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Old 11-03-2015, 12:24 PM
 
122 posts, read 111,678 times
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Having been involved with the paranormal (or anomalous) at a serious level for many years (Society for Psychical Research, American SPR, International Association of Near Death Studies, Mutual UFO Network, etc.), I offer the following observations for what they are worth:
  • There is a tendency to think that a particular phenomenon must be either “this” or “that.” For example, ghosts must be either “apparitions of dead people” or “hoaxes and delusions.” UFOs must be either “alien visitors” or “hoaxes and delusions.” In fact, almost every paranormal/anomalous phenomenon is highly complex, with several viable theories that might explain it but none that fully explains it.
  • There is a tendency to focus on a single phenomenon and become wedded to a pet theory: “I have read about Blessed Virgin Mary apparitions for years, and by God they really are visits from the Blessed Virgin Mary.” In fact (I believe), all paranormal/anomalous phenomena are related. BVM apparitions, ghosts, near death experiences, mediumistic communications, death bed visions, poltergeists, after-death communications, UFOs, precognition, telepathy, synchronicity, religious miracles, psychometry, clairvoyance, yada yada yada – they are all related at some core level. It is a mistake to focus on one as though “ghosts” or “UFOs” were a discrete, stand-alone phenomenon. Someone with a broader understanding is far less likely to fall into the trap of becoming wedded to a particular explanation for any phenomenon.
  • Paranormal/anomalous phenomena have some purpose behind them. They are trying to tell us something or cause us to think about something. The real question is not, “What are ghosts?” or “What are UFOs?” – it is,“What are these phenomena trying to tell us?” Renowned UFO theorist Jacques Vallee speculated that the UFO phenomenon is a "control system" - some intelligence is trying to condition humanity or cause us to speculate in a certain direction. I believe all paranormal/anomalous phenomenon may constitute a control system.
  • No paranormal/anomalous phenomenon will ever be satisfactorily explained. If we do stumble upon a more or less correct "answer," we won't know it. They don’t want to be explained. There is an elusive, Trickster-like quality to them. The very best individual cases are highly convincing to the open-minded, but they always have just enough flaws for the closed-minded to seize upon. Ditto for any particular phenomenon as a whole – there is a mountain of evidence that should convince any reasonable person of the reality of the phenomenon, but there are enough hoaxsters, jokesters, lunatics and disinformation agents to give the closed-minded a reason to dismiss the phenomenon as silliness. The phenomena seem to have a quality about them whereby they are “convincing to those who are willing to be convinced” but remain “silliness to those who are not willing to be convinced.”
  • The more high-profile the research, the less likely it is to be credible. High-profile mediums and psychics, ghost-hunter TV shows, and popular books about extreme cases are, almost without exception, a complete waste of time. For many years, I focused solely on the research done in the period from about 1845 to 1925 simply because you could have some level of confidence that the researchers and experiencers were sincere and not simply fast-back artists. If you choose to follow high-profile mediums and psychics, ghost-hunter TV shows and whatnot, recognize them for what they are - entertainment that has no relation to serious research and that is more likely to make you stupid about the phenomena than to enhance your understanding.
  • Casual, uninformed involvement with the paranormal/anomalous can be dangerous to your physical and mental health. Many serious researchers have warned against this. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the overall thrust is "malevolent," but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it isn't. If you happen to be the type of person who is inclined to experience paranormal phenomena (as I am), they will come to you on their own terms; if you actively seek them out, you are likely to open doors that you will wish you hadn't opened.
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Old 11-03-2015, 01:15 PM
 
Location: Maine
22,849 posts, read 28,091,495 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys View Post
Renowned UFO theorist Jacques Vallee speculated that the UFO phenomenon is a "control system" - some intelligence is trying to condition humanity or cause us to speculate in a certain direction.
That's certainly a valid theory. But no more or less valid than any number of theories. My reaction to that is: maybe.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys View Post
No paranormal/anomalous phenomenon will ever be satisfactorily explained.
Lots of supposed phenomena have been explained as hoaxes or natural phenomena. Not all certainly. But many have. So saying "no phenomena will ever be satisfactorily explained" is painting with too broad a brush. You have a point. But it is not The Point for all occurrences if you know what I mean.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys View Post
They don’t want to be explained.
Opinion. Again: Maybe. But maybe not.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys View Post
High-profile mediums and psychics, ghost-hunter TV shows, and popular books about extreme cases are, almost without exception, a complete waste of time.
I could not agree with you more on that one.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys View Post
Casual, uninformed involvement with the paranormal/anomalous can be dangerous to your physical and mental health. Many serious researchers have warned against this. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the overall thrust is "malevolent," but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it isn't. If you happen to be the type of person who is inclined to experience paranormal phenomena (as I am), they will come to you on their own terms; if you actively seek them out, you are likely to open doors that you will wish you hadn't opened.
Yup.
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Old 11-04-2015, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Sinking in the Great Salt Lake
13,139 posts, read 22,724,548 times
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Good summary OP and I'm glad more people are realizing this.

The main problem with the (real) paranormal is that it is beyond the human frame of reference. Seeing ghosts as the disembodied consciousness of dead humans or UFOS as the vehicles of extraterrestrial explorers are human interpretations of the phenomenon ... our feeble attempts to organize and make sense of something in the world which is beyond us... basically like the Ancients tying to understand the the sun by imagining it as a god driving a flaming chariot across the sky everyday.

Turns out that it's pretty hard to successfully wrap our heads around stuff we have no concept or meaninful perspective of.
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Old 11-05-2015, 10:50 PM
 
Location: UK
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We would probably have a much better handle on the whole thing if governments and religious organisations opened the doors to their research and experiences.

I think that when we wake up and understand that the world is not what we see with our 3D eyes or hear with our 3D ears, but made up of many dimensions outside what we can normally experience, then we will be a little bit closer to the 'truth' of who or what is interacting with our world.

We could of course move towards 'them' by learning from the great occult body of knowledge which has been discovered by many societies throughout history. Governments too have gone some way along this route with remote viewing exeriments and I believe the Russians have done quite a bit of research into psychic phenomena too.
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Old 11-05-2015, 11:18 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
8,444 posts, read 10,862,052 times
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I believe paranormal, as it relates to human beings, is controlled by the spirit world, and we will only have knowledge of what they want us to have, and nothing more.
We will only experience what they want us to experience, and we will never learn more than they want us to learn.

Bob.
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Old 11-06-2015, 02:36 AM
 
Location: UK
6,901 posts, read 6,805,905 times
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Quote:
I believe paranormal, as it relates to human beings, is controlled by the spirit world, and we will only have knowledge of what they want us to have, and nothing more.
We will only experience what they want us to experience, and we will never learn more than they want us to learn.
Thats interesting because many people feel we are multidimensional beings and we humans are possibly just another aspect of that whole multidimensional self. If that is the case, we are just as powerful and just as deserving of respect as the beings who are not (at this time) in human bodies.

There are many people who are aware of these entities and have more than their 5 senses working. There are also many people who can project some part of themselves into other realities at will, which would go some way towards being able to verify the idea that we are multidimensional in nature.

We may have forgotten how to do the things they do such as go through walls and appear and disappear from our reality, but maybe we can learn to do these? (Isnt that what all the occult societies have been teaching for generations?) occult not being necessarily bad/evil.

Bob, what makes you feel you are 'less' than these ghosties and so subject to their will?
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Old 11-06-2015, 06:17 PM
 
11,181 posts, read 10,479,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocpaul20 View Post
We would probably have a much better handle on the whole thing if governments and religious organisations opened the doors to their research and experiences.

I think that when we wake up and understand that the world is not what we see with our 3D eyes or hear with our 3D ears, but made up of many dimensions outside what we can normally experience, then we will be a little bit closer to the 'truth' of who or what is interacting with our world.

We could of course move towards 'them' by learning from the great occult body of knowledge which has been discovered by many societies throughout history. Governments too have gone some way along this route with remote viewing exeriments and I believe the Russians have done quite a bit of research into psychic phenomena too.
The Star Gate remote viewing program files have been declassified and released to NARA. That's why Joseph McMoneagle and others involved in the research have been able to publish books detailing their work and experiences there.
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Old 11-08-2015, 04:07 PM
 
Location: Arlington VA
549 posts, read 623,017 times
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Here's another general observation about "paranormal" phenomena:
  • Those who claim to have seen ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot, or the Blessed Virgin Mary on a flour tortilla are either a) starving for attention, b) high on drugs, c) have emotional/mental issues or d) a combination of all three.
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Old 11-09-2015, 01:00 AM
 
Location: UK
6,901 posts, read 6,805,905 times
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Well Mikey, then I guess you dont look at your flour tortilla before you eat them.

How do you know that anything in this world is anything but an energy construct, and as such, open to individual interpretation. This is because everything is filtererd through your mind to your brain to your expression of the senses you perceive. Colour is a prime example. We all experience colours differently due to the connections within our brain.

An image in your brain is no more 'real' than what you see through your eyes in everyday living and thinking that it is only means you have not grasped the structure of the universe you live in.
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Old 11-09-2015, 07:10 AM
 
Location: Maine
22,849 posts, read 28,091,495 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocpaul20 View Post
We would probably have a much better handle on the whole thing if governments and religious organisations opened the doors to their research and experiences.
Which religious organizations do you think are withholding information?
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