Submitted by Constantine on
Stories about Black Eyed Kids began to appear in 1988, starting with journalist Brian Bethel reporting of a meeting with two unusually confident and eloquent children who attempted to talk him into giving them a ride in his car. In his story Brethel said that he almost opened the door and let the children in until he noticed that their eyes were completely black, with no iris or pupil. As he says, as soon as children realized he sees something odd, they became angry and insistent, and he drove away quickly. In his posting he implies that this children may have been using some mind control method to induce him to open the door.
There have been other reports of similar experiences in other parts of the country. These accounts are similar to Bethel’s in that they generally involve the children’s request for the person to let them inside their car or house, frequently using an excuse such as “I need to get home to my mother,” or something that implies the child is in need.
f we are to trow away at least 70% of the stories found online about these approaches and take that 30% are some of the truth how can we explain it? There are lot of people who would for their own entertainment or write a story of this kind just to make fun of people who are into paranormal stuff. If we are to look logically into these stories about meetings with these children, we get to learn that all of them were asking to be let in, saying that they can’t get in until they are invited. It seems like, all of the people who are reporting about this unusual encounter, have never let the child or children in because of the fear. There for we don’t know what happens if you invite this kind of a child into your home or car. Going down the logical path, you all know that contact lenses of these kind can be found easily, this is not a mission impossible. But, still, stay logic with me, why would a child do something like this? For a laugh? Still this doesn’t sound right to me.
The most bizarre contradiction to the story is the fact that Black Eyed Kids are said to give off a frightening vibe. Those that meet them claim to feel threatened, panicked and even disoriented. Some believe that this could be a result of their black eyes, maybe some sort of hypnotic suggestion used as an attempt to convince the person to let them inside their house or vehicle.
What these children could be? Vampires, human/alien hybrids, lost souls, demons in disguise? None of these are something you can point a finger on it. Can this be a hoax? Did we get any conclusion? Sadly, no.
Source: http://www.paranormalhaze.com/black-eyed-kids-legend-or-truth/
From www.webrandi.org
Skeptoid episode #410 from April 15, 2014 dug into the background of these tales and also found poor documentation. The body of evidence for such BEK reports mainly consists of internet posts without any accompanying police reports or documentation to back them up. Skeptoid and Snopes.com traced the origin of the BEK stories to 1997-8 when a writer named Brian Bethel posted his story on various magick/occult and ghost-related sites. What appears to be the primary case of BEKs describes two boys who seek help by knocking on the car window of an unsuspecting person and asking to be let in for a ride. They can't come in unless told it's "OK" so they plead with the driver. The same theme occurs when they knock on doors, asking to use the phone, but must be explicitly invited in.
The witness will suddenly (strangely, not immediately) notice the all black-eyes which is said to indicate soullessness or evil. The witnesses relate a detailed story regarding the exchange with the entities that typically ends with the witness managing to thwart the persistent kids at which time they suddenly disappear.
There are several possible alternative explanations to these stories other than "paranormal". The core problem is that the stories are not confirmed - there is little reason to accept them as fact. We cannot tell if the tales have any merit and there is little in terms of "facts" to pursue. Anecdotes are the worst type of evidence to rely upon due to faulty perception, mistakes, or people just making stuff up for fun.
Such tales can become associated with a place, in this case, Cannock Chase. Locals or visitors to the area are primed with the lore they have heard from others. This can result in exaggerated or embellished reports of events as some who want to have the experience get creative with their observations. The classic example of such a place is Loch Ness, where EVERYONE wants to catch a glimpse of the monster and every wave or ripple is "Nessie!".
One non-paranormal explanation offered for BEKs is an encounter with kids under the influence of drugs. This could account for dilated pupils and strange behavior, but the evidence for this is weak and unsupported.
We must always leave open the consideration that hoaxes are taking place. We know such hoaxes occur and we can't dismiss a calculated hoax, no matter how complicated it may seem. (There are full-eyed contact lenses that create the look.) We have to weigh the odds of someone playing a fun prank, possibly to get exposure for the town, with the possibility of an encounter with a supernatural entity - vampire, angel, alien, demon, whatever the latest idea is about black-eyed kids.
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