Fear of the dark

[Kiri]

Curiously, the other night, a friend sent me a txt with this link in it.

Thought I'd watch it on the IPhone

Didn't sleep much after that!

http://youtu.be/x4n9vK0_mdk


While the rational mind says it's fake.... In the dark listening to the wind in the trees ....

Not the best clip to watch!

 

[boatman]

The Greeks recognised that irrational dread can overcome people in the dark or in a wood. They created the god Pan from which we get our word panic. But unless you believe in a god with goat's legs that is one less reason to fear the dark. Fact, there is nothing there that wouldn't be there in the daylight except for nocturnal animals. Please note that theGreeks created the god not the other way round which is true for all gods.

Exorcists and their despicable cronies are in the business of instilling fear, its what religion does. Prime evidence is that poisonous prayer, "if I die before I wake.....". Ghost stories are good because they purge fears. Phobias can evaporate by exposure. The Iroquois would use grotesgue masks or "false faces" to cure mental ills not to exacerbate them.

Try using the torch less at night, most times there is plenty of light and you become one with the dark. Use you ears, listen, smell the night air and wander under the stars or the trees. When I used to sleep out on an old hillforts in Wiltshire Iron Age ghosts didn't visit. The Iron Age people are dead as are all the previous generations and dead is dead except for memories and imagination of what their life was like. Its a sadness we can't ask the dead questions but we can't.

Incidentally the post about the witch cottage has it the wrong way round, it was those who feared the non-existent witchcraft who sealed cats in wall and paid money to priests for protection and acquiesed in the murder and torment of men and women. It is true that a denial that witchcraft existed was as fatal as admitting to be a witch.

If I chanted spells to keep away wild tigers and Banshees from Cornwall and there are no tigers or Banshees in Cornwall it doesn't mean that the spells worked just THAT THERE ARE NO TIGERS IN CORNWALL OR BANSHEES etc etc.

 

[Bushscout]

I live in a very isolated location on the edge of a medium sized UK city. in 2006/7 I experienced a period of extended bullying in a job and ultimately was forced to leave. The person who bullied me occasionally turned up at my home (when I was out and would ask my wife odd questions which made her very suspicious). I left that job in 2007 and thought that would be the end of it. Over the last 3-4 years I have experienced a number of acts of vandalism to my home which have been at a very low level and we have put it down to petty vandalism.

I am an experienced tracker and wilderness skills practitioner and loved where I live until very recently when I began to experience a period of intense stalking which consists of a mix of vandalism and petty theft and more disturbingly someone accessing the inside of my home without any particular evidence of forced entry, leading me to believe that they have a key. So I began to put my skills to good use. I was quite alarmed one afternoon when I saw the man who bullied me out of my job run past my home, I have seen him running close to my home on several occasions since and also have some footage of him running. This should not be unusual because I often see runners as I am by a bridleway, but knowing that he lives 13 miles away and works 6 miles away and there are plenty of other footpaths he could go running on.

I changed the locks, and also started noticing that screws holding furniture together inside my home had been loosened, fuses in items like washing machines changed from 13 to 5 amp, and compression fillings on pipes loosened and tools going missing and then reappearing in odd places a few days later. I can lo longer keep shoes in the porch as they are getting the soles pierced. We don't run on mains gas, we have bottles which run and antiquated gas boiler which I have maintained for years and a hob. The gas spanner was always in the bottom of the outdoor locker tucked under the bottle, a brand new bottle which usually last 5-6 weeks ran out after 2 weeks, I noticed the spanner had moved so I moved it to the bottom of a box under the sink in a utility room inside the home. A few days later it was standing up at the end of the box where it was plainly visible. Still no sign of forced entry...

I then found a stash of my tools outside! I added security fastenings to windows and back doors and a couple of cameras. The internal cables to the cameras were cut!! Then I found some screws on the window sill where I had fitted some locks, The screws I was using were torx driven and 1/2" driven into epoxy filled holes. What I discovered was the holes had been stripped by over tightening the screws and the screws were being replaced with 1/4" torx screws, probably from my screw box, all of the window furniture at that point had been damaged in the same way apart from 2 screws. I took this to be preparatory behaviour.

The home has a lot of swampy woodland near it, which though not impenetrable requires some knowledge to navigate. It is wildlife rich and I do a lot of photography in it so know it well. I have been noticing that there has been someone else in there, but never met anyone. Having camo'd up I decided to stake out the window.. nothing. A few days later I saw a light in the wood and so I crept into a position of camouflaged advantage to see what emerged. I had a pair of powerful torches and my old Pukko and a lump of firewood to hand and decided to wait. the light was about 40-50m away and following one of the trails. Between me and the edge of the wood is about 20m of open scrub. The light went off and then I heard the most frightening howl - definitely human, from the direction of where the light was (NOT fox, or any other predator that I know, not deer, DEFINITELY HUMAN). I stood up with both torches on him and he turned and ran, the gait was familiar..

THERE ARE NO TIGERS IN THE UK OR BANSHEES, etc etc. But there are psychopaths who are very skilled at getting under your skin, in your home, into you fear and play games with your head. I have learned and practice Krav Maga (look it up on youtube), carry my Pukko in and around my home at all times and have a number of strategically placed lumps of firewood scattered around the inside and outside of my home at all times. What I have noticed is that some of my more offensive bushcraft tools axes, knives etc have been left in situ but covered over with other stuff which makes me wonder if this man is a serial stalker, whether he has received a beating before?

Th Police are fully aware of the situation and regularly get reports.

 

[Salaud]

1978 and I and a m8 are heading south from Angers in the heart of France, we are on foot and carrying packs, we have been walking for 8 hours or so on the interminably flat and straight French roads, about 1900 hours we see a hill with buildings rising in the distance maybe 2 klicks up the road, this is good timing as we need to find somewhere to bivvy for the night, soon enough we arrive in the little village, it is just turning to twilight.. the small village tabac shop is still open. I am bored tired and a bit awkward so... in my best fake scouse accent I say to the shopgirl, "gizza loaf of bread will ya our kid?".. she smiles sweetly and hands me a baguette..Hmmm I think.. strange that, as she only spoke to me in French... anyway I thought no more about it.. I was knackered and just wanted to find a nice spot to get my head down. We looked around and over a small hedge spotted a tumbledown summer house which had at some time no doubt been something grand, the air was heavy with the scent of the many wild flowers growing around and a small stream trickled slowly past..I turned to my oppo "paradise or what?" he agreed it was a brilliant spot. we set up camp and had the best nights sleep in an age.. at first light I was awoken by the nearby barking of what sounded like a very ****** dog.. I blinked awake and as my eyes focussed I saw we were camped in a scrap yard full of rusting cars on the side of a motorway... no summerhouse...no flowers.. no stream or indeed village... that was 30 odd years ago and to this day neither of us have found a satisfactory explanation..and no..there were no chemicals or alcohol involved

 

[vizsla]

I live in a very isolated location on the edge of a medium sized UK city. in 2006/7 I experienced a period of extended bullying in a job and ultimately was forced to leave. The person who bullied me occasionally turned up at my home (when I was out and would ask my wife odd questions which made her very suspicious). I left that job in 2007 and thought that would be the end of it. Over the last 3-4 years I have experienced a number of acts of vandalism to my home which have been at a very low level and we have put it down to petty vandalism.

I am an experienced tracker and wilderness skills practitioner and loved where I live until very recently when I began to experience a period of intense stalking which consists of a mix of vandalism and petty theft and more disturbingly someone accessing the inside of my home without any particular evidence of forced entry, leading me to believe that they have a key. So I began to put my skills to good use. I was quite alarmed one afternoon when I saw the man who bullied me out of my job run past my home, I have seen him running close to my home on several occasions since and also have some footage of him running. This should not be unusual because I often see runners as I am by a bridleway, but knowing that he lives 13 miles away and works 6 miles away and there are plenty of other footpaths he could go running on.

I changed the locks, and also started noticing that screws holding furniture together inside my home had been loosened, fuses in items like washing machines changed from 13 to 5 amp, and compression fillings on pipes loosened and tools going missing and then reappearing in odd places a few days later. I can lo longer keep shoes in the porch as they are getting the soles pierced. We don't run on mains gas, we have bottles which run and antiquated gas boiler which I have maintained for years and a hob. The gas spanner was always in the bottom of the outdoor locker tucked under the bottle, a brand new bottle which usually last 5-6 weeks ran out after 2 weeks, I noticed the spanner had moved so I moved it to the bottom of a box under the sink in a utility room inside the home. A few days later it was standing up at the end of the box where it was plainly visible. Still no sign of forced entry...

I then found a stash of my tools outside! I added security fastenings to windows and back doors and a couple of cameras. The internal cables to the cameras were cut!! Then I found some screws on the window sill where I had fitted some locks, The screws I was using were torx driven and 1/2" driven into epoxy filled holes. What I discovered was the holes had been stripped by over tightening the screws and the screws were being replaced with 1/4" torx screws, probably from my screw box, all of the window furniture at that point had been damaged in the same way apart from 2 screws. I took this to be preparatory behaviour.

The home has a lot of swampy woodland near it, which though not impenetrable requires some knowledge to navigate. It is wildlife rich and I do a lot of photography in it so know it well. I have been noticing that there has been someone else in there, but never met anyone. Having camo'd up I decided to stake out the window.. nothing. A few days later I saw a light in the wood and so I crept into a position of camouflaged advantage to see what emerged. I had a pair of powerful torches and my old Pukko and a lump of firewood to hand and decided to wait. the light was about 40-50m away and following one of the trails. Between me and the edge of the wood is about 20m of open scrub. The light went off and then I heard the most frightening howl - definitely human, from the direction of where the light was (NOT fox, or any other predator that I know, not deer, DEFINITELY HUMAN). I stood up with both torches on him and he turned and ran, the gait was familiar..

THERE ARE NO TIGERS IN THE UK OR BANSHEES, etc etc. But there are psychopaths who are very skilled at getting under your skin, in your home, into you fear and play games with your head. I have learned and practice Krav Maga (look it up on youtube), carry my Pukko in and around my home at all times and have a number of strategically placed lumps of firewood scattered around the inside and outside of my home at all times. What I have noticed is that some of my more offensive bushcraft tools axes, knives etc have been left in situ but covered over with other stuff which makes me wonder if this man is a serial stalker, whether he has received a beating before?

Th Police are fully aware of the situation and regularly get reports.

This sounds teribble if its as bad as it sounds it ok updating police but the fact is they will probably do very little untill its too late, youv got a wife but im not sure if you have kids but if i was you id get it dealt with in a legal way off course as this person sounds like a phsyco. If hes coming onto your property on a regular basis it cant be to difficult to get a couple of mates with you to apprehend him in the act.
Good luck and hope you get it sorted before he sends you mad

 

[boatman]

Pick the logic out of this.

A worker at a place I worked once asked me, "I don't believe in ghosts but is it true that if you don't speak to them they can't hurt you?" ???

We had a temporary display with a life-size figure of a uniformed German soldier and every night that damn figure would make me jump as I rounded the corner after putting the lights out. This though is a perfectly natural reaction to the unexpected and shows that the body's initial reactions, geared for survival, are at a visceral level saving time if fight or flight are needed.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

It's about a year ago now, but I only recently feel prepared to talk about it.
I was camping out and just as I was falling asleep, I got this sense of forboding about me, the only way I can describe it is it felt like death was very close to me. Anyway I told myself i was being a dick and went to sleep. The next morning I got a phonecall from my mum, turns out my grandad had died that night, at the exact same time as I got that bad feeling.
I don't know what it was, but it shat me up for a few months.

 

[Lynx]

It's about a year ago now, but I only recently feel prepared to talk about it.
I was camping out and just as I was falling asleep, I got this sense of forboding about me, the only way I can describe it is it felt like death was very close to me. Anyway I told myself i was being a dick and went to sleep. The next morning I got a phonecall from my mum, turns out my grandad had died that night, at the exact same time as I got that bad feeling.
I don't know what it was, but it shat me up for a few months.

The same thing happened to me once while driving. Got home that night and discovered a close friend had died at exactly the same time! Spooky.

 

[vizsla]

It makes you wonder
a few years ago my missis was in the shower and i was i the bedroom when i could here her talking so i went in to see why she was talking to yerself, she said id just come in the bathroom a few minuits ago because the shower curtain blew into the shower, i hadnt. Abit later she got a phone call to say her nan had passed away. Spooky

 

[Shingsowa]

Taking a break from fixing the Land Rover to check up on this thread.

Our farm is in the middle of nowhere (Clocaenog Forest, if you know the area you will know what I mean) and it gets VERY dark of an evening. We have a big, warehouse-sized barn/workshop affair, and it has huge sodium lights on the outside to light up the yard.

Some nights I'll be quite happy mooching about the yard in complete darkness, on others I can't get to the light switches quick enough. There just seems to be a different atmosphere to the place at times, I don't know if it's my psychological makeup or the remnants of a neolithic 'spidey-sense' that makes me feel differently about a familiar place. Being quite happy to wander around the buildings in complete darkness has helped when dissuading some unwanted visitors from taking my shiney things (i.e. the quad bike!)

I camp/bivvy all over the wilds of the U.K., and sometimes a likely looking spot on the map doesn't have the right 'feel' to it and I walk further on to find a new location. There doesn't appear to be a pattern to what feels right and what doesn't, very similar environments in different places have provoked a different reaction. It's another good reason to go and recce a location before going there with clients for an overnighter!

 

[BillyBlade]

Taking a break from fixing the Land Rover to check up on this thread.

Our farm is in the middle of nowhere (Clocaenog Forest, if you know the area you will know what I mean) and it gets VERY dark of an evening. We have a big, warehouse-sized barn/workshop affair, and it has huge sodium lights on the outside to light up the yard.

Some nights I'll be quite happy mooching about the yard in complete darkness, on others I can't get to the light switches quick enough. There just seems to be a different atmosphere to the place at times, I don't know if it's my psychological makeup or the remnants of a neolithic 'spidey-sense' that makes me feel differently about a familiar place. Being quite happy to wander around the buildings in complete darkness has helped when dissuading some unwanted visitors from taking my shiney things (i.e. the quad bike!)

I camp/bivvy all over the wilds of the U.K., and sometimes a likely looking spot on the map doesn't have the right 'feel' to it and I walk further on to find a new location. There doesn't appear to be a pattern to what feels right and what doesn't, very similar environments in different places have provoked a different reaction. It's another good reason to go and recce a location before going there with clients for an overnighter!

I'm back in a few minutes ago from a walk and a brew in some woods near to me. I like going to those in the dark, and listening/hoping to spot some of the deer and badgers that are around. It's pretty deep in, and the lads and I have built some solid shelters in there to see us through. It was very dark indeed where I was, with almost no light getting through the canopy f the tall scots pines. I felt totally at ease.

The interesting thing is, there is another spot in that wood which would be easier to get to from the road, and is possibly a little more sheltered. So why didn't we pick that one?

We'd all recce'd the woods individually (we all have different work patterns) before deciding where to build the shelters and texting each other what spot we liked. Over the weekend there, while bulding the shelters, we all agreed that one part of the woods gave us a warm feeling. One, the opposite. A real creepy feeling, even in daytime. Not that I have been there in darkness. Nothing at all to indicate why this is. It just...is.

It does make you wonder just what the lizard part of the brain is tuned into, and how it affects us. I've no doubt we could have used the other part to no ill affect at all, but there you go.

 

[Bushscout]

The home is secure, the gas locked up and the petty vandalism continues apace.. and yes, wife and children.

I now have the help of a friend who is a "security consultant" which basically means ex military with surveillance experience and has solved celebrities with stalker issues. We have put our heads together and are now simply observing him and working out a strategy. A beating with mates certainly might be satisfying in the short term but it is more likely to escalate the situation, after all we are talking about obsessive behaviour.

What is very creepy though is that after doing a night shift in the summer I used to sleep in my hammock out in the swampy woods and can recall a dream(??) where I awoke and vaguely remember seeing someone standingat the end of my hammock! when I awoke I couldn't remember if it was real or not. I suspect now that it was not a dream... creepy

 

[Retired Member southey]

How do you know he doesn't read this forum and now knows your intentions

 

[Bushwhacker]

Do you live on your own? Maybe you're doing it in your sleep and don't know it, like an extreme form of sleep walking

 

[nuggets]

sounds like an `inside job ` to me ????

 

[vizsla]

The home is secure, the gas locked up and the petty vandalism continues apace.. and yes, wife and children.

I now have the help of a friend who is a "security consultant" which basically means ex military with surveillance experience and has solved celebrities with stalker issues. We have put our heads together and are now simply observing him and working out a strategy. A beating with mates certainly might be satisfying in the short term but it is more likely to escalate the situation, after all we are talking about obsessive behaviour.

What is very creepy though is that after doing a night shift in the summer I used to sleep in my hammock out in the swampy woods and can recall a dream(??) where I awoke and vaguely remember seeing someone standingat the end of my hammock! when I awoke I couldn't remember if it was real or not. I suspect now that it was not a dream... creepy

what im saying is that if its been going on for months and the police arnt prepared to help then something needs to be done before it goes too far, plus you need to think about your family's safety. observing him early on for a few days to be sure youv got the right person is ok but it sounds to me like its gone beyond that

 

[Bushscout]

Do you live on your own? Maybe you're doing it in your sleep and don't know it, like an extreme form of sleep walking

Its certainly crossed my mind.. Im not, there are cameras in the home on all the doors..

 

[JonathanD]

Its certainly crossed my mind.. Im not, there are cameras in the home on all the doors..

Why hasn't he been caught in the act and the evidence given to the police then?

 

[Retired Member southey]

Did you stake out the window to see if he\she it was getting in that way, or was that just to see if he\she\it was getting in to then mess with your windows, why do you think they were doing this? was it prep an escape route, or a future entry point, but if they have acces to the inside any way why then prep weak windows?
have you changed the locks?
set pir sensors to register door\window openings and which ones?
have you security lights?
have you gone to the local paper to report the lac of interest from local police?
have you gone over there heads to county headquarters?
have you confronted the person who you think it is?

was the camera wire that was cut, replaced, what did the recorder capture before it was cut, have you hidden the recording device, why not get a wireless one and hide it in a wall or loft space,

 

[Bushwhacker]

What does your wife have to say about it? Is she not in all day?