How to Protect Yourself from Skinwalkers. Yes, They May Be Real

^{Changing Skinwalker.}

The indigenous peoples of North America have rich and complex cultures stemming back thousands of years that vary widely from tribe to tribe. One of the most fascinating American myths and legends from the native Navajo people is that of the “skinwalker.” 

Navajo legend has it that skinwalkers are shapeshifting evil witches that disguise themselves as deformed animals like coyotes, wolves, and bears to terrorize people. The evil witches wear the skins of the animals they want to transform into, like wolf or coyote, and come out at night in the form of a monstrous, swift-moving animal to perform terrible and dreadful acts.

While it is difficult to believe that humanoid figures can transform into four-legged animals and terrorize people, there are those in the US that tell of skinwalker sightings that were as terrifying as they were unbelievable. But, as with aliens and UFOs, there are believers and skeptics. The number of people who report skinwalker sightings, however, swear skinwalkers are real. 

If you live in the southwestern United States and hear a pack of coyotes howling at night, you might instantly wonder if they are skinwalkers. You might think: "Are skinwalkers real?" "What can I do to protect myself and my family if those are real skinwalkers disguised as coyotes?"

Well, whether you choose to belief it or deny that skinwalkers are real, it wise to be prepared incase the legend turns out to be true after all and you encounter real skinwalkers. Seriously, skinwalkers may be real; it's best to be prepared. 

If you encounter a skinwalker and you're brave enough to face off with it, you want to know what to do to protect yourself and your family. Many niche sites like Mystic Beasts provide tips to confront supernatural beings like the dreadful skinwalkers and live to tell the tale.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from skinwalkers if they are real and you encounter one?

Tips to Protect Yourself and Survive a Skinwalker

^{A skinwalker illustration.}

Here are some tips that will come in handy to protect yourself from an encounter with skinwalkers:

1. Keep a watchful eye on your livestock

A common belief among local Native American tribes is that all manner of nasty critters of the deep will target livestock to feed and use for all sorts of evil purposes.

So, be on the lookout for skinwalkers hovering around your livestock, but don't be afraid. Stay calm. Skinwalkers are said to thrive on fear and can control you through fear.

2. Watch out for footprints or tracks too

Skinwalkers are evil and dangerous, and their tracks can be identified by their unique footprints that look like an animal's but also have a human print as well.

For example, if you're in the woods and see a footprint in the shape of a bear's paw with a man's fingerprint on it, that would be very suspicious.

The creature is said to have the power of invisibility and can disappear in front of your eyes. If you see a bipedal animal (like a raccoon or possum) running on two legs and then suddenly disappearing, that's a good sign that it was a skinwalker.

If possible, leave the area quickly. And don't go meddling in sacred places.

3. Don't stare skinwalkers in the eyes

If you ever encounter skinwalkers, do not stare skinwalkers in the eye. It will only make them uneasy and infuriated. Avoid skinwalker stares at all costs.

Looking directly in the eyes of aggressive animals is interpreted as a behavior in challenging or establishing dominance. Avoid its gaze, unless you want to challenge the creature to a fight.

Besides, when you stare skinwalkers in the eye, they can look into your soul with their strong gaze, hypnotize you, and make you do strange things that are out of your control.

A skinwalker stare is so gruesome that those who know better avoid it and refer to it as a "death stare." A skinwalker stare can also make people think they see things that aren't there.

So, by all means, avoid a skinwalker stare if you want to skip a violent confrontation with the creature and survive a skinwalker encounter.

4. Don't run away

In an encounter with one or more skinwalkers, back away slowly, avoiding its gaze, but don't run.

Running away will only make it more likely that the skinwalkers will attack you, which can lead to  being hurt or turned into one of them.

And don't turn your back on them either, or they will follow you to your home. Instead, stay calm and back away from them slowly.

The most important thing is to not show fear, scream, or shout unless they actually attack you—this will give off an air of confidence and power that could scare them off.

5. Call the skinwalker by name

Legend has it that if you happen to know or suspect who's the evil, shapeshifting witch that has transformed into a skinwalker, you can kill them by simply calling them by their true (human) name while they are in that transformed skinwalker form.

If you call out their name correctly, the skinwalker will wither away and die slowly within a short time. If you don't get their name right, the skinwalker will be royally pissed that you tried that.

In Conclusion

Skinwalkers may be real. Don't go looking for them. These creatures come in and out of our dimension seemingly at will. So, if you have ever asked whether skinwalkers are real, or even wondered how you would survive a skinwalker encounter, now you have your answers. 

Of course, the Navajo legend of skinwalkers does not conform to any scientific theory, and there is no concrete scientific evidence that these dreadful creatures actually exist. But there are many reports of skinwalker sightings, including viral skinwalker sightings posted on social media sites like TikTok. Books have also been written about skinwalkers, like the popular “Hunt for the Skinwalker.”

Hollywood has also picked up on the legend of skinwalkers with popular documentaries and films on the creatures like “Skinwalkers,” a 2006 action horror film. There is even a ranch named after the dreadful creatures – The Skinwalker Ranch, or Sherman Ranch – located southeast of Ballard in Utah where paranormal activities and occurrences are reported on the 512-acre ranch.

An encounter with skinwalkers is said to be quite terrifying. But, you may still be able to survive a skinwalker. Use the tips listed above to minimize the chances of being attacked and increase your odds of surviving a skinwalker encounter if it happens.

Remember, watch your livestock and stay calm. Do not wander alone or whistle at night, and avoid a skinwalker stare. Do not stare into skinwalkers eyes as it may hypnotize you.

Also, do not turn your back on a skinwalker or run away from it because it will chase or follow you wherever you go. Instead, back away slowly if you come face to face with a skinwalker and it may just not turn you into its next prey. And stay out of sacred areas.