My 2 pennies, i had a "dream" a while back where I was convinced I woke up, but was paralyzed and couldn't move. There was a black figure looming over me and not so much screaming as making unpleasant wailing noises. I felt I was being choked even though I didn't see hands on my neck. All I remember was trying to get up so I could protect my girlfriend, and after 10 seconds and what seems like effort equivalent to me bench pressing my max i managed to sit up and everything was normal. Most vivid experience I've ever had.
At first when I read this thread, this dream popped into my head immediately. Why? Because it was so similar. And now that I think about it more, that's all it is, similarities. A shadowy figure is not exactly the least known omen out there, any sort of figure can be interpreted as shadowy when dreaming, and furthermore it represents a lot of legitimate fears that people have which probably manifest themselves in dream. We were taught as young to be wary of darkness, strangers, and people in your house that shouldn't be there. Even if you're not scared of these things now, they are in your psyche. So let's recap: we have a tired state which could be half dream, lucid dream, or full dream, a very vague description of a figure (dressed or whatever), and a potential for mass hysteria based on similar experience. Put that in the hands of some impressionable people, put a name on it, and voila. I'm not saying you didn't see what you did, I'm saying it's a coincidence your experience is similar to a ton of other people's. It's just by virtue of the human consciousness, possibly a phenomenon, i dont put anything supernatural to it though.
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