It's a popular plot device in fiction, certainly, from the 'rationally' explainable Hound of the Baskervilles to the somewhat New Age movie Ghost Cat.
And people in real life have claimed to have encounters with ghostly animals. Some may have no close connection to the storyteller, such as those who say that they've seen the ghost of England's last bear near Verdley Castle. Others have closer connects, such as those who say they've been visited by a much beloved pet.
This all makes for wonderful storytelling, but to me the veracity is suspect. For one thing, I'm Catholic and Catholic teaching is that animals do not have immortal souls. It is the immortal soul that is a ghost. Of the known creatures with a physical existence only humans have this.
Animals do have a spirit, but it is a temporal spirit that ceases to exist once the animal dies.
That isn't to say that something like an animal ghost couldn't exist, but it would probably be accompanied by human 'ghosts'.
What I'm referring to is emotional imprinting on an area. This is a phenomenon where there are such strong, violent emotions involved that what might be a called a recording of the event is left behind. If animals are involved then it seems reasonable to conclude that the image of the animals would be left as well.
These are not actual ghosts, however. Only images of an event. They can not interact and the sequence does not change.
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dowsing Rods: Defined
Enter "dowsing rods" into Google and you get a wide variety of results. The same is true for the alternate spelling "dousing rods". They are also sometimes called "divining rods" a term I object to except in for one of the definitions.
First I should probably describe what a dowsing rod looks like. There are a few varieties.
The first one that I'll describe is the one I'm most familiar with and I think the one least prone to human error and/or faking.
(This image is taken from "The Rock Town Weekly.")
This is one way to hold a dowsing rod when dowsing for water, oil, or minerals. There are other, more awkward, ways to hold it to further insure that the user can't manipulate the rod himself.
Usually the objective is the find water, thus the name "water witching." I think the 'witching' part has more to do with witch hazel being the traditional wood used rather than any association with actual witches.
It must be made clear that I do not consider this variety of dowsing to be supernatural in nature. It has been given supernatural overtones, however, by the use of prayers to 'influence' the actions of the rods and other rituals. This is a grave error and is why, I think, most Catholic resources put together by the laity say that dowsing rods should not be used.
Also, though it has been used for such, do not use a dowsing rod of any variety to look for lost objects. The traditional use of a dowsing rod is searching out the geological location of water, oil, or minerals. Just being lost doesn't make an item unique enough to trigger any sort of reaction by a non-intelligent object and therefore any reactions that do occur should be suspect!
There, I used an exclamation mark. It's a very important point and I think it deserves the emphasis.
(This image is from "UK Skeptics.">
This is probably the most popular type of dowsing rod and is used not only for water witching but also the detection and communication with spirits. They are often sold along side pendulums of various mysterious shapes and may come with books on the paranormal and spirit communication. The idea is that they will cross, like in the picture, when near a supernatural 'entity.' In communication with such entities the position of the rods indicates either a 'yes' or 'no' answer. The user often states which position is which before asking the question.
What they actually are is a pair of metal (usually brass) rods bent in the shape of an L. The short bit, which is grasped, may of may not have comfortable wood handle covers.
Assuming, as most ghost hunters do, that spirits and other paranormal phenomena are accompanied by strong elector-magnetic fields, the copper rods actually makes some sense. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and copper is, after all, used in electrical wiring. Depending on the proportion of copper (and perhaps the addition of silver) used, brass can be an excellent conductor of electricity. It also indicated to me that having something other than wood between these electrical conduits and your bare skin might be a good idea. (Rubber gloves come to mind.)
Then groups go and say you can make your own rods out of old coat hangers. *sigh* I guess their brand of spiritualism is more important than believability.
I would be most interested in seeing how a professionally made set of dowsing rods react to a known electro-magnetic field. If anyone is willing to spend the time and money to find out, let me know the results.
*Never* under *any* circumstances use this to contact or otherwise interact with ghosts! It is a really, really stupid idea and one that I covered in Opening the Gate: The Dangers of Divination.
Not only that, but if you happen to be Catholic it breaks standing Church rules. I haven't been able to find details from an official source, but it seems that except in the case of water witching (and then only if no supernatural forces are called upon) use of dowsing rods is forbidden. If that is the official stance I can't say for certain. The word dowsing does not appear anywhere on the official Vatican site.*
* Yes, the Vatican has a web site. *Everyone* is on the web!
First I should probably describe what a dowsing rod looks like. There are a few varieties.
The first one that I'll describe is the one I'm most familiar with and I think the one least prone to human error and/or faking.
(This image is taken from "The Rock Town Weekly.")This is one way to hold a dowsing rod when dowsing for water, oil, or minerals. There are other, more awkward, ways to hold it to further insure that the user can't manipulate the rod himself.
Usually the objective is the find water, thus the name "water witching." I think the 'witching' part has more to do with witch hazel being the traditional wood used rather than any association with actual witches.
It must be made clear that I do not consider this variety of dowsing to be supernatural in nature. It has been given supernatural overtones, however, by the use of prayers to 'influence' the actions of the rods and other rituals. This is a grave error and is why, I think, most Catholic resources put together by the laity say that dowsing rods should not be used.
Also, though it has been used for such, do not use a dowsing rod of any variety to look for lost objects. The traditional use of a dowsing rod is searching out the geological location of water, oil, or minerals. Just being lost doesn't make an item unique enough to trigger any sort of reaction by a non-intelligent object and therefore any reactions that do occur should be suspect!
There, I used an exclamation mark. It's a very important point and I think it deserves the emphasis.
(This image is from "UK Skeptics.">This is probably the most popular type of dowsing rod and is used not only for water witching but also the detection and communication with spirits. They are often sold along side pendulums of various mysterious shapes and may come with books on the paranormal and spirit communication. The idea is that they will cross, like in the picture, when near a supernatural 'entity.' In communication with such entities the position of the rods indicates either a 'yes' or 'no' answer. The user often states which position is which before asking the question.
What they actually are is a pair of metal (usually brass) rods bent in the shape of an L. The short bit, which is grasped, may of may not have comfortable wood handle covers.
Assuming, as most ghost hunters do, that spirits and other paranormal phenomena are accompanied by strong elector-magnetic fields, the copper rods actually makes some sense. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and copper is, after all, used in electrical wiring. Depending on the proportion of copper (and perhaps the addition of silver) used, brass can be an excellent conductor of electricity. It also indicated to me that having something other than wood between these electrical conduits and your bare skin might be a good idea. (Rubber gloves come to mind.)
Then groups go and say you can make your own rods out of old coat hangers. *sigh* I guess their brand of spiritualism is more important than believability.
I would be most interested in seeing how a professionally made set of dowsing rods react to a known electro-magnetic field. If anyone is willing to spend the time and money to find out, let me know the results.
*Never* under *any* circumstances use this to contact or otherwise interact with ghosts! It is a really, really stupid idea and one that I covered in Opening the Gate: The Dangers of Divination.
Not only that, but if you happen to be Catholic it breaks standing Church rules. I haven't been able to find details from an official source, but it seems that except in the case of water witching (and then only if no supernatural forces are called upon) use of dowsing rods is forbidden. If that is the official stance I can't say for certain. The word dowsing does not appear anywhere on the official Vatican site.*
* Yes, the Vatican has a web site. *Everyone* is on the web!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Not all things creepy are supernatural: Ghost photos
One of the great mainstays of paranormal research, serious and otherwise, is the ghost caught on film. Usually that film is a set of still images showing a vague, misty shape, like a blob. Some are more spectacular. And much more scary.
There's a Video on YouTube that sets a slide show of such photos to appropriately creepy music.
But are they real? Any of them? I really can't say, though I would have to say that there's a pretty good chance that at least some of them are fake. (I'd even be willing to bet a few cents that most are.)
The thing is that ghost photos are very easy to fake. Particularly for an online audience. There's even a website on How to make a fake ghost photo.
It's really very complete, including such classics as cellophane over the lens and more high-tech Photoshop techniques.
The one they don't cover is the double exposure. This is great at getting ghostly effects, and I suspect the source of a lot of the photos in the above slide show.
There's a Video on YouTube that sets a slide show of such photos to appropriately creepy music.
But are they real? Any of them? I really can't say, though I would have to say that there's a pretty good chance that at least some of them are fake. (I'd even be willing to bet a few cents that most are.)
The thing is that ghost photos are very easy to fake. Particularly for an online audience. There's even a website on How to make a fake ghost photo.
It's really very complete, including such classics as cellophane over the lens and more high-tech Photoshop techniques.
The one they don't cover is the double exposure. This is great at getting ghostly effects, and I suspect the source of a lot of the photos in the above slide show.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Angels 101
We seem to have a very odd view of angels now, don't we? They're either cute little kids a la "Precious Moments" or sylph-like women in flowing gowns.
But what are angels really like?
For one thing, they aren't female, or male. As non-corporeal entities things like that are meaningless. No need to reproduce if you don't die, you know?
In the Bible angels always appear as young men, probably as a matter of convenience. (It'd look rather odd to Abraham if three women came wandering into his camp.)
Another thing, and this is very important, angels are not to be worshiped. If you ever run into an angel that is fine with being worshiped he's working for the wrong side.
(I use the pronoun 'he' as a matter of convenience. 'It' makes them sound like they aren't people.)
As long as I'm on the subject I should also point out that even though when we say 'angel' we usually mean the ones working for God, demons are angels too. Fallen angels, specifically.
This is very important to know because real demons aren't red with goat legs and horns. In fact, they can appear like anything. Because of this it's best to test any spiritual visitors you may have.
Yeah, the chances of you having a visit like this are extremely slim, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.
A very basic test is to throw holy water at the entity. Assuming it's visible, of course. If there's no reaction then the visitor is most likely one of the good guys. If there is a reaction you could be in a world of trouble. Better start reciting the St. Michael's Prayer, The Lord's Prayer, or any other prayer you happen to know. Contacting a priest would be a good idea, too.
Common reactions include, but are not limited to, unearthly screaming, violent poltergeist activity, and boiling of the holy water.
And one last thing to finish up this post on angels. Humans do not become angels when they die. Angels started out as angels. Humans stay human even after their physical form stops working.
But what are angels really like?
For one thing, they aren't female, or male. As non-corporeal entities things like that are meaningless. No need to reproduce if you don't die, you know?
In the Bible angels always appear as young men, probably as a matter of convenience. (It'd look rather odd to Abraham if three women came wandering into his camp.)
Another thing, and this is very important, angels are not to be worshiped. If you ever run into an angel that is fine with being worshiped he's working for the wrong side.
(I use the pronoun 'he' as a matter of convenience. 'It' makes them sound like they aren't people.)
As long as I'm on the subject I should also point out that even though when we say 'angel' we usually mean the ones working for God, demons are angels too. Fallen angels, specifically.
This is very important to know because real demons aren't red with goat legs and horns. In fact, they can appear like anything. Because of this it's best to test any spiritual visitors you may have.
Yeah, the chances of you having a visit like this are extremely slim, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.
A very basic test is to throw holy water at the entity. Assuming it's visible, of course. If there's no reaction then the visitor is most likely one of the good guys. If there is a reaction you could be in a world of trouble. Better start reciting the St. Michael's Prayer, The Lord's Prayer, or any other prayer you happen to know. Contacting a priest would be a good idea, too.
Common reactions include, but are not limited to, unearthly screaming, violent poltergeist activity, and boiling of the holy water.
And one last thing to finish up this post on angels. Humans do not become angels when they die. Angels started out as angels. Humans stay human even after their physical form stops working.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Opening the Gate: The Dangers of Divination
One of the most popular forms of divination is the Ouija Board, perhaps because it's been sold as a children's game by Parker Brothers.
Whatever the tool, though, any form of divination opens a gateway. It welcomes in spirits to answer questions, particularly about the future.
This sort of thing is strictly forbidden by the Catholic Church.
"All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future.[48] Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone." (Catholic Catechism, paragraph 2116)
The story some might know from the Bible dealing with the summoning of spirits is how Kind Saul consulted a medium so that he could speak with the prophet Samuel. The first thing Samuel says is, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" (1 Samuel, 28:15 Revised Standard Edition)
But if you are not a Catholic, or of any other Christian denomination, what reason do you have not to consult spirits?
Perhaps first I should mention that I think the Ouija board is the most dangerous of the divination tools I know of.
This is why.
To use the board two or more people touch the planchette and it seems to move under its own power. One theory is that the users move the planchette with their subconscious, another is that spirits are involved.
Either way, the very fact that it must touched by human hands to work indicates that those bodies must be involved in controlling the planchette. But is the mind of the humans in control or someone else?
It is because of this that many people have rituals to protect them when using the board. It might be as simple as a positive attitude, avoiding certain times of day or weather conditions, or even placing up sacred barriers.
The thing is, no matter what walls you have in place the Ouija board is a door. So when you start the session there's a gaping hole in your protective barriers and you no longer have control over which spirit answers first.
Also, spirits can lie. Especially if the spirit that comes to call is demonic in nature. It seems very silly, even arrogant, to think that we'd get honest answers whenever we consult the spirits.
Repeated use of divination tools can make the door harder to close, too. The stories most often seem to involve people who didn't take the tool seriously to begin with, but to me 'taking the tool seriously' involves not using it at all. Why take the chance?
There is one story of a girl who's Ouija board made the furniture in her room shake. One of the kids involved eventually moved on to Tarot cards, and found them "wonderfully insightful" (Tarot for Teens) but I beg to differ.
The only difference with Tarot cards is that rather than controlling the human's body, the spirits manipulate the cards. There is still nothing to keep the spirit from lying. And there's still nothing to keep the spirit from manipulating the human's mind. A charming speaker with a manipulative nature can do a lot of things.
I recommend strongly that you never try to contact spirits this way. If you have ghost in your home that you believe desires help passing over, don't you think the spirit would contact you? They can talk, after all. It's the spirits that you can only contact through an intermediary that you have to worry about. That's why such things are forbidden.
Resources:
Whatever the tool, though, any form of divination opens a gateway. It welcomes in spirits to answer questions, particularly about the future.
This sort of thing is strictly forbidden by the Catholic Church.
"All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future.[48] Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone." (Catholic Catechism, paragraph 2116)
The story some might know from the Bible dealing with the summoning of spirits is how Kind Saul consulted a medium so that he could speak with the prophet Samuel. The first thing Samuel says is, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" (1 Samuel, 28:15 Revised Standard Edition)
But if you are not a Catholic, or of any other Christian denomination, what reason do you have not to consult spirits?
Perhaps first I should mention that I think the Ouija board is the most dangerous of the divination tools I know of.
This is why.
To use the board two or more people touch the planchette and it seems to move under its own power. One theory is that the users move the planchette with their subconscious, another is that spirits are involved.
Either way, the very fact that it must touched by human hands to work indicates that those bodies must be involved in controlling the planchette. But is the mind of the humans in control or someone else?
It is because of this that many people have rituals to protect them when using the board. It might be as simple as a positive attitude, avoiding certain times of day or weather conditions, or even placing up sacred barriers.
The thing is, no matter what walls you have in place the Ouija board is a door. So when you start the session there's a gaping hole in your protective barriers and you no longer have control over which spirit answers first.
Also, spirits can lie. Especially if the spirit that comes to call is demonic in nature. It seems very silly, even arrogant, to think that we'd get honest answers whenever we consult the spirits.
Repeated use of divination tools can make the door harder to close, too. The stories most often seem to involve people who didn't take the tool seriously to begin with, but to me 'taking the tool seriously' involves not using it at all. Why take the chance?
There is one story of a girl who's Ouija board made the furniture in her room shake. One of the kids involved eventually moved on to Tarot cards, and found them "wonderfully insightful" (Tarot for Teens) but I beg to differ.
The only difference with Tarot cards is that rather than controlling the human's body, the spirits manipulate the cards. There is still nothing to keep the spirit from lying. And there's still nothing to keep the spirit from manipulating the human's mind. A charming speaker with a manipulative nature can do a lot of things.
I recommend strongly that you never try to contact spirits this way. If you have ghost in your home that you believe desires help passing over, don't you think the spirit would contact you? They can talk, after all. It's the spirits that you can only contact through an intermediary that you have to worry about. That's why such things are forbidden.
Resources:
Monday, October 29, 2007
Vampires
Those of you who've read Braum Stoker's novel, or just lived in the Western Hemisphere during the last hundred years or so, have probably heard about vampires.
The current image is a bit of a mix of traditions. The originals are too numerous to mention here.
You probably already know this, but people don't come back from the dead to suck people's blood or life force. So you can put away the wooden stakes and blessed wafers.
There are people who claim to be vampires, however. Some drink blood, but apparently there's an increasing population that forgoes blood and rather drains life force. Supposedly the life force draining 'vampires' have larger electromagnetic auras after a feeding than before and their victims show holes in their auras. Very odd, and a tad disturbing. (I can tell you right now, I would not want to be drained, no matter how sensual the experience.)
This isn't a so much a paranormal issue so much as a personal safety issue. Reliable research on this is a bit hard to come by. Most of my info comes from documentaries on Discovery and History Channel. Usually, vampire culture seems to be not only very goth but also super sexual. There also seem to be a lot of sharp, pointy objects involved.
So these vampires may talk about tolerance and such nice sounding things when they're interviewed, but I can't say I'd trust one. Maybe I'm being closed minded, but I can't say that the image of darkness and erotic display helps make them look any better.
What I don't know is if these vampires also participate in any spiritual activities. So far all my concerns about them are strictly physical. Rather odd, given the vampire's origins in myth and folklore. Do they have any occult or spiritual connections?
Mysteries always intrigue me. This one also disturbs and frightens me.
The current image is a bit of a mix of traditions. The originals are too numerous to mention here.
You probably already know this, but people don't come back from the dead to suck people's blood or life force. So you can put away the wooden stakes and blessed wafers.
There are people who claim to be vampires, however. Some drink blood, but apparently there's an increasing population that forgoes blood and rather drains life force. Supposedly the life force draining 'vampires' have larger electromagnetic auras after a feeding than before and their victims show holes in their auras. Very odd, and a tad disturbing. (I can tell you right now, I would not want to be drained, no matter how sensual the experience.)
This isn't a so much a paranormal issue so much as a personal safety issue. Reliable research on this is a bit hard to come by. Most of my info comes from documentaries on Discovery and History Channel. Usually, vampire culture seems to be not only very goth but also super sexual. There also seem to be a lot of sharp, pointy objects involved.
So these vampires may talk about tolerance and such nice sounding things when they're interviewed, but I can't say I'd trust one. Maybe I'm being closed minded, but I can't say that the image of darkness and erotic display helps make them look any better.
What I don't know is if these vampires also participate in any spiritual activities. So far all my concerns about them are strictly physical. Rather odd, given the vampire's origins in myth and folklore. Do they have any occult or spiritual connections?
Mysteries always intrigue me. This one also disturbs and frightens me.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Halloween on the horizon
Halloween has a long history.
The word is a contraction of All Hallow's Eve. It's the day before All Saint's Day.
It also coincides closely to an ancient Celtic harvest festival, the name of which escapes me.
A lot of Celtic festivals and traditions made their way into Christian practice. Unlike southern Europe, where Christianity suffered persecution, the Celts for the most part welcomed the new religion and converts continued to see the old ways in a pleasant light. This was particularly true in the British Isles, most notably Ireland.
So it isn't any wonder that Halloween is still celebrated with some pagan trappings. Most of them are good fun. Dressing up in scary costumes is from the belief that the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinner at this time and that scary masks will frighten away evil spirits.
This evolved to become little kids asking for treats.
Jack-o-lanterns have a similar history to them.
Some traditions aren't so nice. Teens and others of immature mentality going around smashing pumpkins and tping peoples yards is on the mild end.
Satan worshipers often see Halloween as the antithesis of Christmas. Even those who aren't part of such a cult might dabble in occult practices at this time.
It may be in the name of fun and games, but Ouija boards are dangerous. Also avoid tarot cards and other forms of divination. Not because they don't work, but because they can.
You can't know what sort of spirit you're contacting, and the likelihood of contacting an unfriendly spirit is just too high. The risk isn't worth it.
So when you go to the party, stick to bobbing for apples and spin the bottle.
The word is a contraction of All Hallow's Eve. It's the day before All Saint's Day.
It also coincides closely to an ancient Celtic harvest festival, the name of which escapes me.
A lot of Celtic festivals and traditions made their way into Christian practice. Unlike southern Europe, where Christianity suffered persecution, the Celts for the most part welcomed the new religion and converts continued to see the old ways in a pleasant light. This was particularly true in the British Isles, most notably Ireland.
So it isn't any wonder that Halloween is still celebrated with some pagan trappings. Most of them are good fun. Dressing up in scary costumes is from the belief that the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinner at this time and that scary masks will frighten away evil spirits.
This evolved to become little kids asking for treats.
Jack-o-lanterns have a similar history to them.
Some traditions aren't so nice. Teens and others of immature mentality going around smashing pumpkins and tping peoples yards is on the mild end.
Satan worshipers often see Halloween as the antithesis of Christmas. Even those who aren't part of such a cult might dabble in occult practices at this time.
It may be in the name of fun and games, but Ouija boards are dangerous. Also avoid tarot cards and other forms of divination. Not because they don't work, but because they can.
You can't know what sort of spirit you're contacting, and the likelihood of contacting an unfriendly spirit is just too high. The risk isn't worth it.
So when you go to the party, stick to bobbing for apples and spin the bottle.
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