Over the past years we have received various accounts from parents about
strange visitation incidents reported by their small children. The initial
reaction is to very simply brush these disturbing stories off as "dreams"
or nightmares. When they persist in the telling, then the parents have to
seek and confront another explanation and one which they would prefer not
to face and rather ignore.
Not only are they reluctant to
discuss these ongoing events but at the same time anxious to find a "quick
fix”. When the opportunity arrives where they can openly talk about this
topic knowing that they aren’t going to be laughed at, then its with a
great sense of relief.
It is equally important to note
that not all these parents are "in the dark" regarding what is being
described by their offspring. In some cases a parent is only too well
aware of what he or she is hearing. The simple reason being that they have
already been that route many years before. The parent has a finely honed
sense of awareness of all the "visitor" details. Ironically I have
actually come across cases where one partner won't tell the other, simply
because they know he or she won't believe it, or alternatively will seek
to rationalize the events as the child’s over-active imagination. But one
thing is certain, the parent who has been, or as often the case, is still
involved, will without question be furious that their son or daughter is
to be now subjected to what they themselves had to endure for so many
years.
Often, the manner in which they
describe these bedroom intruders is anything but complimentary and not fit
for repeating in mixed company.
The child may report his
nocturnal visitor in a variety of ways. As a "pink lady", clown, old man,
grandpa, children, or the "monster" who emerges from the closet. One
couple who spoke to me described hearing, on their intercom monitor, their
child laughing and chattering to someone after settling him down for the
night. On investigating it was to see their son standing in his crib
apparently happily conversing with someone or something that was not
visible to them. Another time a small boy was watching television with his
parents when an "alien" image appeared on the show that was being watched.
Without further prompting the youngster pointed to the face and casually
remarked to his parents that was the "doctor" who came to visit him in bed
at night!
Having provided an introductory background to what seems to be an only too
common event, then the following reported conversation that recently came
to our attention will serve to underscore what may well be far more
prevalent than we are generally prepared to either acknowledge or
recognize the full extent of .
"Around two this morning
Robert awoke screaming. I raced into his room. When I got to him and held
him he was shaking and crying. I asked what was wrong and he told me the
following".
Dad. What happened?
Robert. The shadow man came back.
D. Was he alone?
R. No my friends were with me.
D. Your old friends or your new ones?
R. My new ones.
D. Your new ones. What did they look like?
R. Bats!
D. Bats?
R. Yes, bats.
D. Do you like your new friends?
R. Yes, but not the big man.
D. Was there anyone else there?
R. No.
D. Why wasn’t Rover barking?
R. We were outside.
D. You were outside?
R. Yes.
D. Where were Mom and I?
R. In the kitchen.
D. Are you sure, or are you trying to piece it
together?
R. I'm trying to piece it together.
D. Where did you go outside?
R. To the bad man’s house.
D. Where is the bad mans house?
R. There. (pointing out the window to the sky).
D. How did you get there? (to bad man’s house)
R. I don't know, I was scared.
D. What happened then?
R. I don't know, I ran away.
D. You ran away? From whom?
R. The bad man.
D. Where did you run to?
R. I don't know, away.
D. How did you get back here?
R. My friends brought me.
D. Your friends? Your old ones or your new ones?
R. My new friends.
D. Did your new friends say anything to you?
R. Yes.
D. What did they say?
R. They had to take me home quickly 'cause they had to kill the bad
man.
D. How did your friends bring you home?
R. From there. (pointing out the window)
D. Was the bad man with them?
R. No. My friends took me away from him.
D. Its O.K. I believe you, and I know what’s going
on. Trust me the bad man is gone tonight.
R. Yes, (matter of factly) my friends killed him.
D. How big are your friends? Are they big like me
and mom, or are they small like you?
R. They're small like me.
D. What about the bad man?
R. He was big. He's scary.
"The following morning Robert was
still talking about last night, and also complaining that the back of his
neck right at the base of the skull is hurting. Although I examined it, I
am unable to find any signs or damage.”
“Robert also said he had a funny taste in his mouth. (Metallic, like I
have experienced?)”
(N.B.) Robert is three and this is only one of a number of such events.
His father readily admits to a lifetime of experiences.
Names have been changed to conceal the identity of the participants.
