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Light Man

 

I'm submitting this story on behalf of myself and older brother. The events described took place in Louisiana, rural Acadia parish. I was four years old, my brother not quite six years old. What transpired was real, not imagined, not a dream. It absolutely was not of this world.

I saw a man of pure white light. My brother saw a man of pure white light. I will refer to him as Light Man. We saw this man on separate occasions outside a window of the bedroom we shared. We don't know who saw Light Man first or how much time elapsed between the sightings. We do know that the sightings took place in late summer, August or September, 1960.

First, my sighting. I was asleep in my bed which was situated sideways against an open window. There was no screen on this window. I woke up, my head lying against the window sill. I don't know if something awakened me. My eyes briefly gazed up at the stars before I caught a glimpse of a man made of white light standing just to the right of the window. I was terrified. I pulled back slightly and stared at him for several seconds. His features were very well defined. Slender face, small nose, short hair. Average size eyes and ears. He was wearing a suit, i.e., shirt, tie, coat and pants. Everything was white light, but I could clearly distinguish between clothing and body.

I attempted to scream for my mother, but I was so terrified that no words came out of my mouth. Then Light Man slowly began moving to the left, across my window. His head was tilted slightly backwards, chin slightly elevated. He stared straight ahead. I pulled even further backwards, away from the window, intently watching him. As soon as he slid past the window, I stuck my head out and watched him march towards the corner of the house. I use the word march because that's what he was doing. The legs of his stiff frame were goosestepping while his arms hung straight down, motionless. He marched until he reached the corner, then he made a crisp left turn and vanished.

At this point, I was finally able to scream for my mother. She came running, and I told her there was a man outside the window. She immediately assumed I'd been dreaming, but I adamantly insisted that this wasn't a dream. She suddenly became concerned that maybe someone had been at the window and took me by the hand, grabbed something like a rod or stick from the kitchen (I don't recall exactly what it was), and took me into the backyard, tightly clenching my hand.

We cautiously walked across the yard. And saw nothing. I told her Light Man had walked around the corner of the house. We did likewise and again saw nothing. At this point, she relaxed and insisted I'd been dreaming. We re-entered the house and she took me back to my bed. I begged her to let me sleep with her, but she refused because my 2 1/2 year old brother was already in her bed. I was hysterical but she didn't relent. She did close the window before walking off. I got in my bed, shaking, and pulled as far away from the window as possible. I lay there trembling until I fell asleep.

Now, my brother's sighting. He was asleep in the same room, also near a window. There was a screen on the window. He woke up one night and saw Light Man standing slightly to the left of the window. He watched as Light Man slowly walked past the window, head tilted back, chin elevated until he was out of sight. He didn't see the same level of facial detail, but it was the same left-facing profile, same mannerisms, same right to left movement that I'd witnessed. For some reason, he felt no fear and went back to sleep.

We had no air conditioning in our home, hence we slept with open windows. The house was in a very isolated location, with one neighbor about 1/2 mile away. There were no other neighbors for at least a couple of miles.

We never discussed what happened until it came up more than 20 years later while having pizza at a local restaurant. He had never breathed a word of what happened to anyone. I carried my secret for approximately 17 years before sharing it with the woman who eventually became my wife. My brother decided to share what he'd experienced with us. Before he finished his story, my jaw dropped as chills shot through my body. My wife and I stared at one another in disbelief. I then told my story and watched my brother's stunned reaction. We spent the reminder of the evening comparing notes and pinpointing the timeframe of the sightings.

For decades, we have shared our story with others, hoping to gain some understanding of what we saw and why it happened to us. We've learned nothing. Now, both in our 60s, we'd like more than ever to discover if anyone else has had a similar experience, or if someone can offer insight about these truly remarkable events.

This story has been told exactly as it happened with no embellishment whatsoever.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, rjsmith33122, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

Aurella (1 stories) (1 posts)
+2
3 years ago (2021-08-18)
I saw a man appear beside my bed when I was about 6 years old. His hair was black and slicked back. He wore a white suit and glowed so bright it lit up my room. I remember being terrified and unable to move. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. I think he may have tried to speak to me but I was so terriefied I have no recollection of what he said. He vanished and it was as if I had been screaming the whole time bc as soon as he was gone my voice was so loud my mom rushed in but it was like he had froze the noise while he was there. He was young and had sharp features.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-06-12)
Thanks to SWS and VeronicaMarie for your comments. I was especially intrigued, VeronicaMarie, by your suggestion that perhaps Light Man wasn't a protector but instead on a quest of his own. During my years growing up, before I had ever spoken of what happened to anyone, my young imagination did occasionally entertain thoughts that perhaps Light Man was a life form from another world or a time traveler or just some spiritual being who hung out in a specific geographical area. His aloof demeanor, never looking directly at me, and the manner in which he abruptly matched off left me feeling like he'd been there taking a look at me and then decided to just get going. Over time, I leaned more towards the protector theory which meshed with my religious upbringing. Thanks again for your insightful comments.
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
 
4 years ago (2020-06-11)
Hello Rjsmith33122,

I'm sorry, I kept saying 'White lady'. I meant LIGHT MAN.

I couldn't help but get a feeling it was a white lady when I was reading your post and it stuck in my head. 🤔

Once again, I apologise for my mistake throughout my comment.

SWS
😕
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+1
4 years ago (2020-06-11)
Hello Rjsmith33122,

I read posts on YGS daily along with comments from YGS members.

I usually vote on the comments and leave without having a say.

I know the many YGS members have so much more knowledge than I do and are able to offer sound advice so I don't usually throw my 2 cents worth in unless something jumps out at me that I'm familiar with.

Your post sent shivers down my spine. I truly affiliated with what you experienced. In my case however the spirit is not a white lady like yours.

Just like you, I can see his features cleary. I also see my surroundings like you did. It feels like I'm awake but I'm frozen and can't move.

I've become strong enough to tell him to get lost, go away, be gone, scoot, whatever comes to my head.

I try to move my arms and sometimes it feels like I have shrugged him off with my arms but the rest of my body is frozen. Other times my entire body is completely frozen.

Enough about my experiences. I thought I'd just give you a snippet of what I've been dealing with before commenting.

I can't explain why sleep paralysis happens, what it means or why these spirits come to some of us and not others. All I know is it is VERY real.

My only suggestion is to read comments and posts on YGS. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn from YGS members. Not only will you get help and support, but you will also learn how to become stronger and fight off your white lady if that's what you wish to do.

Sounds like you like her and want her to stick around. Nothing wrong with that, however, she may be lost. She may need your help getting to the next realm. Perhaps tell her to go to the light IF she ever visits again. A member here on YGS, (Lady-Glow), suggested that to me. It was the last thing I was thinking but it made sense. I told him to go to the light. In my case he comes and goes from wherever he is residing just to annoy me.👻

I hope you find out what this white lady is all about. There's obviously a reason why both you and your brother have both shared her presence.

Best wishes
SWS
😊
VeronicaMarie (5 stories) (106 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-06-11)
Glad you came back to comment today on this, rjsmith, or I wouldn't have seen this amazing story. It's always so fascinating how decades later, things like this don't ever fade away from our memories.

It was strange when you described what the Light Man looked like, because I suddenly got this very vivid picture in my mind. Don't get me wrong, I've got no psychic abilities whatsoever, yet your description was so detailed that I felt a sense that the Light Man was following some compulsion to make something right, or to find peace about something. Though I guess that doesn't make a lot of sense, since white light doesn't usually conjure up anything distressing.

I've only so far glanced at a few of the comments here, and saw some people saying that maybe he was a protector of you, but oddly enough, my sense was that it wasn't someone who had anything to do with you or your brother at all, but was on his own individual...quest...or something.

Thanks for sharing this intriguing story. It's got me curious to look up that area of Louisiana. And I am so sorry that you have had some rough times in the last few months, and hope things are going better for you now.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-06-10)
Thanks to Intermediator and NightlyEclipse for your comments. Sorry I took so long to respond but life has taken a wild and negative turn over the last several months.

Intermediator, I like your observation and comments about sleep paralysis. I was absolutely paralyzed, frozen, could not move. This was the only time in my life 63 years long that I was paralyzed in such a manner. Thank you for your observations!
Intermediator (1 posts)
 
5 years ago (2019-12-05)
That's an awesome encounter. I been reading stories on this site for a long time and never wrote my own experiences or even got an account here until now. I got one just so I could post about your encounter. I too have seen something very similar to your experience. When I was about 13 or 14, I woke up in the middle of the night to a spirit woman sitting directly on top of me. I have a window that I literally slept under and she was just starring out the window. The thing I remember most about this was the fact that she, as I always called it, "lit up like moonlight"! I watched her for about a minute give or take. And never got scarred in the moment of seeing her. I was more nervous afterwards than I was when I saw her. My eyes were halfway opened and I was too afraid to open my eyes all the way cause I was afraid I would scare her away or mess up what I was seeing. She had what seemed like a gown on. And appeared to be in her 30s or 40s. She never moved. But for some reason I jumped up after a minute of seeing her and she disappeared. Well, now I'm 31... And I've had quite a few experiences since then but I've never seen anything w my physical eyes like that but twice in my whole life. Her, and a cat I saw once on end of my bed about 4 years ago and they both lit up like 'moonlight'! And both were in front of a window except the cat was closer to the mirror on the dresser in front of my bed, as well as the tv on the dresser. So I feel there could be something to this window stuff! That's awesome you say u saw it out the window and the first guy that posted said same thing. And I've done a lot of researching and things since I saw that woman and I'm almost positive I was in a state of 'sleep paralysis'! Reason is because of how I jumped up all at once. And I didn't want to move. It's because I don't think I could move if I wanted too. I've had sleep paralysis a lot since then and the majority of the time I don't even know I'm having it because I don't want to move. Only 3 or 4 times have I wanted to move and couldn't. So I would ask if you think you might have been in a state of sleep paralysis when this encounter occurred?... You and your brother. Try to remember if you think you might not been able to move... Because during paralysis your brain is fully functioning but it's your body that can't move. I know you said you wanted to holler at your mom but was too scarred to move. That is a huge sign of sleep paralysis. I believe spirits are the ones that causes this paralysis state and some may not even do it on purpose. I believe some connection has to be made with our subconscious selves to see an apparition or paranormal experiences and not with our brains. It can be hard to probably tell if you was having paralysis because you are actually awake and fully alert and see the room and everything as it is cause your conscious! But somehow the spirit has control of your body and not you. I've read many stories on this site about sleep paralysis and almost all of them, the person tells of how they saw spirits in the room or on top of them. When I was a kid I had no idea what sleep paralysis was. So I never thought nothing of it until I had more experiences a few years back with it. I just wanted to tell you my experience that closely resembles yours. I too have seen these light spirits. And would like to encourage you to look into sleep paralysis a little and read some of the stories on this site as well if you haven't already. It may help shed some light. And thank you for sharing your story. It's definitely given me something to think about with the window stuff. 😊
NightlyEclipse (8 stories) (24 posts)
 
5 years ago (2019-09-23)
Oh my god you have no idea how relieved I am to find that someone else has experiences with these light people. I cried man, I cried.

A few years ago I posted a story on my profile about seeing 4 men made of blue light as a child. I only saw them once, and they were across my yard and only visible through the kitchen window. I didn't see details like you did, but I did see four men. At the time of posting I had believed they were deceased family members. A few months ago I talked to my mum about it and learned it was likely the Anders family who lived on our land years ago.

The details aren't super important but the fact you saw a guy that glowed and I saw multiple guys that glowed more or less shows that these folks are out there. The difference in colours is interesting, I wonder why it's like that!

Plus I'm really happy I'm not alone anymore. Thanks for posting!
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-09-17)
Thank you Spockie. We hadn't considered this but you certainly have our attention!
Spockie (8 stories) (203 posts)
 
5 years ago (2019-09-11)
Your account of how this being moved reminds me very much of the "men in black" who sometimes turn up following UFO sightings. They are all different manifestations of the same phenomenon. What you and your brother saw was a spiritual entity, and they can appear in any form they choose and behave in any way they are inclined to at the time. They enjoy frightening people, especially children and also creating confusion and doubt. Whatever it was, was probably only there for a short time, just passing through as it were, and just doing and manifesting as pleased it at the moment.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+4
5 years ago (2019-09-03)
WisconsinLady and Berggraf38, we've always leaned towards the protector theory but after reading comments posted here, I personally am more inclined than ever to believe this was the reason why Light Man was present on those summer nights in 1960. Were we in some kind of imminent danger or were we allowed to see him so that we'd always have a point of reference regarding the existence of a spiritual component to this universe? Could this have been my mother's deceased cousin's spirit? I find that notion a bit comforting.

We've often discussed why my brother wasn't afraid while I was so terrified. I think perhaps because when I woke up, my head was on the window sill of a screenless window approximately 6 feet from where Light Man stood. And he was so bright, glowing white light. My brother's recollection is that there was a screen on the window the night of his sighting and that he was further away from the window.

I approached my mother and brought up what transpired that night but it was something like 20 years after we found out about each other's sighting. She was approaching 70 years old then and had no recollection of the event. But she believed the story 100%.

Thank you, WisconsinLady, for your kind words per our deceased family member and regarding my comments about our many hardships we've both had to endure. On a more positive note, we've persevered and now in our 60s, we enjoy a level of prosperity unimaginable when we were growing up in Louisiana.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-09-03)
Cheribum, it is great to have shared this experience with someone else, especially a brother. When I was younger and thought about the experience, I'd feel uneasy and at times a little scared, but I never seriously considered mentioning it to anyone for fear of being ridiculed. Then as I got older, I began to tell myself things like maybe it was a dream or my imagination playing tricks on me. But one day I stopped second guessing myself and accepted that something really special did happen. I eventually told my girlfriend and future wife a few years before it came out over pizza with my brother. It was an electrifying moment for the three of us.
WisconsinLady (1 stories) (52 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-09-01)
Rjsmith33122, you say hardships lay ahead in your comment. I'm sorry to hear that.

Adding onto my previous comment...
My possible theory: If he was a guardian of you and your brother, maybe he wanted you both to see him. Perhaps he knew of your trying times that lay ahead. He might have wanted to show you and your brother that there was always someone there watching over you both when times got tough. Maybe your mother saw him and didn't say anything?

Perhaps he brought some sort of protection or comfort in your childhood and you didn't realize it was him at the time...?

It would be so awesome if it was your mother's cousin watching over the family. I'm so glad he eventually came home with such respect from the community. He was a hero, and I thank him very much for his service and for paying the ultimate price for our country. ❤
Berggraf38 (3 stories) (25 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-09-01)
I'd lean towards agreeing with Wisconsin Lady, possibly an ancestor who was watching over you and decided to give an obvious pantomime of guarding that little kids would understand. The fact that you woke up and then he immediately started marching, as if he staged the event (twice) points to that.
That it scared you is unfortunate, but I'd bet he didn't mean to. Maybe he stopped something very bad from happening to you and your brother while he was there.
Cherubim (14 stories) (245 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-30)
WOW! What are the odds of both you and your brother seeing the same apparition?! 😲 I've been having "happenings" since I was about 9 years old, but no else in my family has. You are lucky you have your brother to talk to about it. I too would love to know why this happens to some of us. Thank you for sharing your story. ❤
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
 
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
AugustaM,
I'm sure you know what you're talking about. I meant not funny to a terrified 4 year old in 1960.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Biblio,
Thank you for your comments and questions.

Let me clarify my typo correction comment... Light Man did move right to left during my brother's sighting as during my sighting. By right to left I meant relative to my brother's vantage point. In both instances, we were looking at a window where Light Man stood slightly to the right side before moving leftward across the window. Sorry about the confusion.

Regarding my fear and subsequent reactions... I was terrified by "it" and by the strangeness of the event. To awaken and face something like this right outside a screenless window at 4 years of age shocked and momentarily stunned me. But as he moved away, my fear eased ever so slightly and I wanted to make sure he really was going away. I was mesmerized by his unusual gait which held my attention until he disappeared around the corner of the house.

I don't know the age of the dwelling back then, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't an old house. It was very small, cheaply made, and a few years after we moved out it was torn down. I remember this because we drove past it many times while going to visit our grandparents. There were no military bases or police academies in the area. Drawing from my knowledge of family history, I know of only one relative who had served in the military prior to the event. A male, my mother's 1st cousin who was captured during the Korean war and presumed dead. His remains were finally returned to his family in 2017. It was a major event in my hometown as he was honored by a parade and military burial. I had forgotten about this until you triggered the memory with your questions.

Light Man was empty handed and hatless when we saw him. No raincoat.
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Fact - they were a thing by 69 but not so much before. There were comedians in the 40s and 50s who made fun of Nazis and the goose step maneuver is very reminiscent of them.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
AugustaM,
That is a funny thought in 2019, not so in 1960 😊...
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Greetings, rjsmith, and welcome to YGS.

My initial reaction to your description was that you may have seen a residual haunting. However, I've had to revise that thought, as the correction in your first reply indicates your brother saw the man marching in the *opposite* direction to the event you had witnessed. While your reaction was to call for your mother in fear, I'd suggest that you would have been entirely unwilling to stick your head out of the window to see where he went if the apparition *itself* frightened you. Am I correct in presuming that your fear was predicated upon the strangeness of the event?

As Augusta suggested, my mind went to a military Parade Ground, too. Do you have any idea how old your parents' house was when you were raised there? Had there been a military base in town (e.g.: a boot camp for WWII, since decommissioned), or -perhaps- a State Trooper school/academy? For someone to march around your property, apparently as a guardian spirit, should be reassuring; however, marching is not required of those who are not in official uniforms. If there is not a connection to the location specifically, I wonder if your parents or your grandparents had a male relative who died at a comparatively young age, especially during or soon after military service?

I get the feeling that I'm worrying at a loose thread, here; something about your description of his marching is at odds with his formal, *civilian* attire.

Please let me know if he was he wearing a hat, carrying a briefcase, or had a raincoat with him. He may not have had any of these items, but it would help to rule out a notion or two that I've not described here.

Thanks,
Biblio.
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Wow not even a military uniform - how curious! This sounds ridiculous but maybe the chap was a fan of Monty Python in life and thought such a stunt would come off as funny and not frighten you!
MrsRamsay (guest)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
I'm going to go out on a limb here, but based on what the others have said as well as my own experiences... I'm a 58 year old woman, a journalist and regular mom in the American south. I'm also a genealogist and a good researcher, which has nothing to do with this topic, yet somehow I think it does. I do think we have guardians! My own daughter, now 12, had a dream a couple years ago during the week before she was going to be baptized (we usually baptize as babies in our faith, but the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan got in the way of this one)... She was having some rough dreams and in one a "bad man" was chasing her. Someone she identified as my late (first) husband (not her father) and his "team" came around the corner in a big truck, according to her dream, and fought with the bad man and made him leave. Then the man looked at her and said, "You don't know me, but I know all about you." I do believe we have protectors and I do believe in spriritual warfare. I used to sit in church and listen to stories of spiritual warfare and could not relate, but life has taught me that these stories we hear in church don't come from NOWHERE. A bright sentry was keeping you safe, imo. The way you and your brother discovered it years later seems also to lend lots of credibility. I also believe spiritual things like this are sort of fuzzy to the living, as if we're not supposed to remember. Thank you for sharing!
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
 
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
AugustaM, the suit he was wearing was a typical suit, something that I would have worn to work or for a job interview. I didn't see his footwear. But his rigid posture was definitely military-like and the goose-stepping scary to me because I'd never seen anything like this before. My head, initially laying against the window sill (no window screen) was only about 6 feet from where he stood so I got a really good look at him. He struck me as being very cleancut and his features and posture were those of a youngish man 25-35 years old. It's been 59 years and I still see him very clearly in my mind.
rjsmith33122 (1 stories) (11 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Thanks for the quick feedback. Let me quickly point out a typo in the description of my brother's sighting-Light Man was initially standing to the right of the open window before he moved to his left.

WisconsinLady, it did feel like he was there for a specific purpose. We've wondered about why we actually saw him, was it intentional or just a random occurrence. We were young and innocent and had no idea as to the extreme hardships which lay ahead for both of us. We are persons of faith and throughout my life this incident has reinforced my belief that there is more to this life than meets the eye.
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-25)
Did either one of you notice any details of what he was wearing that might give some insight into what era he might have come from? The way you describe his posture and movements, he seemed to be marching in a military review.
WisconsinLady (1 stories) (52 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-24)
And thank you for sharing! I'm glad you and your brother shared your stories with each other. ❤
WisconsinLady (1 stories) (52 posts)
+2
5 years ago (2019-08-24)
I believe this could be a guardian of some kind. White light is largely associated with good entities and energies. He seemed to be taking his guard shift very seriously. He could have been watching over you both.

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