If you’ve spent time around children or the dying, you’ve probably heard tales of the Shadow Man who watches from the corner of the room. In your own youth, you may even have seen this man with your own eyes…standing there…staring in the dark.
But who is the shadow man that stands in the corner of the room? What does he want? Is he a demon? A ghost? Something else? Is he dangerous?
Who is the Shadow Man?
The shadow man is not a ghost or demon. He’s also not an angel. The shadow man is something else entirely. The shadow man is Death.
So why does the shadow man visit children? Why does he visit others so frequently in the place between the sleeping and waking worlds?
These are excellent questions.
The truth is, the shadow man is always present in the lives of humans, but humans usually cannot sense him, and do not see or notice him.
Nonetheless, he is always there.
Even now, he stands in the room with you, but you likely do not see him.
Why Do the Dying Elderly See the Shadow Man?
The Shadow Man is Death, and he is always nearby. But adults usually do not see the Shadow Man except when they come close to oblivion.
The Shadow Man is most frequently reported by elderly persons who are on their death bed. As the individual nears the end of their life, the mental defenses and walls they’ve built up over that lifetime begin to drop away.
As the elderly begin the process of crossing over into death, they often regress, becoming more childlike as they recall memories of the past. They begin to think about their parents, and about time – how when they were a child, they thought they had so much time, and how now they wish they had more.
And as they start to think like this, their mind slips into a similar experiential state to that of a child.
Death is the great unknown, and children are open to experiences because there is so much they do not know. Likewise, when adults face death, they also face the unknown.
All of this leaves the mind, body, and soul in a state that is open to experiencing whatever is yet to come, and part of that openness presents the opportunity to experience what already is that has remained unseen until now.
The closer the elderly come to their demise, the more clear the Shadow Man becomes.
He stands in the corner.
Lurking.
Watching.
Waiting, just as he has been for their entire life.
Only now, they can see the Shadow Man because their mental defenses are lowered, and their openness to experience has expanded.
Why Do Children See the Shadow Man?
Although the shadow man most commonly appears to the dying elderly, he is also frequently reported by children. What gives? Are children in danger?
Not exactly.
Children are different from adults.
The brains of children haven’t fully developed, and, as such, children are innocent. Children do not come with preconceived ideas about reality and existence which leaves them open to experience.
Since children are open to experience, they often experience reality differently from adults who have built up mental walls to block out what might otherwise terrify them.
Children do not have those mental barricades, so when the facade of normalcy falls away in the dark (when they go to bed for the evening), the veil of agreement drops away and a more true version of reality opens up for the child.
The child is able to see through realms of reality.
This is because the child sees with untainted eyes, and without mental defenses that would otherwise explain away any such phenomena.
For these reasons, children frequently note Death’s presence in their room.
Watching.
From the corner.
But the Shadow Man usually presents no threat under such circumstances.
He is simply there, watching, waiting.
But What Does the Shadow Man Want?
The Shadow Man wants you, eventually. Rather, he wants to guide you, when the time comes, through realms to the other side.
On a bright note, you may find it somewhat comforting to know that the Shadow Man rarely presents a threat to those who are not already in a life-threatening situation.
In some ways, the Shadow Man is like a courier.
He delivers spirits from one place to another, and ensures they reach the other side rather than being trapped in some limbo somewhere.
The Shadow Man does not speak.
He is always silent.
Generally, he does not interact at all unless it is time for an individual to cross over to the other side.
Beyond guiding spirits from one place to another, the Shadow Man’s intentions are mostly benign.
Why Does the Shadow Man Visit People In Between Sleep and Awakeness?
The one place people often find the Shadow Man DOES interact is in the place between sleep and awakeness. This experience can be quite frightening for some due to the nature of sleep paralysis.
When you experience the Shadow Man in this place, your body is all but certainly paralyzed and immobile. While you are in this state, you can see, even through closed eyes, into the astral (the dreaming realm).
The astral realm exists between the Abyss and the waking world (the world as you know it when you are awake). The astral realm is home to many dark entities and creatures, and you may even have encountered other shadow entities int his place.
That said, the Shadow Man sometimes shows up in this place as well.
Usually, he’s some distance away from you, but, the moment you sense his presence, and the moment he senses that you’ve sensed his presence, now he has an opportunity to explore you in ways he cannot normally do.
Imagine if you were the Shadow Man.
Your entire existence would center around watching people go about their entire lives with no interaction, and very little awareness of your presence.
But when someone eventually notices you, well, that’s a very different experience.
It presents a curious opportunity.
An opportunity that the Shadow Man seems to enjoy participating in.
In some ways, it has to do with your fear.
The Shadow Man knows he is feared by humans, and that it isn’t just a mental fear, but a physiological fear.
Humans CAN sense when death is close.
In this place between awakeness and dreams, Death comes closer than usual, and it can create extreme fright in the human spirit.
This disturbance is often experienced with violent shaking of the astral body, as well as an experience of blue light or electricity.
All of this reaches a peak if you are unable to wake yourself before the Shadow Man touches you, and even upon waking, you will still very much sense his closeness.
Some people even wake with the mark of a handprint on their arm, leg, torso, or face.
Usually, the Shadow Man does this because the fear he creates releases some of your human Lifeforce which he enjoys much like a fine drink.
When he touches you, he takes your Lifeforce very directly, and this is the electricity you feel quaking all around you in that blue and white light. It is your Lifeforce, leaving your astral spiritual body.