Ghost Hunters - Episode 5 - The George Inn

DVD Synopsis:

“The George Inn is an 18th Century drinking house, in a small town in the North of England. It was the site of one of the most hair-raising tales of haunting and exorcism. And at the end of it all, buried in the cellar, we find the ring that bears the ghost’s identity.”

While more skeptical researchers attribute paranormal occurrences to natural causes like hallucinations caused by ultrasound or electromagnetic pollution, the more open-minded paranormal investigators generally subscribe to three main theories. Two of these possibilities – that ghosts are either 3D psychic recordings or manifestations of the human mind's telekinetic powers – have been explored previously in this series. However, the George Inn haunting might provide the strongest evidence in the Ghost Hunters series for the most straightforward theory: that ghosts are exactly what psychic mediums claim they are – the spirits of the deceased, or evidence of life after death.

The case takes an intriguing turn with the discovery of a bereavement ring in the cellar, engraved with the name "Robert Clay" and the date "1786". Later, during a séance, psychic mediums claimed to have communicated with a spirit who identified himself as Robert Clay, stating that he had killed two children and buried them in the pub's cellar, where two gravestones were reportedly found. Further research revealed that two children did indeed go missing around the time Robert Clay supposedly lived, although no record of the individual himself could be found.

This is a classic case of unfinished business. The alleged spirit still fearful of being found out continues to guard the pub's cellar even after his death, perhaps trapped by his own guilt for his terrible crimes. It was speculated that prominent families would write out family members who had brought disgrace to their name, which would explain why references to the Clay family were found but not a Robert Clay from circa 1786.

One last thought. While this haunting is location-based, rather than individual-based, the former owner Tom appears to be a lightning rod for phenomena. While most of the other witnesses only see things move on their own, or hear strange mumbling that sounded more like old machinery than the voice of a person, Tom actually sees and hears the ghost, just like you would see and hear a normal person.

Why would this be? Are some people more psychic than others? To use an analogy, are most people basically psychically colorblind or hearing impaired? An idea that was once suggested to me by another paranormal writer was that ghosts could be best understood as a form of psychic bacteria that can attach themselves to suitable hosts and use them to sustain themselves by draining people of their energy and using their imagination and memory to select a form to manifest into. Clearly, some kind of psychic link had been created between Tom and the ghostly stranger.

But here's an alternative explanation. Tom was the one who discovered the bereavement ring, and he also knew about the graves that had been found. Could this entity have downloaded this information from Tom's mind and used it to assume the persona of Robert Clay? Perhaps this spirit actually believes it's the ghost of this man who died in 1786, but the whole story of the murders and connection with Robert Clay was created by Tom's unconscious mind and then absorbed by this psychic bacteria to transform itself into this ghost. Like a method actor who becomes so convincing that they forget it's just a show and become the character they're portraying. This raises intriguing questions about whether many ghost sightings are actually just the psychic projections of the living. In light of this possibility, our initial premis that the George Inn haunting provides strong evidence for life after death may not be the only explanation. Instead, the truth may lie in a more complex interplay between the entity, Tom's subconscious, and the location itself.

Ghost Hunters - Episode 4 - Spirits of Bodmin Moor

DVD Synopsis:

“Bodmin Moor is in the far West of England. It is a place of mystery and intrigue with associations that go far back in history, to King Arthur and beyond. We learn of the extraordinary paranormal events experienced by some people who live in the area. Some, in fact, who believe they have actually encountered King Arthur himself”

This episode begins with a detailed description of an eyewitness who believes he encountered the ghost of King Arthur on Bodmin Moor. The witness described seeing a medieval knight in full armour, reminiscent of the classic Hollywood version of the mythical King of the Britons. However, if King Arthur existed at all, it would have been in the 5th or 6th century, long before the medieval period associated with knights in shining armour. A paranormal researcher suggests that the witness might have seen a ghost from a later period, but I think an alternative explanation is possible. The witness's own knowledge of the King Arthur myth associated with Bodmin Moor and Cornwall could have influenced the apparition's manifestation, shaping it to fit their expectations. This isn't just a case of folkloric influence or cultural conditioning, where the brain filters the experience through a lens of cultural familiarity. Instead, it's possible that the witness's expectations played a more fundamental role in shaping the apparition, similar to the observer effect in physics, where the act of observation can change the outcome of an experiment.

The episode also explores the idea that the granite rock in Cornwall and the large number of standing stones could act as a lightning rod attracting or amplifying paranormal activity. Ley lines, which are believed by paranormal researchers to be paths of concentrated spiritual or mystical energy that crisscross the Earth, may play a role in this phenomenon, with many standing stones strategically built along these lines according to psychics. Granite's unusual properties, such as piezoelectricity, where it can generate an electric charge under mechanical stress, are noteworthy. Let's speculate that the electrical charges generated by the granite could interact with the human brain's electromagnetic fields, potentially altering brain activity patterns or enhancing sensitivity to subtle energies. Furthermore, let's speculate that granite might also interact with the spiritual energy associated with ley lines in a similar way as electrical energy, amplifying or resonating with this energy to create a unique environment that fosters extraordinary experiences, perhaps making people more psychic or increasing their receptivity to non-physical realities.

Let's speculate more here that our ancestors built the standing stones as a means to harness this energy and create a bridge between our reality and a non-physical layer of reality. The mythical entities that emerge from this interaction may be a side effect of the supercharged human consciousness, taking on forms that our ancestors expected and understood. If true, it could raise fantastic possibilities such as: that our ancestors built these structures to tap into and manipulate the fabric of reality, perhaps to communicate with other forms of consciousness or even to transcend the limitations of the physical world. This raises fundamental questions about the nature of human consciousness, the structure of reality, and the purpose of ancient stone structures found around the world, often associated with ancient deities and mystical energies. What is the connection between these ancient sites and human consciousness? Is their purpose to tap into the deeper fabric of reality? And are the ghosts seen around sacred sites like Bodmin Moor echoes of our forgotten past, perhaps a side effect of a lost science of the mind developed by our ancestors?

Ghost Hunters - Episode 3 - The Phantom Schoolmaster

DVD Synopsis:

“In a village on the outskirts of London, many years ago, a school burned down. In recent years, there have been reports of strange happenings in buildings built on the site. We follow a trail of clues that leads us directly to the master of the burned-down school.”

When I watched this episode originally in the 1990s, it could have been my first time hearing about Ouija boards, also known as spirit boards, used to contact ghosts. As well as the paranormal, I have always had an interest in Ancient Egypt, where the Ouija Board or at least something very similar was used to communicate with the afterlife, which was taken as real as bricks and water to the ancient Egyptians, who would spend their whole lives preparing for the next life, often at great expense to themselves in terms of the costs of building tombs etc.

The Bible warns against such communication in Leviticus 19:31: "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them." And while my mother claims not to believe in the Bible, she isn’t half afraid of the Devil, and repeatedly told me many times growing up never to mess around with Ouija boards or anything like that. I remember her telling me if I ever brought one into the house she would burn it. This wasn’t a game. It was dangerous to mess around with things you didn’t understand, and I believed her… especially after considering the rest of this episode in which both Christian priests and Spiritualist mediums warn of the dangers of trying to satisfy curiosity unprotected. Often the information communicated to the living by the spirits is very good and beneficial, but after winning your trust, mischievous spirits begin giving false information deliberately to cause harm. False claims like your “brother is having an affair with your wife” it is alleged by the priest was communicated in one seance, before the troublesome spirit board was taken outside and burned. More troublesome are the claims that such attempts at communicating with the other side is like opening a door to any stranger and once crossed over bad spirits can refuse to leave and make your life a misery.

For all those reasons, despite my belief that paranormal phenomena are real and desire to understand what is causing them, I never messed around with a Ouija board until I was well into my twenties, and in my entire life have only used a Ouija twice. Both times I insisted on saying a short prayer for protection, and took it all very seriously as to not offend the spirits. The first time was when I attended a ghost hunt at Swansea Museum. Nothing much happened. But more recently I was talked into using an Ouija board again in an attempt to get to the bottom of some strange happenings at a friend’s house. Lights would dim for no reason, and objects would disappear and then turn up somewhere it made no sense for them to be. The glass moved, and we repeatedly received the word “red” which we interpreted as a name, for what seemed to be a child spirit. One of many. Ultimately, nothing was resolved, but it was all very interesting nonetheless…

Then it began. For the next two to three weeks. Exactly the same phenomena that my friend had experienced seemed to follow me home. Objects disappeared and reappeared in impossible places – my remote control, pen, keys, and wallet. My belt vanished, leaving me to spend the day adjusting my trousers. When I came home, my belt was hanging in my cupboard, exactly where I had looked before leaving – seemingly impossible, but it happened. Perhaps my imagination was running away with me, but it was enough for me to ask “Red” to “please go back home now, I have a lot to do and can’t have things disappearing all the time.” After that, whenever anything disappeared, I wouldn’t acknowledge it, and like a child, whatever it was got bored and moved on. Whether this was the spirit of a little girl, or just my imagination running wild after the excitement of playing with paranormal fire, I don’t know. But it was enough to reaffirm my caution about using Ouija boards.

#ghosts #unexplained #paranormal #poltergeist

Ghost Hunters - Episode 2 - Spirits of the Civil War

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On the one hand different witnesses report these battlefield ghosts doing the exact same thing, in the same order and in the same location, seemingly trapped in a loop. Much like a home movie being played from start to finish, over and over again, with no deviation.

However, psychic mediums in other episodes of the series claim to make contact with apparitions from other battlefields, and are able to substantiate these claims by giving names, dates and other information that can be substantiated by historical research later. These “conversations” between psychics and “spirits” in which such information is passed on does suggest that ghosts are at least partly conscious and self aware, even if this is only in a limited way. Real memories and emotions are there, but these appear to be snapshots of important experiences in the deceased person’s life. But how could this happen?

Because hauntings are often associated with historical events such as battles, which would have triggered extreme levels of anxiety, fear and anger in hundreds of people before they died together in a short period of time, it has been suggested that intense primitive emotions can trigger such psychic recordings or echoes on the physical environment.

The extreme emotions of the people that died somehow generating an energy that is absorbed into physical objects like underground stones or the bricks of buildings.

So what witnesses are seeing when they see the ghosts of Civil War soldiers are actually the memories of people that died during or shortly after the battle that have been absorbed into the environment.

Ghost Hunters - episode 1 - Legends of the Legionnaires

The first episode is also my personal favourite because it deals with apparitions from my favourite period in history, the Roman Empire, while also exploring the Stone Tape Theory as an alternative explanation for hauntings in old stone buildings.

Here is the synopsis on the back of the DVD cover:

“The Romans occupied Britain for over 400 years. Many thousands of Roman legionnaires or soldiers lived out their lives and were buried on these islands. Two of the greatest Roman camps were at York in the North, and at Colchester in the East. This episode tells two quite remarkable stories of modern encounters in close quarters with the long departed legionnaires; close enough to see their mud bespattered uniforms and their unshaven chins!”

The episode begins with a witness giving his account of seeing Roman soldiers walking through walls. He includes an odd detail of the apparitions missing their lower legs and feet. As if they were walking on the old Roman road which was only partly exposed. The apparitions, showed no interest in the witness at all, as if he wasn’t there. The description this plumber by trade gave of the Roman soldiers equipment and uniforms matched exactly what Roman and mercenary soldiers based in Britain would have been wearing almost 2000 years ago. The episode then considers the Stone Tape Theory as a possible explanation for this and similar hauntings which appear to be recordings rather than sentient spiritual beings.

The Stone Tape Theory owes its name to a BBC ghost story for Christmas called ‘The Stone Tape’ written by Manx writer Nigel Kneale. Like Kneale’s ‘Quatermass And The Pit’, which suggested that poltergeist activity could be explained by mankind’s psychic abilities rather than spirits, ‘The Stone Tape’ also combined science with the supernatural.

The TV play revolves around a group of scientists who move into a new research facility: an allegedly haunted Victorian mansion. Curious, they investigate the alleged “ghost” but soon determine that it is really only a psychic recording of a past event somehow stored in the stone walls of cellar: a “stone tape”. Believing that this discovery may lead to the development of a whole new recording medium, which they were originally brought together to find in the first place, they throw all their knowledge and high-tech equipment into trying to find a means of playing back the stone tape recording on command.

But how could any information be stored in stonework? We use inanimate matter to store information every day, DVD and older VHS tape recordings are an example of this. Crystals can also be used to store digital information much like a DVD. And from a physicist perspective crystals are made of silicon like other stones, so why shouldn’t stone buildings be able to store other forms of information like psychic energy? (If such mental impressions exist).

This explanation might also provide the answer to another popular problem in the paranormal: why is it that some people see full-blown solid apparitions whereas others only see transparent figures, shadows or, worse, nothing at all? Again like a conventional video tape perhaps the older a “Stone Tape" recording gets the more the sound and picture quality suffers.

Alternatively, of course, perhaps a better explanation opened up by the theory might be that some people may simply make better psychic video players than others. Maybe an important point to make here is that according to the theory, the ghost or recording is seen (perhaps "played" might be a better term here) internally inside the minds of the witnesses rather than in the outside external physical universe. Therefore, depending on the sensitivity of the witnesses, it's quite possible that several people might experience the same encounter very differently depending on how psychic the individual is. Some people may see apparitions in living colour whereas others only see a humanoid figure in fuzzy black and white. Perhaps some people can never see or experience anything paranormal because they have a psychic form of colour blindness.

The idea that ghosts might really be some kind of psychic tape recording rather than the spirits of the dead might not be desirable to some die-hard researchers who believe ghosts offer us proof of life after death. Although, the two ideas are not mutually exclusive, it's possible that there could be more than one type of "ghost" each representing something very different. However, if ever proven the theory would raise perhaps almost equally important questions about the true nature of consciousness and the human mind.

Logically, the only way such a psychic recording could be made and replayed would be if there was some kind of direct connection between the human mind and inanimate stone. There would have to be some form of telepathy between two "minds" (for lack of a better word) suggesting that inanimate matter might have some form of highly primitive consciousness or awareness.

Ghost Hunters

Broadcast between 1996 and 1997 on the Discovery Channel in the UK, ‘Ghost Hunters’ is probably the most thought provoking paranormal series ever made for television. This was a scientific documentary series and not reality television, which focused on the experiences of ordinary people living in 1990s Britain who had experiences they couldn’t rationally explain. The four series attempted to explain these experiences by seriously considering the simple question if paranormal phenomena is real, what does it mean for the scientific understanding of reality? Is a new “science of the mind” required so that science can explain what is happening and offer a complete world view without paranormal gaps of understanding?

For many years this gem of a series was part of my daily routine. Two episodes would be broadcast on the Discovery Science channel every evening, followed by a UFO focused series. I had always been interested in anything odd or unexplained but it was Ghost Hunters that persuaded me that the mind could possibly survive bodily death, and that this doesn’t need to be a religious belief. It is simply part of the processes of the wider physical universe which we don’t have an explanation for…yet.

I have managed to obtain two DVD boxsets that include the entire series between them. I plan to make this series part of my daily routine once more. Every day I’ll watch one episode and share my immediate thoughts on it.

Some of the theories and phenomena I will be writing about include the Stone Tape Theory, Demonic Possession, Black Magick, Time Slips, Crisis Ghosts, Poltergeists, and Quija Boards.

Anyone who wants to watch along can find the entire series in one omnibus video uploaded on YouTube here:

Reflections on the Alien Abduction Phenomenon

The following article was first published in Issue 1 of Katy Elizabeth's new Fortean World magazine. Please support the magazine.

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Recently during the Halloween season, I watched ‘Intruders’ based on the late Budd Hopkins’ book about cases of alleged alien abduction. It is terrifying because it is based on experiences that people really believe happened to them… and I’ve got no reason to disbelieve them… though it raises complex questions about what the word “real” means… can something exist without being physical, and therefore not have to obey the normal laws of physics that govern the physical universe? Is there a non-physical world that has its own separate laws? Are these alien abductions an example of these two linked but separate realities colliding? Is human consciousness a kind of bridge allowing this? These are some of the questions I will be considering as I take a look at some of the films and classic literature in this sub-genre of UFOlogy in this article.

Probably the first Alien Abduction film I ever saw was the 1989 film ‘Communion’ based on the book written by experiencer Whitley Strieber. Watching the film again it is clear to me that the close encounters are not always in the physical world. Instead, they appear to occur in a dreamworld. But these are no ordinary dreams, as these experiences have a real physical impact on the experiencer such as physical injuries. Also, as explained in the film many other witnesses reported having similar experiences, and this was in the 1980s before television series like ‘The X-Files’ cemented the alien abduction phenomenon in popular culture…That said, the phenomenon was not completely unknown in television and film. ‘The UFO Incident’, a 1975 television film based on the bestselling book ‘The Interrupted Journey’ written by John G. Fuller, documented the Betty and Barney Hill alien abduction case, the first widely publicised UFO close encounter of the fourth kind.

Alien abduction author David Jacobs has estimated that perhaps as many as 5% of the American population could be alien abductees. While the large numbers of alleged abductees can be seen as evidence that something real is happening, such large numbers combined with the lack of physical proof (although physical injuries and alleged implants could be considered physical evidence) raises the question: is alien abduction a physical phenomenon involving “nuts-and-bolts metallic spacecraft” piloted by “flesh and blood” alien beings from another planet, or, is something else happening? Although “real” in the sense that the experiences are not delusions or imaginary. Could it be that that alien abductions are a non-physical, paranormal phenomenon?

In other words that a real external intelligence is interacting with human consciousness, but alien abduction experiencers are not physically being taken onboard an alien spacecraft and that alien abductions have more to do with ghosts and demons than extraterrestrials in the sense that they represent a paranormal rather than physical phenomenon.

However, going back to the Hill abduction, there are two points that make me reconsider this conclusion.

The first reason is the dress Betty was wearing on the night of the alleged alien abduction. Betty claimed under hypnosis that a large needle was inserted into her stomach, according to the alien beings this was a pregnancy test. Stains on the dress Betty was wearing in the region where the needle was allegedly inserted is evidence that something physical happened to the Hills.

The second is the famous “Star Map” Betty Hill recalled being shown onboard the UFO, which Betty Hill drew and after years of research was shown to potentially match the positions of real stars, Zeta I and II Reticuli which were unknown to the Hills.

Because of this the writers of the 1979 film Alien decided to set the location of the planet where the crew of the Nostromo encounter the acid for blood Xenomorph for the first time in this start system. Weirdly, the life circle of the fictional alien in the film in some ways echoes the bizarre reproductive experiments reported by alleged alien abductees under hypnosis in the real-world. These experiments often involve the hybridisation of humans with aliens, using human women as incubators before the unborn hybrid is removed and finishes gestating in an artificial womb onboard a UFO. Such bizarre stories are easily the most fringe and controversial aspect in an already fringe enough topic… but the stories are consistent. Assuming these stories reflect something that is a physical reality and are not an attempt to communicate using symbolism via visions and dreams, what do these accounts potentially tell us about the greys and their motives for abducting people?

Could it be that like the fictional alien in the Ridley Scott film, the greys can only reproduce by fusing their own DNA with that of another species and using this other species as a host to gestate their offspring?

Zeta II Reticuli system is estimated to be twice as old as our own sun. Any potential life originating from there then, could potentially be twice as old as life on Earth, which could include intelligent life. Any intelligent life that left their home planet millions of years ago could possibly evolve to make hybridisation with other species possible. It would be the fastest way to adapt to the environment of a new planet and avoid the fate of the Martians in HG well’s novel ‘The War of the Worlds’, where the Martians all died from exposure to Earth’s microbes that they had no immunity to.

One last note about the Hill abduction. Even if you are sceptical about alien abductions, ‘The UFO Incident’ is an excellent film, telling a very real love story. It would just as easily be a good choice for a Valentine’s film as a Halloween film and stars James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader) who just recently passed away.

Probably the scariest of the alien abduction films, ‘Fire In the Sky’, is based on the alleged experiences of Travis Walton as described in his book ‘The Walton Experience’. If not for this case I would probably separate cases of alleged alien abductions into two distinct and separate types of phenomena, one involving “nuts and bolts” physically real but unknown craft. And the other more paranormal kind that involves something (possibly intelligent) external affecting (possibly communicating) with the human mind. In the latter case, whatever it is using popular culture, folklore and religious beliefs to construct a lucid dream so real that it can cause physical injury to the experiencer.

…However, unfortunately it isn’t that easy to separate alien abductions into different types like apples and oranges, and Travis Walton’s experience perhaps best documents why this is. Walton was seen being struck by an energy beam from a UFO by multiple witnesses before being taken onboard the craft where he woke up being examined by classic grey alien beings. It was clearly a physical experience, not a dream or hallucination.

Perhaps then the UFO occupants can choose between many different communication channels to make contact with humans, much in the same way we decide between having a face-to-face meeting or making a phone call or arranging a Microsoft Teams or Skype meeting. The only difference being that the UFO occupants can use consciousness itself as a communication channel when face to face encounters are not necessary or possible.

The Fourth Kind is another disturbing film to watch. I need to take a slight detour here into theoretical physics, but we will return back to the film soon.

If aliens are travelling from other solar systems to Earth, it is impossible for them to be coming in nuts-and-bolts spacecraft travelling slower than the speed of light. UFOs are seen too often and seem to be reacting to current events on Earth too quickly. For example, the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945 and within two years in the same region flying saucers turn up, seemingly investigating our nuclear weapon tests. If these objects came from another solar system, they would need to be at least approx. 4 light years away. Meaning it would take a radio signal at least that time to reach our nearest neighbouring solar system. Then travelling at light speed take another four years to get to Earth. That’s eight years total. As UFOs were being seen in 1947 (and earlier) in the American Southwest and were seemingly interested in nuclear weapons, it would seem to indicate they could send signals and travel faster than light to get here two years after the first atomic bomb test.

While travelling faster than light is impossible in our physical universe, other universes could potentially have different laws of physics that allow objects to travel faster than light.

So, if such a parallel universe existed it could be used as a kind of cosmic motorway. The only problem is how could an object travel between parallel universes?

Arthur C. Clarke famously said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Could aliens be using what we would call magick (yes with a “k” to differentiate real magick from fake magic conjuring tricks) to open portals into other dimensions? This might sound absurd, but a lightbulb would appear to be magical to someone who had no knowledge of electricity. I’m only suggesting that there might be something to magick which could potentially be developed into another science one day. Perhaps a science of the Mind or Consciousness.

It is interesting that one of the aspects of real-world alien abduction mythology which is highlighted in ‘The Fourth Kind’ is the phenomenon of alleged screen memories. These are distorted memories of real events subtly altered either by the sub consciousness mind to make the memories accessible without driving someone insane, or, perhaps artificially altered by the aliens encountered during abductions to hide their activities. Put simply instead of remembering an alien, abductees remember other mundane things instead in their place. In the film the aliens are replaced in the memories of the protagonist by an owl, something which is widespread in real abduction accounts. Which is interesting because the owl has long been an important symbol in ancient religions. The owl was associated with the Ancient Greek goddess of wisdom Athena. And even today owls are still allegedly ‘worshiped’ in outlandish rituals by the quasi-secret group the Bohemian Club.

It could simply be that the large black eyes of owls lend the creatures to being good standings for the black-eyed grey aliens mostly associated with abductions. But an alternative explanation could be that owl and other esoteric symbolism is somehow being used to generate some kind of energy or power (for lack of a better similarly as this psychic power may not be energy in the scientific sense of the word that can be measured) which is used to phase in and out of our physical universe in ways we don’t yet understand.

Eyewitness accounts of odd symbols resembling Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on wreckage/debris from alleged UFO crashes like the one at Roswell in 1947 are well known inside the UFO field. What if instead of writing these were occult symbols? What if instead of using physics to travel through space the aliens have developed an alternative science based originally on what we would call magick?

Chemistry is an example of a science that began as a pseudo-science. The treating of illnesses with magical potions. This was the beginning of treating illnesses with specific drugs to remedy a particular disease or other health problem.

There is a certain amount of theatrics involved with cases of alien abductions. Why would the aliens want to scare the people they are abducting? The aliens should be capable of tranquillising the subjects of their experiments, so that they would have no distress or memory at all of anything happening. The way we do with animals, for instance, if a large and dangerous zoo animal needed to be seen by a vet.

It is widely believed in paranormal research circles that poltergeists feed off human fear and anger, and that the best thing to do if you are experiencing such a haunting is to simply ignore it until the poltergeist runs out of energy effectively. Could the aliens seen in abductions be using similar paranormal energies generated by negative human emotion to travel between different dimensions? Perhaps a non-physical realm where the laws of physics do not apply, making interstellar travel possible?

One last thought … it is suggestive that the alleged covert group set up by the US Government to study the alleged UFO wreckage found at Roswell in 1947 was called Majestic 12 … as in Magic or Magick 12.

Paranormal Dichotomy - Richard's Room 101

The sheer mountain of eyewitness testimony, photographs, and audio recordings, not to mention film and video evidence should be ample enough to show that the pantheon of phenomena popularly described as "ghosts" or "apparitions" exist. That's NOT to say any of this accumulating evidence approaches anything near scientific proof or verification of the paranormal. The fact that, by definition, paranormal activity falls outside the normal realm of scientific understanding and can't be repeated within a laboratory setting has left many researchers believing we'll probably never have irrefutable proof.

However, few investigators would argue that the phenomena continues, nonetheless, and is all too real for a wide spectrum of witnesses that come from all walks of life. Which raises two important questions: if paranormal activity really does exist, what does it represent and how might the answer, or answers, affect our collective understanding of the universe and ourselves?

Other than hallucinations caused by ultrasound, sleep paralysis and similarly mundane explanations, parapsychologists and other paranormal investigators basically subscribe to three main schools of thought on the matter. The first, and most obvious, of course, being that "ghosts" are exactly what psychic mediums and other sensitives have always claimed they are: the spirits of the deceased or whatever it is that survives of the human consciousness after bodily death.

It is the second and third alternatives that seem to be the preferences of most contemporary parapsychologists. That is that paranormal phenomena such as "ghosts" are either some kind of 3D psychic recording / temporal replay or alternatively, the manifestation of the latent telekinetic powers of the human mind. When I interviewed Richard Holland editor of Paranormal Magazine the author/investigator, himself a witness to poltergeist activity, he speculated about a possible fourth alternative.

"When I was at university I read about bacteriophages, viruses so primitive that they can barely be called life at all. They attach themselves to bacteria and pump in their RNA. The rest of it, a protein shell, drifts away. The RNA recodes the bacterial DNA and – lo! – two viruses where once there was one bacterium. It made me wonder about a primitive consciousness, scarcely a mind at all, just a mass of electrical discharges that floats about and like the phage can only exist in any real form by latching onto a human mind … Perhaps similar twilight entities answer our subconscious needs according to our current superstitious beliefs – become fairies when we believe in fairies, then aliens when we believe in aliens. Perhaps they created some crop circles, too. More recently, I've been getting interested in the Islamic concept of the Jinn, incorporeal spirits created out of 'smokeless fire' at the same time as Man, and living alongside us. That comes quite close to what I've been groping at."

The danger, of course, when discussing "ghosts," just as with UFOs and pretty much any Fortean-type mystery, is that people want a single definitive answer. The classic example being that UFOs are either "nuts and bolts" spacecraft from Zeta Reticuli or they're extra-dimensional vehicles. And, as alluded to, a similar dichotomy seems to be entrenched in the paranormal field. It might be a bit of an overgeneralization, but generally speaking "ghosts" are either seen as evidence of survival after death or else, they're interpreted as being some form of alternative psychic phenomena we currently don't understand as the parapsychologists would suggest. The problem being, why does it have to be one or the other: why can't it be both or as conspiracy author Jim Marrs likes to say: "all of the above" or even something else entirely?

Traditional style hauntings, poltergeist activity, stories of possession and timeslips: there is certainly no shortage of paranormal phenomena to choose from, however, perhaps none defy this paranormal dichotomy better than the "crisis ghost phenomenon."

Crisis ghosts are different from other apparitions in that they appear to be person rather than location-based. They typically involve close friends or family members of witnesses appearing at a time of crisis, usually just before or after the person appearing dies. So common is the phenomenon that there is actually a case within my own family we can discuss.

I won't bore readers with all of the details but basically, years ago, while on holiday in Tenerife, my father had a strange dream involving several deceased relatives "all dressed in white" and a close childhood friend he hadn't seen in about "two and a half years." According to my father, the white figures in the dream told him that "they were all alright and not to worry." After waking up, my dad assumed it was just a strange dream and got on with enjoying his holiday. On returning to the UK, though, he discovered, to his shock, that the friend in the dream had, unbeknownst to him, been ill for some time and had died while he was away.

Had the spirits of the departed somehow invaded my father's subconscious that night in Tenerife, or alternately, had my father somehow psychically picked up on his friend's passing or imminent passing and this is how his subconscious mind dealt with it? Either explanation can be made to fit.

Stranger still, though, are the crisis ghost cases that take place while the witness (or witnesses) are wide and awake. For instance, there are many cases from the two world wars of soldiers returning home only to suddenly vanish or walk through a wall. News of their death arriving not long afterwards.

A classic example of this was featured in a memorable episode of Ghosthunters (the UK 1990s documentary series) focusing on the alleged ghostly happenings at Ireland's Castle Leslie. In the documentary, we're told that "Uncle Norman" Leslie was seen by the old gamekeeper and others "walking the gardens" when last they heard he was in France fighting in the 1914 war. Thinking the army captain must have gotten unexpected leave, the servants rushed to get a meal prepared for the returning war hero. Strangely, though, he never turned up. Not long later, however, (within a week) the family learned the truth. "Uncle Norman" had died attacking a German machine gun post.

When you consider the wide spectrum of crisis experiences (some awake, some asleep, some alone, some with others etc) is it really likely that every case has the same explanation, or, is it more reasonable to think that some might be traditional "spirits" and some might be evidence for something else? Ultimately, though, as is the case with all Fortean or esoteric-type topics, it comes down to a matter of personal belief.

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The Stone Tape Theory - Richard's Room 101

This fortnight we're concluding our loose "pure paranormal" trilogy. In parts one and two we took a look at the time-slip experience and poltergeist phenomena, respectively. So, this time around, we're finally wrapping things up here with a short piece on what many people in paranormal circles often refer to as the "Stone Tape" theory.

   

For people who didn't read my Nigel Kneale piece just short of a year ago, the "Stone Tape" theory originates from a 1972 television play of the same name by the iconic sci-fi writer. Combining science fiction with the ghost story genre, in the BBC Christmas special a group of scientists investigate a supposed haunting in the hope of discovering a brand new recording medium. Their theory is that somehow limestone (and perhaps other materials) can retain moments of the past. That perhaps human memories or experiences (particularly ones involving intense emotions like the last moments before death) can be someway psychically recorded in the stonework of buildings.

  

The idea, of course, is that later someone psychic or sensitive enough could act as a kind of psychic video player. Hence the title of Kneale's original play "The Stone Tape."

  

As a credit to Nigel Kneale's genius as a writer, despite making its début in a fictional setting, his idea proved very popular with many of the more scientifically inclined paranormal researchers. Finally offering them a real, and perhaps almost equally engaging, alternative to the standard "life after death" explanation of the traditionalists. What's more, if true, the "Stone Tape" theory might also go some way to explaining some of the problems and inconsistencies often associated with paranormal encounters. 

  

For instance, why do people always seem to report "ghosts" from only a few centuries ago? Why never from pre-history?

  

Perhaps the answer to this peculiarity might be that, much like domestic VHS videotape, "Stone Tape" recordings have a limited lifespan too. Steadily degenerating over the ages until they are completely erased and forgotten forever.

  

This explanation might also provide the answer to another popular problem in the paranormal. Why is it that some people see full-blown solid apparitions whereas others only see transparent figures, shadows or, worse, nothing at all? Again like a conventional video tape perhaps the older a "Stone Tape" recording gets the more the sound and picture quality suffers.

  

Alternatively, of course, perhaps a better explanation opened up by the theory might be that some people may simply make better psychic video players than others. Maybe an important point to make here is that according to the theory, the "ghost" or recording is seen (perhaps "played" might be a better term) inside the mind rather than in the outside physical universe. Therefore, depending on the sensitivity of the witnesses, it's quite possible that several people might experience the same encounter very differently.

  

The idea that "ghosts" might really be some kind of psychic tape recording rather than the spirits of the dead might not be desirable to some die-hard researchers who believe "ghosts" offer us proof of life after death. (Though the two ideas are not mutually exclusive, it's possible that there could be more than one type of "ghost" each representing something very different.) However, if ever proven the theory would raise perhaps almost equally important questions about the true nature of consciousness and the human mind.

  

Think about it. The only way such a recording could be made and replayed would be if there was some kind of direct connection between the human mind and stone. It would have to be some form of telepathy between two "minds" (for lack of a better word) suggesting that inanimate matter might have some form of highly primitive consciousness or awareness. It is an exciting idea, be it somewhat crazy. However, as Richard Holland (editor of Paranormal magazine) noted in our interview last month the "Stone Tape" theory is still a very long way from being proven.

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Timeslip: Is Time Travel Possible? - Richard's Room 101

Recently, my old interest in 'ghosts' and what might best be described as the "pure paranormal" has been somewhat reawakened by watching the complete series of Ghost Hunters on DVD. I'm referring to the excellent British scientific documentary series from the mid-1990s, of course. Not the terrible (but undoubtedly far more successful) American reality TV show of the same name.

In hindsight, it was probably over-the-top melodramas like the American Ghost Hunters and its many British counterparts (full of people just screaming in the dark) that put my hitherto strong interest in the grip of a sleeper hold in the first place. Anyway, while my rekindled interest in 'ghosts' and the like lasts, I thought it might be a good idea to write up some paranormal-type pieces for Room 101. So, this fortnight (in what might become the first in a paranormal trilogy of articles) we're going to examine probably the strangest, but no doubt also most absorbing of paranormal happenings ... the "timeslip" or time travel experience.

  

Put simply a "timeslip" is an alleged paranormal phenomenon in which a person, or even group of people, seem to somehow travel through time via apparently supernatural (as opposed to technological) means. Now, admittedly, the whole notion sounds like it was ripped straight from the pages of a Doctor Who script. Time travel, naturally, has been a staple of science fiction and fantasy ever since H G Wells wrote the Time Machine. 

  

Before we dismiss the possibility out of hand, though, perhaps it's worth remembering that a wide range of highly prestigious theoretical physicists and other scientists (both past and present) have gone on record with some very strange ideas about the true nature and behaviour of the fourth dimension. 

  

It was no less than Albert Einstein, remember, who first laid down the foundation for the theoretical possibility of time travel with his famous "special theory of relativity." One of the very strange (but now proven) consequences of special relativity is that time slows down as you approach the speed of light, stopping completely for anything able to travel at light speed. Which, of course, logically implies that time might conceivably run backwards if you were somehow able to travel faster than light. 

  

Further, the theory that time could run in reverse might sound ridiculous but that's exactly what Steven Hawking suggests might be the fate of us all in his excellent book A Brief History of Time. In the bestseller, the "smartest man alive" not only speculates that our expanding Universe might eventually begin contracting but, further, that if this "Big Crunch" ever really does take place it's perfectly possible that time might start reversing too. Strange as it sounds, we might all one day be forced to live our lives again. Only this time backwards! 

  

Back to the timeslip phenomenon. There is no question that some of mankind's greatest intellects have taken the theoretical possibility of time travel very seriously. However, as discussed, only in the most extreme circumstances imaginable. Such as travelling at superluminal velocities or the Universe imploding. But what about in our daily lives? Is it possible to go around a strange corner and walk into another time and place? 

  

Amazingly, there are many accounts of sane and credible people who believe this is precisely what has happened to them. One of the most well-publicised cases, in Britain at least, is that of the Simpsons and the Gisbys. 

  

The 1979 incident featured prominently in a memorable episode of the ITV television series Strange But True? In the programme (now being regularly shown in the UK on the Paranormal Channel) the two English couples described how while travelling through France en route to a holiday in Spain they stayed the night at a strangely antiquated hotel. Bedding in somewhat basic rooms they were a little unnerved to discover no glass in any of the building's windows, only wooden shutters that closed from the outside. 

  

It wasn't just the building though, all the people they met (everyone from police officers to locals) seemed strangely old fashioned too. Dressing almost as if they had just stepped out of the 19th century. In fact, everything even the knives and forks everybody ate with seemed outdated. Not being able to speak much French, the English couples couldn't ask about it.

  

Putting all the strange anachronisms down to simply being in rural France and impressed by the mere 18 francs their stay had cost them, the four decided to look for the same hotel again on their return journey. However, this time, despite searching for several hours, they were unable to find it again. What's more, when they returned home they were puzzled when all the photos they had taken there turned out blank. As if the hotel and its inhabitants had somehow simply vanished, disappearing even from their film negatives. 

  

If Simpsons and the Gisbys really did, as it seems, travel back in time about a hundred years or so though: why did their hosts accept 1970s-style currency? Assuming the foursome didn't just invent their story (though why would they?) it would seem to suggest there could be a lot more to this type of experience than one might first imagine. 

  

Any serious student of the paranormal, of course, could come up with a whole range of incredible suggestions. Perhaps we're dealing with god-like Tricksters playing games with mortal men for their own childish amusement? However, before we begin to speculate perhaps it would be wise to briefly consider another well-known case first. There are plenty to choose from but easily the most credible involved no less than the great philosopher and psychiatrist Carl Jung. According to the famous thinker, while travelling through Italy in the 1930s he visited the tomb of a Roman Empress in Ravenna. Impressed with the remarkable beauty of the mosaics depicting maritime scenes in an eerily pale blue light, he discussed them with his companion for about half an hour and, on leaving the mausoleum, even tried to purchase postcards of them. Surprisingly though there weren't any.

  

Sometime later, Jung asked a friend visiting Ravenna if he could obtain pictures for him. It was only after seeing them that he finally learned the truth. The mosaics he had seen and discussed in great detail were totally different to the mosaics now decorating the mausoleum. However, they did exist once but had been destroyed in a fire some 700 years previously. 

  

So what is going on? Jung was personally convinced that his consciousness had somehow travelled back in time to when the mausoleum had been first constructed, 1400 years prior to his visit to Ravenna. As discussed earlier, time travel is thought by scientists to only be possible in the most extreme of circumstances. However, what if the laws that govern nature are different to the laws that govern the mind? If so, then maybe it would be possible for consciousness (free of the limitations of the laws of physics) to travel through time much more easily. 

  

Further, many timeslip witnesses report strange bouts of depression or unease just prior to or at the start of their experience. Perhaps this indicates that the mind is indeed involved in some key way. The theory would definitely explain why the Simpsons and the Gisbys weren't able to get any photographs. Which brings us back to the question of why their French hosts didn't make a fuss about their modern money? Maybe they simply saw money from their own era. Unless scientists someday break the light barrier or maybe even develop a "science of the mind" though, it's impossible to ever know.

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