May 3rd is Paranormal Day

Today is observed worldwide as Paranormal Day. It is a day for everyone who believes in the paranormal or pursues something paranormal to pause and celebrate. It is even a day for those die-hard skeptics that don’t believe in anything paranormal--for as other sites put it even these skeptics can use today "as an excuse to settle in and enjoy watching a scary movie".

So what does the world “paranormal” mean? One standard definition states it’s “when a phenomena or manifestation occurs that is outside the norm. This occurrence can neither be scientifically explained nor proved.” I like this definition since it goes along with my own philosophy that I write about in my post entitled, “Ghosts vs. Science”.

The word paranormal of course refers to a wide variety of occurrences. Including but not limited to ghosts, UFO’s, mysterious levitations, spontaneous fires, and crop circles. So when did the word "paranormal" originate? It was coined in the 1920’s to refer to experiences that were outside the realm of normal scientific explanation. The word’s root “para” means above the normal standard. In other words it is something extraordinary.

Many point to the American researcher, writer Charles Fort * who in the 1920’s and 30’s published a large body of work related to unexplained phenomena. His vast collection of paranormal anecdotes is considered “the father of modern paranormalism”. Today, with the success of paranormal films, the wide variety of information on the internet and a variety of paranormal shows on television the general public are much more interested “in things outside the realm of conventional science”.

As I mentioned in one of my original posts on this blog, today the paranormal is no longer considered taboo. People who have experienced something they consider to be paranormal share this with others. Just a hundred years ago these experiences would have been kept closely guarded secrets.

So Happy Paranormal Day everyone…

*  Charles Fort who was the creator of the Fortean Times, which inspired many people to become “Forteans”-- I will share more information about this in future. He coined the terms “teleportation” and “Bermuda Triangle”. He also popularized UFO’s. 

Did a UFO fly over the 2012 Summer Olympics?

During the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last summer in London several news stations at 12:30 AM caught on their cameras what appeared to be a strange glowing UFO. Skeptics immediately announced this object was just the Goodyear Blimp. But when the video footage was analyzed later it presented the “classic disc-shaped spacecraft” synonymous with UFO’s.

Again the press took up the mantra that what was captured on film was just the Goodyear Blimp. In response numerous videos were shown to point out the object captured was disc-shaped and glowed brightly. Many feel it actually has little or no resemblance to a blimp or a helicopter. It was pointed out that a blimp does not “move” like the object in these videos and that the object has a distinct dome on top.

The next response was that all these videos were just enhanced to make the object look like it was glowing etc. But what is interesting is in more recent months some skeptics are now stating that the object was a US drone. This program in recent years has been used more and more as the reason for UFO sightings. One may wonder what a drone was doing over the 2012 Summer Olympics...

Watch the video below. What do you think? Was it a blimp, drone or UFO?

A Passenger Jet Plane Almost Hits UFO

Today the BBC reported that a passenger airplane--Airbus A320--while approaching Scotland’s Glasgow airport to land came within 300 feet of an unidentified flying object that passed beneath it. Both pilots stated since conditions were clear they were able to see a “blue and yellow or silver” object with a small frontal area that was bigger than a balloon moving quickly. They both reported they thought this object was going to collide with their plane.

What is most unusual is the plane’s TCAS--Traffic Collision Avoidance System-- that alerts pilots if they are about to collide with another moving object was silent. Glasgow air traffic control also stated that their radar showed no objects in the area as this Airbus prepared to land. They stated it was highly unlikely this object was a hot-air balloon, helicopter, hang-glider etc. because all these objects would have registered on their radar.

As for now this object has not been identified. The following video addresses what the pilots saw.

The Monkey’s Paw

This ghost story is considered one of the most ‘bone-chilling” ever written. It was first published in 1902 in an issue of Harper’s Monthly. W.W. Jacobs, who wrote this story, gained fame writing humorous tales. But The Monkey’s Paw has nothing humorous about it. 

His story has been adapted numerous times, as plays, films, and three operas.

The atmosphere that shrouds this tale is part of its impact. From the darkest jungle in India to the foggy moors of Great Britain, the horror of this story unfolds.

 Jacobs message is one should never tamper with fate. He leaves the ending to the imagination of the reader, which increases the terror.

This story involves a small-mummified monkey’s paw that a “mystic” has placed a spell upon. It seems this paw will grant the owner three wishes. 

When it is brought to England from India, a mother whose son has died decides to make a wish. Her wish is to bring him back to life.

The result is he returns as a terrifying corpse. One indeed must be careful what they wish for…

If you want to read Jacob's short story, here is the link.

 Here is a link to a video directed by Ricky Lewis Jr. entitled The Monkey’s Paw (2011).