There are some avid followers on the topic of "Shadow People," and there are even some experts who study the phenomena of Shadow People but still, these entities are largely unknown. It's hard to find good information about this topic - and this post, too - will only be a brief bit of point form structure about general details on shadow people.
What shadow people look like:
* about 4-8 feet tall
* seen as solid black forms, not completely transparent - but!
* varied levels of transparency - and!
* varied levels of darkness
* can be male or female
* can be part-bodies - or, not full figure/shape of a body
* might be visible as only a torso
* might be visible with clear upper body and a 'blob' or inconsistent lower body
Most reported accounts of people seeing shadow people mention the shadow person as a male, but females have, in fact, been mentioned to a lesser degree. "Long" and "Tall" are the more common descriptions but there are many reports of very short, 4 foot shadow people. The long, tall shapes are often not totally recognizable as a body shape and often, the shorter ones have the 'blob' characteristic. Also, in reports of the shorter shadow people, some have been described as impish or animal shapes. There are sometimes red eyes that are strikingly visible even if the body shape is sort of nondescript. Hats on the shadow person are often reported where the hat shape is very defined, even if, sometimes, the body isn't. The red-eyed and ones with hats are of a particular interest to paranormal researchers. Often, these are the ones believed to be harmful to people.
Shadow Imps/Creatures:
* around 3ft tall
* usually seen in groups
* usually visible before the appearance of larger shadow people entities
* speculation: they might be the scouts, lookouts, servants or companions for other shadow people
* sometimes have a semi-solid 'blob' shape
* most commonly described are 'imps,' 'cats,' birds,' and 'bats' in their shape
* speculation: they might be a sort of hybrid shadow entity
Transparency:
Think of the shadow you cast on the ground on a sunny day. Your shadow covers whatever is in it's pathway and that's how shadow people are. There can be some transparency, but generally, a shadow person - the shadow will block from view what is behind it. If you see something that you're concerned might be a shadow person but you can totally see through it, still recognizing a body shape, then you're probably dealing with something - just not what is considered a shadow person. I know, I know, the details here are just as hazy as our knowledge about shadow people themselves, but most followers of this phenomenon say there are many other phenomena and forms which make person-like shapes and parts of shadows. Shadow people are of a different category of phenomena and usually have enough 'form' to block out that which is behind them.
Locations:
* have been reported as singular entities as well as in groups
* usually are seen at night, but some reports have deemed them visible by day as well
* both indoors and outside
* often seen in dark/darkened areas like corners, places where there are shadows, anyway
* seen more often where supernatural or paranormal phenomena is reported than where no activity is reported
* seen often where paranormal studies are being done, where people are conducting research
* seen more often by people who study the paranormal/supernatural and in people who have what some call paranormal/supernatural 'gifts.'
Behaviors:
* very quick body movement - will often hide or 'dash away' if noticed
* may disappear or 'fade away' when noticed
* most seem to be curious and will observe/watch people for a while
* "sprinters": a name for those who seem to sprint away just as you notice them
* "free-standers": a name for those you see in distinct form, head-on (not out of the corner of your eye - they seem to know you're going to see them, the free-standers)
* some seem totally uninterested in people and will not respond, even when provoked
* most do not seem threatening
* most, if they are watching you, do nothing other than observe for a brief while
* often appear to those with significant trauma in their past
* seem to appear more often to people with interest in or who study the paranormal
Their Effects on The Physical Realm:
* sometimes they make audible footstep noises or leave traces of footsteps behind
* animals do seem to take notice of them
* have been reported 'ou of the blue,' as well as, more frequently, during paranormal investigations or ouija sessons
* have been seen reflected in mirrors and television screens (*whew* they're not vampires then j/k)
* just a tidbit - some say they are the 'brothers of death.'
* not common for shadow people to talk, although, an occasional EVP is captured during sightings of shadow people and there have been EVP recordings of audible speech - particularly a case which feeds the point above. The words "We are the brothers of death" were recorded by an investigator who asked, "who/what are you?"
Now, these shadow people have been often enough reported that they've been categorized into types. There's not enough room in this post to include those types, but I'll follow up shortly with information on types like:
* The Hooded Shadow
* Hat Man
* The Old Woman
As already stated, this is very general information, but the topic of Shadow People warrants study and attention - especially for the accounts that exist of Hat Man, "Hoodies" (The Hooded Shadow), and The Old Woman, some of whom are most often reported as harmful, whereas most shadow people are considered relatively harmless.