Rate this encounter: [Name Withheld Upon Request], Nicosia, Cyprus, Summer 2001

In the summer of 2001, I was living in Nicosia, Cyprus, where I was conducting research for my thesis. I was living at a research institute, which was housed in a large late-19th-century building that had, at one time, been a private home that was built by British colonialists.

When I first arrived in Nicosia there were many people staying at the institute, so I was given the only room that was left -- a very small bedroom that, apart from it being ridiculously small, almost a closet -- was fine. In my second week I was given a larger room -- room #3 -- on the opposite side of the building. Though the room was more spacious and brighter than the first room, it wasn't very pleasant, but I wasn't able to really put my finger on why. From the first minute I just really didn't want to spend any time in there.

Cyprus in July is hot -- incredibly hot -- and my bedroom didn't have air conditioning, so I never really slept all that well while I was there. A few nights into staying in room 3, as I lay awake in my bed, the covers kicked off because of the heat, I suddenly had the distinct feeling that someone was in the room with me. I was wide awake -- absolutely 100 percent awake -- but my eyes were closed, and I was so sure that someone was standing at the foot of my bed, looking at me, that I was paralyzed with fear and couldn't have opened my eyes if I wanted to. I know there was someone -- or something there. The feeling was undeniably real and continued for hours. I didn't sleep a wink that night.

Remarkably, I stayed in that room for another six weeks. All the other rooms at the institute were full, and I couldn't change, and I had to continue my research. All the guests had keys to our individual rooms and were encouraged to keep them locked at all times that we were not there. On several occasions, as I was approaching my room or unlocking my door, I could hear, through the locked door, something moving about inside the room. It distinctly sounded like a person moving light objects around on the desk or dresser, and I sometimes heard the bed creek as though someone had just sat down on it or just gotten up. I knew those sounds well, as the bed made the same creaking sound every time I sat down or got up.

I refused to let myself believe that there was something supernatural going on, so I actually had the nerve to open my door each time I experienced this phenomenon, but each time I entered the room, nothing was in disarray -- everything appeared to be as I left it. However, often, day or night, I got the feeling that someone was either in the room with me or that someone had just been there before I entered.

I found the entire experience to be really disconcerting because it was so consistent, and I felt the palpable presence day or night. But it was the nighttime visits I found most troubling. They didn't occur every night -- maybe six or seven times in the six weeks I stayed in that room. It just felt too real...

About a month into my stay, I visited some American friends of mine who were working down on the coast. We were good friends, so after a little while I felt comfortable enough to bring up what was going on back in my room in Nicosia. I had barely mentioned anything at all when one of my friends, who had stayed at the institute before said, "Wait, are you staying in room 3?"

I was really surprised and told him that yes, I was. My friend revealed that he too had stayed in room 3 and had experienced the same phenomenon of feeling like someone was in the room and that he was being watched. He also added that he had had his foot grabbed while he lay in bed and that he moved out of that room the next day. Like me, he had no problems staying in another room.

I've never had another experience quite like this.