A Ghostly Perspective

This next post was inspired by a film that I’ve recently watched titled, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia. The film is based on a true story and here is its description: “A historic Southern home’s new residents come face to face with a malevolent force.”

While watching, that was when it dawned on me that I was already familiar with the people portrayed in the film. I had seen them on other paranormal shows talking about their story and discussing the daughter’s ability of clairvoyance and communicating with the dead.

After I finished watching the film, it got me to thinking about ghosts and why some of them seem to be so malevolent. Perhaps their spirit isn’t actually malevolent at all. Maybe they just seem that way because they are trying to convey a message to the living. And after countless failed attempts of communication with the living, the ghosts become enraged because they have something to say but have no way of reaching the other side.

I know it may sound crazy, even far-fetched, but it made me think. So, by the time these ghosts finally find someone with whom they are able to communicate, they’re ready to unleash all their built-up emotions. And with the rush of feeling (and the fact that they’re dead) it’s easy to understand why the living can get so terrified by a paranormal encounter.

It makes total sense to me. Put yourself in their position. One day you’re walking down the street and all is well, then unfortunately something tragically out of the blue happens and you’re no longer part of the living. You’re now on the other side. You’re terrified, freaking out and you have no one to turn to. You try so hard to communicate with the living, but nothing – nadda. You try and try until one day your persistence finally becomes successful when you’re able to communicate with someone. But by this time, when you’re able to speak to a clairvoyant or whomever, you’ve got all this rush of excitement and that’s what scares the living because it becomes too overwhelming for them to handle.

Now this isn’t me in any way, shape or form, discarding all malevolent entities as non-malevolent. Extreme caution should always be utilized when investigating the paranormal because there are evil creatures/beings on the other side. So, be careful!

But the film did make me think and I wanted to share……

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Suicide Forest

Sounds like such a frightening place doesn’t it? Suicide Forest, full of despair and darkness. It’s located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan and is also known as Aokigahara. This fourteen square mile forest is so thick with trees and other natural formations that it makes it difficult to hear anything that doesn’t belong there.

If anyone wants to visit the Sea of Trees, be forewarned for it harbors an egregious reputation. It’s reported to have an association with demons and more than fifty suicides took place among the woods in 2010. Sadly, this forest is one of the top three most popular locations worldwide for suicide. Up until around 1988, nearly thirty reported suicides occurred yearly. These lost lives have not gone unnoticed. Because of their tragedies, a warning sign has been erected at the beginning of the trail pleading that anyone contemplating suicide to please consider their loved ones and to contact a suicide prevention hotline.

Why the dark history? It’s believed that an old Japanese custom referred to as ubasute was practiced there until the 1800s and that the victims of this tragic era are to blame for the hauntings. Ubasute refers to an act where an elderly relative would be taken to an isolated location and left there to perish, be it by starvation, exposure to the elements, dehydration, etc….. all for the sake of euthanasia.

A feature film titled, The Forest starring Natalie Dormer and Taylor Kinney was released a few years ago regarding the topic. Here’s the cinematic trailer…

Suicide is nothing to take lightly and should be treated as an extremely serious matter. The following is contact information for suicide prevention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (website)

Phone Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

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Below is a photo of the warning sign pleading that anyone contemplating suicide to please consider their loved ones and to contact a suicide prevention hotline.

suicide forest sign

Fear Cemeteries?

Fear cemeteries? Wait, no way… not me!!

Hmmm…. The fascination of cemeteries, graves, headstones, gargoyles…. etc. etc…. To many, they are quite attracted to such places. Why? Well, to me (and yes, I am one of those who find these macabre locations to be rather intriguing.) there’s something serene about the atmosphere. I am at such peace when I am at a cemetery. Which, if one truly thinks about it, should be comforting to know that the dead are “resting in peace”. After all, I am an empath and can feel the deceased’s energy. 😉

Did you know that there is actually a name for this curious allure? It’s referred to as coimetromania. According to an online definition, it’s simply defined as “An abnormal attraction to and desire to visit cemeteries.” There are many, many people with this interest. And I’m sure that with each individual, their reasoning is just as unique as they are……Find out more by reading….. A Grave Attraction

Debunking by Candlelight

The paranormal is definitely something that I believe in. Without a doubt, there are inscrutable entities in their own realm of existence. Some are shady with dark, malevolent intent, while others are merely passing through for whatever reason. However, I still view things with a skeptical eye. Not everything “incomprehensible that happens can be explained with paranormal reasoning. In fact, with research and investigation, often what we perceive to be unexplainable can actually be justified with plausible cause.

So many factors need to be considered when trying to debunk or prove the preternatural world. Often, findings can be conclusive with the simplest of methods. And other times, even some of the most advanced paranormal equipment ends up with inconclusive results.

Recently, something peculiar happened in my home. Now looking back, it’s kind of embarrassing because it’s so mundane, but I want to share it with you because I believe it’s a prime example of investigating the unknown. Previously, I mentioned in another article that there is a huge window in my bedroom. On its sill at night I like to light tea lights. There’s just something soothing about the illuminating glow from the warm little flickers. Anyway, when I first began doing this, I noticed some gentle, random tapping outside on my window. I quickly brushed it off, thinking it was due to a soft wind blowing by. A couple of more nights passed with the same tapping , but there wasn’t any wind to blame. So my curiosity grew. I grabbed a flashlight and began to search for answers outside my window for the source of the tapping, but nothing was found. So, I went to bed that night still without explanation as the candles burned down.

The very next night I lit the candles again. The gentle tapping slowly started back up. It was dark, no street lights and the wind was calm. So where was this mysterious sound coming from? I looked outside the window, searching for an answer. “Question mark” was all I could think about, and then I noticed something…. something small and fluttering… bobbing around in the darkness….

I looked at this little insect as it attempted to fly towards the light given by the candle on the inside of the window. And that’s when it dawned on me. Every night when I’d light the tea lights, flying insects were attracted to their illuminating glow, creating the tapping on the glass with their attempts to enter.

Something so simple with a plausible explanation… nothing paranormal at all. Just the innocent curiosity of some winged little insects wanting to get in.

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A Grave Fear

It’s the safest place in the world to be.” So often I hear this when it comes to the reference of cemeteries. Why? People always tell me it’s because the dead are not a part of the living any longer and it’s impossible for them to inflict harm to anyone. Then why is there such terror in the hearts of the individuals who suffer from coimetrophobia? Hmm… good question!

Coimetrophobia is the fear of cemeteries. Those who live with this phobia say that when they are in or around cemeteries, they experience shortness of breath, bodily shakes and breaking out in a sweat, just to name a few. More severe cases even experience heart palpitations and a sense of temporary paralyzation, preventing the sufferer to move. In fact, some people are so terrified by cemeteries that they avoid them all together.

Now, this is not a fear that has manifested itself only in recent years. It actually has been around for quite some time. Fear of the dead rising due to superstitious lore has plagued mankind throughout the ages. It has given birth to such creatures like zombies, vampires and other similar beings. And thanks to Hollywood, such frightening legends have been given a form of life across the silver screen. I, myself enjoy a hair-raising tale. I believe it keeps the blood pumping and the senses intact.

I personally do not have a fear of cemeteries. However, one night when I was much younger and while out with some friends, we went to an old church and cemetery that were way out in the middle of the countryside on an old gravelly road. The night was solemn as the moonlight shined on the top of each grave. We all walked among the headstones in search of anything that had the potential to frighten a bunch of teen girls. Nothing out of the ordinary was seen that I can recall, except for a small red glow viewable through the church’s window. Keep in mind that this church was not hooked up to any electricity. It even had an outhouse located at the back of its property. So, how was it possible to see the red light inside an old structure with graves dated back from the late 1800s?

We never investigated it, nor did any research relating to the site. We decided to keep our distance and leave it alone. But to think of that night still ponders me to this day.

Poltergeists: Why are they here?

Now this next topic is something entirely different from the earlier one that was about intelligent and residual hauntings. Previously, I discussed the difference between the two types of hauntings. Intelligent is spirit interaction with a conscious energy and residual is energy that has been “recorded” from the past.

Ok, so what’s a poltergeist you ask? Well, the word “poltergeist” is German and loosely translates to meaning “noisy ghost”. I suppose you could say it’s similar to that of an intelligent haunting because it does interact with the living whereas a residual haunting is composed of “left-over” energy that’s a repetitive playback of itself. Poltergeist activity is quite often thought to be the work of malicious spirits wanting to wreak havoc upon the living. Many people have reported crazy things happening, like personal items being misplaced without plausible reason. Example: Wrist watches being left on a nightstand before falling deep into slumber only to awake to them being mysteriously relocated to another part of the house or lights flickering, television sets turning on by themselves, doors opening and closing, etc. etc. On a more frightening note, poltergeists have been known to be more physical in nature, inflicting pain like hair being pulled, poking or jabbing and even scratching people. The list of poltergeist activity can be very extensive and seem almost “made-up”, but accounts like these and many others date back centuries, coming from stories of old. They are not to be taken lightly and can be quite detrimental for anyone involved. People of all religions and spiritual paths have experienced such encounters.

A common belief claims that poltergeists are demons or “evil ghosts” that possibly are here to torment the living. An alternate belief claims that the origin of poltergeists actually derives from the individual experiencing it. For instance, a severely depressed person who harbors a lot of pinned up pain and frustration. Unfortunately, the saddened individual can often get so wrapped up in their own depression, that whatever negative energies they have can unconsciously project outward, out of the person’s psyche and body and manifest into something malevolent, thus taking on it’s own consciousness. And by this happening, this newly formed entity can form what is known as a spirit attachment to the living individual who is being haunted.

Parapsychologists believe that poltergeist activity can be explained by a phenomenon known as psychokinesis which is an alleged psychic ability that allows an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. However, there is no proven evidence that validates the existence of psychokinesis.

A Grave Fear

“It’s the safest place in the world to be.” So often I hear this when it comes to the reference of cemeteries. Why? People always tell me it’s because the dead are not a part of the living any longer and it’s impossible for them to inflict harm to anyone. Then why is there such terror in the hearts of the individuals who suffer from coimetrophobia? Hmm… good question!

Coimetrophobia is the fear of cemeteries. Those who live with this phobia say that when they are in or around cemeteries, they experience shortness of breath, bodily shakes and breaking out in a sweat, just to name a few. More severe cases even experience heart palpitations and a sense of temporary paralyzation, preventing the sufferer to move. In fact, some people are so terrified by cemeteries that they avoid them all together.

Now, this is not a fear that has manifested itself only in recent years. It actually has been around for quite some time. Fear of the dead rising due to superstitious lore has plagued mankind throughout the ages. It has given birth to such creatures like zombies, vampires and other similar beings. And thanks to Hollywood, such frightening legends have been given a form of life across the silver screen. I, myself enjoy a hair-raising tale. I believe it keeps the blood pumping and the senses intact.

I personally do not have a fear of cemeteries. However, one night when I was much younger and while out with some friends, we went to an old church and cemetery that were way out in the middle of the countryside on an old gravelly road. The night was solemn as the moonlight shined on the top of each grave. We all walked among the headstones in search of anything that had the potential to frighten a bunch of teen girls. Nothing out of the ordinary was seen that I can recall, except for a small red glow viewable through the church’s window. Keep in mind that this church was not hooked up to any electricity. It even had an outhouse located at the back of its property. So, how was it possible to see the red light inside an old structure with graves dated back from the late 1800s?

We never investigated it, nor did any research relating to the site. We decided to keep our distance and leave it alone. But to think of that night still ponders me to this day.

Dreams of Grandeur or Nightmares of Fear?

Our subconscious reveals our deepest fears…. or does it?

When you sleep, do you have dreams of grandeur, or perhaps maybe even something of a darker origin? Has your deepest fear ever been revealed in a horrific nightmare?

Here’s something that might set your nerves on end. The word “nightmare” dates back from Old English times when the word “mare” referred to folkloric demons that terrorized people by sitting on their chests while the individuals slept, causing them to have haunting dreams. These so-called demons were often thought to be incubi and/or succubi. The prefix “night” was later added to articulate the dream condition.

Scary stuff, right?!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Instagram: @sheilareneeparker

My Aversion with the Ouija Board

More than two decades have passed since the night I played with the infamous Ouija Board. Thinking back, not really sure what was going through my head and what prompted me to attempt such nefarious communication. Perhaps the notion could have been given credit due to the thought of innocent play, but after witnessing a few things, there was nothing innocent proven about it.

It was at night and I was with two others. We were just three teenagers looking for something to do and there were no adults around. So, we lit some candles in the room we were in and also in the room next to us. The atmosphere was all aglow with amber lighting as we readied the spirit board. Once the planchette was placed, we silenced our speech and cleared our minds. With our fingers on the communicative tool, we asked our first question, “is there anyone here?”. Moments passed and nothing happened. We were patient and asked again. That’s when the planchette moved. Even though the movement was slight, it was still quite detected. Of course, we asked each other who was causing the action, but we all vowed that we weren’t responsible.

The room was beginning to feel a bit tense, but we decided to continue. We asked a few more questions like, “who are you?” and “when did you die?”…. the typical questions of curiosity. What we got in response seemed innocent enough. We were told that the spirit was a female who had died many years prior in a train wreck. That’s when I started to feel uneasy because we were at home, way out in the country and there weren’t any train tracks around for many miles.

Then, we asked if the spirit was there to cause us any harm and we were told “no”. After that, we proceeded to ask if the spirit ever thought about coming back as a living person in the form of reincarnation. It replied that it already had done that, meaning that it had already been reborn.

Our hearts raced and the looks on our faces were of shock and confusion, but we continued by asking “who have you been reincarnated into?” It answered with the name of an individual with whom I hold very, very dear…. someone that I knew in fact had not been inhabited by the spirit. We questioned the spirit on how it could have been reincarnated as someone we knew among the living, if they were communicating with us by use of the Ouija Board. A long, awkward pause lingered. There was no response through the planchette, but a candle that was sitting very securely in the center of a table in the next room, all of a sudden fell over, making a loud noise. There was no explanation to how the candle could have fallen because we were all three hovering over the spirit board and there was no one else in the house.

As frightened as we were, we asked the spirit one last question, “did you cause the candle to fall over?” It’s reply was, “yes”.

Immediately, we stopped playing with the Ouija Board and quickly put it away. The remainder of the night we stayed wide awake, too scared to sleep. To this day I don’t know what ever happened to that Ouija Board and I don’t really care, but I do know one thing for certain and that is…… I will never mess with a spirit board ever again.

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

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Men In Black

“Here come the men in black, the galaxy defenders……” ok, no worries, I’m not going to start singing the song. I’m sure Will Smith wouldn’t approve and luckily for you, by reading this, you’re not tortured by hearing my unmelodious voice. 😉 And I’m not here to talk about the hit film starring the very talented Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. However, I am a huge fan of their movies!

BUT……. I am talking about the supposedly real-life individuals known as the “Men In Black” (MIBs). Just like the Hollywood portrayals, these non-fictitious characters primarily wear black suits, white button-up shirts and black ties. They are reportedly some sort of secret organization that has been obviously denied by certain officials. It’s been said that the mysterious Men In Black appear anytime UFO sightings have been experienced. Why? Possible cover-up involvement? To insure that UFO witnesses remain quiet about what they have seen? By intimidating and threatening those who dare to speak publicly about any sort of UFO interactions?

Throughout recent decades, many supporters/investigators of ufology have supposedly been harassed and some have even died by mysterious causes. Are the MIBs to blame for all of this misfortune? Who knows?? It’s also alleged that the Men In Black have taped and recorded UFO hunters’ phones.

I personally have never experienced anything like this nor have I seen an alien or UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) of any kind. I’ve only witnessed shadow people, clairaudient experiences, touched by spirits and other paranormal encounters similar to those, but never aliens. I do know people who have claimed to have seen visitors from other planets, but none of them have ever told me about any visitors from the “Men In Black”.

So, do these well-dressed individuals actually exist or….??? I wouldn’t wanna find out…….

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

 

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