tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91588021316360522752024-03-14T02:28:09.730-07:00The Numinous DenA blog that examines the paranormal and its effects on people, places, and things...Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-16921831137830562132017-08-01T13:02:00.010-07:002021-01-22T13:22:30.594-08:00Jester in Black: The Secret Space Program and the UFO Cover-Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>or as long as there has been modern UFOlogy, there has been the contention that the governing body, the military or intelligence communities know what the UFO issue is all about. Secreted away in top-secret bunkers, or within hollowed out mountains are remnants of saucer debris and alien technology - and some would even go so far as to say there's aliens working hand-in-hand with human counterparts.<br />
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I should start by saying this isn't a discussion on whether <i>there is</i> or <i>is not</i> a deliberate cover-up of the UFO phenomena by the governing bodies of the world, but a discussion on how the theme of a cover-up effects the critical rationale of the public and researchers as it applies to the phenomenon. This essay is also not an attack on anyone personally, but rather an examination of stances and actions taken by UFOlogical personas and their tandem effects. </div>
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To delve into this area of the subject with any depth at all, will lead you through many layers of intrigue and even some paranoid ramblings. The path seems benign and plausible enough as an idea from the start: that the government, in it's bid to hold onto power and maintain societal order has silenced UFO witnesses, covered up sightings and crash events, and has all the hard evidence skirted safely away from the public. Seems a completely rational thought, considering some of the reactions by government agencies - right down to some of the largely blacked out documents obtained by FOIA.</div>
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This quickly evolved into secret treaties with aliens by the shadowy government in which the aliens were free to abduct and molest humans in exchange for technology. This gave way to the Dulce myth where the treaty seemed to fall through, with aliens and commandos slugging it out in the underground base. Not so much as a shred of proof on the reality of this sort of thing at all.</div>
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A level of absurdity is reached from a plausible idea or notion and into that which is completely irrational.</div>
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In recent years, Rich Dolan has suggested a <i>"breakaway civilization" - </i>whereby those in the know have enough secrecy, enough black budget money, enough time and autonomy that they have gained a level of knowledge, technology and awareness of reality that they have broken away and now exist as a super-secret society that have all the cool toys - never sharing them with the rest of the world.</div>
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Seems plausible enough, if you subscribe to Dolan's anatomy of the UFO cover-up. There's a foundation of belief here that has to be accepted as real before the breakaway society will fit into your overall view. One big one being that flesh and blood aliens have technology that we somehow, now possess and have understanding of.</div>
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Think about that one for just a moment. I am constantly in awe of how pedestrian some proponents in UFOlogy assume the 'alien' to be. We say the word quite commonplace these days - <i>alien</i> has lost it's mystique to a degree. Consider a culture that has developed <i><u>completely independent</u></i> of the Earth. Nothing of our knowledge has touched this culture and <i><u>none</u></i> of Earth's influence would be present. None of Earth's evolutionary effects, nor biology. <u>Nothing.</u> This is the pretense we have to start from.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Here ya go kiddo. Let's make it happen. Oh, and hurry up.</span></i></td></tr>
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A good comparative scenario for the reverse engineering of alien technology, would be giving a child of 3 years an iPhone and telling them to figure out how it works. Then instructing them to make their own. Imagine that with many multitudes of complexity, extrapolated from there.</div>
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There is a separation of rational thought here. That's only a single example, and there are many instances of irrational thoughts accepted as some version of <i>fact</i> in the paranormal. On it's own that's not a good thing, but it's made worse when other contentions are offered that build upon these as a base. Pretty soon what was proffered as a scenario or suspicion becomes established fact for many as the story expands into more layers of complexity. For instance, Dolan's piece referenced <a href="http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/09/02/a-breakaway-civilization-u-s-government-classifies-over-500-million-pages-of-documents-each-year/">here</a> makes mention of 'military abductees' as a connection to the breakaway society. 'MILABs' or military abductions were by in large a product of the hypnotic regression craze of the late 80's early 90's. Hypnotic regression is widely dismissed as a memory recovery tool by the psychiatric field, and is well known for creating and hardening false memory.</div>
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The article on the breakaway society also mentions <i>MJ-12</i>, a myth of the UFO field who's very existence hinged upon the faked documents of 1984. While it's not mentioned in support of the 'breakaway' idea, it's included in the discussion, presented in a manner that makes it credible - when there's nothing credible about it.<br />
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But like the early days of the supposed government cover-up of UFOs, Dolan's breakaway society has birthed it's own level of absurdity: the far flung claims of Andrew Basiago, and Corey Goode, to name only two. Claims of induction at childhood into top secret projects that include teleportation to Mars for extended stays, time travel, and attendance via time travel to pivotal historic events such as the Gettysburg address.<br />
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This of course without a shred of evidence to support it. Not even anyone to say for example, <i>"yes, they were gone and we didn't know where they were for a year". </i>Because, time travel.<br />
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In a recent <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/richard-dolan/on-corey-andrew-and-the-whistleblowers/1394366947350897/">post on Facebook</a>, Dolan voices his dismay with these sort of whistle blowers and their inclusion in the 2017 MUFON Symposium, of which he is a speaker as well. While Dolan's piece is in my opinion just an attempt to draw a line of demarcation between himself and the less than credible folks he'll share a stage and probably a panel discussion with - here's what is missing from the discussion:<br />
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<li>Dolan, with his <i>Secret Space Program</i> and <i>Breakaway Civilization</i> programs and lectures, effectively drew these people to the forefront. He is distancing himself from something that he has in part, helped to create. I am not suggesting he is actively aiding these people, but they are building narratives upon the ideas he has been promoting.</li>
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<li>At no point after voicing his non-support of his fellow presenters does he say he is effectively withdrawing from the speaking engagement - which should be the natural response if he is <i>so</i> in opposition to them that he would write this lengthy piece detailing his feelings about the event and the other presenters.</li>
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This is similar to his <a href="https://www.richarddolanpress.com/single-post/2015/03/08/The-SoCalled-Roswell-Slides-and-Mexico-City-Why-I-am-Going">Roswell Slides post</a> where he seemed compelled to explain <i>why</i> he was going to speak at an event that already involved questionable personalities and highly dubious 'evidence'. Richard claimed he didn't agree to participate until a long discussion with Don Schmitt (who he claimed to know better than the others involved). This seems odd in that Schmitt was publicly <a href="http://www.ufowatchdog.com/donald_schmitt.htm">exposed years ago</a> regarding the truthfulness of his background and research - <a href="http://www.roswellfiles.com/storytellers/RandleSchmitt.htm">and even his former research partner Kevin Randle called him a "pathological liar".</a> This association seems antithetical to everything Dolan represents within the UFO field.<br />
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I should point out that I don't believe Richard purposefully concocts the ideas of a <i>Secret Space Program</i>, or the <i>Breakaway Civilization</i> just to put out content. While I think the notions are greatly overstated, I'm sure he sees reason to speak about them.<br />
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Within this situation is a repetitive path seen in many aspects of the paranormal: <b>the genesis of any idea, theory, or supposition will be extrapolated to a level of highly strained credibility (absurdity) fairly quickly - no matter how well-reasoned and plausible the original concept was. </b>There is also a 'down the rabbit hole' effect, where rational, otherwise intelligent and well-reasoned researchers will find themselves engaged in irrational research, ideas and paranoia - then often finding themselves in questionable company. This goes down the tandem path of what we've discussed before - in that some seemingly intelligent researchers fall apart and descend into all matter of madness upon entering certain aspects of the paranormal.<br />
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There is another aspect of this situation that deserves mention. The idea that Richard Dolan mentions in his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/richard-dolan/on-corey-andrew-and-the-whistleblowers/1394366947350897/">'On Corey, Andrew and the Whistleblowers'</a> piece, that he doesn't want a war with anyone in the field. That's certainly admirable, but I think this goes much deeper than an avoidance of conflict. This seems to be hedging a bet, much as was done with the Roswell Slides - on not coming down too hard on the outlandish personalities so that if they become the flavor of the year, or how the 'field' ultimately turns (it's a possibility no matter how repugnant we may find that) - <i>he is not on the outs</i>. In my opinion this is a tactic to remain neutral to the discussion and still be asked to speak and attend events. That Dolan will not take a definitive stand in opposition to presenters with serious credibility issues is a testament to the <i>clique</i> mentality that exists in the convention and organization circuit. Bring the real world into the Dungeons & Dragons of UFOlogy and you will quickly find yourself cut out of speaking engagements.<br />
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James Clarkson, former Washington State Director for MUFON (who rightly quit in disgust) has spoken in this <a href="http://radiomisterioso.com/audio/James_Clarkson_7_24_17.mp3">Radio Misterioso</a> interview to this effect as well: that calling out poor research and organizational practices often garners you the ire of people in power within UFO circles. Then, you're wrongly accused and berated for attacking someone - when personality has nothing to do with the matter, it's about the actions and research<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The 'insider' is as ambiguous as the phenomenon.</span></i></td></tr>
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In addition, in his <i>'...Whistleblowers'</i> piece, Dolan warns: "Everything is based on trust. Believing such stories without genuine evidence takes us down a dangerous road within an already treacherous field that is constantly in the crosshairs of a skeptical establishment."<div><br /></div><div>He also says that "If something is falsifiable, it doesn’t mean it’s false. It means you have the ability to test it, to investigate it, to determine whether it is true or false."</div><div><br /></div><div>When Dolan has related whatever information he has gleaned from an 'insider' he cannot name - he is asking you to take the same dangerous road - to believe based on nothing but trust. There is no way to qualify any of his alleged 'inside' sources, or their words.</div>
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The UFO cover-up is one of the most fascinating angles of the UFO problem. On one hand, the public seems to believe those researchers who portray a conspiracy that is formidably complex, huge in scale and depth, and protected by personnel who will stop at nothing to keep the secret.<br />
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And yet many of those same researchers talk of leaked information from trusted 'inside' sources, government documents obtained through FOIA, and clandestine arranged meetings with former top-secret scientists, military, and intelligence.<br />
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When the scenario is looked at rationally, there are some rather glaring points to be made:<br />
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<li>That the public places trust in the researcher that he is truthful about his 'contacts'. This seems counter to the idea of really being critical (or suspicious) of what one is told, is true (this is the foundation of the UFO cover-up).</li>
<li>That if said 'contacts' do exist, they are telling the researcher the truth. There is no reason to ever believe an 'insider' if indeed the conspiracy is as far reaching and complex as is claimed.</li>
<li>It's not often mentioned that the blacked-out documents squeezed out of the government via FOIA are not deliberately made to <i>appear</i> sanitized. If the cover-up is indeed as complex as claimed, this would be a distinct possibility.</li>
<li>It's widely claimed the <i>powers that be</i> have no issue making people 'disappear' or even resorting to assassination to silence individuals attempting to end the cover-up. This seems not to apply to the researchers who claim inside contacts, or claim to be an insider themselves (including the time traveling, Mars explorers.) None to my knowledge have ever been arrested for making critical intelligence information, public. </li>
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There are plenty more contradictions, but in the interest of brevity <i>(it's too late),</i> I'll leave that for future discussion.<br />
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Where we end up is intriguing as we have 2 separate items: the very strange and complex UFO phenomenon, and the widely held belief of a conspiracy to cover their existence. Both have a provocative commonality: <i>evidence for either is steeped in ambiguity.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>And that lays us in the valley of the Trickster: the margin between <i>real</i> and <i>fake</i>. Between <i>truth</i> and <i>lie</i>. Between <i>information</i> and <i>disinformation</i>. But what is truly fascinating is that the effects of irrationality, ambiguity, charisma, and the trajectory from plausible to absurd - not only applies to the UFO phenomenon itself, <i>but even bleeds into topics that involve it more indirectly.</i><br />
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The MUFON Symposium has now come and gone. I began writing this essay before the event, and finished it today, July 28th, 2017. There is still an air of contention over the event, and I expect that kind of feeling to grow. Richard Dolan has apparently taken a video series gig with GAIA entitled <i>'False Flags'</i>. GAIA are the same folks who brought you...the Nazca alien mummy fiasco.<br />
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One thing, if nothing else is certain at this point: <i>the UFO field succeeds regularly in ensuring that the phenomenon retains it's position of marginality. </i><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-10025393724044479462017-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:002017-07-06T11:05:24.241-07:00The Artist and the Other<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the more interesting results of <a href="http://paratopiaoculus.com/project-core/">Project CORE</a> came in the answer to the question: <i>"Are you a creative person?"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW4PLfbMcJ0kyRQsZM0SfysOiir2lPPnlF1sQvML1y5f0JZMcodm70frj3oEa9tfXJ_3bpuinFboa9TpPQuajjLF_bYbwtSKkKqgdP-RhXjZNT7Y2x_c1qaIWocEmqhU2HuWMWCHN8aW1/s1600/corelogo-300x140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW4PLfbMcJ0kyRQsZM0SfysOiir2lPPnlF1sQvML1y5f0JZMcodm70frj3oEa9tfXJ_3bpuinFboa9TpPQuajjLF_bYbwtSKkKqgdP-RhXjZNT7Y2x_c1qaIWocEmqhU2HuWMWCHN8aW1/s1600/corelogo-300x140.jpg" /></a>Out of over 200 responses, 175 (87%) Yes to 11 (5%) No. Just from my own interactions with folks having paranormal events over the years, I feel safe saying that a lot of creative people are having these experiences. This brings up a number of interesting talking points. Do artists perceive these events because they have great visualization abilities? Does the phenomena select them because they are best equipped to convey the experience to others? These are at best mental exercises and largely unproductive towards addressing the question. We can't know the 'mind' of the phenomena (if there is one) and certainly can't ascribe meaning or intent to it.</div>
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Let's look at the role of artist in society first. In ancient times there was no formal training in the arts, and training in any sort of artisan profession was based upon technical excellence. Slavery had much to do with the artists (which they were not called at the time) - they were ultimately manual laborers. Society at that point paid little to no attention to artistic expression. No one, not even the artist himself, thought the artist's personal feelings or mindset were of any serious interest whatsoever. The artist was a craftsman, or a skilled worker. They were considered someone whose work develops from <b>inner ideas and thoughts coupled with personal effort</b>. </div>
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In the Medieval age, the artist was largely anonymous. It wouldn't be improper to call them <i>'artists' </i>but they were still considered a craftsman (here's the important divide) <b>and therefore socially removed from <i>'gentlemen'</i>.</b> In Medieval Europe, they were still considered proper, decent members of society. They were trained in guilds and still were required to operate at a high skill, and high quality level. Work was signed but the mark of the artist was considered lesser or unimportant than the guild mark, which was held in higher regard because it showed the quality of the art by the training. The name of the person who executed the work was of much less concern.</div>
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The Renaissance is the age of the artist. Ask someone to name an artist and you'll likely get a name from this time period. There is a crucially new idea: the great artist is also, and necessarily, a great individual. This period to me seems to give rise to the lenient attitude towards the artist. For instance, they were often excused their paint smeared clothes or shabby appearance in the court if they knew the speaking rules and had something of relevant importance to say. Artists were anxious to show that they were educated - <i>remember this class came out of laborers and tradesmen. </i>The artist wanted to be considered more in the company of the <i>philosopher</i> or <i>poet </i>- people who didn't get their hands dirty. This age also brought to rise the <i>art critic</i> - as today, the artist brings to his work certain principles only known to well informed people - or <i>insiders </i>(while the artist was and still is considered an <i>outsider</i>)<i>. </i>The mythical illusions, or symbolic hidden messages in art would have been lost on the uneducated. Art during this period was patronized by the rich. If you were well to do, you possessed great works of art, and often art was a symbol of how well off you were. Art dictated <i>class status. </i>This is an amazing and lofty upgrade for what was considered in the beginning, just a skilled craftsman.</div>
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<b>So there's the start of something interesting:</b> as artists gain status in the society's elite - it seemed to force people to be more educated in history, philosophy and symbolism to be able to interpret the work. Artists of this time wanted to make art that searched such lofty heights as the meaning of existence itself.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The artist as revolution.</span></i></td></tr>
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In following times the artist would become an instrument of social change, trying to make changes through direct attack of a person, leader, or social institutions. The <i>'revolutionary'</i> artist realizes work that tries to induce radical change through visuals (this still goes on today). Long before the realization that art could influence social change, it was deceptively demur - showing us benign pastoral and portrait images. These would later become known as 'chocolate box' paintings (because they looked like something that would please the eye and adorn your box of sweets). The true power and influence of art lay in wait. </div>
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The Bohemian artist seems to be the stereotypical 'artist' facade everyone seems to know: no regular job, no normal hours, loose living and partying. Many are attracted to the art <i>lifestyle</i>, especially self-styled 'rebels' and poseurs of every kind. The lifestyle is non-conformist in the extreme. There have been several aspects of the artist that seem to go across the board:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Powerful drive to tear down society, societal norms and break taboos.</li>
<li>Drugs, alcohol, sex, suicide and early death </li>
<li>Self destruction. The artist <i>must</i> suffer. (This, I know intimately. Of course it's not a must, I believe this just comes with the price of a non-conventional lifestyle. Living an anti-structural life.)</li>
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As a side note these three attributes could be overlaid on to the paranormal fields in different ways. The powerful drive to tear down societal norms? Certainly the UFO disclosure would accomplish that. So too would the proving of life after death. Self destruction? Often some of the most public paranormal researchers or personalities are on a path to financial or personal ruin but refuse to abandon the subject(s) as a form of income, personal pursuit, or notoriety (Gene Steinberg of <i>The Paracast</i> is one example). They don't willfully ignore the downward slide and the obvious solutions - they seem <i>completely unaware (or have an aversion) of them as an option.</i></div>
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The modern artist can be in any space we've discussed here. The graphics designer, illustrator, fine artist, gallery idol...take your pick. You'll find that 'creative artists' also include musicians, and writers and that they claim nearly the same lifestyles, desire to break conformity and partake in taboos that visual artists do.<br />
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But you'll also find that all creatives have one thing in common: <b>they <i>externalize</i> the <i>internal</i>.</b> This goes back to the start: <b>"inner ideas and thoughts coupled with personal effort". </b>The personal effort is one of creation. Matching the vision in the head to the object in the hand. Bringing the <i>thought</i> to<i> manifested form</i>.<br />
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Some of our earliest cultural texts allude to the same idea: In the beginning was the <i>word</i>, and the word became <i>flesh</i>.<i> </i>The<i> idea</i> is made <i>real, </i>through the creative process.<br />
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Dr. Jeffrey Kripal has postulated in his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Authors-Impossible-Paranormal-Jeffrey-Kripal/dp/0226453871">Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred</a> </i>that the mystical experience is involved in a kind of 'hidden structure of reality' that is paradoxical to our normal way of thinking or being. Through perception, there is the mental or the material. You have a mental image of the picture on the wall, but there's also the material aspect of it existing in consensus reality. The creative person brings the mental into material. <i>Internal to external.</i><br />
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It's an interesting direction but I'm not sure it can be qualified. What we do know is that many of the things that surround a paranormal event, also surround the creative artist:<br />
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<ul>
<li>the anti-structural lifestyle</li>
<li>chaos, stress and suffering</li>
<li>the breaking of or engaging in, societal taboos</li>
<li>deception and illusion</li>
<li>deconstruction and liminal periods</li>
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This isn't a complete list, but there's some tandem ideas here too. Artists and their work are also agents of change. It could be argued that if form and content are inseparable, then the changes in artistic form and style signal changes in society (Look at Matisse, Picasso, Monet and the periods in which they precede.) </div>
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Artists also have a tendency to be at times, very anti-social. Almost hermit like in some cases when deeply involved in the project. Vast amounts of time, energy and emotion go into these works - focus of intent is mandatory. That same focus can tend to drive people away. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Jeffrey Kripal at TEDx</span></i></td></tr>
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Dr. Kripal, in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX7WDqZuyvQ">TEDx presentation that he delivered in 2013</a> has a slide that reads:
<i>“The paranormal is a story waking up to it’s author.”</i>
It stands to reason that if these experiences equate to symbol and sign, narrative and
story, one would expect creative persons - writers, artists, musicians, etc., to have
exceptional access to these perceptions and experiences. And the Project CORE data
seems to indicate that they do.</div>
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So in the end we've got creative people making up a <b>fairly notable portion of experiencers of the paranormal, and those creatives <i>live</i> in the very attributes that surround paranormal events.</b> Artists are and always have been <i>outsiders</i>, and because they are <i>outsiders</i> they are considered<i> marginal</i> and their experiences easily dismissed. But because of their ability to externalize the internal, they have the innate ability to excite and overwhelm others with the force of the artist's feelings through their work.</div>
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Is the paranormal a manifested response to a weird, chaotic, creative co-process? It might seem to go both ways. Some experiencers report that they didn't feel at all creative until a brush <i>with</i> the paranormal - and that contact resulted in a burst of the creative impulse. Like the artist, the paranormal seems to suggest things - ideas, abstract concepts, radical thoughts.<br />
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This is not to say that all experiencers of paranormal events <i>must</i> be creatives. However there's a lot we don't know from past events, because these types of questions and observations weren't asked (especially in the UFO field). We know that for instance, the <i>'Allagash abduction' </i>individuals were all artists. (the case is fraught with issues for me due to the use of hypnosis in recalling the event, but is worth mentioning here) But as another example, what about Parker and Hickson of the Pascagoula incident? What about the Mothman witnesses? What about the Bentwaters/Woodbridge participants?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>A lie that tells the truth.</i></span></td></tr>
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Pablo Picasso once said <i>"Art is a lie that tells the truth." </i>Lewis Hyde quoted this line in his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trickster-Makes-This-World-Mischief/dp/0374532559">"Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth & Art"</a> </i>where he laid out his contention that some artists are able to embody the trickster that exists in many cultures over history. The many myths of the trickster figure paradoxically show that cultures need space for agents whose sole purpose is to expose and cause disarray to the very thing(s) that the cultures are based upon. In other words, to <b>fly in the face of established truth.</b> To thumb their noses to academic and scientific fact.<br />
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Agents of <i><b>chaos</b></i>. Of <i><b>disruption.</b></i> Harbingers of <i style="font-weight: bold;">liminality. </i>Sounds familiar, <i>yes?</i><br />
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What could possibly stand in more direct opposition to the methodology of science and academe than the paranormal? The paranormal event is <i>experience.</i> It is (like art) subjective and elusive. It stands in stark contrast in and defiance of, the strict doctrine of science. And it <i>suggests</i> things. Ideas and concepts. It influences personal outlook and can originate religious ideology.<br />
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<i>Stop asking why.</i> It's not a productive question.<br />
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None of what I've written above is an answer to anything. It's just another odd consistency of the paranormal experience that leads one on other avenues of inquiry that need to be examined. We cannot give in to the easy answers and say "well, creative types just make it all up". It doesn't fit and leaves more burning questions out of the discussion.<br />
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The creative personalities seem to report more paranormal events and experiences. The artist <i>deceives </i>the eye through perspective, shadow and form where there is only a flat canvas. The artist is a <i>magician.</i> They create the picture, but the origin is the <i>internal - externalized.</i> It touches us <i>inside. </i>Deeply, and profoundly. But the artist is a <i>marginal outsider. </i><br />
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Such interesting similarities can't be ignored. This again is abstract concept - not an answer. We have to take this bit and keep it in mind moving forward. Larger surveys and professional / academic studies may prove out the creative connection to the paranormal experience - but my guess is there will always be an ambiguous connection to the artist - who like the paranormal, refuses to be nailed down. <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-57574369023259861602017-06-15T13:29:00.000-07:002017-10-24T11:46:15.431-07:00Performance Investigators: a Paranormal Element?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwBaZemAt-PWhugIzCMY7tTgfHPRxbmDuvkX-N8w1Bh9h1rvfADsAkq0ep0Y3Ttkw6TmUWWGqjjJqAapIWB1kXuLp_fltx6taGIlJG70xjPGq2gInSkVhim06LThth-sOmqXGB5wEEV-2/s1600/pi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwBaZemAt-PWhugIzCMY7tTgfHPRxbmDuvkX-N8w1Bh9h1rvfADsAkq0ep0Y3Ttkw6TmUWWGqjjJqAapIWB1kXuLp_fltx6taGIlJG70xjPGq2gInSkVhim06LThth-sOmqXGB5wEEV-2/s1600/pi.jpg" /></a></div>
One thing there seems to be no shortage of in the paranormal: investigators. It might even be safe to say there are currently more amateur investigators in the paranormal than there are researchers working on cures for cancer. Yet the pursuit of answers in the paranormal are largely considered marginal and without value by those outside these fields, especially to those ladies and gentlemen involved with the many branches of science. Yes, we have some scientists these days becoming involved in the serious study of the enigma(s) but they are outnumbered greatly by amateur investigators. Of that rather large amateur category, serious and conscientious researchers are outnumbered by what I've recently come to call <i>'performance investigators' </i>(PI)<i> </i>.</div>
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These <i>performance investigators</i> offer very little in the way of, well...even moderately substantiated raw data, but are considered by many in the paranormal fields to be of high regard. This speaks a little to the charisma factor discussed in the previous post, as the <i>performance investigators</i> are <i>more about the action of being seen performing investigations than gaining or presenting results.</i></div>
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Think about that for a second. To be seen in the act of data collection or investigation <i>is</i> the main point for a PI. You'll see the them posting a lot of photos of themselves "in the field" on social media of every kind - but ask yourself how many times you've seen any real results? One particular figure in the UFO community has plenty of photos posted on Facebook with them collecting on-site material samples of all kinds - but that same figure has never once posted any kind of analysis result of those samples. <i>It's all about being seen in the act.</i></div>
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Ghost hunters are rich with this sort of thing and the performance attribute is quite over the top. It's tough work apparently, to be seen bathed in that green night vision haze - to the point that one fairly public ghost hunter says she develops makeup for women that makes them look good through night vision cameras (if that doesn't tell you it's all about being seen, I'm not sure what will). It seems that many in that genre feel the need to have a well-filtered head shot, and post regularly about their paranormal exploits, as well as every conflict entanglement they encounter (which are often many - we've discussed this before here). Then you'll see the many posts threatening to quit the paranormal field because they <i>'simply can't take the drama anymore'. </i>These posts are cryptically written to garner sympathetic <i>'are you ok?'</i> posts from fans, begging them to stay. They of course had no intention of leaving anyway - it's all part of the facade that keeps follower entertained.<br />
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Most are not even remotely versed in parapsychological history, or any matter of investigative techniques such as (double blind location tests) and rely on results from fraudulent or faulty 'tools' such as ghost boxes, K2 meters and phone apps to name only a few. The entire paranormal field (of which I include the UFO field as well) have long had their own ideologies based on very little - and those largely baseless notions have been built upon to the point where it becomes accepted fact. But the PI's have their own subculture of belief that is structured around <i>them</i>. They are the direct line of action with the phenomena they are allegedly investigating. But 'investigating' isn't really the right term when you see posts like: <i>"the spirits at the (insert location here) were so responsive tonight and we're so happy to have re-connected with them again!". </i>This is not investigation. Not when you're speaking of the phenomenon like it's an old college buddy. </div>
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<i>It's theater.</i> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Who said you have to ghost hunt in the dark?</span></i></td></tr>
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Not only are they building a narrative that they connected with a paranormal entity, but they're building a brand - <i>their brand. </i>Not surprisingly, followers flock in droves to these PI, because they build (knowingly or unknowingly) a belief-based community support system for many. There are also PI that build a large following, not due to their 'investigations' or any footage or audio they may garner - but due to their <i>physical appearance alone.</i></div>
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There I said it. Due to their <u>physical</u> <u>appearance</u> alone. We have male oriented ghost hunting groups with promotional photos that look more like a pro wrestling or <i>Affliction</i> clothing ad, and female ghost hunting groups or teams that look like the members are bucking more for a modeling contract than paranormal evidence. This is not to say attractive men and women can't be interested in the paranormal, or even that they can't present themselves however they want - but these groups and teams are often the most vocal in complaints that<i> 'no one takes them seriously'</i>, or publicly pout when no one wants to hear about their new version of quantum theory which explains the paranormal (which often has nothing to do with theory and little to do with the accepted terminologies of science). </div>
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How serious can you be taken if most of what you post on Facebook involves more about <i>you and your public persona</i> and less about the study you claim to <i>'live for'? </i>I think we'd all love to see one piece of interesting or compelling evidence, rather than another cross armed 'badass' ground perspective photo of you in low light, or another bikini body or boudoir shot from a <i>'serious investigator'. </i>Yes, these folks have even taken to signing autographs at conventions. It's self-made celebrity at it's best.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j8LUnNJSar_10meNn2Vdbre-M5RPWp_FpZCXxBTmABYr2p_56Y-oABwmYuocLjyCK5ehG5f9iBz_64XfJBToWEb6D7vIV1emDGi3ggaOjXvsLpVy6wAM4QQP912pogI4qdkShM0OWCZD/s1600/wagons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="637" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j8LUnNJSar_10meNn2Vdbre-M5RPWp_FpZCXxBTmABYr2p_56Y-oABwmYuocLjyCK5ehG5f9iBz_64XfJBToWEb6D7vIV1emDGi3ggaOjXvsLpVy6wAM4QQP912pogI4qdkShM0OWCZD/s320/wagons.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Don't question, just circle the wagons</span></i></td></tr>
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This kind of thing is relegated to <i>show business</i>. It's marketing and promotion. And sadly, it's gained a lot of ground in the paranormal community. These PI have a lot of sway over public opinion these days, because they <i>appear </i>to be doing investigations. They've achieved a low-level, cult celebrity status - and for that reason many attribute legitimacy to their 'evidence' where there is none. The false 'facts' are hardened and defended, if for no other reason than the PI says it is so. Any reasonable challenge to the status quo in that department is met with <i>'we don't care what you believe, go away!'. </i>The wagons are circled, and the PI's heap praise on their fans for defending them against the evil folks who would question their 'results' or call out their nonsensical ideologies.</div>
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Now I'm sure you're asking <i>'whats this have to do with trickster theory and the paranormal?'</i></div>
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Because the <i>'performance investigators'</i> are textbook examples of the <i>marginal </i>people attracted to the paranormal fields<i>. </i>They deem themselves 'professionals', but any educated professional in a field of serious inquiry would find the PI public persona and their 'research', an affront to anything meaningful or worthy of further examination. It's not only the content they produce, it's the face that the PI put on the field of research: an exceedingly <i>marginal</i> one. Through relentless self promotion, PI are often the most visible in our paranormal communities, and therefore present the most accessible target for fundamentalist skeptics to make examples of. The skeptical community will more often than not gravitate to the low hanging fruit for their easy dismissal of the paranormal 'myth'.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvLV3XAiL9TmiTuqOGuFadwNErFoMnOmVqiiKgEqt3Fg3IP5uTHrU4-dq2rzoP0XZa12yYr96x_6_UTGT1XYx9DDF-5evwG69Xy0w7t49AQbxb7lGuYotbyqpvduIPpaiAb6bExPyytoH/s1600/iStock-620955898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1183" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvLV3XAiL9TmiTuqOGuFadwNErFoMnOmVqiiKgEqt3Fg3IP5uTHrU4-dq2rzoP0XZa12yYr96x_6_UTGT1XYx9DDF-5evwG69Xy0w7t49AQbxb7lGuYotbyqpvduIPpaiAb6bExPyytoH/s320/iStock-620955898.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The commerce of the performance investigator</span></i></td></tr>
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With the ease of use and accessibility of live streaming, and audio podcasts, PI have essentially started their own television channels with all the cult of personality you could want. Watch the show, live chat with the PI, and buy the shirt/mug/hat on your way out. One of the attractive parts of the show is that unlike Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures - you can actually interact with your favorite PI and get a response in most cases. They're accessible.<br />
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But they're accessible because they want your attention, and your support (financial and numbers to sustain their popularity). Your 'likes' and 'follows', and your 5 star reviews. Of course one of the main drives to the PI teams is the promise of a network television program of their own. Seeing that they aren't getting any attention from the network scouts, they'll tout associations with online networks and pay-for-investigate locations as some kind of major opportunity they've landed. Others will say they are 'on location filming' for whatever video they plan to release to YouTube or sell as a DVD. It's all a way to sound important, always relevant and in demand. </div>
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Yes, without a doubt there is a multitude of human behavior issues at play here. No one is going to debate that - but it starts with the <i>marginal</i> figures that end up in these positions in the paranormal - <b>those who can't seem to get arrested in any other field. </b>You see these traits over, and over in the paranormal, and these people often end up in a position of influence or authority - <i>despite the fact that they have not made any significant contribution to the understanding of the subject. </i>They are also often lacking in any standing of academe. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VkdpfFpJqvEwi5KciaZyJ8W9up9CUihGR3vlo-c4ox3xiTm5aoK_jVsnIvPqZNjtE6hKZvbhUZ6GUMMqHuiHJTIpVQiKOPOzEgLYJUcRZ2M_CfQt37O7ZDged7r7lTe0ZUQWbKJevK4s/s1600/neil-degrasse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VkdpfFpJqvEwi5KciaZyJ8W9up9CUihGR3vlo-c4ox3xiTm5aoK_jVsnIvPqZNjtE6hKZvbhUZ6GUMMqHuiHJTIpVQiKOPOzEgLYJUcRZ2M_CfQt37O7ZDged7r7lTe0ZUQWbKJevK4s/s320/neil-degrasse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">No. Just no.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This doesn't happen in medical science, biology, cosmology, aeronautics, astrophysics...etc. It happens all the time in the paranormal. And I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to see Neil deGrasse Tyson or Lawrence Krauss striking their best muscle tee poses.<br />
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But here's the rub: because the PI are marginal figures, it should not be discounted that they <i>may</i> obtain more interesting data or experience more paranormal activity (even though they may grossly overstate what they <i>do</i> get).</div>
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PI have an interesting set of common traits that might facilitate them potentially getting more paranormal activity:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">are almost exclusively, very marginal figures.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">often do not have full time employment, but supplement their paranormal income with part time self employment side jobs (i.e. - cosmetic sales/parties, online affiliate sales programs etc) which results in an inordinate amount of free time for self promotion. There exists an inherently anti-structural lifestyle for many.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">buy into and often promote instrumentation that blurs the line of evidence into ambiguous (at best) and contentious data: Ghost boxes, Frank's box, 'communication' via K2 meter or any other device or app that provides what are considered false positives.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">are frequently steeped in conflict (not an exclusive PI trait as we know).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">are often not particularly well-educated.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">try frequently to portray themselves in an academic light, but are often transparently not what they are trying to present. There is a public persona that rarely matches the reality.</li>
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These are commonalities anyone can note, but it doesn't mean they all apply to all instances of PI. But we know what seems to surround paranormal activity - and that it is prone to <i>self-negation</i>. It would be easy to dismiss out of hand, any 'evidence' brought forth by a PI. Under serious discussion of topics and issues known about in standard parapsychological circles for decades - the PI would likely not be able to participate. They are simply not approaching the study from that direction - the majority of them approach the topic from a very surface level perspective and no deeper: the ghost / EVP phenomena is the dead, the UFO issue is extraterrestrials, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9n0kLmfijZ1LVxkgEz7vL32x-LV2gVI1UK_mMOl0RqJIaxikmkRKgyW2db1IZAlUUVMK0ItrZttzzqwRsczv4wC0ffH2F95oyhXpXvrI3z6NPJd59bSnhqIpG09eb2zzlaFu42Sm7_kYk/s1600/question.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="600" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9n0kLmfijZ1LVxkgEz7vL32x-LV2gVI1UK_mMOl0RqJIaxikmkRKgyW2db1IZAlUUVMK0ItrZttzzqwRsczv4wC0ffH2F95oyhXpXvrI3z6NPJd59bSnhqIpG09eb2zzlaFu42Sm7_kYk/s400/question.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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PI are often not familiar with even common terms for qualifying their results or tools. At right is part of a discussion I had asking if a particular ghost hunting app has ever had a double blind test of it's reliability. I was met with extreme hostility, not only from the app's creator and his apparent wife, but by those who were his obvious fans. I've obliterated the names here to avoid conflict (thats not what this blog is for) but have identified the players in the discussion. I have the entire discussion which is an astounding read - but this excerpt illustrates the point well. A question about a double blind trial being run on an app that claims to collect paranormal evidence (at the very least) is met with <i>"You're asking kind of a stupid question". </i>It's glaringly apparent that the app creator (the claimed king of paranormal apps) doesn't even understand the term, or the question. <b>Any</b> question beyond praise of his app by his fans is considered an insult or an attack. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jg5r8-zyHAFS7TppnZFJ0adoggPmCcyY9VHnVQqBRFKjgw_Q1kgL0DDzl_Infnd6al2E3xPnSVUrcu57E36439_3UzDQZdnbssqlneejmBRGGRmOsbmtbO2HkP3kSPSNREXT02NWknDc/s1600/question2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="601" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jg5r8-zyHAFS7TppnZFJ0adoggPmCcyY9VHnVQqBRFKjgw_Q1kgL0DDzl_Infnd6al2E3xPnSVUrcu57E36439_3UzDQZdnbssqlneejmBRGGRmOsbmtbO2HkP3kSPSNREXT02NWknDc/s400/question2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the end of this 'discussion' the app creator's wife said it best:<i> "There is no due diligence here" </i>in response to me saying that all I was asking for was some moderate due diligence on qualifying the application's results. It was very clear that neither the app creator or his wife had <b>any</b> idea what the very basic terms meant, because they made themselves look pretty foolish while trying to chastise me for even asking. Her last words are <i>"The fact that you are asking about double-blind studies is enough to know idgaf (I don't give a f**k)"</i></div>
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That point, was crystal clear.</div>
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The entire discussion is not unique, and over the years (this example is from 2015) I've encountered more of this same type of discussion from the paranormal community PI contingency. It's an irrational argument from the very start - <i>even if you are polite.</i> </div>
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You don't find this in other studies like you do the paranormal. Clearly, the above example of marginal people, not even remotely familiar with basic terminology of investigation (and critical discussion) <b>are seated in positions of authority</b> - <i>and some are making the tools by which others depend upon to garner their results. </i>It becomes a mess quickly, and those unfamiliar will pick up the tool, or pretense as factual or worthy of consideration.</div>
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I believe is that we can more or less categorize the end-results of certain people, and their effects on the public perception of the paranormal. Performance investigators could be called 'mudders'. With high profile appearances, they inject a lot of junk data. They dump a lot of mud into the water - many misconceptions, assumptions, and ideology building. But they also might have a predisposition to get real interesting experiences. <b>Through their actions they taint the field(s) and assure it's continued <i>marginal</i> status.</b> Through relentless self-promotion, they command a willing audience. The idea that all these things also line up with people who can't seem to get arrested in any other field? It's far too much to ascribe to chance.</div>
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All of this said, I am not naming names, or pointing fingers. That is not the point here - calling people to task is fine if you think you're going to change something. Many would argue with me on this point: <i>there is no changing the way the field(s) work or who commands audiences in them. </i>My intent here is not to enact change in anything that the field <i>is</i> - but to identify the consistencies of the effects and attributes of the field(s), what they do and how we can avoid issues the study of the paranormal subject presents. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMlN3yrsWEIdGu1URsZgBNDfvS6h8Icz6xxk0_ev0t1Er5eLsaxrl47XLPGvbo1jRIrR36_8dvNk6dK0poEgAfL-98VxItgby6bfWwOtdW1pwZrr93dWfa-GoeX5i-_oL85l5guZMbzZ5/s1600/l5rugz6il2ty.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMlN3yrsWEIdGu1URsZgBNDfvS6h8Icz6xxk0_ev0t1Er5eLsaxrl47XLPGvbo1jRIrR36_8dvNk6dK0poEgAfL-98VxItgby6bfWwOtdW1pwZrr93dWfa-GoeX5i-_oL85l5guZMbzZ5/s1600/l5rugz6il2ty.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Look closer, you will.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The<i> performance investigator</i> - seemingly more prolific in the ghost research field than the UFO field<i> </i>- is only a <i>symptom </i>of something bigger. That bigger 'something' is still undefined, yet we can see the connective tissues all around it. Think of it like an explosion where there's all matter of damage and burn marks, but the ground zero point is devoid of anything. Or a better analogy is Obi-Wan's missing planet from Star Wars as he searched for the clone army creators on Kamino. All the gravity and stars were pulled to a point where a planet should be. But there wasn't one to be seen on the hologram map.</div>
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It was there, but hidden from the Jedi. The same could be said for the paranormal - we can see the pull, the effect, and the aftermath - but in the middle we see only thin air. <b>When we become transfixed on the pull, the effect, the aftermath - <i>we lose sight of the target.</i></b> This is where I think a good chunk of the paranormal public's focus resides.</div>
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We have <u>so</u> much more yet to discover - but the first steps are identifying the s<b>urrounding elements</b> - some of them detrimental to any serious study - and learning how to work within them, around them <b>and most importantly learning to expect them. </b>Everything we have discussed on this blog is a symptom, and undercurrent. Possibly even the phenomenon itself is a symptom of something much larger, and far more complex.</div>
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Liminal people, places, and things. Anti-structural lives, situations and places. Societal taboos and the process of creativity, narrative and story. Charisma. Hoaxes, frauds and lies. Chaos, upheaval and disarray. A host of other things yet to be discussed here (including the <i>numinous</i>). These are all associated with the paranormal and involvement with it. To make forward momentum in study of the paranormal (sometimes by direct interactions), one has to be cognizant that these traits are <i>inescapably intertwined</i>. </div>
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They are not reactions or responses to the paranormal - <i>they are a part of it's face.</i> <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-72911293651937451562017-05-31T10:47:00.003-07:002021-01-22T13:27:02.084-08:00Dungeons, Dragons and the Real World<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0sbRNri1HI07kzRqSTIrV6AM56Dl8bT5RWQKLK6-2l7ot1yKodiQ70i7IirlDxGFaFtl-bkJwx2b9g80JFafgGKOokLU4-Lg1GBfVGSs2RIf3z5nxp5Rwypi0lVpN7JYMo-FkAvn26Ip/s1600/iStock-471444989.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0sbRNri1HI07kzRqSTIrV6AM56Dl8bT5RWQKLK6-2l7ot1yKodiQ70i7IirlDxGFaFtl-bkJwx2b9g80JFafgGKOokLU4-Lg1GBfVGSs2RIf3z5nxp5Rwypi0lVpN7JYMo-FkAvn26Ip/s320/iStock-471444989.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><div><div><div><span style="background-color: white;">If you're around the paranormal field(s) long enough, eventually you see patterns. Patterns in people, in cases and their investigations, and patterns in who is attracted as a supporter of whatever 'evidence' is presented. In tandem with the main focus of this post is an effect that I've been interested in for a long time now: that some investigators and witnesses are playing a real life role-playing game of some kind. You can even see this kind of role-playing between two or more investigators. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Like many of the traits we discuss here, this type of role-play seems unique to the paranormal fields and their participants - you simply don't find this in other areas of investigation or inquiry.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">I've called it the 'adult version of Dungeons & Dragons' in years past, because I watched several occasions of paranormal train wrecks where clearly sensible and otherwise sane people accepted extremely flimsy case data or research which allowed them to proceed further into what could only be called fantasy. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">But were they conscious of the action? Hard to say. However when real world consequences intrude into their case - this seems to be the way they 'snap out' of the game. Swept up in belief and willing to accept things that otherwise they would not? Perhaps.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><div>George Hansen would later point out to me that the paranormal, and 'Dungeons & Dragons' (D&D) both give access to otherworldly creatures and mythological themes. That immediately made me focus on the 'dungeon master' - the one in the driver's seat and often the most charismatic storyteller or personality in the group. Charisma is another common trait and seems entwined (in my mind) with the role-play aspect seen with many paranormal 'investigators'. You'll be able to identify some minor charismatic UFO or paranormal personalities right away: they're the more 'colorful" folks who are prone to 'posing' in selfie or group photos. They often present themselves as intellectuals or have a tendency to quote lofty prose. But, you'll find these personalities have very little to offer of substance, and tend to parrot or regurgitate other's work more than originate their own.</div><div><br /></div><div>Actual UFO case researchers that have been involved in high profile events and maintain the public's attention over an extended time are also charismatic personalities. You'll often see reviews of a paranormal researcher's lecture saying "He/she is a very charismatic speaker..." Charisma is very interesting from the standpoint of our discussions here on the blog. It's definition reads:</div></span></div></div>
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<div class="vk_ans" style="margin-bottom: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span data-dobid="hdw"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;">cha·ris·ma</b></span></span></div>
<div class="vmod" style="background-color: white;">
<div class="lr_dct_ent_ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="lr_dct_ph" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white;">kəˈrizmə/</i></span></span></div>
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<div class="lr_dct_sf_h" style="padding-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">noun</span></i></div>
<div class="xpdxpnd vk_gy" data-mh="15" data-mhc="1" style="max-height: 15px; overflow: hidden; text-align: justify; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">noun: <b>charisma</b>; plural noun: <b>charismata</b></span></div>
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<div class="lr_dct_sf_sen vk_txt" style="font-weight: lighter; padding-top: 10px;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>1</strong>.</span></div>
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<div class="_Jig">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-weight: lighter;">compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="vmod" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">"she enchanted guests with her charisma"</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<table class="vk_tbl vk_gy" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="lr_dct_nyms_ttl" style="font-style: italic; padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">synonyms:</span></td><td style="padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="cursor: pointer;">charm</span>, <span style="cursor: pointer;">presence</span>, <span style="cursor: pointer;">personality</span>, force of personality, strength of character;</span></td></tr>
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</li>
<li style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="vmod">
<div class="lr_dct_sf_sen vk_txt" style="font-weight: lighter; padding-top: 10px;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>2</strong>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 20px;">
<div class="_Jig" style="text-align: justify;">
<div data-dobid="dfn" style="display: inline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">a divinely conferred power or talent.</span></div>
</div>
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</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9j8zBaJK1luAGS25e7Hz1yhjSr7kJLfZlAAUW5rVKZs5yvjFlIGCpPGRf7o6mZvkzftlPYsuBX7Bg7qQtbhdpN1xpC9Es3sBCf0bvke01EDfxgaBQ81tpSfr5KgB2jE1L_DCPMGQLbpM/s1600/iStock-468307758.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9j8zBaJK1luAGS25e7Hz1yhjSr7kJLfZlAAUW5rVKZs5yvjFlIGCpPGRf7o6mZvkzftlPYsuBX7Bg7qQtbhdpN1xpC9Es3sBCf0bvke01EDfxgaBQ81tpSfr5KgB2jE1L_DCPMGQLbpM/s320/iStock-468307758.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><div>Max Weber, an enormously influential individual in the realms of sociology, wrote in his 1913 book 'Economy and Society' saying that charisma: "applied to a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is considered extraordinary and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In the UFO subject, speakers are often referred to or billed as "authorities" or an "authority on UFOs". There are 3 types of authority in society 1) Legal/Rational authority, 2) Traditional authority (which through rationalization eventually becomes legal authority) and 3) Charismatic authority. </div><div><br /></div><div>The charismatic authority is known to be transient, and erupts at periods of change or desperation for change. (Sound familiar readers??) As long as charismatic leaders deliver to the satisfaction of the target base they maintain their stature. The minute they don't the position of authority is taken away from them. Charismatic authority seems quite fragile in this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>We know that in UFOlogy, those who produce content and deliver it with charisma are the most successful and patronized. They are featured on podcasts, television, radio and print media. But what happens when they cease giving the audience what it wants? They fall out of favor (along with their theories or ideologies), and are often completely forgotten. However, new material isn't always needed and if charismatic enough, one can ride the same story or thread for many years (Stanton Friedman is a good example).</div><div><br /></div><div>The UFO figureheads are well aware of this and the dynamic exists all over the field, but for our example, let's look at the 'abduction' research area.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwftvVe3rFepqACUzr8CZx2MDdtX_r5yI8dB0PCJJqz0Sc1nPJRp-RlpBRK-jem-l9qcwDZsmVXjtE0ZXkLBTs9D1x7PZt68h1ZuLNS1Cb8mPUt93tvqwv-ig6_3Uc1qanzA-ycaA1cVbe/s1600/emma-woods-402.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwftvVe3rFepqACUzr8CZx2MDdtX_r5yI8dB0PCJJqz0Sc1nPJRp-RlpBRK-jem-l9qcwDZsmVXjtE0ZXkLBTs9D1x7PZt68h1ZuLNS1Cb8mPUt93tvqwv-ig6_3Uc1qanzA-ycaA1cVbe/s200/emma-woods-402.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
The David Jacobs research subject known as "Emma Woods" remarked that Jacobs became upset that he'd spent so much time with her, because she was a part of his next book - when they suddenly fell out over the rather disturbing tactic of hypnotically suggesting the idea to her that she had multiple personality disorder (now known as Dissociative Indentity Disorder). The reason for this tactic? Allegedly to shield himself from her hybrid aggressors who he believed had threatened and were after him - because of some anonymous instant messages on the internet. Jacobs was shaken out of the role-play position when Emma said she was going to publicly speak about their falling out. At that point he was seriously concerned about his credibility and how he'd be viewed for his actions in the case - because he would no longer be dungeon master of the game and conduct the narrative. If you choose to you can read all about the Woods case here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3171ecq-392XO9VOTxa3Tljd2cAigzu_83RDGs_zvltmT_8v-a2uVe658l48w1906R0RN4Yo0c8PMe3tDdN5RDFXscRakIxRXbDdMhLZYZEAsTYOh0v0ixdZ6qDtzksuZVMmyVeW9ewR/s1600/51XY8YEVEJL._SX309_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3171ecq-392XO9VOTxa3Tljd2cAigzu_83RDGs_zvltmT_8v-a2uVe658l48w1906R0RN4Yo0c8PMe3tDdN5RDFXscRakIxRXbDdMhLZYZEAsTYOh0v0ixdZ6qDtzksuZVMmyVeW9ewR/s320/51XY8YEVEJL._SX309_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div>Carol Rainey, former wife of noted researcher Budd Hopkins has stated that Hopkins was 'always looking for the next big story', and would ignore certain telling facts about any given case to make the story line work. But when claims of attempted murder and abduction (by humans) entered into the 'Linda Cortile' case - Hopkins and others in support of the case refused to report the event to law enforcement authorities. If the supposed landmark case was true and to be believed as Hopkins contended, then the logical step upon hearing about the abduction and attempted murder of the woman you're researching should be to contact law enforcement. Clearly, Hopkins didn't really put stock into the event as real - but rather as something else, unworthy of reporting to the Police.</div><div><br /></div><div>In both instances, the role-play was broken when the real world consequences intruded into play. </div><div><br /></div><div>Carol also remarked in a recent email to me that "Although Budd and Dave Jacobs held the same views on the UFO/abduction phenomenon, practiced their work in much the same way, shared certain abductees back and forth, and were best friends, Budd always wielded more influence in the field than Dave, in my opinion, because he had the charisma and his friend did not."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ms. Rainey further added that, "Budd's charisma often came out of being quick-witted and humorous - both of which are attractive traits in a leader."</div><div><br /></div><div>I would argue that Hopkins and Jacobs were both charismatic figures in abduction research (with Hopkins having more than Jacobs, hence his bigger influence as a leader in the field) and that in their attempt to deliver as charismatic leaders - both succumbed to the D&D factor - co-creating and role-playing to continue to deliver to their community and keep their position of authority.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hansen states in 'The Trickster and the Paranormal' that "Charisma is also intimately linked with communitas and with mysticism" and that "Pure charisma, like liminality, is directly linked with the supernatural."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Communitias" for those unfamiliar with the word, means "an unstructured community in which people are equal" and "Communitas is characteristic of people experiencing liminality together." - a more perfect definition the paranormal 'fields' would be tough to find.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwVweYGPpWa2zLAZy67OR43lKEjz7l8aF2oVEas90pCkhcuiqxvZi7f5I4WVLC8-jlGQSf8273TABjD4hAQUwN2mO5U8VEu9mWPbuPfYdoLrwDJwR1v2M_047W1uPCjLrQKZBlzSPm-AA/s1600/iStock-610425298.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwVweYGPpWa2zLAZy67OR43lKEjz7l8aF2oVEas90pCkhcuiqxvZi7f5I4WVLC8-jlGQSf8273TABjD4hAQUwN2mO5U8VEu9mWPbuPfYdoLrwDJwR1v2M_047W1uPCjLrQKZBlzSPm-AA/s320/iStock-610425298.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I should note that this is not limited to the abduction research area. It exists in many different facets of the UFO and paranormal interests.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Stephen Greer</b> is a very <i>charismatic </i>personality in the field, promising contact and disclosure that changes our lives from spiritual awakening to alternate and unlimited power sources. Remember that <i>"</i></span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;"><i>Charismatic leaders promise change in the future for the society and also change people's attitudes and values; in this way, charismatic authority is revolutionary in a way that traditional and legal-rational authority are not." </i>Greer doesn't deliver on disclosure of course, nor on an alien body, nor alien contact, but history shows he'll present another proposed trajectory toward amazing discovery and garner donations from his willing supporters. </span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">While Greer has not delivered on his 'promises' as a leader has caused many to abandon him, w</span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">hat's really interesting about </span><i style="background-color: #eff1f2;">charismatic</i><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;"> leaders is not just the leaders themselves, but the devotion of their followers who at times fall into <i>disciple-like</i> roles. Ask yourself, could there be D&D type attributes going on here - especially in Greer's 'contact' outings to vector in supposed craft? Easy answer. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">Richard Dolan</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></b><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">is a good example of a </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">UFO researcher, historian and conspiracy theorist with plenty of <i>charisma.</i> He's also an author of some great UFO literature, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/UFOs-National-Security-State-Chronology/dp/1571743170">UFOs and the National Security State</a> is required reading for anyone interested in alleged government involvement in the UFO issue. He contends there is a massive government cover-up of the UFO phenomena, and 'delivers' to his audience by way of official documents and well-researched historical UFO accounts, mixed with tales of 'inside contacts' that allegedly feed him tidbits of information. The 'inside contact' names are not revealed publicly, so one must take him at his word not only that the contacts are not misleading him, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">but that they exist at all.</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> With </span>his<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i>charisma </i>and delivery, his followers seem to have no doubts.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i>Dolan does deliver,</i> because he doesn't promise anything. He writes a good book and delivers fine lectures on the subject. I</span></span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2; font-family: inherit;">f there's someone waiting in the wings to pick up where ever Friedman leaves off, it's Richard Dolan <i>(That's no small task, btw)</i>. But his public forays into more political discussions and highly questionable events like the <i>Roswell Slides</i> debacle seem to have cost him some loyal followers in UFO circles. The majority of his audience seem quite devout and with that, Richard can seemingly do no wrong. The role-play attributes <i>may</i> exist here either between Dolan and his alleged 'insiders', Dolan and his audience, or both. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYu-kVzXif9UyTeNZirPRZVYqA707fWE624dwzzDS6JS40LnXb3ll8ncurFTz_7LTnlm_j19q8unlG777f8qYlnzeEaqHq8HcNXQQNFwFV9V3qBqqWqTcDsYaLIQBsxFYYI4HiwYFSCXW/s1600/iStock-186850221.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYu-kVzXif9UyTeNZirPRZVYqA707fWE624dwzzDS6JS40LnXb3ll8ncurFTz_7LTnlm_j19q8unlG777f8qYlnzeEaqHq8HcNXQQNFwFV9V3qBqqWqTcDsYaLIQBsxFYYI4HiwYFSCXW/s320/iStock-186850221.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Steve Bassett </b><span style="background-color: #eff1f2; font-family: inherit;">is another interesting example. The </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">charismatic</i><span style="background-color: #eff1f2; font-family: inherit;"> leader of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Paradigm Research Group</i><span style="background-color: #eff1f2; font-family: inherit;"> (although I don't think any of us have seen any actual 'research' into the phenomenon from </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">PRG</i><span style="background-color: #eff1f2; font-family: inherit;">) who has for years promised disclosure (even giving dates) and has repeatedly failed to deliver to his followers. Stating as <a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/3115995/obama-on-the-brink-of-alien-and-ufo-disclosure-president-could-make-announcement-before-end-of-his-term-says-stephen-bassett/">recently as 2016</a>, </span><i style="background-color: white;">"</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><i>This [UFO Disclosure] will be a reality this year and across the front pages of newspapers across the world. The most significant news story that has ever been broken” </i></span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">Bassett's following is probably the most steeply declined of all our examples after repeated touts of the dismantling of the <i>truth embargo</i> (as he calls it) has resulted in no materialization of anything even close. The role-play seems to be in full swing here, both in the follower's perception of Bassett and that of his alleged truth embargo.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">I should note here that all our examples have claimed to have 'insider' contacts from whom they garner some astounding revelations. Bassett, <a href="https://vimeo.com/3832402#t=2541s">at the 2008 X-Conference panel discussion</a> when asked<i> 'what evidence there is that the UFO phenomena was extraterrestrial in nature'</i>, claimed that one of his 'insiders' had told him that the center of E.T. and government contact (on a regular basis) is happening in West Virginia - and that the E.T. presence is <i>"confirmed"</i> and <i>"absolutely certain"</i>. And, he could tell you more...but it wouldn't be <i>"appropriate"</i>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Bassett, who's supposed primary concern <i>is</i> the facilitation of disclosure, <i>isn't disclosing </i>here<i>.</i> I encourage you to watch the hubris of his performance at the provided link - it's a great example of a charismatic leader responding to a direct challenge of his promoted ideology.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">None of our examples, who are all public champions of UFO disclosure ever see fit to expose these 'insiders', and pull on these threads that could <i>potentially</i> begin unraveling the cover up they so adamantly believe exists (or at least expose those who are apparently involved). No pressure is ever brought to bear for their cause. Like many others in the field, this 'insider' information <i>only</i> serves to titillate, and bolster the charismatic leader's presentation to his followers. It holds no more meaning than that when you really think about it. <i>Again, when the real world intrudes with it's obvious questions, the role-play falls apart under scrutiny.</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">I'm sure there would be all matter of excuses as to why these folks and others who've made disclosure a big part of their public repertoire don't act upon these opportunities. Any excuse would serve not to answer, <i>but to deepen the appearance of mystery and intrigue</i> - thereby enhancing their charismatic status. That just seems to be how it works. And it clearly, works.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have to stress again that failure to deliver means to be </span>relegated<span style="font-family: inherit;"> back to that of ordinary person in society - <i>especially</i> in a c</span></span><i>ommunitias like UFOlogy or the paranormal</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Kings are often reduced to pawns in short order. We're seeing that happen, and it's happened over and over in the </span><span style="background-color: #eff1f2;">paranormal</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> field for decades on end. These are only a few examples and I'm sure you can think of others. By the way, <b>none of my examples were meant as an attack of any kind</b>, but it's impossible to talk about all these liminal and anti-structural areas of the paranormal and not mention examples by name for you to examine yourself. </span></span></div>
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Is it possible to discard the <i>charismatic</i> figure because they seemingly want only to feed the masses by any means necessary to retain their role? Can we separate who might be providing good research by becoming aware of <i>charismatic attributes</i>? It seems impossible to steer public opinion away from an engaging speaker or presenter and instead have them listen to one who doesn't have that <i>charisma. </i>Perhaps the answer to these questions is somewhere in the middle.<i> </i>It truly does seem to be a <i>supernatural</i> trait.</span><br />
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The <i>liminal</i> state as we know is one of transition, and the pure <i>charismatic</i> leader is a response to the need for <i>transition</i> and/or <i>change</i> itself - in a community comprised of those experiencing <i>liminal</i> events. The <i>charismatic</i> community leader must produce results or be discarded and forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Sounds like the paranormal field to me. <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></span></span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-84071172443790996202017-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:002017-09-21T12:45:42.105-07:00The Paranormal: Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water<div style="text-align: justify;">
By now if you've been reading this blog from the start, you ought to be able to recognize some basic <i>trickster-type</i> elements within paranormal accounts. More than a few people have written in about identifying these divisive, derailing aspects early on in an effort to sidestep them in their own experiences and research. Is it possible? I would say yes. But, it requires you to often step away from whatever you're studying or investigating to regain perspective - <i>and that ain't easy.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N8u101obb8HV-o-QZBFzJEfncBApPfKULzJGq9V6KyeQhB_8lpw0uS0Giv-qK6g-PjwpVELj98jDk0mKRC8_EMMVI-yTBQTfqdxgKoSJVJdW_dzZHI0YiVI-UPkNgnkNPY_7dK583bwG/s1600/iStock-472545396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N8u101obb8HV-o-QZBFzJEfncBApPfKULzJGq9V6KyeQhB_8lpw0uS0Giv-qK6g-PjwpVELj98jDk0mKRC8_EMMVI-yTBQTfqdxgKoSJVJdW_dzZHI0YiVI-UPkNgnkNPY_7dK583bwG/s200/iStock-472545396.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here's a good analogy: You want to see the pretty fish in the water. But the water is rippled, and while you can see the quick silver flashes of movement, 'going in' would offer a far better view. So you stick your head and face into the water.</div>
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There the silver flashes of movement become form, color and take on a whole other life. It's so engaging that you're pulled in. Every scale is so perfectly aligned. The eyes look at you curiously, and then quickly descend into the murky water as another comes up to your face to have a look. You are enraptured. Beautiful.</div>
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Oh yeah. <i><b>You're also drowning.</b></i> But it's easy. You still feel engaged. You've become so obsessed with the fishies, you've forgotten where you are. You've lost all perspective. You have two choices - come up for air, right now, or suffocate. </div>
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The fish are of course, whatever paranormal phenomena you're trying to examine. They are so ill-perceived through the ripples of ambiguity the enigma is wrapped in, that you wind up going underwater (or becoming semi-obsessed with solving the mystery). You go all in. There is the spot where this phenomena seems to want you to be. <i>This is the best vantage point for you to be in, by virtue of how it presents.</i></div>
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This can be a dangerous place for investigators. It's not only a place where you become enraptured and more prone to belief rather than facts. It's the old issue of <i>wanting</i> it to be true, or wanting it not to be true. You can also in some cases find yourself in situations you didn't bargain for (i.e. having strange events happening <i>to you</i> rather than<i> you studying</i> someone having them. <i>More on that in future posts</i>)</div>
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For many, this is obsession. The obsession is to my eye a part of the nature of the phenomena upon engaging with it, or the study <i>of</i> it. This goes far beyond the desire to solve a mystery. Seasoned investigators will know precisely what I'm talking about (even though few will admit it - the late Dick Hall and I spoke about this at length). The obsessive nature of the study is well known and <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/04/hoaxes-run-consistently-through-every.html">I've even written about it</a> even in regards to those looking to debunk a case or it's promoting personalities. There's a tendency to prove or disprove far beyond doubt - and often light years past what is required for debunking. </div>
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A good chunk of UFO investigators and 'researchers' (armchair or otherwise) are drowning. A major portion of the ghost research community have succumbed to an acute lack of oxygen (<i>see: facts</i>) and can now tell you not only that the ghost is real, but <i>why</i> the ghost is there, <i>what they want</i> and how they can<i> send them on to the other side</i>. All without determining what the 'ghost'...<i>is. </i>The lack not only of critical thought, but the complete abandon of genuine curiosity and the subscription to absurd beliefs is astounding in ghost circles. If you pay attention to some of the more vocal personalities in that community it's almost comedic. Of course the UFO field and it's personalities aren't really much better.<br />
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This begs the question: does the <i>marginal</i> personalities that the field(s) seem to attract allow for dismissal of their investigative results? No. In fact, you sometimes find that the more marginal, haphazard and disorganized a team is, the more likely they are to get phenomena to appear. Because, the phenomena is surrounded by these traits. The self-negation aspect comes into full swing here - you can't take their evidence seriously because of how chaotic their investigation method is, and how they are all predisposed to jump to paranormal conclusions. <b>The evidence no matter how compelling on it's face, remains cloaked in ambiguity.</b><br />
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Can well organized and level headed teams get results as well? Sure. But we know that structure, routine and stability are antithetical to the paranormal. One might expect to see less results in such a team. They may be organized and structured, and still be put into very liminal situations to obtain interesting results. How they proceed from there <i>may</i> dictate their success.<br />
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How to avoid drowning (or losing the critical thinking faculty)? Make a habit of backing away somewhat frequently. And not just backing away, but moving your attention into another interest altogether. This may sound simple, but when you ask investigators to do this, they find it to be amazingly difficult.<br />
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I liken this a little bit to what we've <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-chonicles-of-liminina-threshold.html">spoken about at some length here</a>: ritual. Detaching yourself from this pursuit is needed to 'ground' yourself once again - well outside of the proximity of where you've been in trying to study the phenomenon - <i>ensconced in</i> <i>liminality</i> and <i>anti-structure</i>. <b>Get yourself back into routine.</b> When you come back to the case study you're undertaking in a week or so - I guarantee you'll see things much clearer. But, you have to detach from it completely. Don't dwell or ponder on it - <i>let it go.</i><br />
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For ghost hunting groups? After an investigation, the team should go out and eat together. <b>Don't discuss the night's events. Make that a rule.</b> The act of eating, drinking, even smoking are affirmations of life. You've just spent the entire night supposedly searching for the remnants of the dead. The ritual of feasting grounds you, and draws that line between the perceived dead and the living. Remember, <i>"you shall not pass" - </i>but I'm not talking about the dead following you home. I'm talking about the line of demarcation between the <i>liminal</i>, the <i>anti-structured</i>, and the routine needed to gain perspective and keep critical thought. You'll find the events of the night are easier to let go of after eating, talking and laughing with your friends. Conflicts that may have happened during the investigation should be far easier to blow off. If not, voice them after the food an drink are gone. But realize, and know, that you putting yourself into the paranormal's surrounding effects by trying to study it - <b>will result in conflict of one kind or another.</b> Recognizing this is often the first step in resolution before it becomes an issue.<br />
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It all sounds simple doesn't it? But you'd be surprised the amount of ghost groups that conduct an investigation to disband after, go home and head directly to bed. Think of it like swimming and getting directly into bed without changing. <i>You're laying in it.</i> This gives you time to dwell, ponder, which leads to obsessing...and along the way you lose the critical facilities that you rely upon. Ancient people's held ritual and drew lines between them and odd phenomena for a reason. Even though we may not know what it is, or how it works, it's worth taking their lead - they enacted such things after seeing these kinds of conflicts and turmoil. <br />
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To fail to disconnect periodically from these studies is to become less critical of it. I saw some years ago, prolific writer <a href="http://nickredfernfortean.blogspot.com/">Nick Redfern</a> say something akin to that his writing is a job and he treats it as such. He doesn't live for the subjects he covers, and he more or less admonished those who do the dance 24/7. Perhaps this is why Nick hasn't gone off the rails as so many others in the UFO and paranormal fields do. This is not an endorsement of everything Nick writes, but rather how he conducts his research efforts. <i><b>He uses structure.</b></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Wj_BykJBdN1jBgDKZxelutp_FLq_kK1VktF9Qf6EkJf6gef73ccgRHVplPMejRuXajAlYE4qljk_9-c1-yNwFrdrmcveHR-ZiFeUj_feoCp3N_gdL1__o29dHQh7JufR_gk9GUARgGhx/s1600/iStock-183851930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Wj_BykJBdN1jBgDKZxelutp_FLq_kK1VktF9Qf6EkJf6gef73ccgRHVplPMejRuXajAlYE4qljk_9-c1-yNwFrdrmcveHR-ZiFeUj_feoCp3N_gdL1__o29dHQh7JufR_gk9GUARgGhx/s320/iStock-183851930.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ritual is still here. It just changes form.</i></td></tr>
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And this is really one of the keys to sidestepping that effect as near as I've been able to figure out. But the important thing to remember is that this isn't a psychological effect on only a subset of people. It happens to everyone from the novice to the PhD, to the skeptic (notice that some of the proposed skeptical explanations to paranormal events are almost more ridiculous and far reaching than the original claim itself is?) and on to the field researchers. You do not see this kind of obsession and loss of critical thought (or on this scale) in any other field of inquiry. I'll go out on a limb and say it again: this seems to be a unique factor/effect in the paranormal fields, and seems to be within the framework in which the paranormal operates. To relegate the effects to mind / psychology is to ignore the overwhelming amount of people affected (and the predictability of it), in addition to the other consistencies we've spoken about on this blog. Psychology is ill-equipped to handle or explain the effect.<br />
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In the end, is the detachment 'ritual' going to work 100%? I can't say that. Again, if you're looking for consistencies in the nature of paranormal effects - you're in the wrong place. I will say this: if you're honest with yourself and earnestly try to put detachment and separation lines into practice you'll note the difference in those who don't. I encourage you even to try an experiment with your group: try separation actions with half your team and let the other half do what they want. Have them investigate the same case. Note the reactions and collection of data. Who had more success? How were the results or collected data parsed out and interpreted between the two groups? I think you'll see interesting outcomes.<br />
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I should note<b> this is only one aspect to try and sidestep.</b> Conflicts are going to happen, trolls come out of the woodwork in he paranormal, and you'll see that ordinarily sensible people will unable to grasp basic concepts (which I encountered a great example of on a Facebook thread as I wrote this post). It's how you recognize, identify and deal with these things that ultimately keep you on the rails of progress (or the attempt at such) or derail you into chaos and petty conflict <i>that get you nowhere in actually studying the phenomenon. </i>At that point you're just embroiled in verbal blood sport - you're not actively doing anything you set out to do - study the paranormal.<br />
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Let me know how these things work for you should you decide to put them into practice. <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-87059975086580976112017-04-28T14:18:00.002-07:002017-05-08T07:17:41.505-07:00The UFO/Paranormal Coup<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The line in the sand may likely fall in the middle</i></td></tr>
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These days it's not hard to see it on social media outlets or hear it on podcasts and radio: the need to 'reform' UFOlogy, or the paranormal subject. While it's certainly an admirable idea across the board, and I certainly understand the drive to make it happen, there's one problem: it won't work. And I'm not denigrating anyone who's trying - years ago Jeremy and I tried to force the hand of the UFO community to examine itself while trying to <i>make</i> a totally new UFO field - one not based upon old, tired data but experimental thinking. Needless to say it never gelled, and while we made a modest impact in regard to the Hopkins/Jacobs/Regression Hypnosis problem, proponents of that garbage are still lecturing and appearing as guests on internet/radio programs.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tricksterbook.com/">George Hansen</a>, speaking to Jeremy at a conference in New Jersey many years ago now was the first to make the point that we were blissfully unaware of at the time: that trying to reform or enact widespread change in regard to the paranormal isn't going to work, when the very thing you're trying to study exists within a context of <i>anti-structure</i> and <i>marginality</i>. It exists ensconced in the things one wants to change.</div>
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By examining the surrounding tenets of paranormal events<i> (as we've been discussing on this blog) </i>we see that the structured, repeatable, stable and routine <i>(and others)</i> are pernicious to the paranormal. We can't pretend we know <i>why</i> the paranormal is so steeped in chaos and change, and encompassed in marginal elements - we can only note that <i>it is</i>. Recognition of these patterns and documenting them is half the battle. Accepting and integrating them is the other.</div>
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Efforts at scientific data gathering are always to be encouraged - but scientific rationale of the data collected will see most of that information discarded because it doesn't align with modern day scientific scrutiny. Scientific data gathering doesn't currently allow for questions that would focus upon the <i>anti-structural</i> elements <i>(among others)</i> and I'm sure that there wouldn't be much use for questions or methodologies that immediately marginalize the thing you're trying to study. The entire premise may find itself well off the target it's trying to hit - because there's no sights on the gun.</div>
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On-site scientific data collection and analysis is also costly. <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/03/paranormal-toxicity-group-dynamic-part-1.html">As mentioned on this blog</a>, the funding just isn't available, because the public at large doesn't support serious inquiry into these topics. In fact, the populace sides against this type of study - evident by the operating budgets of CSICOP vs MUFON, and their subscribers/readers. The interest is there, but the money doesn't follow. When a case involving a ranch that had significant strange activity was discovered - it was privately funded and all scientifically collected data that came from it has never been released to the public.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoORh1Cv45mtfb-LTXQvsUbmVzf812jgUGjGeCSIZAke6yXHMHxeTaPipdM2o3vlKaJXONnpw2dKqowFYRocT9r7YHPLTN1i7kPSSgg9-7N9Q5SeiF5l_J8s1ocxEDcAUddPUOKZf5gFN/s1600/16804162_10212133203231052_6317394399684781182_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoORh1Cv45mtfb-LTXQvsUbmVzf812jgUGjGeCSIZAke6yXHMHxeTaPipdM2o3vlKaJXONnpw2dKqowFYRocT9r7YHPLTN1i7kPSSgg9-7N9Q5SeiF5l_J8s1ocxEDcAUddPUOKZf5gFN/s320/16804162_10212133203231052_6317394399684781182_o.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<a href="https://huntingtonstrangetravels.wordpress.com/">Michael Huntington</a> in his paper, <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">A NEW UFOLOGY: A Critical Examination of the Current State of Ufology and Ideas for Reform"</span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>states:</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">The UFO Culture needs to be less biased towards ETH, less New Age, less Cult-like, less money-oriented, less commercially-oriented, less celebrity oriented, and less biased against skeptical viewpoints and Mainstream Science/Academia. There needs to be better delineation of Ufology from the paranormal realm (Ancient Aliens, Bigfoot, Spiritualism, etc.) that now cross-pollinates and influences the UFO field."</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">This is a tall order, and one that's impossible for the UFO field to adhere to. First, to remove the cultish, wish-fulfillment, celebrity oriented mess that it is now means that entire structure has to be torn down. And that's</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"> not going to happen anytime soon.</span><i style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"> </i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">This in the end is</span><i style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"> what the public at large wants. </i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">Pouring over scientific data isn't fun. It's also not entertaining. It's hard work that requires thought, dedication and critical thinking. I only need point out <a href="http://paratopiaoculus.com/project-core/"><b>Project CORE</b></a>, a 2-year long preliminary study of those people who report paranormal events. CORE was anticipated for well over a year, involved 3 full-time working research scientists, myself and Jeremy Vaeni and over 200 participants - and was complete with a synopsis of results and full commentaries - it was largely ignored. It's initial year in public view after publication garnered page views of a little over 20. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe it was so under viewed because it didn't make wild speculations or conclusions and was labeled as a first step. It also didn't ask questions that were predisposed to get us positive paranormal results (like the F.R.E.E. survey currently does. For instance, we didn't ask things like<i> "</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>Can you describe what group of ETs have you observed?"). </i>The <i>CORE</i> survey questions were specifically formulated in tandem with working scientists to make the questions as balanced as possible, and afterwards those results were cross referenced probably more than most paranormal surveys ever have been. <i>CORE</i> answered the community call for science to get involved in this area - but in the end, <i>the public simply wasn't interested. </i>But even that, in the end, is something learned.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The preliminary look...</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><i>CORE</i> is certainly not the first to experience the crickets - this as it turns out is not uncommon. It's part and parcel to how the field(s) work. Scientific or academic work is ignored, and sensational nonsense is elevated for all eyes to see. <i>(Compare Project CORE's visibility to the Roswell Slides, the Haiti UFO Footage or the Linda Howe touted Drone fiasco.)</i> Now while it may sound like I'm bitter about this <i>(well ok, I am to a point)</i> I recognize that this should in no way </span></span>dissuade<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"> me from <i>CORE Phase II</i>. This is simply the way the field responds to this kind of work. It's no one's fault, and you have to expect that going in. Those that actually want to see attempts at scientific / academic work, specifically in UFOlogy are a minority in the grand scheme.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">As far as </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">'less celebrity oriented'? </i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">Well, try and speak that to the droves of people who voraciously support UFO celebs. I respect Michael and his drive in this subject very much - but if one is going to call for the removal of celebrity and sensationalism in the UFO field, one should stop supporting <i>that very thing</i> by going to conferences - unless one is reaching for that same brass ring. <i>(Although Mike is a travel writer, and that is ultimately content for him.)</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">The celebs and their devoted fans are another interesting wrinkle in the subject. Many fans will </span></span>ardently<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"> defend their hero no matter how far afield they fly from their initial trajectory. It's part of the loss of critical thought so often seen in paranormal fields. Celebrities often fill a void for fans: <i>they are the public mouthpiece that validates their own </i></span></span><i>preconceived</i><i style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"> notions. </i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">This provides a shortcut to pseudo-confirmation for those who don't want to do direct study and experimentation of the phenomenon. They put all their marbles in one bag and defend it not always due to being </span></span>enamored<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"> with the celebrity, <b>but because the celebrity represents their beliefs.<i> </i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The one and only issue</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">As Dr, Tyler Kokjohn wrote in <i>Paratopia Magazine : </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><i>"...</i></span></span></span><i>the consumers of books, articles and videos play a unique and crucial role as the ultimate evaluators of quality. Your decisions will determine the evidentiary standards and research conduct that will prevail in this field."</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">Another quote from Huntington's paper reads:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></i></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">There needs to be better delineation of Ufology from the paranormal realm (Ancient Aliens, Bigfoot, Spiritualism, etc.) that now cross-pollinates and influences the UFO field." </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a good example of the self-defeating nature of 'reform' I mentioned earlier. Many reform proponents want to draw a line between<i> 'paranormal'</i> and <i>'UFO'</i>, when that line is exceedingly blurred by the study of UFOs in the first place. The crossover phenomena is something that I think many see these days. While it's not an end to explain anything, it's a thread that needs to be explored and studied. Even Jacques Vallee <i>(a reclusive UFO 'celebrity')</i> who's studied the phenomenon longer than most of us alive today, has largely dismissed the notion of an isolated </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">UFO study, and has spoken about and studied crossover type phenomena. Segregation and isolation of the UFO subject from other areas of paranormal events would be a mistake, just as much as isolation from the study of consciousness and perception would be,</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"> Such things are obviously intertwined with the UFO sighting and encounters with assumed occupants. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">When it comes to collecting trace evidence of a paranormal event - sure, I'm all about sterile. non-contaminating, scientifically based collection and analysis. But this brings us to the question: when it comes to UFOs - how does one separate the strange, bizarre and confounding enigma from say, the top secret military / secret commercial project? The perception twisting alien visitation, from mental aberration? There is currently, no way to effectively establish the line that does need to be drawn. Could it be possible to implement a set of questions relating to <i>anti-structure</i> and <i>marginality</i> - making note of <i>liminal</i> situations, places and people to perhaps give a better picture to the phenomena vs mundane question? <i>It might.</i> But that would require UFOlogy to abandon long standing constructs - which it shows no sign of doing. When I've mentioned some questions that might do the trick to researchers, most often I hear <i>"What's that got to do with anything?"</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpWnXwu4HjdrRhisC5SNuGRtdQkTfNei3t0Ca0LNoHbDv9yPUYxS8chCYo3vnk_hyphenhyphencYRO4foFmEaCBw-eUy_s8lekmxzHGY4FwH75gRzWj_eOGIbshDcB6n_NvOymc2zLDH4zgDOc0pLZ/s1600/cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpWnXwu4HjdrRhisC5SNuGRtdQkTfNei3t0Ca0LNoHbDv9yPUYxS8chCYo3vnk_hyphenhyphencYRO4foFmEaCBw-eUy_s8lekmxzHGY4FwH75gRzWj_eOGIbshDcB6n_NvOymc2zLDH4zgDOc0pLZ/s320/cross.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You're not going to get MUFON to see these surrounding consistencies or formulate cross </span>pollination<span style="font-family: inherit;"> questions - they've been putting people into investigator positions based on an open book test for years. If reform is the target, a start a serious test that isn't open book and is administered and graded by tough academic standards would be a good place.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Huntington's reform works for some aspects of the UFO research problem - don't misunderstand me, I value his attempt. But he's far from the first to suggest such a thing, and surely won't be the last. The notion has been going around for decades. And, like all the others who tried (myself included) it just won't happen. At least not in the broad sense desired. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not about reforming UFOlogy (or the paranormal studies) - it's about accepting all the <i>self-negating</i>, and <i>marginal</i> aspects that come with it. It's about <i>expecting</i> hoaxes and recognizing them for what they are - but it's also about accepting that they often come in the same bag as the enigma we want to study<i> (when is the last time you saw a hoaxer interviewed as much as a witness?)</i>. We need to see that many of the UFO celebs are people who couldn't get arrested in any other field - <i>and see that in itself as an interesting consistency that needs to be studied.</i><i> </i>There are many interesting facets that deserve study - but they aren't going to provide a brass ring. My own opinion is that researchers need to stop pursuing an 'end' or resolution of the problem. To do so means you already have an 'end' in mind. Huntington is absolutely right when he says a more neutral stance is needed - but if one were truly neutral, it's likely that one wouldn't be in this to start with. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the end, reform talk is good for morale, and even some aspects of practical study - but the phenomena we're all trying to study routinely blurs the boundaries of acceptance, fact, legitimacy and absurdity. <b>Reform must account for that - but many reform parameters are </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">counter to it. </i>It's not that the subject is a losing battle or not worth the effort - it's about re-focusing on <i>what happens</i> and to <i>whom</i> - rather than what we <i>think</i> or <i>believe</i> that it is. Observe, Everything. Reform...<i>you.</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Michael Huntington concludes his final paragraph with <i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></i></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, Ufology is at a crossroad in it’s long history."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #1d2129;">It's not </span><i style="color: #1d2129;"><u>at</u></i><span style="color: #1d2129;"> a crossroad, it </span><i style="color: #1d2129;"><u>is</u></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129;"><b> the crossroad.</b> Crossroads represent a location </span><i style="color: #1d2129;">between</i><span style="color: #1d2129;"> worlds. On that, I couldn't agree more. </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Note: Michael Huntington's well-written paper on reform was apparently plagiarized and put up for sale by someone else just as I finished this post. I think the issue has been resolved. <i>Ufology rolls on.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">My thanks to Michael for writing the paper in the first place, and as soon as he has it posted publicly I'll link it here. </span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-90981273514638601482017-04-21T09:01:00.001-07:002019-02-04T08:45:25.530-08:00There is Indeed, Something About You<div style="text-align: justify;">
Folks have written me asking about the literary T<i>rickster</i> themes and how they play into, or pertain to the phenomenon.</div>
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Wikipedia says of literary <i>Tricksters</i>: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic;">In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a <b>T</b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic;">rickster</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i> is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphisation), which exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge, and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and conventional behaviour." </i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hyde">Lewis Hyde</a> describes the <i>Trickster</i> as 'boundary crossers'. We on this blog know what that means, and how it fits into the subject here. <i>Tricksters </i>disobey, violate social and natural order. More often than not, the <i>Trickster</i> figure will have loose gender boundaries or form variability that is slippery and indefinable. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">All of this certainly fits the <i>Trickster</i> archetype seen in people with connections to the paranormal. In Native American studies, we see that the clown, or <i>Trickster</i> is considered essential to any contact with the sacred. When sacred medicines like peyote, or the more than 200 known psilocybin mushroom varieties for example are used - the experiences are reported as 'carnival-like' or heavily laden with 'clownish' personalities. Stewardship of the sacred epiphanies are guarded by jesters. The <i>Trickster</i> seems to be holding the key to many of mankind's greatest questions - of course this suspicion may as well be a ruse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I think it's a safe bet, that like our <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-chonicles-of-liminina-threshold.html">previous discussions about rituals</a> - these themes in literature developed out of <i>recognizing patterns in unique, often liminal life experiences or changes</i>, and later in consistencies found in anthropological studies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the course of writing this blog I have personally seen a rise in the number of synchronous events. It's not unusual for me to have this happen when I'm re-engaged in the subject on some new undertaking. Not only have I wanted to write this blog for years, but I'm also finding that writing in it flows out of me like nothing I've ever tried to do. It's also a catalyst for birthing new ideas - I'm finding that as I write and ponder, new connections present themselves in unexpected ways.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'm not sure how many readers will know of the passing of guitar pioneer and virtuoso Allan Holdsworth on April 15th. Holdsworth was a incredibly gifted player whos influence transcended musical genres. Eddie Van Halen idolized Holdsworth, and players like the late blues/rock great Gary Moore and Journey guitarist Neal Schon called Holdsworth one of the most advanced guitar players of his time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hearing the news I wanted to listen to some Holdsworth as I had been prone to do over the years, but found myself searching around for something I'd maybe not heard before. I was surprised to see that he'd played with the UK based band <b style="font-style: italic;">Level 42 </b>in 1991 on the album <b style="font-style: italic;">Guaranteed. </b> Holdsworth wasn't a replacement for Level 42's guitarist, but had played with the band during some London residency gigs and was tapped to play solos on some of the Guaranteed tracks.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">He wasn't a full member of the band, but he played on the record and his photos were included on the album art inserts. Guitarist </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakko_Jakszyk" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Jakko Jakszyk"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jakko Jakszyk</span></a> was on the cover in the guitar slot. Holdsworth's involvement would be considered extremely liminal, as yet another guitarist would be tapped for the tour in support of the record. The guitarist slot seemed to be in a serious transitional phase.<br />
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Odd, I thought. So I search Google for <b>Level 42</b> to perhaps listen to some of Holdsworth's solos on the tracks. A search returns a song at the top of the list: <i>"Something About You"</i>. And even though Holdsworth didn't play on this album or track, I gave the video a click.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;">...and the Trickster smiled.</span></i><br />
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As I watched the video, I was struck by the content. The opening shot is a hallway. A <i>liminal</i> area <i>between</i> rooms in a building - where we see a blurry figure clad in a loud suit with a bowler hat and white gloves jovially bouncing around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldu-daPKaDpbqEDCesnhN6ryCpYuQJfRARGYbHvwGdGwsFTGfyq7nnOarWpcem-JDYnwRzhno2o_IRcskvgd76MgdDqSc5KE2gXPdLpTWSTgjY0kE_RZBGc7a0P9oTjmac3LviweyRTkx/s1600/tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldu-daPKaDpbqEDCesnhN6ryCpYuQJfRARGYbHvwGdGwsFTGfyq7nnOarWpcem-JDYnwRzhno2o_IRcskvgd76MgdDqSc5KE2gXPdLpTWSTgjY0kE_RZBGc7a0P9oTjmac3LviweyRTkx/s200/tunnel.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The tunnel and train: symbols of liminality</i></span></td></tr>
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The next shot is the <i>transitional</i>: out of a tunnel, The scene is taking place on a train. A moving <i>liminality</i>, <i>between</i> outside and inside, <i>between</i> departure from one place and arrival to another.<br />
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Mark King, bassist extraordinaire and lead singer of Level 42 plays a dual central character (duality) - and the video opens with him asking another passenger for a cigarette (an indulgence of earthly pleasure) - only to be refused. He seems tense. The opening word of the song is sung aloud in the train compartment with the other occupants (other band members).<br />
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<i><b>"How..."</b></i><br />
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This seems to draw surprise from the others in the compartment. But it's the <i>only</i> word he sings out loud in the measure. <i>How</i>, is indeed the question of all questions.<br />
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As the song progresses King examines each of the other passengers - as he looks sardonically at his initial target, the first vignette begins...<br />
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An <i>Artist</i> (creative type) argues and fights with his female companion as he hangs abstract works. A mirror is seen pass by the camera view, as the two continue to bicker. Above them both, unseen, is the man in the loud suit, making jester like moves. He is above them, symbolic for a higher point of view, or overseer - a place of greater perception.<br />
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As the female is framed with a dismissive smile we see the strange man in the mirror. Mirrors of course have place in a magical significance as<i>'otherworldly'</i> or just out of reach. Note that the female is shaking her head and gives an eye roll at the ridiculousness of rage exhibited by the artist - who is <b>always in close proximity </b>to the man in the loud suit no one seems to actually see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDiHr7Xd29Jnx4HPyIjp9XGOL6os-_cVFgUxEP9oNDogkpAyQ4Zcr1rS9dgEenCJVPMzppn7MKTXmU8NGKSTRA4kCSMYWDgO7Axqdf2d2WoniYUQ-wIpykRd5HnyCDy5ejXrUNI3ZQAKK/s1600/mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDiHr7Xd29Jnx4HPyIjp9XGOL6os-_cVFgUxEP9oNDogkpAyQ4Zcr1rS9dgEenCJVPMzppn7MKTXmU8NGKSTRA4kCSMYWDgO7Axqdf2d2WoniYUQ-wIpykRd5HnyCDy5ejXrUNI3ZQAKK/s200/mirror.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trickster in the mirror</span></i></td></tr>
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I think you already know who the odd figure is. <b>The</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Trickster</i><b>.</b> He takes pleasure and dances as the artist rages on in irrational anger, and the scene ends back in the train car - just as we enter yet another tunnel...<br />
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At the moment of threshold into the darkness, an unknown force blows papers and messes up hair - the <i>Trickster</i> (now in disguise as, or perhaps even in possession of Mark King) finds mild amusement in the irritation of the others in the car. Native American lore refers to spirits that are said to 'ride on the cold wind, searching for paradise and the <i>Trickster</i> can hear what they're saying'. It certainly seems as if King is hearing something as he narrows his eyes and sights his next target: <i>the Rebel </i>(a marginal, anti-structural personality).<br />
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The scene opens on yet another threshold - an arched entry into a circle driveway. The <i>Rebel</i> (a figure of a sort of danger), pulls up in his fast car as he opens the door. As the female steps <i>halfway in </i>but he doesn't let her enter by moving the car. He beckons her in and pulls the same provoking, illogical move. Frustrated, she slams the car door and shouts <i>"Go on!", </i>waving him away. He pulls out, seeming to take pleasure in her anger. He stops <i>halfway out</i> the circle - he looks back as she suddenly smiles, she gets in and they pull away.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3O_sRS3bt4CPPInemyaQwCdteUm2J1tU26MNQcpBQfiGjB_8sVQqM0AOVHNR3dofpDCLl4I8DL_MKK9NbF00mgFDMA-rpzmDVgwrnQuH-LtNWUS_Fnhs3QVcuWFJfv_TXwcphV1zLffi/s1600/thresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3O_sRS3bt4CPPInemyaQwCdteUm2J1tU26MNQcpBQfiGjB_8sVQqM0AOVHNR3dofpDCLl4I8DL_MKK9NbF00mgFDMA-rpzmDVgwrnQuH-LtNWUS_Fnhs3QVcuWFJfv_TXwcphV1zLffi/s320/thresh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trickster in the threshold</i></td></tr>
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What could be the cause of this irrational behavior that leads to conflict? The <b>proximity</b> to the <b style="font-style: italic;">Trickster,</b> who we see standing in the <i>threshold</i>. As the man <b>gained distance</b> from him, <b>he comes to his senses.</b> The <i>Trickster </i>waves them goodbye, smug with the minor discord he's sown.<br />
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As we come back to the train car - King, once again as the <i>Trickster</i> eyes his next target. The man pulls out...musical notations. <i>The Musician</i> (another creative personality).<br />
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The quick vignette opens on a large room with an small orchestra exiting their places and music stands. A <b><i>black and white checkered floor</i></b> - a spiritual symbol representing <b>duality - </b>not good nor evil. Ancient mystics also used the checkerboard pattern for opening portals of energy. The similarity or reference to our <i>Trickster's </i>suit is obvious. The musician walks to the female and immediately the conflict begins - the <i>Trickster</i> is watching again from above, not on the floor but not on the ceiling - a balcony area. The <i>liminal </i>location providing the best vantage point. He laughs as the woman bolts away in anger<br />
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As the couple leave the<b> proximity</b> from the <i>Trickster</i> behind, their contention melts away - nearly as they exit the threshold. The <i>Trickster</i>, seeing the two reconcile - <b>is not amused</b>. He realizes he can be restrained or confined, or that his influence is limited. Back on the train the <i>Trickster</i> as Mark has an outburst, and is restrained to his seat by the other passengers as the operative word pours from his mouth:<br />
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"...<i><b>confusion."</b></i><br />
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Confusion is a central aspect to <i>Trickster</i> theory.<br />
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By this point as I'm watching this video unfold, my mouth is gaping at how this went from Holdsworth's death to a complete <i>Trickster</i> bath in two easy steps.<br />
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The <i>Trickster</i> laughs bathed in bright white light. He's right in your face.<br />
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We come out of the tunnel yet again, this time into light. In one of the best vocals of the 1980's Mark sings the chorus. The <i>Trickster</i> Mark smiles as if he's still got the game well in hand.<br />
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<i>And he does of course.</i><br />
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We flash to the rebel and his lady, standing in a rape field (connected with crop circle formations - a phenomenon rich with <i>Trickster</i>-like aspects - you can almost picture one in the background behind the couple) at night, illuminated by the headlights of his flashy sportscar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgic96z7T9cJKuhTTT1GRo5qx01n30YDMq9WXiUieNT4S-eToFVKrod5wPwcTVx7x7IezikCxY0A5mQp-HB9jp2GeXBIk20tDhreTv7Z6Ac3-xbOnca80udaxLsFpIPOWZPRbJsxJEowZPF/s1600/stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgic96z7T9cJKuhTTT1GRo5qx01n30YDMq9WXiUieNT4S-eToFVKrod5wPwcTVx7x7IezikCxY0A5mQp-HB9jp2GeXBIk20tDhreTv7Z6Ac3-xbOnca80udaxLsFpIPOWZPRbJsxJEowZPF/s200/stage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trickster taking 'stage'</i></td></tr>
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The <i>Trickster</i> takes the center stage...and one should know by now what's coming.<br />
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As he approaches the car in somewhat of a rage, in a perfect representation of contact with the anomalous - the car goes dead. The <i>Trickster</i> flips his walking stick with a smile.<br />
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As the Artist and his lady ascend the stairs (note: <i>between</i> floors) of the studio or gallery, they are surprised by a gust of air out of nowhere and a shocked and scared look comes over them. At the same time the musician ascends <i>another</i> staircase in what seems to be a lighthouse (classically haunted structures, that features heavily with<i> liminality</i>/<i>anti-structure</i>) and simultaneously the couples are thrown into a high strangeness, fear inducing manifestation of some kind. <i>We don't really see what they see</i> - we see the <i>Trickster</i> figure in moments of anger - but if you think about it, we don't see the couples and the <i>Trickster</i> in the same frame. The <i>Trickster</i> enraged and present in front of all 3 personalities, screams <i>"Nooooooooooo!".</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWA1ZSOfPpPKRR0d5bPAS5VHRtxUyY0T6m6srkCMmIq711CBGqXfUFNtb2kkzC23xAfDMg4xBsX8aw4Jq0hnC0Q8LSUGomP0zF0mA-XbAjGey_z-S3FniNYPSC01X6_XmsSRifxkzcSyA/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWA1ZSOfPpPKRR0d5bPAS5VHRtxUyY0T6m6srkCMmIq711CBGqXfUFNtb2kkzC23xAfDMg4xBsX8aw4Jq0hnC0Q8LSUGomP0zF0mA-XbAjGey_z-S3FniNYPSC01X6_XmsSRifxkzcSyA/s320/car.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Encounter at the field</i></td></tr>
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Did the couples see a ghost, a UFO, or a strange angry man in a loud suit? We are left to guess. I find it compelling that the couple at the field are seen in the car with bright light illuminating them from above/front (UFO),<br />
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Back on the train, <i>Trickster</i> Mark lets out what looks like a maniacal laugh of triumph. As the train slows we arrive at the destination. Disembark. The <i>Trickster</i> in both forms (Mark King and the loud suit man) walks by us as we pass the female by - and realize that she is the <i>same</i> woman who's seen with all 3 personality types featured. Fade to black.<br />
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It's highly compelling that the couples encountered the strange manifestations of <i>Trickster </i>phenomena in perfect settings: the rape field at night, a rural area often associated with paranormal encounters with UFOs (and the reaction of the car going dead is a common one in such events). In the other two instances, on <i>stairs</i> or <i>stairwells</i> - a <i>liminal</i> place <i>between</i> floors. As we know from a past George Hansen interview, a place where more paranormal or ghost phenomenon is reported - or - that in some cases random number generators have shown odd readings indicating that something is off, or different about certain stairwells that have reports of ghost phenomena.<br />
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So, what to make of this? I'm struck by the amount of levels of chance and coincidence that have to occur for me to see this video, when all I was looking for was some music from a recently passed virtuoso. I'll point out here that the genesis of the series of events leading to the <i>Trickster</i> heavy visuals was a reaction to hearing of a death.<br />
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This video is also not just a typical <i>Trickster</i> story. While in literature and folk tales the <i>Trickster</i> does have powers of one sort or another, this video seems to connect to what we know about the <i>Trickster </i>and the paranormal - that paranormal events are in tandem with discord and conflict.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorELJyrfugsX2q-hTbC4a-6A469kbtXX8g8U7SoBPN_iqowYXOk6doJu4h6horDVQYurphihCeixdPAb2AAww_TjJeFVXa_voAj7Np9vU_-QOc55GHw55c4dEkH9w2NUeU64-y-6hyphenhyphenpPG/s1600/notamused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorELJyrfugsX2q-hTbC4a-6A469kbtXX8g8U7SoBPN_iqowYXOk6doJu4h6horDVQYurphihCeixdPAb2AAww_TjJeFVXa_voAj7Np9vU_-QOc55GHw55c4dEkH9w2NUeU64-y-6hyphenhyphenpPG/s320/notamused.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blurring distinction</i></td></tr>
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Note that the <i>Trickster</i> character in the video wears lipstick and eye makeup, and has a sort of androgynous quality even as the male sex seems to be dominant here. As we know, the <i>Trickster</i> is a shape-shifter, and blurs the distinction of male/female.<br />
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The video <i>Trickster</i> also resembles the main character in <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Entertainer_(film)">"The Entertainer"</a> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">a film that<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> stars </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Olivier" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Laurence Olivier">Laurence Olivier</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> as a failing third-rate </span>music-hall<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> stage performer who tries to keep his career going even as the music-hall tradition fades into history and his personal life falls apart. It's a film where Olivier's character is in a stage of chaos, discord, and over the top liminality. Was it deliberate to make the <b><i>Level 42</i></b> character resemble the tragic<b style="font-style: italic;"> Entertainer</b><i>?</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>We may never know. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I've written Mark King and asked him about the making of the video, and am currently seeking out director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0650233/">Stuart Orme</a> to ask the same questions. Will I hear back from either? I don't know. This one may leave us wondering. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB2DcDwO5J-nLVAQWrRBVIdfhgncwXQw_T4bMYvttSUeFF5JGbAXzW0Xt7F0qRH_1ZI0AbjgIMCIayDEaStp3WyOLuRQC6B59DQnBVRrB-IPMf4hwldXbDrJCKX8PLKn4IP-iZ81o0cLZ/s1600/the-entertainer-laurence-olivier-1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB2DcDwO5J-nLVAQWrRBVIdfhgncwXQw_T4bMYvttSUeFF5JGbAXzW0Xt7F0qRH_1ZI0AbjgIMCIayDEaStp3WyOLuRQC6B59DQnBVRrB-IPMf4hwldXbDrJCKX8PLKn4IP-iZ81o0cLZ/s200/the-entertainer-laurence-olivier-1960.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Olivier's "The Entertainer"</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">But I cannot deny the weird set of events that led me to this video from a 1980's video that I probably flipped by hundreds of times (I was more a heavy metal guy than UK pop) on MTV. And yet here I am, writing a lengthy post (sorry) about the </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Trickster </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and a music video. I asked Seriah Askath of 'Where Did the Road Go' in a late night discussion - </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">"am I really going to write a article on a Level 42 video??" </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">thinking how absurd it seemed, but that the overwhelming </span><span style="color: #222222;">thematic and synchronicity made it impossible for me to ignore.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm beyond sure this is far from the only media that has a strange </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Trickster</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> figure force. But I'm lead to <b>wonder how much of the production examined here was deliberate</b> - and how much was pure creative </span>consciousness<span style="font-family: inherit;">-flow from the writer/director? Did odd things happen on the set? During production? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I'd so love to know more. But like many other aspects of this stuff it may remain a mystery. Either way, I hope readers find this interesting (as I wondered myself how many would) and worthy of </span><span style="color: #222222;">reflection</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"> on the <i>Trickster</i> archetype in media. </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>My thanks to Seriah Askath for his guidance on the significance of mirrors in occultism.</i></span></span></span><br />
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-50247337390502695962017-04-12T12:47:00.002-07:002017-04-12T12:48:50.983-07:00Between the Lies: The Hoax and the Paranormal<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hoaxes run consistently through every paranormal interest. As technology advances, some of the fakes become increasingly complex, while others baffle as to how anyone could take them seriously in the first place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's often thought that these hoaxes are done for monetary gain. But when you look at the small sample of the population truly interested enough to get enough involved with any piece of 'evidence', you find that there's no real financial windfall to be had. For around 27 years I contributed to UFO research by way of visual data examination (as digital imaging has been my full-time profession my entire career). Over that time I probably looked at thousands of submitted photos and videos, and found very few to be compelling enough to remain 'unknown'. Just by virtue of being the guy who for years got visual data sent to him, I've found a lot of hoaxes and have spoken first-hand with many perpetrators of them. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExkaShEKzDoSZc409_wmo0FZIetgnuiO5Ffob6v8P-P-a-LlAjuUJLf3zV1fcEc-czoxXekzvGTx6IVKoLcKnq_a_acjUE1QrP0Wq5s7fKU-EpH6M5wO_bopJKeLGnGop83M3Et6VQ3RP/s1600/iStock-486538260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExkaShEKzDoSZc409_wmo0FZIetgnuiO5Ffob6v8P-P-a-LlAjuUJLf3zV1fcEc-czoxXekzvGTx6IVKoLcKnq_a_acjUE1QrP0Wq5s7fKU-EpH6M5wO_bopJKeLGnGop83M3Et6VQ3RP/s200/iStock-486538260.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no key.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The interaction between myself and them was not always (in the end) terse and laden with conflict. More often than you'd think, I found people more than pleased to be released from the controversy of presenting their 'proof' to the public as legitimate. You would of course get the standard hoaxer who would curse at you and cease all communication with<i> "I don't care what you think!" </i>But I recall a significant amount of fakers that when caught replied with <i>"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These people you could actually talk to and try to get in their heads a little about motivation. More often than you'd imagine the answer was for example, <i>"I don't have a good reason other than I felt compelled to do it one day." </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I find it <i>highly</i> interesting that many hoaxers say they have no excuse for their trickery other than they 'felt compelled' to do it. Just as suddenly as they entered the field(s)<i>,</i> these hoaxers left the momentary <i>marginal</i> spotlight and did not return to the UFO or paranormal fields again. It's been my experience that there are few aptly titled serial hoaxers in the UFO field, and most of the hoaxes are from one-off random people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The 'feeling of compulsion' was noted across many fakers over years, who couldn't possibly know each other. This has also been noted in the crop circle controversy - people felt <i>compelled</i> to go make a crop formation, and sometimes in the process of doing just that, would witness light phenomena around them in the field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The perfect place to hide: within the lie.</b> Who would believe a hoaxer saying he saw phenomena as he was faking? <b>It's <i>between</i> a lie, and the truth.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The internet has greatly exacerbated the hoax issue, giving world exposure from the hoaxer to the digital artist simply putting out composite video for his portfolio (never meaning for it to be taken seriously in the first place)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But let's look at what effect hoaxes have on people in the field: the discovery of a hoax, and the aftermath of the presentation that the data is demonstrably fake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Billy Meier case is a wonderful example, rich with fakery and trickster thematics. Anyone who's known me over the years remembers my close to 2 year involvement in demonstrating what kind of hokum this case is. The operative question is - should I have gone on that long with it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Of course not.</b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(<b>Note:</b> while I write this blog now, in many instances I write from experience - I'm not ashamed to admit that I was as embroiled in these trickster effects as anyone in the past - until I realized that this part and parcel to the phenomena. In other words, once you know what to look out for - you can avoid certain obstacles, and almost predict timelines of action and outcomes.)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found myself quickly at odds with Meier case believers - even long before my public examples of deception within the case. I gave a presentation in the late 90's to a conference in Washington D.C. and during the lecture mentioned that until we <i>'shelf things like the Billy Meier case, not much is going to be taken seriously by the public at large, much less anyone working in any branch of science'. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the lecture, I had a contentious encounter in the hotel with a gentleman who held a PhD in physics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The only part of your presentation I take issue with is your statement about the Billy Meier case. I've done a lot of looking into that and I'd say you're completely wrong there." </i>he said with a furrowed brow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Well I've spent a lot of time on it too. And if you think those photos and films represent anything other than models and simple forced perspective you're dead wrong." </i>I replied. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of our mutual friends said something like <i>"Bob has a doctorate in physics he's a..."</i> I interrupted to say it was nice to meet him (as I shook his hand), but it didn't change my statement of the case or the evidence. I also went a step further <i>"The difference between your stance and mine on this case is I can conclusively demonstrate and prove mine." </i>(Knowing full well that he couldn't.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Bob", tended to get a bit intense as he railed my <i>'ignorance'</i> and <i>'fear of the truth'</i> and added <i>"I don't know much about the photos, but the written information of prophecy is solid!" </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He didn't know much about the photos? Could this be serious? This is how Meier entered the field's eye - his clear, daylight photos of alleged UFOs. How could someone so obsessed with Meier's prophetic writings (<a href="http://www.billymeieruforesearch.com/prophecies-predictions-probability-calculations/#Conclusions">which are also nonsense btw</a>), be blissfully unaware of the volume of alleged UFO photos an film? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is yet another example of the complete loss of critical thought by accomplished scientists upon entering into the field(s) of the paranormal variety. We've spoken about this effect before <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/03/paranormal-toxicity-group-dynamic-part-1.html">here.</a> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnzDlFAwqV3MYp-ci1MGPgw8l7SBMchCI-M528LoFTEhtMnBbTgCWDSFC6qewipZPBJwU85bvV3WiO5bQcWqhA8TrFR8z1_tDBxNh01Qy4VToc3cSYku4ic3kBYfCqbtctSMqmx1DRcho/s1600/deck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnzDlFAwqV3MYp-ci1MGPgw8l7SBMchCI-M528LoFTEhtMnBbTgCWDSFC6qewipZPBJwU85bvV3WiO5bQcWqhA8TrFR8z1_tDBxNh01Qy4VToc3cSYku4ic3kBYfCqbtctSMqmx1DRcho/s320/deck1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photographed Model. Was it real or Meieresque?</span></i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In later years I would get into discussions with accomplished meteorological scientist Dr. James Deardorff (another supporter of the Meier case) that were equally as absurd. I would eventually join a Yahoo group devoted to the Meier case, where I would present all matter of photographic demonstrations showing the photos to be faked. I was challenged that if they were simply models on a string, that I should be able to duplicate that easily. So I did. (Left)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The photo was a small model suspended on a string from my deck. Many of the members found the image of the model in the file section of the group and posted asking <i>"when/where did Billy take this photo?" </i>I then reminded them that this was the duplication that was asked for and posted days before. Several (and some prominent) members of the group left, and wrote me privately to say they couldn't believe how fooled they had been.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are still people from all walks of life and profession that solidly believe the Meier case is the best evidence of UFO contact ever. By many more, it is considered the longest enduring hoax in UFOlogy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I use this case because it's such a great example of the repeated disconnect from critical thought exhibited when clearly faked (some laughably so) photos are presented as legitimate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But was my obsession with showing obviously faked photos to be...obviously faked photos, logical? No it wasn't. Taunting, duplication challenges, and sometimes even physical threats from believers only have so much effect - after awhile it just doesn't phase you. The depth and length of my involvement was irrational considering the painfully obvious fabrication of the case and it's 'evidence'.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WtzL9zssnJMrML4PbugTLDa3MLcPGrVpH6xkNmvoaZ6iAg_udrj0AMX0Oob_QADszs1O7ae6kjzEuNwpX6Y8XSbSmEfTV3s9iPNjCzLOX9nGXziclj3zbwRBHrChFOTOhJw0xn5_Zi0I/s1600/FNV_Howitzer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WtzL9zssnJMrML4PbugTLDa3MLcPGrVpH6xkNmvoaZ6iAg_udrj0AMX0Oob_QADszs1O7ae6kjzEuNwpX6Y8XSbSmEfTV3s9iPNjCzLOX9nGXziclj3zbwRBHrChFOTOhJw0xn5_Zi0I/s320/FNV_Howitzer.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You become so involved that you completely lose sight of the fact: <b>no one with any critical faculties believes the case anyway.</b> You are killing a mouse with a howitzer. It's overkill in the extreme.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1lsc17w3_u6UdZFWgg0ji1jp0o5_jw172pqGeOlDQ25mga-y8S3_RKwPLxz58twf1px_JBaXCWGbtwtQq-KC2CJixHgYCv9k6en26M-x2xWa_e3scJXXqcyIUcXdGkSLzuM7gNFeW4Jh/s1600/mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1lsc17w3_u6UdZFWgg0ji1jp0o5_jw172pqGeOlDQ25mga-y8S3_RKwPLxz58twf1px_JBaXCWGbtwtQq-KC2CJixHgYCv9k6en26M-x2xWa_e3scJXXqcyIUcXdGkSLzuM7gNFeW4Jh/s200/mouse.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Later with the epiphanies I would learn from <a href="http://www.tricksterbook.com/">George Hansen</a>, I would recognize these patterns of irrational obsession with disproving hoaxes and hoaxers, and accept that such things <i>are to be expected</i> in the paranormal field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But my experience of becoming overly-driven to expose that which everyone knows is already laid bare isn't unique. The relatively recent <i>Roswell Slides</i> and the <i>Roswell Slides Research Group</i> is another good example. When the photos of the 'alien' broke on the internet,<b> it was clear that this was a museum exhibit, and not any alien scurried away in a top-secret lab somewhere.</b> The slide showed a placard with blurred writing on it, that after being de-blurred by a member of the Roswell Slides Research Group, read: 'MUMMIFIED BODY OF TWO YEAR OLD BOY"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The group, of which I was a late coming member (I was first outside the group to verify the de-blur results, and after doing so was made a member) then published results. There was fierce push back from the proponents of the slides (of which Jaime Maussan seemed to be the main presenter), and the group went so far as to put up a website and endlessly argue the point with opponents on the opposing side.</span><br />
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I have to stress one thing: <b>all this was over a <u>slide of an alien</u>, from a source that was <u>dead</u></b><u>. </u><b>Could anything be more absurd from the very start - even before the Roswell Slides Research Group was formed?</b> It was nice to have the placard de-blurred, but was it necessary to dismiss the slide? <i>Of course not. </i>The entire fiasco was absurd on it's face, right from the start. <b>You were <i>never</i> going to prove an alien from a photo/slide. </b>I deemed the slides <i style="font-weight: bold;">'anti-evidence' </i>because that's exactly what they were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Forgetting Maussan was the presenter, that Don Schmitt was also closely involved in the slides? His own former research partner Kevin Randle said of him in a <a href="http://www.roswellfiles.com/storytellers/RandleSchmitt.htm">"To Whom It May Concern Letter"</a> on September 10, 1995:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-style: italic; text-align: -webkit-left;">"The search for the nurses proves that he (Schmitt) will lie about anything. He will lie to anyone… He has revealed himself as a pathological liar… I will have nothing more to do with him."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-left;">This seemed not to dissuade supporters. Schmitt had been back lecturing and writing books for some time after his background was exposed. Such short term memory loss in the field is another hallmark we'll address in a future post. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some members of the Roswell Slides Research Group to present day are still posting about Maussan's proliferation of long since dismissed fake videos and cases. It went on months after the slides had faded away, and there was plenty of talk on how nonsensical, ridiculous arguments and excuses from proponents of the slides should be addressed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The long-touted slides were still-born of course, and in my opinion the efforts put into responses past the de-blurred placard bordered on the absurd. Nonetheless, initial facts had no effect in dissolving attention from the circus.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtygAZJVTiznNyoqySWgnudXYXFCa6xlUTxk98_tS7WPz5_uH4JStFIAh7W9wWpTa6hGCNjpne_J-ELF9HKmpoFsFbCQuaZR6iuZtN_-iDUUVE4DkxLUx5xwxT503whUmaDKqs-i5yfZF1/s1600/iStock-499810924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtygAZJVTiznNyoqySWgnudXYXFCa6xlUTxk98_tS7WPz5_uH4JStFIAh7W9wWpTa6hGCNjpne_J-ELF9HKmpoFsFbCQuaZR6iuZtN_-iDUUVE4DkxLUx5xwxT503whUmaDKqs-i5yfZF1/s200/iStock-499810924.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">These types of situations and actions are not unusual for the paranormal field(s). They happen over, and over again as a pattern you can almost follow as a script. You will see unusual obsession with some people responding to every little comment made (pro or con) on different cases that begins to border on the surreal. It's <i>beyond</i> the standard back and forth debate. And this doesn't exist on only one side of the argument - but with both the hoaxer and the debunker. I think that if you recall many debatable cases (or even the un-debatable ones) you'll see this schism of illogical, obsessive actions on both sides of the issue being discussed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The phenomena operates in the pool of chaos and liminal periods, and when cases are effectively debunked and yet still believed as true by many - like it or not, it exists in a state between<i> real</i>, and <i>fake</i>. That <i>'limbo'</i> period exists longer in the paranormal fields than any other interest. It often can exist there for decades (as the Meier case has, being one of the longest standing fakes on the face of the UFO subject).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm sure at one time or another we've all seen the <i>cognitive dissonance</i> that is so pervasive among those steeped in the paranormal. Often the particular focus is so aggressively defended from the start (an interesting wrinkle on it's own), that opposing parties are incapable of admitting that either they've been fooled on one side - or that the effort to disprove the obviously false was far and away overboard on the other. The paranormal seems to maneuver itself to force these kinds of self-introspection(s) on participants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's easy once again to put this down to random psychological effects in people - but one cannot assume that all these repeated absurdities are happening as a result of deliberate and calculated logical thought. On both sides of the debate there exists a thin film of illogical obsession that often expends years of effort and aggravation, while the phenomena continues unabated. <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></span></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-17489572842378798702017-03-31T09:02:00.002-07:002017-03-31T09:02:25.640-07:00Binary Opposition: The Walking Grounds of the Paranormal<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've mentioned <i>binary opposition</i> before in some interviews, but rarely have I tried to explain this very interesting concept that offers some acumen to the paranormal - and shows the relationship of transition to paranormal phenomena. </div>
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In early cultures, mankind breaks down things into opposites. Some of the major ones were:</div>
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<b>LIFE - DEATH</b></div>
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<b>HEAVEN - EARTH</b></div>
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<b>MALE - FEMALE</b></div>
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<b>HUMAN - BEAST</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzL8SEEHSyWalXjonUcvWA3aJkBTmP3UJZrPBb4KjWb9aeukgNrcQD1fRqdp80oK5Dfeqiemp-v4fdpdWAq0ciWFCm114lVPyOQIMEhueR8692c0HyZQf14XPX24exGMuuFkhJ2tVwEase/s1600/mercurius.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzL8SEEHSyWalXjonUcvWA3aJkBTmP3UJZrPBb4KjWb9aeukgNrcQD1fRqdp80oK5Dfeqiemp-v4fdpdWAq0ciWFCm114lVPyOQIMEhueR8692c0HyZQf14XPX24exGMuuFkhJ2tVwEase/s200/mercurius.gif" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">The spirit Mercurius</i></td></tr>
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These opposites are recognized and discussed in many books and teachings on anthropology - but <i>trickster. </i>Jung wrote about this in his study of the spirit Mercurius (of medieval alchemy) when he said <i>"Mercurius consists of all conceivable opposites"</i> and that <i>"he is both material, and spiritual". </i>He also mentioned that while Mercurius was akin to the godhead, he was also <i>found in sewers</i>.<br />
they are also very much related to the <br />
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But here's the lynchpin to the concept: <i>there is a betwixt and between to the binary opposition.</i> This state has many of the same properties to it, as do rituals, liminal periods and transitional states (mentioned on this blog in depth on a prior post). And in that between state of <i>binary opposition</i>, we find compelling items of interest.<br />
<i>"between"</i></div>
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<i>Binary opposition</i> presents some surprising insights. If we look at the <i>binary oppositions</i> I've mentioned, we can note some interesting aspects. Let's look at that list again...</div>
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<b>LIFE -</b> <i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Ghosts - Spirits - Reincarnation - Mediumship - NDEs</span></i> <b>- DEATH</b></div>
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All of these blur blur the distinction between life, and death. Ghosts, spirits, reincarnation, mediums, NDEs - of course are all referred to as <i>paranormal. </i>In today's society, there is alive and dead. No in-between. But, the paranormal directly challenges that notion.<br />
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How about the next one?</div>
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<b>HEAVEN -</b> <i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Angels - Extraterrestrials - UFOs</span></i><b> - EARTH</b></div>
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Angels, ETs and UFOs...all fly <i>between </i>the earth, and the heavens. They are also considered <i>of the supernatural</i>, or at times even spiritual beings.</div>
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<b>MALE -</b> <i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Shaman</span></i> <b>- FEMALE</b></div>
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Now this is a really interesting one. The shaman, (again mentioned before <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-first-terms.html" target="_blank">here</a> on the blog) often had gender confusion and were considered to have supernatural powers by the rest of the tribe. Often referred to as <i>'two-spirit', </i>they encompassed both male and female genders and were sometimes homosexuals. "Medium" could also be included here, as there is a significant component of homosexuality in the medium community, this seems especially so in the U.K. male mediums. George Hansen also noted that in his experience, a disproportionate number of professional magicians were also gay (Many on-stage magicians have reported real paranormal and psi events during performances - more on that in a future post). In general, people not involved in the typical dyadic male/female relationship, tend to be more anti-structural or liminal. For instance, single and divorced people, report more psychic experiences than do married persons. </div>
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<b>HUMAN -</b> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti<b> </b></i></span><b>- BEAST</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTi8pEx-dhX2dc5RnbziCyqDDZq2PwWdyrppFBZ23k2Mf09LRjhBaabAXrDHFbWAIc9uKhxaioW0Utn_UgJ9P6EScQPt6IFBrDbEhf7xfc-fZALuagDe6VVIblzC5cwVZLoyiuAd8EbcE/s1600/bf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTi8pEx-dhX2dc5RnbziCyqDDZq2PwWdyrppFBZ23k2Mf09LRjhBaabAXrDHFbWAIc9uKhxaioW0Utn_UgJ9P6EScQPt6IFBrDbEhf7xfc-fZALuagDe6VVIblzC5cwVZLoyiuAd8EbcE/s320/bf.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Sasquatch - between man and beast</i></td></tr>
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A number of North American Native American tribes recognized that Sasquatch wasn't just some rare or otherwise unknown animal - but seemed to have a <i>supernatural</i> or <i>spiritual quality</i>. It was considered a bad thing to see a Bigfoot - and if you saw one, you had to be <i>ritually cleansed </i>so as not to infect or contaminate the rest of the tribe. We've spoken about that before <a href="http://numinousden.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-chonicles-of-liminina-threshold.html" target="_blank">here</a> as well. There are other 'paranormally' categorized beings that could be put into that liminal state between Human and Beast: Vampire and Werewolf - and just because such beings are generally accepted as fictional, doesn't mean people haven't experienced them or some strange manifestation of them.</div>
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In closing, we see binary opposition is rife in the most base-level aspects of the UFO field. How many times have we heard the notion that a witness <b>did</b> experience a sighting and had a legitimate photo or some other 'evidence' - only later going on to hoax future evidence, clouding his/her original account. To my eye, the <i>Bentwaters/Woodbridge</i> case is a good example of this. For years the witnesses gave an account that didn't seem to change. Then on the 30th anniversary of the case, one of the witnesses came out with a ridiculous binary code message allegedly inserted into his mind via his experience of touching the 'craft'. Of course many found the revelation dubious and highly suspect - especially when the witness was asked why he didn't come forward with this information until now, and he claimed that <i>he didn't think the binary code was important. </i>This places the entire case for many, squarely into the binary opposition middle points:</div>
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<b>REAL - FAKE</b></div>
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<b>TRUTH - LIE</b></div>
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You can find many, many examples of this type of thing in the UFO field's archives. Bentwaters/Woodbridge is not unique in that sense. In many cases, the truth of the matter is hazy, and ill-defined (depending on who you talk to). This of course leads to many differing points of view and ultimately to conflict.</div>
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The blurred line between what is real and what is not; between what is truth and what is a lie, is the stomping grounds of the <i>trickster</i>. We often refer to the UFO field and the <i>'muddying of the waters', </i>and many don't realize that this is not the specific problem, but part of the nature of the phenomena <span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-68180100116946720492017-03-22T11:50:00.002-07:002017-03-22T12:00:16.177-07:00The Chonicles of Liminia: The Threshold, The Ritual & The Trickster<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course it's not Narnia, but it's a reasonable parody considering the Wardrobe's threshold sends the children in the story to the mythical land of adventure. And, threshold crossings have been recognized as a liminal place where things can tend to <i>get weird.</i> </div>
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Life has a funny way of being routine, and for many of us certain customs have become just part of normal existence - we don't even think about them or their origins. Where did these things we think of as customs or traditions, originate - and why? And where do these customs tend to be placed? </div>
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There's a reason for the term <i>"Rites of Passage". </i>Ritual is present in every day life as we pass through life's changes, but we don't always recognize them as such. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDw8nhhFtXl5yyohSxYdPm9YvUtkiSw3thOKein1lSQ-vAmxDUzooLAIRTvQqu0PvLLv30kIGwvFkkzU6cTygEGNI_9_jfPHjBuUOSrYLe5RXsPxlWHxMpJ50TAr3zytl0qyZ0nCLWIQ7/s1600/iStock-121025448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDw8nhhFtXl5yyohSxYdPm9YvUtkiSw3thOKein1lSQ-vAmxDUzooLAIRTvQqu0PvLLv30kIGwvFkkzU6cTygEGNI_9_jfPHjBuUOSrYLe5RXsPxlWHxMpJ50TAr3zytl0qyZ0nCLWIQ7/s320/iStock-121025448.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Retiree's Talisman</i></td></tr>
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Take for instance the retirement from a long held job. A man has worked 50 years at a firm and for his retirement, he gets a gold watch and probably some sort of retirement office party with food and drink. This, like many traditional transition events. is a ritualistic practice when really examined. </div>
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Why a gold watch? Gold has long been associated with white light religions and positive magickal practices. The watch, or clock is a symbol of time, and the passage of present into the past. Retirement comes at the autumn of one's life, and let me frank - how many times have you heard of Mr. John retiring only to pass away a year later? The party is the <i>affirmation of life</i> - eating, drinking, and socializing. The gold watch is the <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/talisman" target="_blank"><i>talisman</i></a> given as the individual is entering into the transition to a different life. <i>The threshold.</i> A talisman against what? Perhaps the specter of death. Perhaps to protect against the effects of the rapid passage of time due to a life of leisure - again a reference to the approach of the Reaper and the limits of life. Either way you cut it, throughout time retirees from every vocation from accounting to viking have been given talismanic objects as they cross the boundary into a new life. It is recognized sub<i>liminal</i>ly as a rite of passage.</div>
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A wedding ceremony is an acknowledged ritual - and noted liminal threshold - which is marked by all matter of talismans and incantations as the couple embark on a life together, distinctly separate from the one they've been living prior. It is a significant change of one's life, and hence is marked by one of the largest and most focused upon ritualistic practices in life. </div>
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The Baby Shower is an interesting one, It's widely considered to be a 'party' to give the expectant Mother gifts for the baby. But it's more than that - and it's filled with ritual all around the world in different cultures. This is the passage or transition of the <i>woman, into the Mother</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>.</i> <span style="background-color: white;">In Tibet, parents celebrate the baby’s arrival, rather than having a party prior to birth. The celebration is called a <i>pang-sai,</i> which means <i>"cleansing of the baby." </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Tibetans believe newborn babies come to the world alongside fowls, and a ceremony should be held to wipe them out so that these babies would be able to grow healthily and mothers recover soon. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When a baby is born, two banners will be placed on the roof eaves, hanging from the edge: one to ward off evil to protect the child and one to attract good fortune.</span></span></div>
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In America for many years, during the festivities the Mother to be would sit under a decorated umbrella - this derived from Victorian customs where the gifts were brought in a parasol. The term "shower" is believed to be 'showing the expectant mother with gifts' - but the overtone of a rain theme brings to mind the hope of a blessing by God via water from the sky (rain shower). Rain or shine many cultures recognize and ritualize the transition of woman to Mother and the passage of the baby into life. Rain is also cleansing <i>(refer to pang-si).</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4wCEIebu8qGxUQuMExzx_ST2cfTIwbMSuGQxEfKAzmtZcuMiZg5WOPVnzEJ32pyAYqtSSxrVmZcoKiNakOUvRxtDn51g4vig6hjdTBOl3cidv0eDb6GBng52YGIzbk3BX3WiSRYBqCgQ/s1600/iStock-182172059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4wCEIebu8qGxUQuMExzx_ST2cfTIwbMSuGQxEfKAzmtZcuMiZg5WOPVnzEJ32pyAYqtSSxrVmZcoKiNakOUvRxtDn51g4vig6hjdTBOl3cidv0eDb6GBng52YGIzbk3BX3WiSRYBqCgQ/s320/iStock-182172059.jpg" width="213" /></a>Even something as benign as a Birthday cake and candles is laden with ritual meaning. The person is transitioning from say, the age 22 to 23. The day of the transition they are not 22, but not yet 23 (the liminal state). 23 candles are placed on the cake. Everyone sings Happy Birthday and they blow the candles out. So whats so ritualistic about that?<br />
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The candles are said to represent the 'light of life', The ancient Greeks first brought cakes adorned with candles to the temple of Artemis. In many cultures, smoke is said to <i>'carry prayers into the heavens' </i>- and what do we do when we blow out the candles? <b>Make a wish.</b> That wish is often that one makes it through another year alive and in good health.<br />
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Lastly, there seems to be a thread that runs through some of these: death. And death is filled with yet more rituals, not only for the dead, but for the living. My wife's father passed towards the end of last year. We spent time with him (I should say his body) after he passed away at the hospital one morning. We then spent 2 days at a Funeral facility and cemetery. After we left the burial site, we all went to Lisa's sister's house for food and drink with lots of people who came to say goodbye to her Dad. We think of this as a sort of 'wake' celebration, and a way to thank the people who came to celebrate the life of the deceased. But of course, it's more. You have spent a lot of time with the dead (and this is true of many cultures). <b>But, we are the living.</b> Being in the presence of the dead is something to be washed away after the body is laid to rest, burned or left behind. The wake meal or celebration with any food or drink <i>is an affirmation of life. </i>You are alive, and the departed is not. <b>You are moving forward, and the dead stay where they are. </b><br />
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Such rituals as the wake meal, the baby shower, the wedding, etc - are all lines of demarcation that separate periods of liminality from routine life. The wedding ceremony is a line, drawn between the now committed couple and their former singular life. The wake food ends the commune with the dead, and draws the line as if to say to death <i><b>"You shall not pass".</b> </i><br />
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The liminal period has been marked by ritual throughout history. In many cases these acts trace to ancient cultures who probably recognized the threshold of change as a potentially 'dangerous' time, Did these cultures see that these liminal periods accompany the manifestation of paranormal phenomena? There really can be no other reason: a responsive reaction to the phenomena (whatever it might have been) than to enact rituals to effectively separate themselves from it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"You shall not pass": Laying down the line.</i></td></tr>
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Remember, the phenomena is enveloped in conflict, irrational behavior, upheaval, and chaos. No culture would flourish if such conditions were allow to swell from the inside<i> (look at UFOlogy - ha!)</i>. Go back to ancient tribal peoples - there were 'forbidden places' and/or actions. Should you commit these actions or mistakenly tread in the forbidden place (often where the dead are disposed of), you would either be banished from the tribe or you have to go through a ritual to..,<i>be cleansed. </i>There's that line in the sand again:<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic;"><b>You shall not pass.</b></u><br />
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It exists within the structure of indigenous cultures as well - the shaman does not live with the rest of the tribe. Considered to 'walk with the dead and the living', the shaman is not part of the community - they are effectively outsiders. To even visit the shaman in some cultures involved a <i>cleansing ritual</i> of some kind upon your return.<br />
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These events and actions marked by ritual lines of separation of the liminal period are seen as a way to remove the<i> 'infection'</i> of the otherworldly, the cold hand of death, the appearance of the inherently fearful. <b>But, they also mark the anti-structural event, and transition it back into routine.</b><br />
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Once these modern day rituals are done, they facilitate the return of routine. The married couple start life together, the baby grows up, the wake participants go home and move on. But for instance, should one fixate acutely on the deceased, and spend hours of time at the cemetery to the detriment of life? This is ignoring the ritual's purpose, and is a gateway to anti-structure - often a recipe for strange intrusions.<br />
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To avoid the otherworldly, one only heed the wizard's line following <i>"You shall not pass":</i><br />
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<i>Fly, You Fools</i>.<span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span><br />
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-5657631824467229802017-03-17T10:45:00.002-07:002017-03-17T10:45:22.627-07:00Something's in the Breeze<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">A portion of the following is from an essay I wrote back around 1996 or 97 while hosting chats on <i>America Online</i> for '<i>Sightings' </i>(yes, that <i>Sightings</i>), and later for '<i>ParaScope'</i>. This blog post is not meant to argue the validity of Ed Walter's story, nor the photographs - it is to show that the area has had a strange history long before Walter's came on the scene. The prevailing thought even today is that Gulf Breeze started and ended with Ed Walters. It's important to note that it did not.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">A photo from Walter's original series, Nov. 11, 1987</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">UFOs have been reported in and around Gulf Breeze since July 24, 1952, when a Warrington Navy man reported seeing three amber-red lighted objects (an important color to note). Just a short while later, an East Pensacola woman reported seeing disc-shaped objects flying overhead, that had an "orange glow" to them.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">That same day, several residents of Eglin Air Force Base reported two orange colored discs hovering to the south-southeast for three or four minutes before vanishing. These people were very familiar with conventional aircraft and their characteristics, and they were certain these discs were not conventional aircraft.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">On November 25, 1957 crewmen of a B-66 jet bomber from Eglin AFB reportedly saw three unidentified objects in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Hurlburt Field. The crew originally thought they were stars, yet they also showed up on Eglin's radar screens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 19, 1973, Clarence Ray Patterson reported he was "picked up" in his truck by a UFO while returning to Pensacola from Mobile, Alabama on Interstate 10. Police called by Patterson found that he was seriously upset and crying, but not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Patterson told the police that an "unidentified spaceship" hovered over his truck, then pulled him, truck and all, inside. Once inside the craft, Patterson said he was taken from his truck by six "strange looking creatures." His description of these beings was sketchy, but he could recall they were short, and had "clawlike" hands. Patterson stated that during the examination the creatures seemed able to read his mind. During this approximately 30 minute encounter, he was taken from Loxey to State Road 297 in Esambia County. After being released unharmed, he drove to Pensacola and contacted the police immediately.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ88WhgcyOEZQZhO7QxOnbuKcdTrqVMAH9d2RISxkZOwmeVa9j4SI-daruJRhm-lzcwB4n8YNynyK-F1Ejw0nLjxvtkJhzML2perMoEg_rGU7AL4EFGnjKHaUtr4l_ftZWEFQp9zUnXnYE/s1600/eglin_afb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ88WhgcyOEZQZhO7QxOnbuKcdTrqVMAH9d2RISxkZOwmeVa9j4SI-daruJRhm-lzcwB4n8YNynyK-F1Ejw0nLjxvtkJhzML2perMoEg_rGU7AL4EFGnjKHaUtr4l_ftZWEFQp9zUnXnYE/s320/eglin_afb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Elgin Air Force Base</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Eglin Air Force Base itself has had its share of odd sightings as well. On February 2, 1976, an unidentified object was sighted at the east end of Duke Field. Air Force officials say the UFO did not show up in more than 40 photographs, or on their radar screens. Officials could not explain why this was so. Strange it wouldn't photograph, since the object being reported to be as large as a Boeing 707, or C-130 cargo plane. Half a dozen people saw this object; the first to see it was a military policeman while making his rounds about 4:35 a.m. According to Lt. Steve Phalen of the Eglin Information Office, the object was then visible till first light. When Phalen was asked why nothing appeared on any photographs, he answered, <i>"That's a good question."</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the little panhandle town of Florida of Vernon, a resident named Joan Pflueger reluctantly reported a 26.5 foot circle in her pasture, a circle that had small burned circles around the outer edge. This was after several local residents reported seeing UFOs in the area at night. Ms. Pflueger found the suspicious mark in her field a few days later, on April 11, 1980. The area affected was described as looking "sucked up" by a giant vacuum. Pflueger hadn't a clue as to what had made the mark, but she did recall the day before her dog had acted "crazy, and trying to tear down a screen door to get outside." She stated the dog had never acted so oddly before. Ms. Pflueger was genuinely puzzled about the entire matter, saying less about the evidence in her pasture, and more about her hope that the incident wouldn't attract a lot of attention. <i>"I guess I'll have to keep my gate locked all the time now,"</i> she said.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gulf Breeze continued to report UFO events in 1996 (as the UFO 'flap' began subsiding). Although sightings were decidedly down that year, Carole Baker, a recorder and compiler of UFO reports in the area, said the sightings had <i>"changed a bit."</i> The familiar sightings of the bright red UFO over Shoreline Park, better known as <i>"Bubba,"</i> had been replaced by daylight sightings of spherical chrome-colored objects, seen and recorded on video moving at unheard of speeds. The Skywatching group that gathers at Shoreline Park had a rather close encounter with a <i>"Tinkerbell,"</i> an object about the size of a golfball that passed by very close, then stopped directly above of the group. The object exited into the woods at the park, not to be seen again that night.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOq7cBtOljr_G-WZfIcQDjwlChZEV9escYobyZa5OsgGCyU_TGSejlJLBU5YWg5uM0unlIMWvXfOV_WVHa7Ag0mXFdVAsrb3G28D_WvfL7HgBWSfUuL5WUOpWXCuMkWgfWK2ThpKGFy5Fk/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOq7cBtOljr_G-WZfIcQDjwlChZEV9escYobyZa5OsgGCyU_TGSejlJLBU5YWg5uM0unlIMWvXfOV_WVHa7Ag0mXFdVAsrb3G28D_WvfL7HgBWSfUuL5WUOpWXCuMkWgfWK2ThpKGFy5Fk/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Walters' infamous "Road shot"</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I don't think any of the aforementioned incidents caused the same uproar in the media or the local community as the Ed Walters photos did. I don't want to focus so much on the Walters' UFO events, but rather the effects on the community during the events. Gulf Breeze was and still is to a large degree a small, close knit community. While they have resort-like beaches (they're beautiful white sand) and hotels, they don't really have the tourist business a tourist beach like Pensacola has. I recently spoke to a local newspaper and they informed me of some of the developments after the UFO activity in the area. This is one thing mainstream UFOlogy seems to miss completely - the long term follow up and monitoring of previously hot areas <i>and the effects on the community.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />When I spoke to Bland Pugh (who sadly now has passed away) some years ago about what kind of activity was still going on, his reply was short and direct - <i>"None."</i> I asked if the local skywatchers were still going to Shoreline Park every night to try and see UFO activity in the form of <i>"Bubba"</i> the bright red UFO seen dropping out small white lights that would flit away into the darkness. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ4C3D6A5ojPM2TNjFO0odd92-_PuADxv3P8oPNRfSDOD3SpMQxlYgaA0aqiFgZobvBSQZxUn6pIdhIX7mXAdPWr_py3vTREXKq1z_NMweiCdP91OdmgWLnTVXSHG_bqrDexpbApJ8RJ7/s1600/pugh+1993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ4C3D6A5ojPM2TNjFO0odd92-_PuADxv3P8oPNRfSDOD3SpMQxlYgaA0aqiFgZobvBSQZxUn6pIdhIX7mXAdPWr_py3vTREXKq1z_NMweiCdP91OdmgWLnTVXSHG_bqrDexpbApJ8RJ7/s320/pugh+1993.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo taken by Bland Pugh, 1993</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ4C3D6A5ojPM2TNjFO0odd92-_PuADxv3P8oPNRfSDOD3SpMQxlYgaA0aqiFgZobvBSQZxUn6pIdhIX7mXAdPWr_py3vTREXKq1z_NMweiCdP91OdmgWLnTVXSHG_bqrDexpbApJ8RJ7/s1600/pugh+1993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"None of that has been seen in awhile."</i> he said. <i>"That group fell apart and many moved on. It was a mess."</i> When I asked when "Bubba" or any UFO activity was seen to have effectively stopped at Shoreline Park, he responded <i>"When people stopped going to the park to look for them."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1997 - years prior to my discussion with Bland I spoke with several locals during the Gulf Breeze UFO conference about the skywatch group, and the rumors I'd heard of a schism of discontent within the group and that Ed Walters had been one that exited and no longer associated with many in the skywatch community. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was told such rumors were true, with one prominent skywatcher and his wife telling me that the group had become <i>"...nothing but a little Peyton Place". </i>Indeed, the group had fractured in fairly short order, with allegations of extramarital affairs and boatloads of infighting. The competition among many in the group was also rather fierce. Another skywatcher who'd recorded a lot of UFOs at Shoreline Park (some of which was seen on "SIGHTINGS" and other programs of the time) said that they were out <i>"every night"</i>, and <i>"even holidays, birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving - we're there"</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Such obsession or devotion to attention seems to fuel the phenomena, but also speaks to the highly competitive aspect the paranormal seems to incite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So again we see that these groups have a short life, and often de-evolve into warring factions - instead of a collective data gathering effort. It's a mistake to think this is a psychological effect - this assumes that everyone in the group is acting this way in a deliberate and calculated fashion - and this simply doesn't seem to be the case (as evidenced by the repetitive nature of these effects and actions across cases).</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Asking the <i>cause</i> isn't productive. <b>The question is <i>what happens</i> over and over to people involved in these fields, cases and events.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Competition and personal issues erupt out of these 'flap' events - and the phenomena seems to respond with <i>more displays.</i> When that group finally dissolves and ceases any participation (in this case the viewing of aerial phenomena and gathering visual data) the phenomena subsides as everyone drops back into routine <i>(i.e. not going to Shoreline Park to even look)</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even the man who seemed to have touched off the sightings in the 1980's and penned the book <i>"The Gulf Breeze Sightings"</i> with his wife Frances, Ed Walters - also divorced during the UFO fervor in Gulf Breeze. Although I'm told that the divorce wasn't due to stress of the sightings or the public response, but that it was the result of Ed meeting the woman who would later become his wife. Take that how you will - it seems to reinforce the notion that paranormal involvement isn't good for relationships of any kind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the day Walter's first photos were made public, lines were drawn and accusations flourished. Probably even within the Gulf Breeze community. In fact, you could lat bets on it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FnZStAJt1FWaTJirbQ5EmnEgMg2CIajGOtjudmFXpQL4hl11-5za0UbkX5htuKsI3VPEnUyXze-ioMb978xofHvDuWxnUIIdPt1r3j3C_nIs8e_SycotcVVPa9SnQqE3Fs1XDxg2F3q4/s1600/UnlHorizons_july-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FnZStAJt1FWaTJirbQ5EmnEgMg2CIajGOtjudmFXpQL4hl11-5za0UbkX5htuKsI3VPEnUyXze-ioMb978xofHvDuWxnUIIdPt1r3j3C_nIs8e_SycotcVVPa9SnQqE3Fs1XDxg2F3q4/s320/UnlHorizons_july-web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Old advertisement for one of the group's gatherings</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, according to the local paper the Gulf Breeze skywatch group reformed more or less as <i>"Unlimited Horizons"</i> - a group that delved into a lot of trappings many would deem highly <i>marginal</i> such as the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">holistic, spiritual, and me</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline;">taphysical - in addition to paranormal, UFO, extraterrestrials, and crytozoology. The group held meetings on the second Sunday of every month, and hosted annual Metaphysical Festivals and Spring and Fall Psychic Fairs. In typical fashion, the group descended into a far more <i>marginal</i> state<i> </i>than the UFO skywatch group it began as. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline;">As I tried to gather more information on the current state of Gulf Breeze - again, the local paper tells me that <i>"A lot of the people you've probably heard of aren't here anymore. Either they've died or they've moved away."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white;">Oddly, Carol Baker who was the lady who cataloged all the sightings and wrote for the Pensacola Beach Islander - I cannot seem to find no matter who I ask or where I look. <i>(If anyone knows how to contact her, please let me know)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's a shame that investigators didn't study the people and situations involved in the Gulf Breeze sightings just as much as they did the photos and reports of UFOs and 'abductions'. I'm sure going back to the 50's that had those questions been asked of the aforementioned cases - we'd see the hallmarks there as well. I've seen comments on the net about Gulf Breeze having a lot of <i>'colorful characters'</i> - I would love to be able to document what kind of people have lived there over the decades, their interests and quirks. </span></span></div>
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In closing, and in fitting trickster fashion, a late 90's hurricane destroyed the office where Ed Walter's original photos were stored. The original source material of the case, like many of the Gulf Breeze skywatch members are now lost to time. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This post dedicated to the memory of Mr. Bland Pugh)</span></span></div>
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</span>Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-1611449892102547402017-03-07T19:57:00.001-08:002017-03-17T10:13:06.060-07:00Paranormal Toxicity: The Group Dynamic, Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
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There's little argument that there's a lot of infighting within any paranormal based group. If you've been in a ghost hunting group or a UFO organization, then you've probably watched these groups end not from outside influence, <i>but by implosion from within.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn73eH4nc49FGRblzAnET0zLxANnzBgjUtaJQaGp06XIeQyL7T0X12t-lNV9jm5_3h9XBLk-KwemuT3QbkzZNEt1jXIffIkRMSKnnF4WYIIaKpEbQOK2N6xK39zlNlz1Y36syX5UrvCSA/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn73eH4nc49FGRblzAnET0zLxANnzBgjUtaJQaGp06XIeQyL7T0X12t-lNV9jm5_3h9XBLk-KwemuT3QbkzZNEt1jXIffIkRMSKnnF4WYIIaKpEbQOK2N6xK39zlNlz1Y36syX5UrvCSA/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a><br />
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As I became more interested not only in the ghost phenomena <i>(due to activity in my home - a condominium...a liminal home)</i>, but ghost groups and noted 'investigator' personalities, I contacted what I saw as one of the more predominant groups in my area, and inquired about joining. I made note of the names on the website of team members, and saw some interesting people I'd like to discuss things with. The facilitator or leader of the group was a kind and seemingly level headed person who was clearly passionate about investigating the phenomena. </div>
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As time went on I got preoccupied with other things and never got to a meeting - and hence never really joined the group. I called that same group leader a month or so later, and inquired about coming to a meeting because I'd like to talk to several of the investigative members and mentioned them by name.</div>
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"<i>Well...much of that old group is gone. But I've got some new people." </i>He seemed rather uneasy speaking about the bulk of his group no longer being involved and I didn't press further.</div>
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But in prior discussion the leader had said how the group was <i>"like family"</i> and a really good working team. Just over 30 days later - they were effectively gone. </div>
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I've found that other groups, (I've been mainly involved in UFO study groups), are like revolving doors. Members come and go, and there's little time to really become familiar with anyone other than the group facilitator. If the facilitator goes, so does the group - and I've seen that happen too. </div>
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These groups simply don't last long - because the members begin fierce competition with each other, develop arguments, infighting and back biting, deliberate sabotage of projects...you name it. Up to and including extramarital affairs, breakups, and actual fist fights if things get bad enough. People simply begin to act in completely illogical ways - and it's so prevalent and repeated in these fields that it really can't be put down to psychological explanations. </div>
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When you examine MUFON <i>(Mutual UFO Network)</i> hierarchy you'll see that revolving door effect as well. Walt Andrus headed the organization for some 30 years, and since his retirement they've had 5 International Directors none serving more than 5 years since 2000, some only 1 year. People I've known over the years, some involved at high level state director positions and higher have told me in private that the organization is in a constant state of discord and disorganization - not to mention heavy 'drama'. </div>
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MUFON touts it's mission statement on it's <a href="http://www.mufon.com/about.html" target="_blank">website's 'about' page</a>:</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">"Our Goals...</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">I. Investigate UFO sightings and collect the data in the MUFON Database for use by researchers worldwide.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">II. Promote research on UFOs to discover the true nature of the phenomenon, with an eye towards scientific breakthroughs, and improving life on our planet.</span></i></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">III. Educate the public on the UFO phenomenon and its potential impact on society."</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">The disturbing part is <i>"</i></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><i>with an eye towards scientific breakthroughs, and improving life on our planet." </i>One only need visit the <i><a href="https://www.mufonsymposium.com/" target="_blank">"Symposium 2017"</a> </i>to see how inherently the opposite of <i>scientific </i>MUFON is - speakers include such individuals as <a href="https://www.mufonsymposium.com/andrew-bassagio" target="_blank">Andrew Basiago</a>, who among other things </span><a href="http://andy2020.net/" target="_blank">claims to be a time traveler and Mars space explorer.</a> Get your passports ready folks, he's running for POTUS in 2020. </div>
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<i>This is a group that has a page on it's website about <a href="http://www.mufon.com/scientific-method.html" target="_blank"><b>scientific discourse.</b></a> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(I challenge anyone to read this without saying <i>"oh you've GOT to be kiddin' me."</i>)</span></div>
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Have a look at the <a href="http://www.mufon.com/experiencer-research-team.html" target="_blank">Experiencer Research</a> page - where you'll find the 'director' and many of her associates are big proponents of <b>hypnosis as memory recovery</b> - a 'tool' now widely known to be useless for memory retrieval by psychological professionals <b>but excellent for concocting and hardening false memory among other serious problems.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMlFWCFg2RvdgDQuHct81MoIoSw2ff5lmBKNxFHSZyyPdbYuidGlGGd7rWAwYxK188YJM11IGUa-XiYaC1KDc_iabGHARvpikuzvqPd76zTJrydrHkGUFQ4xQNYZnnoooqGu7QHDDbbXK/s1600/science_why_no.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMlFWCFg2RvdgDQuHct81MoIoSw2ff5lmBKNxFHSZyyPdbYuidGlGGd7rWAwYxK188YJM11IGUa-XiYaC1KDc_iabGHARvpikuzvqPd76zTJrydrHkGUFQ4xQNYZnnoooqGu7QHDDbbXK/s320/science_why_no.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Don't ask why. It's not a productive question.</i></td></tr>
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You can go on and on with MUFON's issues. Yet this is the organization put forth by the UFO community as the largest and most respectable investigative body. But the facts are that MUFON has not pushed the study forward in any meaningful way. They don't share reports, don't publish academic papers, don't submit cases for independent review - <i>nothing science does. </i>You could argue that it's been detrimental to UFO study being taken seriously - if the largest research group sees fit to have speakers at it's annual symposium who make baseless claims about being <i>time travel and teleportation pioneers. </i></div>
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I'm trying not to belabor the point here. Its just that it's amazing how <i>marginal (and anti-structural) </i>this organization is. <b>And it's exactly what we ought to expect from an organization such as this.</b> </div>
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Want an interesting comparison? When there's a UFO story in a newspaper, or television report - the viewers or web hits are off the charts. For example the O'Hare UFO story on the Chicago Tribune website boasted well over a million hits in a short amount of time - and well over 400 emails, making it the most popular story of the online media outlet to date. Look further at the Alien Autopsy special ratings for another example. Or the fervor over the Roswell Slides. There certainly seems to be a lot of interested people doesn't there?</div>
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By interest comparison, MUFON claims only 3,000 members worldwide - that means 3000 people get the MUFON Journal as members. CSICOP <i>(</i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><i>Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal) </i><a href="http://www.csicop.org/about/csicop" target="_blank">claims 35,000 subscribers to the <i>Skeptical </i></a></span><i><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.csicop.org/about/csicop" target="_blank">Inquirer</a>.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">This is interesting, but there's more. Look at popular culture - movies dealing with paranormal subjects are pervasive in society, </span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Independence Day, The Fourth Kind, Ouija, Arrival, </i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">and so on, garner huge sums of money to the tune of millions and millions of dollars. Again, interest and intrigue with the subject runs high.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Yet looking at </span><a href="http://mufonalookattheorganization.yolasite.com/2014-mufon-tax-return-form-990.php" target="_blank">MUFON's 2014 tax returns</a><span style="color: #444444;"> shows it had total expenditures in the $300K range. This is around the budget of your average local church. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBBtmgU7aK5XwyRC_IjBpOkBBgj8BcbSKSus_bJeRvZUizKbjqzDh0wg5IhBWxN2FLTxQ0QNzH5WQd9uxOoDRQw0s85eMkcScMJ-gIg_AtZny-a40OxfgnfUZzXiA4d1-yMwoKHX6p0vP/s1600/iStock-523761968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBBtmgU7aK5XwyRC_IjBpOkBBgj8BcbSKSus_bJeRvZUizKbjqzDh0wg5IhBWxN2FLTxQ0QNzH5WQd9uxOoDRQw0s85eMkcScMJ-gIg_AtZny-a40OxfgnfUZzXiA4d1-yMwoKHX6p0vP/s320/iStock-523761968.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Think about that. </span></span><span style="color: #444444;">This is the most prominent UFO research group in the world, but it operates on a minuscule budget. And that seems magnitudes different from the level of public interest in the subject of UFOs. You don't find this in other fields - for example there are films and TV shows about the medical field, but the budget for <i>real</i> medical science dwarfs the Hollywood budget by trillions. Police and law enforcement oriented TV and films? Again, the <i>real</i> counterpart dwarfs the entertainment budget.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">And it's because MUFON is considered </span><i style="color: #444444;">marginal </i><span style="color: #444444;">(as is the UFO issue). And by it's actions, it's members, and it's leaders, it confirms that </span><i style="color: #444444;">marginal</i><span style="color: #444444;"> title. It has a marginal position in society - and I have a feeling if we looked, we'd see that the CSICOP budget for investigations are bigger than MUFON's - how odd would it be if the budget to refute the UFO is bigger than the one to support it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">It's not just MUFON, but plenty of the parapsychological organizations suffer the same shoestring budgets and lack of funding. Despite being included in some college curricula, parapsychology has not gained wide acceptance in academe, and continues to be considered a </span><i style="color: #444444;">marginal </i><span style="color: #444444;">study (even after more than 100 years). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">And just like the ghost groups, MUFON groups are revolving door not only in the leadership - but even more so at the local level. Remember that while MUFON as a corporate entity has lasted for decades - </span><b style="color: #444444;">it does not conduct investigations</b><span style="color: #444444;"> - </span><b style="color: #444444;">the members do that in their respective states.</b><span style="color: #444444;"> So the overriding MUFON entity has lasted - but the part that deals with direct investigation of the phenomena has not, and remains a constantly changing group. Many times with a roster that I'd hedge a bet doesn't remain stable for more than a year in any given location. Again, we see that the paranormal is not good for relationships of any kind - small groups are especially at risk.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Let me be clear: none of this is a dig at MUFON. The organization is an attempt at serious research - but it's a failing attempt because of the phenomena (and it's effects) that it is trying to study. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GpeL5xhDGzbl9CthVjkzI5ussJthGvqS9WQ53hjsvz9XkmAas0vOXGgrY-fG1IEjvTWILWOr0upibc2EYJNEyE_DHFuYo2HdiW4c2BWvPhh2C2BaJDcIhyAwiqqoaJD4UvCcSbw8JJqW/s1600/iStock-465736438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GpeL5xhDGzbl9CthVjkzI5ussJthGvqS9WQ53hjsvz9XkmAas0vOXGgrY-fG1IEjvTWILWOr0upibc2EYJNEyE_DHFuYo2HdiW4c2BWvPhh2C2BaJDcIhyAwiqqoaJD4UvCcSbw8JJqW/s320/iStock-465736438.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;">In a book authored around 1930 called </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Boundary-Reactions-Phenomena-Perspectives/dp/0405070454" target="_blank">The Enchanted Boundary</a>, </i></span><span style="color: #444444;">Walter Prince made note that often people who've attained some measure of success, or respectability in a non-paranormal related field (whether in business, or academics, sciences, etc.) that when they enter the paranormal they seem to gradually lose all critical thought, often taking off the wall approaches that had they made in their former profession - they'd have been laughed out of the room. This effect happens a significant amount of times and to varying degrees. One that comes to mind for me is the late <a href="http://www.exopaedia.org/Deardorff,+James" target="_blank">Dr. James Deardorff</a>, a professor and accomplished senior scientist in atmospheric sciences. Deardorff was clearly an educated and brilliant mind. Yet, upon entering the UFO field he gravitated to the Billy Meier case. A well known, and thoroughly exposed hoax, Deardorff aggressively defended the case, and <a href="http://www.tjresearch.info/" target="_blank">wrote many pages of support</a> on Meier's fake biblical discovery the <i>"Talmud Jammanuel". </i>James at one point during an online discussion with me laid out his "plausible deniability" theory, in which for example every obviously faked UFO photo or film is potentially<i> real</i> - the aliens just give a way out <i>by making their craft look like it's a model suspended on a string.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">I kid you not. Of course one immediately recognizes this as an ultimate defense for his pet case. But had Deardorff ever put forth anything resembling this kind of thinking in his professional life - I'm sure his academic and scientific associates would have backed away in horror. Deardorff is not unique by any means. I would even go so far as to say that the higher educated the person is, the more likely they are to lose their critical faculties within the paranormal fields. Again, this is not a dig at Dr. Deardorff (R.I.P.) - </span><b style="color: #444444;">it's just what repeatedly happens</b><span style="color: #444444;">, and he is </span><u style="color: #444444;">far</u><span style="color: #444444;"> from the only one it's happened to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">There's no point to getting worked up over these things. The bottom line is this happens time after time, year after year in paranormal field(s). </span><i style="color: #444444;">The key is to learn to expect it, and once you do - you can find ways to <u>potentially</u> work around it.</i><span style="color: #444444;"> This is not always a possibility.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">So to recap and give you some things to watch: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">- Groups dealing with the paranormal don't tend to last very long. While the entity of the organization may endure, those doing the hands-on work within the 'field' will tend to fall apart regularly and often spectacularly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">- While the public seem highly interested in media related to paranormal themes, the actual fields of real research into them are considered <i>marginal,</i> and therefore do not attract many members, funding or respectability. These groups often <i>marginalize</i> themselves through association with less than credible individuals and events. These do not seem to be conscious acts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">- O</span><span style="color: #444444;">ften people who've attained some measure of success, or respectability in a non-paranormal field (whether a business, or academic field, etc.) upon entering the paranormal they seem to gradually lose all critical thought, often taking off the wall approaches that had they made in their former profession - they'd have been laughed out of the room. This seems to go against everything they've been indoctrinated to within their chosen discipline.</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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<i>(In part 2 we'll look closer at specific instances of these ideas in action - both in the group situation and in the individual.)</i></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-54562991670141463632017-02-28T13:57:00.002-08:002017-03-17T10:13:13.038-07:00The UFO: Redecorating with Shotguns for Ridicule and Innuendo<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's plenty of mysteries in human culture, but the term "UFO" is one that conjures up a lot of imagery. From the disc to the triangle, the sphere to morphing globs of sky stuff - there's no shortage of strange things seen in the sky. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I'd be out of my mind to take on everything the UFO phenomena has to offer this particular discussion, from the varied plethora of 'craft' to the cryptic messages given to those who've come in contact with UFO craft occupants (if they are occupants and are indeed craft). Such a morass of topics would have us bogged down for months on end - we'll get to a lot of it in time, but for starters let's take one chunk at a time, and look at the surrounding elements of the UFO event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we say <i>UFO</i>, what exactly do we mean? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This is problem one:</b> how do we identify the utterly bizarre presence associated with aerial phenomena and perceived 'aliens'? <b>In short, we can't.</b> Despite the often repeated statement, <i>"We just don't have the technology that can do that" </i>by just about every UFO 'researcher', there is one thing I can safely tell you: <b>They don't know that.</b> To suggest that they do is to state unequivocally that every UFO researcher saying those words has intimate knowledge of <i>every secret military project in every country</i>, and <i>every secret civilian or commercial project</i>.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can assure you, they don't. And neither do you or I. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And therein lies problem 1: how to identify whatever strange thing seen in the sky as the<i> phenomena itself. </i>This makes it a slippery eel indeed, because there isn't a way to effectively determine that. Although, I have an idea...but that's later on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's look at how UFOs and the people who report them have been perceived by mainstream society and science over the years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm sure you've all heard the stereotype <i>"only people in trailer parks see UFOs". </i>While untrue as we all know, the genesis of the statement suggests that people who report such things are <i>marginal. </i>Trailer parks are stigmatized as containing a part of the populace that is considered lower class, minimally educated, and that often these individuals are prone to alcohol and drug abuse, Society at large maintain that such people are not to be taken seriously when they report that football sized cigar craft over the trailer. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course these are stereotypes and don't represent overall reality</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But looking at the notion of trailer parks as an example - these are often homes for people <i>transitioning</i> from one place to another. Or, the homes themselves (trailers or mobile homes) are not a single family home, but nor are they a vehicle. They possess elements of being stationary<i> and</i> mobile. They are, by definition, <i>liminal</i> domiciles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's interesting that this is the stereotype's point of reference. The epitome of <i>liminal</i> homes and perceived <i>marginal</i> people. The other lesser stereotype is that the phenomena is reported by people in rural areas - derogatorily called <i>'hillbillies'</i> - and again carrying the stigma of the under-educated, and alcoholic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter (an alleged CE-3 event): <i><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly%25E2%2580%2593Hopkinsville_encounter&source=gmail&ust=1488401947798000&usg=AFQjCNGFJzPCjgG3Ov8rhy5NpmWIHMVunw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly%E2%80%93Hopkinsville_encounter" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">(from wikipedia)</a></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjDTQjz-D-_KQB1lndqPN6N3MyyG0hcSOhMwxH9pyRsfRvBhyphenhyphenw93besPpRiEnWd-zK7YP0q-0ER1Avrd_DvDk6EgYZjcN2VZgmFLpZ5El16N3Uoh5KZbCQmmxynp34ASW1JM63eoFXife/s1600/news.jpg&source=gmail&ust=1488401947798000&usg=AFQjCNGvO0FKhJ0VurQu3RNe7KrKQV1SSg" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjDTQjz-D-_KQB1lndqPN6N3MyyG0hcSOhMwxH9pyRsfRvBhyphenhyphenw93besPpRiEnWd-zK7YP0q-0ER1Avrd_DvDk6EgYZjcN2VZgmFLpZ5El16N3Uoh5KZbCQmmxynp34ASW1JM63eoFXife/s1600/news.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #1155cc; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" class="CToWUd" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjDTQjz-D-_KQB1lndqPN6N3MyyG0hcSOhMwxH9pyRsfRvBhyphenhyphenw93besPpRiEnWd-zK7YP0q-0ER1Avrd_DvDk6EgYZjcN2VZgmFLpZ5El16N3Uoh5KZbCQmmxynp34ASW1JM63eoFXife/s320/news.jpg" width="170" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="m_-4312782986665582992m_2092698211985341355tr-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Part of the original news article</i></span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #252525;">On the evening of August 21, 1955, five adults and seven children arrived at the </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopkinsville,_Kentucky&source=gmail&ust=1488401947798000&usg=AFQjCNF3F2eSs7f4atTv2ip2BaB8zY1n1w" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopkinsville,_Kentucky" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Hopkinsville, Kentucky">Hopkinsville</a><span style="color: #252525;"> police station claiming that small alien creatures from a spaceship were attacking their farmhouse and they had been holding them off with gunfire "for nearly four hours". Two of the adults, Elmer Sutton and Billy Ray Taylor, claimed they had been shooting at "twelve to fifteen" short, dark figures who repeatedly popped up at the doorway or peered into the windows.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;">It's a pretty hair-raising account if you read it. Sheriff Russell Greenwell made it very clear that everyone was sober and that these folks were genuinely frightened. But were they<i> 'country folk'</i>? Without a doubt. All the parties when <b>interviewed separately</b> told the same story and drew similar representations of the beings. In all the years that went by, <u>the story never changed</u>. The Suttons never profited from their story, never penned a movie deal - but instead <i>paid out</i> money to fix their farmhouse which suffered holes and shotgun blasts inflicted <i>by them as they defended themselves from small beings. </i></span><br />
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Nonetheless, we're given this answer from a skeptical investigation:<br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 15px;">"...the famous 1955 Kelly incident is easily explained by a meteor and a pair of territorial owls." </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/show/siege_of_little_green_men" target="_blank">(from </a></span></i></span><span style="color: #444444; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/show/siege_of_little_green_men" target="_blank">Siege of ‘Little Green Men’: The 1955 Kelly, Kentucky, Incident)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;">Among gems like this, you'll find countless comments and innuendo that the witnesses were "probably intoxicated", or hoaxing...or...both</span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Please keep these kind of nonsensical <i>answers</i> and <i>assumed facts</i> in the back of your head because they represent an interesting repetitive effect with regard to the skeptic - that sometimes they posit answers that aren't based upon anything resembling good sense <i>(Something they accuse the witness of lacking). </i>This too figures in to our discussions to come.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #252525;">Let's be real - close quarters shotgun blasts rarely miss completely. The men said the guns had no effect, and that there was </span><u style="color: #252525;">no chance</u><span style="color: #252525;"> they missed. The notion of weapons having no effect in these </span><span style="color: #252525;">occurrences</span><span style="color: #252525;"> is now fairly common I think, regardless of what it may mean (that the phenomena is a non-physical manifestation or that advanced culture equals advanced defense systems - or anything in-between). As far as the 'intoxicated' accusations, when I interviewed folklorist and skeptic Dr. David Clarke some years ago he said the best approach to UFO case research is to refer to the <b>original period</b> reports (so let's play by skeptic rules and see below left). </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhl57WKOCYGc-gi6Xx_w3VmiEgOIFs8ksN_slh6s3djAz3PQ5TiWcv3MOsedPsBAr9eZ41LE6GYVrqsU4JebyVknHWzSxB5nXXhyphenhyphenvl_7ff-1H0T9TtIcbmwKtJyAIxnreuKXyU_K9h7o/s1600/notdrunk.jpg&source=gmail&ust=1488401947798000&usg=AFQjCNFN2RUdzb0GHPXqyBp-OCad9p-B4g" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhl57WKOCYGc-gi6Xx_w3VmiEgOIFs8ksN_slh6s3djAz3PQ5TiWcv3MOsedPsBAr9eZ41LE6GYVrqsU4JebyVknHWzSxB5nXXhyphenhyphenvl_7ff-1H0T9TtIcbmwKtJyAIxnreuKXyU_K9h7o/s1600/notdrunk.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #1155cc; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" class="CToWUd" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhl57WKOCYGc-gi6Xx_w3VmiEgOIFs8ksN_slh6s3djAz3PQ5TiWcv3MOsedPsBAr9eZ41LE6GYVrqsU4JebyVknHWzSxB5nXXhyphenhyphenvl_7ff-1H0T9TtIcbmwKtJyAIxnreuKXyU_K9h7o/s320/notdrunk.jpg" width="267" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="m_-4312782986665582992m_2092698211985341355tr-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>No drinking involved.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;">But, the whole thing is reduced to Owls and drunks. This is to me, a perfect example of trickster - the event happens to people who ultimately will not be believed - and we all are offered absurd explanations for the event by authorities, and many will accept those explanations. The case is then relegated to the dust bin by the majority of the public.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ask yourself this:</b> would people who've lived in rural Kentucky for generations have seen an owl before? How about at night? Would they have feared the owl - even if they <i>were</i> drunk? Would you miss a large bird like an owl with a shotgun blast at close range? No mention of dead owls, or blasted feathers by police - and there were 20+ officers at the scene under Sheriff Greenwell - none of them found anything?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Please. </i>Had this event happened in New York City, or in any major metropolitan area the people would have been considered in a completely different manner. <i>But it happened in rural Kentucky. </i><b>Would there have been accusations of drunkenness if it were in a major city? Or if the witnesses had been average store owners and patrons?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The contention here is that this is not an accident, or happenstance that the Sutton Family was targeted by something that we might label as part of the phenomena we're interested in. Billy Ray Taylor is the man who originally saw the UFO land near the Sutton home and ran to tell the Suttons who laughed and didn't believe his tale (yet). Of note? Taylor was from Pennsylvania and visiting the Suttons - he was out of his routine environment <i>(the anti-structural component) </i>and<i> </i>I'm sure if we dug into the circumstances and duration of his visit we might find more.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLndtpMp1h_jT_T-Y6Np8j1uZ-2fD_x5V5AC1DfqeAkBqPmCJL5WFgtWJO16cxB1K5ZmvDJxlLiif0TCtX9_-oOwhRRmDwDuDF-ltpsYeilMU7OxgXt2xbHi745s6j5-h1kopagk_rpzTF/s1600/Hopkinvilledrawg.jpg&source=gmail&ust=1488401947798000&usg=AFQjCNGiP0kL3zoOCMP2_mwbk4xvmNSdDQ" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLndtpMp1h_jT_T-Y6Np8j1uZ-2fD_x5V5AC1DfqeAkBqPmCJL5WFgtWJO16cxB1K5ZmvDJxlLiif0TCtX9_-oOwhRRmDwDuDF-ltpsYeilMU7OxgXt2xbHi745s6j5-h1kopagk_rpzTF/s1600/Hopkinvilledrawg.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #1155cc; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" class="CToWUd" exifid="-2045425167" height="145" id="exifviewer-img-1" oldsrc="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLndtpMp1h_jT_T-Y6Np8j1uZ-2fD_x5V5AC1DfqeAkBqPmCJL5WFgtWJO16cxB1K5ZmvDJxlLiif0TCtX9_-oOwhRRmDwDuDF-ltpsYeilMU7OxgXt2xbHi745s6j5-h1kopagk_rpzTF/s320/Hopkinvilledrawg.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLndtpMp1h_jT_T-Y6Np8j1uZ-2fD_x5V5AC1DfqeAkBqPmCJL5WFgtWJO16cxB1K5ZmvDJxlLiif0TCtX9_-oOwhRRmDwDuDF-ltpsYeilMU7OxgXt2xbHi745s6j5-h1kopagk_rpzTF/s320/Hopkinvilledrawg.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="m_-4312782986665582992m_2092698211985341355tr-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We are to believe that rural Americans had never seen an owl.</i></span> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think what we see here is the hidden and overlooked consistencies yet again - marginal elements of the people involved and their geological location, Anti-structural element of a visitor (Taylor) at the house, and a special gathering going on. Want another? <b>Elmer Sutton and Billy Ray Taylor were traveling carnival workers.</b> Let's double down on the <i>anti-structure</i> and <i>margina<wbr></wbr>lity</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cases like this probably started the 'drunken hillybilly' UFO stereotype. This is why it's important to recognize where these stigmas come from, and that they're more or less unique to paranormal events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What surrounds the paranormal are elements to make it easily dismissed, no matter how unwavering the account. You'll find this not only in the <i>Kelly-Hopkinsville</i> case, but all over the UFO phenomena. This particular case seems to feed heavily into <i>marginal</i> elements, others might figure more on the <i>anti-structure </i>bits. And, all these hallmarks may be far more pronounced than we think - <b>because no one has ever bothered to ask these questions.</b> This is something that really needs to be deployed in modern UFO report forms or questions asked of witnesses. Forget the UFO for a moment and ask about the witness's current life situation, their living situation, job situation etc. I think this will yield interesting returns. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;">This is after all, only one example that I think is easy to identify at this stage in our discussion. But there will be more from recent times, and you'll see these elements much more pronounced as time goes on. Think of this instance as </span><i><span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;">'Trickster Lite'. </span></i><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span><i><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;">(next: Personalities & The </span><span style="color: #252525;">Performance</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;"> Investigator)</span></i></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-16569101228717731702017-02-21T10:50:00.002-08:002017-03-17T10:13:20.894-07:00The Trickster & The Skeptic<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many paranormal 'believers' have real issues with self-professed skeptics. Again, we'll get into skeptics more in-depth in months to come - but it bears mentioning here why skeptics (and their scientific method) possibly may not have the best opportunities to study paranormal phenomena. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You may have heard about all matter of phenomena occurring in a location until a scientific team shows up, or a skeptic comes to investigate what others are experiencing. Then, suddenly, the paranormal turtle retreats into it's shell. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now seeing what we've already covered, can you predict what happens when the paranormal (an inherently <i>anti-structural</i> steeped effect) is put into a controlled context? Or a controlled and organized approach to study? Laying structure over the situation negates the <i>anti-structure</i> that seems to be one of the keys to phenomena - this is why for decades the scientific community has not seriously studied the paranormal - because creating scientific experiments requires organization, order, methodical accuracy and most of all repeatable results to be considered valid and worthy of publication and review. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're looking for that kind of consistency in the paranormal responses at this level, you're in the wrong place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It doesn't work seemingly, because the surrounding context, and approach isn't conducive to paranormal phenomena. The paranormal responds to disorder, change, non-routine, and other effects we'll address later. The end result is academe finds the paranormal sorely lacking in anything science's rigid and ordered approach can verify. It's been deemed 'fringe' and unworthy of serious consideration. Only in recent years have working (albeit few) scientists began looking into the phenomena with fresh approaches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But can the skeptic have a paranormal event? Maybe. In 2014 uber-skeptic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shermer" target="_blank">Michael Shermer</a> had an event that shook his skeptical mindset <i>"to the core"</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now what I want you to do is read this article. It's not long and is easy to read and follow along. Then come back and let's look at this with a different approach <i>other than dissecting the strange event itself.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/anomalous-events-that-can-shake-one-s-skepticism-to-the-core/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to read Shermer's article.</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that you've read it - lets examine the context, and forget the strange event, the effect and it's perceived meaning.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGVHXH_Wn92qORlGu-2SvjQRyB9Wnq_gM_zsP0f0g6iPXSZRu1mfXTdO2yyxyQvBjgubT3hPz2mcAOWwfp95LOKYSi9RudOYAZNvTPTgv1sN0FhLx33O_wz6cQwKOJwt2GvoGeIshTJh-/s1600/iStock-500074718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGVHXH_Wn92qORlGu-2SvjQRyB9Wnq_gM_zsP0f0g6iPXSZRu1mfXTdO2yyxyQvBjgubT3hPz2mcAOWwfp95LOKYSi9RudOYAZNvTPTgv1sN0FhLx33O_wz6cQwKOJwt2GvoGeIshTJh-/s320/iStock-500074718.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The event took place on June 25, 2014. On that day I married Jennifer Graf, from Köln, Germany."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A marriage is a ritual of sorts whether or not it happens in a religious context, and that I think we can all agree on. But it's also a very<i> liminal</i> state to be in:<b> one is not yet married, but is also no longer single.</b> It is an extremely transitional period for both parties here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jennifer is also from another country, and I think we might be able to surmise that she's recently experienced a full blown move to the US...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In shipping her belongings to my home before the wedding, most of the boxes were damaged and several precious heirlooms lost..."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This seems to indicate that Jennifer has undergone that liminal period of moving her home from one place to another. But this is more than a normal move - it's a cultural move too - she's transitioning to a different culture of life in the United States as opposed to Germany.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">Three months later, after affixing the necessary signatures to our marriage license at the Beverly Hills courthouse, we returned home, and in the presence of my family said our vows and exchanged rings. Being 9,000 kilometers from family, friends and home, Jennifer was feeling amiss and lonely."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">Jennifer is completely removed from what is familiar to her previous life. The anti-structural nature of this kind of life change (married life from single, and quite a major change in living geographically) cannot be understated. She is for the sake of our discussion, the perfect storm of <i>liminality.</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">It is <b>no surprise</b> that the event centered around her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">She wished her grandfather were there to give her away."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">This is a normal way for Jennifer to feel at this particular time. But it also is interesting to note that she (previous to the event) in a way has 'set the stage' for the impossibly strange. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP6hXpBmoDF4e8SqyV0X4JFVfmsyh2ptV9fOqAE-S3lSsfZpDRT0_2hWGuFzYC_7qP5R7H-piQGCSQIhan7j6o0k5xAMSLzj9yv1qWN5PHWJcdHurBaGyKxMwq-lUaGtXVc4Z9HNr4Fdn/s1600/iStock-97599619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP6hXpBmoDF4e8SqyV0X4JFVfmsyh2ptV9fOqAE-S3lSsfZpDRT0_2hWGuFzYC_7qP5R7H-piQGCSQIhan7j6o0k5xAMSLzj9yv1qWN5PHWJcdHurBaGyKxMwq-lUaGtXVc4Z9HNr4Fdn/s320/iStock-97599619.jpg" width="202" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">She opened the desk drawer and pulled out her grandfather's transistor radio, out of which a romantic love song wafted. We sat in stunned silence for minutes. “My grandfather is here with us,” Jennifer said, tearfully. “I'm not alone.”</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">The radio that for all purposes was broken and in a state of disrepair, at the moment of marriage - and almost in response to the Bride's request - plays a love song, <b><i>and it's her Grandfather's transistor.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><i>My daughter, Devin, who came out of her bedroom just before the ceremony began, added, </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">“I heard the music coming from your room just as you were about to start.” </i>(my emphasis)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">I know the written medium is limited, but you should know reader, I have nothing to say here beyond giving you that <i>"look"</i> from over the top of my glasses.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Later that night we fell asleep to the sound of classical music emanating from Walter's radio. Fittingly, it stopped working the next day and has remained silent ever since."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;">Fittingly indeed. The number of odd events here seem to defy </span><span style="color: #323232;">coincidence</span><span style="color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Are we to believe that such an absurd alignment is given to chance? Or can we not identify that the same circumstances that surround a </span>haunting<span style="font-family: inherit;">, UFO sightings, and other paranormal phenomena are also present in this event - related by a professional skeptic?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323232;"><span style="background-color: white;">Michael then gives us this statement...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Jennifer is as skeptical as I am when it comes to paranormal and supernatural phenomena."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clearly this flies in the face of his earlier account: </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="color: #323232;">“My grandfather is here with us,” Jennifer said, tearfully. “I'm not alone.” </i><span style="color: #323232;"> I find the notion that the skeptic desires to relate the experience (and I thank him for having the courage to write and present it) yet soften the edge so that it might still be palatable to his skeptical following very interesting. It shows to me, a need to fall in line with the conventional skeptic ideology of <i>'nothing to see here'</i> regardless of the experience and how utterly shaken he was by it. As I said, we'll examine the skeptic further in coming months, and I think no matter what side of that argument you're on, you'll find it interesting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232;">Mr. Shermer closes with this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"...if we are to take seriously the scientific credo to keep an open mind and remain agnostic when the evidence is indecisive or the riddle unsolved, we should not shut the doors of perception when they may be opened to us to marvel in the mysterious."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCLMlIwcHY1pJNr_IFD3P-k1rmQdnxkspW68yaYa5vuhNfRmyhynVhyphenhyphenrbRL0MNwc8wOHDWMsICr_r_Z4DoghgSzGV0dYCCNks8vDbD6O0puowHE1UJMwWgjIJfVQVoShHITwTF3dx9gqg/s1600/iStock-171263148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCLMlIwcHY1pJNr_IFD3P-k1rmQdnxkspW68yaYa5vuhNfRmyhynVhyphenhyphenrbRL0MNwc8wOHDWMsICr_r_Z4DoghgSzGV0dYCCNks8vDbD6O0puowHE1UJMwWgjIJfVQVoShHITwTF3dx9gqg/s320/iStock-171263148.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unwilling to examine the edges, the skeptic ideology fails.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Michael took an enormous amount of heat from the skeptical community for this piece. It's a shame that his fans and followers who felt he'd gone off the rails didn't heed his final statement. I feel confident in saying that were he (or any other public skeptic) ever to have another strange event such as this - they would likely not discuss it for fear of the same reprisal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;">And so we see the final bit of the story: the phenomena has presented to a skeptic, who in turn relates it to an audience who will only </span><span style="color: #323232;">reject</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;"> it. It's a <i>marginal</i> story in that context, presented to a community that will find easy ways to dismiss it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;">The phenomena remains in it's elusive and transient envelope - surrounded by repetitive elements often unnoticed. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;">It's why I believe it's </span><span style="color: #323232;">imperative</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;"> upon us to examine the edges.</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: inherit;"><i>(Next: The UFO)</i></span></span></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-91531069172885497152017-02-20T15:39:00.001-08:002017-03-17T10:13:29.197-07:00Scene 1, Act 1: Setting the Stage<div style="text-align: justify;">
So we've examined the terms we're using, and now we kick off the sample scenario so you can start to see how these elements take shape in the way of a paranormal event(s),</div>
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This is a sample, but it contains hallmarks that you'll no doubt have heard before. Later, we'll examine real accounts, and the people, places and situations that surround the activity.</div>
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For now, and for the sake of simplicity let's not focus on what we usually do: <i>the phenomena.</i> We're going to talk about the people within their circumstances who experienced it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZJQZi8dW8vOdDYMKtAtvahXzy3e2fhyphenhyphenqpXo0509mDCjDpQnHxTvg1MTCcXTXMQT18e21BWeOOXfg6KRFmtvYxFmWcbIpiWic3JSxdVwWdIWm2t5xgP9r_XvlMvcoAglb_Gq79DZC0Wza/s1600/iStock-545648818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZJQZi8dW8vOdDYMKtAtvahXzy3e2fhyphenhyphenqpXo0509mDCjDpQnHxTvg1MTCcXTXMQT18e21BWeOOXfg6KRFmtvYxFmWcbIpiWic3JSxdVwWdIWm2t5xgP9r_XvlMvcoAglb_Gq79DZC0Wza/s320/iStock-545648818.jpg" width="320" /></a>Dan and Jane are newlyweds. Being young with Jane still in her final year of college, they buy a fixer upper home, one built around 1900. Just starting his career full-time, Dan's not making a ton of money. His income is their only monetary source, and so an inexpensive house was the best option. They would, as Jane graduated and started work at the local hospital, earn more and be able to devote her funds to home renovations.</div>
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As they move in, they have only a small amount of cash from the home loan to devote to making the place a little more their own. Old houses are usually quite 'chopped up' into small rooms and Dan suggests that they ought to start by knocking out a couple of walls to open up the space. Namely, the non-load bearing wall between what they called the living room and small nondescript room adjacent to it. Jane says she'd like to live in the space for a few months and see how she feels about it. They agree.</div>
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While they struggle somewhat financially, life settles into a routine of Dan dropping Jane off at the college when he goes to work - she takes the bus home. Dan arrives home at 6 and Jane usually has dinner ready. It's a peaceful place. Jane likes hanging the laundry outside to dry in the warm sun, and having no neighbors nearby she doesn't worry about her unmentionables being seen by prying neighborhood eyes.</div>
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As she cooks a modest dinner one night she tells Dan <i>"This kitchen is ridiculous. It's so cramped, and I can smell the gas from the stove because it's so tight in here. How about we make the kitchen our first thing?"</i> Dan agrees. The weekend comes and Dan goes out to Home Depot for supplies, and enlists his brother Bob for some help.</div>
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Now let's keep in mind that Dan and Jane have been married now 6 months, and have had no issues with the house, or each other. Life has been stable, if not slightly stressful due to finances. But nothing they couldn't handle.</div>
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Dan and Bob prepare to demo (tear down) the wall between the small room and the kitchen. They've had a contractor friend look over what they want to do and he says it's no issue. The wall isn't load bearing and they shouldn't have any surprises, as these houses are pretty bare bones. He tells Dan only to watch for power and plumbing lines and gives him note on what to look for.</div>
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As they tear out the wall Dan gets up on a ladder to get the upper part of the wall removed from the ceiling.</div>
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BANG - as he removes the last bit, something comes down from above - a metal post...looks like oil rubbed brass.</div>
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<i>"Thats our bed post."</i> Jane says with her arms crossed. <i>"I know it."</i></div>
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<i>"Calm down, lemme look"</i> Dan says as he heads upstairs. Sure enough, it's the leg of the bedframe - and not only that, half the floor is sinking on the kitchen side of the room. Dan immediately realizes he's out of his depth. The contractor confirms, there's wood rot in the floor/ceiling and the couple is in for not only a new floor upstairs, but a new ceiling downstairs.</div>
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Way more trouble than they bargained for. Where is the money going to come from for this.</div>
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<i>"Now we're out a bedroom and a kitchen. Great."</i> complains Jane. Dan says he can pick up some overtime and it shouldn't be that bad. But it is that bad. The contractor wants $3k for the work and then Dan can start the kitchen. <i>"We can have ya done in a couple weeks"</i> says the contractor.</div>
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Dan borrows money from his parents, and works the overtime. Jane, can't cook in the kitchen so they order in. If it's not that, it's Ramen. Take out is costing too much - it's Ramen. This causes Dan to get a little irate - he works hard and is sick of it...quickly. The couple can't sleep in their room for fear of collapsing into the ceiling downstairs. Dan sleeps on the floor and Jane on a futon in the living room. It's uncomfortable. Dan wakes up late 2 times in a week and he's dragging. Like a zombie he gets up in the morning and makes coffee on the small table in the living room. It's makeshift to say the least.</div>
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They aren't sleeping well. There's financial pressure. The couple is out of routine, and not eating at their normal time. On top of school, Jane has to figure out what she's doing for dinner without Dan giving her a raft of grief for getting KFC tonight instead of those goddamned microwaved noodles.</div>
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Jane wakes up one night thirsty. She walks towards the remnants of her kitchen for a drink of water, when she sees...<i>it.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINWrCEKlZK4J5KIIguUPCMm0j-06P5D4ryXP7DaB7dS28Z8Bt5_BTxW7yhXaeC64YRSH_2EEF6Y1JmFuer7HcgjPFSiHKIoAUV4pt70YbEb5umfMmhxvx_BWnFdjKrBzeTO9InV6KxlWy/s1600/iStock-489197065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINWrCEKlZK4J5KIIguUPCMm0j-06P5D4ryXP7DaB7dS28Z8Bt5_BTxW7yhXaeC64YRSH_2EEF6Y1JmFuer7HcgjPFSiHKIoAUV4pt70YbEb5umfMmhxvx_BWnFdjKrBzeTO9InV6KxlWy/s320/iStock-489197065.jpg" width="213" /></a>A woman. There's a woman in the kitchen. She's stirring something...where the stove used to be. As she leans over for a sniff of the not visible food, or kettle, she looks up at Jane - and promptly vanishes.</div>
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<i>Jane is frozen with fear.</i></div>
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<i>"What the f--??!!"</i> is all she manages to mumble from her numb lips and fear constricted throat. She bolts to Dan's side.</div>
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As the two discuss the event, Dan says <i>"You always hear about all those people who buy old houses and when they renovate them, the ghosts don't like it and start up."</i></div>
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<i>"Jesus Dan - don't tell me that"</i> Jane says with wide eyes. In coming days Dan would also see phenomena, small lights that floated in the upstairs hallway, and noises that sounded like voices were heard - usually around 3am. </div>
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This sparks an inordinate amount of fear in them both. Life has become more than either can handle. The contractor gets done his work, and Dan plows through the kitchen renovation. He works all night some days. In those couple of weeks, Dan becomes resentful of Jane's original request to do the kitchen - this all wouldn't have happened if Jane hadn't asked for this. <i>"Now we've got ghosts...and I don't even believe in such stuff" </i>he thought.</div>
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The couple fight. It gets bad. Fear, the money, the sleep disruption. It all contributes to a chaotic life. Dan considers telling Jane maybe they rushed into marriage. Some days he considers just leaving.</div>
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But they stick it out. The renovation finished, Jane cooks her first meal in the new kitchen. She realizes it's been a week since she saw or heard anything ghostly in the house. Life moves into a nice routine again. The couple like the new floor upstairs. The house is silent.<br />
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<i>It was all worth it.</i></div>
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Now this is a general story laid out with a simple progression: normal life is disrupted by chaos. Financial woes, living quarters in shambles, loss of routine, and stress. So you're probably recognizing the anti-structure and liminal sates, right? </div>
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<b>The kitchen is in a liminal state:</b> between being what it once was and what it will be when complete.</div>
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<b>The couple by virtue of the liminal state of the kitchen, experiences anti-structure.</b> Not sleeping the same hours or in the same space, not eating at regular times, </div>
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There's the change in routine schedules, and the notion of someone being in the house (contractor and his workers) who aren't normally there. </div>
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It doesn't have to always be the case, but one thing you might have missed? <b>The couple themselves are in the liminal state</b> - transitioning from living apart in their own respective homes, to living together in a totally new one. Their own personal routines change because they now live together. They may be experiencing new routines, or dealing with emotional issues with that transition.</div>
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As mentioned in the story, the couple begins to split emotionally. After the paranormal rears it's head the couple is steeped in the anti-structure and liminal states, and more often than not that's just not a good spot for relationships of any kind. </div>
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You may note that ghost hunting groups and UFO study groups never seem to last all that long. They fall apart and split after only a short time together. Many are in a constant state of flux - and these groups curiously enough seem to experience more success at ghost investigations. We'll get more into what might help these groups to stick together later - but here's a teaser for that: <i>there's a reason that a meal often follows after a funeral, or ritual of some kind.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx-E0diUZS_q7y1mUlMERn_dullVMihTLNhxppj4K5YCqOV_A3-1w26_7mFYHuAiwzDCTL5I-wd2m2zNlKbD__t2WOhdAsSsKWitz0Nita8HB9TxGRsGIw86xKZlMt37RAkdBDXA2rx8o/s1600/tv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx-E0diUZS_q7y1mUlMERn_dullVMihTLNhxppj4K5YCqOV_A3-1w26_7mFYHuAiwzDCTL5I-wd2m2zNlKbD__t2WOhdAsSsKWitz0Nita8HB9TxGRsGIw86xKZlMt37RAkdBDXA2rx8o/s320/tv.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's the proverbial broken record - one need only listen.</i></td></tr>
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So if you think that the above sample scenario is a unique sample I've made up - it isn't. <i>It happens all the time if you truly look.</i> I was telling someone last Friday that <i>"All you need do is watch some of these paranormal account programs on TV - they all have these hallmarks of anti-structure or liminal states in them." </i>This weekend, I was browsing through programs and saw this: <i>(see right)</i></div>
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<b>This is all over the paranormal account(s).</b> From UFO sightings to alien visitation and hauntings. </div>
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So, you'll hear many paranormal mavens say that <i>"the renovation stirs up the spirits because they don't like their environment being altered from what they remember." </i>One thing you'll find in the paranormal across the board is that people claim too much information. To make such an inference is blind speculation at best, and absurdity at it's worst - actually no...it's just absurdity. To say such a thing is to portend the mind of a spirit, or ghost...and not even know what that title really means. Is the <i>'ghost'</i> Jane saw a self-aware spirit of the dead - or something else? (and the possibilities are endless.) Yet, you hear this sort of unfounded notion trotted out time and again, <i>"they've upset the spirits". </i>We don't even know what the 'spirit' really is yet. Therefore attributing anything of meaning is nothing short of wish fulfillment and myth building. There's no substance to that.</div>
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It's too early for theory, really. We need to establish <i>what surrounds the paranormal event</i> - because the event itself while important, <b>doesn't reveal enough about itself to arrive at productive questions, or generate useful hypotheses.</b></div>
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If you think the story resolves too quickly? Don't. Because paranormal phenomena can vanish as unexpectedly as it appears - often quickly. We can surmise that the phenomena ended because life in the house became routine again (structure), renovations concluded, and the liminal state was over. </div>
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<i>Stop asking why. </i>I know it's the question we need answered. But no one is there yet. More information must be gathered, and so then experiments can be proposed knowing the nature of what the phenomena operates <i>within.</i></div>
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<i><u>NOTE:</u> </i>The above illustrates one layer of the paranormal experience, and it's 'envelope'. It's by no means the whole ball of wax, but it's a good starting sample. You'll begin to see these things in ghost programs you might watch.<span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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<i>Next: </i>a real life scenario, from a surprising source.</div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-61951157663904586932017-02-13T10:57:00.000-08:002017-03-17T10:13:40.321-07:00The first terms...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ok folks, are we all set?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First, just to get this out of the way: dispel from your mind the notion of </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">trickster </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">as an entity. That's not our context nor do I think it has any basis in actuality. Also for the time being, <b>forget the literary definition</b>. While there may be some observational value in how the literary <i>trickster</i> is presented in texts, it's far an away too anthropomorphic. The <i>trickster</i> is also not defined here by way of theological definitions either. I think it's going to be fairly obvious that we're not blaming this on the devil or any other entity that you may or may not believe in.</span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Think of it more as this: </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">an undercurrent of how reality seems to work</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. I said from the get-go, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">think abstract.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's some definitions of terms you'll need to understand:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anti-structure</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahXsY9Zceope4LMf-_hzlF-aUU_vd0Cnm_fLkE4f-YNy98XV6TaYffQceEPTH4Ip3pp7Z0eTuW82MoQUetmy9VKP5AKtKFc5Bvi2JxEGQyOOXkuOFr_aXrs4DDcods0NymmKdxAp_X9VY/s1600/chaos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahXsY9Zceope4LMf-_hzlF-aUU_vd0Cnm_fLkE4f-YNy98XV6TaYffQceEPTH4Ip3pp7Z0eTuW82MoQUetmy9VKP5AKtKFc5Bvi2JxEGQyOOXkuOFr_aXrs4DDcods0NymmKdxAp_X9VY/s320/chaos.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is essentially the state in which there is chaos, and loss of routine. The loss of structured life, and the absence of pattern or organization. Disruption. Disorganization. This is not a tough definition to comprehend, but you're going to see it in many different forms and you'll need to be able to recognize it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How anti-structure fits our discussion: In the case of investigating or studying paranormal activity, you'll find people who are experiencing phenomena are in some matter of disarray. Stress in all forms. Could be a loss of job, resulting in loss of income. Divorce? Sure. Moving to a new home? Absolutely. Such activities can throw one into a complete state of disharmony. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But there can be loss of routine in other ways - extended vacation, obsession with an artistic endeavor whether it be writing, playing music, visual art - these things can result in a loss of your normal routine in daily life. It doesn't always have to be some terrible devastation to be anti-structural. One may lead an <i>anti-structural</i> life that has no routine and rarely has (more about these types of folks later). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You will find anti-structure in the mix of many paranormal events across all matter of discord or loss of regimented life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFlTvRxKjNKRv0FNxiBZ2SK7AgLTkKkEOdgAAuFm5k1GPch5ZCg43tofJ9Xjg0UhZ4QKGLDCSeZeyq_HHlfbX0ldvVOOu3v-pCZK8KBT3YVC1N6td1ipA8R0PoblsuGhi9t-7ibRml4CL/s1600/between.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFlTvRxKjNKRv0FNxiBZ2SK7AgLTkKkEOdgAAuFm5k1GPch5ZCg43tofJ9Xjg0UhZ4QKGLDCSeZeyq_HHlfbX0ldvVOOu3v-pCZK8KBT3YVC1N6td1ipA8R0PoblsuGhi9t-7ibRml4CL/s320/between.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Liminality</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <i>liminal</i> state is one of transition. British anthropologist Victor Turner (1920-1983) published a paper titled <i>“Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period in Rites de Passage.”</i> The phrase <i>'betwixt and between'</i> helped define the <i>liminal</i> period, as between two normal or stable states of being. You could think of<i> liminality</i> not only as the 'between state' but as the bridge or connective tissue to anti-structure - it works both ways. For instance the loss of job brings the loss of daily routine, but also puts one in the <i>liminal</i> state of<i> between jobs. </i>If one is <i>between</i> jobs (even by choice), one can fall into an <i>anti-structured</i> life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are<i> liminal</i> places: constructions sites, homes being restored or renovated, etc. It stands to reason that living in a <i>liminal</i> environment would result in a loss of your routine. For example, you can't live in a room that's being gutted for renovation. You may sleep odd hours in another room that is not your normal one - or eat different food at different hours because the kitchen is being redone. The environment in a state of transition is not what it was, but it's also not what it will be...yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are<i> liminal</i> people (not victims of a<i> liminal</i> situation, but that they themselves are <i>liminal</i>): the adolescent boy or girl is by far to me, the most obvious example of <i>liminality</i>: the male is not yet a man - but no longer a little boy, and the female not yet a woman - but no longer a little girl. While the male is certainly undergoing his own changes, the female seems the more potent example of physical and emotional change (to me anyway). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But there are other examples: the transsexual, either seeking or in the process of sexual reassignment procedures. The notion of cross-dressing, or of being some amalgamation of the male and female simultaneously. The role of shaman in many cultures, the person who walks the line between the spiritual world and physical world - often dresses and appears in androgynous ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are<i> liminal </i>times of day - 3am being a time when many paranormal minded people say the spirits are more active - is the peak period between night and early morning. 12 midnight is called the <i>"witching hour"</i> - the <i>liminal </i>moment between one day to another. Halloween, a time when folklore tells us the <i>'veil between the living and the dead is thinnest'</i> happens during the most notable<i> liminal</i> time of year: <i>between</i> summer and winter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In essence, anything 'between' one state to another, or in simplest terms 'in the process of change'. Paranormal events seem to be contained within the <i>liminal</i> period.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marginality</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Marginality</i> for me is one of the more difficult concepts to discuss, because it seems a derogatory thing to say. This is the segment of the paranormal that skeptics use to ultimately cast doubt or suspicion. I've spoken a lot about the 'quality of the messenger' - mostly due to my lengthy discussion with research Russ Estes - and how the quality of many reports of paranormal activity seem to come from sources that in one way or another are <i>marginal</i>. When I say<i> 'marginal'</i>...well, here's a good spot for an example. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBtmmXc5QDDDNNZsMLhF49IhaXY-pqMigZMuM5VLup0H5-kEupkCEtkBZxU_pBNZhOJnuFbjySLZyolqHdifqmUarPFoySvhW4CHn4copWm3Lzen2h3ucG7-YADCNDlfqMkbFJTEokzXA/s320/gh.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="255" /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBtmmXc5QDDDNNZsMLhF49IhaXY-pqMigZMuM5VLup0H5-kEupkCEtkBZxU_pBNZhOJnuFbjySLZyolqHdifqmUarPFoySvhW4CHn4copWm3Lzen2h3ucG7-YADCNDlfqMkbFJTEokzXA/s1600/gh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Name the most popular ghost hunting show of all time. <i>'Ghost Hunters'</i> of course - the show that built<i> SyFy</i>. Now here's a couple of guys using fairly sophisticated equipment for capturing spirit activity. The two principle 'investigators' are <i>marginal</i>, because they are plumbers (this is not to disparage the plumbing profession btw). One seems moderately educated while the other seems to not have much under the belt as far as academe at all. These are not scientists, or even parapsychologists. <b>They are plumbers.</b> Therefore they would fall into the <i>marginal </i>category. While they may get good evidence of spirit activity - many will dismiss it from the standpoint that these men are not very educated, are not versed in any particular field of parapsychology or science, and may be easily dismissed. I have to stress <b>this does not negate their findings</b> - only that it casts doubt by virtue of the <i>quality of the messenger.</i> Never mind, that it's also a TV show, and TV shows are entertainment. I should repeat George Hansen's observation:</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">"In our culture, the moneys devoted to fictional portrayal of the paranormal in books, TV, and movies dwarf those allocated to research."</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There's a reason that it's been joked about that <i>"only people in trailer parks see UFOs"</i>. This widespread stereotype has picked up on the <i>marginal</i> aspects of the field. While the stereotype is inaccurate, it focuses on the people as <i>marginal</i> due to where they live. (I might note here that trailer parks are also liminal places to live. Often it is a transitional living domicile.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Marginal</i> definitions for our purposes also include <i>marginal</i> places - for example many bars and pubs are reported to be haunted. The notion of alcohol being consumed immediately places the reports in a <i>marginal </i>category.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You'll find that many creative personalities (artists, writers, musicians, etc) are represented very high in reports of paranormal events - these people (and yes,me included) are considered <i>marginal</i> because they can easily create reports, videos, photos, that immediately makes the report or evidence suspect. They are also very versed in imagination and visualization. This of course doesn't mean that these people are dishonest by any stretch or that their reports should be dismissed - only that from a subjective and fair outside perspective, creatives are easily dismissed by virtue of their talent to create fiction. We'll get <i><u>way</u></i> into this in future discussions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think that's enough terminology to get started. Read these carefully and ponder them, their many possibilities and trajectories. In the following days I'll be giving you more complex ideas relating to these basic ideas. I'll also be showing you examples of cases, personalities and apparent phenomena behavior that you'll find endlessly fascinating when looking from the<i> trickster</i> perspective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In closing, none of this is particularly new. Some of these observations and terms have been known in the paranormal for 100 years. How marginal is a field(s) that can recognize these patterns and soon forget them to focus time and energy on the meaningless <i>Roswell Slides</i> or <i>Project SERPO.</i></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">More to come...</span></div>
Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158802131636052275.post-83015129063522583152017-02-10T11:01:00.000-08:002017-03-17T10:13:50.879-07:00Welcome...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the masses debate the myriad of issues of the UFO phenomena - everything from <i>'are they real'</i> to the next absurdly obvious hoax laid out before us, the phenomena of strange things seen in the sky (and contact with alleged occupants) continues unabated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm currently collaborating with author Erin Parker to write the book <i>"White Square: Aliens, Antistructure & the Mystical Experience"</i> which details a lifetime of some very weird experiences. But I'm once again drawn to start this blog which has been on my mind for years to do: to discuss the nature of the phenomena, it's surrounding tenets, and it's effects on people inside the loosely defined field of UFOlogy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k6fQawITy2GkKwi_VZNtm7G15hblW5V8j8c2UBcY1f-Cd8G0Z7WZ11jCnplzpzX8j5pHskECPUrdz8y_LjvyIptNAAiZTXq0AftgjQvD0swDCXDwDhQNQC3cKdG7O3vRJdqf6lRrG6QR/s1600/winkfox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k6fQawITy2GkKwi_VZNtm7G15hblW5V8j8c2UBcY1f-Cd8G0Z7WZ11jCnplzpzX8j5pHskECPUrdz8y_LjvyIptNAAiZTXq0AftgjQvD0swDCXDwDhQNQC3cKdG7O3vRJdqf6lRrG6QR/s320/winkfox.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you've ever heard me talk about things like antistructure, liminal states, binary opposition and other consistent encompassing effects related to paranormal events, you know it's not a sound bite discussion and often podcasts and radio guest spots are cut short without really getting the whole thing laid out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My understanding of these specific paranormal topics started with George Hansen, who's written and spoken extensively about what we're covering here (<a href="http://www.tricksterbook.com/">www.tricksterbook.com</a>). George changed in one night, my entire ontological view of the phenomena present in my life for as long as I can remember.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A while ago in discussion with George, I asked him why it is that more people don't acknowledge the surrounding consistencies that follow around all paranormal phenomena. To me, this was a real push forward on the envelope of trying to understand how to approach the study.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">George said, <i>"Most people don't even understand what I'm talking about".</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He later went on to clarify that some younger people had a greater reception to his ideas, but that his age group did not. This greatly distressed me, and is the primary reason for this blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I realize that these undercurrent topics that envelope the paranormal are abstract, and can get very involved very quickly, but once you understand certain aspects (that aren't that hard to get your head around), you fundamentally change your outlook and approach to the phenomena. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're an active investigator, you'll be wanting to alter your approach to questioning witnesses, and overall examinations. You'll gain new insight into how and why hoaxes occur and why you should come to expect them, and shockingly - that you can learn a lot from hoaxes (and by virtue of that it'll make you a lot less angry about them).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You'll also gain ground in understanding the massive amount of infighting, backstabbing and shenanigans of clique mentality in UFOlogy and other paranormal venues like the ghost hunting fields.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And that's only the start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I should make note here, that I'll be talking about certain UFO and paranormal personalities from time to time and making points about their work, their following, and how their behavior in the field applies to our target discussion. This may be perceived as mean spirited or derogatory - it is not meant to be. I'll be as clinical as I can about personalities - <i>it's not about trashing anyone.</i> It's about <i>really seeing.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How about recognizing the consistencies that will make you wonder how you ever missed them before? And, how those seemingly disconnected things (even hoaxes) could conceivably be part of the phenomena too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, rather than try to lay out some abstract thoughts and theories, this blog is going to work like a Rosetta Stone language program - you're going to start speaking <i>'Trickster'</i> by virtue of repeated example. You won't be able to get away from it. And as time goes on you'll see these things more and more.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrCqyWbkgaAs-brhLtD8Ssrk-yQK1JTgiy-DbomiLON8CeE3meQHzRbpeUsOnsUo0LUWZMDoE8WuE3F-xtJqWD5oiOmIWlMoyAS77KGefMruZYo0h57rztwOpJg_8FAzdAoDLsEzf9aLV/s1600/strangelove1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrCqyWbkgaAs-brhLtD8Ssrk-yQK1JTgiy-DbomiLON8CeE3meQHzRbpeUsOnsUo0LUWZMDoE8WuE3F-xtJqWD5oiOmIWlMoyAS77KGefMruZYo0h57rztwOpJg_8FAzdAoDLsEzf9aLV/s320/strangelove1.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>But let's be clear:</b> this isn't an answer to anything by any stretch. If you're looking for answers, you're in the wrong place. But my contention is that these realizations will fundamentally change how you see the field, the people in it, witnesses and the phenomena itself. That in turn should change your approach to how you perceive and study it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a direction - but it's one that I think I can say has more repeatable hallmarks than anything the paranormal offers. Ultimately, thats of value. You may find other avenues by way of this new (or rather, new to you) perspective that you want to explore. The ideas to be contained here may even lead you to see how you can study these enigmatic topics though <b>direct interaction. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Be forewarned that if you're so married to your current answer for any given phenomena you're probably best to leave now. This blog is about divorce. Divorce of belief, and of long held theories that when examined compared to any given phenomena - just don't hold up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before we roll on with any momentum, the next blog post will detail some of the verbiage used to describe the effects and what they mean in layman's terms. I'll give some examples you'll no doubt have heard countless times before - but you'll now see them in a whole new way. These will be the things you'll start to see all over the paranormal. Think of these terms and their meanings as the tube that contains the paint the phenomena uses to make it's art for us to see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have any questions at any time, leave a comment and I'll answer as best I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Onward...</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">🔻</span></div>
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Jeff Ritzmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15793262192698544038noreply@blogger.com6