The black-eyed children legend is a modern American urban legend that emerged in the late 1990s, depicting mysterious and unsettling figures resembling children with completely black eyes who approach people, asking to be let into their homes or cars. These encounters are characterized by an immediate sense of dread, with witnesses reporting that allowing the children entry can lead to misfortune or sickness. The legend has spread globally through online forums and media, and while some believe them to be supernatural entities like ghosts, demons, or aliens, others view them as an internet-fueled phenomenon or a modern take on older folklore.  

Key Characteristics of Black-Eyed Children

• Appearance: 

  They look like human children or teenagers, often described as having pale skin, and their most striking feature is their jet-black eyes, which lack any visible white or iris. They may also wear old-fashioned clothing. 

• Behavior: 

  They are often found in suburban or rural areas, approaching people on the street, in parking lots, or on doorsteps. They usually ask to use the bathroom, make a phone call, or get a ride, but their ultimate goal is to gain entry into a home or vehicle. 

• Psychological Impact: 

  Encounters typically induce a profound sense of fear and dread in witnesses. Those who let them in may experience illness, bad luck, or even death. 

• Disappearing Act: 

  If refused entry, the children will often raise their heads, reveal their black eyes, and then vanish into thin air if the witness turns away even briefly. 

Origins and Spread

• Modern Folklore: 

  The legend gained widespread recognition in 1996 when Texas reporter Brian Bethel posted his encounter with two "black-eyed kids" on a ghost-related mailing list. 

• Internet Amplification: 

  Bethel's story, which he continues to believe was a legitimate encounter, spread rapidly online, becoming a classic example of a modern urban legend, or creepypasta. 

• Global Phenomenon: 

  The story's reach quickly extended beyond the internet, with similar accounts emerging from various parts of the world, including the UK and Australia. 

Theories on Their Nature

• Supernatural Entities: 

  Believers suggest they could be ghosts, demons, vampires, or even alien infiltrators. 

• Ancient Folklore: 

  Some theories propose that the legend is a modern rebranding of older tales, such as the concept of changelings in medieval Europe or Japanese folklore involving shape-shifting yo-kai. 

• Psychological Phenomenon: 

  Other viewpoints suggest that the legend taps into deep-seated fears of the unknown, the subversion of the innocent child archetype, and the discomfort caused by obstructed views of the eyes.