§489

‘It was the night of Halloween, and I was alone on the farm property where I lived. I visited a willow tree that was a favourite place to spend time, and the area was well lit by stars etc, even though it was late in the night. I was quite close to some houses but the willow grew from a stream and was out of site, slightly down a hill. As I approached I ‘heard’ some kind of drums, although I heard them inside my head and it wasn’t really like noise, more like being aware of there being drums without really hearing them. (I never used to believe in fairies but had an experience of seeing one in a different region only a month earlier, and so I had considered the possibility more seriously.) The more I ‘listened’ to the drums the more clear they became, and seemed to come from everywhere with no single source, but it was like trying to tune in to a radio station amongst static. I couldn’t see, but became aware that there were small people dancing around me, between five-inches and a foot tall, also some were in the tree and others, much larger, were around the grove and stream. I can’t explain how I knew they were there as I couldn’t see them, just sense them. I had heard folk stories about humans who have bad things happen when they dance with fairies, so I was wary even though I didn’t know what was really happening and guessed I was probably imagining it. Regardless, I enjoyed spending time there in the grove, ‘listening’ to the music and after about ten minutes (I think), I returned to my house. I was able to remember the music for a short while afterwards, and the more I look back on the event, the more certain I am that I accidentally was allowed to join in/be aware of some kind of fairy celebration.’ ‘Between five- to fifteen-inches tall, of various types. Slim, tall and humanoid with extended limb and torso lengths. Some of the group were another type as well, much larger and shaggy, or bulky, and between four and twenty-five feet tall.’ ‘Hard to describe. I was aware of a drum beat, rhythmic and festive, fast. There was another kind of music amongst the drum which had a tune, but I was unable to remember it after the experience ended. I could remember the feeling it invoked, but not the actual music itself. The drums weren’t heavy sounding, they were more like a pulse or heart beat (slightly muted).’ ‘I was aware of many small figures dancing to music in a grove by a willow tree on a time of year famous for supernatural occurrences. I also had an experience of seeing a fairy for the first time a month prior, so immediately was open to the possibility that is what they were.’ ‘[Fairies are] spiritual beings that exist in a part of reality we aren’t regularly able to perceive.’ ‘I would like for fairies, and places that have a great understanding and respect for them to receive good, scientifically-founded investigation and professional acceptance. Whilst I think that many people do experience hallucinations or have vivid imagination about this, I also think that there is far more to reality than we understand or can quantify. As it is we can only perceive a very limited section of the light spectrum, for example. After my experiences, I am forced to accept that there is a basis for fairy lore and although I will not actively seek out fairies, I hope that others do in a way that leads to a better understanding of this complex planet and our relationship with it.’