My university undergrad was mostly filled with anthropology and archaeology classes. I had a deep interest in how we as a species had developed from chipping chert in the Olduvai Gorge to standing with our eyes facing down into our smartphones. That interest in the development of people and culture […]
Columns
Groupthink and cults: a terrifying combination that is far too pervasive
The last week has been rather sensational for murder cults and couples. Former Manson Family member Leslie Van Houten is looking down the barrel of freedom, while Canadian serial rapist and teen killer, Paul Bernardo, was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec. Van Houten, 73, witnessed California’s 2nd District […]
Folklore is littered with chimeras — all the more reason to dissect the fiction
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a chimera as an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts. It seems the perfect term to use when discussing the strange creatures our ancestors first bore witness to when they were exploring the world. Imagine the first time an explorer crossed paths with a tapir, capybara, […]
Peter Usborne influenced generations with The World of the Unknown books
The World of the Unknown: Ghosts is a book that sends an electrical current of energy through all of those involved in the paranormal. It connects us all. Its cousins, two further books on Monsters and UFOs published by Usborne Books, kept those with vivid imaginations hyperactive. All three of The World of the Unknown books […]
10,000 dreams interpreted, but not one explanation for why I dreamt about the paranormal
Our dreams are a fascinating reflection of who we are. They change as we grow as people, often dissolving our anxieties, interactions and thoughts into one big thick stew of images that are often challenging to interpret. Carl Jung once wrote in his collection of essays, Civilization in Transition, “The […]
Paranormal myths and the pitfalls to avoid
Becoming a paranormal investigator is not a decision that should be taken lightly or without having given it serious consideration. Through the course of investigating the afterlife, a paranormal investigator can be subjected to physical assaults, psychological attacks and spiritual dangers such as attachments, oppression and even possession. It has […]
MacKenzie House: The story of a firebrand phantom or historical hoax?
A picture has a way of making you feel certain things, but no matter what picture I have seen of the house with the black double four-panel door, it always just looks insidious. Given all of the rumours surrounding the MacKenzie House, others must also get this feeling. Is there […]
Portals are a key element of the paranormal lore
There are many aspects of the paranormal that is still shrouded in mystery and lead to heated discussions within the paranormal community. One such concept is the paranormal portal, which is still pretty obscure in terms of the amount of research, documentation or even articles written about it. If there […]
When it comes to spirituality and the climate crisis, I’m more in tune with nature
The current climate crisis and accompanying erratic weather — deadly heat waves in Europe and the high swells in Hawaii — have me thinking about my spirituality. I’ve never been one for organized religion. I’ll admit to being an apatheist — one who has a general apathy towards the existence […]
African-American beliefs lack representation in paranormal film, television
The paranormal field has not only created divisivenesses based on an individual’s beliefs or interests but it has sadly been underrepresented in the media in terms of diversity. “Ghost Brothers” was one of the only — and still is to this date except for “Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files” where […]