Paranormal investigators often lament the lack of scientific interest in anomalous or paranormal claims. Many have stated they want to contribute to a shift in thinking about these anomalies, to “prove to science” (or scientists) that “the paranormal” exists. Some want to “change the science”. None of this makes any sense, though, since science is… Read More: Sometimes, an alien artifact is just a rock »
The flat earth idea vies for the most alternative geological idea out there. But the spookiest part may be the suggestion that the church, scientists, the government, the media, and private businesses are all conspiring to hide the truth from the rest of civilization. Flat earth ideas have gained traction as they have become political.
Examining the claims from the owners of a crystal mine tourist site in Arkansas who say that strange anomalies, including balls of light and levitation, occur on the site.
A trip to the first CryptidCon reveals how these mysterious monsters are represented in modern culture.
Devils Tower, a landmark of the Black Hills, isn’t just another chunk of volcanic rock. It is a native sacred place, an icon of cinema and UFO lore, and focus of other ridiculous alt-geo ideas.
There are three books that are explicitly titled “Confessions of a Ghost Hunter” – from 1928, 1936 and 2002. There is also one called “Confessions of a Reluctant Ghost Hunter” by Von Braschler (2014) that I confess I didn’t read. A defunct Facebook page and website also of the same name appears to be related. Several… Read More: Confessions about Confessions of Ghost Hunters »
A disappointing negative reaction came from my post on Why the Darwin Awards Must Die. Commenters were ignornant and cruel.
The Darwin Awards are a commodification of callous ghoulishness that celebrates people’s death and misfortune.
In the classic book Psychology of Superstition, Gustav Jahoda writes that beliefs are not just in our heads, they affect our behavior, and that self-fulfilling prophecy is not uncommon in human affairs (p. 8). Many events seem trivial and unspectacular, but when placed into a paranormal context, they take on a new and enhanced meaning.… Read More: The manufactured, badly-behaved Ouija demon: Zozo (Book Review) »
In August 1986, approximately 1800 people living in a 15-mile radius of Lake Nyos in Cameroon didn’t live to see the morning, dying by suffocation from toxic gas exhaled from the bottom of the lake.
The Stone Tape “Theory” is touted regularly as a potential explanation for residual hauntings. Is it scientific? What does a geologist think about it?
The “stone tape theory” is frequently used as a sciencey-sounding explanation to explain residual hauntings – appearances of images, sounds, and apparitions that do not interact directly with people. The premise is that the rock or building materials somehow record the event and play it back like a film. But they never asked a geologist about it.
I’m still doing research on the Stone Tape idea, as a paranormally-curious geologist does. I was interested in obtaining a book by T.C. Lethbridge because his name comes up repeatedly as a promoter of the concept. It’s been a tricky thing to trace the origin without having easy access to the literature in print. I’ll… Read More: Arrogant and confused, ghost and ghoul (Book Review) »
Psychometry – the ability to measure the “soul” – was used in the mid-19th century to “read” the history of rocks. One geologists believed it could revolutionize the field as certain sensitive people could receive psychic impressions from objects.
The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan is a pit formed after a mistake by exploratory drillers. Fueled by natural gas, it’s been impossible to extinguish and has been called a “gate to hell”. More appropriately, it’s been a gateway to tourist dollars.
Dowsing (water divining or water witching) doesn’t work any better than chance or through use of surface clues. So why does it still spark heated arguments and create once-skeptical converts even today? Does it still have a place in modern well drilling?
I’m researching the history of the Stone Tape “theory” of haunting for Spooky Geology. It’s something I’ve been working on in bits and pieces for several years now. I’ve watched the teleplay/movie The Stone Tape and have keyed into any mention of the idea from various paranormalists. One website mentioned that some paranormalists may have… Read More: Confusing speculative “language of stone” (Book Review) »
A common twinning habit of the mineral staurolite results in cross-like crystal formations and guarantees it will be perceived as magical. It’s common in Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia.
Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch, by Lyle Blackburn (2017) This is Blackburn’s third book in a semi-series of volumes on southern bipedal creatures. I reviewed the other two books as well: Chronicle of the Lizard Man (Book Review) Definitive guide to the Fouke monster – Beast of Boggy Creek (Book review)… Read More: Monster tales of the southern swamps (Book Review) »
I feel I should preface this book review with an explanation of why I, a person that rejects paranormal explanations (for good reason), would be interested in reading books about cryptozoology and strange accounts. I think stories are valuable and people like them. I have no problems with authors collecting and relating stories from history… Read More: Monsters (and sciencey-sounding nonsense) Among Us – Book Review »