PsychonautWiki Archive

Shadow people: Difference between revisions

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>Josikins
Grammatics
>Josikins
further overhauling and improving of this effect. i will continue to work on this later as it still needs additional proof reading, information and subsections
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[[File:Shadow-people zpsaa95af9a.jpg|thumb|right|300px|'''Untitled''' by '''[[Anonymous]]''' - An accurate representation of the experience of shadow people.]]
[[File:Shadow-people zpsaa95af9a.jpg|thumb|right|300px|'''Untitled''' by '''[[Anonymous]]''' - An accurate representation of the experience of shadow people.]]
'''Shadow people''' are a very common visual hallucination for humans to have. They usually appear as a result of [[sleep deprivation]], [[psychoactive substances]]s, or [[Lucid_Dreaming#Internally_Sourced_Sensory_Input|hypnagogic states]] and can be considered a sub-type of [[autonomous entities]]. During this experience, the subject perceives a patch of shadow in their peripheral vision or focused visual field to be a living, autonomous figure. This figure can be either animal-like or humanoid in appearance. This hallucinatory state is often accompanied with a feeling of intense [[paranoia]] and [[anxiety]].  
'''Shadow people''' are a very common visual hallucination for humans to have. They usually appear as a result of [[sleep deprivation]], [[psychosis]], [[delirium]], [[psychoactive substances]]s, or [[sleep paralysis]], and can be considered a sub-type of [[autonomous entities]]. During this experience, the subject perceives a patch of shadow in their peripheral vision or focused visual field to be a living, autonomous figure. This figure can be either humanoid or animal-like in appearance.


The visual [[external hallucinations]] usually appear as initial fleeting images out of the corner of the eyes, in the peripheral vision. As time progresses, however, the hallucinations may appear in full view and one will be able to look directly at them, even being able to look away and look back at the entity without a change in the hallucination. This progression is typically the same whether you are experiencing shadow people from sleep deprivation or from stimulant psychosis.  
The visual [[external hallucinations]] usually appear as initial fleeting images out of the corner of the eyes, in the peripheral vision. As time progresses, however, the hallucinations may appear in full view and one will be able to look directly at them, even being able to look away and look back at the entity without a change in the hallucination. This progression is typically the same whether you are experiencing shadow people from sleep deprivation or from stimulant psychosis.  
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The bodies of the shadow people are usually perceived as a type of blackness that has a sense of depth with few facial or bodily features.  The blackness of the body often seems almost opaque as if one is looking into a "black hole" in anthropomorphic form.  They sometimes appear to have faces and are able to move or change shape. It is also possible for multiple shadow people to occupy one's field of vision simultaneously while acting autonomously from one another.  
The bodies of the shadow people are usually perceived as a type of blackness that has a sense of depth with few facial or bodily features.  The blackness of the body often seems almost opaque as if one is looking into a "black hole" in anthropomorphic form.  They sometimes appear to have faces and are able to move or change shape. It is also possible for multiple shadow people to occupy one's field of vision simultaneously while acting autonomously from one another.  


Although it is not an intrinsic part of this hallucinatory component, shadow people can potentially be accompanied by other sensory components aside from one's visual perception of them. This is typically infrequent and usually only occurs during very intense states of sleep deprivation, [[delirium]] or [[psychosis]]. For example, shadow people can potentially have an accompanying "voice", despite the common lack of a mouth structure. This auditory communication follows an identical [[Autonomous_entities#Communication_styles|leveling system]] of progressively more detailed and coherent spoken word in the same manner as a generic [[Autonomous_entities|autonomous entity]].
This hallucinatory state is often accompanied with a feeling of intense [[paranoia]] and [[anxiety]] due to the fact that shadow people are subjectively sinister in appearance and usually a result of negative states such as [[psychosis]] and [[sleep paralysis]].  
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==Tactile component==
Rarely, shadow people can cause [[tactile hallucinations]] that are indistinguishable from a real human touch. These physical sensations can be moderate in temperature, but they can also be cold to the touch. Pulling of clothing, hair, or the skin has been reported by some individuals.


==Gustatory component==
===Multisensory components===
Although it is not an intrinsic part of this hallucinatory effect, shadow people can potentially be accompanied by other sensory components aside from one's visual perception of them. This is typically infrequent and usually only occurs during very intense states of sleep deprivation, [[delirium]] or [[psychosis]]. For example, shadow people can potentially have an accompanying "voice", despite the lack of a visible mouth structure. This auditory communication follows an identical [[Autonomous_entities#Communication_styles|leveling system]] of progressively more detailed and coherent spoken word in the same manner as a generic [[Autonomous_entities|autonomous entity]].


This component is more rare than the other components of a shadow person experience and may manifest itself as a wide range of [[gustatory hallucinations]].
Alongside of accompanying [[auditory hallucinations]], shadow people may also present [[tactile hallucinations|tactile]] and [[gustatory hallucinations]]. This is even rarer than their potential auditory effects and typically only occurs in particularly intense and advance hallucinatory states. Their tactile effects can be indistinguishable from a real human touch and generally varied in temperature.They can also even include physical actions such as pulling of clothing, hair, or the skin.
 
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==Accompanying mental states==
===Image examples===
These hallucinations are often perceived as being malicious due to intense [[Paranoia|paranoia]] and [[Anxiety|anxiety]] that often occur simultaneously. [[Tactile hallucinations]], feelings of convincing physical sensations that are not actually occurring within reality, may occur. [[Auditory hallucinations]] may also manifest themselves, causing one to perceive that the shadow people are talking to them and furthering the sense of panic.  
 
==Image examples==
{{Gallery|[[Effect::Shadow people]]}}
{{Gallery|[[Effect::Shadow people]]}}
==Psychoactive substances==
==Psychoactive substances==
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