Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Boogieman

Have any of you ever been afraid of the Boogieman? My son has an ungodly fear of the man in the closet. The closet door has to be closed and I have to be in the room with him. No one has ever told him about the Boogieman but even though he is considered a 'mythical creature' one has to wonder if this entity has been brought to life by the collective fear of children from around the world.

Wikipedia had this to say about the Boogieman: Bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, boogeyman, or boogie man, and pronounced /bʊɡimæn/ or /boʊɡimæn/; see spelling differences)[1] is a common allusion to a mythical creature in many cultures used by adults or older children to frighten bad children into good behavior. This monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave, the bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief—for instance, a bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs—or general misbehaviour, depending on what purpose needs serving. In some cases, the bogeyman is a nickname for the devil. Bogeyman tales vary by region. The bogeyman is usually a masculine entity but can be any gender or simply androgynous.

Monster Wikia had this: The typical Boogeyman legend states that its favorite places to hide are under beds and in closets, particularly in the bedrooms of children who are 'naughty' or have acted in a way to gain disapproval from their parent(s). The Boogeyman is nocturnal, typically only visiting its victims after midnight. According to all accounts, the Boogeyman is malevolent in nature, with its name often used synonymously with something or someone that is frightening.

The Boogeyman feeds off fear, particularly the fear of children, though under certain circumstances an adult may attract the Boogeyman themselves by chanelling their inner-child. An adult who has had traumatic experiences with the entity as a child will be more likely to attract it again.

The Boogeyman is an amorphous being, having no particular shape or form. The appearance of the dark entity may differ from one child to the next, often shaping itself around the child's deepest fears. The being often appears as a pale humanoid with either red or yellow eyes, sharp teeth and claws. It may, however, appear to some as a mass of penises, as a clown, or as someone with whom the child associates horrific memories or trauma.

The Boogeyman, a being that feeds of fear, will, like a stray dog, not stick around those who are not feeding it. Don't fear the Boogeyman, and it will leave. This is easier said than done for most, but if you close your eyes and recite the following verses, the Boogeyman may very well be dispelled.

"I'm not afraid of the Thing in my closet, or the monster under my bed.

No, I'm not afraid of the Boogeyman, I know he's in my head."

If ever you should feel the presence of the Boogeyman in your room at night, simply flick the light switch on and call for your parents, if available. It is unknown whether the light hurts or frightens the Boogeyman, but it is a well known fact that the entity does not like to be seen clearly or by those who are not so easily frightened.

Furthermore, it is also very important to keep your feet under the covers at all times to eliminate all possibility of the Boogeyman's long, icy fingers tickling your toes. Horror author Stephen King once described bed sheets as "Boogeyman kryptonite." Should the situation escalate to the point where the Boogeyman approaches you, emerging yourself completely under the sheets will likely protect you from the dark being, but you must believe that it will.

However, the best method of protection is to obey your parents and behave. In most versions of the tale, the Boogeyman hunts down children who do not behave, usually ones who do not go to bed when they are told. Like most evil beings, prayer and holy objects may be used to ward one off (though if you are religious enough to utilize this, it is very unlikely it will prey on you).

Don't forget to check under the bed and in the closet before turning in for the night. You never know who, or what, might be waiting there.

I was never afraid of the monster in the closet or under the bed but under the monster under the basement stairs always terrified me. Each child's fear is different. I always kept the monster away by taking my bear with me but my son is a trooper. He refuses to use a bear but has to have me in there. Things have gotten better since I told him that if any monster hurt him I would kick their ass but that's my method of fighting the Boogieman.

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