A new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published on Friday, May 17, has updated the norms for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena.
The norms come into force on Sunday, May 19, the feast of Pentecost. The document is preceded by a detailed presentation by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery, followed by an introduction and six possible conclusions. The procedure allows for faster decisions while respecting popular devotion.
As a rule, the Church’s authority will no longer be engaged to officially define the supernatural nature of a phenomenon, a process that can require large amounts time to thoroughly study an event.”
Slurping eggnog spiked with rum and eating until you’re unable to move? That’s the American pasttime around the holiday season–and then the New Years guilt and resolutions to lose your new found weight is an annual tradition.
Kira Cochrane of the UK GUARDIAN wrote this to describe humanity’s long love of telling ghost stories around this time of year:
Christmas has long been associated with ghosts, says Roger Clarke, author of A Natural History of Ghosts: 500 Years of Hunting for Proof. Just before Christmas 1642, for instance, shepherds were said to have seen ghostly civil war soldiers battling in the skies. This connection continued in the Victorian era through Dickens’s story, and through the ghost stories he later published at Christmas in his periodical All the Year Round, with contributors including Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell. It would also continue in the tradition started by MR James, the provost of King’s College, Cambridge, who would invite a select few students and friends to his rooms each year on Christmas Eve, where he’d read one of the ghost stories he had written, which are still popular today. They include Canon Alberic’s Scrap-Book (1895), in which an ancient holy book brings forth a demonic presence, first announced by a hand covered in “coarse black hairs, longer than ever grew on a human hand; nails rising from the ends of the fingers and curving sharply down and forward, grey, horny and wrinkled”.The popularity of ghost stories was strongly related to economic changes. The industrial revolution had led people to migrate from rural villages into towns and cities, and created a new middle class. They moved into houses that often had servants, says Clarke, many taken on around October or November, when the nights were drawing in early – and new staff found themselves “in a completely foreign house, seeing things everywhere, jumping at every creak”. Robbins says servants were “expected to be seen and not heard – actually, probably not even seen, to be honest. If you go to a stately home like Harewood House, you see the concealed doorways and servant’s corridors. You would actually have people popping in and out without you really knowing they were there, which could be quite a freaky experience. You’ve got these ghostly figures who actually inhabit the house.”
We have lost so much with the disappearance of this tradition! I call for a renaissance!
Telling ghost stories around this time of year appears to be a lost tradition. These days, we trample each other at malls and break glass doors for expensive Air Jordans that we cannot afford. But that aside, it would be sacrilegious in modern times to tell such haunting tales around the Christmas dinner table.. 50% of us celebrate the birth of Christ (though it probably would not have even happened this time of year) and the other 50% celebrate the modern rituals of present buying and giving. Ghost stories aren’t found within that celebration.. No time for the paranormal with those numbers.
We did borrow the Christmas tree and SO MUCH MORE from the pagans.. but for some reason, we ended the tales of horror in our newer centuries..
There are books and websites describing jut how popular ghostly tales were this time of year..
But that was then.
MAY ALL YOUR GIFTS COME ALIVE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING!
Now it’s all about fun, joy, peace, and harmony. Little thrown in of scary or weird….paranormal or other-worldly. And it seems we miss out on so much with the absence of the paranormal..
While I do not contend my theories or ‘feelings’ are ever correct or a representation of anything but bizarre mental manifestations, I have long felt that two times of year were always filled with mystery: One being Halloween, and the other being Christmas. I recall nights when I was a child, especially Christmas Eve night, where I felt something mysterious in the air..something strange around me. Something like a presence–not necessarily a negative entity, but just another ‘element’ that I could not understand with my five senses. Did the pagans and others get it right.. does the veil thing? Those old ghost stories are not without purpose, they were just a way for people to express their fears of the darkness without shining light. You could argue that such ghost stories in the Victorian Age being popular was because they simply lived in scary times–gas lamps that lit the way for some with prestige and money, but darkness at night for the rest of the troubled lot.
Joy and love and peace could not be found on radio stations, and often so many younger children died from pestilence and disease, Santa Claus was not as busy as he is now.
But I still say there is something else to the story. I think there is a deeper and more profound reason that so many tall tales were expressed this time of year in centuries past. And maybe it’s because we, as humans, have a connection to a sixth sense.. maybe we have a deep affinity for the unexplained because we as humans are a PART of that unexplained. Why are we here? Ghost tales make sense of our existence in some way, because it gives credence to an afterlife. Yes, maybe spirits get trapped here, but at least we ‘go somewhere.’
Though we have an absence of the fireside chats during Victorian times, there are a few paranormal tales that withstood the test of time.
Charles Dickens’ classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL is one of them, with a series of ghosts coming back to haunt a living man to scare him into being nice.. Some of the past film adaptations of CHRISTMAS CAROL were downright scary, and even the black and white versions of the story haunted me as a child, such as SCROOGE from 1935.
Some other stories from my lifetime that still keep the ‘creepy’ in Christmas: The GREMLINS was able to successfully utilize horror and holiday music, grounding up gremlins while DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR played .. that scene shaped my childhood dreams.. There were also some other badly made seasonal horror flicks, like SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT, and CHRISTMAS EVIL.
Even IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE has a paranormal theme. An angel coming to save a suicidal man before he ends it all..
Even the GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS was scary.. and the idea that an ever-knowing Santa watches children when they sleep doesn’t really give me a deep down calm feeling either.
And who could forget, we still do have Krampus at Christmas..
And finally, there could be something else scary about this time of year. Besides the ‘veil thinning’ and the pagan acknowledgement of death during winter, it’s just a scary time altogether! .. New years is coming–one calender year over, of course calenders are man made but that doesn’t make them any less foreboding. Aging is scary.. not knowing what the next year will bring is also scary. We become victims to our paranoia and fear…and maybe that is why the Victorian Age was filled with so much of it..
There is, after all, lots to be actually scared of. Yes, then it was sickness and darkness, but what really has changed? The news media informs us almost daily that a big accident may soon happen to our entire grid, leaving parts of the United States dark for ‘years.’ We are equally warned about diseases that are not being killed off anymore by antibiotics. While we don’t dress with Victorian attire, we can attest that our fears are often the same as they were during our past. That’s the common bond in the human race. We surely don’t all get happy about the same things but that’s not true about fear. Deep down, we all fear the same things.. and ghosts represent the mystery and high strangeness that humans cannot explain.
So I say we bring back ghost stories! Let’s get the fire warm, open some gifts..drink up some spirits, and tell some tales about weird creatures and sounds bumping in the night.
Keep the Christ in Christmas. And keep the creepy, too.
If not, Santa may not stop by this year, but instead give us the ghost of CHRISTMAS FUTURE–and if you recall that was the scariest spirit of them all..
For weeks now, radio host Clyde Lewis has been missing in action.. until now: The radio legend is set to return in just days.
Ground Zero released a distressing message in June that Lewis was going to be out of commission and away from his fan base for several weeks. Timing could not have been worse: It happened just as the UAP hearings took center stage mid-summer.
In early June, executive producer Ron Patton posted this on the Ground Zero Facebook page:
Hello, Ground Zero fans! While Clyde is away until mid-August, I want to take the time and thank you all for your love and support toward the King of the Paranormal. He definitely covets your prayers and thoughts.
Although we are syndicated (we are on about 100 stations) Ground Zero has no ad revenue coming in, thus, we rely on Aftermath subscriptions to keep us afloat. Since Clyde is out of commission for 30 days while seeking intensive treatment at a weight management facility, we’d very much appreciate your financial support.
For those of you who are Aftermath subscribers, thank you so much. If you are not, please consider becoming a member. As a premium member, you’ll have access to our archived shows, documents, magazines, books, videos, webinars, and much more. Our basic membership starts at only $8/month. We will keep you posted about Clyde’s health journey. Take good care and let your family and friends know about the show!
Since that time, the show has made efforts to update Lewis’s fan base with his health goals being met.
The good news is, Clyde is set to return Monday August 21. Paranormal news has not stopped. The show is going to be busy..
We can’t wait for his return.. while the guest hosts have done a fine job at keeping Ground Zero lively, the special style and voice of Clyde Lewis can light up a dark night..
It will be equally intriguing to hear about Clyde’s personal health struggles—along with stories of wolves he posted that he saw. That sounds interesting.
In our anticipation we reached out to the show and received a statement attributed to Clyde Lewis himself..
Lewis told us,
“There is no rest when things get wicked!” This is why I have to come back — too many things to observe and report and I will do my best to continue what I do best — Solid theories and entertaining paranormal stories’. Looking forward to be in touch with all whose love and prayers kept me going.
It absolutely sounds likes he’s rested and ready return..
What a cool story! From the paranormal world, “1980s computer ‘ghost’ accuses couple of stealing his home then leaves for 2109″
This is what happened…
Back in 1985, Ken Webster was given a BBC microcomputer. Soon after, he and his girlfriend Debbie received a series of communications, known as the Dodleston messages.
According to a blog written by Allison Troutner on howstuffworks.com, it all started with a mysterious set of footprints after Ken and Debbie moved into a dilapidated 18th-century cottage in Cheshire.
During renovations, the couple noticed strange, six-toed footprints in the dust, which seemed to walk up the walls between the bathroom and kitchen.
The pair initially dismissed what they had seen as nothing more than a prank, and painted over the footprints – but they were back a day later.. Over the next few weeks, the couple experienced a series of incidents that made them feel as though they were not quite alone. Tins of cat food had been neatly stacked in a pyramid and an eerie presence was felt in the cottage.
Ken was a teacher at a local school, so he brought home a BBC microcomputer. Soon after it was set up, a message appeared, that seemed like an ominous poem.
More messages soon followed, with the writer asking Ken and Debbie who they are before accusing them of stealing his house.
Days later, a second equally strange message came through, appearing to be written in some archaic version of English.
It said: “I write on behalf of many – What strange words you speak – You are a worthy (good) man who has a fanciful woman, and you live in my house (who dwell in my home) – with lights which (the) devil makes – It was a great crime to have stolen (bribed) my house. – L.W.”
Over the next year and a half, more messages continued to appear. So, Ken asked questions back to try and find out the identity of the writer.
The mysterious writer initially gave the name as Lukas, but confessed his name was Thomas Harden or Hawarden. Thomas said he had been in communication with ‘a friend from 2109’.
Just a quick side note on Archive 81: It was perfectly splendid.. Not a bad show in the entirety. However we had some issues with the final show, we didn’t think it properly summed up the storyline that was being created in the first several episodes.
Undoubtedly it can set up a second season–which is also perfectly fine.
There has been an ongoing social media clamor concerning the apparent battle between Darkness Radio host Dave Schrader and his cohost Tim Dennis. A few weeks ago, Schrader took to the social media and airwaves to discuss the future of Darkness Radio and his upcoming project: “Paranormal 60”.
Last evening, Tim Dennis use the first 20 minutes of Darkness Radio to discuss his counterpoint to watch Schrader headset. Dennis suggested that there may be no good will between the two, that there may be no future in which either one cohosts the same project again, and were possibly Tim Dennis goes his own way and the death of Darkness Radio occurs..
You can listen to the program here through Spotify:
The relationship between Dennis and Schrader goes back many years, as both a test two. However there seems to have been a breakdown over the past few months, maybe something that has been going on behind the scenes even longer.
At risk is the future of a really good show that produce great contact through the years. Paranormal radio fans would lament the loss of Darkness Radio, but it would seem that with the two hosts at odds and ends that is exactly what will occur.
Adrian Reister said that he had strange encounters including a meeting with a 6 foot shadow person ..
The former USAF nuclear weapons technician Adrian Reister described seeing glowing ‘orbs’ hovering around the high-security Missouri base – and coming face-to-face with a ‘shadow person’..
Somewhere in the Skies on YouTube did an interview with him..
https://youtu.be/PGLTqbDP1JU
The Youtube live with Somewhere in the Skies delved into UAP incidents but also the Reister claims that he saw the shadow person.
Reister said it occurred sometime in the spring of 2006.. He was “just a kid,” he joked..
Reister said he heard a strange noise of footsteps, somewhat like the sound of wet feet walking on concrete near a pool. As the noise got louder, he came eye to shadow.. it was 6 feet tall and opaque in color..
This all took place in a locked room that had tamper proof sealing, his recollection went..
According to the account, Reister even chased the being through the facility and it vanished..
Adrian, who received medals for outstanding service, feared top brass would revoke his clearance and “put a target on his back” if he said anything about the strange encounters.
Whitley Strieber was first to talk about the COMING GLOBAL SUPERSTORM, but then freaky Christmastime ghosts took over afterwards for the duration of the show .. Brendan Cook and Barbara McBeth shared their EVP recordings..
Cook and McBeth were guests so often–but for some reason this exact show sticks out in my memory..
I recall that night I was listening to it, the Christmas season after 9/11.. we were all freaked out by the mass death that occurred just months prior. Twenty years later the mass death of a virus has far exceed that which occurred in 2001…
Also I think–just a fading memory–that I listened to this Art Bell show partially on the car radio coming home from a bar or bowling that night and finishing up at home …
And I recall listening until the sun came up…
20 years ago. So many years ago, but seemingly like just yesterday.
One of the most amazing parts about Art airing the ghost EVPs is that they were credible –at least on his show– and his reactions were just as all of ours would have been. What were these voices in the night, in the darkness. Did these strange voices mean anything? Were they from beyond.. are they stuck here? Art seemed to get so freaked out during these EVP sessions. 20 years later as we listen here at Horror Report central, we are confronted with the same chills that we had that very night December 2001…
On a personal note, so much changes in 20 years. My mom, now deceased for only weeks, was alive then. We were preparing for Christmas with family that were young and now old, and those who exist now did not then. Our national crisis of 9/11 then is a global pandemic of COVID in ’21..
Twas the best of times. And the worst of times.
And Art Bell listening to a child’s EVP saying “stay with me” in the darkness of the night is as scary in 2021 as it was in 2001..
Over the past few days the “pathway to heaven photo“ has been making its rounds. It was taken by people after the scene of a car accident, there’s some hot debate whether it’s a soul going to heaven or just a glare from the windshield.
But just as a symbol of how the news media works, those with some memory may recall this photo was published before.
Despite the fact the news reports or not indicating what year it took place, they were simply saying it was taken April 25, it has been published as though just happened this year
It did not.
Here are some screenshots showing the date line October 2021 for the new a story but other screenshots showcasing that this photo was published many years ago.
It’s how the news biz works. Sometimes fake. Sometimes repetition. But most of the time misleading.
Stephen Rossetti – a licensed psychologist and counsellor – said they do it to taunt their victims, their families and any priests trying to save them.
The clergyman said: “We have had three cases in which demons have texted the team and or the family of the possessed person.
“Two of these cases were the most difficult cases we have had so far, and the third involved a pious family with priestly and religious vocations among the children.
“So, all were ‘high value’ targets with high-ranking, powerful demons involved.
