Attempted Abduction by "Gnomes"

     Of all the strange phenomena I have described, few are so enigmatic as the appearance of miniature humanoids: elves, goblins, gnomes - call them what you like. I don't know what they might be, I have no explanation for them, I have reservations about many of the reports, but I have heard enough not to scoff at them.
     Then, only last week I received an extraordinary account by e-mail. By itself this was unusual; you will note that my e-mail address does not appear anywhere on this blog. The lady in question was obviously determined enough to search for it among my other blogs. I am also impressed with the second half of the story, about her unremitting attempts for nearly thirty years to find a person or an organisation who would take it seriously, and perhaps provide some sort of explanation. (I'm afraid I can't help much on the second issue.) She has asked me not to divulge her identity. Indeed, she originally provided only her first name, year of birth, and the suburb where she used to live. You could never trace her with that meagre information. Just the same, she has now provided an amended version which removes even that information. Whatever else can be said about her, she is not seeking notoriety! She has also provided a lot of background information which is not for publication, and does not greatly affect the narrative, but is indicative of her sincerity. I am convinced that this is an account of a genuine experience, make of it what you wish. As she put it:

I suspect my account will be ridiculed and/or disbelieved.  I doubt I'd believe it myself if I read it somewhere.  But who knows - someone may have experienced something similar, in which case they might be relieved to know they're not alone with their experience.  Or, someone may have heard about a similar experience occurring to someone else.

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 Hello Malcolm

     I came across your site via another and have spent the past hour or so reading your posts.  I've saved your site in Favourites and will return to continue reading as time permits.

The reason I'm writing now is because once or twice, you've mentioned those who believe in fairies, gnomes, etc. and the impression I gained was one of, 'That's how deluded some people actually are'.  For the larger part of my life, I'd have agreed with you.  However, I became one of those people you've mentioned and just as you've said you were initially highly sceptical of Yowies, only to later change your opinion, perhaps my experience might persuade you to consider 'little people' sightings as potentially valid as the more common (albeit still rare) Yowie sightings. 

     I am now in my late 60s.  The experience I'll briefly relate here took place on the southern Gold Coast, Queensland in 1984.  Our house was less than ten years old as were all the others in the area.  At the time the event took place, I was divorced and lived in the house with my two young children.  I'm neither a drinker of alcohol nor a user of drugs - they've never been part of my life.  I had no interest in fairies, goblins, gnomes, elves or the like, nor had I been reading about them or watching anything about them on TV, etc.  If asked if I believed in 'little people' I would unhesitatingly have replied 'no'. 

     In 1984 I attended a seminar in New Zealand along with several dozen other Aussies.  I'd recently developed a fear of plane travel, although previously I'd enjoyed it.  A local chemist, whom I knew, had given me three or four tablets to take an hour before departure to settle my nerves.  I took one prior to our departure from NZ.  Consequently, I slept from NZ to Sydney where we changed planes.  I slept from Sydney to Brisbane and slept through the drive from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.  The driver, a colleague, carried my suitcase into my home.  He conducted a cursory check of the premises before departing.  My children were in the care of a neighbour.  I was to collect my children the following morning. [She wished to point out she was by no means tired when the event occurred. She thinks it was about 8 or 8.30 pm.]

     It was very rare to have a night to myself.  Being well-rested and relaxed, I was looking forward to spending a few hours reading or watching TV.  First, I made a cup of tea.  The television was on.  The front main door was open but the security screen was locked at the catch.  As I sipped the tea, I decided I might as well unpack.  I carried an armload of clothes to my bedroom and hung them in the wardrobe.  I noticed the light in the room seemed unusually bright.  Something was strange about the atmosphere.  I had no time to analyse it before I was overcome with exhaustion so intense that I only had time to stagger backward to the bed.  I lay face up on the bed.  I was concerned my shoes might make a mark on the bedspread. I looked down to make sure only the heels of my shoes were resting on the bedspread.  And that was that.  I must have lost consciousness.

     Next I knew, I could hear the sound of several voices. They were argumentative voices and seemed to telling each other to 'hurry, hurry'.  I managed to lift my head and looked down to the source of the voices.  There were several small people.  They were trying to pull me from the bed, feet first and into the wardrobe.  The wardrobe was only half a metre, approx. from the foot of the bed.  I saw that the left hand side of the wardrobe was open.  The wardrobe had two sliding doors. I'd hung the clothes in the right-hand side which had required that both wardrobe doors be pushed to the left.  And now the little people were trying to pull me into the left-hand side, which would have required someone to push both doors to the right.  I should explain here that during the event, I must have been operating similar to a video-camera, in that I 'saw' and heard only.  And what I saw/heard must have been committed to memory.  At the time, however, I did not experience normal thought processes.  So what I remembered afterwards (and now) is the product of my mental video-camera. At the time, it did not dawn on me that the doors had been moved. I simply saw several small people trying to pull me from the bed and into the open-half of the wardrobe.

     I experienced no shock or alarm.  Instead, I told myself I had lots of time to continue sleeping because I was far too big and heavy for them to move very far.  Now, I'm of the opinion those thoughts were not my own but were in some way suggested to me.  Whatever the case, I must have lost consciousness again, because the next thing I can remember is 'waking up' to find several people crowded around me.  They didn't speak as far as I know.  I was now lying with my head at the foot of the bed, so my feet must have been at the head of the bed.  Again, I was similar to a video camera.  I have very clear memory of how the people appeared.  There were males and females. I can't remember how many, but at least six, possibly more.  One -- a male -- was larger than the others and appeared to be their leader. He was closest to me.  At first he stared into my eyes with both of his eyes.  Then there's a blank and his position had changed and he was looking at me with only one of his eyes.  Something happened there, but I can't remember.  I suspect he was imparting something to me.

     The creatures appeared as the typical gnomes or peasants from story books.  Based on the height of the bed, their height was perhaps two, to two and a half feet, tall.  They were overdressed.  Their clothing was suited to a much colder climate.  I can remember it in considerable detail, possibly because in those days I did a lot of home-sewing.  They were Caucasian.  Their skin looked weathered, as if they worked outdoors a lot.  Their skin had a muddy cast.  They had strong facial bones - wide cheekbones, wide jaws, strong chins and noses.  Their eyes and mouths were long horizontally but vertically narrow and seemed recessed between the strong facial bones.  Best way to describe their faces is as 'squashed', as if a heavy weight had been placed on the tops of their heads, squashing them downward.  Their bodies were stout, robust, with deep chests, broad waists, strong shoulders.  I couldn't see the bottom half too well. [She later advised me that the men had no beards or other facial hair, and the women wore scarves wrapped under their chins.]

     I must have lost consciousness again because when I saw them next, I was still in the same position (head at the foot of the bed near the wardrobe) but they were now in the centre of the room, looking at me.  I looked back at them.  Still felt no fear or alarm.  I just looked at them and they looked at me.  I had no thought processes at that time.  There seemed to be more of them than before. Amongst them were a couple of younger males who seemed a bit nervous or unsure.  The other men were impassive. The women  however seemed to enjoy my predicament.  Based on my mental video-recording, I later regarded them as overworked, joyless and not over intelligent.  It seemed I was simply a 'job' to them.  They seemed a bit nervous.

     Next I was aware of was the voices again, as before, querulous, talking over the top of each other and urging each other to 'hurry, hurry'.  I raised my head and to my alarm saw that they'd almost succeeded in pulling my legs from the bed.  My body was now right way up on the bed again with my head at the head of the bed and my feet near the wardrobe.  When I saw they'd almost pulled all of my legs from the bed, a surge of adrenaline shot through me and I grasped that it wouldn't be much longer before gravity did the rest of the job for them.  All they'd have to do would be to steer my falling body into the wardrobe.

     I yelled out and kicked at them.  Then I jumped from the bed and into the centre of the room.  The room seemed far brighter than usual.  I remember standing there and yelling at them.  I still wasn't afraid.  I was angry with them.

     They muttered between themselves. They looked and sounded resigned, bitter. Then they filed into the open half of the wardrobe. They seemed to go in then down, as if filing down a ramp inside the wardrobe.

     I stood there watching them for probably a few seconds.  Then -- still with the light seeming far brighter than usual -- I turned toward the door and left the room.  It was only a small house.  The hallway was only three or four metres long.  I left the room, went through the hallway toward the living room.  And that's when I became completely consumed with terror.  Nothing happened between yelling at the creatures and making it toward the living-room, but in those few seconds I was overtaken by sheer terror which seemed to escalate with every instant.  I've never known fear like it, yet there was no real reason for it.  I suspect now that when the creatures departed, they removed whatever calming influence they'd subjected me to during the ordeal itself. 

     After phoning the colleague who'd dropped me off earlier that evening, I stumbled out of the house and into the middle of the road.  I was desperate to be with someone and was moaning in the hope someone would come out and rescue me.  I was completely without shame and must have been reduced to the level of a small child.  But I must stress that I wasn't afraid -- consciously at least -- that the little creatures would return to attack me.  There wasn't a real focus for the terror -- it just was.  The terror was feeding more terror.

     Not long afterwards, my colleague returned and drove me to his house.  He didn't speak to me.  I didn't care. I was just glad to be with someone and to be getting away from my house.  When we arrived at his place, I got into bed but I couldn't get warm.  He put a pile of blankets on top of me but I was still freezing.  I realise now I was in shock.  I wouldn't let him leave the room or turn off the lights.  I must have fallen asleep.  When I awakened, he wasn't there.  Next morning, he wouldn't discuss any of it.  I was anxious he thought I'd gone insane and tried to explain what had happened.  He didn't want to talk about it, but did say he'd never seen anyone so terrified as I'd been when he saw me in the road.  We never discussed it again, despite that we married the following year.  When I asked him how long had elapsed between when he'd dropped me off (after our return from New Zealand) and receiving my phone call asking him to come and get me, it seemed the entire experience of the little people had been no more than perhaps fifteen minutes, possibly less.

     In approx. 2004, I decided to submit an account of the experience.  In the twenty years which had elapsed, I had searched  in the hope of discovering others had the same or similar experience, without success.  There was no internet then of course, so I was reliant on books.  I found only one mention, in a book by Jenny Randles, who said 7% of 'aliens' had been described as looking like 'gnomes'.  It was a relief to discover I was not alone in my experience, although I did not believe the creatures I'd seen had been extraterrestrial aliens.  When I decided in 2004 to leave a record of my experience somewhere, I didn't know where to submit it.  Finally, I chose an organisation which was a UFO research group in Queensland. 

The Qld. research group replied to say, in response to my enquiry, that they had no record of anyone else having an experience with gnome-type entities.  They asked if they could publish my account in their forthcoming magazine. I replied I was in agreement, on the condition they did not disclose my identity. They said they would not and advised they'd be in touch once their magazine was published in approx. one month's time.

     Some weeks later, the Qld. research group got in touch with me.  They were astounded by the latest development.  They said the day before, a woman in Melbourne had phoned them.  She'd been close to hysterical and claimed gnome type creatures had been running through her house for a few hours.  Her adult daughter was present at the time. The woman wanted someone to go to her house and get rid of the gnome type creatures.

     The Queensland UFO research group said they'd told the woman they'd contact someone closer to her about the situation, which they did.  Apparently, the Qld group had contacted a Melbourne UFO research group and had given them the woman's contact details.

     In telling me this the following day, the Qld. research group said it was impossible for the Melbourne woman to have known about my experience, because the Qld group's magazine had been delivered to their printer mere hours before the Melbourne woman contacted them.  In other words, the Qld group's magazine hadn't even been printed yet, let alone distriubuted.  The Qld group said they couldn't get over the coincidence. Nor could they understand why both the Melbourne woman and I ( I live in Sydney) had contacted a UFO group in Queensland.  I said I had most probably contacted them because my own experience had occurred in Queensland.

     I asked the Qld group if they'd forward my contact details to the woman in Melbourne because I was eager to compare notes with her. She was the only other person of whom I was aware who'd experienced the same as I.  But when the Qld group replied, it was to tell me that the Melbourne woman had told them she didn't want to be contacted, not by me or anyone else.  The Queensland group told me this was often the case.  They said people want help at the time, but once the situation's been resolved and/or when they've had time to calm down,  people become afraid their experience will be reported in the media.  They're afraid they'll be subjected to ridicule generally and particularly by those they know, such as neighbours, employers, etc.

     My account was subsequently published in the Qld UFO research group's magazine, in hard copy and online.  My identity had not been revealed and I'd been identified only as 'C'.  Unfortunately, publication of my experience did not succeed in encouraging others to come forward with similar experiences.

     I posted my experience in a number of online forums afterwards.  And I discovered a group known as the ELFEN Project which professes to be an organisation with expertise in gnomes, elves, etc.  I submitted my account to ELFEN and received a reply from someone who described himself as Professor B.  Professor B claimed he'd just returned from Patagonia where he'd been investigating gnome type entities there.  He said ELFEN was involved (at that time) with approximately 60 families in Canada and the US -- families whose homes harboured gnome and similar type entities.  He said ELFEN acted as mediator between the entities and the families involved.  Gnome entities, unlike ghosts (I was told) do not follow people if they move. Gnomes, unlike ghosts, I was advised, attach to places and not invidivuals.  I was told that while my experience fell into the top ten percent of seriousness, it was not uncommon. Apparently, the gnome type entities sometimes pull people's hair, pinch or scratch them.  I was advised I should regard my experience as a privilege. 

     Later on, I learned about Charles Bonnet syndrome.  Those who allegedly suffer that syndrome claim to see imps, pixies, elves.  Amost all of them have some degree of sight-impairment.  I read that a teaching hospital in Manchester, UK, investigated the syndrome.  They were at pains to reassure subjects that their claimed experiences would not result in their being placed in 'a home', which was of great concern to experiencers.  Researchers involved were at pains it be made clear afterwards that those who claimed they'd seen elves, imps, pixies, were perfectly sane, lucid and did not suffer senile decay.  Many of the subjects had held responsible positions prior to retirement.  Teachers, doctors, head masters and mistresses, nurses, police officers, lawyers, etc. were cited as being the previous professions of those now bundled under Charles Bonnet syndrome, it was explained.  Clearly, sight-impairment played a critical role.  Many of those who'd seen the elves, imps, pixies, had chosen not to reveal what they were seeing, for fear they'd be judged (by family, doctors, etc.) as senile.  Not all who'd seen the entities were elderly.  But sight-impairment was common to most.

      It's said we see only .2% (that's one fifth of one percent) of all that exists around us.  Dogs and cats, etc. are said to be aware of far more than humans, for example.  Sight-impairment may in some way make people less reliant on what is generally regarded as visible and may make them more receptive to what previously had been invisible.

     I'm glad I read about the investigation into Charles Bonnet syndrome conducted by the Manchester teaching hospital, because next time I looked for it online, I couldn't find it. The articles I was able to find online tended to be dismissive of Charles Bonnet syndrome and portrayed experiencers rather negatively.

     I do appreciate how ridiculous my experience will sound to you.  That's the reason I didn't discuss it with those I knew at the time and in all the years afterwards.  My daughter revealed, as an adult, that she'd always known about the gnome entities at the house in question.  It explained many of her behaviours when she was a child.  I asked her why she hadn't told me all those years ago. She replied that even as a young child, she'd known she would not be believed.  It pains me to admit, she was correct.  I would very probably have told her the gnomes did not exist and she'd simply dreamt it or imagined it.  When I think back to how terrified I'd been as an adult, I can hardly bear to think of what it must have been like for her as a child.  She'd obviously given the matter a lot of thought as a child and had worked out that the wardrobe in question and the hall linen-cupboard were the focus of activity.  The two shared a common wall.  My daughter asked me, when she was an adult, if I'd noticed how she and her brother had always run through the hall.  She said they'd had to 'psyche themselves up' before going through that short hallway.  I hadn't noticed.  She said she could scarcely believe I hadn't or failed also to notice how she and her brother avoided taking their shoes from the hall linen cupboard.  I'd always believed I was an attentive parent, but clearly I hadn't been. 

     Anyway, that's it.  Not as brief as I promised, so I apologise.  It's my only experience of the creatures.  Quite possibly I might remember more under hypnosis, my daughter also.  But I don't want to know more, to be frank.  What would I do with further information, were it to be uncovered?  And I'm of the belief that if my own mind conceals things from me, then it's for my own good.  Clearly, my memory is faulty -- because if they could reverse my position on the bed, they could just as easily have pulled me into the wardrobe.  So it seems a 'masking memory' was implanted in my mind.

     I do not believe the gnome-type entities were benign.  Their voices and the expressions on their faces were not friendly.  Whatever the entities are, I do not believe they regard mankind kindly.  I consider their actions to be an invasion, an assault.  And the fact they left me in a state of sheer terror is indicative of their vindictiveness, in my opinion, as is their targeting of small children.  If my suspicions are correct, the gnome entities are the 'workers' who in turn are answerable to someone/something else.  The imps, pixies, elves, etc. seen by those with -- allegedly -- Charles Bonnet syndrome, do not terrorise witnesses, apparently.  Witnesses do not claim to be afraid of those entities.  So very possibly, although often lumped together, gnome-entities and the imps, are two different species. 

     Before I go, I read two accounts online several years ago which illustrate the effect the gnome-entities have on others.  One account was from South America.  Two women were walking to walk along a bush track when they saw a gnome entity on the track ahead of them. One of the women was so badly affected that she had to be taken away in an ambulance suffering severe shock.  The other account was from the UK.  A woman said she and her daughter were on a bus tour which stopped for lunch.  The woman and daughter decided to take a brief walk while waiting for the others to finish.  They walked up a track toward a stile and near the stile they saw a 'gnome'.  The woman and her daughter suffered tremendous terror out of all proportion to the event, apparently -- which is how I'd describe my own reaction.

     The ELFEN Project said the gnome type entities have been reported from almost all corners of the globe, including Hawaii apparently, which was a surprise to me.  When I was searching for answers, I wondered if -- because I was born in the UK -- the gnomes were some sort of 'race memory'.  And I thought gnomes were a Northern European 'myth, legend'.  The American Indians were aware of them, according to what I've read. And they warned their children to never communicate with the creatures in addition to leaving gifts for the entities in the hope their crops would not be destroyed. 

My reason for writing to you is to let you know that the reason some people believe in 'little people' is because they have no option, having experienced them.  Despite being assured that I should consider myself privileged to have had the experience, I do not feel that way and wish my daughter and I had been spared it.  I wish I'd had the presence of mind to examine my body to see if it bore any physical trace of the experience, but I rushed straight home from my colleague's place the next morning in order to collect my children from my neighbour's place and to prepare their breakfast, take them to school, etc.  I was also very anxious to arrive at work looking and sounding perfectly sane after the way I must have appeared when standing in the road the night before.  I was scared of the experience, scared of what it might mean and how it might reflect on me.  I knew I was sane, but knew I'd appeared otherwise.  Just as I realise how unbelievable this must sound to you.

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     So that's the story. It clearly has nothing to do with Charles Bonnet syndrome. As I continued reading, it became more and more difficult to ascribe it to a nightmare, or some other sleep disturbance. Also, there is the daughter's testimony. I wonder whether the later residents of the house experienced anything anomalous. And I wonder how many other bizarre stories are out there which people are unwilling to tell, for fear of ridicule.
PS. Although I haven't read it, UFO Research Queensland has confirmed that they did, in fact, run the story in their journal, UFO Encounters, no. 216 of Feb-March 2004.

Addendum: This story of a boy's attempted abduction by little shadow people in America might be relevant.
Here's a strange story entitled, "The Thing That Lives in my Closet".