A man has shared a terrifying video of a “shadow man” who he claims used to stand at the end of his bed when he was a child.
Reddit user RMangatVFXbelieved to be from the US, recreated what the creepy shadow figure used to look like using CGI and posted the clip fueling the nightmare online.
The post, which racked up more than 5,000 likes and 650 comments, terrified many, but others said they had experienced something similar when they were children.
The video shows someone almost asleep in their bed, with their eyes opening and closing.
But then, a mysterious shadow figure appears at the foot of the bed, and as his eyes close, the shadow leans closer and closer to the sleeping person.
Reddit user RMangatVFX, believed to be from the US, shared a terrifying video of a ‘shadow man’ who used to stand at the end of his childhood bed.
The post read: ‘When I was a child I used to see this shadow at the foot of my bed. I’ve recreated it to show what it looked like.’
Many reported seeing the person as a result of sleep paralysis, which is unfortunately common among select people.
Sleep paralysis is a state, upon waking or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of whole-body paralysis.
During an episode, the person may hallucinate, often resulting in fear.
One person said: “Don’t worry, it’s just sleep paralysis 99 per cent of the time, it’s quite common and it’s very scary to experience until it’s over and you realize it’s your brain half-dreaming.”
Another said: ‘I have SP and I see this too. I have always wondered why we all see shadow figures. He could have been anything, but he is always a shadowy figure…’
Someone else wrote: “I’ve had spiders crawling on my wall, aliens coming through the window, and an executioner-looking guy with an axe, in addition to the standard shadow demons.”
A fourth said: ‘Yes, it happened to me once. I was very scared. Because your eyes are open during that, when I woke up I was in an identical position and it seemed like the figure had simply disappeared.
The man recreated what the creepy shadow figure looked like using CG and posted the clip fueling the nightmare online.
Many reported seeing the person as a result of sleep paralysis, which is unfortunately common among select people.
“It felt like it lasted for hours and made me uncomfortable in my room for weeks.”
‘It’s no wonder people become convinced they’ve been kidnapped, possessed or persecuted; it’s a truly terrifying experience. It happened to me years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.’
However, others experienced a woman’s shadow at the end of their beds, and others often saw a creepy ‘hat’.
One person said: ‘Mine was wearing a top hat. I would build a wall of stuffed animals along my bed to protect myself. I never saw the figure again after 10 years. I’m very happy about that. Good job with CG Op.’
Another said: ‘I have a shadow woman coming out of my closet. He’s been making appearances for years. It doesn’t matter where I move. I was in Iraq living in a tent and I saw her crawling on the ground.’
Someone else added: “Sleep paralysis.” There is nothing supernatural about it and it is more common than you think.
‘The first experience for me was around 16 and I thought I was going crazy until I looked for similar stories.
‘My sleep paralysis “demon” was an old woman covered in funeral clothes, but also in rags. It could also have been smoked like what OP showed.