Museum of Mystery

10/31/2024

Shadow People 101 – What Are They, What Do they Look Like?
Shadow people, the paranormal phenomenon of shadow persons or shadow men seen just out of sight, in the blink of an eye or lurking in the corner of the room, are becoming an increasingly interesting area of study for many, precisely because we don’t quite know what these shadow beings are. There are a huge number of theories, some suggesting that these black shadows are simply ghosts taking on a darker form, while other theories lean more towards the idea that they are time travelers, or beings from an interdimensional plane – or even aliens. Maybe the shadow people are all of the above, or maybe they’re something more sinister.

WHAT ARE SHADOW PEOPLE?
Explanations for what the shadow people actually are differs depending on where you look, but from a scientific perspective, when we see these figures, it is simply our minds filling in the blank spaces and creating something “human-like” from the shapes that we can see. Another explanation comes from night terrors. Much of the folklore surrounding shadow men centres on stories of people waking up after feeling pressure on their chest; a heaviness in the air and a deep fear. When they awaken, that fear continues as they are completely unable to move and feel paralysed. Often, this is accompanied by sightings of shadow persons sitting on their chest or lurking in the corners of the room. This is the most widely accepted scientific explanation for this phenomenon, but of course, there are many scenarios involving shadowy figures that can’t be explained away quite so easily.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
Have you ever noticed something out of the corner of your eye and not quite been able to tell whether it was a person moving out of your vision, or whether it was just a shadow? It may well have been a shadow person. Shadow people are different to spirits and ghosts in that they are dark in colour: shadow is the absence of light, and so facial features, clothes and other details are generally completely undetectable. These shadowy figures will simply appear in a humanoid form, seemingly made from the shadows themselves. They could be the size of an adult, but you may see them appear as the size of a child. You might see them in the corner of a room, moving through walls and they may move extremely quickly once you’ve taken note of them. The shadows may appear solid, or like swirling smoke, and although it’s more common to see shadow people at the edges of your vision, you may well be unlucky enough to encounter a shadow person face-to-face. One thing to take note of, however: shadow people are often described as having glowing red eyes.

Ghosts
Although shadow people are often described as ghost shadows or ghost people, the truth is that they seem to behave in an entirely different way to other spirit phenomena. Orbs, ectoplasm and the like are rarely ever seen around these shadow “ghosts”, although they’re seen very commonly around areas of other ghostly and spiritual activity. It seems that shadow people are seen alone, and act alone, which lends credence to the theories that they may be beings from another interdimensional plane, aliens, time travellers or even something that we’re not entirely sure how to define.

If they are spirits or ghosts, one theory suggests that these shadows represent human spirits that are simply lost on this plane. They don’t look the same as other spirits with facial features and clothing that we can recognise, because they haven’t yet embraced their state of being, leaving them with an absence of the light that most spirits encounter upon moving onto the next plane after death. This absence of light means that we see them as shadow. This theory suggests that these shadow ghosts are trapped, because they cannot move on – so although they may feel sad and heavy, they’re not necessarily an evil or demonic spirit. Another theory? We see them as shadow simply because of the way our eyes perceive whatever light spectrum that these shadowy figures exist within.

Demons
Another theory for these shadowy persons is that they are in fact demonic in nature, simply due to the dark thoughts often experienced by those who encounter them. Again, this is often at odds to what you might experience when encountering neutral spirits or other entities, as these kinds of dark, malevolent and intrusive thoughts tend to be associated with demonic beings. Encounters are often accompanied by feelings of intense dread, and often, witnesses to these shadow people do not feel like they are or have been in the presence of a being that was once human.

Interdimensional Beings
The most popular answer to the “what are shadow people?” question tends to lean towards a type of interdimensional being. Aliens is often bandied around as an answer, and it’s not quite as ludicrous as it sounds. Many people believe that aliens are already here on earth and are simply disguising themselves. Others believe that aliens are on earth, but are in a different dimension, and that these shadows are simply the “slip” between dimensions. Another theory based on astral beings and time travellers also works on the idea that these shadows are simply astral beings or time travellers who have slipped through one dimension or another. Just how these time travellers or astral beings slipped through that dimension is something we don’t yet have an answer for, but one theory as to why we may feel dread encountering these beings is simply due to the effect that a “slip” in our dimension would have on a healthy human.

If you’re seeing black shadows, try not to worry. It might just be shadows in the corner of the room. If you experience those feelings of dread and fear in the middle of the night, and you see shadow figures lurking in the corners of the room – and, here’s the key thing – you can’t move, it’s very likely that you’re experiencing a night terror. Although they’re exceptionally scary, they’re actually harmless. If you can, try to wiggle your little finger or your little toe and you’ll soon get yourself out of the paralysis.

We don’t know what shadow figures are. In fact, they could be any or all of the phenomenon we’ve mentioned above. They could be ghosts or spirits, astral travellers, time travellers, aliens, or all of the above. They could be demons, or low, heavy souls trapped on this plane. One thing is for sure. You’ll never be quite sure again if that shadow out of the corner of your eye was just that: a shadow or a shadow figure.

12/03/2021

UFO?

UFO caught LIVE on camera during Buffalo weathercast with Andy Parker

10/20/2021

What place in WNY or elsewhere do you consider to be the most haunted.

02/20/2021

Have you or anyone you know had a ghostly experience at the Richardson Complex?

11/02/2020

The Fairy Ring

Fairy rings have other names. Elf Circles. Sorcerers’ or Witches’ Rings. The folklore surrounding these strange circles can be found in many cultures, each with slightly different variations.

For example, in German folklore, these rings are thought to be the spots where witches dance on Walpurgis Night, a spring festival that lies exactly six months from All Hallows’ Eve.

In Celtic folklore, on the other hand, fairy rings are said to be caused by dancing faeries (hence the name), or burned into the ground by dancing elves and left to appear in the morning after a moonlit night.

Whatever the case, they say you should never enter a fairy ring, or else you’ll be cursed by their otherworldly protectors. You may even find yourself whisked away into the fairyland, or perhaps even driven mad.

06/07/2020

The Ear Inn at 326 Spring Street, New York, NY

One of the oldest (and most haunted) watering holes in New York City, the Ear Inn opened in 1817, and has maintained its status as a legendary neighborhood haunt for the living and the dead alike ever since.

The bar’s building itself, the James Brown House, is a designated historic landmark. It was built around 1770 for James Brown. Brown was an African-American ex-slave and aide to George Washington in the Revolutionary War. Brown sought to retire in a quiet townhouse, and reportedly became a to***co farmer. Little else is known of Brown, as detailed records of free slaves were not commonly kept.

After Brown’s death, in the mid-1800s, the James Brown House began to transform into a waterfront drinking establishment, slinging homebrewed beer and whiskey to sailors coming in droves from the then-nearby (as in, five feet away) Hudson River. The sailors were also fed, for free, as long as they bought drinks, making the destination that much more appealing to the hungry, thirsty men.

By the next century, the establishment changed into a restaurant, but still maintained its boozy history. Not even Prohibition curbed the sale of alcohol, as the restaurant acted as a speakeasy. In the same building, the upstairs apartment has served as a smuggler’s den, brothel, doctor’s office, and boarding house, but the main level has unwaveringly been a hot spot for dining and drinking.

Post-Prohibition, the still-unnamed pub reopened to the general public. The bar enjoyed successful business due to its notorious, word-of-mouth reputation as a lawless land where sailors could drink, eat, gamble, and otherwise fraternize freely. Sailors journeyed to the infamous bar from across the globe to experience a taste of its revelry and ribaldry. The bar’s devoted fanbase dubbed it “The Green Door,” for its, well, green door, which remains to this day. The motto of “The Green Door” was: “known from coast to coast.”

It wasn’t until the late 1970s that the “Door” finally became the Ear Inn. Current owners Martin Sheridan and Richard “Rip” Hayman cleverly altered the neon in the existing “BAR” signage to simply read “EAR.” The pair made this on-the-fly change, one of the precious few changes made to the New York City landmark since 1770, to avoid having to wait through bureaucratic red tape by the Landmark Commission to approve a formal change of signage.

They also made this change in homage to the name of their music magazine, EAR, then produced upstairs in the same building. This quirky, defiant touch befits the legacy of the bar as a place for sailors, creatives, and travelers… of all planes of mortality.

Once dubbed the “defining institution” of its neighborhood by Doug Cooper from The New York Times, no bar this idiosyncratic earns that reputation without a few ghost stories, and the Ear Inn doesn’t have just a few rumors of sightings, but at least one proper ghostly regular.

One of the most established regulars, known as Mickey the Sailor, was a regular in his life, having spent the vast majority of his time and money at the bar when he wasn’t away at sea. He loved being at the Inn so much, it’s said, that he used to sometimes plead with bar staff to keep the place open after they’d shut down shop for the night.

There is no clear answer on how Mickey sailed his last mortal voyage. One leading theory is that Mickey, after a long trip at sea, craved alcohol. After disembarking his ship, he dashed from port into the bar in a deranged froth, desperate for a drink of hard liquor. He got what he wanted, and more, as he drank, and drank, and drank until it poisoned him. It is believed, per this theory, that he died on the very place he sat, his bar stool, and that his spirit, undeterred by his cause-of-death, has been an ongoing patron ever since.

The other leading theory on Mickey’s death states that Mickey wasn’t away at sea, but right at his home-away-from-home, the Ear Inn, in 1920. He had a normal night, per his habits, of heavy drinking, but then decided to go to his real home. As he drunkenly sauntered out of the bar, his walk was cut short. He was struck by a car in the midst of crossing the street, and shortly died from his injuries. Given this account, it is possible that his spirit took perpetual refuge in the bar, as it was the last safe place his mortal form knew before his sudden death.

After his death, Mickey’s love of the Ear Inn is as strong as ever, albeit even more debauched, as if he’s been emboldened by crossing over. As a ghost, he’s developed a preference for a particular style of supernatural teasing and torment. He doesn’t wail and spook bar patrons like the average ghoul, or seek to drive visitors into spirals of shock and fear with grotesque projections.

Instead, he prods at waitresses, making them squirm and shriek all the same from his literally cold, presumptuous advances. Female guests who’ve dared to stay upstairs overnight have also complained that Mickey has cheekily snuck into bed with them, seeking to cozy up with the warmth from the (feminine) living.

In addition to his lustful pursuits, Mickey also has, in stereotypical sailor fashion, a penchant for casually stealing swigs from patrons’ drinks. All too commonly, one moment, a bargoer orders a drink, brings it from the bar, and sets their drink down at their table. The next moment, their drink is mysteriously quaffed, leaving them with both a dry glass and deep, deep confusion.

Because of Mickey’s meddling, arguments tend to break out among bar visitors, as they believe one of their friends must’ve downed the drink when they weren’t looking, or that the bartenders are playing some sort of trick or illusion on them. For years, the ownership has remained firm that, no, their employees are not magicians or pranksters; that’s simply Mickey being Mickey.

06/06/2020

The Conference House

Located on Staten Island, the Conference House (sometimes known as the Billop House) was built sometime during the late 1600s and became known as the Conference House after the 1776 Staten Island Peace Conference that was an attempt to end hostilities during the American Revolution.

The house is built upon a large Lenope burial ground dubbed Burial Ridge that proved to be one of the largest burial sites on the East Coast before European interference.

The architecture of the structure particularly embodies the classic Georgian style of the Enlightenment, featuring the balance of either side with matching chimney placement and an equal number of openings on the two floors. Many manor houses that were built during this time (particularly in Pennsylvania) were built with this method of architectural construction. The house also features escape tunnels which were not uncommon during the war for loyalists to escape on-coming rebel armies.

The story behind the hauntings might as well be out of a story book. It is told that Christopher Billop, who owned the house during the Revolution, found his maid signaling to the Americans through an upstairs window with a candle and subsequently punished her treason to the Crown by stabbing her and tossing her down the manor’s stairwell. It is said that on certain nights, it is possible to see her candle light in one of the windows from the outside. Apparitions are reported including that of the maid, a mysterious woman, Billop himself, and redcoats from the English army strolling about on patrol.

The Conference House is located in Conference Park and paranormal investigations have not been allowed by the current owners.

11/13/2019

One of the most researched and best documented cases of multiple alien abduction occurred in August, 1976, in the state of Maine. The Allagash Waterway Abduction is a integral piece of the alien abduction puzzle. This case gained world-wide attention when it was dramatized in an episode of television's "Unsolved Mysteries." Twin brothers Jack and Jim Weiner, along with their friends Chuck Rak and Charlie Foltz, would be participants in an event involving a UFO sighting, missing time, and medical procedures performed by beings unknown.

Just a Fishing Trip: Not only were the four men fishing buddies, but they were all art students, having met at the Massachusetts College of Art. They set out for what should have been an uneventful, relaxing fishing trip. It was not to be. After being on the waterway for a time, the four fishermen had canoed to Eagle Lake. They had no luck there, and returned to the bank. As they were beginning to get low on provisions, they decided to do a little fishing at night. To be on the safe side, they built a roaring fire on the bank to use as a landmark in case they became turned around on the lake.

Brighter Than a Star: After a short period of time, all four of the men's attention was drawn to a large, bright light in the sky over the lake. It was much more brilliant than a star. Only a couple of hundred yards away, the UFO was hovering over a group of trees. The object began to move, and change colors, from red to green, then to a whitish yellow. The men were watching the object in awe, wondering what it might be. At this time, they estimated it to be about 80 feet in diameter. Charlie Foltz decided to signal to it with his flashlight. At once, the UFO began to move toward them. They were being watched.

Rowing for the Bank: The object silently made its way toward the men. They began a dash to the shore, paddling as fast as they could. A light from the object beamed down and engulfed the men and their canoe. The next thing they knew, they were back on the bank. Foltz again signaled the UFO with his flashlight-but this time it rose upward, and departed from their view. Then they noticed that the large fire they had started only a short time ago, was already burned to ashes, which should have taken several hours. What had happened to them?

Missing Time: It was obvious to the four buddies that they were missing several hours of time. Little was said between them at this time. They packed up their belongs, and headed back home. As time went by, the events of that terrible night on Allagash would begin to have an effect on their lives. The first man to suffer was Jack Weiner. He began to have awful nightmares of strange beings with long necks, and large heads. He could see himself being examined, while the other three men sat idly by.

Haunting Nightmares: The strange humanoid beings in Jack's nightmares were described as having metallic-like, glowing eyes with no lids. Their hands were like an insect's with only four fingers. See more on strange alien beings described in the Pascagoula abductions, and also the Betty Andreasson abduction. The other three men also were having dreams of a similar nature. Finally, in 1988, Jim Weiner decided to visit a UFO conference, which was hosted by author Raymond Fowler. When the conference ended, he talked to Fowler, and related his remarkable encounter on the Allagash Waterway.

Regressive Hypnosis: Fowler was very experienced in dealing with the exact problem that Jim, his brother and the two other fishermen were facing. He suggested to Jim that all four of the men undergo regressive hypnosis, a type of hypnosis that recovers lost memories. After the four men completed their sessions, it was determined that all of them had been abducted by strange beings from the UFO that engulfed them and their canoe on the Allagash Waterway. Part of the abduction involved very sensitive personal issues of the taking of fluid (semen) samples, and other humiliating medical tests.

Men Were Not Lying: The men all recalled the abduction procedure-some would recall one part of it, and some another part, but when combined, they showed a complete picture of a typical alien abduction. Since the men were all artists, they were able to draw striking depictions of the examination room, the instruments used, and the aliens. This information would be invaluable to those who study the phenomena of alien abduction. The four friends would also take lie-detector tests, which they all passed, further verifying their encounter.