Life is strange and full of wonders, but perhaps meeting a lifeform from a different evolution must be up there in terms of wonderment.

Many people throughout the ages have experienced visitations, communications and direct interactions with elementals. Some of the books in the Books menu have shown that some have a gift of communicating or seeing elementals. In Celtic countries communing with fairies was an everyday occurrence. Even as I myself grew up I heard stories of fairy hills and fairy forts where many had seen fairies dancing at night. This was a widely held belief and still is in some quarters.

But then there are others who don't seem to have a gift per se but nevertheless have recounted seeing what can only be an elemental. David Tame has written a book documenting some of these encounters and I quote here excerpts from a few of the stories. The stories are in the first person and the witness' own words. These people are by any of society's standards, sane and reputable witnesses.

Claire Nahmad from England writes:

One evening on holiday went down to the lake where after some unusual rustling of bushes and trees all kinds of things started to happen. There was a tremendous beating of wings though no birds were there and a powerful wind shook the bushes even though everyting else remained still. As the twilight deepened small figures appeared and danced on the water. They were flowing graceful and although the light didn't allow us to see colours I had the impression they were silver, blue and grey. They seemed eager to make contact, remianing in mental communion with is as they floated away down the lake. My boyfriend saw them too and I think the experience led to the break-up of our relationship because of a fundamental disagreement over what it meant. Ken felt we were being honoured by supernatural powers because we were special and in some way deserved it. I said the we weren't special and it was just that the fairies had allowed us to see them and we shoudl feel privileged rather than deserving. he was excited and full of himself but I felt in awe of them, I was humbled.

Hazel Raven a therapist from Manchester in England:

My first sighting as a child was probably the most memorable. I was in Wales sitting ont he grass looking at Snowdon whne I saw the mountain open and lots of little people coming - fairies. I ran excitedly to tell my parents who were quite cross saying this kind of thing doesn't happen. But it does. As an adult I was in the Rockies and the mountains opened there too. Sparkling light poured out and became the tiny forms. it felt incredibly beautiful, gentle loving and peaceful.  I think they help people get in touch with the part of them they've lost - the child part, the purity.

Unamed Farmer's wife in Somerset, England:

I've never seen a ghost but I did see a fairy. it was on the Berkshire downs and we'd lost our way and didn't know what track to take. When I looked around there was a small man in green standing at my elbow. he has a round smiling face and he said, "You take that one, you'll be alright". The didn't disappear, he just wasn't there anymore.

Toby Froud aged 13 as recounted by his father:

 Like me, my son was aware of fairies when he was quite young. he complained about a blue thing that shot through his room and pink boys under his bed. He said they were little gnome figures who were pulling faces and making him cry. I got a psychic friend to frighten them and banish them to the bottom of the garden. Once they were back down there they were fine.

Maggie O'Neill whom I know personally:

I would be alone in bed at night. But I am certain that I was awake. Little men would march in a line across my bed, along the floor and even up the wall. There were hundreds, millions of them. I'd say they averaged four inches tall but they were all in fact of various heights and there were fat ones and thin ones. This happened to me five or six times within a year. Each time it happened I was terrified because I didn't know what I was seeing. I would cry out very loud and when my mother came in the little men would disappear.

Benvenuto Cellini a Renaissance sculptor:

When I was about five years old my father happened to be in a basement chamber of our house where they had been working and where a good fire of oak-logs was still burning. He had a vial in his hand and was playing and singing alone before the fire. Happening to look in to the fire he spied in the middle of those most burning flames a little creature like a lizard, that was sporting in the core of the intensest coals.Becoming instantly aware of what the thing was, he had my sister and me called and pointing it out to us children gave me a great box on the ears which caused me to howl and weep with all my might. Then he pacified me good-humouredly and spoke as follows: "My dear little boy, I am not striking you for any wrong that you have done, but only to make you remember that that lizard you see in the fire is a salamander, a creature which has never been seen by anyone of whom we have credible information". So saying he kissed me and gave me some pieces of money.

Katherine Briggs, a clergyman's widow:

She suffers from an injured foot and one day she sat on a seat on Regents Park in London wondering how she would find strength and courage to go home. Suddenly she saw a tiny man in green who looked at her kindly and said, "Go home. We promise that your foot shan't pain you tonight". The he disappeared but the pain which had been considerable was quite gone. She walked home easily and all that night she slept painlessly. On another occasion she had seen a group of fairies in flowers, dancing together on one side of the flowerbeds but this had been a momentary glimpse and she had heard nothing.