Weekly News Round-up 6/29/11

 A large sea creature has washed ashore in China. While the carcass probably belongs to some sort of whale, people are still flocking to see it until it can be identified. The Sun has the article here.

CBC News posted an article about a ghostly image that appeared in a photo snapped at a wedding. What do you think of the image?

A family in Africa claims that spontaneous fires have been starting throughout their house. You can read the full article here.

Psychic Abilities

I’ve been covering demons for awhile now and I think it’s time to move on to a new topic. So, starting next week, I’m going to be covering psychic abilities and divination. I may cover things like telekinesis, hypnosis and other unexplained mental phenomenon. I think this will be a lot of fun to research. Hopefully, you enjoy reading about it!

For now, are there any psychic abilities you’re curious about?  Are there questions you have about psychic phenomenon? Maybe you have a personal experiences or stories to share as well, feel free to leave them in the comments.

For now, here’s a link to a fun online test intended to help measure your psychic abilities. If you take it let me know how it turned out! I apparently, am not psychic (no surprise there!)

Test your psychic ability

Creature Feature: The Kappa

The Kappa is a type of water deity found in the lakes and rivers of Japan. It’s thought to resemble a turtle or frog with some human characteristics. Its color is usually green although blue and yellow are sometimes used to depict it. The Kappa has a hollow area on the top of its head that is filled with water or fluid. If the liquid spills, the Kappa is forced to return to the water. It has a strong fish scent and has a reputation for eating both flesh (it favors human children and horses) and cucumbers.

The Kappa is believed to be extremely intelligent and sometimes thought to make deals with humans. It’s thought to be polite and will usually return a bow (causing it to spill the liquid on its head.)  They are mischievous and occasionally thought to drown people.

Although most people in Japan think of the Kappa as a spiritual being, some people still think of it as a real biological creature. Many waterways in Japan post signs warning of the dangers of Kappas. People will occasionally throw cucumbers into the water to ward them off. Kappas have also become popular figures in Japanese culture and images of them appear on everything from t-shirts to cartoons. The Kappa is a creature that is both feared and beloved by many.

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kappa.shtml

Weekly News Round-up 6/22/11

AOL News posted an article about a possible Bigfoot print and impression found by researchers. DNA results are pending.

Another Nessie sighting was reported. The Inverness Courier posted the article here.

Stv.tv posted an article about strange sightings in Scotland's skies.

Ghosts vs Demons

One question that sometimes comes up during paranormal investigation is how to tell if paranormal activity is the result of a ghost or a demon. There’s no easy answer because the two are so similar. Every case is different. Ghost activity can be mistaken for something demonic and demons are known for imitating human spirits (often the ghosts of young children.) While it can be almost impossible to determine the difference, here are a few points to help narrow down a culprit.

Ghosts

Ghost activity occurs both when people are present and when no one is home.

Ghosts often appear in locations where a tragedy occurred. They also tend to return to locations or items that were important during their life.

Ghosts have the ability to create cold spots in the atmosphere.

Ghost activity is generally harmless. While ghosts might frighten someone, it’s often accidental or playful in nature.

Ghosts usually stay in one location. The rarely leave their territory.

Demons

Demonic activity tends to wait to occur until someone is around to witness it.

Demonic activity usually occurs in locations where séances or satanic rituals were (or are) practiced. Look for reversed pentagrams, Ouija boards, candles placed in formation etc…

Demons have the ability to manipulate the temperature in a room. They can make it extremely hot or cold. People suffering from demonic possession sometimes run high fevers.

Demons often try to harm people they encounter. People can be scratched, shoved and may experience vivid nightmares or hallucinations.

Demons sometimes follow people to other locations and may torment them for years.

You should never try and determine whether you have demonic activity without the help of a professional. There are no rules that apply 100% of the time when it comes to ghosts and demons.  I also did a post on the signs of demonic possession a few weeks ago if you are looking for more detailed information.

Feel free to add some of your own differences in the comments!

Creature Feature: The Ozark Howler

The Ozark Howler is a large, dark-colored animal that lives in the heavily-forested mountains of the Ozarks. Most of the descriptions compare it to some sort of large cat although some people say it looks more like a small bear. It is similar in size to a panther or cougar and nocturnal. Its most distinctive feature is the strange howling sound it makes.

Most of the eye-witness accounts are from hunters and locals who claim the Ozark Howler is different from other animals in the area. If it is real, it’s most likely a real biological creature. It could be an escaped big cat or something completely new. The stories about the Ozark Howler have been passed down for several generations and continue to be told.

Do you think the Ozark Howler could be living in the forests of the Ozarks?

Weekly News Round-up 6/15/11

BendigoAdvertiser.com posted an article about the ghosts that haunt Fortuna Villa. You can read it here.

A woman talks about her interaction with a crystal skull over the years. The full article is posted on AOLNews.

Accepting Guest Posts!

This week I am going to be accepting guest posts. Guest posts can be on any topic as long as it has something to do with the paranormal. I'll be selecting the best entries and posting them next week. Please get entries to me by Sunday, June 18th. One of my favorite parts of running this blog is hearing other people's opinions on the paranormal so I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else has to say!

If you would like to submit a post you can e-mail it to paranormalpursuits(at)yahoo.com
Also include a link to your own site/blog so I can list it with the guest post.

Creature Feature: The Loveland Frog

Today I’m featuring another Ohio monster, the Loveland Frog.

The Loveland Frog is a cryptid spotted around the Ohio River. It’s described as approximately 4 feet tall with green, leathery skin and a face that resembles a frog or lizard. It is hairless, walks upright, and is thought to give off an unusual odor. The first sighting was in Loveland, Ohio and the man who saw it claims there were three of them and that one of them was holding something that gave off sparks.

While the first sighting was in 1955 there have been additional sighting since then. In 1972 two police officers claimed to see a lizard-like creature in the area. However, there was no official report given by the officers and there was quite a bit of debate over what they actually saw. Eventually one of the officers came forward to state that what they saw was not paranormal in nature but probably an escaped pet.

There are Native American legends in the area about a similar creature, referred to by the Shawnee people as Shawnahooc, which means demon of the river.

We may never know what the man in 1955 saw but it does make for a good story!

http://www.unknown-creatures.com/loveland-frog.html

http://www.cryptomundo.com/bigfoot-report/loveland-frog/

Weekly News Round-up 6/8/11

This weeks lots of articles about real-life strange creatures popped up in the news.

A mysterious creature was discovered in China. It's described as a cross between a dog and a mouse. You can see the article and a photo here. (You should be warned that it is quite cute.)

A strange almost hairless, one-eyed creature was spotted in Mexico. Unfortunately, the people who saw it chopped its head off. They did take video and photos of the head but threw away the remains afterwards. You can see the images here. It could be a deformed hairless dog or something else. What do you think? (Warning-some of the images are a bit gross.)

Phantoms and Monsters posted and article about giant caterpillars appearing in Java. You can see the article and a photo here.

What is a Demon?

I’ve been talking for a couple of weeks now about demons and exorcism, but I haven’t really taken the time to define exactly what a demon is, mostly because people generally know what they are. But I figure I should probably take a little time to define what demons are (from my viewpoint) so there isn’t any confusion to what I’m talking about.

There are actually several different beliefs in demonology to what demons are depending on the religion and individual. In some of the very early religions, demons were simply spirits or creatures that roamed the earth. They weren’t necessarily good or evil, they just existed.

Today most people’s ideas on demons come from Christianity. Christian demons are quite different because they’re thought to be fallen angels. They fell after deciding to follow Lucifer, who believed he was more powerful than God. Their punishment was being thrown out of heaven and being forced to roam the earth. Eventually it’s thought they will be thrown into Hell, along with Lucifer. But until then, the demons (and Lucifer) are free to tempt, harass, and trick humans as much as they like.

In Christianity, God is fond of giving beings the option of choice. He gave the angels the option of following Lucifer and gives humans the option of following him or whatever else they like. Of course, there are always consequences to our choices. Most people would agree that demons made the wrong choice.

When I talk about demons on here, I’m picturing the Christian version of demons. I believe they look like angels (although they can change the appearance of their physical form) and are ultimately trying to bring harm to humanity. Of course, everyone has a different perspective on what demons are and how they interact with the world.

How do you picture demons?

Creature Feature: The Tatzelworm

In 1779 a small, two-legged, lizard-like creature was allegedly spotted in the Alps. The man who saw it died shortly after his encounter and people began referring to the creature as the Tatzelworm. Following his encounter there were several more sightings throughout the area. It became a popular local legend and the subject of many paintings and stories.

The Tatzelworm is thought to be brown in color with clawed feet. It’s often described as resembling a log. Many say the Tatzelworm is a lizard but some legends classify it as a small dragon. Some believe it gives off an unpleasant odor, which may be toxic to humans. While it is generally thought to be shy, it may attack if it feels threatened.

Sightings have mostly stopped happening, so if this creature did exists it’s likely that it may have gone extinct. But its legend lives on through retelling of the stories that brought it into the spotlight.

Coleman, Loren and Jerome Clark. “Cryptozoology A to Z. The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature.” Simon and Schuster. 1999

Weekly News Round-up 6/1/11

This week in paranormal news...

AOL News posted an article about he sighting of two potential water monsters. You can read it here.

Brazil Weird News posted an article about strange messages appearing on the leafs of a tree.