Dark, faceless, vaporous entities in vaguely human form. They may be wearing a shadow hat and have red glowing eyes.

They appear in your peripheral vision then disappear just before you can look directly at them. They are mostly male.

Shadow people may be a type of psychic sponge, a vampiric being that drains the vitality of the living by creating and feeding on fear.

They are also associated with the nightmare, a creature who enjoys smothering people while they sleep.

In Zuni tradition the spirits of the dead remain close to home for four nights before they move on to the Council of the Gods. During this time they are called shadow beings and "...can be observed by seers and by others under certain conditions" (Wright 44). The conditions include fasting, chanting, dancing rhythmically, and other methods that induce a trace-like state.

Also known as shadow folk, or shadow men. The term "shadow being" may refer to a shadow person or an animal such as a shadow cat.

See Also: Creatures by Type » Incorporeal

References

Shooting Star, C. T. Shadow People: A Journal of the Paranormal. New York: iUniverse, 2009.

Wright, Robert Catlin. Indians of North America. Tyler Pub. Co., 1907.