Paranormal Activity: Reality or Hallucination?

If one were to define paranormal as “beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation”* then I suppose most people on this planet may say they believe in paranormal activity. After all those are wide swaths in the landscape of life. Who has not experienced something that is outside normal experience perhaps even wildly so? Who has not encountered things that seem to defy science, a methodology that is limited in its research, scope and reproducibility? One could even claim that much normal experience and science fits rather sweetly upon such a definition of the term.

Still, do you believe in ghosts? How does one even define ghosts? How about extraterrestrial sentient life, do you believe in aliens? How about werewolves, vampires (of the Dracula sort) and the like, do you believe in them? Then of course there is ESP, psychics, haunted houses, demonic possession, black magic, reincarnation (or past life regression), channelling, astrology or if massive stimulus spending is a good way to manage a nations economy…

I am asked if “paranormal activity” is “reality or hallucination?”

While there may be a verisimilitude for these various forms of paranormal activity not all truths are created equal, they are not all equally valid. Just because a person believes something to be true does not validate its authenticity as true, reality defeats philosophy or theology that is not true (similarly to how economic reality trumps political-economic theory, communism does not work).

If the term ghost is used to qualify a dead person mysteriously visiting the living in a “spirit form” I believe this could be true if God intends for it to occur, it takes His personal intervention for this miracle. This is the crux of the matter, what is the difference between a miracle and paranormal activity?

Is there extraterrestrial sentient life, possibly but not probably…Have they already visited us? Exceedingly unlikely, reasonable space flight between solar systems really requires faster than light technology which probably cannot be achieved (despite Star Treks warp drive), thus dies alien visitations…

Are there howling at the Moon werewolves, shape shifters? An entertaining thought but no, as thus goes the vampires of Dracula fame. ESP conjures up interesting scenarios but no it does not fly…Haunted houses are spooky ideas but are simply unreal. Black magic if it does occur is bound within the realm of demonic activity.

I have had opportunities to meet so called psychics and have found them all to be frauds. With some guesswork I have told them more about themselves than they ever could about me. It is called people reading or cold reading…it is logic and reason not some weird hocus-pocus…

Reincarnation and its child past life regression is utter nonsense. If I had a dollar for every person that has told me that they alone were Napoleon or Jesus I would be Donald Trump. Channeling is equally silly and preposterous, unless one means channel surfing…Astrology is plain ridiculous…do you really think a star fifty light years away is dictating or prophesying who you are going to have lunch with today?

This brings me to a comment that was directed at me this past week “why are most people Christians, because they are scared of hell.” I responded that most of the genuine followers of Jesus I know are such because “they believe it is true.” So why is it that thus far I have responded in the way that I have? I have done so because of what I know of God, humans and our universe through His Word, I believe it to be true. I have found no other source of such reliability, I like science but it has its limitations and is often led more by philosophy and money that scientific method. Some may see following Jesus as a paranormal activity…and this would be so if it means miracle merged with truth.

Now for a walk on the wild side…let us see what the Princess of the Paranormal MAX will channel for us…