S1 Ep24: The Shadow Man Who Wasn't There

Astonishing Legends is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things that people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it, so your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you can save on car insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Indeed Sponsored Jobs gets you quality candidates when you need them most. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 Sponsored Job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Astonishing Legends Network. The views and opinions expressed by hosts and listeners on the Astonishing Dead Letter office are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Astonishing Legends Productions, the Astonishing Legends Network, or any affiliated entities or guests. When something unexplainable happens to you, it can make you feel isolated or alone. But trust us, you're not. For over a decade, you've been sending your strange stories to Astonishing Legends. And now it's time for our fellow legenders to hear them too. Join us weekly in Blanket Fortiana as we dig through your intriguing messages to the Astonishing Dead Letter office. Tonight's episode, The Shadow Man Who Wasn't There. This week's letter comes from listener Jada, who's experienced a recurring, unsettling phenomenon, the appearance of a shadowy figure with red eyes. This hasn't happened just once but twice in entirely different locations. Mm-hmm. Two separate incidents, years apart, but both involving the same kind of spectral entity. It suggests something more than just a localized haunting, doesn't it? Perhaps a persistent attachment. Exactly. Jada describes the first sighting occurring during a summer at a religious retreat or camp. Now, this could be significant, hinting at a possible connection between heightened spiritual sensitivity and these encounters, but we can't say for sure. All right, perhaps a heightened spiritual awareness, making someone more susceptible to, some might argue, well, or other spiritual influences. So it's a fascinating hypothesis. And the second encounter, though, with her then-boyfriend present, removes any room for self-doubt because it was also witnessed by him. And he had no previous belief in the paranormal either. And we've seen that before, too, where not that I get a kick out of it, but sometimes people who don't believe in that kind of stuff at all are the ones who are shaken the most. Not that I wish that kind of terror on anybody or the shaking up of their beliefs, but it just seems that whatever's causing this doesn't care if you believe in it or not. And then if you think it's impossible and you see the impossible happening, you experience it, yeah, it jars you even more. Yeah, and to your point, the boyfriend's confirmation adds significant weight. And I can't remember if you took it from a movie or something like that, but where you would say, you know what? They don't care if you believe in them. The ghost doesn't care if you believe in it. No, I think that was Anthony Hopkins in the movie The Right, I think. Oh, nice, nice. That's a good callback. I like that. Not believing in the devil won't protect you from him. That's it, that's it, yes. That's the idea that people are like, well, if I don't pay any attention to this, this is all just malarkey. It's not going to bother me because those people are making it all up in their head, and that's why it's affecting them. And that could be true to a certain degree. But also, well, we know somebody whose story we have talked about, somebody that's within our circle here of show friends. And they had a boyfriend who didn't believe in any of this stuff. And then they were hanging out more with him and this family. And then something happens that's undeniable in front of their face. And that's the thing. It's exhausting and terrifying for the family. But after a while, you kind of accept that this is a reality and you have to deal with it in some way or kind of live with it. But the boyfriend hadn't. And then I'm sure he trusted them like, well, I believe that they believe something, but I don't think that there's really anything happening. And then something happens to you and he's freaked out even more. So once again, to lead into this, we're talking about two separate locations, two separate incidents, one consistent figure. And then you have to wonder, is this a guardian spirit or a malevolent entity following her or maybe something else entirely? My name is Jada. I'm 34 and from Austin, Texas. Now, I don't know if you guys will read this, but I hope so. I have a personal experience that kind of ties into one of the topics discussed in part two of your series on The Conjuring. Many years ago, I was staying with my aunt one summer. And that particular summer, we had done some heavy church camp rounds. I prefaced this because I truly believe it amped up the spiritual realm surrounding me that summer. One night, we were sleeping in the upstairs living room. Now, her house had a short breezeway that led to the living room as she came up the stairs. And the living room was closed off with French doors that had glass, so you could clearly see down that breezeway. I had been sleeping when I suddenly awakened and looked out into the breezeway. There was a silhouette or a shadow of a man with red eyes looking back at me. Put a bookmark there for a second, and let's fast forward to many years later. I was at my mom's house with my boyfriend at the time, who I can adamantly say is a true skeptic about anything spiritual or paranormal. At least he was then. We were sleeping in the upstairs loft. I suddenly woke up because the fan was off. That was my very first thought. Why is the fan off? I always, always, always sleep with the fan on. One, because I get hot. And two, for ambient noise. And I'm 100% sure that fan was on when we went to sleep. Anyway, I immediately sat up and felt like someone was next to me, and I jumped. But then I felt the presence move down in front of the bed, and it was the silhouette of a man. I started screaming, and so did my boyfriend, which I hadn't even realized that he was awake or aware that this was happening. But he did confirm that something was there, and that he was awake and not asleep. All of this is to say that I think there's something to what you guys were talking about with hauntings happening to a person versus a location in every instance. My little brothers had an experience as well at that house, and they were in the same room. But then I can't explain the man I saw in two different locations at two different times in my life. I've also had a few other experiences at a different house. I think it's a mistake when people try to apply earthly logic to the unearthly realm. Well, we've received a lot of these types of stories, especially when we do a Halloween call for stories about people and shadow figures appearing in bedrooms. So a lot of commonalities here, common themes. In the bedroom, why? Because you're vulnerable there. Right. Also, you're asleep, also vulnerable. There's something with the subconscious and tuning in while you're subconscious or sometimes unconscious. Sometimes people have had experiences where they were passed out even. But the rest of this is very familiar. The shadow of a man, and then you have the red eyes, which I believe is something significant. And I don't know if it always portends evil or just something negative, but it's not the most welcoming shade of color when somebody's eyes are... It's not eye shine. They're emitting a red light of sorts. And then on the other hand, we've heard of entities with white eyes or white light emitting from their eyes or yellow eyes. But red seems to be the most common color choice here with these shadow beings. And the other common thing is that a lot of these people that we receive letters from have talked about having these experiences in different places. It's not necessarily just the house or the bedroom or the shiffer robe or something coming out of the closet. It is something to do with them, and they are kind of a focal point. Not that there's an attachment. I don't want to say that because then people freak out, and I don't think that's the case a lot of the times. It's just something about that person. There is a connection that is made to this other realm, and these things show up. Because that's also very common. When we first started looking into the phenomenon of shadow people, people have talked about seeing them outdoors and that they're staring at them from afar. One of my favorite stories, when we first, it may have been a Jim Harreld story. Somebody walking home, and I think it was still daylight out, but they looked over, and they were like at a high school track and field arena with bleachers. And they looked over, and just as the streetlights were coming on, they saw the shadow of the man staring at them, got a bad feeling, and then noticed that there was nothing below the hips or the legs. He was only seeing partial shadow man. And that creeped him out. He started running home. And then I think saw them in another place. So yeah, very classic. Why is the fan off? Maybe that you would wake up, and he could get your attention, or there's some electromagnetic interference with his presence there. And then you get into other theories that, well, they're just us from the future, able to travel back in time just to scare the crap out of people in their bedrooms. Or that there's an alien connection somehow, and that's a screen image you're seeing. And that also ties in with the multiple visits in different locations. But nobody knows for certain, I think, at this point. So I don't want to put any ideas into anybody's heads of what's going on, and don't let anybody else tell you they know what's going on. And again, I'm sorry that the boyfriend had that terrifying experience. But my point earlier was that I don't like the aspect of, of course, people being terrified. But that you're seeing something that maybe has opened your mind a little, that things you thought were impossible are possibly possible. Yeah. And that there's more to life than just us being sacks of meat and potatoes. Yeah. And the thing that I find really disconcerting about this story is how pleasant the word breezeway is. It just seems like such a nice place. It's not where you want. No, it's not nice. It's a shadow man with red eyes. No breezeway for you. When it's warm and there's a breeze, it's very pleasant. But it has the word breeze in it. Yeah. I will say this, though. I get the sleeping with ambient noise thing. You know, of course, there's a billion apps that do that now. I was thinking I should take this moment to remind folks that several years ago, I recorded three or four hours of the ocean of the surf breaking down in North Carolina, Carolina Beach, North Carolina. I left a digital recorder on a deck all night long and recorded it. And I posted it to our feed. And it's commercial free. And it's just called Astonishing Waves for Relaxation, if you want to Google. Astonishing Waves for Relaxation. And if you go and you play it out of our back catalog, it's got no pre-roll ads, no ads attached to it. It's three or four hours long. It's been downloaded 150 or 175,000 times since I posted it. Really? Yeah. Yeah. So, but of course, I've listened to it myself probably 20 or 30. So I count for some of those. That could just be like, you know, 150 people listening a thousand times. I don't know. Totally off topic. Well, kind of connected. But I was just recently thinking about your tape of the ocean sounds and how relaxing that is. And I thought about one of the best nights of sleep I ever got was in a tent while camping. And there was a creek nearby. And the sound of the creek, or just before you go to bed and the crackle of the fire with the creek. And sometimes you'll hear people conversation often in the trees. Yeah. And it's just very relaxing. But this, I do wonder about this house and how relaxing it is to sleep there, especially for the little brothers. Yeah. And if more people are seeing things or what the vibe is, and then what did the boyfriend think after that? So a lot of these letters, of course, are just the short anecdote and you don't get a lot of the full story. Then sometimes you ask and that'll be it. It's like, well, nothing really happened after that. Yeah. But there is something about the house and maybe her connection to it and about the religious angle on here about, you know, making the church camp rounds. Right. Well, it's like the cat had a demon. I think if you believe that story, it is something to do with a negative entity, a demon getting the most bang for the buck. Where? But at a church camp. Right. With a bunch of screaming kids. Where you got the most receptive audience. Yeah. And just like the scurrying, the pattering above the, on the roof. Remember that was one aspect of it. And then while they're all out at the pool and the black smoke and the, yeah, it's just, where can I get the most people screaming at once? Yeah. And a little dig on the religious folks, on the churchy folks. Maybe there is something to that with Jada's thinking that it amped up a little or made more of a connection between the spirituality, a religious aspect, and the ghostly haunting type things or the shadow people. There may be something to that. Yeah. And going back to the boyfriend too, I think the skepticism too, sometimes that is a trigger. I mean, I do feel like that's part of what triggered what happened to me at the Sally house. Not just skepticism, but just being like, well, there might've been something here at one point, but there's nothing going on here now. I'm not paying attention. And it's like, okay, you're the person we're after in this moment. You're the person we're going to reach out to. Well, yeah. So you become the target of the prank of sorts, or just that there's something about the mindset of you being the most receptive, maybe not having to do with any skepticism. It's just that for whatever reason, you're the guy they want to talk to. Just as I didn't get any whisper in my ear, but Tess did. Yeah. I didn't get any sensation on my forearm, but Megan did. Yeah. Who was also, she's very level-headed. I think she believes in this stuff. Of course, it's talking about our experience at the Sally house there, but yeah. And the people that were with us. Yeah. Yeah. And the people that were with us. And when things like that happen to specific people and it's like, well, I've got the full spectrum video camera and the recorders and all the gear. Why didn't it happen to me? I could have recorded it. And maybe they looked at me and said, nah, too on the nose. Yeah. That guy's like, we're going to deliver it to somebody who will be left with more questions. Yeah. And on that trip, that was you, my friend. Yes, it was. Well, Jada, thank you so much for sending your letter into the Dead Letter Office. Just remember to keep your fan on and avoid strange breezeways at night. The Astonishing Dead Letter Office is hosted by Scott Philbrick and Forrest Burgess and is executive produced by Tess Feifel. The show is edited and mixed by Sarah Voorhees-Wendell at VW Sound. The theme is based on the Astonishing Legends theme by Judson Crane at Founder Music. Arranged by Alan Carissia, who composes all the other music in the show. Tommy Beaver Design created the logo. The announcer is John Bolton. That's me. Stories are lightly edited for length, content, and readability, but otherwise presented as they're sent to us. We're always looking for more Dead Letters, so if you have a story of your own you'd like to share, email it to deadletterofficeatastonishinglegends.com. Please include how you would like to be credited. First name only? First name last initial? Anonymous? A pseudonym? Let us know. Due to the number of emails coming in, we often cannot respond, but we do read them all. No part of this show may be reproduced anywhere without permission. Copyright, Astonishing Legends Productions. Astonishing Legends is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible. Financial Geniuses. Monetary Magicians. These are things that people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it, so your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Protein bars often feel like you're choosing between taste and nutrition. If it tastes good, you flip it over only to discover it's made with a whole paragraph of ingredients you've never heard of. Or artificial sweeteners are doing all the heavy lifting. It's basically dessert in disguise. You shouldn't have to choose between tasty and nutritious. And that's what makes Aloha stand out. Aloha protein bars nail the delicious and nutritious. They're USDA organic and made with ingredients that actually grow somewhere. It's their whole taste that grows philosophy. Plant-based ingredients grown in the ground, thoughtfully sourced, and built to keep you satisfied. Their peanut butter cup bar has 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and only 5 grams of sugar. Which is wild considering how delicious it is. Made with no artificial ingredients or fillers. Just something that tastes good and works the way it's supposed to. So, if you're in the mood for something truly craveable and nutritious, try any of Aloha's protein bars. Grab one at your local grocery store or head to aloha.com. Astonishing Legends is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible. Financial geniuses. Monetary magicians. These are things that people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So, your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you can save on car insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Protein bars often feel like you're choosing between taste and nutrition. If it tastes good, you flip it over only to discover it's made with a whole paragraph of ingredients you've never heard of. Or artificial sweeteners do all the heavy lifting. It's basically dessert in disguise. You shouldn't have to choose between tasty and nutritious. And that's what makes Aloha stand out. Aloha protein bars nail the delicious and nutritious. They're USDA organic and made with ingredients that actually grow somewhere. It's their whole taste that grows philosophy. Plant-based ingredients grown in the ground, thoughtfully sourced, and built to keep you satisfied. Their peanut butter cup bar has 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and only 5 grams of sugar. Which is wild considering how delicious it is. Made with no artificial ingredients or fillers. Just something that tastes good and works the way it's supposed to. So, if you're in the mood for something truly craveable and nutritious, try any of Aloha's protein bars. Grab one at your local grocery store or head to aloha.com. Hello, hello. I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I recently spoke with IBM's new director of research, Jake Embatta. We discussed his vision for the future of quantum computing. At IBM Research, what we always do is answer what is the future of computing. Whether it's coming up with new algorithms, coming up with better AI, coming up with quantum, or coming up with just how do different accelerators go together. It's our DNA to answer the question of what is the future. Isn't it a perfect problem for IBM because you kind of need to have a legacy of building stuff. Yes. Building actual physical machines. Yeah, it's why I came to IBM. I wanted the experience, the culture of building hard things that others have not done before. Where do you imagine we are in the timeline of this technology? There will come a point when it will mature, right? Yeah. My cell phone is a mature technology at this point. How far are we from that point with quantum? By 2029, we'll build the first fault-tolerant quantum computer. That is one that can run a very, very large, large problem. To learn how IBM is building the future of computing, visit ibm.com slash quantum. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions. And here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At CVS, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So visit us at cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location. All right, quick quiz for the hiring managers out there. What's worse, being understaffed or being poorly staffed? Well, that's a trick question because both are recipes for chaos. Either way, just say to yourself, this is a job for Indeed's sponsored jobs. You'll get matched with candidates that meet the skills, certifications, and everything else you're looking for. Or go a different way and get no traction. Seriously, sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95% more likely to report a hire than non-sponsored jobs. It really is a no-brainer. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed's sponsored jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help your job get the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed's sponsored jobs. Ever notice that feeling your worst also seems to happen at the worst time in the worst places? Like sudden nausea at 9 p.m. when you're out of town. Really? Now? Fortunately, with Hartford HealthCare's HHC 24-7 app, you can get answers, diagnosis, prescriptions, even speak live with clinicians anytime, anywhere. So maybe there's never a good time to be sick, but at least the best care's always there. Download the app at your app store or hhc247.org. Success starts with your drive, and American Public University is here to fuel it. With affordable tuition and over 200 flexible online programs, APU helps you gain the skills and confidence to move forward. Whether you're changing careers, starting fresh, or pursuing a lifelong passion, our programs are designed for people who never stop. You bring the fire, APU will fuel the journey. Learn more at apu.apus.edu. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions, and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At CVS, we're proud to serve your community, because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So visit us at cvs.com, or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.