Serebii Paranormal and Crypto-zoological Society v2 - Read First Post

[VampirateMace]

I would say from a paranormal investigator standpoint, possibility C is kind of a red flag.

That's an interesting theory on the brain, though I have at times entertained the possibility that certain people do not have souls, but more accurately they probably had tainted souls, aye? Suppose that sounds a bit black and white as far as good vs evil goes, but I have encountered some pretty evil people.

Perception of spirits does seem to vary, I think for inhuman and emotional spirits, it probably is partially that their form changes; but I also think the fallibility of human memory, slight differences in perception, and the tendency to embellish are at play too. The Cincinnati Opera House for example is said to have an apparition of a woman in white. Some people describe turning around and seeing a transparent woman in white gown, whilst other describe a woman in a dirty white dress, who they assume was a resident of the insane asylum that once stood there, and had a good chance of having been buried in a mass grave there. Did their background information change how they perceived the woman, so that they remembered her as dirt covered, even if she really wasn't when they saw her?

Edit:
Slight news update, recap of UFO highlights.

 

[Kiruria]

I would say from a paranormal investigator standpoint, possibility C is kind of a red flag.

LOL, you could be right. That would be a textbook example of an old legend or myth influencing one's perception of such an experience.

That's an interesting theory on the brain, though I have at times entertained the possibility that certain people do not have souls, but more accurately they probably had tainted souls, aye? Suppose that sounds a bit black and white as far as good vs evil goes, but I have encountered some pretty evil people.

Most likely, they're tainted souls. But that's not really all black and white, as even the worst souls can recover, and even the purest souls can be tainted. People who are really evil are probably not aware that they even have a soul, I bet. Like, it's there, but it's hidden, like a repressed memory in the subconscious mind.

Perception of spirits does seem to vary, I think for inhuman and emotional spirits, it probably is partially that their form changes; but I also think the fallibility of human memory, slight differences in perception, and the tendency to embellish are at play too. The Cincinnati Opera House for example is said to have an apparition of a woman in white. Some people describe turning around and seeing a transparent woman in white gown, whilst other describe a woman in a dirty white dress, who they assume was a resident of the insane asylum that once stood there, and had a good chance of having been buried in a mass grave there. Did their background information change how they perceived the woman, so that they remembered her as dirt covered, even if she really wasn't when they saw her?

That may very well be the case, and this also would support my previous idea of the myths and legends one has heard about a place influence their perception of any activity occurring there. Perhaps the people who saw a dirty dress knew that the asylum used to stand on that spot, and also knew that asylums back then tended to be on the filthy side, so that knowledge influenced their perception. And maybe not just their memory, but how they even see the spirit in the first place. It's like they're wearing "knowledge glasses" which filter the images of any spirits they see. I do remember immediately recognizing the "faery" I saw as a faery, but in that case, I might have been wearing my "faery glasses" at the time.

This might have even been the case for the first time I ever saw faeries, because they were in a meadow near a redwood forest, and I've heard a circle of redwood trees being called faery rings (although the term usually refers to a circle of mushrooms).

 

[VampirateMace]

Disregarding your soul sounds almost as bad as not having one.

Yeah, it doesn't sound like we're on very different pages concerning perception of spirits. There's a lot that can influence it.

The term fairy ring/glen been distorted a bit over time. Your redwood ring was probably more correct then the standard belief of mushroom ring. It used to be that farmers would leave a patch of trees as a place for fairies to live (actually, from what I can tell, many still do, even out here in the western in the US), in addition to certain ponds and standing stones (fairy stones) being treated as fairy homes. Then later the name 'fairy ring' got transferred to any old circle in nature (mushroom patches, indents from bison dust baths, the plant-less patches in Africa).
- What if Stonehenge was actually a giant fairy stone?

(Edit: Geh, I'm not sure that Wikipedia supports my above statement, and I don't remember the name of the source. According to Wiki the mushroom rings also used to be called witches rings and elf rings in some areas, but ref to the tree thing is absent, though stones are mentioned there.)

Edit:
Added more news, 2 on hauntings and 1 on Area 51.

 

[Blackkyurem]

Probably gotta re-reply. Been gone for a while.
Username: Blackkyurem

Favorite Paranormal/Mythical Creature: Gods of Olympus

What experience, education, or expertise do you have to contribute to the club (if any)?
I was in the v.1 of the club!

What Paranormal/Mythical subjects are you're interested in learning about?
Again, Greek and Roman Mythology fasicnates me, so does ghosts and spirits.

 

[VampirateMace]

Welcome back kyurem, I'll put you back on the member list. Would have been nice if you'd answered the experience/education a little better, just for the record.

Anyone have any cool/interesting paranormal related experiences or education lately?
- I learned about a couple new places not too far from me that are supposed to be haunted.

 

[Blackkyurem]

Ahh, sorry. I was in v.1, but I also believe that I saw a ghost of my grandfather since it was his birthday and my dad went to his grave and "talked" to him, y'know like how you do to passed relatives. I always say it was him just saying thank you for coming out.

Also, my parents tell me a story of him on another case. The day of his funeral, my mom and dad went there (duh.). After then came back home, they made sandwiches. The fridge door opened on it's own. My dad said, "Dad, if you want a sandwich, only need ask." The door then proceded to slam, a floorboard that creaks by the front door creaked, and the front door opened and slammed. WEIRD. (This was before I was born so it's not "Experience" but it is)

I always say he protects his children, cause weird things have happened to me at some of their places (Ex. Great Aunt exclaiming someone pulled her hair @ aunts house)

It can get CREEPY. I hope he isn't mad I am going to post this.

Okay, This is about a minute after I wrote the rest, and I got this sick feeling in my stomach. Eegh.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I got Astral Shadow to make a link button for us! I can cancel if needed, but I thought it'd be cool.

 

[VampirateMace]

I would venture to guess being sick to your stomach was just nerves about how he'd feel, as protective spirits generally would not do anything that might cause you discomfort or harm.

Different cultures tend to deal with the dead differently, from keeping the dead in the house for long periods before burial, to only visiting the grave once a year, if that. I don't think I've ever visited any grave more then twice, I'm more inclined to talk to the picture of a dead person then to their grave. I know a lot of graveyards are said to be haunted, but I don't imagine people who lead good lives would want to hang out there too much in death (unless they were kind of gothic like that).

Sure, go ahead and post the button once you have it, and I'll link it in the first post. We could use some new art.

 

[Kiruria]

I know a lot of graveyards are said to be haunted, but I don't imagine people who lead good lives would want to hang out there too much in death (unless they were kind of gothic like that).

While I probably am the sort of person who would willingly hang around a graveyard after death (as well as other haunted places), I think the reason why so many ghosts appear in graveyards is largely because many of them have just emerged from their bodies, which of course are buried in the graveyard. Some may also get disoriented for a while, causing them to hang around longer. And yet others may even be afraid to wander about the world.

Well, no new paranormal experiences have happened with me lately... haven't seen any more faeries since my last post, if I remember correctly. Although, a friend recently told me about a time he was taking a shower in the dorms and felt something stroke his back, when he was sure he was alone.

 

[MileniaKitsune]

That makes sense.

This reminds me of something I have thought of about death, the "weight loss". You're literally shedding off this pretty heavy body and now you're just a "whisp" of pure energy. It must be so weird a feeling that it could be one reason for the disorientation. Just a thought xD

Edit: grammar and sign was showing up double >.>

 

[VampirateMace]

Suppose confusion of shedding your body is a legitimate reason, though I'm not sure how convos with them would be helpful, outside of trying to help them move on. But I guess my comment was based on the fact that most haunted cemeteries tend to have a 'famous' resident who's been around for a long time. - I know fear is rarely logical, but if you're dead, what there left to be afraid of, save exorcists and Ammut?

Speaking of weight loss at death, experiments have been done to try and prove the body looses a miniscule amounts of weight at death (aka the soul), To Wikipedia! I'm fairly sure we discussed this in the previous thread.

Added some new news, lots of mars/UFO stuff lately.

Edit:
Added lots more news; Stonehenge, Earhart, Mars, Project Blue Book, Armagedon, Monster Map.

 

[MileniaKitsune]

Oh indeed, I'm sure exorcists and Ammut would cause more concern than "weight loss".

I remember seeing on an episode about hauntings that it was found the family was being haunted by more than one entity, one of them was a peaceful spirit. They called an exorcist but he ended exorcizing the peaceful one which was actually watching over the family and so left the other one to cause way more troubles. I kinda feel bad for the peaceful spirits when that happens, idk I mean who knows what happens when a spirit is exorcized? Hopefully it's not painful o.o

And speaking of ufos, that's one of (or the) fav subject of mine when it comes to the paranormal because so many things can be traced to it. I've found quite a few interesting articles and was wondering... is it ok for me to link them here?

Edit: words >.>

 

[VampirateMace]

Nod. The welfare of spirits (particularly the good ones) seems like something exorcists and mediums should be considering. Which is why any exorcist that automatically decides to send the spirit 'back to hell' in a non-possession case, irritates me.

Yeah, as long as it's on topic, from a safe site, and you're not advertising a site you're involved with, you should be okay.

 

[Kiruria]

I agree about the exorcisms. They are most definitely painful for evil spirits who are possessing someone (and even for the person being possessed if it's serious enough), but if it's a benevolent spirit hanging around a place or possessing an object, that's much like a case of cruelty. It's like killing a dog that decided to take up residence in one's garage.

Regarding hanging around graveyards, some spirits are overcome by any lingering thoughts or emotions at the time of their death, causing them to remain in the graveyard for long periods of time. They could also be afraid of how the world will perceive them, or about how the world is changing, and just want to disappear rather than remain tied to it - so all they can do is remain in the graveyard, wallowing in their despair. I guess in that case, a friendly sort of exorcism might be helpful, except instead of sending the spirit to Hell, it would be helping them get to Heaven, by reconciling their fear of the world.

 

[VampirateMace]

Yeah, that's kind of how I see it, it could be a little kid, don't just assume they belong in hell.

I don't know, I suppose those are all possibilities. Though if it was about their death, I'd expect them where it happened, as is often reported. Save for cases of being buried alive, I'm pretty much under the impression the soul generally leaves the body prior to burial. - I've never heard of anyone trying a Cleansing at a graveyard, that would certainly be an interesting project, but a lot more souls then a Cleansing normally deals with.

 

[Void Ventus]

Why are Ouija Boards so cursed? Aren't they just stupid little board games? Aren't they mass manufactured in factories like other board games, or are they hand crafted and is then enchanted with a curse? I've never tried them, and never will, but I'm just doubtful at what a mere game could do.

Also, is it true children are more sensitive to spirits than teenagers? If so, why?

Just been reading paranormal stories recently, and I've gotten fascinated again.

 

[VampirateMace]

Good questions. Ouija boards, are of course mass produced nowadays, but the original boards, prototypes (as there's different models), and séance set-up they're based on, were hand-made. You'll find some myths that they're individually 'blessed' by a dark priest, but I'm pretty sure a toy company would no such person on payroll. The idea they're cursed (or rather can become cursed) stems from the concept that you may not be contacting the spirit you think you're contacting, and if you're talking to an unknown spirit, it could be a demon.

Possibly. Children are more open to the idea of mystical things, generally more naïve, and simply not as experienced (which means less prepared to defend themselves).

Have you been reading fiction or non-fiction? Find any particularly good stories?

Edit:
Added one more news article, on AI.

Edit II:
Added some more news, Mars and Skunk Apes.

Edit III:
Added more news, lots of UFO and Alien stuff in the news right now, check it out!

Edit IV:
Updated the news. . .

 

[Akwakwak]

Yeah, that's kind of how I see it, it could be a little kid, don't just assume they belong in hell.

I don't know, I suppose those are all possibilities. Though if it was about their death, I'd expect them where it happened, as is often reported. Save for cases of being buried alive, I'm pretty much under the impression the soul generally leaves the body prior to burial. - I've never heard of anyone trying a Cleansing at a graveyard, that would certainly be an interesting project, but a lot more souls then a Cleansing normally deals with.

My mom if she felt a benevolent spirit lingering around would light white candles and place them on the floor slowly placing them higher and higher until the presence was no longer felt. She says this helps illuminate their way towards heaven.

 

[VampirateMace]

I've not heard of that cleansing ritual before, but I definitely get the thought process, even if Heaven being 'up' is more of a metaphorical location (with some basis in the sky looking a lot more pleasant then then what the local volcanic vent is spewing out). Sounds like she could feel it at work though.

 

[Akwakwak]

I've not heard of that cleansing ritual before, but I definitely get the thought process, even if Heaven being 'up' is more of a metaphorical location (with some basis in the sky looking a lot more pleasant then then what the local volcanic vent is spewing out). Sounds like she could feel it at work though.

Yeah, my mom is kinda sorta religious. I mean she believes in God but not in Christianity as a whole, where I'm just a full blown atheist. I don't know where you and the others stand on religion nor do I want to start a debate about it, therefore I will try not to say anything that seem offensive, I was just simply stating that about myself.

Which the more I think about it, I believe in most paranormal phenomenon but spirits are still a touchy subject. I have seen them, this makes me wonder if there is in fact some sort of "greater being". I mean in Christianity you can go to one of three places Heaven, Hell, and of course Purgatory. Many people believe Earth is purgatory, so you can see where my denial stems from. I believe in ghosts/spirits so therefore I must believe in the afterlife? It makes me seem like a hypocrite. I mean I believe in demonic possessions but I don't necessarily believe in angels. I guess I should compromise and say I'm agnostic but I don't believe in a God. As you can see I confuse myself a lot.

Which brings me to another point, what if ghosts aren't the lingering spirits of the deceased but in fact beings from another dimension or time period. For example lets say I see my grandmother's ghost, what if it's not her ghost, but another her from another universe/dimension or even her in the past. What if somehow places where people see ghosts are actually places where space and time are distorted. Perhaps these places are filled with energy that can be manipulated to enter another dimension or even time travel, essentially use it as a wormhole. It's Farfetched I know it's just a hypothetical what if, and knowing how knowledgeable you are on paranormal matters you will probably disprove me quite easily lol.

 

[VampirateMace]

It's okay to state opinions on religion, as long as they're not inflammatory. We have members with various religious stand-points and this is supposed to be a safe place for everybody.

There are multiple theories about ghosts that don't necessarily involve an afterlife. Some people believe, as you mentioned, that ghosts are those people still alive in a parallel universe. The only flaw I see with that theory is that it means there must be a universe where Lincoln and the VooDoo Queen are immortal. Others believe they're basically energy recordings being replayed. Both theories do account for when the ghosts of living people are seen. A lot of researchers suggest that both spirits and energy recordings exist. I'm sure there's more theories, but those are the main two that come to mind.