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 is no clear definition, we should establish what would be considered to be a paranormal portal.
It could be defined as either a geographical location or as a human conduit, such as a medium, that would allow lines of communication or a path for spirits to move from one side to the other and contact the living.
However, with this definition comes a series of questions. We will ask these questions and then offer some theories for reflection.
Origins of Portals
What could cause the creation of a portal?
Are various portals allowing spirits to move back and forth?
Various theories can explain what can create a portal.
The stigma theory states that events charged with trauma — death through conflict, murder or suicide — have strong emotional repercussions and can leave a dark imprint on a location.
For example, Bobby Mackey’s Music World was a former slaughterhouse where thousands of animals were killed and the waste was washed into the Licking River. It could generate negative energy. Combine that with the alleged murder of a young woman named Pearl Bryan and that dark mark can, in theory, amplify paranormal activity or, in the worst case, create a portal.
This can work in correlation with the stone tape theory, which states that ghosts and hauntings — created by traumatic events — could be recorded into rocks and earth, like a battery. They can be accessed and replayed under the right conditions.
Charles Babbage, a 19th-century polymath, who advanced his place-memory theory, speculated that even spoken words would remain in the air, despite becoming inaudible. Some people, perhaps more sensitive, would still be able to access those words through their senses.
The use of an ouija board for satanic rituals — with or without proper knowledge — could also play a role in creating a portal.
The second question would be are Portals connected? Could Spirits use portals to move from one location to another and therefore haunt another location?
As discussed previously, research is not in plentiful supply on the subject, so any answers we could provide would be mere theories.
My opinion is when it comes to residual hauntings — events which consist of the repetition of a moment in time, or loop, that happened in a specific location — the spirit me stuck in that location.
However, when it comes to intelligent hauntings, even if the spirit is connected to the location on any level, there might not be anything preventing the spirit from moving of its own free will.
Widening the scope
Ley lines are geographical lines drawn between various historical structures and prominent landmarks.
The theory is that the lines connect energy points throughout the globe and represent natural energy. The knowledge dates back to ancient civilizations such as the Mayans, the Incas and the Egyptians. These civilizations would erect buildings on these lines to harvest some of this natural energy.
These ley lines are supposed to work as superconductors for paranormal activity, amplifying the available energy for spirits to draw on.
However, as skeptical paranormal investigators, we always advance several theories to avoid assuming that everything is inexplicable. We have to counter with the fact that you can always draw a line between any two points on a map, and that does not necessarily mean there is any connection between them.
Link with Crystals
What do we know?
We know that in physics, the law of conservation of energy says the total energy of an isolated system remains constant and is said to be conserved over time. Energy can be transformed or transferred from one form to another (e.g. chemical energy to kinetic energy).
We know that a system will slowly lose energy unless kept isolated. We also know that some substances are known to slow down the loss of energy.
A great example of that can be illustrated by the processes used in the mummification process. Some mummies, such as the Turin mummy, as described in an article published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, date back to 3,700-3,500 BC, and are more preserved than a body today.
Some elements that can slow the decay of the human body have been recently identified and can add to mummification. First is sphagnan, which can be found in the sphagnum moss in Northern European bogs, as well as arid pits in Egypt, and it works to prevent the development of fungi and bacteria. Second are mercury baths, as well as charcoal and clay for Lady Dai in China. Third, simply the geographical environment for the Incan Mummies in the Andes Mountains.
However, there is still a gap between slowing the decay of a body and creating a battery for spirits to drain energy from.
A recent experiment at Aalto University in Finland saw the creation of two “time crystals” in the superfluid helium-3, set at the temperature of barely one-ten-thousandth of a degree above absolute zero.
Time crystals are unlike regular crystals like diamonds, which are organized in a lattice framework. Time crystals are organized in time rather than in space, and maintain a perpetual oscillating motion, without the input of energy.
This defies the concept known as entropy which stipulates that in time, systems grow irreversibly chaotic and therefore end up losing energy. Within time crystals, the system does not become chaotic, as any slight entropy would only affect that atom and would not spread to the entire system. It allows the repeating oscillations to continue, theoretically, in perpetuity.
We know that some crystals do have energy-related applications. For Example, quartz, a piezoelectric crystal, can transform energy from one form to another. When mechanical pressure is applied to it, a voltage can be created, transforming mechanical energy into an electrical one.
Moreover, a recent study led by the Tokyo Institute of Technology, showed that quartz crystals, made of silicon dioxide crystals, could be the source of energy that powers the core of the Earth.
It is also interesting to note that limestone, a sedimentary rock that is considered within the community to have potential in terms of amplifying paranormal phenomena, can recrystallize as marble.
A strange new multiverse
Portals have been theorized as entries to the multiverse. If we follow this theory, spirits coming through these portals would not be spirits of the deceased, but a version of people from another multiverse.
This is an interesting idea to ponder, as more often with the paranormal community than not we tie spirits to specific locations. An example of this would be the spirits of Trans-Allegheny Asylum patients or the Moore family at the Villisca Axe Murders house.
However, it would be intriguing if these spirits could move around as they please and leave a location. We may wonder if the trauma of the death connects them involuntarily to the location.
Conclusion
Portals are key elements of paranormal lore. Many theories exist to add more to the conversation, and more theories will be posited in the future.
We offered a few to help add to that discussion. As always, the best way to implement and promote discoveries is through sharing ideas.
Anton Buchberger is the founder and lead investigator of Pandemonium Paranormal. He can be found on Instagram and Twitter.
Photo of Bobby Mackey’s Music World courtesy of Google Maps