~Written By Bill Stone~

The clear thinkers of the paranormal need a voice. They need someone to come forward, and lead the way to progress. We have nobody. I mean, we have all these TV shows spewing their madness to millions of people, and those masses are following. They are following the teachings of these pseudo-scientists and pseudo-spiritualists blindly to the most absurd end while the clear thinkers watch the tube with clenched fists, and gritting teeth. We sit there and think to ourselves, “How could you televise this stuff? It’s not even close to objective!”

We sit, we watch, and we continue to wait for OUR voice, which may never come.

So, until we get our voice, I will continue to do the best I can to help matters. Some of you will want to send me negativity while others may appreciate it. Either way, I’ll be glad to talk it out with you. I really mean that.

Hopefully, by now you all have a pretty good grasp on the concept of having an open mind, and we can move onto deeper issues. Yeah, I know I’m probably asking too much, but for the sake of argument, I’m gonna assume that you ‘got it’. If not, go back, and reread the frickin’ thing until it sinks in.

There are a lot of different mind frames on the whole paranormal subject, and almost NONE of us see eye to eye. I’ve always thought that we were all on this voyage together. Unfortunately, I’ve recently realized that I’ve been wrong about it. We AREN’T in this together, as much as I would like us to be. On this journey, there are many people creating proverbial roadblocks in our path. We have to find a way to break down these barriers, or we can never move forward. To do that, we have to change our way of thinking, and sometimes do, or say things that are unpleasant or controversial.

In this ‘Dark Ages Series’, the plan is to HOPEFULLY get some us to reprogram ourselves, and how we view things in the paranormal community. As I’ve said, I’ve always thought that we should be working together. I now believe that to be the wrong idea. We’ve been working together since before 100 AD. We’ve learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I now say, “Lets call the whole thing off.”

I think after 1900 years of exploring the paranormal, it’s time to go another direction. It’s time to just finally accept he fact that people interested in the paranormal have different ideas concerning what they want out of the whole thing. We have different beliefs, and sensibilities. Lets face it, some belief structures, by their very nature are just NOT compatible with others. So, maybe we can try agreeing to disagree. Would that be so wrong instead of forcing people to fall in line?

Let’s find people who think like we do, and make progress with OUR people, as opposed to trying to convince people who ‘just don’t get it’. Are Christians ever going to convince hard core scientists of their idea on how the universe was ‘created’? Hell no, and why should scientists even consider listening? It’s not their cup of tea. Same goes the other way around. Scientists have no business trying to meddle in someones spiritual faith.

What I’ve done is, I’ve broken the paranormal community up into 5 separate groups. Everyone involved in the paranormal SHOULD be able to identify with one of these groups. Each group has its own merits and flaws. Each has its own pro’s and cons. They all have their own impact on the paranormal field.

I’m going to start with the MAIN 2 groups because they are the most important, and the foundation for all paranormal research. If there is going to be any progress in paranormal discovery, I believe it will come from one of these two mindsets. Make no mistake. These two groups are polar OPPOSITES. They can RARELY agree on anything. Perhaps it’s best that they don’t intermingle, as they don’t need one another to validate their own beliefs. These two groups are the ‘Spiritualists’ and the ‘Scientists’.

The Spiritualists
When I say spiritual, I’m talking about those that use their spiritual or religious beliefs to determine how they think, and react when dealing with something paranormal. I DO understand that just lumping all spiritualists together can be a bad thing, so don’t take this wrong. I know that there are a LOT of different frames of belief when it comes to the spiritual outlook. Everyone has their own religion and belief structures. There are Christians, Muslims, Wiccans, people who believe more in psychic stuff, sun worshipers, and even people that follow the teachings of Joe Pesci! BELIEVE ME, I get it. I’m not saying you’re all the same. I’m just saying that you’re different from the ’scientists’ in the way you deal with this.

People who take a strong spiritual stance on the paranormal often feel that scientists are closed minded, and blind to the idea that paranormal studies are spiritual in their nature. It’s common belief that removing that spiritual aspect could be counterproductive. It’s easy to assume that the scientists don’t respect their spiritual beliefs in this matter.

• Pros:
  It cannot be denied that the field is based on things that cannot always, or to be quite honest, can never be explained by science. Who better to explain it than those that thrive on the spirit? Where science hits a wall, the explanations can come from faith. It can be your faith in your religion, your ’spirit guides’, the sun… Really, wherever your heart is.
  Faith is something in my life that I wouldn’t know what to do without. Those of you that have a strong spiritual grounding, whatever your faith, will agree that it DOES help give you a sense of purpose, and something of a compass to lead you in the right directions.
  Because there are so many religions and belief structures, there are virtually infinite ways to explain paranormal events.
• Cons:
  The unfortunate thing is that many spiritualists take things too far, and force their spiritual beliefs on the rest of the paranormal community, as facts. NOBODY SHOULD EVER force their spiritual beliefs on others. How many wars have been started this way?
  Spiritualists often have a lack of objectivity. They often take their spiritual sensibilities to its closed minded end. Thats what faith is. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it doesn’t leave room for possibilities. That’s a bad thing in the paranormal field.
  Spiritualism and faith will produce no solid evidence of anything. No SOLID ‘facts’ will be obtained. Therefore, actual ‘investigations’ are not possible, or even necessary. This is not a ‘con’ per-se as it could be good or bad depending on your point of view. (I believe that trying to use science to prove or disprove someones spiritual beliefs or faith to be a BAD idea. It is disrespectful, and counterproductive. That’s just my opinion though. I figured I’d just throw it out there for ya.)
  Derek Acorah, Sylvia Brown, Paranormal State, and its sister show Psychic Kids…. MY GOD you people have the WORST role models. How do you EVER expect to gain any respect or headway in the field with people like this speaking for you?
  Bad policing. Scientists usually have no problem with calling a kettle black. If someone is trying to bullshit someone else… They usually get called out on it. This is not true of the Spiritualists. Because they usually respect everyone else’s beliefs and belief systems, they rarely call people out on their lies. “Oh well, they’re allowed to believe what they want, and I respect that.” NO! This paranormal field is to better ourselves, and learn. We can learn NOTHING by allowing people to lie, and spread crap around for other mindless people to listen to. Keep in mind, this is not to force others to believe like we do; this is to defend against bad information. How many people in the paranormal community are CLAIMING to be psychic, sensitive, a medium, or whatever? I would say a good 85 percent of the paranormal community. Is there something in the water? To you spiritual members of the community, the REAL ONES… I’m BEGGING you. PLEASE end this. Call these frauds out. They’re everywhere, on EVERY website forum spewing things that they overheard from someone else, equally clueless. Their egos are HUGE, and their mouths are even bigger. You legitimate psychics, and spiritualists have been virtually silenced by them. I say again, PLEASE end this. Do it for the whole community, and your own self respect. Police yourselves.

The Scientists
Scientists often refuse to see anything beyond the data that they have right in front of them, and have little patience for anything speculative that cannot be tested. Everything is black or white; up or down; right or wrong. Things either ‘are’, or ‘are not’. The only shade of gray is ‘uncertain’ or ‘unknown’. Theories and ideas are thrown around the paranormal field, and the Scientists either ‘accept’ them or ‘deny’ them based on experimentation, testing and the facts at hand… Scientific methodology is EXTREMELY simple. You make a hypotheses as an idea for what you’re doing. You then do studies, and tests to see if that hypotheses is correct or stupid. Once you do your tests, and you find out if you’re right or wrong… You do it AGAIN… And AGAIN. If you get the same results over and over again, it becomes a LAW…. A FACT.

Debunking IS scientific. You see what’s going on, you make a hypotheses as to a LOGICAL and NORMAL reason why you think it’s happening. You test that idea, and find out if you’re right or wrong. If you find out you’re right, it’s normal stuff, and you move on with your investigation. If you find out your hypotheses is wrong… Well… Thats even better in THIS field. This is where the fun begins.

• Pros:
  If they are objective, open minded, and intelligent, there is no arguing with their stance. THEY ARE RIGHT. They have solid physical reason for making any factual statement. They are often unquestionable. If they are wrong, because they are objective, they don’t have a problem with saying so, because it will only lead to further understanding of what they’re studying.
  If we are looking for solid FACTS accepted by the universe for ALL TIME…. This is the group that is going to find them. There can be no argument on that FACT.
• Cons:
  There are a LOT of people in the paranormal field who randomly claim to be scientific, yet have no clue what that actually means. The methodology I’d explained above… That goes right out the window.
  There are also members of the ’scientific community’ that… Well… I hate to put it this way but, lack the intelligence to really do the job. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that I’m an Einstein or anything, but I have to call things like I see it. Some people just don’t ‘get it’. They don’t understand the difference between being objective, open minded, or are just plain being dumb.
  Many “so called scientists” in the field use BAD information, and cut corners. Where do you think the idea about batteries being drained, and cold spots came from? Why are they considered facts in the paranormal community today? These scientists leaped to conclusions. A good scientist DOES NOT do that.
  Another problem with the scientific paranormal community is often their lack of spirituality. Yeah, I know… That sounds stupid, but I’m serious. Hear me out. Not to get personal, but I have strong Christian beliefs. My faith makes it possible for me to be able to see beyond the cold hard fact of science. In my heart, with my faith, I KNOW that there’s more out there. If I did not possess that spiritual heart, I would be like a navigator with a compass on a journey. Because I have a compass, I scientifically know my EXACT heading… But I have no idea what my destination is, or even if I’m the one that’s supposed to go on this Paranormal Odyssey in the first place. Bottom line, if you’re a disbeliever, or a cynic, you’re in the wrong field. Go study animals, or rockets, or something where there aren’t as many variables. For those of us who DO believe, and remain scientific, the message to YOU is, even if we don’t agree with them, we scientists need to show our Spiritualist brothers a little more respect.

The last thing I’m going to say about these two groups is that neither one is necessarily right or wrong. They’re just different. They have different ideas, and sensibilities that in the past 1900 years have PROVED to be incompatible. If you’re a part of one of these groups. I’m asking you. Please, help the other group if they ask for it. Otherwise, just stay out of their way, and let them go about their business.

Now for the other three groups… This is where a line gets drawn in the sand, and people are going to get angry with me. I’m going to toss a lot of stones here. You see, the Scientists, and the Spiritualists are the MINORITY. The MAJORITY are in these last three groups, and frankly have a tendency to harm the community, both directly and indirectly.

The Spectators
The ‘Spectators’ are exactly what the name implies. They are people who don’t SEEM to be directly involved with the paranormal community. They spend a lot of time watching paranormal reality programs, and developing their OWN opinions, and theories of what they think is really out there. There’s nothing wrong with that, as it’s simply human nature. They’re what many of you refer to as “Armchair Ghosthunters”. There are many websites dedicated to the Spectator, offering them ‘Ghost-Cams’ to view and discuss. These sites are very popular. And, why not?

• Pros:
  Many Spectators are people that are just discovering the paranormal, and may be interested in going deeper than just watching bad television. This is great. Some of them can go on to really help the community.
• Cons:
  Often times the Spectators only know what the television or other people ‘in the field’ tell them. They do no investigation or research on their own, and therefore add to the endless sea of bad information and lies.

The Pseudos
I gave these people the label of ‘Pseudos’ due to their dedication to no real belief structure or every belief structure. This group is probably majority of the paranormal field, unfortunately. You see, this group is neither spiritual, nor are they scientific. Either that, or they’re a hybrid of the two. It’s very difficult to have scientific credibility when you believe that ‘feeling energies’, or using dowsing rods is a viable method in scientific investigation. On the same note, how can you fully trust a spiritualists instincts when they feel that their beliefs need to be solidified with scientific data? Apparently, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. I call them the ‘Pseudos’ because their science is USUALLY flawed by it being diluted with spiritual beliefs. At best, it is pseudoscience. Their faith, or spiritual beliefs are also in question do to their use of scientific ideas. It’s pseudo-spirituality.

• Pros: (For the Pros, I’m going to play devils advocate against myself.)
  Here we have the best of both worlds.
  Scientific devices such as EMF meters, and thermometers can be used in conjunction with dowsing rods, and psychics. All of these ‘tools’ can lead us to information, and knowledge about the paranormal.
  The psychic mediums can go in, do their readings, and get the information. After that we can quantify it by doing research, and proving what the medium had discovered.
  If our EMF meter tells us of a place of interest, we can bring in our psychics to feel the place out, gather information, and maybe even make contact with the beyond.
• Cons:
  Here we have the worst of both worlds.
  They are the majority of the paranormal community. You reading this are probably one of them. They are also the most vocal of the community.
  They are responsible for bringing forth MOST of the bad theories, and beliefs that have stunted the progress of paranormal studies. (E.G. Drained batteries, Cold spots, ORBS, bad EVP translation)
  ‘Pseudos’ are often seen as Spiritualists or Scientists. They are neither. It is often hard to tell. Often times, even they don’t know.
  Whether it’s there or not, the 9 times out of 10 the ‘Pseudos’ WILL find a haunting. See, if their gadgets don’t detect it, their other methods will. I’ve seen hundreds of ‘Pseudo-investigator teams’ work like this. I used to be a member of one. I was ashamed to be a part of it.
  Most of their methodology doesn’t hold water in the scientific sense. For example, in the ‘pro’, “The psychic mediums can go in, do their readings, and get the information. After that we can quantify it by doing research, and proving what the medium had discovered.” Are we saying that we’re spending our time investigating the reliability of the psychic as opposed to the case itself? Why do we need to do this? Why not just do our research?
  If their spiritualism or faith is pure, why are the scientific gadgets and ‘methodology’ necessary?
  ‘Scientific’ paranormal investigators using spiritual methods, which are paranormal in and of themselves, is flawed methodology.

The Cynics
Many people mistakenly use the word ’skeptic’ when referring to these people. No. These people are not skeptics. Skepticism is healthy. It teaches you to question things, and look beyond what others tell you to believe. It’s a discipline that is forgotten almost entirely by the ‘Pseudos’ mentioned above. Cynics are different. Cynics are so blindly closed minded that they refuse to care to listen to the Spiritualists, and they feel the pseudoscience of the Scientists is ridiculous at best. They don’t believe in the paranormal. They will NEVER believe in the paranormal, or even the possibility of it. I see no reason to discuss them further.

• Pros:
  They are easily ignored.
• Cons:
  They have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to add to the paranormal community. Nothing paranormal exists. There’s no such thing as anything. What the hell can we learn from that? We can learn nothing from them.

Well, there you have it.

Those are my 5 segregated groups in the paranormal community. We need to find out which group we belong with, and learn how to help that group succeed in their goals. Continuing to butt heads as we have been for the past 1900 years HAS to end if we are going to move forward.

By now you’re probably either cheering for me, or wanting me dead. I’m sorry about that. I started this one by saying that we NEED a voice. We need someone to step forward, and work for progress, preferably in a lot more friendly manner than I just did.

And for the record… If I’m wrong, I challenge you to show me. Show me the error of my ways. I’m ALWAYS willing to rethink my convictions for the greater good. If you are intelligent, have a good argument, and are ALSO open to possibilities, I’ll be happy to hear you out. I mean this ABSOLUTELY sincerely. Maybe you can be the voice the community needs.

Let me know.

The Beyond Homepage
The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 1- Introduction To An Open Mind

~Written By Bill Stone~

People have been investigating ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal events since, believe it or not, before 100 AD. It would be only logical for one to assume that in all that time that we’d have made some headway in the field. That assumption would be dead wrong. We are in ‘The Dark Ages’ of the field, and moving beyond this dark time is proving to be a difficult, if almost impossible venture.

If you visit TheFreeDictionary.com, and look at their definition of ‘Dark Age’, you will see the definition as follows…

Dark Age (därk)
n.
1. also dark age
a. An era of ignorance, superstition, or social chaos or repression. Often used in the plural: a novel depicting the dark ages in the aftermath of a global war.
b. The early or crude stage in the history or development of something. Often used in the plural: back in the dark ages of radio technology.

Sound familiar?

We’re in the dark ages, people. Why?

Because 99.9 to 100 percent of the time when people see a ghost, or supposedly capture one on film, it doesn’t hold up to any degree of scrutiny. MOST of the time the people who capture these things haven’t taken the proper steps to really back up their claims, and therefore have no credibility whatsoever. Many investigators have bad methodology, or are unethical in the work they do. Many just want to get famous. This is a field FILLED with people who lie to themselves, and in effect, to each other. How can we move forward like that?

These are harsh words. But am I wrong? REALLY think about it.

Orbs anyone?

Before you label me a cynic, or a disbeliever, I want to make something absolutely clear. I am 100 percent convinced that there is something ‘out there’. I’ve seen with my own eyes, that which I believe to be proof of paranormal activity. I’m writing this series of articles from the perspective of a believer. I’m writing it as a believer who is very weary of closed minded individuals claiming to be ‘experts’ in a field with no established facts. These ‘experts’ teach their less than accurate gospel to mindless disciples who do not think for themselves, and take it at face value. They then pass on this bad information.

In this series of articles that I’m writing here, I’m going to say a lot of things that will rub some of you the wrong way. The truth is sometimes hard to hear, but it needs to be said. Agree or disagree. I just hope to make you think about this stuff.

The paranormal field of study is FAR from perfect. Do some research on some of the investigation teams out there. The field barely functions at all. We are making no progress. Everyone has their own belief, and way of doing things. Methods, and ethics are rarely agreed upon. Are we spiritual ghost hunters, or scientific investigators? What constitutes actual evidence of a paranormal event? What are ghosts really? Those are all deeper issues that I’ll get to in other articles. For now, I intend to focus on what I believe to be the root cause of the biggest thorn in the side of paranormal progress.

That thorn is the lack of an open mind.

What does it mean to be open-minded?

The dictionary says that it means, “Having or showing receptiveness to new and different ideas or the opinions of others.” I’d call this definition true, but I think that in the field of paranormal studies, this concept must be more clearly defined, and go a little deeper because so many of us are confused on the subject.
Saying that you believe in ghosts, and the paranormal DOES NOT mean that you’re open-minded. I’ve found that it often means the EXACT opposite within the paranormal community. You see, the problem in the paranormal community, is that many of us take our spiritual beliefs, or lack thereof to an unhealthy extent. Our personal beliefs make us closed minded to other possibilities.

In the past 25 or so years the paranormal field has adopted a LOT of “rules and facts” that have been brought forth by ghost hunters and their PERSONAL beliefs. These ‘rules and facts’ have spread throughout the paranormal community like a virus. Most, if not ALL of these ‘rules and facts’ are as closed minded as the statement, “theres no such thing as ghosts.” Hunters and investigators take this information, they use it, and pass it on. They take these closed minded things as truth, and base their own research around them, cursing progress to a standstill.

Here are a few examples of closed-mindedness from both the scientific & spiritual mindsets:

You should always say a prayer before an investigation to protect yourself from spirits.
A lot of teams, and sites preach this as one of their MAIN rules of the trade. Many take it as something that they MUST do. There is, however no evidence supporting that this is going to work in any way. Yeah, its POSSIBLE, so the prayer can’t hurt. The fact remains that we have NO IDEA what we’re really dealing with in the paranormal. With an open mind to that truth, the possibilities are virtually endless. Saying a few words of protection may not be adequate. I’m a religious person myself. I feel that religious and spiritual beliefs are a good thing, but if you’re looking for unquestionable fact, look somewhere else. If you’re a Christian, Wiccan, Muslim, Psychic, or or someone who possess any other type of religious or spiritual belief, I’m sure you KNOW that forcing them on others who do not share in your beliefs is ALWAYS wrong. (No matter how helpful you may think it is.)

Ghosts need energy, and will drain the batteries in your equipment in order to manifest themselves.
It IS a fact that during investigations batteries used in cameras, EMF meters, and other electronic devices will often go from fully charged, to completely dead in a matter of seconds. I’ve seen it happen, and if you’ve spent any time in the field, so have you. Someone, at one point said that ‘ghosts need energy, and they’re taking it from the batteries’. We have ABSOLUTELY ZERO evidence to back this theory up. This is only an idea or a theory that seems to fit the fact. In truth, we have no idea why the batteries go dead so quickly. Unfortunately, because so many people has taken this ‘theory’ as a fact over the years, they have no inclination to try to find out the REAL reason this happens. For all we know, it COULD be the truth. Then again, it might not. Until we open our minds, and start to question the things that we’re TOLD by others, we’ll never know.

To gain energy, spirits will use ambient energy in the air leaving a ‘cold spot’.
This is basically the same thing as the ‘battery theory’. If you’ve done an investigation, I’m sure you’ve felt at least one ‘cold spot’. Maybe your infrared thermometer even helped you document it. Does it mean that a paranormal event has taken place, or a ghost has sucked up the heat in the air? HELL NO. This theory SOUNDS great, but again, we have absolutely NOTHING to back it up. If you take this theory as a fact, you’ve made your decision. You see no need to investigate the ‘cold spot’ phenomenon any further. What if the theory is wrong? I admit, that even I follow this idea because I have nothing else to go on. But what if we’re wrong? It is very possible that we have no clue what the hell we’re talking about. If we’re wrong, how far off course has these sort of ‘theories’ led us because we don’t question them?

The best time to hunt for ghosts are between this time, and that time. (Everyone seems to have a different opinion on what times to use.) These are the psychic hours where spirits are most likely to be captured.
This one is just stupid. It states that paranormal events and ghosts are on a timetable, and that there are certain times of the day in which they are most active. How closed minded can you be to follow this? What about the other hours of the day? Can you REALLY say with ANY degree of certainty that paranormal events aren’t as possible during other time frames? Do you realize how much information you may be losing by following this idea? I understand if you have psychic beliefs or beliefs in this sort of idea. That’s cool, but in this case, it’s clearly getting in the way with research that someone can learn from. How do we know that ghosts even view time the same way we do? How do we know that the times are accurate? How do time zones factor in? There are too many questions to take this seriously.

There are tons of these little ‘facts and rules’ all over the Internet on various paranormal websites, far too many for me to list them all. The point is that if you take each one of them, ask questions, and break them apart, you’ll find that very few, if any hold water. Again, that doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. It just means that we don’t have the answers yet, and that we should keep looking.

It’s okay to be ignorant. It’s okay to not have the answers. Embrace that. You don’t want to be the guy that has all the answers. Someone who has all the answers is incapable of learning. (and usually delusional)

Many paranormal theories and ideas are believed so strongly by so many people that they are accepted as facts. Facts are absolutes. They are UNQUESTIONABLE. Absolutes leave no room for possibilities. The paranormal field has almost infinite possibilities. This is why it is so captivating to so many of us.

The cure to this epidemic of closed-mindedness is thinking in terms of possibilities instead of absolutes. Remember, that as stated before, the paranormal investigation, or ghost hunting field, has no established facts, so if you hear someone calling themselves or someone else an ‘expert’, or giving you a FACT about something paranormal… You should probably think for yourself, and take the information with a boulder of salt.

The Beyond Homepage

The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 2- Paranormal Segregation

~Written By Pattyhap1863~    

What is happening in the paranormal world? We are surrounded by ‘sensitives’ and ‘psychics’ who reassure us that our loved ones passed on and they are in heaven, smiling upon and watching over us. While I think this is comforting and believe it to a certain degree, I do have a lot of difficulty accepting this as entirely true, especially if the person who is telling me this is being paid a large sum of money.

All around us we see a great many names of ‘famous’ psychics charging astronomical sums of money. Some of them hold ‘conference séances’ for a great many people in an auditorium or large room. In fact, many people form long lines, in order to get to these conferences. Of course, there are times when the tickets are sold out. So what do you do then? Well go online, of course! You can find information about the said psychic, as they will normally have a website which will inform you of the steps you take to get your own personal reading. One of these steps will invariably be how to pay for their services.

Now, I’m not against payment for services. Of course, one has to make a living. What really annoys me, however, is that these people charge vast amounts of money to play the role of psychologists in many cases, without having gone to medical school. So, you argue, what’s wrong with that if it comforts a person? I would answer nothing, if it was a one-time deal. However, these psychics hone in on people who are truly lonely and desperate, and manipulate their readings in a way that keeps the ball rolling, and the client (or should I say victim?) is left needing more and more, and will continue returning and paying for the service.

So why are we listening to them? The human being is a wonderful creature, with a great capacity for optimism. It is all too common that the client will latch onto the two or three things that are mentioned to him which are true, or come true, but forget all the mistakes and misinformation. The only thing the psychic has to do is guess correctly ONCE, and he will be one step on the right track, slowly gaining the client’s trust in him. Once we put our trust and belief in someone, all too often we open up and start supplying the psychic with information about ourselves, making their job so much easier. With this feedback we give a lot about our character away, and by observing this, along with our body language, it is easy for the psychic to piece together even the smallest of details, and can then offer us a ‘credible’ reading. We may laugh at TV shows like “Psych”, but the fact is that there are many psychics out there that do pretty much the same things that Shawn Spencer, the lead character in the show does, and they can make a great living out of it!

The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse

What about speaking with the dead? There are some psychics who claim to be able to do this. This may be true or not, but I do believe that some of them are sincere and believe they do this wholeheartedly. There are many others that are not entirely honest, and use this ‘power’ to get into a grieving person’s moneybag. This is despicable and should be avoided at all costs. What is worse is that the dead person, who is presumably communicating with the living, is long gone and cannot be asked directly if he means this or said this. There is no way to get confirmation at all. These psychics prey on people with money, but sometimes will also prey on people who don’t have a whole lot of money as well. Many of them are con-artists who set up phony séances and do their homework, researching their clients and even going through their garbage cans in order to get information.

So how can we tell if the psychic is fake or not? First of all, be wary of those who ask a lot of questions…and NEED answers. A true psychic will often blurt out things and not ask anything at all if possible. Secondly if the psychic makes a general statement that can be true, like “You have a good life, but lately you have had a great many problems”, or “You enjoy going out, but sometimes feel lonely”, you can bet your bottom dollar that this one is not entirely the real deal! Be careful if they tell you that the séance may have to be repeated once or more times.

There are also psychics or sensitives in paranormal teams as well. A few of them are an asset to their teams and are truly gifted. But as with all the others, there are many of them who can fake information and completely ruin an otherwise good paranormal investigation. Some of them suffer from over-bloated egos and insist that all the paranormal activity is around them all the time. Others will put on a show and give out details of violence, murder and bloody gore. And many others may tell you it will take some time to ‘remove’ the spirits from your home, thus ensuring two, three or more visits. You can be sure that these will be asking for a fee for the ‘cleansing’ too!

So what about the true psychics? Do they exist at all? Of course they do. But they are not easy to find and are overshadowed by the famous, flashy ones. A true psychic will seldom ask you for money, and if he does, it will be a very small fee. A true psychic will not plague you with questions or endless visits. A true psychic will not perform on demand, but spontaneously. Most of all, a true psychic will be compassionate and caring, and will often try to help you without asking for anything in return. Does all this sound familiar? If it does, then you are in touch with someone that has a special gift. For it is a gift that is not meant to be stepped on or muddied. It is a gift that is meant to help, and bring peace and comfort to others.

In this era that we are living, where computers and communications take precedence over the spiritual, we discover that communications lack understanding, and computers lack sympathy. It suddenly all becomes a race for money and power. In the midst of all this, human beings are on a constant quest: The quest to find answers to mysteries that have not yet been solved through science and technology. This is one of the reasons why psychics are believed in. We trust our senses and forget another sense, the sixth sense. If you ‘feel’ something is not right about someone, then listen to your inner voice and walk away. Above all, before consulting a psychic, read up on him or her, watch video clips on them, and get all the information you can before embarking on a reading or séance. Do all you can to make sure you don’t fall into ‘the wrong hands’ and you may just find the right one for you.

~Written By Bill Stone~    

There are over a million different stories like The Bloody Mary Legend out there. EVERY small town all over the world seems to have its own version of it. The Legend, has a buttload of names that seem to be different everywhere you go. Bloody Mary and Mary Worth are the most common. Sometimes, it isn’t even Mary, but the Devil himself.

Where I come from, in New Castle Pennsylvania, she was known as “Mary Black.” Kids would turn off all of the lights, look into the mirror, and say mean things like, “we have your children, Mary Black,” or something. Usually, all they succeeded in doing was getting themselves so scared that, they’d end up crapping themselves. Good thing they were already in the bathroom, huh?
  
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to New Castle, but if memory serves me correctly, she was supposed to be a witch or something that was burnt at the stake after her children were taken from her. I really can’t remember. The point is, that it’s probably a different story than what you’ve been told, yet oddly familiar.
 
Who was she really?
I’ve done a little research, and unfortunately, it seems that the truth of the legend was lost over the years. That’s the problem with stories like this. Everyone adopted their own little spin on the story. Over time, as they pass from generation to generation, and from person to person, they become more and more exaggerated to the point that no one knows where falsehoods end and truth begins. We may never KNOW the truth.

There are a few sites that explore her origins. I’m not going to take their stuff and rehash everything they’ve said, and most will tell you the same old crap about the thing. It all leads to the same stories that seem to make no sense, or the inclusion of Queen Mary Tudor.

Queen Mary I Of England

I’m not going to go into some super long and boring history lesson about Queen Mary Tudor. I mean, if you’re really THAT interested, you can look it up on sites that are dedicated to her personally. All I’m really interested in, for this site, is her connection to the ‘Mirror Witch’, Bloody Mary.

Queen Mary I of the Tudor dynasty ruled England and Scotland from 1553 to 1558. During that time, her biggest project was an attempt to reestablish Roman Catholicism in England which led to the name, “Bloody Mary”.

Mary died at age 42. It is probable that she died of cancer, but it is not 100 percent certain. Many believe that it was actually ovarian cancer. She didn’t have a very long reign. It was only about 5 years. Her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I succeeded her, and reversed Mary’s efforts to reestablish Roman Catholicism in England.

Connections
Why is she connected with the Bloody Mary legend?

The Children
The Bloody Mary Legend: The Bloody Mary legend throughout the world has a very common theme of the ‘woman’ in the mirror and her children. People often use taunts regarding her children to summon her. “I have your children” and so forth.
Queen Mary I:  She never had any children. She tried many times, and had multiple miscarriages, or false pregnancies. It has been said that producing an heir was extremely important to her, but she could never make it happen.

The Name
The Bloody Mary Legend: The name ‘Mary’ seems to be the REAL constant with most of the legends. Adding the word ‘Bloody’ to it seems to be an afterthought in many cases. Names like Mary Worth, or other variations are also used. There seems to be too many to count.
Queen Mary I: This woman actually earned the name ‘Bloody Mary’ in her lifetime. She is known as the Queen that brought Roman Catholicism back to England. She had almost 300 Protestant dissenters burnt at the stake.

The Mirror
The Bloody Mary Legend: There is very little room for doubt that mirrors or other reflective surfaces are an important aspect of The Bloody Mary Legend. Pretty much ALL variations of the legend incorporate them.
Queen Mary I: Mirrors and Queen Mary Tudor, based on my own research have no connection to speak of.  

My Personal Opinion On The Queen Regarding The Legend
I have to say… At this point, I don’t think that Queen Mary I of England has ANYTHING to do with the Bloody Mary Legend that we’re talking about on this website. It just doesn’t make sense. The thing, whatever it is, that people are seeing in their mirrors, to me, based on what I’ve learned, doesn’t seem to have ANY real connection with the Queen, aside from the name.

I DO believe that the name itself came from her. I think that the legend somehow got confused with the Queen Mary I history, and people over time merged BOTH stories into one.

This is just my theory.

Does ritual really matter?
The things that people say, and the rituals people use to conjure her change with each legend as well. In some of them you have to do the ritual at 3AM while spinning on your head, and eating a ham sandwich. Then, and ONLY then will she come through the mirror, and kick you in the nuts.

Like I had stated before, the stories are different, yet the main points remain  prevalent throughout almost all of the legends.

A psycho woman, supposedly named Mary, comes through the mirror to do harm to someone who is chanting her name, or taunting her in some way. All legends seem to agree on that.

I’ve heard a LOT of stories about odd things appearing in mirrors while someone was trying to conjure her, too many to count. And, believe me, they all didn’t have the same back story, and I’m sure the ritual they used to bring her forward was different as well.

So the real question is, does it really matter what legend you’ve heard, and what ritual you use?

Doesn’t look like it matters at all, which is an unsettling thought.

If the ritual doesn’t matter, is it possible for something to pass through the mirror without any help from us?

Is this idea REALLY far too removed from reality?

It’s a common belief that mirrors can be used in other applications, divination for example.

If you believe that divination is possible by scrying in a mirror, the next logical conclusion would be that there’s something about a mirror that either amplifys ones own abilities, or possesses some of its own, conceivably both.  So, which is it?  What’s in there?  What’s on the other side of that portal? Something has to be there, right?  Too many people have reported seeing something.  Is it possible for them to ALL be wrong?

Somehow, I doubt it.

If you’re interested in more reading about The Bloody Mary Legend, please visit our Main Bloody Mary Page. This article is just a condensed version of that.

Or, you can visit our Bloody Mary Legend Archive. Readers from all over the globe have submitted their hometown versions of the legend.

Or, you can Submit Your Own.

Every now and then, I intend to adapt(and condense) pages on The Beyond into articles for the readers on the RSS feed. This is the first. I hope you liked it.

~Written By Danielle Lee~    

Long gnarled horns protruding from his sinister head, hooves dripping with blood and evil. Hot red skin that enjoys and absorbs the heat that oozes from the torrid depths of hell. Whips slash and echo in the caverns of hate and the embers of fire burn unceasingly never allowing the ash to form. Cries of pain and unending torture reverberate off the walls of eternal agony.

The devil has long since been the nemesis of the light and goodness in the world. Born from the pages of the most ancient best seller, his plague of existence has been the bane of our mortal fears for thousands of years. His minions create terror in our conscious and subconscious for fear they will erode and devour our soul, consuming our very material reality and forever owning our soul.

He has been bestowed with many an alias over the centuries, from Lucifer to Satan to Beelzebub and Belial, all spark fear and terror in the hearts and souls of those who give him credence.

Religion and the bible maintain that specific rules, regulations and general moral attitudes must be strictly followed or the consequences will be a dire and horrible eternal existence with this monstrosity. A tyrannical and morbidly petty god from above will banish his beloved children’s souls forever to suffer their disobedience against him.

Why do humans inflict this sort of thinking and belief system upon themselves simply because a book told them so?

Imagine yourself back in the time of Greek mythology when there was a specific god for nearly every element and force in nature. The gods of fire, war, water, earth and sun. The Greeks had well over thirty major gods not to mention the vast array of minor gods and goddesses. By today’s standards, these whimsical storybook gods of old are considered obsolete and even silly, but the people of that timeframe believed with all of their hearts and souls in these fairytale archetypes. Imagine yourself trying to explain to them about your own vastly different belief system and how they may react.

Now picture yourself a thousand or more years in the future, do you think the beliefs and ideals of this new era will vastly disagree with your own era’s? Do you think a highly evolved society will have a more advanced and logical state of awareness.

It’s a very distinct probability that they will have conquered the ideas and concepts of the twenty first centuries fears and mass illusions of an evil underlord.

In regards to exorcisms and demonic minions who possess the unwilling human soul, consider this, babies and animals never seem to ever be afflicted with this atrocity. The apparent possessions and horrific experiences of demonic infliction seem to only resonate with those at a certain level of consciousness.

A baby for example has no verbal capabilities nor understanding of judgement, bibles or demons until a much later age. Animals have no comprehension whatsoever of any moral or restrictive bylaws, therefore do not qualify as possession potentials for the wayward demon. A victim must have verbal understanding and self awareness for the darkness to be able to manipulate them. They prey on the weak who have been taught to only think or act with permission.

The devil is merely a late night fable told by those who wish to control the masses by fear and restriction. Enlightenment and positive self awareness is the only cure for the malady of dis-ease of society. 

Copyright Danielle Lee All Rights Reserved 2008