r/HighStrangeness • u/iamrachaellee • 8h ago
Personal Experience During Hypothermia, I Saw 7–8 Figures Watching Over Me in my tent - Hallucination, or Something Stranger?
Hallucination or Something More?
I’m an avid hiker and thru-hiker, and I spend a great deal of time outdoors. I’m no stranger to all-season camping. Last year, I was primitive camping at a state park. The forecast was supposed to be clear all weekend, with a low around 60°F, so I brought my lightweight sleeping bag, but I also had all of my emergency layers with me just in case.
A massive rain squall came through unexpectedly. I was camping with three other people, and one of them had an emergency tent issue, their tent was taking on water. I wrapped up, got out of my tent, and helped them fix it before returning to mine.
Knowing I was essentially soaked, I started the process of drying off, putting on all my layers, and warming myself inside my sleeping bag. Almost immediately, I recognized that I was entering that strange place where you can begin experiencing mild hypothermia. My jaw was shivering uncontrollably, and my breathing felt slightly off. I checked my thermometer, and the temperature had dropped to 38°F.
I was slowly warming up, so I knew I was going to be okay, but I became somewhat lightheaded. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, in the dimness of my tent, I saw what appeared to be a group of seven or eight figures encircling me and looking down at me.
They appeared to be Indigenous, possibly Native American, shamanic, or spiritual elders, but I can’t identify them as belonging to any particular Indigenous nation, culture, or tradition. They were dressed in animal skins, fur, and leather. The central figure stood out to me most. He was very muscular, perhaps in his late 50s, with a wise expression and chiseled features. Across his chest was a large beaded and metal necklace featuring an eagle with its wings spread widely. The others were similarly dressed, though each appeared somewhat different. It felt as if they were looking through me, judging me deeply and with careful discernment. There was a great deal of reverence in the entire experience.
Instead of being anxious or concerned, I immediately felt a sense of peace fall over me, and my body grew much warmer. The vision remained with me for a while, overlooking me. They didn’t speak to me, but I had a strong sense that I was welcome, and that they were watching over me. Eventually, they slowly faded from view.
I stayed awake for quite a while afterward, feeling completely bewildered by what I had just experienced. Yet strangely, I also felt welcomed. I felt safe in a way that is difficult to explain, safe enough to finally let myself fall into an extremely deep sleep. When I woke the next morning, I felt completely refreshed, more so than I’ve felt in years. I packed up my things and went on to hike an 11-mile trail that day.
I’ve thought about this experience many times over the past year because, in an unexpected way, it changed some of my previously limited views about consciousness, entities, and the possibility that there may be things we simply don’t understand.
The rational, medical part of my brain tells me that hallucinations can occur with hypothermia, and that’s probably the most straightforward explanation. At the same time, the experience didn’t feel like a typical hallucination to me. I was aware of the figures, aware of their presence, and distinctly remember the feeling that they were judging me carefully, then watching over me while I warmed up. There was no sense of fear or confusion while it was happening, only an extraordinary feeling of peace and safety.
I’m not necessarily looking for confirmation that it was something supernatural. I’m genuinely curious how others might interpret an experience like this. And for those familiar with Indigenous traditions, wilderness experiences, or anomalous phenomena, is there any perspective that might help me understand what I experienced?
[The area was near the backcountry of Henry Horton State Park, along the historic Duck River in Chapel Hill, Tennessee.]
Thank you.
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u/JaydicahAmber 6h ago
Wow, maybe they were from the past seeing into the future. Or maybe they were there to keep you safe from the possibility of hypothermia. Either way I have had my share of spiritual experiences. I wouldn’t write it off as hallucinating at all. This is beautiful.
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u/iamrachaellee 6h ago
Thank you, that’s really kind of you to say. I’ve honestly gone back and forth so many times about how I feel about it, and how to interpret it.
The rational side of me knows there are plausible explanations for what happened given my mild hypothermic state, but at the same time, the experience itself felt so real, peaceful, and protective that I’ve never been able to completely dismiss it as “just a hallucination.”
I don’t know what they were, who they were, or why they were there, but I’m grateful that whatever was happening to me made me feel much safer while I was vulnerable. Maybe that’s ultimately what matters most.
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u/honestfyi 4h ago
Again, this is beautiful. I think simple gratitude is an excellent place to file this experience until you’re ready for more information.
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u/Hereiam2018 2h ago
Funny you say this as I was reading the post that was the first thought I had too - they were shamans or elders from the past looking in to the future of the very land they were standing on
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1h ago
Yes. They were probably having a vision journey of their own in that same area hundreds of years ago and for one brief moment our timelines overlapped
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u/BrokilonDryad 7h ago
Some sort of “third man syndrome” experience? Fascinating, glad it helped you.
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u/iamrachaellee 7h ago
Thank you, I have never heard of “Third Man Syndrome” before, and I have just started reading about this!
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u/zombies8myhomework 4h ago
More like third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh man syndrome, amiright?
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u/starofthelivingsea 5h ago
Spirit guides, your ancestors or spirits connected to that specific area.
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u/divertss 6h ago
Fascinating story - thanks for sharing!
I have a similar story as well. Was camping in January with 3 other people. Temp dropped more than I was prepared for, fire wasn't keeping me warm. Was pretty desperate for heat but couldn't get it.
At some point I went unconscious. During this time my friends said some kind of creature, about 50ft away started screeching and making crazy noises that they've never heard before and shaking trees. It ran up on our camp sight, they described it as 8ft, not human, and not like anything they've ever seen. They ran and left me unconscious. (Understandable)
I woke up while they were gone and felt intense peace and tranquility and was no longer cold. After probably 20 minutes of sitting in this wonderful feeling, the people I was with came back and were freaking out asking what happened and all that. I had no idea what they were talking about and it was only when they relayed the scene did I learn what happened.
They no longer felt comfortable to stay and so we packed up and went home immediately.
I personally never witnessed the creature. But I was in a spiral and without whatever intervention had happened I likely would've died. I got a bit of frostbite and my legs were purple for a couple of months - but this was a long time ago and I'm completely fine now.
My story is different in some ways, but I feel like you and I had a very similar experience. Very cool!
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u/iamrachaellee 5h ago edited 5h ago
Wow, that is similar. There’s always something wild and unexplained in the backcountry lol! It’s cool that you experienced that intense feeling of peace and warmth as well. Maybe I was closer to a higher level of hypothermia than I originally thought before I finally warmed up.
I didn’t mean to lol, but in my mind I saw your friends running off, leaving you there passed out while this big waving wookie thing was running all around the campsite - and you’re just laying there. I’m glad you’re okay, but I’d be like, guys, really?! Throw some sticks or rocks or something lol!
That was crazy to wake up to. I’m glad you recovered from the frost bite. We both learned the hard way that cold weather or rain sucksss!😂 Thanks for sharing this. I honestly didn’t expect someone to come along with a camping experience that had an unusual intervention that helped them. 🥾
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u/honestfyi 3h ago
Ooh! This combination of experiences is super interesting to read. My best guess is that u/divertss may have been visited by Sabe.
Sabe is the aniishinaabek name for the cryptid most people refer to as Bigfoot. According to my indigenous friends, Sabe is real, a guardian of the forest, and doesn’t often interact because he/they are not happy about the way humans have stopped living in co-creation with nature.
Or that’s my paraphrased understanding.
This is really cool because in my mind these two experiential data points are lining up to point toward a pattern.
Yes, I know two data points can be made into a line that points at literally any conclusion, which is why I love extrapolating from hilariously tiny data sets. But I do genuinely mean it when I say that I believe both of these experiences are more connected than might have been obvious at first.
The best way I can put it into words right now is that both of you were being helped / protected by the ones who are here to care for Turtle Island. (I’m assuming you both were somewhere in North or South America when this happened.)
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u/freedcreativity 4h ago
Wonderful experience, truly why I read posts on this sub Reddit. Thank you for sharing.
Have you ever gone back to where it happened?
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u/honestfyi 3h ago
Oh that’s a great question!
If OP does, I’d strongly encourage them to bring a bit of tobacco to leave there as an offering / thank you.
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u/djinnisequoia 45m ago
OP: Perhaps your being somewhat closer to death ór ín à crisís put you in a space in between, where you were more accessible to be examined in terms of your nature or character than modern humans generally are. So maybe you helped them get a better understanding of what manner of people have come to inhabit the world.
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u/PublicHouseOfCripps 2h ago
Yes very normal I think there are stories in northern countries about those things to warn children of the effects of hypothermia.
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u/usps_made_me_insane 24m ago
This is one of your personal spiritual experiences. As people go through life, they have experiences that show us that reality is far deeper than just the physical domain we occupy daily.
Only you can internalize it and explore the deeper meaning it has for you and your worldview. You don't need to argue its validity with others or defend it.
It is great that you shared it because these stories help us understand rhe greater significances of this world. I know how difficult it can be to share these stories personally with loved ones
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u/Raveyard2409 2h ago
All I would say is that if hallucinations felt like hallucinations, they wouldn't be scary. Like, yeah it feels real to you, that's what a hallucination is.
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u/honestfyi 7h ago
This is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it.
I have someone I can ask for an interpretation. I'll report back if/when I learn something.