I heard an idea about this kind of thing.
Basically something to do with one primal instinct developing in favour of another as the former provides a survival advantage to our early ancestors.
I think the example was: The bushes rustle nearby. Is it a deadly predator or the wind?
logically, I would imagine that the tendency to imagine it to be a predator would offer a greater advantage, because if you were proved correct, you would be more likely to escape.
In that context, sensing agency in something potentially inanimate would be a trait more likely to be passed on to offspring.

Maybe it's a similar thing. Sensing agency in the darkness whether it's there or not.

Maybe it's paranoia that turns out to be right now and then.
It's human nature to selectively remember when we were right.

We are only acesssing 10-12% of our brain. But the fact is that that’s a rough guess since we still don’t understand the brain that well. The reality is that brainwaves are in fact controllable. It’s scientific fact that is the case. I believe it is an unconscious recognition of someone else’s unconscious messages send thru brainwaves. Okay maybe that sounds sstupid. But it’s probabl easy to prove, and I believe there have be experiments around that idea. No one has really associated the two ideas.

It could just be instincts. I hope I used the correct word.

Spidey sense

I was just thinking about that because everyone wants to diss intuition and experiences like yours. I should look stuff up

I once took a course in non-verbal communication. I learned that we pick up on things that we aren't consciously aware of. It would be my guess that your answer might lie along those lines.

What you describe is extrasensory perception. All the scientific experiments I have read on the subject conclude that it does not exist.

I would think somewhere in our DNA

Probably instinctive but I think some people have more of it than others. Also some people have better hearing than others. Maybe you heard whoever was staring at you.

I was going to say "Lizard brain" but there are better answers with links. But it is definitely a primal thing - part of flight or fight I'm sure.

We are animals. We often forget that. Thus we are endowed (to varying degrees), with the ability to tap into our instincts, our basic senses. Then, it's a matter of how much you actually use these basics in you on a regular basis.

For me, having worked with animals a lot, in my life so far, and also learning awareness skills in a self defense course, I often feel people around me without having seen them at all. I'm not easy to sneak up on. And yes - when someone concentrates their gaze on you - sometimes, they might as well be tapping you physically - it's that real ! I think much of this has to do with our survival instincts.

peripheral vision + [(subconscious attention toward) + (intuitive interpretation of)](key behavioral cues) = I have no idea how I knew that guy was looking at me (because I'm not aware that I saw him when I walked in and subconsciously registered how he behaved when he saw me)

Because there’s not enough mass around to bend the light to your eyes?

I like to think of it as a disturbance in the force, but science thinks this is really a thing. Our brain received signals that lead us to turn around when we feel that someone is watching us.
[psychologytoday.com]

[theconversation.com]

I used to... was pretty good at it sensing vibes coming to me... use of marijuana and other drugs took that away from me. I hope nobody here will bother to discuss that weed can not take that away... I am talking 40 years ago... these files been filed, sealed to be reopen 25 years after my death so bite me. But yeah I believe that is possible and that is how "mediums" are recruited... and trained... used to be called "half unit" those with the ability.

Nothin new, its part of our flight or fight programming.