An Analytical Review of Credible Apparitional Experiences: 30 Cases of the Shadow People Phenomenon

Introduction: Defining the Shadow in the Periphery

The "shadow person" is a pervasive yet enigmatic figure in modern paranormal folklore, an apparition that exists at the intersection of anomalous experience, cultural narrative, and human psychology. Unlike traditional ghostly apparitions, which are often described as misty, translucent, or bearing recognizable human features, shadow people are defined by an unnerving absence of light and detail. They are frequently reported as animate human silhouettes that flicker at the edge of vision, entities that seem to embody the very darkness from which they emerge. This report seeks to move beyond simple ghost stories to conduct a structured analysis of this distinct paranormal sub-genre.   

The phenomenon is characterized by a remarkably consistent set of descriptions from witnesses across the globe. Visually, a shadow person is a dark, human-shaped silhouette, often described with unsettling hyperbole as "blacker than black" or a "black mass" that seems to absorb light. These figures are almost universally devoid of discernible features such as clothing, hair, or a face, presenting only a humanoid outline. Their form is not always solid; some accounts describe them as being composed of a swirling, smoke-like substance. Behaviorally, their nature is fleeting and elusive. The most common encounters involve a figure seen in peripheral vision, which vanishes the moment direct focus is applied. However, an increasing number of reports detail sustained, face-to-face sightings. Witnesses describe them moving with incredible speed, passing through solid objects like walls, and ominously looming in doorways or over the beds of sleepers. Perhaps the most defining characteristic is the profound emotional and psychological impact of an encounter. Sightings are almost invariably accompanied by a palpable sense of dread, malevolence, or an inexplicable terror that can linger long after the apparition has disappeared.   

The objective of this report is to identify and analyze 30 representative cases of shadow people apparitions through a structured and rigorous credibility framework. This methodology is designed to differentiate the analysis from a mere collection of anecdotes, establishing instead a scholarly investigation into the patterns, typologies, and potential explanations for these consistent and unsettling experiences.

Part I: A Framework for Credibility in Anomalous Experiences

The Credibility Paradox in Paranormal Research

The central challenge in addressing the user's query is the "credibility paradox." Paranormal investigation, and ghost hunting in particular, has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method, and no scientific study has ever confirmed the existence of ghosts. Therefore, establishing "credibility" based on empirical, verifiable proof of an entity's existence is impossible. To proceed, this report must resolve this paradox by redefining "credibility" for the specific context of anomalous experiences.   

The resolution lies in shifting the analytical focus from the ontological question of "Are shadow people real?" to the phenomenological question of "What are the characteristics of the most compelling, consistent, and well-documented reports of shadow people experiences?" Within this framework, credibility is not a measure of the objective reality of the entity, but a measure of the quality, consistency, and analytical rigor applied to the testimony and the circumstances of the experience itself. A "credible case" is one that is rich in detail, corroborated by multiple witnesses or similar independent accounts, and has been thoroughly vetted to exclude the most common and simple mundane explanations. This approach allows for a rigorous investigation of the phenomenon as it is reported, without making unprovable claims about its ultimate nature.

Establishing Analytical Criteria

To assess the credibility of each case, this report will employ a multi-faceted framework that synthesizes best practices from witness testimony analysis and the critical evaluation of anomalous claims.

Witness and Testimony Analysis

The foundation of any case is the witness account. Principles from forensic psychology and investigative practice provide a structured way to evaluate the reliability of such testimony.

• Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA): This report will apply principles derived from CBCA, a method used in legal settings to assess the veracity of statements. Research suggests that truthful, reality-based statements are qualitatively different from fabricated ones. Credible accounts are more likely to possess a logical narrative structure, a significant quantity of detail, and "contextual embeddings," such as specific descriptions of the surrounding environment. They also tend to contain unusual or superfluous details that are not central to the main narrative, which are hallmarks of genuine memory recall rather than scripted invention.   

• Consistency and Corroboration: A primary indicator of a potential objective phenomenon is consistency across multiple, independent accounts. A single, isolated report, no matter how detailed, is less compelling than multiple reports from different witnesses, times, and locations that describe a highly similar entity or event. Therefore, cases involving multiple witnesses or those that fit into a broader archetype of highly consistent sightings (such as the "Hat Man") will be weighted as more credible.   

• Investigator Vetting: The credibility of a report is enhanced when it has been reviewed by a competent investigator. An ideal investigator is one who can control for personal bias, assess the witness's character, rule out potential conflicts of interest (such as financial gain), and consider the possibility of psychological factors like fantasy proneness. A report where a deliberate falsehood is discovered in any part of the testimony becomes suspect in its entirety.   

Exclusion of Conventional Explanations

A credible paranormal case is one that remains anomalous after all conventional explanations have been thoroughly considered and reasonably excluded. The following categories represent the most common non-paranormal explanations for shadow people sightings.

• Physiological & Environmental: The human brain is a pattern-recognition machine, and in low-light or ambiguous conditions, it can easily misinterpret mundane stimuli. This includes pareidolia (perceiving meaningful shapes in random patterns, such as seeing a human form in a patch of shadow), illusions caused by passing car headlights, or even the perception of movement from "floaters" (dead cells in the vitreous fluid of the eye).   

• Psychological States: A person's emotional state can dramatically influence their perception. An individual experiencing heightened fear or anxiety, such as while walking alone at night, may be primed to interpret an ambiguous shadow as a potential attacker. Furthermore, visual hallucinations can be a symptom of serious psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which must be considered as a potential factor in some cases.   

• Sleep-Related Phenomena: A significant portion of shadow people encounters, particularly those occurring in the bedroom at night, can be compellingly explained by sleep paralysis. This is a state in which an individual is consciously awake but their body remains in the temporary muscular paralysis (atonia) of REM sleep. This experience is frequently accompanied by vivid and often terrifying hypnagogic (while falling asleep) or hypnopompic (while waking up) hallucinations. Sufferers commonly report perceiving a "shadowy or indistinct shape" approaching them, accompanied by feelings of intense dread and a sense of pressure on the chest, which directly mirrors many "malevolent" shadow person accounts.   

• Substance-Induced Hallucinations: There is a well-documented and undeniable link between the use of certain substances and the specific hallucination of shadow people. Prolonged sleep deprivation combined with methamphetamine use is known to produce these apparitions. More specifically, deliriant substances, particularly the common over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine (DPH), sold as Benadryl, are strongly associated with sightings of the "Hat Man" archetype. Any case where substance use is a potential factor must be critically evaluated with this strong pharmacological correlation in mind.   

Part II: Typological Case Clusters: Patterns in the Shadows

The first set of cases derives its credibility from the striking consistency of descriptions across a vast number of unrelated witnesses. By grouping these anecdotal accounts into archetypes, a clear pattern emerges, suggesting either a shared external stimulus or a common internal, psycho-neurological process.

Cases 1-7: The Archetypal Encounter — Peripheral Phantoms

The most frequently reported type of shadow person encounter is also the most elemental. These cases establish the baseline phenomenon: a fleeting, indistinct humanoid figure observed momentarily in the witness's peripheral vision. While these are the most easily dismissed as simple misperception or a trick of the light, their credibility is rooted in their sheer volume and the uniformity of the experience reported by millions of people worldwide.   

The typical narrative involves a witness engaged in a mundane activity who becomes aware of movement in the corner of their eye. They perceive a tall, dark, human-shaped shadow that vanishes the instant they turn to look at it directly. A common variation involves seeing a tall, black figure walk from one room to another, often in a well-lit environment where no object could have cast such a shadow. These seven cases are composites, drawn from the aggregated descriptions found in paranormal literature and online forums, representing the foundational experience upon which more complex encounters are built. They are significant not for their individual detail, but for their collective power as a global, grassroots phenomenon.   

Cases 8-13: The Malevolent Presence — Red-Eyed and Hooded Entities

This cluster of six cases moves beyond the fleeting peripheral sighting into more defined and menacing territory. The apparitions in these accounts possess specific features and are associated with a palpable sense of malice, fear, or direct aggression.

• Red-Eyed Shadows (Cases 8-10): These three cases represent accounts where the featureless silhouette is punctuated by a single, terrifying detail: a pair of glowing red eyes. The addition of this feature is critically important, as it elevates the experience beyond simple pareidolia. A witness is no longer just interpreting a shadow as a person; they are observing a specific, non-natural characteristic. These entities are almost universally described as malevolent, and the encounter is accompanied by an intense feeling of being watched and targeted. One account from a lucid dreamer describes fighting a shadow figure with red eyes that was actively trying to touch him, an experience he described as the most frightening of his life.   

• Hooded Shadows (Cases 11-13): This sub-archetype involves three cases where witnesses describe the shadow figure as resembling a medieval monk, cloaked in a dark, hooded robe. These apparitions are distinct from the generic humanoid shape and are often associated with an intense feeling of burning rage or deep-seated negativity that seems to emanate from the figure itself.   

Within these reports of malevolent entities lies a significant contradiction. Some of the most dramatic accounts, often cited by authors like Heidi Hollis, describe shadow people attempting to physically assault witnesses, jumping on their chests and choking them. This description aligns perfectly with the physical sensations reported during sleep paralysis episodes. Conversely, other researchers and numerous witnesses state that shadow people are entirely non-interactive and harmless, acting as shy observers who will flee the moment they are spotted.   

This discrepancy suggests two possibilities. The first is that there are different classes of these entities with varying intentions, as categorized by some researchers into types like "Benign Shadows" and "Negative Shadows". The second, more psychologically grounded possibility, is that the perceived intent of the apparition is a projection of the witness's own internal state. There is a strong correlation between sightings and pre-existing negative emotions like fear, anger, or sadness in the witness. An individual already in a state of turmoil or fear is far more likely to interpret an ambiguous, startling stimulus as threatening or malevolent. Therefore, the "threat profile" of a shadow person may reveal more about the observer's psyche than the inherent nature of the observed.   

Cases 14-20: The Enigmatic Observer — The "Hat Man" Phenomenon

Arguably the most specific and compelling shadow person archetype is the figure known as the "Hat Man." This cluster of seven cases represents a global phenomenon of unrelated individuals reporting an encounter with a remarkably consistent entity: a tall, featureless, solid black silhouette distinguished by a wide-brimmed fedora or a similar old-fashioned hat, often accompanied by a long trench coat. The credibility of the Hat Man phenomenon stems from this extreme specificity. Witnesses who have never heard of the phenomenon or had contact with one another provide nearly identical descriptions.   

Synthesizing numerous anecdotal reports reveals a detailed and consistent profile. The Hat Man is invariably tall, estimated between six and ten feet, sometimes appearing to crouch or bend to fit within a room. Unlike other shadow figures that are fleeting, he is known for being static and observational. He will often stand motionless in a corner, in a doorway, or at the foot of the witness's bed for an extended period, simply watching. Despite this non-aggression, the experience is defined by an overwhelming sense of profound evil, dread, and malevolence that emanates from the figure.   

A critical element in analyzing the Hat Man is the strong, repeatedly documented correlation between his appearance and specific physiological and pharmacological states. The vast majority of Hat Man encounters occur during episodes of sleep paralysis. Furthermore, there is a powerful link between Hat Man hallucinations and the abuse of the antihistamine diphenhydramine (DPH/Benadryl), a known deliriant at high doses. Neuroscience suggests that substances like DPH disrupt the brain's visual processing systems and hyper-activate the amygdala, the threat detection center. This combination can cause the brain to incorrectly interpret ambient shadows as a threatening human-like figure, providing a compelling scientific model for this specific hallucinatory archetype.   

The Hat Man phenomenon serves as a fascinating case study in how a specific apparitional figure can evolve within the collective consciousness. While folklore contains many "dark man" figures, the modern, highly specific Hat Man archetype gained widespread recognition with the rise of the internet and paranormal forums in the late 2000s. Paranormal-focused media, such as the radio show Coast to Coast AM and dedicated websites like The Hatman Project, helped to codify and disseminate the figure's specific traits. This created a cultural feedback loop. A pre-existing neurological potential to hallucinate a dark, threatening figure during altered states (like sleep paralysis or DPH intoxication) may now be shaped by a powerful, culturally transmitted meme. People are no longer just seeing a shadow; they are seeing The Hat Man they have read about online. This suggests a complex interplay between neurology and modern folklore in the creation of a seemingly "credible" paranormal entity.   

Part III: Location-Based Case Dossiers: Concentrated Apparitional Phenomena

The following cases are grounded in specific, repeatedly investigated locations. The credibility of these accounts is derived from the concentration of similar reports over extended periods from multiple, independent sources—including paranormal investigators, staff, and the public—all tied to a single geographic point. These locations are invariably sites of profound historical trauma, suggesting the history of the place may be an active agent in the generation of the phenomena.

Table 1: Comparative Analysis of Location-Based Case Dossiers

Case Dossier 1 (Cases 21-23): Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky

Historical Context: The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, operated from 1910 to 1961 as a state-of-the-art facility for treating tuberculosis patients. In an era before antibiotics, the disease was often a death sentence. Tens of thousands are believed to have died within its walls, their bodies often removed secretly through a 500-foot tunnel known as the "Body Chute" to keep morale up among the living. This history of mass death, prolonged suffering, and isolation has cemented its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the world.   

• Case 21: "The Creeper": Among the most credible and unusual cases at Waverly is the entity nicknamed "The Creeper." Unlike typical humanoid shadows, this figure is described as a large, dark mass that has been witnessed crawling on the walls and ceilings of the 4th floor. Its non-human form and movement make it difficult to dismiss as a simple shadow or misidentified person. The credibility of this case is bolstered by consistent reports from multiple independent paranormal investigation teams, including a well-documented investigation by the SyFy channel's Ghost Hunters team, who reported seeing the figure.   

• Case 22: Corridor & Morgue Shadows: A more common but equally persistent phenomenon is the sighting of tall, dark, humanoid shadow figures. These apparitions are frequently seen darting quickly through the long, echoing hallways and lurking in the dimly lit morgue. Reports from visitors, volunteers restoring the building, and professional investigators are remarkably consistent in describing these figures moving between rooms before disappearing. Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters reported witnessing a full-body shadow figure on the 4th floor that vanished when he gave chase.   

• Case 23: The 4th Floor Growl: Lending auditory corroboration to the visual sightings, the Ghost Hunters team captured a distinct, disembodied growl on an audio recorder during an investigation of the 4th floor. This specific piece of evidence is significant because the 4th floor is a hotspot for sightings of both "The Creeper" and other shadow figures, suggesting a potential link between the menacing sound and the visual apparitions reported there.   

Case Dossier 2 (Cases 24-25): Preston Castle, California

Historical Context: Located in Ione, California, Preston Castle operated from 1894 to 1960 as the Preston School of Industry, a reform school for juvenile male offenders. The institution had a dark history of harsh discipline, abuse, riots, and death from disease and violence. The most infamous event was the 1950 bludgeoning murder of the head housekeeper, Anna Corbin, in the castle's basement—a crime that remains unsolved.   

• Case 24: The Shadow Wards: One of the most common reports from Preston Castle is the sighting of small, child-sized shadow figures. These apparitions are seen wandering the halls and are widely believed to be the spirits of the former wards still serving their time. The credibility of these accounts comes from the consistency of the figures' size, which directly corresponds to the historical use of the building as a boys' reformatory. Investigators and visitors alike report these sightings, and some have claimed to capture the figures in photographs and videos.   

• Case 25: The Apparition of Anna Corbin: A more specific and historically grounded case is the shadowy apparition believed to be Anna Corbin. Her figure is most frequently reported in the basement area where her body was discovered, as well as in her former on-site apartment. This case is strengthened by its direct and poignant link to a known, tragic historical event. During one investigation, a medium reported receiving mental images of Corbin's massive head injuries at the exact spot where she was found, while another investigator was simultaneously struck with a debilitating headache.   

Case Dossier 3 (Cases 26-27): St. Albans Sanatorium, Virginia

Historical Context: St. Albans Sanatorium in Radford, Virginia, has a layered history of suffering. It began as a Lutheran boys' school in 1892 known for harsh discipline before being converted into a psychiatric facility in 1916. In an era of primitive psychiatric care, patients at St. Albans were subjected to brutal treatments including insulin-induced comas, hydrotherapy, lobotomies, and electroshock therapy, leading to a high rate of death and suicide on the property.   

• Case 26: The Fleeing Staircase Shadow: This case is notable for its claim of being captured on video. During a 2014 investigation, the Maryland Ghost Trackers paranormal group recorded footage that they assert shows a strange shadow figure fleeing down a staircase. While the quality of such evidence is often debated, the existence of a specific piece of media that multiple team members witnessed and documented lends a higher degree of credibility than a purely anecdotal account.   

• Case 27: The "Suicide Bathroom" Presence: A specific room in the women's ward, known as the "Suicide Bathroom" due to its history of at least four suicides, is a hotspot for tactile paranormal claims. The credibility of this case stems from corroboration across different investigative teams. A member of the Black Raven Paranormal team reported being touched by an unseen force in the room in 2013. Later, a woman on another investigation reported feeling the "icy grip of a ghost's hand" in the very same room. The repetition of a specific type of experience (unwanted physical contact) in a specific, historically charged location by unrelated individuals makes this a compelling case.   

Case Dossier 4 (Cases 28-30): Bobby Mackey's Music World, Kentucky

Historical Context: A nightclub in Wilder, Kentucky, Bobby Mackey's Music World is promoted as "the most haunted nightclub in America". Its lore is a complex tapestry of fact and folklore. The building stands on the site of a 19th-century slaughterhouse, and its basement contains a well once used for draining blood. Later, as a series of clubs allegedly run by mobsters, it became the subject of legends involving the murder of a singer by a dancer's father, followed by the dancer's suicide by poisoning. Another prominent legend, which has been thoroughly debunked by historical societies, claims the well was used for satanic rituals and became a "portal to hell" after the head of 1896 murder victim Pearl Bryan was thrown into it. The heavy promotion of these often-unsubstantiated stories requires a critical lens when evaluating its paranormal claims.   

• Case 28: Main Floor Bar Shadows: Despite the sensational basement legends, some of the most consistent evidence comes from the main floor. During public ghost hunts, numerous guests and investigators have witnessed humanoid shadow figures moving through the main bar and seating area. During one multi-night investigation, the author of an account personally witnessed a shadow person walk along a wall, an event also seen by a patron sitting next to him. The sheer volume and public nature of these sightings, often by multiple simultaneous witnesses, make them a credible component of the location's phenomena.   

• Case 29: The "Portal to Hell" Well: The basement well is the epicenter of the club's most extreme claims. The Ghost Adventures team famously documented their investigation here, during which lead investigator Zak Bagans received three long scratches on his back after taunting a supposed demonic entity. While the demonic "portal" narrative is likely an embellishment of the slaughterhouse history, the consistent reports of aggressive activity, physical contact (scratches, being pushed), and feelings of malevolence in this specific area by multiple teams point to a concentrated and potentially interactive phenomenon.   

• Case 30: The Mimicked Voice: One of the most compelling pieces of evidence from Bobby Mackey's comes from the original Ghost Adventures documentary that launched the show. While in the basement, the team captured an Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) that sounds distinctly like a spirit mimicking Zak Bagans's voice, yelling in a mocking tone. This specific, clear piece of audio evidence is a cornerstone of the location's paranormal fame and is considered by many viewers to be one of the most chilling pieces of evidence ever captured by the team.   

Part IV: Synthesis and Critical Analysis

Identifying Overarching Patterns

An analysis of these 30 cases reveals a cohesive and structured phenomenon, whether its origins are paranormal or psychological. Across all typologies and locations, shadow people are consistently described as tall, dark, featureless humanoids. Their behavior is typically observational and non-interactive, characterized by fleeting appearances, though more defined and aggressive encounters are also a significant part of the lore. Crucially, the emotional context of the witness is almost always one of fear, dread, or a sense of being violated by an unseen presence. The locations where these phenomena concentrate are invariably sites of profound and prolonged human suffering, such as prisons, asylums, and hospitals. This suggests that the history of a location is not merely background context but an active agent in generating these experiences, either by providing a form of "psychic energy" for entities to manifest (the paranormal model) or by creating an atmosphere of fear and hypervigilance that primes visitors for misperception (the psychological model).

Evaluating Dominant Theories

The consistent patterns in these reports have given rise to several dominant explanatory theories, which can be broadly categorized into paranormal and scientific models.

Paranormal Theories

• Ghosts/Human Spirits: This theory posits that shadow people are the spirits of deceased humans who lack the energy or ability to manifest as a full-bodied apparition, thus appearing only as a dark outline. This explains their humanoid shape and presence in haunted locations. However, it fails to account for non-humanoid forms like "The Creeper" or the highly specific, recurring details of archetypes like the Hat Man.   

• Demonic Entities: Supported by the intense feelings of malevolence and fear that accompany sightings, this theory suggests shadow people are non-human, evil entities. This model aligns well with the more aggressive and terrifying encounters, particularly those reported in the basement of Bobby Mackey's Music World.   

• Interdimensional Beings/Aliens/Time Travelers: A popular modern theory proposes that these figures are beings from a parallel dimension, another planet, or even our own future. In this model, they are not ghosts but living entities whose reality momentarily "bleeds through" or overlaps with our own. Their shadowy appearance is explained as a result of their physical form being slightly out of phase with our vibrational frequency or reality.   

• The Djinn Hypothesis (Rosemary Ellen Guiley): Paranormal researcher Rosemary Ellen Guiley proposed a potential unifying theory within the paranormal framework, identifying shadow people as a modern manifestation of the Djinn. In Islamic and Middle Eastern lore, the Djinn are a race of beings created from "smokeless fire" who live in a parallel reality, invisible to humans. They are known to be powerful shapeshifters. Guiley concluded that many shadow people encounters, as well as other paranormal events like alien abductions, are the work of Djinn interacting with humanity. This hypothesis is compelling because it can account for the phenomenon's inconsistencies: their varied forms (shapeshifting), their different perceived intentions (Djinn can be good, evil, or neutral), and their ability to appear and disappear at will.   

Scientific and Psychological Models

As established in the credibility framework, scientific models provide powerful, evidence-based explanations for a significant subset of shadow people cases. Sleep paralysis offers a comprehensive neurological and psychological explanation for nocturnal bedroom visitations that involve shadowy figures, a sense of dread, and chest pressure. Similarly, the well-documented hallucinatory effects of substances like methamphetamine and, most notably, diphenhydramine, provide a direct pharmacological cause for many sightings, particularly those of the Hat Man archetype. For sightings that occur when the witness is awake and sober, psychological principles like pareidolia and confirmation bias, especially in emotionally charged and spooky environments, remain potent explanatory factors.   

The Role of Media and Culture

The modern conception of the shadow person phenomenon cannot be separated from the media that has defined and disseminated it. The late-night radio show Coast to Coast AM, particularly during a 2001 episode featuring Native American elder "Thunder Strikes" and subsequent interviews with author Heidi Hollis, was instrumental in bringing the term "shadow people" into the public consciousness. This broadcast encouraged listeners to share their own stories and drawings, creating a shared, public database of experiences that solidified the phenomenon's key characteristics. In the 21st century, paranormal investigation television shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures have further amplified the narrative, focusing on specific locations like Waverly Hills and Bobby Mackey's and providing dramatic visual "evidence" that shapes public perception. Online forums and social media platforms have created communities where individuals can share experiences, reinforcing the belief in and the specific details of the archetypes, contributing to the memetic evolution of figures like the Hat Man.   

Conclusion: Interpreting the Darkness

This analytical review of 30 credible cases of shadow people apparitions reveals a complex and deeply ingrained modern folklore. While no single case provides definitive, irrefutable proof of a paranormal entity, the credibility of the phenomenon as a whole rests on the remarkable consistency of witness testimony. Across disparate cultures, locations, and individuals, the descriptions of these dark, humanoid figures and the unsettling emotional responses they evoke remain strikingly uniform. The archetypes of the peripheral phantom, the red-eyed aggressor, and the enigmatic Hat Man, along with the concentrated phenomena at sites of historical trauma, form a compelling body of anecdotal evidence that resists easy dismissal.

Ultimately, the shadow person occupies a unique and disquieting space in our collective imagination, straddling the line between the physical and the phantasmal. Whether these figures are objective entities from another dimension, the tormented spirits of the dead, projections of our deepest psychological fears, or neurological artifacts of an exhausted or altered brain, they serve a powerful symbolic function. They are a modern manifestation of ancient human fears—of the dark, of the unknown, and of the unnerving feeling of being watched by an unseen observer. The study of shadow people forces a confrontation with the limits of human perception and the enduring power of narrative to shape our understanding of reality. The darkness they inhabit may not be in the corners of our rooms, but in the uncharted territories of our own consciousness.   

We have a wall mounted baby monitor near our 5 month old daughters crib. The camera points toward the crib and the wall behind it. We have a dim night light in the nursery as well. The nursery shares a wall with our living room, which is where I was when this happened.

Tonight, about 15 minutes after putting her down at 8:30PM, I heard a bang on the wall. I thought she might have been awake and moving around, so I pulled up the app for the monitor on my phone. She was still sound asleep. I watched for a few seconds and then I saw a dark shadow sweep across the wall right next to the crib, as if someone was walking in the nursery. Nobody was in there. It's only myself at home. My wife is at work and our dog and cat were both in the living room with me.

Right after I saw the shadow, I heard another bang on the wall and about 30 seconds later my daughter woke up screaming, shaking her head side to side, flailing her arms - the kind of cry as if she was in pain or scared. If you're a parent, you know the pain/fear cry I'm talking about - it's very distinct. I went in there, picked her up, soothed her back to sleep and set the monitor up on our computer so that I can continue watching it for the night.

I've never felt anything strange about our home. We've lived here for almost 5 years now. Maybe a few odd things here and there, like something falling off a shelf when nobody is near it, but nothing terribly alarming. In your opinions, what could this have been? Does this sound like something malicious? I want to be sure my daughter is safe in her nursery.

Today does mark the 4 year anniversary of my grandmother's funeral. She was like a mother to me after I lost my mom when I was 4yo, and we were always close. She knew my wife and I were trying to conceive and she was excited for us to have a baby, but due to fertility issues it wasn't until years after she died that we had our daughter. Is it possible that this was her checking in? I want to believe it was, but the reaction my daughter had has me worried - I've only heard her cry that way once or twice in the 5 months since she was born.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/1374vcw/shadow_seen_on_baby_monitor_just_before_baby_woke/