Category Archives: Terminology

Because I Believe

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Angels, Blogging, Blogs, Catholic Church, Churches, Extraterrestrial Life, Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Psychics, Religion, Terminology, The Haunted Librarian, Ufology, UFOs, Uncategorized

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holytrinity2

 

Because I Believe

This past week I was approached and asked how a Christian could write a blog about the paranormal. Simply stated: How can I claim to be a “Christian” when I blog as The Haunted Librarian? Anyone who has read and studied the Bible knows of the vast array of paranormal activities it illustrates.

The “paranormal” is the unknown. According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, the paranormal is an adjective “designating or of psychic or mental phenomena outside the range of normal.” The paranormal is comprised of ghosts, miracles, angels, U.F.O.s, and the like. Anything that cannot be logically or scientifically explained falls into this category.

Initially, I was drawn aback by this question/accusation. My first thought was “What is the ulterior motive?” Unfortunately, I am skeptical about the honesty and intentions related to this question. Why is anyone interested in my blog as it relates to my personal life? However, I decided this would make an excellent topic for a blog posting.

I was stumped as to how this person or any person defines the word “Christian.” Webster’s defines Christian as “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ, or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus.” I am a practicing Episcopalian. The Holy Trinity is a Christian doctrine acknowledging that God appears in three forms: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. See there? That word “ghost” means spirit—as in dead. If you speak to Jesus, who is dead, then you are speaking to a ghost. Moreover, The Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, is God at work in the world, who leads me toward truth in Jesus and is an important part in my life.

The Christian population is large—very large. Worldwide, there are 2.2 billion Christians (http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/religions/christians). There are three main groups within Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestant. In addition there are three additional ecclesiastical blocs. In total, there are over 33,000 denominations. Yes, recent statistics state over thirty-three thousand denominations. That’s a lot of people with a lot of beliefs!

My blog is one avenue I use as a personal release to share my feelings toward experiences that are not “of this world,” and this includes spirits, angels, and also some topics that are based on assessing the experiences that others share. Some of this material that may not fall into what everyone considers the “angel” category. Furthermore, a lot of my writing focuses on exposing people who exploit the vulnerability of one’s spirit. As my sub-heading states: I research, investigate, and write about all things paranormal. If you don’t like it, don’t follow my blog. If you want to use my blog to judge me, then you are severely misinformed and misguided. You are not my judge—only God is.

Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone. (John 8.7)

ParaUnity: Why We Can’t Get Along

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Reality TV, Terminology

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ParaUnity

ParaUnity

ParaUnity: Why We Can’t Get Along

Very few people earn a living in the paranormal field. The perception that only investigators who are on TV are the “professionals” in this field is misleading. Actually, it’s untrue. Plenty of people know as much as or even more about the paranormal than those on TV. Although most of us are not “professional” paranormal people, we do act professionally.

The paranormal community takes repeated bashing from skeptics. So, why do we beat up on each other? We should stand together. Here are some helpful communication tips:

  • Think before you speak, tweet, or post.
  • Educate yourself before expressing your opinion.
  • Constructive criticism is okay. It’s actually quite beneficial. Keeps us on our toes, invites discourse and discussion. Blindly trashing someone based on emotional attachment is ineffective.
  • Don’t proffer an opinion without educating yourself on the issue. If you don’t know the answer, say so.
  • Conduct research. Research is vital.
  • Add to the discussion.
  • Support your opinions with facts.
  • Remain positive. Being positive does not mean you’re complacent. More sugar; less stick.

ParaUnity is attainable. The paranormal community can get along. We are a family—often dysfunctional—but a family.

Wanted: A Real Exorcist

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Reality TV, Religion, Terminology

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Official Vatican City Exorcist

Father Gabriele Amorth, Official Exorcist of Vatican City.

 

Wanted: Actual Exorcist, not Mere Investigator

Interest in the paranormal has surged over the past few years. Reality TV shows propelled this popularity causing some viewers to take up arms and to start hunting ghosts. Most acquired a proper education supplemented with field study before consulting clients in the paranormal. But a small percentage did not. This faction gave themselves elusive titles like “Exorcist Investigator.” And that, my friend, is dangerous!

Televised “exorcisms” conducted on paranormal reality shows generate ratings. Ratings + Advertising Dollars = Series Renewals. That is ultimately the goal of all TV personalities. (Note: Legitimate TV ghost hunters do not perform exorcisms, or voodoo rituals for that matter.) All reality TV shows are 1) scripted and 2) edited for high-impact content. (See formula for explanation.) Never is unedited or uncut video footage aired. Therefore, even if you watch a televised “exorcism,” you did not see everything.

Reading books does not qualify you to perform the Solemn Rite. Nor does hosting a TV show. Exorcisms can only be conducted by validly ordained clergy with permission from the church. The key word is “clergy.” You must be a member of the cloth. Priest, Reverend, Pastor. These titles are conferred upon someone who has a firm belief in God and has been trained in His word. In addition, clergy possess field experience in exorcisms. They did more than read a book. And they never practiced alone.

A full-blown Catholic Exorcism takes hours to complete. The Catholic Church does not publish statistics; however, it is believed that less than ten (10) occur annually. Exorcisms are more prevalent in the Pentecostal faith, where several hundreds of “exorcism ministries” are active. These rituals are much shorter and less elaborate. Exorcisms can go terribly wrong. Quickly.

Amateur exorcisms have made the headlines in recent years. A woman was pummeled to death (1995). Another was stomped to death (1997). And still another suffocated with a plastic bag (1998). Actual demonic possession is quite rare. However, it should not be taken lightly. If you suspect someone is under the Devil’s influence, refer the case. Don’t cue up the TV for guidance. This is beyond most of us. Consult fully trained people. If you’re not fully qualified, then you should never attempt!

The Devil’s in the Terminology

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Terminology

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Poltergeist, the movie

Iconic scene from the 80s classic Poltergeist.

The Devil’s in the Terminology

Terminology is important in any field of study, especially the paranormal. However, a lot of us use certain terms interchangeably. Take the words “ghost” and “spirit.” Previously I used these two words as one. Now, I stand corrected. They are distinctly different. “Ghost” is the popular term used to indicate the presence of an unexplained entity; whereas, “spirit” means the essence of a deceased person. It is the personality of the deceased. Human beings have spirit. When investigating a purported haunting, paranormal investigators should use the term “ghost.”

The term “soul” is more problematic. Generally, it means the spiritual element of a person and is immortal. Simply put: Soul = Life. That’s a tad simplistic but gets the point across. The person’s soul lives on after death. It descends into heaven. But these elements are hotly debated. I’m reserving this discussion for a future post.

When we go on an investigation, we are attempting to see a ghost or the better word: an “apparition,” the visual appearance of a person. However, “ghost” is the first word to come to mind though. We are checking to see whether or not a location is haunted (experiencing a paranormal phenomenon). The “phenomenon” includes witnessing apparitions, hearing unexplained sounds, and smelling unaccountable scents. In a haunting, the location is the focal point of the activity.

Now, a “poltergeist” is more confusing. As a proud product of the 80s my definition is deeply entrenched from the movie bearing the same title. I always believed that poltergeists were malevolent ghosts from beyond the grave. This definition is rooted by the German translation of the word. In German, “poltergeist” means noisy or troublesome spirit. Recent commentary focuses on a live human as the source of the activity. The focal point is the person not the location. My above-referenced definition of “spirit” supports this new thinking. If a young child has “spirit” and that spirit is troubled, it can form a poltergeist. Therefore, the poltergeist investigation moves from the location and looks at the people involved. Most poltergeist cases involve a child or adolescent. It is up to the paranormal investigators to determine if the activity is caused by a living person or if the ghost is a highly active one. The terms should not be interchanged.

I’ll be touching on more terminology in future posts, but I wanted to get the conversation started. In doing so, I will be more aware of my use of the words and ensure that I am using them correctly.