| Peering into the Paranormal by Loyd Auerbach The field of parapsychology, and its precursor psychical research, has been looking at psychic experiences for more than a century. Lab studies have yielded a number of interesting trends in people's experiences. The research has yielded some very interesting, though non-psychic explanations for some experiences people label psychic. The real roots of parapsychology lie in field investigations and studies. While early psychical researchers did introduce controls to their work with mediums and psychics, much was focused on the experiences of average people of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis and life-after-death related phenomena. While much of the 20th century focus of parapsychology seemed to be lab-intensive, in reality many parapsychologists continued the interest in everyday psychic experiences, including reports of apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists. I've been investigating various psychic phenomena for more than 25 years. Much of my work has involved psychic experiences of average people and working with psychics. However, looking into individual psychic experiences is a quick process, whereas as an investigator I spend more time on the more ghostly encounters. The word ghost means many things to many people in different cultures and religions. Generally, the word has come to mean something (or someone) that exists without a body, yet can be perceived by us living folks. The word is associated with some part of living people and animals -- sometimes called spirit -- that survives the death of the body. However, ghost has also been applied to disembodied beings that were never alive, such as the ideas of demons and angels that come from some religions and mythologies. Most parapsychologists limit the use of the term ghosts to the more common application of spirits of the dead, or apparitions, the term generally used in parapsychology. These are quite different from hauntings or poltergeists. An apparition is our personality (or spirit, soul, consciousness, mind or whatever you want to call it) surviving the death of the body, and is capable of interaction with the living (and presumably other apparitions). The term haunting relates to the concept that a location (or object) holds/records information about its history. Our own psychic abilities allow us to pick up certain playback of this history, including sightings of people. However, these are recordings, not conscious beings, referred to as "place memory" and "residual hauntings." The term poltergeist, while translated as "noisy ghost," relates to a situation in which physical effects, such as moving objects, are caused by the subconscious mind of a living agent, generally someone in the household undergoing emotional and/or psychological stress. Effects are caused by psychokinesis (PK) -- mind over matter. While I'm in Minneapolis April 23-25, I'll present three different events dealing with psychic experiences of different types. While two of the events are ghost-related, the third will focus on psychic information from the apparent future. First, I'll present a number of my more exciting cases of apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists. I'll talk about some of the basics of dealing with ghosts and how parapsychologists often deal with them. You'll have fun, learn why fear of the paranormal is not part of my vocabulary, and will be entertained and possibly a bit spooked (though more likely laughing). During my Saturday workshop, to a more limited group, attendees will learn how parapsychologists and the more professional paranormal investigators actually go about playing detective in reported cases of apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists. Think of this as the basic training for ghost hunters, though it's also applicable for anyone who wants to learn to deal with such cases. I'll be covering the methods and tools of the investigator, as well as how to help bring cases to a resolution. I'll discuss how psychics fit in and how even investigators can learn to be a bit psychic on the job. Finally, I want to share how these cases have affected my own outlook on life (and death). During the final afternoon session, I'll change paths and switch over to that ability that fascinates most of us, precognition: information flowing to us from the future. Parapsychologists have evidence that precognition exists. Research indicates that people can predict some future events, but not all. Sometimes precognition works well, and sometimes not. I'll discuss a variety of theories of time and timelines, especially in the context of our apparent ability to predict the future. I'll cover the varied ways precognitive information pops up in our lives, including in our dreams, and some of the interesting research in parapsychology. Psychic experiences are part of our normal human existence. While certainly not as common as ESP and even PK experiences, encounters with apparitions and hauntings are still more common than people think. Paranormal means "on the side of normal," but in reality these experiences are very much part of us. Understanding them is tough, but worth the time and energy. Loyd Auerbach will present three events April 23-25 at Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, 4401 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis. "True Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings" will be at 7 p.m. Friday, April 23 ($10). "Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal" will be from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 24 ($100, limited seating). "Predicting the Future, Changing the Future" will be from 1:30-5 p.m. Sunday, April 25 ($40, limited seating). Tickets are available at Stonehenge rocks & rituals, 2520 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis. Call (612) 827-5352. For more information, call Neva Turnock at (612) 867-0029. Buy tickets for all three events and receive $10 off and a special CD. Loyd Auerbach, M.S., is considered a leading expert on ghosts and psychic experience. With a master's degree in Parapsychology, he is director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations, a founder of the Paranormal Research Organization, a professor at JFK University, president of the Psychic Entertainers Association, and the author of several books and tapes on the paranormal. He is a consulting editor and columnist for the St. Paul-based FATE magazine. His newest book is Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal (Ronin Publishing, 2004). Visit his extensive website on the paranormal at www.mindreader.com. Copyright © 2004 Loyd Auerbach |
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April 2004 |
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