Category: Dark and Malevolent Paranormal moments

The Reality and Non-Reality of All That is Thought to be Woo-Woo Stuff

As a child we had one big fear…the Boogieman. But what is the Boogieman? And, how can we place this creepy creature into modern society?

Welcome or welcome back to The Next Truth podcasts…“Let’s ask questions”.

A ghostly apparition walking through the wall, an odd shaped craft hovering in the sky or strong ripples on the surface of a lake indicating that there might be a sea monster swimming by… even though many people have seen and reported these rare but remarkable events, they do not have an explanation for what they have witnessed.

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel and today I am welcoming back deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, American folklorist, writer, investigator and skeptic, Benjamin Radford and speak with him about the reality and non-reality of all that is thought of being woo-woo stuff.

Why Can’t We Connect With Ghost Consistently?

By guest writer Kevin Spindloe, www.paranormalresearchyork.co.uk

Looking at the historical tales of spirits, ghosts, poltergeist, and other dimensional beings which have been reported so consistently, why is it that we are unable to truly connect with them? There are so many reports of these instances, and they are supported, quite enthusiastically,  by those who witnessed the phenomena. But, whenever those with an interest in such matters, be it scientific or otherwise, try to connect, the phenomena rarely repeats itself.

Kevin is an experienced Medium working in paranormal teams. He has been involved with spirit for most of his life with a strong interest in the paranormal.

Visiting a location like East Drive in Pontefract, UK, armed with the knowledge and stories of previous investigations and the belief that all that goes on in this empty semi-detached house is paranormal, is a dangerous precedent to a serious paranormal investigator. One noise, one creaky floorboard, settling can spark for a series of over-reactions and reinstate the belief that this really is a paranormal hot spot.

How to approach this search into the inter-dimensional realms?

During a recent conversation with Maria Anna van Driel the discussion took a twist, and the question was asked, “how does spirit communicate with us?” A simple enough question, if all spirits are equal in existence and we all speak the same language. But what if they are not? What if we do not speak their language? Than what?

It is egotistical or naïve of us to assume that spirits talk to us as we talk amongst ourselves? My conversation with Maria turned to birds, very strange, but bear with me.

To some people birds are just birds, like as ghost are just ghosts. However, in another area of my life I am a Tour Guide for people who enjoy bird-watching across Europe, so, I may say that I possess the needed knowledge within the study of Ornithology.

Birds belong to Orders, Families, Genus and then Species and Carrion Crow which can communicate with other crows, but they are not able to communicate with a songbird. Birds communicate with families, but not to a different genus or species. There is generally no overlap. Yes, birds will react to behaviours or alarms from other bird families, but it is not genuine communication.

Let’s flip this back and ask the question again, how does spirit communicate with us? Are we actually assuming that they can hear us? Can they understand us? Do they ‘know’ what investigators mean when they say, “speak into this black box” or “approach the green light, so we know you are here”.

Yes, there is the argument that spirits can read your mind regardless the language you grew up with. But this hasn’t been proven yet as definitive, and therefore is considered to be another assumption on the part of some investigators.

What if they can only communicate one way, like the crow?

As dimensional researchers we visit haunted locations while using the same equipment time and time again. We use the same processes and align ourselves to our chosen theory. And when the results are poor, we blame the spirits for not being active and try to explain that it is an issue with the other dimensions and not us or our methodology.

Being an investigator for Paranormal Research York, UK, I use a range of traditional tools such as pendulums, spirit boards as well as modern day meters, recorders and photo and film cameras. During my quest for answers I, myself, have found that a spirit may connect with leaving behind an electronic message, aka EVP, on a recorder but will not repeat the message, or words, on any other device. Why is that?  Is it possible that they prefer communication tools that match their vibrations and cannot or, will not communicate any other way?

As Maria has mentioned in some of her articles about Euclidean Space, ‘there is an argument for spirits or inter-dimensional beings to communicate using math. Poltergeist stacking chairs or the sudden appearance of sophisticated crop circles.’ Personally, I have never tried to communicate in math, but maybe it is time to do so.

Maybe the key is to try several communication devices and select the one that works at that time and, on that particular location. And, instead of asking “are you a man?” or “did you die here?”, we could ask questions aiming in the direction of, “why does this communication device work for you?” and “can you use more than one device to communicate?”

Another idea for establishing a clear communication could touch the train of thought of us using mathematical equations or diagrams. Although, I believe my attempt on the latter would be equivalent to a cave drawing from a prehistoric hunter capturing his proud moment, simplistic but hopefully it would carry a message.

Asking spirits, or inter-dimensional beings, to give a consistent message on more than one tool or device could show that the investigator is broadening the search for better communication. Even though there is no guarantee if an action as such would be allowed by the inter-dimensional police, but if it were, it would make investigations much more interesting.

Maybe then we can start to unravel the ‘communication issue’ and focus our attention on one spirit to gain a greater understanding of how they can or, even better, how they prefer to communicate with us. Moreover, by figuring out how a communication as such is working, depending on how much they will reveal, we might see the opportunity to dig deeper into their ‘world’ and understand much more. A clear communication as such could provide us, during our events, to connect with a particular spirit in that specific place and achieve some amazing results.

During our public events this might be difficult to approach until we gather some credible evidence that isn’t a waste of valuable event time. Regardless, we must remember that our guests have paid to be part of a ‘traditional’ investigation and not a controlled experiment. So, this would be a slow but, hopefully, a progressive side of our events.

And maybe, just maybe, I will be able to speak to the crows.

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Sleep Disorders and the Paranormal; Is There a Scientific Connection?

An interview with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Brian Sharpless.

“The ghost in the machine”, many people have heard this term at least one time in their life. It was a paper which was written by Coventry University lecturer Vic Tandy and published in April 1998 by the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research.

Working alone in the lab one night, Tandy suddenly gained the feeling he was being watched. He claimed a dark, shadowy figure appeared in the corner of his vision. When Tandy turned to face this shadowy figure…it vanished.

Listen to the interview of Dr. Brian Sharpless via You Tube (see below) or, click the ‘PLAY-button’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to his Podcast via the TNT website.

To many, these shadowy figures are better known as the Shadow People.

They are being skests as a malevolent and creepy phenomenon and have being reported by witnesses as human-like shaped dark shadows having ill intentions standing alongside your bed…watching you.   

Even these eerie phenomena’s have being reported for decades, it is not your mind simply playing tricks on you.  There might be a more simpler and scientific explanation for things like ghosts, demonic hauntings and…shadow people.

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel… and you’re listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”,   and this week I am speaking with clinical psychologist, Dr. Brian Sharpless about  the most creepiest sleep disorders, what treatments are there and…how deeply these disorders are woven into the paranormal.

Are those things you see in the darkness more than just a shadow?

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Jack the Ripper; A Man or A Myth?

An interview with Retired British Murder Squad Detective Trevor Marriott.

In the autumn of 1888 a series of brutal murders in the East End of London lit a flame that sent shockwaves reverberating around the civilized world and caused a scandal that struck right at the heart of the British establishment.

Listen to the interview of Mr. T. Marriott via You Tube (see below) or, click the ‘PLAY-button’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to his Podcast via the TNT website.

During the 1880s, the city of London was in parts a dirty, rotten, festering maze of slums replete with wandering gin addicts and foul-mouthed harlots and was experiencing a population explosion, with immigrants from around the world coming to the great city to find work. 

But it wasn’t exactly the land of hope and glory for everybody, and some of the streets in the poorer East end of the city were a long way from being a yellow brick road.

This is where our man Jack the Ripper chose to ply his trade.

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel and you’re listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”.  This week I am speaking with retired British murder squad detective Trevor Marriott about what drove this serial killer nabbing mostly working girls from the streets and brutally killing them in 1888 and… did he figured out this mystery of who Jack the Ripper was?

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Paranormal Phenomena; Does the Origin Lie in a Forgotten Human Ability?”

An interview with film director, science-based paranormal investigator and award winning author Benjamin Radford.

Listen to Benjamin Radford’s interview via You Tube (see below) or, click the ‘PLAY-button’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to his Podcast via the TNT website.

It is being said that when a ghost, spirit or demonic force is in the near…your hair is standing up straight due the static electrical charge it is moving in and/or with. But what if there is another reason for our hair to act this crazy from time to time?

What if we, the modern version of the Homo Sapiens, still possess a primordial but natural ability of blowing ourselves up, so to speak, as soon as we are in a stress or dangerous situation?

Indeed, an idea as such could be for some a ridiculous one but imagine you walking home from work and you are passing a dark allay. You will feel a little bit stressy due to the fact of you not knowing what might be hiding in the dark corners. This feeling of fear could be a left over from ancient times in order for us to sense if there is a blood thirsty predator or not and then to flee or fight?

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel and you are listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”. This week I am speaking with, film director, science-based paranormal investigator and award-winning author and co-author of over twenty books and thousands of articles on a wide variety of topics including urban legends, the paranormal, critical thinking, and media literacy, Benjamin Radford about if there could be a more Earthly explanation for what we have become to understand as “The Paranormal”.

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The Lost City of Atlantis, Alien Abductions and Ghostly Apparitions; Can We Explain the Unexplainable?

An interview with freelance writer, editor and author, Kathryn Hulick

A ghostly apparition walking through the wall, an odd shaped craft hovering in the sky or strong ripples on the surface of a lake indicating that there might be a sea monster swimming by! Even though many people have seen and reported these rare but remarkable events, they do not have an explanation for what they have witnessed.

Are those, in the dark hiding, eerie shadows, truly disembodied humans who are lost or, is this an effect of Sleep Paralysis.  

Watch Mrs. Hulick’s interview via You Tube or, click the ‘PLAY-button’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to the audio version of her TNT-Podcast interview.

Is walking through a forest at night only creepy because we are breathing in these, released by the trees, small amounts of methane gas while the pineal gland in your brain is detecting the ultra– and infra sound-waves are bouncing off on the trees after it has released by your own body?  Or is there something malevolent hiding behind the shrouds, waiting for you to become its prey?!

The lost city of Atlantis, alien abductions, shadow figures and haunted houses; can we explain the unexplainable?

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel and you’re listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”. This week I am speaking with freelance writer, editor and the author of  the book “Strange But True: 10 of the world’s greatest mysteries explained”, Kathryn Hulick and explore with her which scientific explanations there are for what it is that is haunting our dreams.

Click here and… be prepare to have your mind blown! As you explore ten of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries, you’ll witness a UFO encounter, search for the lost city of Atlantis, tour a haunted house, and discover the kraken’s true form. Along the way, you’ll use the scientific method and sharp thinking to separate fact from fiction and explain the unexplainable.

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Pareidolia; Does it Teach us the Difference Between Life and Death With Affection?

By Maria Anna van Driel, www.medium.com

As a child, I thought that the dolls, teddy bears, and stuffed animals that I played with were living creatures.  This was a question I came across while participating in a recent (still open to participate) research which examines relationships between imaginary childhood friends and ghost-related experiences. A research conducted by Dr. Neil Dagnall and Dr. Kenneth Drinkwater (researchers in the Department of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan, MMU).

A few days prior I had read the article, “Understanding the Child Eyewitness II: Child eyewitnesses often see things very differently than adults do—but why?” by Matthew J. Sharps PHD., Professor of Experimental Psychology, California State University, Fresno, specializing in forensic cognitive science.   

Reading the above question asked in the survey made me think about why it is that we think of a teddy bear or Barbie doll being ‘alive’ and, can we consider a question as such covering more the area of (clinical) Psychology instated of Parapsychology? Because, so the article of Prof. Sharps explains, each young child is viewing the world from its own ‘Ego’.

Even though both research fields address this behavior we see mostly with young children, I let my thoughts run over why it is that they do not make a clear distinction in what is ‘alive’ and what is ‘dead’.

Digging into both the psychology of Jung and Freud, I came to a personal conclusion that it is due to the fact a young child’s ‘Id’ is still in an early stage of development or, perhaps has not even reached that stage yet. The brain of a child, say the age of 3, has yet not fully understood the difference between artificial and biological objects.

Also, it seems that the ‘Super Ego’ of a young child has yet not found an attachment/ connection to the Ego and Id meaning, a young child has yet not the ability to view itself from the position of others with awareness. This shows a behavior, viewed from a psychological point of view, of a young child experiencing everything that has the characteristic features of both its own and similar species, as a living thing possessing a soul.

So, from the perspective of a young child (Ego), everything is alive as soon as it has a ‘face’.  This is why young children are crying dramatically and are inconsolable when you place their teddy bear, what has also arms, legs, ears and a little tail, in the washing machine…you are not washing it, you are drowning it! 

The though crossed my mind if we can pour this, seemingly, primordial behavior in viewing the world from a, to a young child logical, blurry position, is the brain learning to recognize the thin line between life and death through a clear face-recognizing, in the jar of Pareidolia. Perhaps we can!

Even though the most common explanation of experiencing an effect in Pareidolia is that this form of the brain perceiving and processing information, is meant for recognizing ‘prey’ or ‘predator’ – what is safe and what is danger – there might be another reason why many of us experiencing these moments Pareidolia. Even long after we have passed the age of 5.

Let’s imagine a small triangle shaped pillow of any color. It has no recognizable features that it is of the human or animal race. It has no face and no limbs meaning, it is just a pillow. And when seeing this piece of stuffed cloth spinning uncontrollable in a washing machine…no harm is done.  Now, what would happen when we draw a face on it? Indeed! Many people will feel a particular affection towards it and might even give it a name – this pillow instantly comes alive.

Think about the movie “Cast Away”. It was only in the moment that Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) recognized a face in his own bloody hand print on the volley-ball, that Wilson came alive. Before that, Wilson was just a volley-ball. Later in the movie we can also see how Chuck Noland is showing a strong affection towards the volleyball Wilson. He even tried to save Wilson from drowning when he went overboard and drifted away into the open sea. Chuck was devastated seeing his friend ‘dying’.

So, if we review the question, As a child, I thought that the dolls, teddy bears, and stuffed animals that I played with were living creatures from the thought that ‘face-recognition’, or Pareidolia, it is most likely the brain learning how to make a clear distinguish between something being alive or dead. I think that we should not ignore this ability of the brain. This paranormal phenomena, aka Pareidolia, is an important evolutionary process in one’s life as it is teaching us how to treat both ourselves and others in our adult life.

It seems that our species is in a deep need for any form of Pareidolia what, in this line of thought, is teaching us what affection is. Also, if our brain would not possess this primordial ‘super ability’, life would look pretty robotic and we might not even be able to bury our deceased loved ones due to the lack of the emotion of affection.

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Ghosts; Do They Hide in the Light?

By Maria Anna van Driel

A ghostly apparition walking through the wall, an odd shaped craft hovering in the sky or strong ripples on the surface of a lake indicating that there might be a sea monster swimming by… even though many people have seen and reported these rare but remarkable events, they do not have an explanation for what they have witnessed.

Are those, in the dark hiding, eerie shadows, truly disembodied humans who are lost or, is this an effect of Sleep Paralysis. 

Is walking through a forest at night only scary because we are breathing in these, released by the trees, small amounts of methane gas while the pineal gland in your brain is detecting the ultra– and infra sound-waves are bouncing off on the trees after it has released by your own body? Or is there something malevolent hiding behind the shrubs, waiting for you to become its prey?!

Hum, that is indeed a fascinating question. So, let’s imagine that we are standing in a forest with trees all around us. Odd as it might sound but these trees have the ability of releasing a kind of resonance what can ‘communicate’ with your personal frequencies which can turn into that infamous fear frequency sending shivers down your spine.

Did you know that trees have the capability of releasing CH4, aka methane gas? A gas some say is one of the sources of today’s global warming.

Not only do trees poop Methane, they also contain liquid crystal in which a piezo-electrical effect can be observed when encountering an ambience of bright light or a heat (electrical) source. Both of these source is what you are carrying when walking a dark forest…your flash light and your body what is now electrical charged by means of the mind is entering a fight-or-flight state.  

The small amounts of the odorless methane gas released by the trees around you might be just enough for you to see creepy plasma clouds forming containing photo-generated electrons which are brought together by a piezoelectric effect, dancing on the surface of natural piezoelectric (semi)conductors.

In neuroscience (or neurobiology) it is well known that the pineal gland becomes active, or is waking up so to speak, once its host is in a dark environment meaning, you being active during those hours of the day in where UV-light is not present in large amounts. Walking this darkness means that you can’t rely on your eyesight anymore what converts your body into a biological radar devise emitting sound-waves in order not to bump into anything or, to survive any dangerous situations heading your direction with high speed.

These ultra- and infra sound-waves your body is emitting, are bouncing off on the objects in your surrounding and, sometimes, have a behavior of returning back to you as a relativistic microwave and creating this chilling feeling of static electricity

You, now acting as a human radar devise, breathing small amounts of odorless methane gas as well as sensing the vibrations of the trees and returning microwaves, which are communicating with your brain, have resulted in a blood-curdling form of vivid hallucinations while it is being combined with a personal fear frequency based on creepy stories you once have read or watched via You Tube or Netflix.

Suddenly you are right in the middle of a spine-chilling situation what seems to be written by Alfred Hitchcock himself! This effect in sensing ‘things’ which seem to have no clear and visible source is based on inaudible to the ear sound-waves and chemical reactions and is one of the two ingredients of nature creating ghostly apparitions in a dark forest.

A second ingredient to create this blood-curdling effect falls in the range of an unnatural source. By means of an ambiance of LED light the liquid crystals inside the trees are triggered and create an effect of being elastic. Aka the expansion and shrinking of crystals what is giving them the ability to record and play vague but hearable sound effects and even create visible images.

Like a laser directed to a LP made of wood, LED-light can function similar to a laser, faint but not impossible.

Imagine walking through this dark forest while carrying a torch with LED-light … you will instantly understand which kind of effects this bright light source can create without your awareness.  Being focused on, for instance, a paranormal investigation and not on the, seemingly, logical reactions when certain elements are being brought together, a creepy surrounding containing real ghostly effects has being created unintentional which can scare the hell out of you when it is combined with your personal fears.

I am wondering, what will be the effect seen, or sensed, when we are we adding an extra element to this natural event…a stressed cellular memory?

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Does the Human Brain Serves as the Conduit for the Flow of Information from Alternate Realities?

With radio host, UFO investigator and author, Philip Kinsella

Click the ‘PLAY-BUTTON’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to the TNT-Podcast interview of UFO-Researcher Philip Kinsella

We often wonder whether or not we are alone in this universe.  Pondering of the question, “If life arose relatively quickly on Earth, could it then be common in the universe?”

It is indeed promising,  hearing scientists say that some bodies in the Solar System have the potential for an environment in which extraterrestrial life can exist, particularly those with possible subsurface oceans.  

But what are the basic requirements for life? Could life have arisen outside the solar system? Perhaps thermodynamically, photosynthesis based on stellar radiation may be the optimal source of energy for extraterrestrial life to rise.

Many scientists search for bio-signatures within the Solar System by studying planetary surfaces and examining meteorites.  Some even claim to have identified evidence that microbial life has existed on Mars.   Still, the exact origin of life remains an unfathomable mystery, however this does not mean that it will always remains so.

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel… and you’re listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”… and this week I am speaking with clairvoyant medium, UFO researcher and co-host of the radio show “Twin Souls”, Philip Kinsella…about, how likely is the evolution of intelligent life outside the borders of our cosmic freezer?

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Living with High Sensitivity in a Harsh and Demanding World

With Dutch Holistic therapist and dimensional researcher, Mary Willemsen

Click the ‘PLAY-BUTTON’ in ‘THE NEXT TRUTH…ONLINE RADIO’ on the right and listen to the TNT-Podcast interview of Holistic therapist Mary Willemsen

‘Flabbergasted’… that is how many high sensitive people react when watching people squeezing themselves into the most craziest positions while, for instance, pressing their fingers tightly to their Temple area.  Being at a young age, you might think that these people are trying to reduce a headache or maybe their hand-eye coordination is not communicating that well in that moment.  Not to mention the eerie look in their eyes what seems to come straight from the series “The Addams family”.   Odd as it might sound but these people want you to read their minds because you are a highly sensitive person.  

Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP, is a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron. According to Aron’s theory, HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as ‘sensory-processing sensitivity’, or SPS.  Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli—pain, hunger, light, and noise—and have a complex inner life.

Indeed, being a highly sensitive person can come with many challenges. But to label ones sensitivity as a disorder….?

I am your host Maria Anna van Driel… and you’re listening to “The Next Truth; Where Science and Myth Meet”… and this week I am speaking with  Mary Willemsen who is a holistic therapist and dimensional researcher from the Netherlands … about what it means to be a high sensitive person and…how to survive today’s harsh world.  Do you truly have to grow steel elbows?

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