My coverage of Occupy Wall Street on The Gralien Report

My first stint as a "field correspondent" for The Gralien Report. Since I'd been visiting the Occupy Wall Street location since its inception and since Micah Hanks the host is one of my favorite people on the planet, I said yes.

This is a great show, the Occupy Wall Street coverage begins in hour one, a really interesting story on law enforcement using algorithms to predict "pre-crime" (Just like in Minority Report! Yikes!) is in hour two, and the subject of demons and demonology comes up in hour three. What more do you want?

New Traditions, Day of the Dead, Pastor Mike Wants YOU!

A couple new entries at my blog UFO Mary: atheism, Pastor Mike's campaign to put atheists on a National Registry, altars, Day of the Dead, traditions, ...

Question Has Been Posed:" Is Whitley Strieber Advocating Implants?"

I followed this link from Lesley's Debris Field, and was astonished, because I'd forgotten about Rigorous Intuition. So many forums and blogs and people. so little time. There's a lot there about Strieber and The Key, which I haven't yet read, and I don't know what to think about any of it. But it's interesting as hell, that is for sure.

I've just skimmed what's all there, so can't comment much. But a couple of things: seems Daniel Pinchbeck, who I greatly admire, has issues with Strieber, as I've commented on the past as well. Two psychonauts I respect at odds with each other. Always interesting. Then there's the late Mac Tonnies' thoughts on Strieber (Mac being another person I admired) -- which are very intriguing -- referenced on the RI OP. But what to think? Seems as wild in many ways as the simple idea Strieber is saying he experienced exactly what he did, indeed, experience. Can we fault the "experiencer" for stumbling around and trying to process the incredible? What else is he/she to do? And what of the enigmatic remark from the author of this post at RI about "psychic" interplays? via computer?:

"I posted a response suggesting an alternate explanation to Strieber’s paranoid insistence that sinister forces were behind the edits, namely, that Whitley had unconsciously altered the text via some sort of psychic interface with his software (something which has almost certainly happened in my experience)."

That's quite a concept, one that's never entered my mind. And yet, I had something close to that myself once...does this mean the computer can be a conduit for communication for "them" as with ghost/hauntings -- those spirits and energies that use electricity to communicate? Which would mean Strieber's mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but "they" were.

I'm not defending anyone here, nor, attacking. Both seem downright stupid as well as silly and petty. When it comes to the individual and his or her experiences, we can't dare to tell them how to go about their journey, or be so presumptuous, as so many are in this field, to tell them how to interpret those experiences. Follow the magical threads here: rigorousintuition.ca - View topic - Is Whitley Strieber Advocating Implants?

Ida Craddock: 'Sexual Outlaw, Erotic Mystic'

Reviews of: Vere Chappell's Sexual Outlaw, Erotic Mystic: The Essential Ida Craddock.

A skeptic view (fantasy prone, sexual abuse, etc.) on the following but still interesting: THE MAGONIA BLOG: Sexual Outlaw, on the story Ida Craddock. Craddock (1857-1902) was a sexologist, who learned about sexual pleasures from 'Soph' a ghost. Parallels to Mary, to contactees, succubi and incubus, and to all those sexual-supernatural unions are obvious. I haven't read the book; I'm not familiar with Craddock  but I'm looking forward to reading this book.

I notice that the forward is written by Tarot author and scholar Mary K. Greer. 

Craddock was the victim of her times; the moral setting she lived in would have put her in prison for her attitudes, (she was the target of "Anthony Comstock and his Society for the Suppression of Vice . . ." according to this review on Vere Chappell's bio page.)  Instead, she committed suicide.

On Trickster's Realm: "Newport, Oregon: A Haunted Hotel?"

My Trickster's Realm column is up on Binnall of America, and this week I write about the wonderful and unique Sylvia Beach Hotel, and my experience walking around the haunted building. Newport, Oregon: A Haunted Hotel?

A Haunting Questionnaire

Do you suspect a haunting is occurring in your home? Take my Haunting Questionnaire to find out if you are and what it could be that is causing dread in your basement.

New Gray Matters Up at BOA

A very neat ghost/trickster story by Lesley for her Gray Matters column on BOA.

Tina Sena: GOD - In HIs Great Flying Mothership

Tina Sena has a really nice piece up on Binnall of America for her Esoterica column: GOD -- In His Great Flying Mothership. It's weird, because, for some reason, I've been thinking along these same lines, and I don't even know why -- about a connection between the "fallen angels" and aliens and UFOs. But especially about One Source kind of thing. I like what Sena writes here:

But for us here in the west, it's okay to go ghost hunting, ufo hunting, bigfoot hunting and the like and never associate any of these things with one great diversion. Maybe they are all from the same source. Maybe none of it is as weird as we think. Maybe we are just too primitive to get what's going on.

The Undecided

Whether your death comes with the aura of peace and contentment or your last breath stolen from you from a violent murder, there is a moment in the void to decide your fate. In a glimpse of darkness preceding the tunnel of light that escorts you to infinite happiness, there is a decision to be made. Do you proceed to your rightful place in the universe, overseeing all with wisdom and love or do you remain behind in a foggy and turbulent existence to complete a quest that your zealous soul deems worthy?
Tragic souls that have been viciously murdered often seek retribution from those guilty parties who selfishly stole their earthly rights. It may be a random perpetrator who slipped silently into their world donning a sharp blade and draining precious life blood. Or it could have been a trusted loved one who’s dark heart pulled the trigger to close the victim’s eyes one last time. Whomever the executioner may have been, the murdered soul retains the right to stay behind within a realm of justified limbo.
Endlessly searching the human world for their rightful vengeance, they pace the halls of oblivion. Wandering aimlessly with intent, they attempt to penetrate the veil between the worlds in search of easing their sorrows.
Some poor souls are so inevitably bound to their loved ones and feel literally torn from the envelopment from the love of family and friends. They hover with sadness and despair over their children or spouses debating how best to comfort them. With ardent loyalty, they sacrifice their voyage into the light to remain steadfast beside their grieving loved ones. Waiting patiently in the void for their beloveds to cross over to join them.
Occasionally, a wayward soul that has committed suicide will subject themselves to years of disembodied guilt due to their desperate decision. Dwelling in a world of depression or addiction, they reject their human form, choosing to end the precious gift of life early. Taught in the human realm that this is an act of sin, some feel unworthy of stepping onto the threshold of heaven. More than welcome to come home, these guilt ridden souls forever mourn their premature expiration.
When that inevitable moment arrives, when your blood ceases to course through your corporeal veins, whether from the hands of another, yourself or fate, which door will you choose? Door number one invites you to a home from which you came, filled with light, love and the merging of your soul into the afterlife. Door number two allows you the choice to reject your homecoming and remain in a metaphysical flux until you feel ready to move onwards in your spiritual existence.
Would you choose to be a ghost? Would you choose to haunt the living as alternative to entering a society of celestial beings? Ask yourself how you’d respond to being murdered or unjustly ripped from your mortal existence?
The choice is always yours.

Evolution of an Entity

Just like living humans, ghosts maintain their unique individual personalities and traits. From the friendly, curious and playful to the grumpy and reclusive, we must respect and be mindful of these foreign fourth dimensional citizens.
Being that there are many character and personality traits within the spirit community, there are also a considerable amount of different forms or species of ghosts, entities or spirits. Each varying in composition and origin. For instance, the average human ghost is most often simply the spiritual energy and essence that remains after the dense earthbound human shell is shed. On average, the intelligent free roaming spirit that resides at a location, rarely interacting or bothering the living, is of the fourth dimension. Those living on earth reside in the third dimension.
Generally, these fourth dimension spirits vibrate at a higher frequency than human beings. Just like the nearly invisible wings of a hummingbird, some ghosts retain a higher consciousness that vibrates at a much faster pace, propelling their physical state into that of translucent existence. The vast majority of these beings are those of recent deceased relatives and those who have a personal and peaceful agenda to complete on earth. Usually they are interested in checking in on their loved ones or offering spiritual comfort to those in need. They basically go about their own business, occasionally bumping into the odd living person, creating a mystery.
When these beings wish to communicate with us living, they must reduce their vibration frequency and we must attempt to raise our own. When conditions are favorable, such as available energy for the spirit to draw from for manifestation and the living participant is able to transcend it’s consciousness to a higher plane, communication can be possible.
It is interesting to note that most ghosts are seen wearing clothes. When a person crosses over, they still maintain much of their previous self. That includes their fashion tastes, morals and dignity. The image that they represent on the other side is often that of who they were on earth, now blended with their spiritual self.
Even ghosts who experience trauma at death will sometimes retain the form in which they were last cognizant of themselves as alive. Ann Boleyn’s ghost was often seen wandering the castle carrying her head under her arm due to her beheading.
A spirit that has been roaming the afterworld for a while, will present themselves to others as what they decide is appropriate. A grandmother that appears to her granddaughter, will appear as an old woman, but may resume a younger image of herself afterwards while exploring the afterlife.
Redundant ghosts are blips in the fabric and flow of time. Explanations of time theories suggest that time is irrelevant, that we all simply exist in this one moment. If this is true, all eras and time frames are loosely stacked upon one another and can occasionally intersect.
Some ghostly activity seems strangely repetitive. Toilets flushing, pacing in hallways and doors opening and closing for no reason, suggest a residual redundant haunting. An overlapping incident that occurred in some other moment, forever replaying like a broken record. These are not self aware entities, just imprinted recordings, so they are not available for comment.
The next type of spirit is the poltergeist. This is a very complex creature that feeds off of the human energy fields. It can literally be a entity merged with mixture of many strong emotions that emanates from one or more human beings. Because anger, hatred and fear are some of the strongest emotions that a human can portray, this entity can literally feed off of the potentially toxic core energy of a humans aura.
Many poltergeists begin as a small, harmless and pesky ghost imps. Never existing as a human or having been from flesh, this entity can be best described as a leech. The more blood a leech drains from its host, the stronger and bigger it becomes.
The entity utilizes intense negative energy and because paranormal activity can cause even more stress to an already toxic or tense environment, the poltergeist can grow stronger and more destructive with each passing day. Studies have shown that homes containing one or more teenagers, particularly girls, can be a perfect breeding ground for the poltergeist due to the intense hormone fluctuation and mood swings.
This irritating and frightening spirit is often misdiagnosed and mislabeled as a demon, but most times it’s just very effectively manipulating those around it. They find particular joy in mentally and emotionally torturing the living. Unfortunately, these beings cannot not be reasoned with rationally. They exist only to taunt and provoke, not to mention they vibrate at much lower frequency than humans, allowing them to manipulate solid objects. They seem very proficient at throwing items of all sizes and shapes at their seemingly defenseless homeowners.
Mythology maintains a dark overlord with vast and powerful minions. As an ever evolving and spiritually maturing species, we are slowly becoming aware that what the mass consciousness believes, the universe will manifest. As we become more aware of the power of intention and consequences of our conscious thoughts, we can begin to comprehend how our own diverse energies can affect our environment.
Exorcisms or objects of religious faith seem to be effective in taming the feral poltergeist, but these divine acts and items are merely a means to a hopeful end. It is the shift from negative to positive consciousness that this act and these items portray. A cross, holy water and the bible are all symbols of intense positive thought and energy therefore creating the homeowners to subconsciously alter the apparently evil charge of the house to peaceful.
The very best and most effective way to tame and rid your home of these paranormal residential vermin is to literally positively charge the environment. Meditation, intentional positive reinforcement and conscious spiritual cleansing causes the acidic environment to return to balance, therefore retarding the poltergeist’s efforts. Eventually, because they cannot feed on their preferred energy source in that home, they move on.
Remember, energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only altered. These creatures cannot be destroyed, just denied. If you deny it the destructive negative food it seeks, it cannot sustain it’s tantrums. If you fear and condemn it, you feed it and give it authority. Yet if you take the power from it by inducing powerful positive thoughts and actions, it is demeaned and will quickly tire of the game. Like a toddler throwing a tantrum, ignore them, don’t give in to them.
As with every rule, there seems to be exceptions. In rare cases, violent, malevolent and evil based entities can be particularly dangerous. Drugs, alcohol and any mind altering agents can induce these creatures to terrifying status. As well as highly abusive and toxic environments. Paranormal professionals that can better deal with these intruders should be contacted.
In the rarest of events, negative entities with extreme energy and self awareness can penetrate a weakened human’s aura. When a human is worn down to mere inches of their self awareness, they can be manipulated by these evil beings. The human soul is untouched, but the physical nature of the human’s fragile state compromises its actions. When there is weakness within the aura, caused by many, many factors such as drugs, alcohol, abuse or depression, there is a porous hole left in the aura’s field of energy. The entity, being that it is a energy parasite, can latch on to the host causing it to be temporarily incapacitated.
This event over history is what is deemed as being possessed. The soul, however, is impenetrable, no harm can be done to it. The physical self however, needs spiritual, physical and emotional attention. There are several ways this can be done. All require time, effort and the willingness to cleanse oneself of this ailment. Trusted advisors must be sought out, for counsel as well as medically discounting any mental ailment that may be affecting judgment.
On occasion, a deceased human energy, suffering a traumatic or violent death can become trapped within a confusing state of conflicting vibration. Because they are confused and angry with certain circumstances of their death, they ignore or choose not to move on to the higher vibration dimensions. It can be tricky dealing with these spirits as some of them don’t realize they are dead or are angry that their life is over or was taken from them. Patience and extreme care must be taken for these people. It may take a very long time for them to come to the realization that there are better places for them to be.
Due to their molecular instability, they can continually jump back and forth through realms, causing a ruckus for the living and creating even more confusion for themselves. Often, they are convinced that you and your family are the intruders and attempt to rid themselves of you. Don’t take it personally, only try to understand their discomfort and attempt to resolve the misunderstanding. Compassionately treat them as though they were the victims of Alzheimer’s or amnesia, then we may not be so inclined to be impatient or frightened with our unseen houseguests.
The very best way to deal with these spirits is to calmly and patiently communicate to them often that they are deceased and need to go home. All of us remember home at some point, some while living, some a while after they are dead. Keep reminding them and eventually they will leave.
Without evil, we would not understand good, without the negative, we would not appreciate the positive.

http://thespiritguide.wordpress.com/


Copyright Danielle Lee All Rights Reserved 2008

Ghost Hunting Etiquette 101

Hello everyone! My name is Danielle Lee (with luck, maybe I'm a distant cousin of Ms. Regan Lee :D ). I have been honored by Regan with the invitation to write for you. I'm extremely excited and honored to have this opportunity. I would like to start off my Women of Esoterica adventure with a four part series on the topic of ghost hunting. I hope you enjoy my writing and please feel free to write your comments and experiences.

Thanks, Danielle :D

Ghost Hunting Etiquette 101

The image and perception of a ghost has taken on so many attributes and illusions over the centuries that it is difficult to distinguish the difference as to what is and what isn’t a true haunting.

For some, a ghostly image may be that of a glowing translucent figure that ominously floats from one room of a house to the next, apparently searching for something or someone, unaware of their own demise. For others, poltergeists are demonic or evil entities that spend their eternal days and nights thinking of ways to torture, frighten and manipulate the innocent human beings that happened upon unfortunate territories. The notion is foolish to skeptics who think that a phantom could be nothing more than a person covered with a white sheet, moaning and rattling some chains to disturb the naive and imaginative.

There are many misconceptions about ghosts and the afterlife. Many perceived ghostly activities can be explained quite readily by logic or reason. Residual energy is a definite contending culprit when deciding whether or not there is a spirit prevailing in the area. There are also many other explanations that need to be explored before determining whether a house, location or person, for that matter, are haunted.
Ghost hunters are brave, intellectual and pioneering paranormal scientists and explorers, they courageously enter the domain of a suspected paranormal haunting. They explore locations armed with various technical and instrumental elements, such as cameras, thermometers, EMF detectors, voice recorders and more. Although these well-intentioned individuals are honorably seeking the perplexing truths to the existence of the afterlife, some are lacking knowledge and etiquette in a few essential and spiritual areas.
The first and most important step of ghost hunting is diagnosis. Is it or isn’t it a real ghost? Many questions must be asked of the witnesses to determine if the strange activity or experiences are truly those of a ghost. Residual energy haunting can be determined simply by asking the homeowner, tenant or witnesses if the paranormal experience consisted only of feelings and emotional sensations. Residual energy does not manifest physical consciousness, malevolence or aggression.
Physical evaluation and study of the home or area must be conducted to rule out any logical or reasonable reasons for any odd activity. High concentrations of magnetic fluctuations due to ley lines or man-made technology can create false readings on instruments, as well as alter human perception.

In the event a real haunting, a determination must be made whether actual physical or communicative contact has been made. True ghosts will try to the best of their abilities to make contact of some kind, whether it be by moving items around the area or attempting to address the living while they are in a partially awakened or sleep state. Apparitions, orbs and audible sounds are all common forms of a ghostly presence trying to make themselves known. Often, they will become frustrated or provoked into more assertive attempts to make their points obvious. By poking, pushing or scratching, they prove they do not wish to be ignored.
It would be wise to obtain information pertaining to the history of the home and it’s former residents as to better understand what type of activities, negative or positive may have gone on in the home. Better yet, an honorable and experienced empathic psychic medium can be a very valuable asset to the ghost hunting team. These individuals are specifically tuned into paranormal anomalies and would be able to distinguish what the spirit wants and needs more effectively.
Once the ghost hunter has determined whether or not it is in fact a true haunting, the next step is to attempt to make contact. Almost all ghosts have a message to get across. The messages are often relatively clear. The most common of messages are either ‘hello’ , ‘help’ or ‘get out’! All of which the ghost hunter or home owner needs to acknowledge and value. If not, the entity will simply continue voicing it’s displeasure with your presence.
One way to attempt to make contact with the wayward soul is to simply speak to it aloud and then allow them to respond. Since we humans cannot usually hear their response , a tape recorder is the a good way to capture electric voice phenomena or EVP. Due to the high density of our dimension, the living are often unable to audibly distinguish voices or sounds created in another dimension that is less dense. An ordinary cassette recorder is somehow able to archive a spirit’s voice to manifest. This auditory strategy may support the living and the dead in conversation.
Etiquette is of the most utmost importance when physically and verbally approaching a deceased human being. No matter who officially pays the mortgage and holds the land title, the spirit believes that this is their territory. A ghost hunter, and home owner, must be respectful towards the ghost and their predicament or the investigator is bound to get an adverse reaction or none at all. It’s important to be polite and verbally state your purpose immediately upon approaching the location. Asking the deceased individual’s permission to enter the premises or to take photographs is a great way to show them they are being respected.
One has to anticipate what the ghost may be feeling. They are obviously confused, scared, lonely or defensive. An example of how best to learn to appreciate and anticipate the spirits feelings and reactions is that of a frightened animal. If you approach a confused and terrified cat aggressively and abruptly, what can you expect? Well, obviously the petrified feline will either run away or attempt to hurt you in defense. It’s their natural and instinctive reaction to your assumed invasive presence. An animal has no way of knowing your innocent intentions because they are incapable of understanding or reading your mind.

A ghost isn’t much different, the lines of communication are crossed as it is and they don’t have the full understanding of where they are or what’s happened to them. They’re simply reacting with instinct when wondering why this person with strange instruments is intruding in their home!
In saying that, we mustn’t underestimate their intelligence either, we must simply try to understand and gently coax them into submission. Your advance and attitude towards them is the most important aspect of the experience. Fear is also a factor, if your disposition is that of terror, panic or hysterical behavior , they may feed off of that energy. They can themselves become afraid and unresponsive to your requests.
In their realm, they have very little control of their existence. They wander aimlessly and confused through a foggy existence, wondering what to do next. A human soul can sometimes be tormented by memories of a terrible past. They may be reliving a painful and traumatic event over and over. So when someone comes into their fragile world, poking and prodding, they may lash out to protect themselves. Or worse yet, they may be the type that feels empowered by the fact that they can manipulate or control a living person again. This is usually when a haunting can become dangerous and terribly frightening.
One of the most important things to remember is that this literally used to be a flesh and blood human being. A being’s personality, as well as your own, will continue into the next realm even though your tangible body does not. These entities, when alive, had families, jobs, memories and emotions. They had loved ones and were loved by others. Quite distressingly, some of these souls are bound to this limbo for a potentially horrible and tragic reason. Try to have empathy, consideration and compassion for the state that they are in.
A good point to remember when beginning your ghost hunting adventure, you’ll catch more flies with honey. So enter their home with respect, gratitude and a polite disposition and you may end up with a very cooperative spirit, hence some very good photographs.

http://thespiritguide.wordpress.com/

Copyright Danielle Lee 2007 All Rights Reserved

Paintings: Spirits and Apparitions

A bit of shameless promotion, but also fits in with Women Of Esoterica, (since most of his paintings are of women.) Jim has a new category on his gallery; Spirits and Apparitions.

Visit his blog at James Rich Artist, or his gallery on Yessy.com.

Richelle Hawks: The Love Song of Ardis J. Stembridge

Richelle is a very good writer; just want to say that! Anyway, her latest at Binnall of America.

Farting Demons

Richelle wrote, in her Medusa's Ladder column for Binnall of America, a piece about demonologists and ghost hunting. I came along and shamelessly hijacked her article for my Trickster's Realm column at Binnall: Religious Ghost Hunting.

I've received a response to that from someone who says he's a minister. Here it is:

Hi,

Just read your blog. As a Christian Minister I too get ticked off by self important religious people. But in my biz you will always find them regardless of denomination (of course the more conservative the more plentiful and self aggrandizing they are). I have had numerous experiences with "demonologists" and "exorcists". I have even taken a graduate level course of "deliverance". I was astonished to find that I was possessed by over 42 demons. One of them was a demon of flatulence that went by the name "windy". Wow. That explained a lot. I thought that it was just the starchy food at the cafeteria. Some of my colleagues were even "exorcising" their infants because "you never know if a Demon got in before it was dedicated. I shit you not. This was an accredited Seminary. Religious abuse can run rampant when you have an expert manipulator in a position of power.

On the 'reality' side of it, I have had many encounters with what I would call 'demonic' entities. Same type of malevolent spirits you probably have encountered. I've also encountered ghosts and other beings that I have to label 'angels'.

But I have to say though I respect your opinion it does sound a little intolerant. When I was a Pastor in New Castle, Pa one of my best friends was a self proclaimed Satanist. He was a nice guy. I've had a lot of Wiccan friends. I myself could never be one because as a fat man I do not want to scare people by public nudity. We all are trying to embrace the mysterium and explain it in our own context. A lot of Christians can seem to be obnoxious because they want to share their worldview. Just as you do. But I'm afraid in your rhetoric in this blog you almost become the very same thing you disdain. Ridiculing a religion and making fun of people of other faiths is what self important religious people do. It seems you wish Christians to keep quiet. But do you feel the same when it comes to others of your own faith view? What one might call a malevolent spirit another might call it a demon or the devil. They are just labels for the same thing. And we all deal with them as our faith and world view permits. We might not like it, but to mock it is akin to religious bigotry.

But it's your blog. I know that Christians can hurt and judge. Man you would not believe some of the stuff I have seen. If you've been hurt or judged by a Christian I'm sorry. I've been there, in fact I left ministry for over 10 years at one point in my life because I was fed up with judgemental hypocrites. But your generalizations hurt others of us of the Christian faith who are not crazy assholes.

And I guess that's what it comes down to. We all are looking for meaning and transcendence, but along the way we meet a lot of self absorbed assholes.

And those assholes stink.

Have a great week,

Pastor Swope
(a former stinking asshole who learned how to wipe properly)

Well, I didn't mean to come off as intolerant to Christians. I'm not intolerant of Christians. I am intolerant of pompous Christians. I'm intolerant of those who assume every one else; ghost, spirit, the dead, and the living, are going to respond favorably to their religious mechanization's when it comes to ghost hunting.

I know there are malevolent forces out there, believe me. I know there are "angelic" ones as well. I personally don't interpret them in a Christian framework,a nd I don't care if others do. I do care when those that do get all self-righteous and all.

Goodness, was I not clear on that?

Anyway, when I die, and if you think I'm haunting someplace, please do me a favor and refrain from screaming that I'm a demon and wave a huge cross in my ghostly transparent face,or singing Oh Holy Night. Thank you.

Ghost Photo Contest

Blogger and writer Lesley (Beyond the Dial, The Debris Field, Gray Matters) is running her ghost photo contest again this year. Visit and submit a photo.