The last post resulted in a deluge of questions. Well, two - but for this blog that's a deluge.
Southern Writer asks:
Heh. On this side of the pond, we call it reality TV.
Good point. We have that too, but those who volunteer for it deserve torment.
But never mind that now ... tell us more about these ghosts who should not have been awakened. What do you know about them? Are they the ghosts of rapists and murderers and such, or are they a different species altogether?
Not so much awakened as let through the door. Some are human ghosts (if you don't think humans are dangerous, read the news). A few are not. There are other forms of life, and I know I'll be called a crank for saying it. I stopped worrying about that a long time ago. Now, I don't mean take-over-the-world or let-Hell-loose Hollywood type creatures. I don't mean demons, though some would call them that.
Imagine another reality overlapping this one. If you don't have sufficient imagination to do that, read no further. In that other reality is a Romulus Crowe who tells the inhabitants about our human world. Most laugh at the very notion. Most don't believe we could exist. A few will take up the idea and try to find a way through. Most demons don't believe in us. A sobering thought.
What happens when humans get a sniff of ghosts? Amateurs play with Ouija boards, table-tipping and other 'games'. The ghosts aren't, to them, real living things. They are toys. Why should any other species regard their 'ghosts' differently? When someone playing with the supernatural connects with another, playing their own supernatural games, they create a bridge.
As with humans, those playing on the other side don't regard their findings as life. Just as entertainment. As with humans, those playing around on the other side aren't usually the brightest sparks in the fire. They are the ones who tease cats, who poke dead rats, who kick dogs. That's what they do to things they regard as real. They don't think we're alive.
Most 'demons' are idiots from another reality. They don't want to take over the world. They're just poking the dead rat. Why would they stop? To them, we're not even real.
Vicious humans are worse. Spiteful, self-centred, hate-filled souls are more common than serial killers and can be far more dangerous. The non-human 'demons' usually get bored and go away, or die in their own realities. Note that few poltergeist manifestations last longer than a human lifetime, for example. Human ghosts hang around longer.
If they can't be returned once they're summoned, what becomes of them?
You can't put toothpaste back in the tube because it's been there and knows not to fall for that trick again. You can put toothpaste in a different tube, one it hasn't seen before. They can be tricked into a different containment. Most 'demons' aren't too bright. If they don't get caught, I think they become administrators and politicians. There are many current heads of state I'd regard as demonic. Have you heard of the game 'Second Life'? I think they might be playing their own version of that.
How can we know if a ghost we're seeing is benign or malevolent?
If it tries to kill you, that's not good. If you recognise the ghost then it's most likely okay, but remember that what you 'see' is projected into your mind. Few 'demons' are smart enough to fake an image but a few are. If you suspect it's not who you think it is, a few questions will soon show them up.
What are some of the ways they're being summoned? Will simple ghost hunting in itself conjure them? Do some things, like Ouija boards or trigger objects, invite them?
Any reputable medium will tell you that the phrase 'Is (so-and-so) there?' is an invitation. The phrase 'Is anybody there?', as uttered by halfwits on TV shows is an open invitation to any spirit, human or otherwise, trying to get through. A better, much safer phrasing is 'Who's there?' because it demands an identity. Never underestimate the power of invitation. And never trust any response. Ghosts are dead people, and people lie.
Ouija boards are a recent invention. This is used by sceptics to 'debunk' them. In fact, they were invented as a means of making money from the spiritualist craze. The inventors might not even have believed in the supernatural. They might have seen nothing more than a business opportunity. However, they were based on previous, long-standing spirit communication methods and effectively put the atom bomb within reach of the amateur. They do work. They do allow spirit contact BUT they are not selective in who, or what they contact. You might reach Aunt Flo with one of these or you might reach someone or something that's pretending to be Aunt Flo. With the limited contact allowed by that board, you can't tell. It's an open radio. You have no idea what's coming through. It works by the attraction of the life force of the people using the board and it's specificity is less if none of the sitters believe. They're all pressing for a result even if they claim to be non-believers, otherwise they wouldn't be sitting there. Pressing for a result, and not caring what that result might be, is like pressing a big red button labelled 'Don't press this'.
Trigger objects are neutral. They don't send an invitation. I'll post the 'rotating clown' story someday, when I have it sorted out.
What about simple fear? Could someone's fear of such things send out a signal, like fishbait in water? Do tell all!
Ah, the old 'blood in the water' theory of fear. I don't know for sure, but I think that can only apply to human ghosts. Dead bullies react to fear just like living ones. It's not a signal as such but if they've scared you once, they might try to do it again.
heyjude said...
Rom, sounds like you need to write another book to warn the naive about all the dangers.
There's little point trying to explain things to those too stupid to listen. Many times, the dangers of drink-driving, or using a mobile phone while driving have been explained in gory detail, yet the masses of morons that populate the world have declared themselves exempt from death and injury. In an earlier post I described how most people are too dense to realise there are other living people around, never mind dead ones.
I have a second edition in preparation but I don't fool myself into thinking it'll make a big difference. The world will always be populated with 99% dopes, and we'll always elect the dopiest to lead us.
Did that answer the questions? I have to go now to see if the clown rotated.
6 comments:
Strictly speaking, Rom, this is not my cup of tea. You know that.
But, man, you are interesting!
Not only that but, "You can't put toothpaste back in the tube because it's been there and knows not to fall for that trick again."
And i see in your prior post that I am credited with the toothpaste axiom. I don't specifiically recall saying it, but I'm sure I must have (or a parallel world T.S.) At any rate, it's true. When I step on a tube and it all comes out and I spend hours trying to coax it back in again, very little of it ever cooperates.
Actually, Rom, now that I think about it, I do have an experience for you. This makes absolutely no sense to me. Maybe it will to you.
It's an experience my wife remembers as a teenager. A congregation member, who's family was all deeply involved in the spiritism (is that the term you would use? If not, it's an honest mistake on my part) came to visit. She quickly complained of a severe headache and thought perhaps something in the house was causing it. My wife's family thought that plausible and searched. Under the seat cushion she was sitting on was some sort of magic trick. Not a real trick, just one of those silly things they make for kids. My wife's mom or dad threw it out, and the headache abated.
This seems silly enough to me that I am almost too embarassed to submit it to you. But that's how my wife remembers it. It was a long time ago, perhaps some details are hazy. But she was there, it's not a story handed down.
Coincidence? Does that make any sense whatsoever, Rom? It almost seems too petty to be a worthy "ghost" story.
Okay, now I'm embarassed over that question. I take it back.
It's real, and all. It's just that I start to feel it's too silly to pester you with.
Tom, I understand and appreciate your reluctance to engage in this subject. One of the Witnesses who visits me is an artist, and makes a living at painting (he's very good at it). I suggested a local landmark as a possible subject but as it was surrounded by a graveyard he declined.
Witnesses, I know, are not allowed to involve themselves with the dead. I don't fully understand why, but I can see the reasoning behind it.
The issue with magic tricks for kids is that many are based on old systems of 'magic' that the makers of the trick don't really believe in. They still have efficacy. Believe in them or not. It's like saying you don't believe petrol will burn. It'll do it anyway. It's another example of putting the bomb methods in the hands of the public. In this case though, they're told it's just a toy and it won't hurt anyone. Let the children play with it. Why not let them poke their fingers in the fire while we're at it?
Harry Potter isn't relevant, it's all made up stuff. It's the old tricks, the Ouija boards and the table-tipping that worries me. Something’s moving the planchette, something’s lifting the table. There are no constraints on who or what is doing it and no requirement for them to identify themselves.
In your beliefs, all the good guys go to Heaven and therefore any spirit activities on Earth must be evil. I have different beliefs but you do have a point. Many contacts, especially those initiated by amateurs, are likely to release spirits who have been waiting for just such an opportunity. They rarely have beneficial intent.
One thing that’s confused me for a long time is that most religions ban alcohol intake while denying the existence of the dead. Alcohol, I’ve found, is the one thing that blanks them out. Logically, therefore, most religions should encourage boozing. Perhaps that’s why monks brewed such potent beers?
There are other forms of life, and I know I'll be called a crank for saying it.
Most 'demons' aren't too bright. If they don't get caught, I think they become administrators and politicians.
You're my favorite crank. You remind me of H.L. Mencken.
Have you heard of the game 'Second Life'?
I have, but I know nothing about it. I'm guessing it's sci-fi.
If you suspect it's not who you think it is, a few questions will soon show them up.
And if it's not who you hoped for, what then? How do you trick them into a new tube?
I'll post the 'rotating clown' story someday, when I have it sorted out.
You're such a tease. Can't you at least give us some hints?
Apologies to Tom, but this IS my cuppa tea. I'm always thrilled when you write on this subject. When will the next book be ready?
Hi SW.
'Second Life' is one of those online versions of reality-TV, where you can pretend to be someone else. Basically you set yourself up as a whole new identity and 'live' that life. As if coping with one world wasn't enough! I've never tried it but it's an interesting study in the psychology of escapism.
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Tricking them into a new tube isn't always easy, which is why it's best not to squeeze them out in the first place. If they contact you, they might be real or a bad one looking for an invite. Ask questions first; they can't come through without you allowing it. Ouija boards are an open invitation. Asking questions afterwards is too late.
As for the rotating clown, it proved to be a disappointment. I'll post it when I've sorted the photos.
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The next book will be much bigger. I keep finding new things to rant at.
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