial features or clothing details.

Solid Darkness: Unlike ghosts, which are often translucent or glowing, these apparitions are described as absolutely black. Light does not penetrate or reflect from them.

Peripheral Vision: Many encounters occur at the edge of sight. The figure is glimpsed rather than observed directly. Those who turn to face the shadow often find it has vanished.

Paralysis: Some witnesses report being unable to move or speak during encounters, similar to the experience of sleep paralysis.

Malevolence: While some dark figures are described as neutral observers, many witnesses report feelings of dread, malice, or threat.

The Figure in the Hat

One recurring figure deserves special mention. Numerous accounts describe a dark figure wearing what appears to be a wide-brimmed hat, sometimes with a long coat.

This hatted apparition appears more frequently than other dark figures in our correspondence. It is described as particularly menacing, often appearing to stare directly at the witness. Some researchers believe it represents a distinct entity rather than a category of phenomena.

Reports of this figure come from across Britain and beyond. The consistency of descriptions is striking. Different witnesses, unknown to each other, describe the same figure in the same terms.

Explanations

What are these dark watchers? Several theories have been proposed:

Ghosts: These dark figures may be spirits of the dead, perhaps those who died in violence or darkness. Their shadowy form might indicate a particularly negative death or afterlife.

Interdimensional Beings: Some researchers suggest these entities exist in a dimension adjacent to our own. They are glimpsed when the barriers between worlds momentarily thin.

Demons: Religious authorities have proposed that these dark watchers are demonic entities, scouts for darker forces, or tempters seeking vulnerable souls.

Psychological Phenomena: Sceptics argue that such figures are products of the human mind: hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep paralysis visions, or simple misinterpretation of ordinary shadows.

Thoughtforms: The Philip Experiment in Canada demonstrated that concentrated human thought can create apparently independent entities. Perhaps these dark figures are thoughtforms, given life by collective human fear.

Historical Precedents

Reports of shadow beings are not new. Ancient traditions describe dark spirits, shades of the dead, and malevolent entities that lurk in darkness.

The Hebrew tzelem (shadow) was associated with the soul. Roman larvae were dark spirits of the restless dead. Norse mythology described dark elves (svartálfar) who dwelt in shadows.

Perhaps these dark figures have always been with us, observed under different names in different eras. Or perhaps they represent a modern phenomenon, emerging from the shadows as something in our world changes.

Investigation

This publication has received dozens of accounts of these dark figures in recent months. The consistency of reports suggests genuine phenomena, though the nature of those phenomena remains unclear.

We encourage readers who have encountered such apparitions to contact our research department. Details of location, time, and circumstances may help identify patterns.

We also urge caution. Whether these dark watchers are ghosts, demons, or psychological projections, the fear they inspire is real. Those who see them often suffer lasting unease. Some believe they attract further encounters.

The shadows are watching. The question is what they want.

Readers who have encountered dark figures or shadowy apparitions are urgently invited to write to our research department. All correspondence will be treated confidentially.