Even with my understanding of myths, astrology and so on I was flabbergasted. I have been in some odd situations and seen some really strange things – in lucid dreams, visions or astral projections – and those experiences always give you something to be surprised about, but nothing like this. If it had just been a second-sight it wouldn’t have been so weird, but by this point I was completely out of it, I wasn’t with my body.

This being was about 20 feet away and I saw him in profile. He was dark because it was dark down there, he had short dark curly hair and his arms were kind of outstretched at right angles as if he was holding something.

His torso was like a muscular man and his bottom half was a very long, corkscrew-shaped tail. I was slack jawed with amazement and my very first thought was, oh my God, if I can see him, can he see me?! I pretty much never get scared in these types of situations, but I was on the edge of panic, terrified in case he saw me. What would have happened!

I didn’t feel I was invisible like I am sometimes in potentially dangerous places. It didn’t help that I have for long had a morbid fear of deep water (I have vertigo) and could feel myself on the edge of losing control; not what you want in that state.

Fervently praying that I would not be spotted, after about 10 or 15 seconds of staring at this thing (it felt like forever) I had a sudden and bizarre ‘Eureka!’ moment that came from absolutely nowhere. For some reason the word ‘Capricorn’ sprang to mind and for some other reason this made me feel as if I’d somehow fathomed a massive secret or puzzle.

I was instantly elated – like one of those people in a film who against all odds escapes the flooding room as the water reaches the ceiling – and another split second later popped back into my body in the bedroom. Of course I was relieved as well as euphoric, with the unaccountable feeling that I’d passed some sort of test.