The Occult Section

I bumbled across a Craigslist ad from someone unsatisfied with the way a paranormal group handled an investigation:

This group came in did an investigation at my home several months ago. They claim to have amassed a good amount of evidence. The leader of the group told me he would have a reveal in a few days. I have contacted the group to try and get the evidence. He comes up with 101 excuses why he has not given us any evidence. The stories get bigger and bigger how “something” has been terrorizing them all. The story is the same in every email but gets embellished with each telling. The story at this point is so unbelievable. If you go on his facebook page there is no mention of an auto accident, hospitalization, mugging. jail time, rehab, suicide attempt, dog having seizures, shadow figures, etc……… It just goes on and on.

Yep - the group was named in the title

If this ad is true, then shame on the group for doing this to a client. This is completely unprofessional and not a good way to handle what seems to be an already bad situation. However, with that said, it is also possible this isn’t true and is some twisted way of maliciously attacking a specific group. But it’s paranormal drama any which way you cut it.

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My Paranormal Rant!

First I’d like to thank my colleagues and friends over at the New York Paranormal Society for letting me rant at Occult Section! My name is Matt and I have been studying ghost phenomenon for about 15 years. I have investigated anything from private homes to historic landmarks, battlefields, lighthouses, restaurants, historic gold coast mansions, hotels, lunatic asylums, you name it.

 Though, My Paranormal Rant is not about bragging rights or where I have been. I’d like to take this opportunity to share with all of you my experiences I have had in the time I have spent in the field. 15 years isn’t really a whole lot of time if you think about it. 10 years can go by in the snap of a finger or a blink of an eye. Its amazing, as I reflect back on those 15 years and remember all of those years of investigating, the amount of drama I have been through. Don’t get me wrong, I look at everything as one big learning experience. We’re supposed to learn from our mistakes right? I’d like to think I have learned from my mistakes. Although there seems to be an exception for this rule for some people.

 Since scientists proclaim that our field be labeled as ‘Paranormal’ and isn’t a main stream science yet. Nobody in our field is an expert. If they told you they were, they’d be lying straight to your face. There’s no such thing as a certified ‘Ghost Hunter’ either. There are no universities giving away degree’s to be a legit Ghost Hunter. Don’t be fooled by those Paranormal Schools or Ghost Hunting Classes advertised on Craigslist! They are just out to take your money.

 Speaking of money? One of the biggest rants I have on my chest right now is all of the ‘reality’ Paranormal TV shows these days. I’m not knocking anybody who is trying to be successful. Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not going to sit here and bash these shows. That would be unprofessional of me. However, there is a such thing as doing it the right way. Believe me when I say, I’ve been through my fair share of backstabbing and heartache.

 When I had a well known Paranormal group established in my area, I learned real fast that people have their own agendas and you can’t trust anyone but yourself. There was way too much drama. Too many people wanted to be the big chief. You never had enough help.

 You can thank ‘reality’ Paranormal TV for leading a ton of Ghost Hunters into believing they can get fame and fortune or get their own show. You can bet your butt that I felt the wraith of that too. I had evidence stolen, nasty Email threats, friendships ruined, paranoia, great clients messed with, nearly had my entire reputation destroyed. I got so depressed that I hit rock bottom and even turned my own family away. I actually thank those who did put me through it. I know some of you might say I am crazy for thanking them. But I do.

 Its helped me become a stronger person as well as weed out the good and the bad. In the end, this is what My Paranormal Rant is all about. Its about sharing my experiences and views during the time I spent investigating the Paranormal. Do what you want with it. To each their own. Hopefully it can be a learning experience for you. I hope you’ve enjoyed the first edition & introductory of My Paranormal Rant. Ta ta for now, and until next month! 

I was six years old, growing up in Puerto Rico, when the first sighting of the Chupacabras was reported in 1992. But reports really started taking off in 1995, when sightings began occurring all over Latin America and with more and more frequency in Puerto Rico. The entire island was obsessed with the Chupacabras, whether they believed in it or not. My grandfather and his friends started a “Chupacabras Society,” the point of which I’m still not entirely clear on. Numerous theories abounded: It was an alien. It was a government experiment gone very, very wrong. It was an extremely elaborate hoax. It was a Satanic cult killing all the animals. Clearly, there are holes in all of these, and the lack of a full explanation is what has kept the myth going for all these years.

Here is my rendition of a Chupacabras wearing a traditional Puerto Rican pava, in honor of his heritage.

It seems like the Chupacabras has been in the news a lot lately, what with supposed sightings in Maryland, Minnesota, and Texas. Almost of all the spotted creatures have been proven to be other animals via DNA tests, but along with the healthy skepticism, the American media also seems to be taking the whole thing as a big joke. Of course, there are a few who do take a more serious point of view, like this article on Discovery.com, which explains how the original definition of the Chupacabras has been thrown out the window and has become a catch-all term for unidentified creatures.

A few nights ago, I stumbled upon a show from circa 2001 called Monster Hunters. We were sitting on the couch talking about Chupacabras, when all of a sudden, the aforementioned Monster Hunters were on the screen discussing their trip to Puerto Rico on which they were going to figure out the mystery of the Chupacabras. Imagine my surprise, and what a freaky coincidence it was. But onwards! Although the segment was pretty hokey and the production values weren’t necessarily the highest, they did seem to be at least somewhat genuinely interested in figuring some stuff out.

The Hunters journey to Puerto Rico and meet with some locals, including the mayor of Canovanas, a small town in the north. They describe him as a self-modeled “Indiana Jones type,” and explain how he launched his own search for the Chupacabras, even starting a small task force to help him. Local policemen describe shooting at the monster and watching the bullets bounce off. Citizens are interviewed, and they all give their own renditions of the sighting story. Eventually, the Hunters get to El Yunque, the rain forest that the Taino Indians believed the gods lived on and where some sightings have occurred. Taino mythology is discussed as historical context, and sightings of UFOS in the forest are mentioned as a way to tie in the extraterrestrial theories behind the Chupacabras. There is a shot of some towers that look like they could belong to the government, and the theory of the creature escaping from one of their secret labs is presented. The Monster Hunters set up some video surveillance, and we never hear about this part of the plot again. I guess nothing showed up?

Somehow the Hunters get in touch with a clairvoyant, who tells them they should go the Arecibo Observatory (featured in the Jodie Foster vehicle Contact!), which also gives off some extraterrestrial vibes. Employees are interviewed, some believe and some don’t, and again, we are left without a discernible conclusion. At some point someone brings up the idea that the Chupacabras is actually an alien pet, a theory that I very much enjoy.

In the end, they go over the evidence and wonder what it could be. After all, with all the information they’ve found and dead animals they’ve seen, it has to be something, right? For all the cheesiness involved, it is nice to see that at least there’s still someone on American TV who feels ok with sincerely believing in the Chupacabras. But, for some reason, it is extremely hard to find information on Monster Hunters on the internet. Conspiracy?

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I’ve never been to keen on exorcisms. There’s just something about them that seems overly melodramatic. And there’s something about them that doesn’t sit right with me. I mean if Satan (or a demon) can possess someone’s body, make them speak in tongues, and perform all sorts of other supernatural feats, why not do something that would really prove that it was Satan (or a demon)? How are these people confined to a bed? Again, I’m not saying there haven’t been certain cases that have been intriguing, but for the most part, I feel like “demonic possession” can be explained away as metal illness 99.9% of the time. And with that in mind, I present to you this story from Yahoo News (as well as our 300th post here at The Occult Section!):

Scary shit.

Vampires, the devil’s deceit and mental illness are among the hot topics for some 300 exorcists who flocked to Poland this week from as far away as Africa and India for a week-long congress.

Held at Poland’s Roman Catholic Jasna Gora monastery, home to the venerated Black Madonna icon, this year’s congress “examines the current fashion for vampirism in Europe and the world-over, schizophrenia and other mental disorders as well as the devil’s deceit during exorcism,” according to the monastery’s radio station.

Also attending are “priests and lay people who work with exorcists or who are themselves practitioners in cases which do not involve possession but rather other forms of harassment by evil spirits,” Polish exorcist, Father Andrzej Grefkowicz was quoted as saying.

Hailing from India, world-renowned exorcist Father Rufus Pereira as well as chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Vienna Larry Hogan are among the participants, the radio reported. The unusual meeting is held once every two years.

The Jasna Gora monastery’s venerated Black Madonna icon is believed by many Poles to work miracles.

Legend has it that it was painted by the apostle Saint Luke on a table top from the home of the Holy Family, according to the Jasna Gora website. Records suggest the icon arrived in Poland during the 14th century.

With around 90 percent of the population declaring themselves Roman Catholic, Poland remains one of Europe’s most devout countries.

I’ve experienced some strange, scary shit in my time on this planet, and I’m sure I will experience some more before I depart this world. But I haven’t ever experienced anything nearly as dramatic as an exorcism. And whether it really is demonic possession, or simply mental illness, I really don’t ever want to.

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I just really like these commercials. And it’s Saturday, so I felt like doing something more light-hearted. Sasquatch in mainstream media? I’m all over that.

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