Have you ever felt the presence of evil?

[Petridish]

I mean, without having any rational reason to feel it? It could be a person or a place.

For me, a friend's father used to really radiate evil - much later, my friend confessed that he had been physically and emotionally abused by his father

I also knew a woman who had a senior job with the police. She was a friend of a friend and I had a bad feeling about her. She eventually got struck off and imprisoned for stealing huge amounts of money from a children's charity she was in charge of.

enthusiasm it's hard to pinpoint isn't it, maybe he was just looking furtive or something and it subconsciously triggered something in your brother. I am always oh high alert and steer us out of the way of people really often.

I have a parent of a child who I teach who makes me feel extremely uncomfortable (I'm not the only one) and I have to try and avoid eye contact at parents evening etc, I feel so sorry for his child, who knows how he behaves at home

Regarding Glastonbury, years ago a friend of my parents moved there and killed himself within a year or two. Also, the brother of a childhood friend of mine moved there as a young adult, and had some kind of a mental breakdown. He eventually moved back to London but has never been the same. I know those kinds of things happen everywhere (and I suspect drugs were involved - at least in the second incidence), this thread just jogged my memory because Glastonbury was the common denominator.

Another one of the places that's cropped up a few times here - Lindisfarne - has the opposite effect on me than the other posters. I love it there and always feel at home. Last time we went, I sent husband and kids off for the afternoon to leave me alone there for the afternoon, by myself - as I wanted to enjoy it, so much.

The church near my house that terrifies me - I have nightmares about the tower. Another of my direct line ancestors was parish clerk there in the 1750s and apparently there is some historical 'graffiti' from 18thC locals in the bell tower... Could well be one of my lot. So that makes it odder, as the place was one as the centre of my family's life and, you'd assume, a place I'd feel safe.

I had this once on a train and when I looked up the other guy in the carriage was looking at me and masturbating.

The other one is a family member. He has always always creeped me out. He said of his dd when she was born - I hope she grows up to be really tall and blonde and leggy. I really hoped she would;t be. She has. Absolutely no reason for thinking he is creepy, not one weird thing has ever happened and I stayed there a few times when little and all was fine. But I would never let my dd stay there because of that instinct I have.

I was a reporter in a previous life and was in court for the railway rapist case. Of course, I knew he was evil - but he was sitting in front of me and evil was completely radiating off him. I still think about that feeling I got. It was weird.

and yes i think that reporter got that from Ian Huntley. Didn't she flag him up to the police and that was in part what led them to him?

Oh I had it another time more recently. I was with my parents walking through a wood. A guy came up to us and asked directions. I was very close to shaking with fear. I had this awful feeling something was going to happen. It did.t and my parents didn't feel it at all, but I made them walk VERY fast in the opposite direction to this guy.

I do think it's real when you feel this stuff, it doesn't always mean something will happen but I think if you feel someone is evil it's probably true. Ever since masturbating man I absolutely trust my instincts and move away from people if I feel it. Because I felt it then but still sat down near to him.

I'm pretty good at picking up on people who are a bit 'off'......

A few years ago my friend introduced me to a male carer as I was looking for one (( preferably a male )) to do some respite care with my ds. She has a disabled child too and was considering using him for her ds.

On paper he was perfect, he volunteered with a local youth group, friends knew him personally and he'd worked as a respite carer for young people with disabilities for year. He was bright, engaging, kind and funny.

But something about him was off, don't ask me what but I refused to use him.

My friend at the time laughed when I told her but I think I spooked her enough so that she decided against using him. Thank goodness, as a few months later he was in our local paper charged with acsessing indecent images of children, category 5 (( the most extreme ))

Pretty much no way of knowing if he harmed any of the children in his care due to the nature of their disabilities and I thank god I don't have the 'what ifs' weighing on my mind and trusted my instincts.

Haironmy those what ifs would have been horrendous, poor parents who are living with that.

Re ian Huntley I don't think the reporter flagged him, but I think there were local people who felt there was something off about him so the police looked more closely at him.

I wonder with paedophiles if we're literally smelling them out, pheromones etc?

I know Bacon.....I keep thinking back to the day I met him and the young boy he was caring for, racking my brains. God knows what the parents went through, bearing in mind the amount of personal / intimate care needs these children have.

Ds wasnt interested in engaging with him either which is very unusual.

I don't think it's even down to instinct, I cant put my finger on it tho like a few posters I had an abusive childhood. I do know i've sadly been proven right each time i've picked up on something.

OTOH one of my boys overnight carers is a little socially awkward and comes across as odd (( just a bloke awkward around women tbh )) but can honestly say, seeing him interact with my boy and the fact ds will abruptly correct his behaviour (( same as he does with us )) he's one of the few people I trust with him. I'm pretty sure it isnt social awkwardness I pick up on, it's just 'something'.

A boy in primary school, who was my first crush. There was something about him though that wasn't right, he was, even at the tender age of 10, very disparaging towards girls, especially regarding their intelligence. Decades later I find out his wife left him because of domestic violence.

Twice in Spain in the 80s (same holiday with my sister). We took off for the day and ended up in a town, the temperature was sky high. We walked up to a church, but there was something not right, at all, about this walk. I said to my sister we have to turn back, now, if we don't we will not get down again. We found a cafe and had coffee and a fizzy drink. I think we were both getting dehydrated, but something about the Church didn't seem right.

In a major town, walking around El Cid's castle. I'd seen a bloke several times, he was dressed in a suit. Walking down an alleyway, there he was and I just knew what was going to happen before it did. He exposed himself. My sister was very angry and outraged. I just laughed and pointed and made disparaging remarks - he fled.

Somerset, all of it gives me the creeps, an unsettling feeling.

Nope. Not evil, plenty of twats though. People are too complex to be put into black and white boxes. Obviously there are a tiny percentage of evil people out there, but I've never had the "pleasure" of meeting them.

But I do listen to my instincts when something doesn't "click" right about another person. No good examples like everyone else here. But I do know I've not liked a few people only to find out from others they were little drama-llamas.

They've done studies that people can identify right away if they will get along with someone or not just based on body language and face expressions. It's just a gut instinct though. It's sort of like how all the stoners in the room will somehow gravitate to each other without ever mentioning pot

With pedophiles, is it maybe that adults don't pick up on the vibes anymore, because there are less bad intentions directed toward them, while children do feel it, because they are the target group of the evil thoughts?

I think that could definitely be it. I think it could also be that some people are exceptionally good at hiding what they are ... even exceptionally experienced police men say that you can't always tell a wrong un just by looking, so how can we? sometimes, yes; sometimes not. Some people are clearly just ... creepy.

Unfortunately I do think that some people who have abusive childhoods do pick up on subtle cues that others miss. They've been sensitized, even if they can't put their finger on why someone is a threat, they know they are.

senpai fascinating what you say about people with similar experiences gravitating together. Researchers have found that in groups of mixed strangers, the ones who lost a parent early tend to gravitate together, even if they never realise what they have in common.

FirstWeTakeManhattan our local Big Issue man told me about an experience he had that was similar. He was about to cross the road opposite a kebab shop with his wife, all his alarms went off at once, he said they should stay right there, next thing they knew the kebab shop owner was running out chasing a man who had a knife. He says he gets things like that a lot, but that's the only one that's had a witness.

On the subject of Ian Huntley, I saw Maxine Carr interviewed on telly when when they were searching for the missing girls. I felt total unease and my head kept saying 'she has blood on her hands'. I wrote down the number to call for people with information and gave serious consideration to calling it. I decided against it because a 'feeling' isn't exactly information. If I recall correctly she was convicted of providing an alibi as she believed Huntley was innocent. I am not sure what I picked up on then.

I think you may be right Wickedlazy
Whenever I have had to work with paedophiles, I've never been alone in a room with them and I suppose any threat isn't directed towards me being an old bag and all, maybe that's why I don't pick up on bad vibes.
Incidentally, last night my lovely-but-give-me-the-creeps neighbour's who I posted about before decided to hang a bag of dog shit off my cars wing mirror. I really have no idea why.

The only time I've ever had something approaching this, was when I was walking to school (6th form, so was about 17) down a track for part of the way and coming the other way was a bloke.

He was dressed all in brown and had a coat hanging off one shoulder, partly covering the front of his body too.

As he drew level with me, he caught my eye, moved the coat and he had his dick hanging out of his trousers, so was flasing at me. He said something like "do you know what this is?". I just ignored him and carried on walking away from him.

A few moments later I realised that if I'd hurridly turned back the way I'd come, I'd recently passed a policeman in the park and could have reported it then, rather than when I got home from school. But I just couldn't make myself turn round to walk back past this man.

Oddly enough The only times I get shivers down my spine is whilst reading this sort of stuff, never experienced it anywhere else!.

I could tell of a an event i witnessed with touch healing that was in itself quite amazing but that's probably an other subject. FWIW I do think we have senses we either don't use or ignore.

I once had a very bad feeling about someone at my door ages ago, turned out he was chasing some unpaid Tax;!.

When I was 12 my parents became friendly with the owner of a small cafe at a remote beauty spot that they often went to. I met him once in the supermarket with my mum and he gave me the creeps like I've never experienced before or since despite just having a normal conversation with DM.
A few weeks later DM told me she had arranged for me to help out in his shop over the holidays. I completely freaked out and told her she would have to drag me into the car. It was so out of character for me that she just looked shocked, said OK and never mentioned it again.
That was 20 years ago and he has been accused and questioned for peodophilia many times since yet never found guilty. Unfortunately I live somewhere where peodophiles are treated very lightly and I have no doubt that he has hurt many young girls over the years.

I think I'm the opposite. I've worked with a headteacher who presented as extremely pleasant, funny, thoughtful, empathetic, but whose actions proved them to be the total opposite and was (is) known to be evil.

Like a chocolate covered grenade, this person is almost irresistible and you feel drawn to be in their company. Yet, scratch the surface and you have evil.

This person sucks in everyone initially but then everyone comes to learn the truth.

Haven't read the entire thread but my son started nursery a few months back and there is a woman there who I immediately disliked. I can't tell you why, can't pin point it at all - just feel a strong dislike of her and worry about her really. She's one of the managers and looks after my son. Obviously I can't do much about it! I've no grounds for concern other than this gut feeling. Strangely my mum went to pick him up one day and immediately described the woman and said she was really worried about her. Still worries me now - we can't put our fingers on why we don't like her - but we both feel in our gut there is something to worry about!

hangingoutattheendofmywick One thing that has been said time and time again on this thread, is that it is important to trust your instincts. Something is telling both you and your mother that this woman is not to be trusted.

change nursery.

hanging, I'd recommend that you move your son out of that nursery. When you're using childcare you need to trust the person looking after child and you need to be comfortable leaving your child with them.

My Dad was a policeman. He was so lovely and laid back and non judgemental. The police station he worked out of had holding cells that housed prisoners in transit and sometimes acted as an overflow so he'd see all kinds there - some convicted of quite serious crimes. He was always nice to them though and at one point there was an article in the local newspaper about how they were all dining on fine food from a local restaurant because of a lack of catering facilities in the holding cells. My Dad always defended them and said "why shouldn't they eat decent food? They've had everything else taken from them?" I couldn't understand (as a teenager) how he could be so nice to them as hid job was to "put then away". He'd always say that his job wasn't to judge - only to make an arrest and hand over the evidence to the cps. He was quite religious and said it was up to God to judge /punish.

So, having explained what a "top bloke" my Dad was above I'll get to the point! He reckoned he could always spot a sex offender. He said there eyes were different - like looking into a black hole. He never said the same about the other criminals ge met - some of whom were serving life sentences for murder - just the sex offenders.

That's interesting. I know what you mean about dead eyes.

And your dad sounds like he was just lovely.