Hooded shadow figure during an episode of sleep paralysis
A caller named “[name withheld],” from Pittsburgh, tells Art Bell about an encounter roughly two to three years earlier. The caller says they came out of a nightmare into sleep paralysis and saw a hooded, pitch-black shadow figure to their left. The caller says they mentally swung an “astral fist” through it twice and felt a cold, static-like sensation. The figure disappeared as they came out of the paralysis with a scream. They offer a theory that such beings are interdimensional and drawn by fear, and the host agrees.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 2010.mp3”, starting at 1:31:02). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
The caller, introduced by the host as “[name withheld]” on the [quote withheld] opens by wishing the host and listeners a happy Halloween. The caller says they want to share their “shadow person encounter.” The caller places it [quote withheld] The caller reports that they were sleeping, were having a nightmare, and came out of the nightmare into sleep paralysis. They explain that their body could not move and that the only thing they could move was their eyes, so they looked around the room and then to their left. They say they had heard of shadow people before but were undecided whether they believed in them. Then they saw [quote withheld] that was [quote withheld] absolutely pitch black. The caller reports going into [quote withheld] saying they knew it was a shadow person and thought [quote withheld]
The caller then describes how they got rid of it. They wanted to swing their fist through it but could not move because of the paralysis. When they thought of swinging, they say they saw what they describe as their “astral arms” and “astral fist” pass through the shadow person twice. They report that when they swung through it, it felt like [quote withheld] The figure disappeared, and they came out of the sleep paralysis with a scream. The host jokes that many others remain in paralysis while the shadow person or ghost “disembowels them.” The caller says it was a scary experience and offers their theory that these are [quote withheld] and that fear in our lives acts [quote withheld] The host agrees that fear gives them power. He closes this part of the broadcast by telling listeners to think about that the next time they wake unable to move. The call ends as the host moves to the next caller.
Reported events, in order
- 0:15
The caller says they want to share their shadow person encounter, which happened about two or three years earlier.
- 0:19
The caller reports having a nightmare, then coming out of it into sleep paralysis in which only their eyes could move.
- 0:52
Looking to their left, the caller sees a hooded figure, a “shadow person,” pitch black and darker than the surrounding night.
- 1:04
The caller reports going into an instant state of panic, thinking “they are real.”
- 1:21
Unable to move, the caller mentally tries to swing their fist through it. The caller reports seeing their “astral arms” and “astral fist” pass through the figure twice.
- 1:39
The caller reports a cold, static-electricity sensation as they swing through it, and the figure disappears.
- 1:48
The caller comes out of the sleep paralysis with a scream.
- 2:02
The caller offers the theory that such beings are interdimensional and that fear acts as a beacon to them. The host agrees fear gives them power.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:52
The caller reports seeing a hooded, pitch-black shadow figure beside them while in sleep paralysis.
- observation· 0:55
The caller describes the figure as darker than the surrounding night, “absolutely pitch black.”
- observation· 1:35
The caller reports mentally swinging their “astral fist” through the figure twice.
- observation· 1:39
The caller reports a cold, static-electricity sensation when swinging through it, after which it disappeared.
- observation· 1:48
The caller says they came out of the sleep paralysis with a scream.
- interpretation· 2:02
The caller offers the view that such beings are interdimensional.
- interpretation· 2:10
The caller sees fear as acting like a beacon to such beings.
- host statement· 2:16
The host says that fear gives such beings power.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
This is a clear, firsthand, step-by-step story with concrete circumstances. But an ordinary sleep-paralysis explanation fits the described state very closely, which lowers the alternative-explanations part of the score.
Evidence for and against
- Firsthand story of the experience
- A concrete sequence: nightmare, paralysis, figure to the left, attempted swing, waking with a scream
- The caller separates what they perceived from their later theory
- The caller frames the event as sleep paralysis, a state in which such perceptions are common
- No checkable detail beyond a rough [quote withheld]
- Exact date not stated
- Some of the labels showing who is speaking appear swapped near the line about the disappearance
- 0:28
- 0:33
- 0:52
What the model inferred (not said on air): The score reflects a coherent, specific firsthand story. But the caller’s own description strongly suggests ordinary sleep paralysis, which reduces the alternative-explanations part.
Only the caller’s own word is present. There is no physical evidence, no records, and no second witness on air.
Evidence for and against
- Firsthand story offered on air
- No documents, recordings, photographs, or other witnesses
- No checkable names, dates, or locations beyond a city and a rough time frame
- No supporting detail available
- 0:15
What the model inferred (not said on air): Evidence strength is limited to the caller’s word, so it sits in the bottom range.
A dark hooded figure appearing beside a paralyzed sleeper, and the caller waking with a scream, is unsettling. But the quick ending and the caller’s matter-of-fact theorizing soften it.
Evidence for and against
- A figure seen at close range while unable to move
- Instant panic and waking with a scream
- A pitch-black hooded figure
- Short duration
- The figure is driven off and the experience ends
- The host treats it with a joke
- Little description of what the caller sensed beyond darkness
- 0:55
- 1:48
What the model inferred (not said on air): Creepiness is moderate. The paralysis-plus-figure setup is unsettling in itself, but the story ends quickly.
This is a stock shadow-person and sleep-paralysis story, made somewhat distinctive by the “astral arms” swinging and the cold, static sensation.
Evidence for and against
- The unusual detail of mentally swinging “astral arms” through the figure
- A cold, static-electricity sensation
- A shadow figure during sleep paralysis is a very common motif
- A hooded figure and fear as a beacon are familiar elements
- How novel the story is compared with the rest of the archive is not calculated here
- 1:35
- 1:39
What the model inferred (not said on air): A familiar setup with one distinctive detail places it near the middle of the scoring guide’s range for originality.
Scoring confidence 0.72 · analysis confidence 0.80 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller’s own firsthand story. The originality score blends the model's score (45) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- Sleep paralysis with a hallucination while falling asleep or waking up. The caller describes waking from a nightmare into paralysis where only their eyes could move, a state in which vivid figures are commonly reported. · [quote withheld] and [quote withheld]
- The “astral arms” and the cold, static sensation could be bodily sensations or imagery inside the paralysis, rather than a physical event. · The caller reports wanting to swing but [quote withheld] while describing the swinging as imagined.
What stands out
The story combines a classic shadow-person sighting with an explicit sleep-paralysis setting and one distinctive detail. The caller describes mentally sending out “astral arms” and swinging at the figure, and feeling a cold, static-like sensation as it vanished.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.