Weird toy with amber light and a spider.

I don't compose many threads on here.

I read one earlier where the OP was asking about haunted dolls, it reminded me of an experience I had as a kid.

I was really young, maybe about 4 or 5, I can say this because it happened in a house I stayed in until I was 5 or so. I had this toy, big, colourful plastic things which had an amber light on it. I don't remember all of the details of the toy, what it was. A babies toy, probably something educational

I remember the big, chunky plastic buttons, the toy did different things when you pressed these buttons, made sounds, lights flashed. It had a big switch that could be used to turn it off or on, when turned on, a big amber light would glow and pressing the buttons would activate it, make it do things.

Anyway, I had some thing about the light. I remember I used to hold it right up close to my eye and all I could see was the amber glow and it made me feel safe, like I was in another world or place. The colour was nice, not too bright, and I remember laying in bed in the dark holding it close to my eyes and losing myself in the glow.

But sometimes I'd talk to it and it would talk back, I know I was a kid and it was most likely due to my imagination, but at the time I never thought it at all weird or creepy - thinking back now it really is, here's where it gets a bit weird.

Sometimes I'd see a spider in there...not a real one, like a fake spider, all colourful and furry, and it was funny. It told me stuff and it would make me laugh, I remember my mother would come in and I'd hide it under the sheets. She'd ask who I was talking to and I'd say nobody.

When I think about it now, maybe my memory of it isn't so great. The spider had a sort of gravely voice, I can't remember anything it ever said but I remember finding it funny. It was colourful, there were blues and reds, it had goggly eyes like a sesame street character...but oddly it had sharp teeth, yet it never scared me.

It's voice sounded like Scatman Crothers...the dude from the shining. Sort of warm and fatherly, but harsh.

I remember lying in bed one night peering into the light and suddenly it was whipped away from me by my angry mother, she took it and seemed angry at me. I remember crying and her telling me to stop crying and go to sleep. I don't remember seeing it again after that.

Just wonder what folk think of that, I wish my memory was more clear.

As a strange aside - I shared a room with my brother but ever remember his asking me what I was doing or who I was talking to, which is weird.

Another odd thing is, I remember when we were a little older, perhaps a year or two older (he's a year older than me) he went through a strange phase where he would pull the sheets over his head and I'd hear him mumbling and giggling. I used to ask him who he was talking to and he'd say nopbody and go silent for a bit..but I'd hear him whispering and giggling.

One night I woke up and hear him, I turned round and looked over to his bed and saw what looked like an ultra-violet light shining just next to his bed, it faded as soon as I looked at it, faded out pretty quickly and he stopped talking like he knew I'd woken up. Really weird, I never asked him about this, I might next time I see him.

Anyway, imagination or not, looking back and thinking about it...I'd be scared if something like that were to happen now. Imaginary friend? Odd form for a friend to take...and the light. I still think about that light now and then and wonder why I was so drawn to it, I liked the feeling of it - all I could see was amber and it made me feel safe, and the spider thing.

Any thoughts?

a reply to: HeathenJessie

Unique story for sure. Any idea if mom remembers the toy or the incident?

a reply to: HeathenJessie

the manifestations of archetypes from our ancient past. Not uncommon for children to have these type of hallucinations but they are firmly grounded in our psyche.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: HeathenJessie

the manifestations of archetypes from our ancient past. Not uncommon for children to have these type of hallucinations but they are firmly grounded in our psyche.

Or possibly a memory from an ancestor passed down genetically...
I'm really starting to think it isn't outside the realm of possibility. Maybe some of my predispositions and preferences that I have concerning my likes or dislikes have been proven to be way too similar of grandparents and greater that I never knew (my mother was the youngest of seven, my father the next to youngest of five). I couldn't possibly have emulated.

This might be unrelated, but about what year did these memories take place? I'm curious if I could find the toy on the net...

With sleep paralysis people often see shadow figures or some kind of round shaped floating ball made from grayish smoke and tentacles.. Anyways mostly before seeing this floating ball I and many other people see spiders figures/symbols on the wall...

And some people while having sleep paralysis talk or hear voices... And kids see stuff/experience stuff like that often without sleep paralyze.

a reply to: HeathenJessie

Beep Beep Jessie....

It would have been mid 80's, there's a chance the toy may have belonged to my brother before me.

Pretty sure it was mostly white, plastic, with a handle moulded on top but my memory is pretty hazy. I remember mostly the amber light, it was round and smooth on the outside but it had a kind of raised bump patters on the inside, makes me think of those plastic reflectors you get on bicycles.

I never spoke to my mother or brother about that, my mother always says I was quite a happy child, but she has said that I used to laugh a lot in bed at night and it'd drive them crazy, I wouldn't sleep. Very hyperactive.

I'll most likely see her over the weekend so I'll ask.

I'd maybe recognise it if someone found it, and possibly even buy it just for sentimental reasons. I'd like to talk to my brother about that stuff but he's pretty closed minded as an adult, he doesn't give much away. This is the sort of thing that would embarass him if I told anyone...don't think he uses ATS.

I'll see if I can find out more.

originally posted by: HeathenJessie
It would have been mid 80's, there's a chance the toy may have belonged to my brother before me.

Pretty sure it was mostly white, plastic, with a handle moulded on top but my memory is pretty hazy. I remember mostly the amber light, it was round and smooth on the outside but it had a kind of raised bump patters on the inside, makes me think of those plastic reflectors you get on bicycles.

I never spoke to my mother or brother about that, my mother always says I was quite a happy child, but she has said that I used to laugh a lot in bed at night and it'd drive them crazy, I wouldn't sleep. Very hyperactive.

I'll most likely see her over the weekend so I'll ask.

I'd maybe recognise it if someone found it, and possibly even buy it just for sentimental reasons. I'd like to talk to my brother about that stuff but he's pretty closed minded as an adult, he doesn't give much away. This is the sort of thing that would embarass him if I told anyone...don't think he uses ATS.

I'll see if I can find out more.

That sounds like what you would call a babies "busy box". It's a collection of switches, buttons, dials, spinners, lights, sliders that are baby hand sized. Some have a handle on top. Others can even play back pre-recorded messages made by parents.

It's also called a baby activity center. I've looked up images on Google, but I haven't come across any with an amber light on them yet. I'll keep looking.

I'm trying to think of popular toy manufacturers of the time. In the UK, only things I can think of are Tomy and Mattel.

The light was definitely an amber colour. Anyone who lived in the UK back then will remember those amber coloured street lights. I remember I could see them from ym bed just through the window.

Pretty sure it was like a round piece of transparent amber probably with a regular light bulb inside it.

I remember feeling that I was inside the light, consumed by it because it was all I could see. And it made me feel safe and comfortable...something about the colour I don't know.

Sounds about right, though. Sure it made noises and had large plastic knobs and stuff on it, chunky and colourful and I'd probably recognise it if I saw it.

I shan't phone mother and ask her she thinks I'm an oddball as it is. But I'll probably see her over the weekend and casually run it by her. She always said I was a funny kid, laughing all the time. My brother says I used to laugh a lot and giggle in my sleep too when I was much older. We shared rooms up until we were teenagers.

I don't know what any of it means, if anything. Maybe the paranormal section of the site was an inappropriate place to post this...the weird blue light thing I remember was strange but I don't think connected.

Kind of creepy now though when I think about it. giggling in my sleep. And my brother mumbling and giggling under the sheets, I have no idea what about.