S.O.R. Unit Conducts House Blessing

Three members of the Spiritual and Occult Research Unit of the Natchez Area Paranormal Society traveled to an undisclosed home in another part of Mississippi last month to conduct a house blessing and clearing, along with several other actions in order to help a family troubled by significant paranormal activity.

This case, which began in 2008, was taken over by NAPS in September of 2011 based upon a request by the Team Leader of another paranormal team that NAPS works closely with. This Team Leader was contacted by the family for help after years of frustration and little relief. This leader recognized that the case might very well include the presence of demonic or evil spirits, and knew that NAPS works regularly with such cases, and that it is an area of specialty for our team. (Members of our S.O.R. Unit are constantly working such cases.) It actually turned out that the case only involved mild demonic presence, but nevertheless was an extremely complex case that had to be handled carefully.

The unit's finding concluded that several factors were in play, two of which were: significant sensitivity of one of the family members which attracted spirits; and, spirit attachment to an object which was purchased at a sale and moved into the home. Team Leader Mike Chapman explained, "This ended up being an extremely complex case, and the case file we have on this situation is one of the thickest files we have. We worked very hard on this case, for this family. We learned a lot while investigating their case, and feel very honored and privileged to have worked with them to get to the bottom of what was going on and why, and come up with a plan to resolve the problem based upon our conclusions. There were many factors involved, both predisposing historical factors on the site, as well as factors specific to the family that then moved into the home, which we call "precipitating factors." They all combined to set off the activity."

Mike further described one of the predisposing factors that contributed to the activity was that a former homeowner worked in a cemetery and brought home tombstones to the property. "This was a very unwise thing to do in my opinion, and most probably was one factor in the haunting or spirit activity in the home. He was probably unaware that doing this would cause this, but sometimes innocent or naive behavior or activity opens up a doorway and the spirits come through. This case though, had over half a dozen contributing factors that led to this activity, not just that. It wasn't any one thing, it was the combination of many things." 

The unit's finding indeed concluded that no less than seven major factors contributed to this family's misery, and at least fourteen total factors that contributed to one degree or another. This led to one of the most complex and lengthy lists of "Recommendations for Case Resolution" that the team has ever compiled, with no less than nineteen action points. Seven of those resolution action points were for the team to do, and twelve were left to the family to complete and work on. The team has finished its seven, and now the ball is in the family's court so to speak. Mike reports that progress is being made. "I'm especially proud of the dad in this family. He has taken leadership and appears to be working the plan. He definitely loves his family and I hope and pray it works out. We have done all we can, the rest is up to them. That's the bottom line with all of these cases. We do our best and work very hard to understand what is going on and help bring clarity to a family or person in need, but in the end we can only do so much. The real work is done by them. It's simply a matter of free will. They have to exercise their free will and be very persistent about it if they want a positive outcome." 

The unit members conducted the house blessing, which is a form of deliverance ministry. Mike explained further, "We prefer to have clergy do this if at all possible. However, because this family's minister was not at all open to this, and due to the distance, we will not hesitate to pray for a family and go through their home for them. The alternative, which is to leave them without help or assistance, would be immoral in my opinion.

Christ, through the general priesthood, has given all Christians the authority to do this sort of thing. What is important to me personally is to be humble, and give clergy the opportunity to lead. But if they refuse or can't, we are all empowered by the Holy Spirit to do such things. I would strongly advise though, that not just anyone do this. I do think it is a calling and should be done by individuals trained, called, and experienced to do this work. There are consequences and counter actions that come because of what we do. I call this "blow-back." The demons know who we are, and they do not at all like what we do. But, "greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world." And, to be honest, it's more than just binding any demons and having them leave, it's praying for God's peace to settle upon the family and also for any lingering humans souls to move on to their eternal rest. It's not all just about any possible demons that are harassing or oppressing them."

Definitely one of the more interesting aspects of this case, besides one of the children being significantly sensitive to spirits (which contributed to attracting them as if this child were a lighthouse in the darkness) was the object which had spirit attachment to it, known as psychometry. A few days after removing this object off of the site, which was "bound and sealed" by prayers, holy water and blessed oil so that any spirits attached would not flee back inside the home or property or attach themselves to any of the investigators or their belongings, the object was again sealed, prayed over, and destroyed. In December, while in the home, teams members had their own personal encounter with spirits attached to this object, which the family had complained about for years. Mike added, "I will say this, that something was definitely attached to that object, without question. We don't know why, the family purchased it at a sale. So, whether it was used in some ungodly rites or some unholy activity, we don't know. We just became convinced that the family was telling the truth about this object because we had experiences of our own with it." This is not the first time investigators have had to deal with object attachment. "Actually, we've dealt with several objects recently, such as books, Ouija boards, and a tribal mask," he advised. 

Apparently, the object also did not want to fade away quietly in the night either. The team found it difficult to destroy. Mike explained his personal experience, "Yeah, that was quite unexpected. I doused it with gasoline, and after sprinkling it with a few drops of holy water and praying over it one last time to bind the demon or spirit to go to the Cross and have Christ command it where to go, I lit it afire. The gas burned off, and immediately the fire went out. This object should have burned easily. I left it alone for a few days and went back a second time. I prayed over it again, sprinkled holy water on it - certainly not enough to prevent it from burning - and then really doused it, I mean soaked it, with gasoline. I lit it again, and the same thing happened. The gas burned off, and the flame was just a small little flicker on one little area. I walked away and started to leave again. However, I decided to sit down about forty yards away and pray, to ask God to allow it to burn, to be destroyed. Another investigator showed up just after, and little by little it caught up. We added some wood nearby to help it, and soon it was roaring. It is now gone, destroyed. Maybe it's because of prayer and the promise "where two or more are gathered in my name, there I will be also" had something to do with it. I suppose we had our own little Elijah moment, I'm not sure. The main thing is, I'm glad it's gone."  

The S.O.R. Unit, according to Mike, now turns its attention to two other cases, one in Mississippi, and one in Louisiana. Meanwhile, the team at-large is focused upon the Eola Hotel public case investigation and the Glenburnie - Goat Castle Murder investigation, for this August's TV Production with Natchez TV and producer Eric Glatzer.

Myrtles Ghost Photo

by Mike Chapman

On Left: This photograph was taken of the infamous mirror in the parlor at The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, LA. How many figures do you see?


The photo was given to me recently by relatives and I had a chance to speak to them in depth about the circumstances surrounding it. We are calling this photo the Newsome-Clay Photograph, based upon Patricia Newsome who took the shot, and Kathleen Clay, her sister, who was with her and is on the left in the photo. The other lady near the mirror was the Myrtles Tour Guide. These three ladies were the only three people (alive!) there at the time.


Photo on Left: This is a cropped close-up of the bottom right portion of the photograph above.

Navajo Task Force Investigates the Paranormal

A friend of ours who lives in Arizona sent the following story to me, which as a cop I find very interesting and refreshing. It's nice to know an agency that takes the reports seriously enough to at least investigate them and become adept at understanding the many nuances of paranormal investigating.

WINDOW ROCK, AZ (CBS5) -

With this story, keep in mind that we really do tell it like it is - even when it is hard to believe. There is a law enforcement agency in Arizona that actually welcomes claims of the paranormal -- ghosts, witchcraft, UFOs and even Bigfoot. CBS 5 News obtained dozens of photos and case files from strange scenes and sightings in northeastern Arizona. Most police won't take reports like this. But about 10 years ago, officials on the Navajo Reservation decided to stop the snickering, to treat these witnesses with respect and thoroughly investigate. Only one agency -- the Navajo Nation Rangers -- stepped up to the plate. For the first time ever, they are sharing their documents exclusively with CBS 5 News.

Retired Lt. John Dover explains that Navajo Nation Rangers are a federal law enforcement resource. They manage national parks, archaeological sites, fish and wildlife services and more as officers of the law. Dover spent 31 years in police work -- the last 10 included claims of the paranormal.

"Haunted locations and things going bump in the night," he said. "Objects appearing out of the air and dropping onto the floors, objects flying across rooms, ceramic vessels exploding and then we got involved in UFO investigations." In one of the most solid cases, a mother and daughter describe a mass of lights floating over uninhabited reservation land in January. As they watched, the lights blinked out after a few seconds, followed by a sonic boom, a black domed craft and the entire town of Chinle losing power.

Their drawings are strikingly vivid -- blue, orange and white colors stand out against a dark landscape.

There are also reports of Bigfoot. The hairy creature is most often associated with the Pacific Northwest. However, both the Apache and Navajo tribes say they've got Sasquatch too. One case Dover investigated had 30 witnesses. "We came out with physical evidence," he said. "Hair samples, footprints, stride distances, logs that had been pulled out of the bog area and removed -- normal people wouldn't have been able to do that."

Here in Arizona, so-called paranormal activity is abundant, but serious investigation is not. Just ask Jim Mann, state director of the research organization MUFON. Mann told CBS 5 News, "Tribal lands are filled with Native American legends and folklore and we know those people take the UFO phenomenon very seriously." Mann said partnering with the Rangers is a huge step forward for the field of paranormal research. "It's always been the history that unfortunately the news media has sort of rolled their eyes at us and snickered at us," he said. "We have to grow up and realize this phenomena is really happening and we have to get over the giggle factor."

Dover says 10 years of investigations have revealed a wealth of information. Witnesses are comfortable speaking with officers who promise to be thorough and protect their anonymity. "Maybe we don't believe it," he said. "Maybe we don't hold every belief that you do, but we're going to investigate it rather meticulously and professionally. We'll report it and let the chips fall where they will." More often than not, Dover said those chips fall on the side of truth. "Their testimony would be accepted in a court of law. The confidence level is high," he said. "We've seen them ourselves on occasion. We've seen cigar-shaped craft flying low, we've seen orbs. I had one follow me for about 30 minutes one time."

Dover retired from the Rangers last year but still consults unofficially on the side. The Rangers continue to take paranormal reports. "The cases are coming from people that are just normal people who were very afraid -- something unusual was happening to them," he said. "They didn't know what was going on, they didn't know if it was military, something supernatural, if it was witchcraft. They wanted answers and they wanted to know that somebody cared enough about them to find those answers for them."

You can meet Dover on March 11. That Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Harkins Shea 14 Theatre, Dover and other guests will attend a screening of the documentary The Phoenix Lights. They will take questions from the audience along with filmmaker and witness Dr. Lynne Kitei. 

Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Click on this link to go to the story, which includes a video clip that is interesting.

Top Ten Site! Thank You For Your Votes!

Top Paranormal Sites: Top 10 and Top 100

On the website topparanormalsites.com, which is the best and highest quality site for ranking paranormal websites, N.A.P.S. is consistently ranked well within the top 100 of ALL genres of paranormal sites worldwide, including Ghost, UFO and Cryptozoology sites.  Last fall, we were running consistently around 70 to 80th in rank, which is very impressive. That has improved though, thanks to your votes for us, to where we are running consistently in the 50-60 ranking! More importantly, in our category of sites by Paranormal Investigation Teams, we moved from consistently running 8th or 9th in the world to where we now are consistently 3rd or 4th!!! We are proud of this because it means that our message and approach to the field is relevant, is heard, and people are hopefully learning and being educated about the after-life and how to understand it - at least in part. It also means that a significant number of people recognize are hard work and attempt to provide a quality site. It's always nice to know your work is appreciated. So, thank you very, very much for taking the time to vote for us!

Due to this consistency, this has earned us a Top Ten Site ranking by Top Paranormal sites, and our button reflects that status later in the week when voting begins to tabulate. 

Thank you to all of you who drop in and visit, and vote for us, especially our regular readers!  Please let us know how we can serve you better, and what you would like to hear more about! Please keep it up!

Eola Hotel Apparition Photo (FLIR i7 Image)

The following photos were taken during a joint NAPS investigation with MPS out of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Photo at Left:
FLIR i7 image taken by NAPS investigator Adam Chapman in Room 410. You can see the female's shoulders, and the right side of her face, which is turned slightly away at a angle, as if she is looking to our right. The apparition is of her head and upper torso. Her nose is clearly visible, as is her chin. Her hair, which is long, is wrapped around her right ear and down her back, but her hair on her left side is flowing down in front. Her body is at a tilt to the right.





Photo Enhancement at Left:
This is the same photo, which has been cropped to the area of the apparition, gray-scaled and contrasted so the apparition will be clearer. This enhancement clearly shows her head, neck, and right shoulder. You can even see the neckline of her clothing at the bottom of her neck. Her right shoulder, at the corner, seems to curve up, as in revealing the way old-time dresses had trim, or puffed up, right at point of the shoulder ending and the sleeve beginning. If you click on the photo it should enlarge...and then you can then even make out her eyes, nose and lips.

What is interesting about this image is that history reports a long line of paranormal experiences by many people with the ghost of the daughter of the hotel builder. She died when she was only sixteen, and her name was Eola. Yes, the hotel was named after her.

Could this be the image of Eola? 

Eola Hotel Activity Log

ACTIVITY CALL-IN LOG

NAPS Base

Date:               2/25/2012

Day:                Saturday

Location:        Eola Hotel

Base:              In Room 701 Lounge Area

Time:              Military Time

Notes:             T1, T2, T3 refer to remote temperature stations 1, 2 and 3. These were set out in Room 702, the temp base station is at Base.

Logger:          Kim Frith

Additional:     Some camera activity is also noted on this log.

LOG OF Called-In Activity & Reporting

22:44   Going dark, investigation begins

22:46   Room 702, Ovilus X says “phantom” [From here out OVX stands for Ovilus X]

22:47   T1        70.5

            T2        70.8

            T3        67.8

22:49   Room 702, OVX says “yellow”

2250    T1        70.1

            T2        70.8

            T3        67.8

22:53   Room 702, Jo Ann’s daughter (Suzanne) is touched on the arm at the same time the OVX says “Pretty”. She is sitting in the chair in front of the bathroom door. (See Cam 02)

22:55   Mel 8704 goes flat to 0.0, at the same time Suzanne experiences a cold sensation. See Cam 02. This is the same area that Kathleen Clay felt a cold spot during set up. We did note that there is a central air vent in above the bathroom door that could explain this, although it is a cold night in Natchez and it is highly unlikely that the air conditioning would be on, but more likely the heating system would be on.

22:58   Room 410, Adam reports that when they entered this room to begin, the light to the room was on, which is unusual as it should have been off, as the room is unoccupied. They begin an EVP session and suddenly Michael DeLorenze was pushed. A common sensation    experienced by Hotel staff at the Eola is someone pushes them.

22:59   T1        70.5

            T2        70.8

            T3        67.8

23:04   Room 410, Kimberly D. saw a figure turn the corner at the bed and go toward the door. She describes it as a “dark mass.”

23:07   Room 410, EVP session directed toward mirror in the bathroom. Mel meters suddenly spikes to 4.5 and 4.3, and Michael D. sees a figure behind him.

23:08   Room 410, All investigators watch as a head and full height of an apparition begins to

            “sparkle.” All of them say they are seeing it (Adam Chapman, Michael DeLorenze, Kim

            Delorenze).

23:09   Room 702, Josh reports the OVX says “Debra.” This is significant because earlier

            investigation in February in this room the OVX repeated that name several times.

23:00   Orb appears on Camera 3, which is Room 701, a room no one is in.

23:11  Room 410, KD reports a white figure walks out of the bathroom. The team goes and gets the FLIR i7 thermal cam to take photos if the apparition continues to manifest.

23:12   T1        70.5

            T2        70.8

            T3        67.8

23:15   Room 410, FLIR i7 photos are being taken because figure manifests again. Investigators see the head and upper part of the body. MD (a sensitive) can see full bodied apparition forming in the bathroom. [See FLIR cam photos)

23:15   At :45 seconds “bubbles” appear on Cam 02

23:19   Room 410, Jo Ann (who has gone to this room to join investigators) feels her hair pulled   while standing and looking in the mirror.

23:20   T1        70.5

            T2        70.8

            T3        68.0

23:21   Room 410, Jo Ann feels crawling sensation on the back of her neck.

23:23   At :40 seconds a multi-directional orb is seen on Cam 03, again Room 701 where no one is.

23:19   Room 701, MPS investigators here a “knocking noise” and loud “grinding noise” by the door in the right corner, at the same time a flashlight goes on and off by itself. They report this occurred 10 minutes ago. They forgot to immediately report it.

23:31   T1        70.5

            T2        70.7

            T3        67.8

23:34   Room 410, Mel meter at the sink and near the same mirror as earlier activity shows

            temperature changing from 72.8 to 73.0 back and forth several times.

23:34   At :59 seconds a significant orb appears on Cam 03.

23:35   Teams are switching locations: MPS from 702, 701 to 410; NAPS from 410 to 702.

23:36   Kim Frith at base getting nauseated (a common sign of paranormal activity).

23:36   At :50 seconds a flash of light on headboard on Camera 3, which is room 701.

23:44   Room 702, AC reports Mel meter spike to 0.5. Baseline has been 0.0 or 0.1 all night.

23:48   Room 702, AC Mel spikes higher to 1.2

23:52   T1        70.3

            T2        70.7

            T3        68.0

00:09   Room 701, MD and AC are in bathroom, light is blocked towards the shower (dark mass)

00:11   Room 701, MD and AC report light dimmed and both got chills, then the light dimmed again

00:18   T1        70.3

            T2        70.5

            T3        67.8

00:20   Orb on Cam 03, which is Room 701

00:23   KF at base heard 3 chimes or dings

00:27   T1        70.3

            T2        70.5

            T3        67.8

00:35   At :00 an orb on Cam 03, Room 701

00:38   KF at base calls for a 20 minute break

00:56   T1        70.7

            T2        70.5    

            T3        68.0

01:08   T1        70.5

            T2        70.5    

            T3        68.0

01:59   Room 702, investigators hear scratching noise on door to the Room

02:02   T1        69.9

            T2        70.1

            T3        67.8

02:10   T1        69.8

            T2        69.9

            T3        67.8

02:18   Investigation called and ended due to significant drop-off in activity.

The Void

The Void

-Part 1-

There are two kinds of people in this world.

So, which are you?

Are you the kind that must see in order to believe,

Or, do you believe in order to see?

To whom do they turn?

Mary (not her real name) was late for work – again. “I’ve got to get my act together,” she chided herself, as she hastily strode out of her master bedroom toward the kitchen. “Grab your purse, check yourself in the bathroom mirror one last time, and let’s get going!” She encouraged herself with the notion that with the kids already off to school, with just a couple of more moments, luck, and no traffic delays, she could arrive at her first appointment only fifteen minutes late. A single mother with a seventeen year-old son and eleven year-old daughter, Mary was a home-care nurse who had rounds to make with various patients every day, a tight schedule. She knew her patients depended upon her and looked for her to show up when she was supposed to. It frustrated her to let them down. “Okay, okay, let’s see, where did I put my purse? I know I had it on the table where I always have it.” Not on the table. She scanned the entire kitchen for the tan, leather bag that she had carried for the last couple of years. That’s odd. The purse simply wasn’t there…not on the table, not on the counters, nowhere to be seen. “I always leave my purse on the table, for just this reason! ” she told herself. She blew a sigh of frustration and stomped back toward the bedroom. “Great! This is just freakin’ great…I know I put my purse on the table…now I will be late!” She sped down the hall, angry at herself, rounded the doorway into her room…and froze. With a look of total horror on her face, she stumbled backward out of the doorway, her eyes locked on what her mind could not comprehend. Every single one of her drawers, all of them, was extended out to the point of falling. “This can’t be,” she thought, “That’s impossible!” The blood rose in her cheeks and her arms tingled. “No!” she whispered. She had just left her bedroom. Everything had been neat and orderly, as she always kept things. She was home alone, no one was there. She had heard nothing. How could she not hear that? Drawers make a lot of noise being pulled open. But, there was no denying it…now, her chest-of-drawers, both of her night stands, and even her jewelry armoire’s drawers were pulled all the way out. It was if something was mocking her, manipulating her, wanting her to fail.

Her mind reeling, she staggered back toward the kitchen. “I need some water, I need to sit down,” she thought. For the past several months, since moving into the quaint, two-story house in a quiet neighborhood, the kids had been complaining almost constantly about unusual things happening to them. She had told them it was just an old house, they creak, they move, they make unusual noises. Her two children had insisted that it was far more than that, but since nothing had ever happened to her, she brushed it aside. But, if she were forced to be totally honest, she did feel something was amiss. A deep foreboding inside her said that all was not right. It was simply that she so desperately needed for things to be good…to be safe…to be right. She just could not let herself think bad things anymore, not after what all they had been through the last few years. Now, as she staggered toward the kitchen, this foreboding feeling that she had ignored was no longer in her gut, but in her throat. She gasped for air, her hands clawing at the hall walls for support. She reached the kitchen, thankfully, and made it to the sink. Her shaking, trembling hand reached up and crudely flung open the cabinet door and grabbed a glass. She turned the faucet on and filled it halfway, and gulped the whole thing down. She wiped away her lips with the back of her hand and filled the glass again, more slowly and more under control this time. She slowly turned, beginning to feel better, falling back against the counter with her backside. She rested her weight against it, seeking relief because her knees were weak. Suddenly, the glass shattered on the hard tiled floor, the water splashing her feet and the bottom of her legs. Mary had lost the ability to hold the glass and again her eyes were starring, unable to comprehend what she saw before her. On the table, right smack there in the middle of it, as plain as the nose on your face, was her purse.

The situation I just outlined with Mary is very typical of the cases I work as a demonologist. A single mother with two kids…a dad and mom with two teenage daughters…a family of four adults living in one home…a mother with two adult children and their live-ins and their children all in one cramped trailer, and so on and so forth. Many and varied are those who come to us for help, with unexplained things going on that have them baffled, always anxious, and sometimes downright terrified.

To whom do they turn?

How do we answer that question? I know, as a fifty-four year old man who grew up in the Christian faith, who has served overseas – in Russia no less – as a missionary, served as an ordained associate pastor at a Church in Michigan, and who has always believed in Jesus Christ as truly the incarnate Son of God, that the answer should unequivocally be: the Church. They should be turning to the Church for help.

Well, they don’t.

Why?

The honest answer: because in main, the Church cannot or will not help them. By Church, I mean the local Church, by and large. Sadly, it simply matters little whether that Church be Protestant or Catholic, the result is rarely different. I will say the following in order to be a bit more discerning in this issue: their best chance for help when it does concern the Church lies in two seemingly diametrically opposed factions of the Body of Christ: either the Catholic Church or Protestant charismatic denominations. To look for help in so-called “mainline” Protestant denominations is tantamount to looking for that which simply does not exist. But their true best chance for help? It is my sad duty to inform the reader that their best chance lies outside the Church...any Church, and therein lies the crux of this article – this situation should not be.

The reason for this catastrophe is that in being unable to offer help to those experiencing what Mary is experiencing, a great void exists. Within this void or vacuum of the lack of the Church’s teaching and aid in such situations as Mary’s, exists the demonic world's rushing in to quickly fill with the substance of “help” of its own. It should make us all shudder to imagine how diabolical it is to think one is receiving help, when one is only receiving hell. It should also make those in the hierarchy of the Christian Church, no matter the denomination, bow their heads in shame at what they are ceding to the enemy of our souls. Last I heard, souls matter to God. Why don’t they to our leaders, our pastors, our priests? The clarion call has been rung by none other than Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, warning us clearly of the dangers of the devil and that he must be fought against. Why are those noble and godly Popes being so ignored? Why?

What are Mary’s options? Truly, what are they?

When the Church is no option, the “world” is turned to for an answer. In that world, is the morass and playground of such pseudo-solutions as psychics, tarot readers, mediums, spiritists, witches (no longer called witches, but wiccans – a much more acceptable term), occultists, faith healers, New Agers, Reiki healers, Zen masters, and even Satanists. And it is to these, so readily available and so very willing to listen, that the Mary’s of the world turn. Instead of the ridicule, disbelief and shame they would experience if they went to their pastor or priest, these practitioners of the above accept them with open arms and beguiling smiles, and are quick to validate their experiences as not only real – but positive. It is then that they portray and “spin” the person’s experience to their advantage, and the hook is set. Contrast that acceptance and welcoming aid with the stony silence that is met at Church when they even allude to something going on of a "paranormal" or demonic nature. The silence thunders and says it all. "They think I'm nuts...a psych job...or even worse, that I brought it on myself." Truth be told, the "victim" does know that deep inside, that very often they indeed have fallen away from the Church, or more importantly, their relationship to Christ; and so part of the problem is their own interior guilt and shame. So, back to the Church, why is the Church today in such an abhorrent position where it cannot or will not help the Mary’s of our time, or at least send out vibes that it is willing to at least listen? My take? It simply is a matter of the Church - that Body of Christ established by our Lord with the mission to go out and seek and save that which was lost - as tragically having become - in regard to this issue - one of three things: ignorant; opposed; or willing but ill-equipped. I will describe each of these “attitudes” in turn.

I will continue this article in a future post. Look for The Void - Part 2

Let the Dead Bury the Dead

by Mike Chapman

"Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father. But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” - Matthew 8:21-22

In my studies lately, which include a deep personal study of the entire rite of exorcism line by line, I have been deeply encouraged by reading the words, advice, and practices of several highly experienced exorcists with how they handle clients and people who come to them for help. It is never easy to hear words that shock, that dismay…even sting and hurt. I’m speaking of what we often must inform people as to their situation…what is causing it to continue and how they can get rid of activity in their life that is unwanted...and how sometimes they listen and change, and sometimes they don't.

For the client: the key to coping with words that we hear that cut and burn us, is to understand both the intent of those words and their content. That is the hearer’s (your) responsibility.  As to the speaker’s responsibility (the counselor – us), it is crucial; as we give clients our “findings” and suggest the action steps they must take within the context of after-care of a case, that we speak the truth to them in love. Our mission does not exist in giving them the words they wish to hear, but in telling them what they need to hear. This is not an easy thing to do, but must be done.

Sometimes, the client refuses to listen, and even can lash out at what you have to tell them. This was the case in a situation I once had, where I gave a client some counsel into her situation that she needed to hear. She rejected it and even complained that it “hurt her.” She refused to see the bigger picture, and refused to accept the gift she was given. She sulked off and her situation remains unchanged, as I understand it. She refused to take part in the after-care we offered, and even violated very fundamental rules we gave her to avoid, that encouraged the activity to start up again in her home. That’s a shame, but just goes to point out that all we can do in cases with clients is to give them our best. It is up to them to take the actions and attitudes necessary to succeed. If a person insists on leaving a doorway open, then that is an exercise of their free will. Not even God will violate that, because He created a world for love, and love is only possible if freedom is there to be able to choose it. The other option is also there...to not choose it. 

I’m sure many of you have seen clients who get caught in a psychological spiral where their identity becomes, to a degree, wrapped up in the phenomena of what is happening. They just can’t “see” themselves healthy, clean and clear of the mess that has been part of their lives for so long. It is, sadly, easy to remain a victim, and not seize the responsibility that is ours to move our own lives forward and see the best in what is happening to us. Strong winds and storms are not pleasant, but they cause the trees to grow stronger and put down more solid and stable roots. They also show us that clearly we cannot live life in and of our own strength, but must depend upon a much higher source than ourselves (God) to get by in this world. What leaves me shaking my head is the number of people who absolutely refuse to change their ways, want to live “like hell” and when hell breaks loose they seem dumbfounded as to why this happening to them! Never before in all my years have I seen people so detached from their own reality, narcissistic, hedonistic, who abhor responsibility and any pain or suffering whatsoever. People seem to think there are no consequences to negative lifestyle and behavior, and have no clue as to spiritual cause and effect. We want heaven and to name ourselves Christian, but at the same time we will be damned if we are going to change how we want to live. But, that’s the problem, we just may be damned.

The bottom line is we give our clients our best, but it is not us that get them through. They must help themselves as we come alongside to lead and guide them. Sometimes that includes telling them things they don’t want to hear…warning them of things they must change in their lives and attitudes they need to adopt in order to move forward. Sometimes they accept it, other times they don’t. But in the case where they do not, you as a paranormal investigator and counselor have to move on. You have done your job and your part, now they must do theirs. 

Yes, it may seem like a hard or cruel thing, but it certainly is NOT. You have other clients waiting on you, people who need you to turn to their case...people who are going to listen if only you are there to speak to them, investigate their case, and give them your counsel. You have no time to waste on people who will waste your gift. What is cruel is to waste your time on people who refuse to see, and not get to those who would see if they only had someone to clear their eyes. Christ told you about throwing your pearls to swine, and he also told you the words at the top of this post...sometimes you simply have to move on, and let the dead bury the dead.


Suggested Reading:
An Exorcist: More Stories, by Gabriele Amorth. This book, which I read and studied recently, has immediately zoomed to the top of my list. It is an amazing treatment and explanation of exorcism and its surrounding, peripheral issues. In my opinion it is far better than his first book (below), which is excellent.
An Exorcist Tells His Story, by Gabriele Amorth
Interview with an Exorcist, by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea
The Roman Ritual: Volume II, in Latin and English

Where Do Souls Go When They Die: 53 Miles West of Venus?

by Demonologist and N.A.P.S. Team Leader Mike Chapman

The infamous B52’s (no, not the bomber) had a song on one of their first albums entitled, “53 Miles West of Venus.” Frankly, it’s not much of a song, even though I liked it. As a tune, it is raw but simple rock-n-roll, a very basic example of the early B52's punk genre. It is mainly an instrumental, and the only lyric in the song is that of the title, “fifty-three miles west of Venus.”  Interestingly, I often think of that song when I hear people talking about human spirits – the spirits of the human dead. I’ve even begun to use that concept - of being fifty-three miles west of Venus - in my lectures and teaching on the subject of the afterlife, as an object lesson for the mistake that I believe many make: that of mistaking “state” with “place.”

                       

As human beings born of and into a material-physical world, we find it very difficult to get away from thinking of things in terms of physicality. When it comes to thinking about spirits of the human dead, so often we think that their soul leaves their body and goes “some place.” Most often, in the culture I grew up and now reside in once again (after many travels to far off places), people think grandma died and “went to heaven” and is walking around there with others. They may think of the unblessed dead (say, perhaps Hitler and Stalin), as having died and now are in hell, burning away. Most, not being Catholic, only have a two-tiered conception of the afterlife, and do not include within their view, the “place” of purgatory - the third rail of the afterlife. This was how I grew up thinking.

I no longer believe in such a concept.

I also have come to understand such a concept is NOT rooted in scripture or Christianity, and is especially not rooted or sourced in Catholic (orthodox) Christianity. It is rather a concept concocted from a variety of sources and mixed together. But, that is an entirely different post for another day (the influences of hyper-science, materialism, the Enlightenment, Greek Classical philosophy, and simplistic, cultural Christianity). Stay with me as I explain what I mean by all of this; and, breathe easily. Of course I believe in heaven and hell...it's just that I believe in the biblical concepts of those places, not a cultural, secular, pagan, or humanistic one. You see, the Bible teaches that upon death, the human soul is separated from the physical body. The old physical body is left behind to corrupt and decay. However, the soul and spirit live on as the part of us that is immortal.

As a side-note:

Notice that I said “soul and spirit.” There should be no big confusion here, because, as the Bible was mainly written in Hebrew and Greek, both cultures had their own conception of the view of the immortal aspect of humans. The Hebrew concept was that man was bi-partite (existed in two parts): the physical body and the soul/spirit. In other words, the Hebrew concept combined the “invisible” aspect of humankind – his soul and his spirit. In contrast, the Greek conception was to be a little more detailed – that humans consisted of a body, a soul, and a spirit. Thus, the Greek conception was that humans are tri-partite beings (three-part). It really doesn’t matter, because the Christian concept simply separates, upon death, the physical body as the visible from the other part (or parts) as the invisible. The Hebrew concept of soul-spirit is the same as the Greek concept of spirit and the soul. I personally prefer the Greek concept, because I like the aspect of explaining the human spirit as consisting of conscience, intuition and the capacity/need for worship, and the human soul as containing our mind (intellect), emotion (feeling) and volition (will).    

So, whether it is the Hebrew or the biblical Greek concept (not to be confused with the classical Greek concept) that human beings are either three-part or two-part, the fact remains that the visible (the body) dies and is left behind to decay, and the invisible (the soul – spirit) moves on.

Obviously then, as a disembodied soul the human now exists in a “state,” not in a place. It is a physical body that occupies space or place - as it indeed does in this world in the here and now. A spiritual "body" (better said to be "an entity"), such as an angel, demon, or the spirit of a dead person, exists rather in a state. These entities do not occupy space. As exorcist and hagiographer Father Jose Antonio Fortea has said, it also does not mean that they are in some other physical dimension. Fortea says, “They are not anywhere. They exist, but they are not “here” or “there” in a physical sense.”

I agree. I further agree with Fortea’s conception that spirits (angels and demons) are properly said to be in a place when it acts in that place. If a human spirit manifests over by the door, then that is where that human spirit is at that point, in the state of being that it happens to be in – a deceased human soul/spirit who has left its physical body and exists in a non-material state and happens to be over by the door in that particular moment in time and space. It also, in the case of a deceased human spirit, is either in a blessed state (bound for heaven) or in an unblessed state and bound for hell. Another way of putting it, in a Roman Catholic sense, is that the soul is either in a state of grace when it dies or it is not (the particular judgment - Catholics will know what I am talking about here). The Catholic Church teaches, and I believe, that one day, Christ will return again and the blessed in Christ (those that died in a state of grace) will receive a new body – a resurrected body at the Last Judgment– and at that point will once again be united with a material - physical human body. Then, at that time, those persons who receive such a body, will exist in the new heaven and the new earth and have geographical locality in a “concrete place.” In other words, they will occupy a place. But, that is then, in the meantime, they exist in a state of being - not in a place of being.

The catechism of the Church states that heaven, hell, and purgatory exist now only as states of being (see CCC 650, 1005). In the eschaton, after the Last Judgment, heaven and hell will be physical, material realities, but not until then. This fact escapes even many Christians, and thus, we fall into error when trying to understand or explain the afterlife (and manifestation of the afterlife into our present physical - material reality). As it is, the dead are all around us, in the state of being alive, but not in a physical sense. I love what one Church Father once said (I’m sorry but I can’t recall his name): “All who ever lived, are still alive.” We die physically, but we live on, just not like before. So, these humans live on in either a state of grace or not. Also, as a Catholic who believes in purgatory, I believe that some exist in a third state, a purgatorial state. Technically, purgatory is a part of that group of people who have died in a state of grace, just not in the fullness of grace. This is because they, while not evil, are not yet perfected in the sense that they can immediately enjoy God's closeness upon death. Their souls have to be refined more - perfected - before they can enjoy His close presence. Those in this state of purgation are people who will one day end up in heaven but first have some work to do in their spirit/souls in order to be holy enough to enter into the very presence of God. In other words, they are in the state of purgatory.

Such a concept helps to explain the amount of spiritual activity that surrounds us, both in the human spirit sense and the sense of angels and demons (evil spirits). Human beings do not die and go off to a place located fifty-three miles west of Venus, never to be seen or heard from again. [Can you see now how people who believe in such a place for the dead have such a difficulty believing in ghost or spirit manifestations?] That is why, I believe, the bible speaks of "this great cloud of witnesses that surround us" (Hebrews 12:1). Why else would the Bible say that those who have passed on still surround us, if indeed they go off somewhere, as if they were sent to a "colony" or "holding area?" 

So, when a person dies in a state of grace and is blessed (like Grandma, for example) she exists in the "state" of paradise. That is "where" Grandma is right now - in a state, not a place. Later, after Christ's return, she will have a resurrected physical body and exist in and on a new earth and a new heaven. If Uncle Bill believed in God but really didn't live quite right - had committed no mortal sin but plenty of venial ones - he exists in a "state" of purgatory right now, but one day like Grandma will be in heaven with a resurrected body. Stalin and Hitler will one day be "in" hell (assuming they died without conversion). Right now they are said to be in a "state" of sheol, or hades.

Heaven and hell, biblically, are much more relational concepts than geographical or locational ones. Again, we have traded a state of relationship for a cheaper, reductive place of gaudy physicality. How tragic and absurd. For an example of what I am talking about, read Christ's prayer to the Father in John 17, which includes, "...this is eternal life: that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Notice he did NOT say that eternal life was Graceland times 1000 - a place with gold faucets and an awesome jungle room and streets of alabaster...no, rather than some gaudy place or location, he describes eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son...as a close, intimate relationship with Himself and the Father. In the Greek, the word for "knowing" that he uses here is genosko - to know experientially and closely, not just a head knowing. There is another word for knowing in the sense of knowing data, such as "I know the Great Wall of China exists because I was told that." In contrast, genosko is a knowing like you grew up right beside it, played on it every day and crawled all over it or even help build it, so you know every nook and cranny of it - you don't just "know" it as a piece of information in your head as data...you truly know it. To know Christ and the Father that way, and them to know you that way, is truly relational, intimate and "paradise." That is what eternal life is.

The bottom line, as human beings our physical bodies die and what is left - our spirit and soul - enters a state of existence wherein we are still "alive" - just not in the physical sense. The dead are simply wherever they are, and that can be anywhere. This does not mean that those who are dead in Christ are not happy, or in a state of grace with Christ - they are - they are just not located and tied down to some specific location. The same is true for those in purgatory or hades. Sometimes, they are very close by and we catch “glimpses” and “evidences” of them – whether it is a sound, a slight touch, a smell, an intuitive impression that cuts through the chatter of the mundane…or for those of us who are most lucky and blessed, it is allowed for us to actually see them.

So, upon describing or thinking about souls of the human dead, do not confuse place of existence with what should be understood as a state of existence. If you stubbornly refuse to do so, just do not say you got your concept from the Christian Bible, because you simply did not.

Grandma is not “53 miles west of Venus”...she may be right beside you.

Suggested Reading:
The Holy Bible, RSV Catholic Version
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Interview with an Exorcist, by Jose Antonio Fortea

NAPS Helping with New MEL Meter!

Gary Galka, maker of much of the finest paranormal equipment available in the field, is sending NAPS the newest version of the MEL Meter, the MEL8704R-SDD! The SDD is a "shadow detection device" that this version of the Mel meter will feature in addition to all the normal functions of a Mel meter.

DAS Distributing, Gary's company that makes the MEL Meter, is shipping the Mel 8704R-SDD to team leader Mike Chapman. This is due to the relationship Gary and Mike have developed. Mike stated, "This is typical of Gary, and due to his great generosity and appreciation for our support of the equipment he makes, and also for us to give feedback on field use. That's an indication of how much he respects us as a genuinely serious and meticulous paranormal investigation team. That kind of respect from someone of Gary's stature is a tremendous compliment. Our role with the new SDD is to put it to field use and give Gary feedback, both positive and negative (if any). He is a great person who makes excellent, high-quality equipment. I'm priviledged to know him and have this kind of relationship with him." 

NAPS will be field testing the meter and providing Gary and DAS their feedback on the newest MEL. The MEL 8704R-SDD is not yet available to the general public.

Mike and Kim Frith, NAPS's Case Manager, met Gary in Connecticut last year and had a great time. Gary is an awesome person and makes not only the excellent series of MEL meters (which we own nearly every version), but also the RT-EVP (several versions), the static E-pods (several versions) and finally the P-SB7 radio sweep device. Mike says, "In my opinion, as one of the most professional, knowledgeable, and experienced paranormal investigation teams in our entire area, I do not think a group can be a truly serious paranormal investigation team and not have ALL of this equipment in their equipment inventory. That's how strongly I feel about the quality and necessity of Gary's equipment, and why we have supported it for so long."

Mike is the Team Leader and Founder of the Natchez Area Paranormal Society, and works full time as a Deputy Sheriff, Criminal Patrol Division of the Adams County, Mississippi Sheriff's Department. He will be appearing this year in an episode of the SyFy Channel's Haunted Collector for his expertise into King's Tavern, a well-known haunted site in Natchez, Mississippi, his hometown.

Other Related Posts:
http://natchezghosts.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-friend-gary-galka-is-really-great.html
http://natchezghosts.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-much-do-you-know-about-mel-8704-emf.html
http://natchezghosts.blogspot.com/2010/10/dass-future.html
http://natchezghosts.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-of-new-das-rt-evp.html