In The Presence of Evil

Yes.And to this day I'm convinced that this "man" was actually a ghost.I could be wrong though. I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette when suddenly I saw him walking up my drive way. It caught me by surprise and I jumped up and said to him Can I help you with something? His reply was just "Beautiful night,isnt it?" The moon is looking lovely". It was cloudy and may even have been drizzling a bit. I just said somethIng to the effect of Do you need something? He just said Just thought I'd say hello. I'm out for my evening stroll. I said something like I'd appreciate it if you got off of my property. He simply said Okay,I'm going to head on down the street now.I have to pay someone a visit. but I'll be seeing you around.

Something about this man was disturbing.His tone of voice was so robotic as was his movement. It was just odd.Like something was off. I NEVER react that way to strangers,ever.Never saw the man again. I even walked down to the end of my driveway to see where he was going. He was nowhere to be found.

Originally posted by nightstalker78
Yes.And to this day I'm convinced that this "man" was actually a ghost.I could be wrong though. I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette when suddenly I saw him walking up my drive way. It caught me by surprise and I jumped up and said to him Can I help you with something? His reply was just "Beautiful night,isnt it?" The moon is looking lovely". It was cloudy and may even have been drizzling a bit. I just said somethIng to the effect of Do you need something? He just said Just thought I'd say hello. I'm out for my evening stroll. I said something like I'd appreciate it if you got off of my property. He simply said Okay,I'm going to head on down the street now.I have to pay someone a visit. but I'll be seeing you around.

Something about this man was disturbing.His tone of voice was so robotic as was his movement. It was just odd.Like something was off. I NEVER react that way to strangers,ever.Never saw the man again. I even walked down to the end of my driveway to see where he was going. He was nowhere to be found.

That's spooky. Who was he going to pay a visit to? Anyone disappear in the days following? I read people of the lie long ago about the psychology of evil. According to this book evil is when someone fails to ever recognize their faults - blame others for their behavior, thoughts, etc.

I had a similar experience to the OPers a few days ago but mine was at the gas station at about 1:30 am. Some guy was just standing there staring at me. He didn't seem drunk (that hour of the morning one must consider this). He stood there with a slight grin and was fixated on me. He didn't appear to be mentally ill either. As I moved to the door of the store he shifted to watch me and when I came out he was standing closer to my vehicle so I would have to move around him. Even the cashier was aware of him as I noticed her nervous look to see where he was while I was in there (strangely working alone). Just gave me the instinct to be extra alert, lock my vehicle, and move quickly in and out of the store. I can't say why but he seemed dangerous, and only my instinct tells me this.

got into a nice fight with a guy did time for murder, first time i make 'contact' with him physically, i get this disgusting sick feeling and i just 'know' his soul is black.. worst feeling i've ever had in my life..

reply to post by matthewjohn

South Africa is no more "evil" than anyplace else-in fact compared to most of the rest of the world,it's a hell of a lot more wholesome,even considering the problems we have with crime.Still the lesser of many evils.But if you've made up your mind that it's your destiny to be crucified,I guess anywhere would feel threatening,even Disneyland.Well good luck,as to your perceived way of exiting this life,maybe you should fixate on some other ordeal for real martyrdom and sympathy..There was a guy that lived around 2K years ago who's kind of a hard act to follow when it comes to the cruxifiction spiel.

reply to post by smyleegrl



I am struck by the “Banality of evil” argument are put forward by Hannah Arendt when writing about Eichmann. As such I do agree with Helenconway (OMG). Evil is very ordinary. We can look at the acts of individual Nazis for example and see that these people had pets, spouse and children whome they treated well and then went on to commit acts of incredible evil. I am not just targeting Nazis it has happen elsewhere and will continue.

I do not believe in the creepy vibes, etc being an indicator of evil. Some evil people are very mundane in demeanour and conduct and still perform horrendous acts of evil.

What some people have disclosed or undisclosed mental conditions like being on the autistic spectrum and other mental conditions. Now I am not excusing those who perform evil as mentally Ill. I am only stating that what some perceive may well be symptoms of mental conditions

I was reading recently about Narcissistic Sociopaths, and it's estimated that as many as 1 in 16 people could be diagnosed as Narcissistic Sociopaths, which okay, not quite the same thing as flat-out evil. But I was shocked at how common it was. It really explains a lot about why the world is the way it is.

Digression aside, yes, I've met a few people who were just flat-out evil too.

reply to post by smyleegrl


Once, while in Okinawa, my closest friend who served with me and I wanted to watch something other than what we jokingly called the military propaganda channel. Usually, when I wanted to watch television, I would just watch local television until I could swear they were speaking English. This is probably why I love foreign films today and prefer subtitles over dubbed audio. However, this time we decided to go to a little movie rental place and see what they had. Once inside, we walked toward the back of the store, directly across from the entrance, and began browsing their selection. A huge bodybuilder of a man approached from my left and walked close to us on his way out the door. My friend and I both turned around and watched him exit the store, and the feeling I had was one of danger.

This man’s presence felt evil and oppressive. I cannot explain the feeling of dread that came over me, but once he left the store I turned to my friend and he looked at me and said “I don’t know what he’s into, but it’s some heavy s%&t”. That broke the ice and I did not realize that I had actually stopped breathing for a moment; held my breath. While we all have our fears of something(s), I can truly say that I fear no man. I may fear what a person can do, but I do not fear the person. I feared what this guy was capable of. This man never looked at us, he never spoke, but we both felt danger and turned to watch his progress as he took a path out of the store that placed him at our backs. We did not see him as he initially approached us, but we felt him, and I do not know why he would walk to the center of the rear of the store near us just to turn and walk out of the store. A normal person probably would have just turned and left the store from where they were standing.

Once when I was a teenager I decided (foolishly) to take a shortcut through the neighborhood "woods" from a shopping center to my home. It was mid-afternoon in summer, bright and sunny. I stepped into the woods, went in just a bit, and a man all dressed in way too warm clothing, a hat and a gun in his hands came out from behind a large tree trunk in the path. Could have been a fancy pellet rifle or a real gun, I don't know. I was startled and said, oh my god, you scared me! and laughed nervously. He just said in a slow, mean voice, "you're not supposed to be here" and that was it.

Being young and stupid and alone, I didn't know what to do or say. I was afraid to turn around, afraid to continue. I continued forward, thinking any moment I'd get shot in the back. I felt evil from that man, just in the calm, eerie way he spoke to me.

Another time I came out of a fast food place with my then young son, probably around 6 pm in summer. I went to my car and noticed a guy next to my car, staring at me, with a strange eerie smile, like he was almost salivating as he watched us come toward him. He was just standing around the back of this car. Then he opened his trunk and had rope in his hands. He was just watching us with that look. I told my son to get in the backseat and lock his door, under my breath. As I pulled out, he watched us. I had such a terrible feeling in me.

I started to drive home, and realized he was following me in his car. Dumb, I should've driven to the police station. Instead, I kept driving, and then, when he got caught at a light, I hurried ahead, and then turned off on a sidestreet and parked up the road amongst other parked cars. I saw him go straight and I sat there, feeling so relieved. Can't explain it, but I felt if I had gone home, he would have known where I lived. I felt my son was at risk more than me for some reason.

Another time when I was pregnant with my first, I was standing on the corner of my sidestreet, waiting for the bus to go to work. It was spring, so it was light outside. A car pulled up, stopped, and a guy leaned over and said, "Good morning. I can give you a lift." As insane and stupid as this sounds, I felt almost mesmerized and the next thing I know I am sitting in the front seat of his car. I honestly don't remember getting into the car or making a conscious choice to do so. And why would I? I'm a pregnant young woman on my way to work - not someone who gets in strangers' cars. Ever.

Didn't make sense to me. But when I "awoke" in the front seat of the car, I was screaming in my head, "Oh god, what am I doing here?" I knew I was going to die if I didn't get out of that car. I tried to remain calm, make small talk, chit chat. He had a strange, sick smile on his face. I didn't want him to know where I worked, so I told him I just needed to get dropped off at a place I could catch my second bus. I talked about having a baby, as I had the feeling he may not have noticed that I was pregnant (I was probably 7 months along, but very "small"). He seemed to get annoyed with me, scowled, and was eager to drop me off anywhere. I got out, and when I stepped onto the sidewalk, I felt like "me" again -- as if I had been "freed" from something so evil. I truly feel til this day that I escaped death.

At a metaphysical monthly program at a local library, one of the regulars was a man and his very odd girlfriend. We did some exercise where we looked into each others eyes in silence, honoring the light within them. When I had to do this with this man, I felt ice inside me from him. Darkness. Evil. I felt like I was looking at a serial killer. I was so upset from this experience that I never went back to future programs. Being more of an "empath" -- I've felt darkness, confusion, anger, etc. from people before, but nothing like this.

You might say I just was in some odd situations and projected my fear. But I've had plenty of other instances in life where I've been around unsavory men in unsafe situations. I wouldn't label those folks as "evil" -- just mean, bullies, or just bad people. Evil is something else.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I have an old thread Evil walks among us... it is a true accounting of my part in battling that evil. Fortunately, existence as she is also blessed me with a balance to counter that terrible experience.

Evil is an energy.

Light is also.

To remain in a state of witness neither this nor that and you ahve found the true path towards your own personal enlightenment.

I was once told that darkness is the absence of light. That in itself it is fruitless, that it waits for light to fill its void.

Stay true to the light within and remain in that state of illumination by tuning into that, remain in this moment and let go of that negative past experience and give it no more of your good energy! (We need you on the side of light)

reply to post by smyleegrl

Have you ever encountered someone who immediately gave you the heebie jeebies?

I don't know about evil, but punkish and possibly criminal.

I was walking to work a few months ago around 5:30 am. Still dark. The weather was cold so I had on my winter jacket. I'm almost 200 pounds without my jacket. WITH my jacket I'm pretty sure I don't look like easy prey for anyone.

Anyway, I'm walking down one side of the street, and a punkish looking man in his twenties was walking on the other side. Something told me that this kid was looking for trouble. He suddenly, and rather aggressively, started crossing the street and headed straight for me. In that same split second I decided to do the same thing to him.

His feet did a weird shuffle as though he didn't expect me to do that. He probably thought I was going to attack HIM. lol He changed his direction and stayed walking in the gutter on the other side of the street.

many years ago in my sisters house my dog just turned when this friend of her husbands came in and growled .

this was the most easy going mutt ever everyones friend i said this to my sister that it was strange as he had never done this before .

she told me that every house this man went into at work animals and children reacted to him in a negative way :puzver the years i have told this story a few times and have heard the same thing many times over .

and yes i have met many people that have a bit of the dark side in them

S + F! Can't believe you had to meet a man with bushy eyebrows--evil incarnate! And he smiled and had teeth, you say? *shudders* ...and to think that he didn't even do anything evil in your story..that's especially horrifying

In my dealings with evil men they stole stuff, and threatened people, and put a gun to my neck. But SnF for this truly evil encounter you bravely shared with us.

Is it possible he wasn't evil at all, and instead you were just projecting your own fears?

I mean, he didn't do anything. It was just a feeling you got. What a horrible place the world would be if we all just handed down judgement based on nothing but our first impressions. If that were the case, I'd be writing you off as someone who chases flags and stars, uses ATS for social media, but rarely contributes anything of value to ATS.

But I know better than that. =]

I have a friend.. when I first met him I had a very uneasy feeling about him. He has long hair and pointy eyebrows. He has kind of an evil laugh. He was always telling stories that couldn't be true.

Because he was friends with a mutual friend, I was forced to be around him and over a very short period I realized he was a really good person. Now I've know him over 10 years, he has three kids and married one of my best friends. He's a great father and he works very hard to support his family.

He had a rough childhood, and got in trouble as a juvenile like most kids with rough childhoods. Despite that, he's one of the most honorable and loyal people I know. I'm glad I was forced to get to know him.

Sometimes our first impressions are completely off base. Next time you have a bad feeling about someone I encourage you to try to get to know them, just a little.

Stay safe!

reply to post by TinkerHaus


In my experience, Tink. It's the good-looking ones that are evil. It's they who work so hard to look beautiful because they have something to hide. A pretty appearance is a great way to manipulate people too. Not saying all good-looking people are evil, just that it's a perfect guise because half their work is done just by being good-looking.

Of course, this is just based on MY experience.

My experience happened when I was a little girl. I was roughly 5 or 6 years old.

My brother and I were playing in the front yard one afternoon while my mother was in the house. We lived a very quiet suburb so she would just leave the screen door open to keep an eye on us while we played.

I was riding my Cabbage Patch big wheel that I would ride to the corner and back. It was only three houses away. When I got to the stop sign at the corner, I would turn around and ride back.

On this particular day, I was at the corner turning my big wheel around to head home. When I was doing this, a car rounded the corner and stopped next to me. There was a man inside. He just stopped his car and stared at me. The feeling of fear and panic was so great that I left my precious big wheel and the corner and ran home screaming for help at the top of my lungs.

I was so scared that this incident led me to become paranoid of being kidnapped. I thought for sure someone was going to pit a ladder to my window at night and take me. When mom would get has for the car, I would hide on the front seat floor because I was afraid someone would see me alone and take me.

Later in my adult life I asked my other about the incident. She said that later that week there was a story I the paper that the man in the car (matching the description i have my mom )was caught by police in our neighborhood for luring a kid into his car. She never told me this as a child, because she didn't want to scare me (like that helped, ha).

Originally posted by Painterz
I was reading recently about Narcissistic Sociopaths, and it's estimated that as many as 1 in 16 people could be diagnosed as Narcissistic Sociopaths, which okay, not quite the same thing as flat-out evil. But I was shocked at how common it was. It really explains a lot about why the world is the way it is.

Digression aside, yes, I've met a few people who were just flat-out evil too.

actually, not to be a pill, but the term is 'narcisstic personality disorder, or for short NPD..

check that out..it is not a mental illness, but rather a 'personality disorder'--what? their actual basis, their 'core' so to speak is in a 'disorder'..they are not, as we think of 'normal. these people lack empathy, lack feelings for others..i happen to be pretty close to one, so i do know of what i speak...

as for those who do not believe in the term 'evil'..well, go ahead and gloss it over all you like, there are some things running around out there who would qualify

is anyone at all concerned about why this guy was 'crouching' behind a log when others were clearly walking the trail? does not his behavior at the very least bring forth a few 'red lights'..

just saying..we need to trust our feelings a whole lot more than we do, and then--we need to stand up for it. who is know what this guy was doing and what he did when you left? i swear, if it were me(now, of course, not before LOL)i woulda just 'hung out' with the creepo..and watched and saw what he was planning, if anything..

sorry, but we need to take a little bit of a more proactive stance..and if it be that it is our feelings or senses or whatever you want to call them that is warning us, then we need to listen..and DO something about it..imo of course

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
Is it possible he wasn't evil at all, and instead you were just projecting your own fears?

I mean, he didn't do anything. It was just a feeling you got. What a horrible place the world would be if we all just handed down judgement based on nothing but our first impressions. If that were the case, I'd be writing you off as someone who chases flags and stars, uses ATS for social media, but rarely contributes anything of value to ATS.

But I know better than that. =]

It very well could have been my own fear. We were alone, he was hiding/off trail, acting suspicious. So it's possible.

But I would like to stress I've met other strangers in potentially dangerous situations (elevators, stairwells, parking garages) and never felt this sense of fear. Woman's intuition, perhaps?

As for chasing flags and stars.....think what you will. I personally feel I make a valuable contribution on ATS.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
S + F! Can't believe you had to meet a man with bushy eyebrows--evil incarnate! And he smiled and had teeth, you say? *shudders*

...and to think that he didn't even do anything evil in your story..that's especially horrifying

In my dealings with evil men they stole stuff, and threatened people, and put a gun to my neck. But SnF for this truly evil encounter you bravely shared with us.

I take back my initial comment as it was unwarranted.

I guess, when you're a rape survivor, you tend to listen to your instincts more. This man was practically hiding off the trail and acting in a suspicious manner. I got the "evil vibe" from him and decided to trust it.

Sometimes our first impressions are completely off base. Next time you have a bad feeling about someone I encourage you to try to get to know them, just a little.

reply to post by TinkerHaus


This is a great point and one I agree with wholeheartedly. I, too, have had an unfavorable first impression that later blossomed into friendship. And I was always the shy, quiet type, so I'm sure a lot of folks thought I was standoffish when in fact I was just painfully shy.

However, when a visceral reaction like this happens I follow my instincts.