Are you drawn to the paranormal and supernatural but also fear it? Overcoming fear of paranormal activity enables us to savor the excitement of discovery. Are you ready for this mindset shift?
Our fear comes from two sources: our instincts and our cultural narrative. Our instincts use fear to protect us from things like snakes or falling from high places. Religion often dominates the cultural narrative. Religious beliefs often contain harmful bias and prejudice. The fears of the most common types of hauntings come from religion.
Religions teach people to hate and fear people who do not share their beliefs. They also promote the fear of experiences that don’t fit their worldview. Why? Because they can’t control them. It’s all about control. So, let’s address some of the common myths about the paranormal. You can only savor the excitement of discovery when you move beyond fear.
Debunking Common Paranormal Activity Myths
Most people wonder if paranormal and supernatural activity are true. There is some truth, and there is some fiction. So, let’s shed light on the myths that impede the truth.
Myth #1: Ghosts are the spirits of the deceased who cannot move on to the afterlife. There is no evidence to support this claim. It is a myth derived from Persian folklore.
Myth #2: Haunted houses are one of the most popular myths in popular culture. Drafts, plumbing, creaky floorboards, and overactive imaginations can explain most of them.
Myth #3: Ouija boards are dangerous and can communicate with dead or evil spirits. The problem is you don’t know what spirit you are talking to. In reality, Ouija boards are a product of the toy marketing industry. These devices rely on the ideomotor effect. Here, individuals unconsciously move the planchette to spell out messages.
Myth #4: Demons can possess individuals and cause harm. Movies and TV popularize these types of hauntings, adding to the fear of the unknown.
Myth #5: Paranormal investigators have captured definitive proof of ghosts and spirits. The desire to find proof of the unexplained has spawned fabrications of all kinds. It only muddies the waters of true scientific discoveries. We overlook the discoveries like the Coelacanth, the Monoplacophoran, and the Tasmanian tiger.
Myth #6: Psychic mediums assert they can communicate with the dead. However, it is impossible to prove these claims using scientific means. The practice of mediumship remains a controversial field. James Randi was a famous magician who spent the bulk of his career debunking common paranormal activity myths of mediums.
Myth #7: People believe that paranormal or supernatural activity always indicates an evil presence, but this is not true. Natural phenomena can explain many reported cases of paranormal or supernatural activity. Some reports involve people with mental illness because of cognitive distortions. Not all unexplained cases are necessarily evil. The Mothman Prophecies are a good example of a story made into a movie. It outlines supernatural activity that warns of an impending disaster.
Myth #8: Cemeteries are the most common sites among all types of hauntings. Despite the unease they may cause, there is no evidence that they are more likely to be haunted than any other place.
Remember, it is important to approach claims of paranormal and supernatural activity with a skeptical eye and a critical mind. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the supernatural and paranormal, but don’t forget to question the evidence. By debunking common paranormal activity myths, we open the door to other possibilities.
Not all paranormal or supernatural experiences are fabrications of the culture, and not all experiences of the unknown are cognitive distortions. We just need to have the right mindset to distinguish between fact and fiction. We can do this by learning to question everything presented in the cultural narrative. Religious beliefs are the source of many of the myths that prevent us from experiencing reality.
Embracing Paranormal Activity and Joy of the Unknown
The thing is, we are creatures born to explore to savor the excitement of discovery. This is a part of our nature. We want answers, so we explore everything, both the inner and outer worlds. Can you relate?
To be attracted to and afraid of the same thing seems crazy, but there is an interesting connection between these emotional triggers. Both love and fear have a strong emotional tie to our primitive instincts and originate from the same area in the brain. Loving and fearing the unknown seems like a contradiction, but perhaps not.
Both love and fear trigger the same chemical reaction. This is why people like scary movies and amusement park rides: they love fear. These experiences trigger powerful chemical reactions in the brain. Fear, love, and joy of the unknown trigger the same centers in the brain.
Ideas that don’t fit within the boundaries of the culture challenge its authority. Those in control of the culture teach us to reject anything that threatens their beliefs. They demonize and persecute those with ideas that challenge their control.
To understand our fear, we must locate the source and change the programming. We know it is an instinctual fear or something learned, and this knowledge gives us to power to overcome it.
Conquering and Overcoming Fear of Paranormal Activity
Mixed feelings about the supernatural are not that uncommon. Fear triggers the fight, flight, or freeze reaction. It’s the way your mind prepares your body for danger. It gives you a chemical high. But we also have our love of exploring things unknown. So, we get into the conflict of being attracted to the very things we are afraid of.
Our instinct for survival has programming to deal with threats. So, debunking common paranormal activity myths helps us regain control of these triggers.
The fear of heights or falling from high places, the fear of the dark, deep water, and confined spaces are instinctual fears. Do you have any of these? Are you afraid of snakes and insects, and especially spiders? These trigger our fight, flight, or freeze instinct for survival. Can you relate to these fears?
The dominant culture programs a list of things it wants us to fear or hate, which depends on its shifting priorities. Sometimes, they combine fear and hate into one package. They program the fear of people with other beliefs, races, and ethnic backgrounds. Then, they add social and even political issues to the agenda. Learn to avoid their propaganda.
Our fears about the supernatural can stem from our instincts, our culture, or both. That’s why some people like roller coasters and scary movies while others do not. Understanding fear gives us the ability to move beyond it. Overcoming fear of paranormal activity starts with spotting fact from fiction.
Supernatural Types of Hauntings
We know fear is a programmed response, and we can identify the sources responsible for programming harmful beliefs and values. What are they? History points to three religions (1) that are at the root of promoting harmful beliefs. These are the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. They spawn the most violent conflicts, genocides, and holy crusades. Fear about the supernatural and paranormal is just a part of fear woven into the fabric of these systems.
“Why is the paranormal a thing of fear? For many people, the paranormal is a thing of fear. People fear what they cannot understand, and those who understand the strange happenings of our world are regularly ridiculed. It is a strong-willed person who takes to the paranormal and investigates it. It takes great courage to dip your feet into the unknown — and that’s what you are — a courageous person. You are delving into it.” — B. Perry E. Scarze
It is difficult to overcome the messages of fear that bombard daily. You must learn to avoid the programming from bigoted religious and political sources. They strive to keep us off-balance with their propaganda. That way, they can trigger our emotions and program the ideas and opinions they want us to believe.
Why You Can’t Savor the Excitement of Discovery
The social mass of organized religion makes it hard to escape its influence. Fear is at the core of its teachings. Fear is a major topic because it is a wonderful motivator. Anger is just a fear response. When we start debunking common paranormal activity myths, we will often find other religious fears involved. The fear of divine punishment and the afterlife or hell are some common myths involved.
Intelligence is not a defense against brainwashing techniques. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. The more you expose yourself to negative programming, the more susceptible you become to its influence. That’s why learning to understand fear is something they do not want you to do. The fear of the unknown keeps us inside the boundaries of their control. It keeps you a paying customer.
The brainwashing tactics of Western religion come from the ancient mystery religions. These are the dying-god cults from Assyria, Egypt, Persia, and Babylon. These systems use self-hypnosis and group hypnosis to override common sense and logic. They can program almost any outlandish and illogical concepts. That’s where we get our beliefs about demons and devils.
Concept of the Devil
Devils and demons are mythological evil spirits. When we demonize someone or something, we associate it with evil. It all started when the Assyrians were at war (2) with India in 810 BCE. In the Hindu religion, the deities are the bright lights of the stars and planets in the Heavens. The Hindus call these lights in the sky Devas. The Assyrians sought to dehumanize their foe, so the Hindu Devas became the Devils, evil Gods of the Assyrians. It’s the start of fearing the unknown enemy.
The hate of the Hindu Gods became part of Persian mythology. Persian mythology is a cornerstone of Western theology. If it were not for the Assyrian’s hatred of the Hindus, devils and demons might not be such a driving force in our culture. Overcoming fear of paranormal activity often starts here.
Fear blocks us from the spirit’s gifts and virtues, while understanding enables us to go beyond and conquer our fears. The “gifts of the spirit” are beyond the boundaries of doctrine and dogma.
Instead of offering tools for exploring consciousness, they substitute the afterlife. They program followers to fear hell. This is an excellent customer retention strategy and cash flow generator. Are you a customer?
Seeing Paranormal Activity and Joy of the Supernatural as Clues
“What many people call paranormal experiences are an expansion of awareness. It is a glimpse into the realm of the Siddha or Shaman. When people ask about this experience, I tell them to read the works of Carlos Castaneda. His books depict the experience of altered states and non-ordinary reality.
Paranormal experiences are more prevalent at certain times. We encounter them more often on the full moon, Solstices, and Equinoxes. It is these times when the veil between these realms is the thinnest. The thinnest point is the Fall Equinox.” — Guru Tua
After debunking common paranormal activity myths, we are free from cultural fears and can experience reality more clearly, including the supernatural.
Genuine paranormal and supernatural experiences appear outside of normal reality. They include everything from ghosts to unidentified flying objects and alien contacts. How we label them depends on our beliefs. Some experiences defy categorization, like seeing shadow people in your peripheral vision. That’s a topic for another discussion.
These may be glimpses into other realms of reality. The frame of reference depends on your worldview programming. If you expect to see aliens, you see an alien if something unexplained appears. However, if you expect angels, the same phenomenon is an angel. You perceive what you expect.
Above all, your beliefs will determine how you frame unknown phenomena. That’s why it’s essential to free yourself as much as possible from the cultural narrative. Doing this takes some effort. This is because the dominant cultural narrative reinforces the fears programmed by religion.
Tools to Overcome Fear
The ancient and indigenous cultures of the world were the pioneers of consciousness. Seers and shamans engaged in different practices to push awareness and consciousness boundaries. So loving and fearing the unknown was the balance that kept them within the safe boundaries of exploration.
The Shamanic Journey is one tool for exploring awareness, which is found worldwide. Many ancient cultures discovered the rainbow of consciousness techniques, which remain viable. This technique helps us dismantle the fears programmed by the culture.
Shamanic State of Consciousness
One way to fight fear is to deal with it directly. Michael Harner is an anthropologist, writer, and modern-day Shaman. He refers to the fifth state of non-ordinary consciousness as the Shamanic State of Consciousness (SSC). This ancient practice teaches us to savor the excitement of discovery through an imaginary landscape in the mind.
This inner work can help you uncover and conquer your fears. SSC is a unique state of consciousness. You enter this partition of awareness using the rhythm of a drum and your imagination. You are both the director and participant in this partition of non-ordinary reality. The practice of SSC helps in overcoming the fear of paranormal activity.
The Shamanic Journey is an ancient process that allows us to explore our beliefs and fears. SSC is a spiritual practice with roots on all the major continents. The imagery and symbolism of this landscape are likely the source of religion. You can learn this process by using a CD with a drum track. Several brilliant authors (3) have books with CDs. Try it yourself.
Using the Analytical Processes to Conquer Fear
The Enneagram process is an analytical approach for those not inclined to explore the mystical side. It will show you the thought scripts of your personality and instincts. With this information, you can determine the programming you need to change.
Comparative Analysis is a tool for comparing and tracing the origins of belief systems. It is a non-threatening way to expose one’s sacred ground.
Another great way to cut through cultural programming and propaganda is the practice of logic. By studying logical reasoning, you will learn to spot the misuse of arguments. Arguments are tools the unscrupulous can use to manipulate and sell us things. The educational systems in the West don’t teach people how to think. They teach how to memorize the things they want you to know.
Learn to be a freethinker! This mindset has always been an asset, and it is now more than ever. We need more freethinkers to solve global issues. Critical thinking skills are essential for becoming a freethinker. There are three toolkits that everyone can use. They include the study of analytical thinking, spotting logical fallacies, and spiritual axioms. They will help you determine fact from fiction and theory from mythology.
In Conclusion
Embracing the joy of the unknown is the key to moving beyond cultural fears. When we move past these fears, we are able to savor the excitement of discovery. The different types of hauntings portrayed by popular media are distractions. They keep us from pursuing authentic supernatural experiences that are available. When we learn to identify and understand our fears, we can move beyond their control. You have the tools to do it. Overcoming fear of paranormal activity is a natural progression in your personal development.
References
(1) Abrahamic Religions: Wikipedia
(2) Assyrian war with India: historum.com
(3) Sandra Ingerman, Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide to the Spirit World