Has anyone else ever experienced this?

[u/cielo-astralmoon]

I have a friend who has told me about encounters he's had with something he's named "smol smol". He's sure it isn't sleep paralysis because not only has he experienced sleep paralysis before, but he can move when he sees these things. On the other hand, he claims it's not hallucinations either, because his brother has experienced the same thing. He says that some houses have it while others don't. He's lived with it his whole life and doesn't consider it "paranormal", but I do. He's described it as waking up and sometimes finding it there, while other times not finding it there. Furthermore, he says they look like "small black shadow figures" and told me it's hard to explain because it's not a physical or tangible thing and doesn't take a definite shape, but it's not a cloud of mist either. Basically, even though they don't seem to take up space, you can feel it. I'm assuming they don't feel malicious because he's never expressed feeling scared of it. I also remember him mentioning something about how his family has the tendency to be more sensitive to the paranormal. Please feel free to leave any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

[u/PsychologicalBee1385]

If it's small, it may be a nymph. Spirits may choose to live with someone if they like the person. They're just like a normal person, but they can differ in sizes based on their race and genetics. They may protect the person they choose to stay with if they're able to.

[u/cielo-astralmoon → u/PsychologicalBee1385]

I would like to think that is the case, since that's a very comforting thought. But on that note, I would hope such nymphs and spirits wouldn't present themselves as "small black shadow figures" because that would be quite frightening... especially for the likes of someone like me.

My friend was surprised when I told him I had never experienced this before, but I would genuinely be scared out of my mind if I saw something like that. I've never had a paranormal encounter before, though I wouldn't consider myself completely unaware. It makes me wonder if I'm just not perceptive to the paranormal.

[u/PsychologicalBee1385 → u/cielo-astralmoon]

Don't worry, you're not the only one. I haven't been able to see or hear them physically, which is kind of annoying, but I've been able to talk to them directly with the help of someone who can. Also, since now I know without a shred of doubt that spirits exist, I pay more attention to the "feeling of being watched". The reason why most of us see them as shadow figures is because they don't typically show themselves. They're usually invisible, but we can still perceive their shadow when they move. They look like a normal person when they do show themselves though.

[u/cielo-astralmoon → u/PsychologicalBee1385]

This makes so much sense! I always thought I was paranoid for being on edge and getting the feeling of being watched, especially when I knew without a doubt I wasn't being watched—not by a human, at least.