Weekly News Round-up 8/29/12

A man dressed a Bigfoot was hit by a car in Montana. His friends say he was trying to hoak a sighting. You can read about it here.

Hundreds of racing pigeons have gone missing in an area being called a pigeon Bermuda Triangle. The article is here.

Architects are running a contest to design zombie proof housing. Check it out here!

Paranormal Fakes

One of the biggest issues people in the paranormal field face, is dealing with people who try to fake paranormal occurrences. On a recent investigation, the property owners told us about a team that came in and showed them an “EVP maker.” It was basically a device designed to change their voices so they could create EVP’s whenever they wanted. The property owners asked them to leave because they didn’t want to be involved with a group that was faking evidence. (No legit group needs to create EVP’s-they are surprisingly easy to capture in haunted locations.)

Once, my team brought along a guest investigator who attempted to fake something. It had been an unusually slow night and I think he was just desperate for something to happen. He moved something, then told us it moved on its own. We caught him in the lie (we have cameras everywhere) and made sure he never came back out with us.

It’s a difficult challenge for investigators who are trying hard to understand the paranormal when people have to always question whether something is legit. I think some people get caught up in the fun and excitement of sharing something and get carried away. Others don’t realize that their actions hurt the rest of the paranormal community.

Whenever I hear or see something that’s being described as paranormal, I immediately start questioning the source. I look for flaws, giveaways, and problems in the evidence. I watch everything with a critical eye and hope to not spot any mistakes because ultimately, I want to believe. But being responsible requires questioning and digging. It’s the scientific aspect of ghost hunting that I love.

 

What do you think about faked paranormal evidence?

Weekly News Round-up 8/22/12

MarthaVineyardpatch.com posted an article about early spottings of sea monsters. You can read it here.

The Week posted an article about scientist Rober Rine's fascination with the Loch Ness monster.

Cambridge News has an article on a proffesors breakthrough on spontaneous human combustion theory. You can read it here.

The Top Ten Paranormal TV Shows

With the Halloween season coming soon, there’s bound to be a ton of spooky movies and TV shows available to watch. I thought I’d talk a little about some of my current favorite paranormal shows, in case you are looking for something new to watch. I’m only covering shows that are still shooting or still on the air. They are in no particular order.

1. Ghost Hunters.

This show follows a team of paranormal investigators on their cases. They focus on collecting evidence to show property owners and attempt to use science and technology to understand paranormal phenomena. Their team pioneered a lot of ghost hunting techniques used today.

2. Supernatural

This is a fun series about two brothers who are constantly forced to deal with a massive amount of paranormal creatures. The show got its roots in urban legends and mythology and most of the episodes are really well researched. Even though this show is pure fiction, you can still learn a lot about the history of paranormal lore from watching it.

3. Monster Quest

This show sends teams out in search of legends like Bigfoot and The Loch Ness Monster. It was one of the first shows of its kind, and approached cryptozoology with respect and a scientific hand.

4. Ghost Adventures

This one is a three person ghost hunting team that focuses less on science and more on entertainment. Spooky intros, ghostly history, and over-the-top reactions are the focus of this show.

5. The Walking Dead

This zombie show is beautifully shot and well developed. When you’re watching it, it’s easy to think you’re watching a feature film.

6. Fact or Faked

This is a reality show that takes strange internet videos and tries to find logical explanations for them. Most of the time, they’re successful.

7. Destination Truth

This one blends ghost hunting, monster hunting, travel, and humor. A lot of the focus is on the strange situations the team ends up in, and occasionally they find something paranormal in the process.

8. Paranormal Witness

People retell stories of hauntings or spooky experiences. There are quite a few shows like this, but this one sets itself apart by including photos and videos taken by the people themselves.

9. Haunted Highway

This is a fairly new show, where two investigators travel the US to research local legends and stories. The fact that there are only two people on their shoots increases their chances of running into strange creatures (because large groups tend to make a lot of noise,) and they have found some petty cool stuff.

10. The Vampire Diaries

A teen drama about two vampire brothers, and the girl they are in love with. You probably won’t learn much by watching this show, but you will be entertained.

What are your favorite paranormal shows?

Weekly News Round-up 8/15/12

An image of Jesus appeared on a tree stump in Belfast. I usually just ignore these things but this one is pretty cool looking. You can see it here.

More dead birds have fallen from the sky in New Jersey, however, these deaths are being blamed on a pesticide. Read about it here.

A couple caught what they believe is the ghost of a child on a security camera. I'm pretty convinced the image is an insect on the lens but you can decide for yourself. See it here.

Time Travel

Today I’m talking about time travel. This topic isn’t 100% paranormal, there’s a lot of science in time travel theory, but there’s also a lot of mystery to it and many people associate time travel with aliens and other worldly beings. So I’m going to feature it today.

My first exposure to the idea of time travel was probably watching the movie, Back to the Future, as a kid. I’m pretty sure that’s the case for a lot of people. It was fun and exciting and totally different than anything I had seen. Of course, there were plenty of movies, TV shows, and books about time travel long before Michael J. Fox hopped into a Delorean.

The idea of visiting (or re-visiting) other time periods is fascinating. If time travel were possible, humans could potentially alter the fate of individuals and the world. I never gave it too much thought until years later, though.

Eventually I watched the movie Donnie Darko, which happens to feature quite a bit about time travel. It made me curious again, so I did a little bit of research and found out there’s actually a massive amount of research on time travel. A lot of smart people think it really is possible (with the invention of much more advance technology.)

Despite all the arguments, I’m still not convinced it could happen. A read somewhere a quote from saying, “if time travel is real, why haven’t we met time travelers from the future?” Of course, it’s possible that our future selves wouldn’t be able to interact with us, but I’m just not convinced. Wouldn’t they make some effort to stop some of the major negative world events that have happened? I like thinking of time as a linear event. Actions happen and can’t always be reversed, for whatever reason. I think we’re supposed to learn from every event and keep moving forward, not back in time.

What do you think? Do you think time travel is possible?

Q & A : Angels and Demons

Since today is the last day of Angels and Demons week, I'm going to be answering some questions about angels and demons. The answers are my own personal opinions, which you are free to disagree with. :)

1. Who are Satan, Beelzebub, Malboldge, Belial, Lucifer, and Leviathan? (The same thing or different entities?)

I believe that Satan, Beelzebub, and Lucifer different names for the same entity. Malboldge is a location in Hell (according to Dante’s Inferno.) Belial is a high ranking demon. I’m not completely sure about Leviathan. The literal version of the verses discussing Leviathan make him sound like a large sea creature of some sort but it’s possible the verses are a metaphor for something else.

2. How many archangels are there? Are archangels more powerful than regular angels? What powers do they have?

A lot of people claim that there are three, or even seven, archangels but there’s a lot of debate over which individuals fall on the list, mostly because different faiths use slightly different versions of scripture. I actually came across a pretty compelling argument explaining that there’s only one archangel-Michael. Here’s a link to that discussion. I do believe that archangel(s) are more powerful than the others. I think the title of archangels gives that individual the ability to direct and control the actions of other angels. Archangel actually means cheif angel, so it may be more of a title than anything else.

3. Are some demons more powerful than other demons?

Yes. I believe that there are different types of demons, just as there are different ranks of angels and some have more power than others.

4. Are demons just fallen angels? Or are they something different?

I believe demons are fallen angels.

5. What demons and angels are named specifically in the book of revelation?

I couldn’t find a definitive list anywhere. However, angels and demons are discussed a lot in Revelation. There are also hints throughout the book that as humans get closer to the end times, angelic and demonic activity is going to increase a great amount. If someone wants to research angels or demons, it’s probably the first place to start reading.

6. Why is 666 the number of the beast? Is there something significant about that number?

I’ve heard a lot of different arguments about this. Some people think that 3 is a holy number and the six is a mocking of the trinity. Others think that at some point the number 666 will actually be used as a physical marking to note followers of the antichrist.

7. What does a demon look like?

I think demons are able to take on any form they wish, but ultimately look like angels.

8. Do other religions have demons? If so, how are they different from the Christian concept of demons?

Yes. A lot of religions have demons (or demon-like entities.) There are a wide variety of descriptions of traits depending on the region and belief system. They are often depicted as ugly or frightening and bring harm to humans. Many religions portray them as physical beings as opposed to spiritual ones.

9. Explain what’s going on in Paranormal Activity. I don’t get how demons are different than ghosts in that movie.

You might have to ask the movie makers this one. I think they blended demon and ghost concepts in order to frighten the viewers. Sometimes there’s a fine line between the two.

Demons

I've been talking about angels for a few days now. It's time to switch directions and talk about the other side of the coin-demons. If you flip on a tv set or computer, or even open some books, you would think demons are literally everywhere around us. They are dark and mysterious and people love talking about them. While it's quite possible that they may be hanging around, I have a much harder time believing that demonic activity is nearly as common as most people think. In all the years I've been investigating, I've only been to one place I think may have demonic activity (the activity at that location could also be caused by an angry human spirit.)

So why is everyone so caught up in the demon idea? (We've never gotten a call about an angel, for the record.) I think people frequently want us to tell them that they are being affected by demons. It's easier for some people to accept, often because of their religious or personal beliefs. And while I do believe demons exist, I think the chances of running into them are slim.

Do you think demons are over portrayed in the media?

Tommorow I will be answering questions about angels and demons, so if you have any thought or questions, please leave them in the comments.

Weekly News Round-up (Angels and Demons Version)

This week I'm doing something a little different for the news post- I'm going to post older stories-that feature angels and demons. Enjoy!

A girl who was dying in the hospital recovered after a bright light appeared on the monitor. You can read about it (and see a video) here.

A man claims to have seen two angels working to save him after he was crushed by a truck. Here is the video.

A woman from a church in New York discusses being approached by satan and claims he asked her to kill herself. The article is here.

Claire Danes claims she saw demonic creatures as a child, though she chalks it up to an overactive imagination. You can read about it here.

Types of Angels

It is day 2 of Angels and Demons week! Today, I’m talking a little about different types of angels. While various religions have their own spiritual beings, few are as specific about their details as the Bible is about angels.

There are many types of angels listed in the Bible.

The most popular in today’s culture is the Archangel. I think this is because the Bible actually names some of the Archangels, which makes it easier to picture them as individuals.

There are also guardian angels, which are described as protectors of children. Many people believe that they may also protect those children into adulthood.

Slightly less common are the Cherubim (Cherubs.)  These guys aren’t the cute naked babies so common nowadays, but thought to be more like warriors. They are fierce and described as having four faces.

There are also the Seraphim. These angels are thought to be very close to God and are described as having six wings. The Seraphs are the lovers of God.

There are also a few other classification listed in the Bible, but I think these four are probably the most important, as we’re given quite a bit of description about them.

I’ve always wondered if demons have their own classification system, but I haven’t found any specific verses to say one way or the other. What do you think about the different type of angels? Do you think there are different types of demons?

Angels Vs. Demons

Today kicks off Angels and Demons Week. I’ve added a new poll over on the side, so be sure to check it out! I thought I would start out by discussing what angels and demons are (from my perspective.) I also want to give you a little bit of my religious background because it affects how I view both of these things.

I was raised in a pretty conservative Christian home. I grew up learning about heaven, hell, and everything in between. While I’m much less conservative now, I’m still inclined to believe that angels and demons are real beings. I’ve heard literally hundreds of stories over the years about people seeing, talking to, and interacting with these spiritual forces. I also understand that there’s a lot out there that we don’t understand yet. So it isn’t too hard for me to accept that they are real. When I talk about angels or demons on this blog, it will be from a Christian perspective.

Now that you know where I’m coming from, let’s talk a little about them. The story I was always told growing up was fairly simply.

God created angels to assist him.(The term angel actually means messenger.) One angel, Satan, was the most beautiful and powerful angel in heaven, but he started to think that he was better than God. So, he convinced a large number of angels to join him in a rebellion. God was angry, and threw Satan and the other angels to Earth and forbid them from entering heaven. The angels that fell with Satan, are what we call demons. They look and behave as angels do. They have the same powers and problems. The only difference is they no longer follow the will of God.

So when I talk about angels or demons on here, I’m really talking about the same thing.

I actually got curious about the fall of Satan story I was told as a child and decided to look it up, because I couldn’t remember actually reading about it anywhere in the Bible.

I did a bit of research and found that there are only a handful of verses that talk about it.  

Luke 10:18 says “And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” There are also several verses in Revelation that mention the fall. Revelation 12:9 says “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the Earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Some people believe that the verses about Satan in Revelation are actually predictions about what is going to happen in the future. There’s actually quite a bit of debate about the details of the story.

I think a lot of the little details of Satan’s fall are probably oral traditions that have been expanded on over the years and passed down from generation to generation. Either way, it’s easy to find moral lessons in the story.

Do you think demons are just fallen angels or do you think they are something else? What do you think about the story?

Weekly News Round-up 7/2/12

A blogger on NJ.com posted an article claiming that shows about the paranormal are dangerous to the viewers, because they tend to ignore the science. The article is here. What do you think?

Another strange creature has washed up in New York. You can see pictures of it here.

There's been another big cat sighting in England. You can read about it here.