Experience Vs. Evidence

"Experience is the teacher of all things."  (-Julius Caesar)

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the source of all true art and science."  (-Albert Einstein)

As some readers have noticed, and as I explained in an earlier post, the paranormal occurrences about which I've written here, thus far, are unprovable.  They took place over the course of my life, beginning in very early childhood, and continued throughout a time when the gathering of "evidence" for the sake of proving something or convincing others was of no concern to me.  In the beginning, things just happened.  As time went on, I began seeking out knowledge of the unexplained in the only ways I knew how:  reading voluminously, and actively entering into places and circumstances that might increase the chances of my experiencing something of a paranormal nature.  I did what I did.  I saw, heard, and felt what I saw, heard, and felt.
And I have only my stories to account for it.

[SIDEBAR:  You know what they say... Be careful what you ask for.  Throughout my teens and early twenties, much of this seeking involved deep study and practice of the occult, including involvement in foolhardy provocations and dangerous conjurings, and a deliberate state of "openness" to powers and principalities that--as I now know--are best left alone.  Like I said, this is not a course I'd recommend to anyone.  There are other ways of investigating the unexplained, Lighter ways which are far less likely to send an invitation for Dark forces to enter one's life.  Remember, as Nietzsche said, "And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."]

In my opinion, in regards to the paranormal, nothing beats real life experience when it comes to making a believer out of a skeptic.  Yes, I do believe the gathering of concrete evidence is a vital component of keeping the field of paranormal research moving forward.  However, no amount of cold evidence alone is going to convince a hardened skeptic of the reality of the paranormal.  This is especially true today, when you consider the vast array of multimedia technology available to anyone, which makes the fabrication of false-but-compelling evidence extremely easy.

No, I'm afraid the only way for a skeptic to be convinced of the reality of the paranormal is for them to experience it for themselves, to which any compelling evidence may be added as additional and welcome support.  Once you've been there and done that, you will believe.  Those of you who have, know exactly what I mean.

My intention for this blog is to first relate my own early experiences, in order to provide the reader with an understanding of where it is I'm coming from, as an individual and as a paranormal researcher.  As I've stated, none of these accounts can be proven.  If they ring true with you, if you have had similar experiences, or if you know and trust someone else who has, it is my hope that they might help validate what you already know to be so.  Conversely, the skeptical reader may find them entertaining, but will inevitably write them off as hogwash; I'm okay with that, too.  Once my backstory is adequately documented, this blog will proceed with the sharing of accounts and evidence that have been gathered, both by S.P.I.R.I.T. and by other paranormal investigators. 

From time to time, as it is a particular interest of mine, I will also here share examples and elements of mystic traditions and folklore from around the world, along with my thoughts on how they relate to contemporary explorations of the paranormal.

Capisce?

Good.

Onward!