Friday, March 2, 2007
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Crisis apparitions.
You've all heard the stories:
'My grandma came and knocked on my door and then wasn't there. Two hours later the police called and said she had died earlier in the morning at her flat.' and so on.
But a crisis apparition is not the spirit of the dead but a projection of an individual in a time of crisis. In other words a message to you to act before it is too late. The majority of the reported stories turn out to be a loved one in need however it is also widely reported that a loved one may be sighted in a place where they can not be, for instance; a son walks into a christmas dinner and sits at the table when he is supposed to be in Hawaii. He fades away and the family calls him and asks if everything is ok the son responds that everything is well he just really wished he was at christmas dinner with everyone.
Crisis apparitions are widely reported and can often have several witnesses reporting for each encounter (which gives them slightly more credit than other phenomenon) but are they real?
This morning I had my first 'Paranormal' encounter ever, an odd thing considering I just started this site (and that in turn is the phenomenon of 'Synchronicity' but more on that later). I awoke in the dark in bed and saw my grandfather leaning over my bed (you all have dirty minds) and then proceeding to walk out of the room. As he was doing so I said 'Are you alright?' thinking that I had woken up after he was telling me something (like 'I'm off to golf' or whatever) and his figure streched and then he faded away. Of course seeing this woke me right up and I was struck with terror. The first thing I thought of was that this was a crisis apparition and even though I don't believe in them personally this all went out the window at the time. I fought with my mind and eventually ran to the phone and dialled my grandfather's number at the early hour of the morning. It turned out nothing was wrong and I kind of wrote off the call by saying 'I must have dreamt you asked me to call you.' etc.
So was this the image of my grandfather standing in my room.
Thinking about it in a state where I am fully aware I doubt it.
My room is situated next to a window that looks onto a road, passing cars at night project the light from their headbeams onto my wall which moves across my room as they pass by, similar to the way I saw my grandfather walking. Also as the car reaches my house alot more light enters the room which stretches the shadows it creates noticibly... which could explain for the stretching effect I saw. Combine that with the fact that when you awake your eyes (which operate on two different systems one for light and one for dark) are trying to ascertain which system to use as well as the grogginess associated with waking and the lingering atmosphere of unconcious dreaming and we might have an explaination for the sighting.
The whole experience was blurry and lasted for less that five seconds and I'm convinced that it was just tricks of light and shadow and that I was only seeing what I wanted to see.
This of course does not account for instances where people experience a phenomena in the company of others though.
As I have said, personally I do not put faith in these apparitions however evidence suggests that they are real. A popular critique is that people are actually projecting the image of the person that they want to see on a similar looking individual, have you ever been waiting for someone and everyone who walks past looks like it is going to be them?
This however, has been countered by the fact that often people report that they can clearly see faces, and when a face is familiar individuals can tell differences down to a mm of change... which is quite cool when you think about it?
Have you ever experienced a visitation?
'My grandma came and knocked on my door and then wasn't there. Two hours later the police called and said she had died earlier in the morning at her flat.' and so on.
But a crisis apparition is not the spirit of the dead but a projection of an individual in a time of crisis. In other words a message to you to act before it is too late. The majority of the reported stories turn out to be a loved one in need however it is also widely reported that a loved one may be sighted in a place where they can not be, for instance; a son walks into a christmas dinner and sits at the table when he is supposed to be in Hawaii. He fades away and the family calls him and asks if everything is ok the son responds that everything is well he just really wished he was at christmas dinner with everyone.
Crisis apparitions are widely reported and can often have several witnesses reporting for each encounter (which gives them slightly more credit than other phenomenon) but are they real?
This morning I had my first 'Paranormal' encounter ever, an odd thing considering I just started this site (and that in turn is the phenomenon of 'Synchronicity' but more on that later). I awoke in the dark in bed and saw my grandfather leaning over my bed (you all have dirty minds) and then proceeding to walk out of the room. As he was doing so I said 'Are you alright?' thinking that I had woken up after he was telling me something (like 'I'm off to golf' or whatever) and his figure streched and then he faded away. Of course seeing this woke me right up and I was struck with terror. The first thing I thought of was that this was a crisis apparition and even though I don't believe in them personally this all went out the window at the time. I fought with my mind and eventually ran to the phone and dialled my grandfather's number at the early hour of the morning. It turned out nothing was wrong and I kind of wrote off the call by saying 'I must have dreamt you asked me to call you.' etc.
So was this the image of my grandfather standing in my room.
Thinking about it in a state where I am fully aware I doubt it.
My room is situated next to a window that looks onto a road, passing cars at night project the light from their headbeams onto my wall which moves across my room as they pass by, similar to the way I saw my grandfather walking. Also as the car reaches my house alot more light enters the room which stretches the shadows it creates noticibly... which could explain for the stretching effect I saw. Combine that with the fact that when you awake your eyes (which operate on two different systems one for light and one for dark) are trying to ascertain which system to use as well as the grogginess associated with waking and the lingering atmosphere of unconcious dreaming and we might have an explaination for the sighting.
The whole experience was blurry and lasted for less that five seconds and I'm convinced that it was just tricks of light and shadow and that I was only seeing what I wanted to see.
This of course does not account for instances where people experience a phenomena in the company of others though.
As I have said, personally I do not put faith in these apparitions however evidence suggests that they are real. A popular critique is that people are actually projecting the image of the person that they want to see on a similar looking individual, have you ever been waiting for someone and everyone who walks past looks like it is going to be them?
This however, has been countered by the fact that often people report that they can clearly see faces, and when a face is familiar individuals can tell differences down to a mm of change... which is quite cool when you think about it?
Have you ever experienced a visitation?
Monday, January 29, 2007
In the beginning.
In investigation of paranormal events and stories it is important to remember one thing: Individuals experience the world in different ways. An individual may state that they hear the voices of ghosts where none other can, most likely it is due to a mental disorder however the experience is very real to the individual. Parapsychology & Jungians will focus on that experience... the fact that it means something to the individual not if in fact it is real or not.
But that isn't interesting to casual viewers of this site... you want to know if it is actually real right?
Well I doubt I'll provide you with and definative proof seeing as I don't really believe in anything paranormal anyway but I'll take you along for a ride.
Normally paranormal reportings are either misinterpretations or hoaxes/pranks.
Hoaxes obviously don't need to be explained but here is a bit about misinterpretations.
A lot of you have probably heard about people waking up and being possessed by a demon, then reawakening later with no memory. In fact this is a condition known as 'Night Terrors' where disturbances in an individuals sleep pattern cause the individual to often wake up and start crying then return to slumber, amnesic on awakening. Yours truly actually suffers from the condition however I just awaken and look around the room with a frightened look on my face.
Another sleep condition is known as 'Sleep Paralysis' where the individual awakens, aware, but not able to move their body apart from their eyes. In American indian myth this was described as being held down by evil spirits but really is just the chemical that paralyses your body while you sleep (so you don't act out your dreams) not being correctly disposed of before you wake.
Other than that there are some nuts out there... maybe what they talk about is actually true but I would seriously doubt it. These guys have totally lost it: For instance there is a group that are trying to create tulpas (physical manifestations of thought created by willpower) of pokemon characters:
'Simple explanation: we are developing all our individual psychic powers, concentrating on the mental image of a pokemon until it becomes a physical manifestation of entity.Simpler explanation: I think it, therefore it is.' - Theycanbereal who you can message here: http://www.serebiiforums.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=58104.
Just in case you are interested... which hopefully you are not.
But that isn't interesting to casual viewers of this site... you want to know if it is actually real right?
Well I doubt I'll provide you with and definative proof seeing as I don't really believe in anything paranormal anyway but I'll take you along for a ride.
Normally paranormal reportings are either misinterpretations or hoaxes/pranks.
Hoaxes obviously don't need to be explained but here is a bit about misinterpretations.
A lot of you have probably heard about people waking up and being possessed by a demon, then reawakening later with no memory. In fact this is a condition known as 'Night Terrors' where disturbances in an individuals sleep pattern cause the individual to often wake up and start crying then return to slumber, amnesic on awakening. Yours truly actually suffers from the condition however I just awaken and look around the room with a frightened look on my face.
Another sleep condition is known as 'Sleep Paralysis' where the individual awakens, aware, but not able to move their body apart from their eyes. In American indian myth this was described as being held down by evil spirits but really is just the chemical that paralyses your body while you sleep (so you don't act out your dreams) not being correctly disposed of before you wake.
Other than that there are some nuts out there... maybe what they talk about is actually true but I would seriously doubt it. These guys have totally lost it: For instance there is a group that are trying to create tulpas (physical manifestations of thought created by willpower) of pokemon characters:
'Simple explanation: we are developing all our individual psychic powers, concentrating on the mental image of a pokemon until it becomes a physical manifestation of entity.Simpler explanation: I think it, therefore it is.' - Theycanbereal who you can message here: http://www.serebiiforums.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=58104.
Just in case you are interested... which hopefully you are not.
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