CLOSER ENCOUNTERS: Philip Kinsella ponders if we’re responsible for the creation of an alien nation.

ALIENS, THE DEAD AND THE ETERNAL MIND OF CREATION

Within the annuals of Ufology, we appear no nearer in truly establishing what we are up against when addressing UFOs and their seemingly illusive occupants. Therefore, those claiming such observations or varied contact with extra-terrestrials have had such a hard time within the media circuit because no proof can be brought to the table regarding their corporeality. Of course, we have the visual sightings of unknown crafts recorded within radar reports, but when it comes to the aliens themselves, we appear to draw a blank where research is concerned. However, that said, there is room for conjecture at least.

In the days of old, many folks believed that UFOs were physical crafts, along with aliens coming from another planet. Many who claimed bizarre abductions back in the day had been told by their assailants that they’d either come from Venus, or some remote star system too far away for us humans to get to. We further realise that such ridiculous assertions may have been deliberate by said aliens to conceal their real identity. Of course, UFOs must be actual, structured craft; take the Roswell UFO crash back in 1947 as an example. We are certain that something non-terrestrial had crashed within this region of the desert but had been nothing less than a top-secret Mogul weather balloon – so secret, in fact, that the army weren’t even out looking for the supposed debris! That was all sorted by a local sheep farmer by the name of Mack Brazel. For the sake of this article, we shall leave out the particulars of this so-called crash but can nevertheless agree that an object not from this world or, indeed, dimension had somehow crashed on Earth.

“Seems odd, don’t you think, that an object which should have defied all forms of hazardous space travel, (let alone interdimensional voyage) had been grounded by, of all things, lightening, as it is supposed.”

We could also take our hypothesis one step closer in presuming that the army’s radar equipment had deliberately downed the said UFO through electrical interference, or that the beings onboard known as the Greys had been joyriding while knocking back a few Zeta Reticuli Budweiser’s which caused them to lose control of their vehicle. There may be a more sinister reason, and something we shall explore. My identical twin brother, Ronald, supports the hypothesis in his book published in early 2021 by British Ufologist, Philip Mantle through his ‘Flying Disk Press’ ‘The Digital Demon’ that something had planted these seeds in a clever attempt to accelerate our species in a monumental leap within technological advances. In his book, ‘The Day After Roswell,’ Colonel Philip J. Corso claims his involvement regarding the crash retrieval of the Roswell craft and how its material had been utilised for its unique properties. Many other great minds within Ufology have considered the same thing, but it’s important to see how this phenomenon has morphed throughout the decades, carefully concealing itself within the shadows so that it will never be discovered.

We know, however, that UFOs, now labelled UAPs exist, (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) – period! The change within its acronym has merely tried to make this singularity more scientific within its approach, steering away from the classic ‘Flying Saucer’ hypothesis to sway more in lines of some natural phenomenon, but many are not fooled.

The facts of the matter are clearcut. We still do not know what these objects are or where they come from. What’s worse is the fact that interaction with so-called aliens appears to happen on an altogether different level of reality. Many who witness the appearance of a UFO occasionally find themselves at the mercy of abhorred beings commonly referred to as Greys. These small, diminutive, bulbous headed, large black-eyed critters most famous within Ufology are top of the list where such intrusive kidnappings are concerned. Are such beings real? Or are they merely the product of an overstretched imagination, contaminated no less by the media machine? My understanding is that such beings are real, yet they are not the authentic McCoy, so-to-speak.

“So, what’s going on? And why is it that those who experience such frightening beings can bring no proof to the table where evidence is concerned?”

This question has forced many researchers to think outside the box – completely. Gone now are the days where many believed in the tales from so-called ‘Contactees’ or ‘Abductees’ that their alien friends had come from Venus which, they had been convinced, harboured lush vegetation, along with clear, blue skies. We know that within our physical reality this is impossible and raises the argument not so much against the person reporting what had been imparted to them, but by the apparent deceitful nature the Greys administer regarding such information.

Where are the aliens? Why haven’t they made their appearance to the world? And forget those claims that we’re dealing with some type of ‘Galactic Federation’ somewhere within the far reaches of space, forbidding any form of contact with us humans. If this is the case, the Greys have broken that code already, (or at least a faction of them, anyway!) and clearly show no signs of revealing themselves any time soon. The phenomenon gets even muddier when we discover that certain individuals are being abducted every night of the week or travelling through the astral planes with the Greys and administering love-and-light across the world. To my mind, such Greys appear to be deceitful in nature and have not helped our species in the least. If they had such concerns for us on Earth, where is the evidence that they’ve helped us solve all our problems?

OK, so I get that many will have their own opinions – something you’re not allowed to have these days, but we’ve got to face

“Where are the aliens? Why haven’t they made their appearance to the world?”

Picture: Philip kinsella

the facts and turn the subject around and into uncomfortable territory indeed. What if we are all being deceived or, at the very least, misinformed by such intelligence which by design appears to have its own agenda? Seriously, can you say that any form of contact has been beneficial in the long run?

All manner of explanations has been considered in trying to ascertain what the phenomenon ultimately characterises, and continues to do so, yet we are duped every time as researchers delve deeper down the rabbit hole. There are many within the UFO fraternity who refuse to sway from their beliefs, (and of which they are entitled) but what if we have been ultimately wrong about the phenomenon all along? The human psyche has shaped this marvel into a very physical and, ultimately, stereotypical franchise which has stuck within the imagination of all those who behold this singularity, yet the phenomenon appears to lie outside our very own time/space parameters.

In many cases, the appearance of a UFO at close range heralds a slight shift within its environmental radius. People report sounds being muffled, time being displaced and, in rare instances if there are multiple witnesses, differences of opinion as to what is being observed.

“My understanding is that when a UFO enters our reality, the craft itself is enmeshing us within its realm.”

UFOs rarely stay for long durations of time within Earth’s airspace, and this is curious indeed. Things get even more bizarre when an ‘alien abduction’ occurs, and this heralds the onslaught of what I believe to be full-on integration between the aliens and the Abductee/Experiencer on a deep level of psychic integration. Certainly, the appearance of a UFO can alter variations within its environment, but an abduction sees to a complete countermand of human conscious perception. This heralds the manifestation of the ‘Visitors’ who, themselves, appear to defy the natural laws of Earth’s physics. Within many accounts, the most famous of these spectres are known as ‘Greys’ which have the ability in transporting themselves through physical matter and bring their subject into a timeless state whereby communication via telepathy is encountered. As argued within my previous works, (and as far back as 1996 in an article for ‘Alien Encounters’ magazine, issue 3, September, entitled: ‘Spirits in a Material World’) I am certain the way we’ve been sold the story within Hollywood and other media outlets is nothing less than a mere misunderstanding and cultural mishap on our behalf. Perhaps certain, secret organisations within the military elite know some truths surrounding this most perplexing paradox and are unwilling to address the more chilling aspects in the event of public panic. This certainly appears to be the case, seeing as numerous investigations by the Army and Air Force have somehow appeased the excitement through ‘denial’ in their reports within varied UFO studies in the past.

The media will quite happily promote any ridiculous assertions made by varied ‘Contactees/Experiencers/Abductees’ who’ve been on some wild journey with grey aliens around the cosmos to, perhaps, conceal a more startling truth. Within this multi-faceted enigma, one wonders how on earth any serious investigator can make sense of what is really going on. And, perhaps, it is precisely for this reason that such alternate forces secrete themselves within the shadows, where no physical proof of their existence can be ascertained. Most photographic/film footage of purported said ‘aliens’ are suspect in the extreme, and seriously damages credibility within the subject.

One of the key components which occurs within any UFO researcher’s work is the way their opinions changes over time, much like the phenomenon itself. An acceleration within our thinking appears to give rise to a morphing of this singularity, and one cannot help but wonder whether this ‘force’ attaches itself to those who have been touched by its shadow. Indeed, there are indications that this is very much the case. Take ‘Skinwalker Ranch’ in Utah, USA as an example, and one of the most famous UFO hotspots in the world. The flurry of UFO/ paranormal activity appears to have hitchhiked with key members of the scientific team sent there to try and solve the puzzle of strange occurrences.

Millionaire, Robert Bigelow previously owned the ranch and had created NIDS, (National Institute for Discovery Science) to determine why ‘Skinwalker’ was a hotspot for UFO/paranormal activity. Disturbingly, Bigelow abandoned the project and has only recently begun to talk about the ‘Hitchhiker’ connections which he and his team underwent. The phenomenon appeared to be following them when going their separate ways, and even when hundreds of miles of part from each other and away from the ranch itself! The complex is now owned by real-estate genius, Brandon Fugal who is working with his team of experts in at least trying to fathom out where this intrepid force is emanating from within the area, and something which, surprisingly, appears to be ancient, along with trying to harness this seemingly alien technology.

We must also consider

individuals who experience an NDE, (Near Death Experience) who speak of entering a world more real than the one they left behind. In nearly all cases, time ceases and the NDEer is met by loved-ones whom they had known in their physical life and themselves have crossed-over, or light-beings which converse through the mind. It appears that the alien ‘abduction’ phenomenon works very much in tandem along this premise, yet the NDE is a natural separation of soul/consciousness, whereby the abduction appears to be ‘forced’ by the Greys themselves. Invariably, the NDEer will view life with more empathy and harbour new gifts which had once lay dormant, such as clairvoyance, healing, or a creative development within the arts along with a greater understanding of humility.

It is fair to say that an abduction, (however terrifying) usually promotes much the same experience as someone undergoing an NDE, (although in many cases, these occur on a more benevolent level of interaction) since an awakening of the mind appears to have been activated through these traumatic/ life-changing events, along with human consciousness being affected by the temporary extraction through or within these alternate spheres of reality, wherever they may be. Once someone has had a profound encounter with the supernatural, it appears that person is hooked, like some junkie, digging deeper into the phenomenon.

As British UFO/ Paranormal researcher, Paul Sinclair states: ‘Once you become aware of IT, IT becomes aware of you!’

Taking another example, UFOs are usually luminous in nature, and come in a variety of colours. These illuminations are frequently large in nature and appear to overpower and mesmerise their intended human target. Interestingly, at Skinwalker ranch the blue and red orbs under observation give off a feeling of trepidation. They emerge from nowhere and disappear in much the same way. Such light-activity is also thought to be responsible for the many cattle mutilations reported by ranchers world-wide, along with the emergence of interdimensional beings materialising amid portals which have been witnessed on multiple levels. Interestingly, mediums also see different coloured lights around clients they are reading for, but much smaller in scale than those of UFOs. Although there can be no proof to the claims that such orbs seen by clairvoyance are the actual energy from the souls of the dead coming through to them from their dimension, it seems puzzling that such luminosity mirrors the UFO activity, and vice versa, along with a plethora of poltergeist activity and other strange commotion which is thought to be residue left by such forces when entering our realm.

So, are we dealing with one phenomenon which operates on multiple levels of reality, or separate categories of paranormal activity altogether? This cannot be ascertained now, but like bestselling horror writer, Stephen King’s fiction book ‘IT,’ perhaps there are some forces which mimic quite natural occurrences, and things we would consider supernatural. Is this the method alien’s employee to hide behind the curtain of reality, one wonders? Each topic within the realms of the ‘supernatural’ has been divided as separate entities altogether, and perhaps this is one of the reasons why we have made little in the way of progress in ascertaining the facts as they stand. We must also consider those within the religious sects who are adamant that we are dealing with demons from hell, and that no further examination on their part is needed to prove this analogy. Yet, study is vital if we are to summarise these declarations. This seriously begs the question as to why we have very little in the way of proof and left scratching our heads surrounding these truly perplexing and multi-faceted experiences continuously being reported the world over. Although it’s enough to give any researcher a headache, the reality is that we are dealing with forces beyond this physical matrix.

Perhaps such phenomenon’s emergence into our world requires a complete shift in vibration their end so that interaction is then possible. In this way, they are matched by density, and perhaps for only short bursts at a time. This may also explain why an alien abduction reenacts like a dream, because the abductee is brought completely into their side of reality, rather like an NDE. The soul of the individual, (the pure and real essence of what we are as humans represent) may be temporarily extracted from its physical housing before its return.

“We must also consider those within the religious sects who are adamant that we are dealing with demons from hell, and that no further examination on their part is needed to prove this analogy.”

PICTURE CREDIT: TUMISU, PIXABAY

“Anything which is performed to the astral body will invariably still affect its physical counterpart, because both are still attached within this space and time on Earth.”

experience; namely because cognizance has been temporarily removed from its normal flow of time.

My understanding of incarnation and reincarnation makes complete sense, because a soul will decide to experience a multitude of proficiencies throughout its apparent immortal existence. Does this, then, tell us something about the Greys and what they really represent?

Using your mobile phone as an example, the hardware serves only as a point in time to decipher signals operating on higher frequencies of awareness. Your senses cannot detect them. If we were functioning on an advanced intensity of sensory input, we would be able to see more than the narrow band of light afforded us within the infrared spectrum. If it was possible for us to detect these higher states, it is conceivable that we would see UFOs, aliens, and Cryptids all around us, although still appearing as ghost-forms because of our differences in energetic composition. Such intelligences far beyond our scope of understanding ‘knows’ how to bridge this gap which we, ourselves, have yet to discover. And, on top of this, I also consider that we are each connected on a spiritual level to the Godhead of infinite knowledge, like conduits coupled to a central hub. We consider ourselves as ‘human,’ but in essence we are much more than mere flesh and blood creatures with a sell-by date. Our understanding of consciousness in the future may afford us a larger picture of what we may be experiencing, along with our purpose. The human brain operates merely as an infusion of data from the central pool of all that is, and all that has been experienced from past, present and future, in much the same way as your mobile phone along with its operating network system, but which functions within an infusion of biological and conscious awareness. It is clear to see that we are the composite of these two elements, and while linked within this physical dimension, we are at the mercy of those forces that obviously work on entirely different parameters.

The brain as the receiver opens and closes doors to the infinite mind which we are all connected to. As individuals, we are moulded by our beliefs, and this in turn can shape who we are, along with our journey. When elements of the paranormal connect with someone, their perspective on life, the universe and everything else is suddenly challenged. There is an urgency and need to explore those realms we are told by a system which governs us simply do not exist. Is this something that is executed deliberately? Is there a part of our higher selves reminding us that Earth, along with all life, is not the end, as once alleged?

Considering the hypothesis of superstring theory in quantum physics, perhaps certain intelligences behind the phenomenon is ‘in-forming’ us after it has been ‘formed’ from its primordial state of ‘becoming’ that we are part of a much greater plan, and that the simple and programmed model of belief fed into each of us by the elite is nothing less than a mere fallacy. It is generally known within certain scientific circles that creation is hidden deep within the labyrinth of quantum physics, and that everything we know to be real is sending data into this physical dimension we exist in, where life is evolving as order, and not chaos. Quantum entanglement also teaches us that when two particles, such as a pair of photons or electrons become entangled, they remain connected, even at vast distances. And under observation, the dual-wave particles seem to contradict the very foundation of reality, since the elements appear to be affected under observation.

Our consciousness, it would suggest, can alter events beyond our current time/space existence. It is believed that within its primordial state, such atoms are forever in a condition of ‘potential.’ This is called ‘Spooky Action at a Distance’ by scientist, Albert Einstein. More research into the sub-structure of time, space, matter, and quantum theory will, undoubtedly, reveal a greater truth, and one we are only just getting our head’s around.

“Are we, then, creating the phenomenon? Or is the phenomenon shaping us?”

Our ‘enslaved’ consciousness which has been continually programmed within a limited version of what we humans and all life represents throughout the epochs is rebelling. Perhaps such phenomenon is helping us in this respect, taking us away from the cycles of chaos and bringing us in line with a new reality previously denied us. We may not be able to touch this singularity, but its profound emergence suggests that changes are on the way, and something those who have governed with such mental subjugation are helpless to stop.

This is your journey, your reality. Embrace those changes within yourself. This singularity which operates on multiple levels of truth may be translating itself through the consciousness of the individual to transmute the very fabric of their immortal soul.

It may surprise us to know that, perhaps, we are the phenomenon! Phil

THE METAPHYSICAL MUSINGS OF ALEX MATSUO

The paranormal community and investigation field is all over the place. While it’s a place where people are seeking answers to mysterious reports and a place where people find a sense of belonging, it’s far from perfect. There is a lot going on in the paranormal, yet there are certain points that seem to remain consistent. For example, caring about certain things that really don’t make any positive contribution to the community and field. Here are eighteen things that paranormal investigators should stop making a big deal about.

Egos

This seems to be an ongoing problem in the field that continues to get worse. You would think there would be more openness on the Island of Misfit Toys. What’s more, the things that drive people’s egos are ridiculous things like, “We’re on YouTube.” Yes, so are millions of other people. Or “I’ve been on TV.” Great, so have a bunch of other people. It’s one thing to have confidence in yourself and the work that you do. But when people start ostracizing, excluding, and being hurtful to others because they’re “too good” for us regular folk…because they’re on YouTube, they’re “young”, or they’re “going places”, then that becomes problematic. Before I first drafted this piece, I was sent this video of a gentleman named Bud Steed who was basically told he couldn’t investigate with two teams because he was too old, and no one ever heard of him even though he had been in the field for so many years. I’m sorry, what? That’s ridiculous. YouTube doesn’t make you an instant celebrity, nor does age have ANYTHING to do with skills in the paranormal. Not everyone is trying to gain notoriety or celebrity status in this field. If I meet someone with decades more experience than me, heck yeah, come sit at the table and let me pick your brain while I buy you a cup of coffee!

Social Media Following

Influencers will tell you that social media following doesn’t mean ANYTHING anymore. It doesn’t mean you’re popular. Likes and follows can be bought these days, and you can tell when a page or profile does this. If you’re going to pay to grow your social media following, put money into Facebook and Instagram ads. The likes and follows you get from that will be genuine followers who will respond to your content. If a page has 300K likes and followers, but they only have an engagement of a few dozen; they bought their likes.

ONLINE CLASSES

Man, when someone is offering an online paranormal class for a price, people lose their minds. Words like “scammer”, “someone trying to make easy money”, and “fraud” start coming out. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with online classes. They can be useful. Now, if they’re offering a certification, then I raise an eyebrow. If it’s a more reputable group like the Rhine offering a certification, I pay attention. As someone who develops courses and eLearning as their day job, do y’all know how long it takes to make a course? Let alone a full out class with modules? Also, a place for that learning model to live can cost hundreds of dollars per year. It takes time. If you don’t want to take the class, then don’t. But don’t demand that the instructor offers their expertise for free for the sake of “anyone can learn.” Go find someone offering their expertise for free. They’re out there. Yes, anyone can learn for free. If someone wants to pay for a class, it’s fine. Keep scrolling and move on.

Getting on a TV Show

This sort of hits on my first point. This drives me nuts. Why? Getting on a TV show isn’t the end-all, be-all in this field. I see folks get almost rabid if a new face gets on a TV show. Their experience is questioned, people wonder if they’re professional. Then there’s all this complaining about how there are people who have been in the field for decades who deserve their own show. Okay, here’s the deal; paranormal reality TV isn’t marketed to seasoned paranormal investigators. It’s marketed towards regular people who have no idea what the ghost hunting world is about. Personally, a lot of the shows I prefer to watch are on YouTube and Amazon Prime, and other more independent platforms. But do you know what this means?

You can create your own paranormal show! Don’t wait for the mainstream networks to make you an offer. PARA UNITY

Don’t get me wrong, we should all treat each other with decency and respect. But I’ve noticed that the people who yell, “Para unity!” the loudest are often the ones who treat others poorly.

They steal material, gossip, put people on blast for no reason, and constantly air their drama. I’ve been asked to do some pretty awful things for the sake of “para unity.” Truth be told, I don’t believe we should be rewarding good behavior that we should already be doing as decent human beings. Don’t be a jerk. That means you shouldn’t steal other people’s images or videos. It’s not fair to keep building your platform on the hard work of others and give credit where credit is due.

DIFFERING OPINIONS

Okay, I will out myself and admit that this is something I’m still working on. If someone disagrees with you, or doesn’t think that your evidence is showing a ghost, it doesn’t mean they’re attacking you. They won’t think any less of you unless you start personally attacking them. I’ve seen people put others on full blast and start doxing their personal lives because they disagreed about an orb in a video. There is a lot of ego in this field to the point where folks are causing harm and heartache to others. It needs to stop. ACRONYMS

Acronyms were cool back in the early 2000s, maybe in the 2010s. But acronyms are kind of old now. Plus, I’ve seen some really weird team names for the sake of spelling out G.H.O.S.T. or P.A.R.A.N.O.R.M.A.L or S.P.I.R.I.T. It gets confusing too, and it can be hard to brand that. Do you know how many GHOST teams there are with that acronym? A lot. Too many to count. I’ve been seeing CCTV as the “end all be all” factor for paranormal evidence, and honestly, it’s not. It’s faulty. It lags, it freezes, and it makes things like raccoons look like demonic gnomes. Plus, CCTV footage can easily be manipulated. Unless I have a personal tie with that CCTV security system (it’s mine), and I can track what was captured and it’s hard to take anything on the internet at face value. I’m seeing more and more paranormal compilation videos on YouTube that are obviously fabricated, and it’s disappointing. I know some will fight me tooth and nail on this, so I’m probably preaching to the choir since my regular readers align with the same thoughts as me. This is my opinion, and if you disagree, I promise I don’t hate you. Confession: I was a photographer before I considered myself a paranormal investigator. I knew what orbs were before I realized people called them ghosts and spirits in the paranormal community. Orbs are actually covered in a lot of manuals for cameras.

"If someone disagrees with you, or doesn’t think that your evidence is showing a ghost, it doesn't mean they’re attacking you."

THE METAPHYSICAL MUSINGS OF ALEX MATSUO

It’s dust, moisture, bugs, dander, basically explainable. Yes, dust can look like it’s going through walls if it’s going in and out of focus. Bugs can look like angels or fairies on camera. Yes, you can see faces in orbs thanks to the pareidolia effect. Does this mean I don’t believe in orbs? No. Another confession: I’ve seen orbs I couldn’t explain. But I saw them with my naked eye. They emitted their own light. And they didn’t float the same way as dust. Orbs in photos and videos don’t emit their own light, they’re reflecting light. That’s a big difference. APPS

Not all ghost hunting apps are created equal. I suggest that you research apps before downloading them. Anything that’s sold as a “ghost radar” or “ghost detector”, you should look for something else. Some of the better ghost apps include EchoVox, which is an ITC tool. Personally, for me, I’m hesitant to use any apps since our phones aren’t equipped to detect and gauge the environment. Also, any app that lets you insert a photo of a ghost is a big NO.

SKEPTICS

For some members of the paranormal community, skeptics are probably more terrifying than demons. The paranormal community needs to stop the mindset that skeptics are bad. They aren’t. They’re fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some skeptics out there who are total jerks. But that doesn’t mean that all skeptics are that way. There are many fantastic ones out there who are just as curious about the paranormal as the rest of us, and often, they are looking to have that experience. The difference is that skeptics are hardcore critical thinkers and need something more solid. They hold the paranormal community accountable, and they are a valued asset to the community.

DEMONS

Not everything is a demon. Sometimes it’s a really negative human spirit. Other times, it’s elemental. Sometimes it’s nothing at all. It’s interesting how those who don’t believe in demons don’t seem to have an issue with them. It’s all about mindset and what energy you’re putting out there.

RELIGION

There is more than one religion in the paranormal field, and they all bring something of value to the table. To me, all religions are valid because it goes back to intention and mindset. I’ve seen cleansings and blessings tied with other religions that were just as effective as Christian methods. As I mentioned in the point about demons, it goes back to your intentions and your convictions. If you’re certain that a Christian method will work, it will.

OUIJA BOARDS

I don’t understand the hate against Ouija boards. Yes, I know people associate them with demons. Yes, people have had negative experiences with it, but people have had negative experiences in other areas of their life that they keep going back to. Furthermore, I don’t understand the venom that comes from people who speak out against the Ouija board. We’re talking personal insults, and even lowkey paranormal drama. Do these folks not understand that their hatred of the board and attacking others is just as negative and evil as the Ouija board (or so they think)? CELEBRITIES JOINING THE FIELD

This is something I’ve always been fascinated with, especially after it was revealed that Stormy Daniels was working on her own ghost hunting show. So many people have had paranormal experiences, and it should be no surprise that celebrities have had them too. If they want to join the paranormal bandwagon, let them! The more the merrier. There is a lot of gatekeeping in the field, questioning experience and professionalism. It needs to stop. Especially when someone who isn’t famous shares similar life experiences as a celebrity, and they see their lifestyle and choices under attack as a reason to not be in the community.

FACEBOOK GROUPS

I love Facebook groups. They are such a wonderful way to connect with other likeminded people. I can share my content and have amazing conversations with folks and get awesome perspectives. But each Facebook group is like its own little universe, and some people think they’re gods in little ponds. There are millions of paranormal Facebook groups out there, and there should be a shift in focus to cultivating the community instead of trying to constantly grow numbers, competing for admin/mod status, and booting people over disagreements. It’s just Facebook, y’all. IDOL WORSHIP OF PARANORMAL REALITY SHOW CELEBRITIES

If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ve probably seen me go toe-to-toe with a few public figures who are on popular paranormal reality shows. From these interactions, and my previous experience from working for a major paranormal celeb for a few years, they are truly in their own bubble. They are incredibly unaware of what’s actually happening not only in the paranormal community, but also in the field of paranormal research. They’re working from a script and a storyboard. These celebrities aren’t looking into the trends of paranormal research, let alone networking. They aren’t following the more scientific organizations like the Rhine Research Center, or the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP). They have truly created their own “paranormal lore” within their TV programming, and heaven forbid you ask questions or have a concern about what they did on TV. Maybe it’s time to treat them like how the medical field treats “TV show doctors” and stop putting them on a pedestal as self-proclaimed experts?

There are awards organizations for almost every facet in our world. Knitting, acting, singing, cat grooming, writing, etc. Awards are a thing. They start from people wanting to recognize their peers for the work they’ve done. Yet, when “paranormal awards” are mentioned, so many in the community lose their minds. I can agree that the oversaturation of paranormal awards is slightly grating, if someone wants to do something for their friends, who cares? Acknowledging someone else’s work doesn’t diminish your value. I’ve never understood what was so upsetting about getting recognized by your peers. People who complain about paranormal awards are just as, if not more, annoying as the awards themselves. Plus, it’s hurtful. Especially when someone who is relatively unknown gets nominated, and they’re ecstatic. Then they see their peers diminishing the value of their award nomination, it stings. This doesn’t create community. While we can’t prove ghosts exist, there is a level of skill involved in the areas surrounding it. Whether it be blogging, podcasting, video, writing books, documenting, methodologies that resonate with others, educating, etc. That is something measurable. For content creators, it’s an audience. You don’t build an audience without putting in the work and creating meaningful content that resonates with people. I’ve noticed that the people who complain usually haven’t done much in the field besides socializing on social media and are unaware of just how much work the field can require if you’re looking to make an impact, let alone make some sort of difference in how we approach investigating and spirit communication. Could awards get some fine tuning on how they name their categories? Absolutely. Using the word “Best” is pretty controversial. Can we scrap that word? I think we do need a way to officially acknowledge people who are making strides in the field. It will bring awareness to their work and inspire others to do the same. I’ve found new people to follow because of awards. We have to start pushing the envelope in this field. This whole “everyone’s the same” is nonsense rhetoric perpetuated by people who are only doing this to expand their social life and make as many friends as they can instead of actually putting in any impactful work. That’s not a bad reason to be in this field, but don’t drag down the people who are putting their boots to the ground. EXPERTS IN THE PARANORMAL

There are few people in this community that I would consider an expert of the paranormal. Loyd Auerbach is one of them. But other than that, I believe there are no experts of the paranormal. But there are experts in the paranormal. Allow me to explain. There are experts in photography, audio, videography, cultural folklore, psychology, etc. These people are part of the paranormal field and are offering their expertise. Yet, they are often (and quickly) dismissed because “no one is an expert” in the paranormal. People who use this excuse have no desire to move the field forward and are just happy with their dust orbs in their photos and videos. But there are so many of this type of person in the community that paranormal research is becoming stagnant. Television shows aren’t utilizing these experts because they couldn’t use dust as demonic plot devices anymore. So yes, there are experts in a variety of areas in the paranormal. We need to start listening to them.

Alex X

Alex Matsuo is a paranormal researcher and investigator based in the Washington DC area. She is the founder of the Association of Paranormal Study and runs the blog and YouTube channel, “The Spooky Stuff.” Alex has been featured in the TV shows “Haunted Hospitals” and “Most Terrifying Places in America.” In addition, she has written several books about the paranormal. You can follow Alex on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @thespookystuff.