Whispers in the Dark: The Shadow People's Gaze
In the fall of 1996, during an open-lines episode of *Coast to Coast AM* themed around UFO encounters and paranormal phenomena, a woman from rural Oregon called Art Bell, her voice trembling with fear. Broadcasting from his Pahrump, Nevada studio to 15 million listeners across 460 stations, Art had been discussing UFO sightings when the caller, identifying herself as "Sarah," shared a chilling tale.
Weeks earlier, she and her family witnessed a glowing orb hovering over their farm near Bend, Oregon (44.0582°N, 121.3153°W). Since then, shadow people—dark, humanoid figures with glowing eyes—began appearing in their home, lurking in corners and vanishing when approached. "They whisper my name, Art, and move things at night," she said, describing objects like keys and books relocating and electronics failing.
During the call, around 2:45 AM, faint whispers and a loud bang echoed through her line, audible to listeners, as she screamed, "There's one in my room right now!" Art urged calm, suggesting a sage cleansing, but the line cut abruptly with a final cry. The 10-minute call left Art shaken, noting an unnatural static hum post-disconnect.[1][2]
The 1996 Call: Terror on the Airwaves
The episode aired in October 1996, amid a wave of UFO sightings in the Pacific Northwest. Sarah connected cleanly, her voice cracking as she detailed the orb sighting: a basketball-sized light, pulsing red and blue, hovering silently for 10 minutes before vanishing. Days later, shadows appeared—tall, featureless figures with glowing white eyes, watching from doorways. She reported cold spots, flickering lights, and whispers in an unknown language.
On air, Art asked about protections; as Sarah described a figure in her hallway, rhythmic whispers ("Sarah... leave...") surged, followed by a deafening bang like a door slamming. "It's here, Art—it’s watching me!" she cried, her voice distorting with static. The line went dead at 2:55 AM. Art’s engineer confirmed no studio interference; the sounds came from her end. Listeners flooded lines with similar shadow reports, and Art replayed the audio next night, noting EVP-like whispers in recordings.[3][4]
The Entities: Shadows Tied to the Stars
Sarah described the shadow people as 6-foot-tall silhouettes, semi-transparent with glowing eyes, moving through walls. They appeared nightly, whispering her name and those of her children, causing nightmares and nosebleeds. She linked them to the UFO, suspecting an alien connection, as the orb left burn marks on her field in a circular pattern (10 feet wide). During the call, the whispers escalated, saying "we see you," chilling Art.
Post-call, she found strange symbols—triangles and spirals—scratched on her front door, unphotographed due to camera failure. The entities’ behavior echoed shadow people lore, often tied to UFO encounters in MUFON reports, suggesting interdimensional or ET origins.[2][5]
Aftermath: A Haunting Silenced
Days after the call, Sarah phoned back, reporting the activity ceased after a sage cleansing and prayer, guided by a local psychic. However, she found the door symbols reappearing, and her dog refused to enter the house. Art received 200+ listener reports of shadow people that week, many post-UFO sightings. The call’s audio, preserved in fan archives, showed no manipulation, with whispers analyzed as non-human by EVP experts.
Art tied it to his own 1995 shadow sighting, warning listeners about UFO-linked entities. No hoax confession emerged, and Sarah’s location near Bend matched 1996 UFO hotspots.[1][3]
Investigations: Archives and Echoes
The call’s audio survives in Internet Archive’s 2023 *Coast to Coast AM* collection (400k downloads), transcribed on Higgypop Paranormal. MUFON’s 1996 Oregon report logged 30+ UFO sightings near Bend, some with shadow entity follow-ups.
Reddit’s r/Paranormal (2023 thread, 120 upvotes) analyzed the whispers, detecting subsonic frequencies inducing unease. A 2018 *Paranormal Caught on Camera* episode referenced the call, linking it to shadow people spikes in the 1990s. X searches (#ArtBellShadowPeople, 2023) show 900 posts speculating alien portals.[4][5]
Theories: Alien Watchers or Interdimensional Stalkers?
Did Sarah’s UFO sighting open a portal for shadow people, alien scouts observing her family? Or are they interdimensional entities, drawn by cosmic signals? The live whispers and symbols suggest a presence beyond the veil, triggered by the orb’s visit. Some theorize government psi-ops testing fear responses, but the call’s raw terror points to a supernatural force.[2][6]
Cultural and Historical Significance
The 1996 call fueled shadow people lore, inspiring *Supernatural* TV episodes and *The Nightmare* documentary (2015, 2M views). *Coast to Coast AM* saw a 20% listener spike post-episode; Reddit r/ArtBell (2024, 15k members) calls it a “classic scare.” Tied to 1996’s UFO wave (e.g., Varginha, Brazil), it boosted shadow entity reports, echoing in 2023 X trends (#ShadowPeople, 1k posts).[1][4]
Investigations and Corroboration
Bell’s logs confirm the call’s live sounds; MUFON’s 1996 data aligns with Bend sightings. EVP analysis (2000) verified whispers as non-human. Similar calls that night (50+) and listener reports (200+) suggest a regional phenomenon. No hoax evidence; audio matches shadow people patterns in paranormal studies.[3][5]
Facts and Context
October 1996 *Coast to Coast AM* episode, 2:45 AM. Caller: “Sarah,” Bend, Oregon; shadow people post-UFO orb sighting. Live audio: Whispers, bang. Pahrump studio (36.2333°N, 116.0167°W). 1996 UFO wave; 2023 X #ArtBellShadowPeople 900 posts.[1][3]
A Timeline of the Mystery
The Shadow People call unfolds:
- September 1996: Sarah’s family sees UFO orb near Bend.[5]
- October 1996, 2:45 AM: Sarah calls, describes shadows; whispers/bang on air.[1]
- 2:55 AM: Line cuts with scream.[3]
- Days Later: Sarah reports cleansing; symbols reappear.[2]
- October 1996: Bell replays audio; 200+ listener reports.[1]
- 2000: EVP analysis confirms whispers.[4]
- 2018: *Paranormal Caught on Camera* references call.[5]
- 2023: X #ArtBellShadowPeople trends.[6]
Theories of the Unseen
Did an alien orb summon shadow people to Sarah’s home, or did it tear a rift for interdimensional stalkers? The live whispers and scratched symbols unveil a haunting tied to the stars, watching from the edges of reality.
What Do You Think?
Art Bell’s 1996 Shadow People call, from UFO orb to live whispers, terrifies as a glimpse beyond the veil. Alien scouts or spectral menace? If shadows whispered your name, would you stay? Share your thoughts on X.com @THEODDWOO or Reddit r/ODDWOO.
Sources
- Internet Archive, Coast to Coast AM audio (2023), October 1996 episode with Sarah’s call and live whispers.
- Higgypop Paranormal, "Shadow People: UFO Connections" (2022), linking shadow entities to UFO sightings.
- Coast to Coast AM Logs (1996), confirming live sounds and call cut-off.
- EVP Analysis (2000), detecting non-human whispers in call audio.
- MUFON Oregon Report (1996), documenting 30+ UFO sightings near Bend with shadow entity reports.
- Reddit r/Paranormal, "Art Bell Shadow People Call" (2023), 120 upvotes, analyzing subsonic frequencies.