Did you know that as far back as the 1700’s there have been reports of the presence of “Dark Watchers” in the Santa Lucia Mountains of California fondly known as the Mountains of Big Sur?
Even modern-day hikers have reported seeing eerier looking creatures as they stood on a mountaintop and felt a cool breeze linger against their skin then sensing that they were not alone, and that some presence was watching them. Can you just imagine turning around and catching a glimpse of a tall, dark shadowy figure that is there one moment and then just “poops” and vanishes without a trance?
Are you scared yet? If not keep reading.
Okay so you might just say that their eyes were just playing tricks on them, or maybe it was just a flint of misdirected light from the sun. Well, in the Big Sur Mountains, eerie encounters like these are normal and they are part of a century’s old mystery.
So, what are they exactly? Some say they are spirits of the past, some say they are Guardians of the land, as old as the land itself. Some say they are an optical illusion. As someone who’s wandered these trails myself, I can tell you, the legend is as real as the wind blowing in the trees—and just as hauntingly mysterious.
Even the native California indigenous tribe called the Chumash people, told in their oral traditions and writings to early Spanish settlers of the “Dark Watchers” whom they just called the “Watchers.”
Did you know that great literary giants like John Steinbeck and Robinson Jeffers wove the “Dark Watchers” into their work? Yep! They sure did.
I will always remember the day I experienced one of these dark figures. That particular day I was hiking alone. Well, actually, my friends had earlier headed back to the SUV and left me to dilly dally doing my loner thing and taking photos. It was not long before dusk, when I out of nowhere felt a shudder down my spine. I pivoted, and it was right there — a tall, dim outline, standing watching on a far-off edge, apparently gazing right at me. I froze, unsure what to do. I tried to turn away.
It seemed like minutes; however, it was presumably a couple of moments before the figure disintegrated into thin air, as I stood there with my heart racing. I felt every last one of my heart beats and wished to God I had followed my friends back to the SUV earlier. But as I stood there, I started to think. Was this really real? Had I just seen a tall dark figure standing on the mountain edge? Or was it just my imagination running away with me? You know like that “Temptation” song.
To this day that experience remains with me. And I often wonder. “What if the Dark Watchers are more than we think they are. I mean more than life—and death— more than we can, see?
Today we know that Science has explored the possibility of life after death, as well as recorded and reported on many studies on near-death experiences and after-death communication. Maybe the Dark Watches are just a small offering to each of us. Giving us glimpses into what might lie beyond. Are you scared yet?
In conclusion, it doesn’t matter if you believe in the Dark Watchers, or any ghostly sightings. The fact remains that the Dark Watchers said to inhabit the mountains of Big Sur have left their indelible mark on history these many last centuries, as well as this century and today. And still leaves folks like me with a big-eyed sense of wonder.
So, if you are in the Big Sur, drop by the Santa Lucia Mountains, and keep an eye placed on the ridges as the sun sets, or if you are really brave stay way past dark. Because you might get lucky and catch a glimpse of a Dark Watcher, silently observing the world below. And who knows—maybe they’re watching over you, too. Whether they are spirits, illusions, or something else entirely, the Dark Watchers serve as a haunting reminder that our world is filled with mysteries waiting to be discovered. So, do you believe in the Dark Watchers of Big Sur? Maybe the better question is—what do they believe about us?
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