Dancing Through The Paranormal

"Cease trying to work everything out with your own minds. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole be revelation."

-Eileen Caddy

I read an interesting article today, from USA Today, by way of AOL news. "Millions Believe In The Paranormal - Particulary Women." According to the article many in America, more women then men, believe in some type of paranormal activity, that apparently, "don't fall under any particular religious umbrella," according to the a Baylor University sociologist who analyzed the survey.

So what comes to mind when we think of the paranormal? If you have been reading my for a while you already know my personal favorite category of the paranormal would be ghosts and haunting's. It fascinates me to think of life after death, and what it might be like. I have always enjoyed some of the first hand accounts of the many sightings of Abraham Lincoln, in the Lincoln bedroom, which have now become part of American folklore. When Winston Churchill stayed as a guest of the White House, he reported seeing the former president, late one evening, walking down the hallway just outside his bedroom door. But Lincoln is not the only ghost to have reportedly been seen. Abigail Adams, and Dolly Madison are said to have been seen roaming the halls and in the Rose Garden area.

Ghosts are not the only thing you will find under the category of the paranormal. UFO's, Spirit Photography, Automatic Writing, Prophetic Dreams, and the belief in advanced civilizations like Atlantis also made the survey. Personally, I think the one thing that we can all identify with is a little something I like to call the, "wiggins." You know, you will be going about your business, when suddenly you will get the distinct feeling that you are not alone, or that something unseen, has changed in the room you are in. The air feels thick and maybe even the hair on the back of your neck or arms will stand on end. Is this feeling actually a dance into the paranormal, or is there some more easily explained idea behind it? Is it merely another form of intuition, or is it pure and simple panic? As a former sufferer of panic attacks, I know a little something about the sudden onset of fear for no apparent reason. I also know that while it might seem as though there is no reason for panic attacks, often times the happen due to subliminal triggers. Triggers that can be a scent, or something you see out of the corner of your eye, that your mind accepts then files away till something triggers it's associative memory.

What about when two people have the "wiggins" at the same time? One summer evening, I went out to dinner with my friend Judy. We went across the bay to San Mateo, to the Red Robin which had been located at the now defunct Fashion Island Mall. We had a very pleasant time at dinner, and then decided to take a drive along the coast from Half Moon Bay, to Santa Cruz. It was a clear, warm summer night, and the conditions along the coastal highway were perfect. Judy was driving, and as we went along we held a conversation in-between the music on the radio. At one point a song came on the station we were listening to, which happened to be a favorite of both of us, and so the conversation went silent. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was Dion Warwick's, "Heartbreaker." That was a mellow little tune, that always reminded me of one of my past loves. Sigh. Anyway, the song was about 2/3 of the way through, when I felt the strangest feeling as if there was something or someone was in the back seat of the car. At the very same moment, so did Judy. We both looked into the back seat at the same time! Then we looked at each other...and asked the same question, "Did you feel it too?" We had both felt a presence at the same time! It was uncomfortable, and with no real way to know what had just happened, we decided to call it an early evening.

Personally, I happen to believe that some souls wander the earth, and to be honest, while I am a believer, I don't always associate the paranormal experiences I have had with spirituality. Truth is, I am not completely sure where the feelings and experiences come from. And like learning the secrets to a great magicians feats of magic, I don't think I ever really want to know their origins. Knowing the answer to all of life's mysteries would make for a boring world, and perhaps a stressful one. Some reportedly "haunted" houses have turned out to have been infected not so much with a ghost, as with toxic mold, which can many types of seemingly spooky happenings, such as strange odors and feelings of depression or oppression by the homes occupants. In those cases however, it is best to take care of it as soon as possible for the good of one's over all health and well being.

Most of us have probably had a "psychic" moment. You know, moments when you just know someone you love needs you, or the phone will ring and somehow you know who is on the other end. According to the survey, about 52% believed in prophetic dreams, and a little more than 40% believed that places can be haunted, but the most striking statistic of the survey said that alternative treatments and therapies such as yoga and aromatherapy are as affective as traditional medicines. I know since beginning a new regime of Yoga, Qi Gong, Meditation and T'ai Chi, this past year, I have found some comfort and peace from the pain that Fibromylagia. I don't use those disciplines exclusively, but coupled with regular check-ups with my doctor and watching my diet, I have found a great deal of benefit from them when practiced together.





Now for some fun, I thought it might be kinda cool to see where we all are on a psychic level. I scored a whopping 82%. LOL. So don't even try to fool me, because I can read your mind! LOL. Seriously, if you want to, feel free to share with me in the comment thread for this entry, how you feel about the world of the paranormal. Have you ever had a psychic experience? Seen a UFO, or a ghost? How do you feel about alternative or new age remedies such as crystals or acupuncture? And, for fun, take the, "Are You Psychic" quiz and share with us your score. Come on... you know you want to. ;) Just click on the above graphic.

-OndineMonet
"Viceroy"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
August 30, 2006
Afternoon