Is Slenderman Becoming Real?
One of the creepier urban legends of the last decade is the wholly fabricated entity known at Slenderman but are we creating a real Slenderman accidentally?
Unlike virtually every other urban legend, we know Slenderman’s roots. He was born on June 8, 2009, the brainchild of Eric Knudsen and entered the virtual world on the forum SomethingAwful. We know that it is a creature of fiction, but are we accidentally creating a real Slenderman?
If you want the whole history of Slenderman, check out this great article on him by Techcrunch.
Can Fictional Monsters Become Real?
While we know Slenderman started out as pure fiction, people are starting to say that they have seen or had encounters with something that fits Slenderman’s description. If Slenderman is fiction, what are these people encountering?
The easiest answer to these “accounts” is that they are fiction just as the original stories about Slenderman. But what if they aren’t?
These accounts of Slenderman could be simply mis-identification of some other entity like a Shadow Man. This would be the best case scenario. The worst case is something that I find far more troubling, that we are creating Slenderman.
Paranormal Entities Can Be Created
The most common paranormal entity that is created is a Tulpa. These are independent entities that are conjured out of the will of their creator. The earliest accounts come from Buddhist texts and speak of a “mind-made body”. They can range from a non-corporeal, imaginary friend/adviser on up to completely independent, out of control entities that can interact with the physical world.
My concern is that with so many people focused on a common image and set of traits that we could be or have already created Slenderman from nothing. It sounds far fetched, but if a single person can create an imaginary friend that can move things, what could a steady drip from millions of people do?
Demons Fulfilling Our Fears
One other option for people saying that they are encountering Slenderman is that demons are sensing our fears and using them to their advantage. Often times demonic entities will take on unassuming forms to lead people in, so it doesn’t seem a stretch that they would use a form that scares us to elicit a strong fear reaction.
Demonic Presences Evolve
Very commonly we hear from psychics that demonic presences evolve and grow in power over time. The more energy they can absorb from the people they encounter, the stronger they get. Therefore another possibility is that a demon, or group of demons is using our collective energy, growing to fill our expectations for Slenderman.
Creating A Real Slenderman
Whether through purely human means, via a Tulpa like process or by interacting with existing demons or Shadow People, my concern is that we are creating a real Slenderman. The human mind is a very powerful thing and what we truly expect to be real often times finds a way to manifest. Traditional monsters like Dracula or more modern urban legends like Bloody Mary aren’t seen as real by most people. Slenderman seems to be different and tap into our minds in a different way, a way that signals us that he could be real.
It is that distinction that worries me as that subtle change could be enough to take Slenderman from the realm of pure fantasy, to being an actual creature that we humans have to deal with.
Have You Encountered Slenderman?
If you have encountered an entity that presents as Slenderman, let us know. We would love to post your encounter so we can compare notes with other people and track this phenomenon. Either leave a comment or send us email and tell us about your experience!
