Was my childhood imaginary friend a shadow person

Originally posted by chroot
Hey everyone,

I just called my mum and she is busy eating toast, lol

She is gonna give me a call back in a little bit and i will pick her brains.

Chat in a bit,

Chroot

Hurry back! It's getting interesting!

Great Thread!

Hey everyone,

Right, spoke to my mum and gathered a few more specifics...

First of all, I was incorrect with the length of time... My mom is saying that that I was about 2.5 years when it started and 5 years old when it ended.

I was slightly correct when I said that it ended when I started school... My mum says that he went away just after I had started (couple of months she thinks). I asked her what exactly happened and she says one day I just stopped talking to him and I just never mentioned him again following that.

As for how frequent this was she seems adamant that this was a daily thing and that we literally did everything together... The examples that she gave was that I would play with him and that they could hear me laughing as he chased me round the garden. I did ask her how they knew it was dug chasing me and she simply says that that’s what I used to tell them when they asked me what I had been playing.

Another thing she mentioned when talking about what I did with him kind of ties in with one of my memories. She says that they often used to see me standing and whispering to him while standing facing the corner of the room and that I would then go off and fetch random items and show them to him by just holding them out into thin air.

I did ask if she could remember what items and for some reason she seems to recall my Granddads’ rolling tobacco tin being a regular thing but could not remember anything else.

I find this interesting as in one of my memories I recall the view as I’m standing in front of him, he is standing in the corner facing outwards, I have something blue in my right hand but I haven’t a clue what it is and im talking to him..... I think there is a possibility that im telling him about the object but I couldn’t swear on that bit being correct.

She did say that my Nan (a truly amazing and wise old woman, god rest her soul) often used to watch me doing this and casually say “he aint normal” (that’s so like my Nan, lol) and so my mum sought advice by “mentioning it to the family doctor” but she was told that it wasn’t anything to worry about.

The church thing I got correct however she also adds that I used to always refuse to go and really play up saying I had to stay with dug, that dug said I didn’t have to go, etc.... They then used to say to me "we can take dug too" which s where i would reply "he wasn’t allowed to go to church" as i mentioned earlier...In all fairness though and to balance that out a bit I have many memories of not wanting to go to church and playing up to get out of it... I was a bit of a terror in my younger years and would have used any excuse, lol.

And........ Thats about it...

As it was a daily occurrence over some considerable time my behaviour was obviously witnessed by other family members to, I have spoken to some about it before but as previously mentioned its usually been in the context of the novelty factor of having an imaginary friend, etc. I will try and get some more info about it by mentioning it again and attempting to be a bit more inquisitive.

Obviously I will post the info on here as/when/if I can get more info.

And last, but by no means least any thoughts, questions, comments anyone has that can help with my newly developed interest in this are always welcome (obviously).

Have a good day,

chroot

reply to post by xxshadowsecretxx


As my memories of this are more limited to specifc moments (a short clip or snapshot of an image if you like) its hard to say. I have no actual memories of him ever walking around with me or come to think of it ever seeing him move. Im having to rely on my moms memories (so far) about that.

I definatley remember interacting with him, those are my main memories.. In all of these i am standing right infront and looking up at him. Its from these memories that i have the very specific image of the blacked out figure (no eyes or anything like that.. literally a silhouette) as i previously mentioned the hat is also very predominat in these mental images too.

Cheers matey,

chroot

Originally posted by BadBoYeed
reply to post by chroot

 

i was also wondering...do you remember any temperature variations when you were dealing with Dug?

No matey, not that i can remember but then again i suppose that there is a chance that i would not have been that aware of a temperature change (unless significant) at that age and so may not have noticed.

chroot

reply to post by chroot


Very interesting !

Couple of questions for you ...

(1) You clearly recall the hat but from the sillouette could you tell if he was wearing a long coat or a cloak ? ...

(2) Even if you don't recall in the literal sense if pushed can you recall any kind of scent / smell that links to him or reminds you of him ? ...

(3) Do you have an image in your mids-eye of his face if so describe ? ...

(4) As an adult now and using memory comparrisons with door frames ceilings etc how tall would you estimate he was ? ...

(5) Again going by your present day perspective how old do you feel he was ? ...

Sorry to be so nosy but this subject fascinates me for a number of reasons. Woody

Originally posted by woodwytch
reply to post by chroot

 

Very interesting !

Couple of questions for you ...

(1) You clearly recall the hat but from the sillouette could you tell if he was wearing a long coat or a cloak ? ...

(2) Even if you don't recall in the literal sense if pushed can you recall any kind of scent / smell that links to him or reminds you of him ? ...

(3) Do you have an image in your mids-eye of his face if so describe ? ...

(4) As an adult now and using memory comparrisons with door frames ceilings etc how tall would you estimate he was ? ...

(5) Again going by your present day perspective how old do you feel he was ? ...

Sorry to be so nosy but this subject fascinates me for a number of reasons. Woody

No need to apologise for being nosey mate, of course i will answer the questions.. Well i will give them my best shot anyway.

1) definatley long coat.. 100% on that, outline/sillhouette is crystal clear in my minds eye.

2) No, i cant recall any smell at all.

3) No, in all of my memories his face is just black, no features at all as is the rest of him.. The best way i can describe is as i have been he was literally a sillhouette. What is wierd though is that in one memory i think i have, he is standing right over me, i am facing him and looking up at him but still cant visualise his face...

4) Thats actually difficult to recall, i think his shape was very slender and i would say about as tall as a taller than average man... Im really on the verge of speculating here but 6ft - 6.5ft.. again though, i couldnt sware on that,

5) Dont know where im gettin this from but i have a feeling of over 40... I can say with certainty that he definatley was an adult.

Actually, if it helps.. just to elaborate on that memory i mentioned... I find it kind of fascinating as i can vividly remember some of it. here is my account... Ive written it exactly how it is in my memory so apols for any poor grammar.

I remember that i am standing in the hallway at the top of the stairs and he is standing over me, i am looking up at him, im not sure but i do not think i am speaking to him. A new mattress that is covered in plastic is leaning against the bannister next to me. While he is looking at me i am placing my hand onto the leaning mattress (I can still remember the feel of the plastic covering the mattress clearly). Its daytime but its actually quite dark which i assume os from the lack of light and In the background i can hear a TV or Radio on downstairs.

Thats as far as that memory goes matey..

Sorry if wasnt able to give specifics to all questions but i do hope it helped.

Have a good evening,

chroot

With this shadow figure or whatever it might be. It seams if you were playing tag or chasing with you he would be moving. I dont know thats just what I get from interaction details. I remember my imaginary friend was a child. I can not recall much about the child, but like you I can remember specific like events such as like talking to him in certain places etc. Cool story though S&F.

reply to post by woodwytch


woody i see you too have seen him . he used to hang around out front of the house for about 6 months nightly .it ended soon after mom asked if i had seen him as she was seeing him out there all the time and it was freaking her out .we both used to watch him from inside it was rare that he tried to disappear but there were times that he just seemed to float not run away and disappear.. he has been gone for a long time now 8 maybe 10 years now.

Very interesting thread; thanks for sharing. I don't have much to add but I was curious about something. You may have to ask your mother but I was wondering if you were the kind of kid that likes to draw, and if you may have ever drawn a picture of him.

Also, just my observation, but the way you have described your memories makes me wonder if the true visuals are being blocked somehow for some reason - either by your subconscious, or by Dug himself.

Was it truly a glimpse into another dimension that your mind simply has no words or point-of-reference for? Or has your memory been tampered with?

If you really want to know more, you should consider hypnotic regression. You sound like a reasonable, down-to-earth person and there's nothing about your story that sounds unbelievable. It corroborates some other odd stories I've heard and raises more legitimate questions, which is why I believe these kind of accounts are worth researching.

I am also interested in the events surrounding the time you stopped talking to/about him. There is definitely a time when things change in such a way for a child, and I'm not talking about any sort of "maturing". It's an intangible thing which has been mentioned in this thread already, that children are pure and haven't 'built up walls' so to speak.

When and how do those walls get built? What really happens when they do? Is it a good thing? Is it hormonal and/or does it involve the pineal gland?

Why am I sad now?

reply to post by ExCloud


Just to clarify, most of what Chroot is relaying are memories of his family members - things they have told him about his own childhood behavior - as opposed to his own.

In reflection of my previous post, it occurs to me that the moment I am talking about - when does the relationship end? - is almost certainly brought out by conditioning. Eventually you become aware of the way people react when they find out you have an imaginary friend, and you "conform".

Or was Dug some sort of spiritual relative, who at some point realized his influence on you had overstayed its welcome/practicality, and removed himself from your memory to the best of his abilities?

You didn't say, but did that tobacco tin belong to your then-living grandfather?

Was this grandfather of yours alive at the time? If not, was he perhaps an atheist in his life? That might explain "Dug's" attitude towards church.

Originally posted by ExCloud
With this shadow figure or whatever it might be. It seams if you were playing tag or chasing with you he would be moving. I dont know thats just what I get from interaction details. I remember my imaginary friend was a child. I can not recall much about the child, but like you I can remember specific like events such as like talking to him in certain places etc. Cool story though S&F.

Yes mate, i see completley where you are coming from regarding the interaction.

I can see that Teratoma replied to your post and he hit the nail on the head.. There are 2 lots of memories here... Mine (which are probably usless as they are so scarce, lol) and Family members which do seem to be more detailed.

Dont get me wrong, my mom is as straight as they come and i would have absolutley no reason in this world to doubt what she says however when trying to answer questions/relay information I have tried to be really careful and stick to the specifics that relate to my own first hand account.

Obviously, as a lot of the info from my mom is more detailed it does need to be included however i am trying to make a specific point of keeping this seperate from my own memories.

Does that make sense?????

I suppose i am trying to avoid any speculation on my side by treating only my own memories as fact...

I do not remember any times where i was playing with dug, nothing at all (i wished so much i could)... Obviously I know that it definatly happened as this is what im being told however because its not a specific memory of mine i would be unfair for me to say that I can remember interaction as i cant (even though i know that there was)

I thought that bit would help make more sense but it seems that im just making my answer to your point even more complicated, lol..

Im sure you can see what i mean though.

Have a nice day bud

chroot.

reply to post by Teratoma


Hi Teratoma.

Thanks for those words mate.

As for the regression, you know it is something that i would consider doing but if im honest it/this has started to scare the beeejesus out of me... It was only the other day where i had this dug down as an imaginary friend and nothing more however the more i am reading about this subject combined with my own memories and other (my moms) recolections is making me start to think that there is a possibility it could have been something else.

You know, i lay in bed last night and actually had a case of the heeby jeebies (im a grown man for petes sake).. I didnt get to sleep until after 3 and was constantly opening my eyes and peering out through the door into the hallway... Dont laugh, lol..

Right... My Grandad (an amazing fella to say the least)

No he was alive at the time but I do know from my own recollection that he did suffer from emphysema or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as i think its called now. As for religion he was a Roman Catholic (all of our family are Catholic)

Drawing(s).... yeah i loved to draw as a child, in fact i got into so much trouble as a teenager for drawing pictures all over my bedrooms walls (sadly it wasnt pictures of dug... I drew teenage mutant ninja turtles, lol)..

I will definatley enquire regarding this as im sure that my mom would have kept my drawings and such from when i was young... Actually, ive just remembered that i have some of my childhood drawings here too, im not sure if they are from the same time period (I think they may be from when i did my Holy Communion) but i will definatley find them out and check.

I have also managed to speak to my auntie regarding this... She did remember him however she couldnt really add that much more although she did tell me that they have a home video taken of me (which i never even knew about) when i was around this age... She says it was definatley filmed before i started school and that im also definatley over the age of 2 in it and so using my amazing powers of deduction (that was sarcasm, lol) this would mean that the video would have been filmed during this time.

I did ask her what i am doing in the video and she seemed to remember some parts were they filmed me playing in the garden riding my tricycle which im really interested in seeing (for obvious reasons).

Ive arranged to go down on Saturday and collect the video and although im reluctant about posting videos of me online, lol.. I will be happy to share.

I must stress, i dont know if it has anything in it at all that will be usefull but its a good opportunity to catch a glimpse into how i acted, etc... At the very least it may help jar a few more memories.

You know, your comment about feeling sad struck a note with me.. This is probably gonna make me sound like im looking into this way too much (actually i probably am but here goes).

Yesterday, as i was reading through the posts people were writing 'dug' (what i felt was the correct spelling) instead of 'doug' which is how i was originally spelling his name in my opening post. What i found creepy is that seeing the word 'dug' in writing really made me feel wierd, so much that i actually had to come away from the page for a while.

Even now, when i am writing that name i have to pause for a sec and literally force myself to write 'dug' instead of 'doug'...

As i said, i think i may be over analysing regarding that point.

I hope i covered everything matey

Thanks for your insight, it was very interesting to read.

Have a cool day friend

chroot

Thanks for taking the time to share your story, it's one of the creepiest things I have read on ATS.

Interestingly though you as a child obviously didn't find it creepy as you wanted to spend time with dug rather then run away from him (which I assume would be most adults reaction in such circumstances)

Something else I find interesting is that you haven't mentioned your dad, If it's not way to personal could you tell me if your relationship with your father distant at the time? Just wondering if Dug was replacing a fatherly presence that might have been lacking (either really or emotionally)

Originally posted by davespanners
Thanks for taking the time to share your story, it's one of the creepiest things I have read on ATS.

Interestingly though you as a child obviously didn't find it creepy as you wanted to spend time with dug rather then run away from him (which I assume would be most adults reaction in such circumstances)

Something else I find interesting is that you haven't mentioned your dad, If it's not way to personal could you tell me if your relationship with your father distant at the time? Just wondering if Dug was replacing a fatherly presence that might have been lacking (either really or emotionally)

Hi Dave,

One of the creepiest things on ATS? OMG mate, dont say that... I had enough trouble sleeping last night, lol...

Yes mate, my Father was and always has been absent... As a child (and adult) my father figure was my Grandad.. Both my nan and grandad were very close to me and had a major influence in my life.. In fact many of the values/morals i now live my life by were taught to me by my grandad.

He was very much a mans man, an old and wise Irish Man who was brought up in belfast when the troubles were at there worst.. He used to earn his extra money through bare knuckle boxing held over the fields where he lived (I always thought that was the coolest thing ever when i was young although all of that was before i was born)

Sorry about that.. that last paragraph was completley unrelated... I think i was just reminiscing

In all honesty i have never once felt that a father figure was absent in my life but i can certainly appreciate where you are coming from, and again if im honest i would be lying if i said that the thought (imaginary friend who is an adult because of my actual dad not being present) had not crossed my mind in the past.

Hope you have a good day matey

chroot

reply to post by chroot


Hey again,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions ... I wanted to see how your 'Hat Man' compared with my experiences and the experience that 2 of my sons have had with him.

The 'Hat Man' that we encountered over the years was wearing a black wide-brimmed hat and a long cloak (as opposed to a trenchcoat) ... the closest likeness I've ever seen is the Sanderman's Port guy.

I always smelt a faint smell of leaf-litter before I saw him ... he was between 6.5 and 7ft tall

#1 As a child and up until I moved out of my parents (17yrs old) I only ever saw him as a shadow / sillouette (like you) ... he used to follow me down the stairs and I remember quickening my pace because I always felt that if he caught up with me and touched me then something bad would happen.

#2 I never saw him again until a couple of days after me and my husband split-up and I couldn't sleep because I felt like there was someone in the room with me ... I opened my eyes and he was physically standing at the bottom of my bed staring at me ... what really freaked me out was the fact that I could see his face for the first (and only) time beneath the brim of his hat ... his head was like a skull with yellow skin pulled tight over it and his eyes were like hollow sockets.

Some years later the subject of the paranormal came up (as it regularly does in my house ) and because I have experienced the paranormal all my life I am rarely scared by anything genuine ... so when I was asked if I have ever been scared by the paranormal it was 'Hat Man' who instantly came to mind ... I recounted what I have said above and my eldest son announced that he'd seen this guy to !

#3 He said that when he and his sister had been younger (8 - 6 yrs old respectively) they had been staying at my mothers house (same house I'd seen him) for the weekend and on the Saturday they had been going into town with my mother and as they'd stepped out of the garden gate my son had looked up at my mother's bedroom window and seen the same yellow-faced Hat Man watching them through the window.

When my youngest son was about 3yrs old (he's now in his late teens) he used to have 'night-terrors' ... it was awful because he would stare wild-eyed in front of him and scream ... the look of pure fear on his face was heartbreaking and all I could do was hold him close and whisper that I was there and he was safe until it finally passed (these bouts could last anything from a couple of minutes to 20mins).

#4 Everytime I tried to ask him what it was that scared him so much (without making a big deal about it) he would say he couldn't remember ... then one night as he started to become aware and lucid I asked him what it was ... he pointed straight in front of him and said 'the man's after me he wants to hurt me' ... I asked him what the 'man' looked like and my stomach lurched when he said 'the man in the hat with the yellow face'


The only other thing that I've ever dealt with (as a paranormal investigator) was a rather nasty entity who was effecting two seperate families and it took me and my team over a year to get rid of him ... he also wore the hat and cloak and was an extremely ancient entity.

If you want to know more about the 'Red Eyes' case here are the links ... I don't know if he and 'Hat Man' are one and the same type of entity but they certainly exude the same type of aura.

>>>First Thread>Second Thread

reply to post by chroot


Yea I understand what you are saying. This is an awesome post now I am going to read the "Hat Man" post for fun.

I like these kind of topics a lot. If laid out properly they are one of my favorite subjects. This usually doesnt happen often.

Originally posted by picrat
reply to post by woodwytch

 

woody i see you too have seen him . he used to hang around out front of the house for about 6 months nightly .it ended soon after mom asked if i had seen him as she was seeing him out there all the time and it was freaking her out .we both used to watch him from inside it was rare that he tried to disappear but there were times that he just seemed to float not run away and disappear.. he has been gone for a long time now 8 maybe 10 years now.

Oh yes I've seen him alright (see my last post).

It amazes me how many people have experienced this kind of entity ... even more interesting to see that the OP seems to have had a relatively pleasant relationship with him.

I would love to know if there is some reason why / when he crops-up in peoples lives ... as in does he come to warn / stir things up / point something out etc ?

Woody

reply to post by woodwytch


Wow woodwytch, that sounds terrifying.

You know what though... probably completey unrelated and just coincidence but the smell of leaf-litter (which i assume you mean fallen leaves) is one of my favourite smells. I love walking outdoors in the countryside on autmn evenings and early mornings when the smell is excentuated by the dampness in the air.

Also, night terrors... My wife suffers from night terrors... Sometimes she will jump out of the bed in the middle of the night and stand just staring into space with her eyes wide open for an amount of time... She also has moments where she wakes up choking. The next morning though she never remembers it.

This is gonna sound sooo bad but i have always just been dismissive, laughed about it and put it down to her having a stressful day at work, etc... actually she has a good sense of humor and she sees the funny side of it too.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience

Have a cool evening matey

reply to post by seedofchucky


That is some awesome artwork! The second one is especially creepy. Can't imagine what I'd do if I saw all those weird figures around me.

I kind of have the same thing. When i was 3/4 i had a "imaginary" friend called Dan not Danny or Daniel (Daniel is my real name fyi) and my mum had an uncle Dan not sure if its connected. Butnwhenever my mum would put me to my room for bed she used to hear things and thinkninwas awake palying in my room but when she came in i was asleep there was even scratching coming from my door once. So i am asking can this be a shadow person or family member im not sure of this stuff. Oh and the house we used to stay in was full of paranormal activities :/