Ghost Files

Ghost Files

3.16.5

Welcome back my friends, to this show that ceases to quit. You have officially left the realm of the living and entered the shadow-dimension that is, Ghost Files. But fear not, as you’ll soon find out, there are many that share your interest.

This week I present to you some updates in the community of paranormal investigation and its trends for the future. There’s also a tell-all about everyone’s favorite cloaked skeleton.

Prepare to enter, the Ghost Files…

:: Top Story ::

Interested in ghosts? You’re not alone…

Ghostly goings on to be discussed

BBC News - Tuesday, 8 March, 2005

Quote:

People interested in the paranormal are due to converge on the Scottish capital to discuss the topic. The event, said to be Britain's first paranormal festival, will take place in Edinburgh over 10 days in May.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk%5Fnews/scotland/4329283.stm

A paranormal festival sounds like a good time. Apparently they will tour all the ghostly hot-spots of Scotland and gauge experiences using all varieties of sensors to measure environmental changes that may account for any suspected paranormal activity.

What caught my eye in the article was the position of the host of the festival, Professor Richard Wiseman. It states that he believes ghosts are simply figments of people’s imaginations, influenced by environmental conditions (i.e. wind and temperature changes).

I find it interesting that an apparent skeptic would carry out such an event. Though it seems to be a well thought-out attempt to try and understand ghostly phenomena.

Professor Wiseman may also have a point. The mind can think up some pretty strange things, especially under stress. I find it completely logical that if alone in a dark, old house that has history of paranormal happenings that I may too account many mundane occurrences as poltergeist activity.

:: Ghost Hunting ::

Perhaps a new fad is beginning?

Ghost hunters in search of the paranormal

Victoria Schlesinger - Columbia News Service; Mar. 10, 2005 12:00 AM

Quote:

Across the nation, people like Franz are using modern technology to answer an age-old question: Do ghosts exist? These paranormal enthusiasts are harnessing Web sites to share their hair-raising stories, just like kids swap spooky tales around a crackling campfire.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/pop/articles/0310ghosthunter10.html

As is the case with most hobbies or interests, the paranormal has also found its niche on the World Wide Web. A Google search for ‘Ghost Hunting’ replies nearly 1 million results. Basically every major city across the country has its own investigation society.

The article credits the popularity of paranormal investigation to mass media such as ‘White Noise’ and Sci-fi channel’s ‘Ghost Hunting.’ While I would beg to differ on ‘White Noise’ (see previous Ghost Files), from what little I’ve seen of ‘Ghost Hunters,’ I found it to be an enjoyable program.

As far as actual investigation goes, I think most hunters are less scientific in their approach, and focused more on its thrill-seeking aspects. Case in point:

Quote:

"I love history and going to old houses and places and knowing there's possibly spirits there," Franz said. "It's almost like a high."

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. I think it’s just good that people are out there, searching for answers, and recording results. Even if ghost hunting is used for entertainment purposes, widespread popularity would be the best way to increase the chances of finding credible proof.

I like to compare it to amateur astronomy. There are governmental and institutionally funded astronomy programs, but also a slew of so-called ‘backyard’ astronomers. I find it comforting that if an astonishing event occurred in the sky, odds are someone would have seen it. I think the same holds true with paranormal activity. If no one’s looking, we’ll never find anything.

:: In-Depth ::

Imagine opening your front door and beholding an eight-foot tall figure enveloped in a pitch-black, tattered cloak and holding a menacing scythe of rusted steel and rotten wood. Its face is concealed in pure darkness. Slowly its arm begins to rise, revealing a snowy white hand of polished bone. “It’s your time…”

I am describing, of course, the image of the Grim Reaper. He is the symbol of death--and quite frightening, in my opinion. Recently I began to ponder where this concept of a death-dealing phantom began.

Like many myths, this one finds its origins in ancient Greece. Legend has it that Chronus, a Titan and future father to Zeus et al, was a personification of the concept of time. His name later became the prefix in ‘Chronology’.

Uranus, his father, confined the Titans in Gaia (Earth), his mother. Gaia grew tired of this and gave Chronus his signature sickle. With it, Chronus removed Uranus’ genitals which fell to the sea and later created Aphrodite. That’s got to hurt!

It is believed that, because of his sickle, Chronus was considered a harvest god—worshipped by a civilization prior to the Greeks. (The story of Chronus’ overthrow at the hands of Zeus represents the Greeks conquering the older culture.) Harvesting is time oriented with set growing seasons. It is also a symbol of death because of the end of the seasons, as well as comparisons between the life-cycle of humans and crops.

It was in the Middle Ages that the Reaper took on his skeletal appearance. He is often depicted in black robes with an hourglass and crow. The hourglass represents time, and the sands thereof. The crow is a symbol of consumption, both of crops and corpses.

It’s unclear if anyone has actually encountered a physical embodiment of the Grim Reaper. It seems to be more of a concept and a symbol than an actual being. Or is it no one who’s seen it has lived to tell the tale? You be the judge.

Resource: http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html

:: Dead End ::

Time is fleeting, and so are the Files. We are once again at the conclusion, and it is time to bring this experiment to a close. Thank you for reading and for your support. Till next week, this is Khyron, signing off.

~Khyron, 2005.