In 1984 the movie Ghostbusters came out. I was 12 years old.
My friends and I started a Ghosthunting club. My Dad, who was a scientist and a paranormalist, tried to create electronic devices to trap ghosts. We hung around at supposedly haunted places with spectroscopes and other devices, wanting to emulate the boys in jumpsuits who drove around in Ecto 1.
We were blessed that nothing ever actually happened.
Jump forward to 2009. Bookshops, TV shows, blogs....the paranormal is everywhere.
And amateur investigators are everywhere as well. A lot of people treat it like Halloween....a night of scary fun and then we put the suits away and go back to normal.
In his new book "An Exorcists Field Guide" (Available via Amazon) Pastor Robin Swope talks about the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dangers involved in performing exorcisms or in just dealing with spirits that are potentially malevolent. These are wise words from a man who has seen and dealt with his fair share of 'spiritual warfare'.
And I concur. I have one researcher that rings me in fits of despair from time to time, so low at times, so under spiritual attack that I wonder if he will make it through the night. And yet he can't let go of the investigating.
In his book "UFO MYSTERIES - A reporter seeks the truth" (Preface XIX-XXII) Curt Sutherly talks about his friend Raymond, a consumate writer and UFO investigator. As 'Raymond' move deeper into his worked, and shifted his theory from extraterrestrial to "something far more odd and complex" he started to come undone.
His stress levels soared. UFO's, hairy man beasts, even lizard men were suddenly everywhere, within driving distance of his house. Mysterious screams and sounds issued from forests (Sounds like an Episode of Paranormal State, where there was a Native American demonic spirit in the house which called out from the forest live on the show). Nocturnal lights in the sky and on the ground were spotted routinely. Unusual animal deaths, torn apart by huge hands. Conversations on phones were interrupted by strange sounds and third party voices. Three toed tracks around his home.
Raymond is quoted in the book as saying "....I am beginning to worry what might happen in or around my own home. I know of no way to shake such thoughts from my unconscious mind, of course, so I feel frustrated in my desire to stop the events short of my property line".
Eventually Ray cut all contact with researchers.
In my own family, we had the Churinga stone incident mentioned on our FB page, as well as a black shadow that had form and intent, that scratched at our front door and then walked inside my house in front of my wife and children, up the hallway and then hid behind our bed. Only my wife telling it to leave "in the name of Jesus Christ" made it dissapear.
Researching this area is not a game. Even my fellow researchers will tell you at times of my own reluctance to be involved because of the risks, to myself and to my family. But I do it for one reason. In Luke 4:18 Jesus read from a scroll the words of the prophet Isaiah, which talks about "setting the captives free", physically, spiritually and socially.
In his earthly ministry Jesus healed the sick, proclaimed the Kingdom of God was near and here, gave hope to those on the fringe and cast out unclean spirits. Those spirits knew who Jesus was and they were afraid because of his absolute power over them.
At this blog, the author and team also believe in that power to transform lives and set the captives free and continue to follow the way of Jesus Christ, to see people oppressed by unexplained phenomenon set free by the authority over the spiritual realm that Jesus Christ has.
So for anyone who wants to jump headfirst into being a paranormal researcher....count the cost first. And don't leave home without Jesus.
Simply ask Him to be Lord of your life.
And if you are personally experiencing phenomenon, we'd love to pray for you, just send us a PM to baz@kingsway.org.au
God bless you all - Baz.
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