Opinions

Normalizing the paranormal

For some, the idea of paranormal existence seems unfathomable. But instead of disregarding the idea, they should be more open to it.

One can look at it through the lens of those who are devout in their religious or spiritual faiths. The idea of spirits from heaven and hell, such as angels and demons, are evident in many religions. Although they take various forms, people have witnessed these beings time and time again. Some Haitians believe in vodou as part of Roman Catholicism, communicating with family spirits for protection. This is similar to some strains of Christianity; many Catholics believe to have witnessed God through prayer, hearing Him speaking to and protecting them with angels.

I am not one to deny other’s paranormal encounters; just because people can’t see each other’s paranormal experiences doesn’t mean they should be ignored.

Beyond more traditional faith encounters, others have been witness to paranormal activities in everyday situations. Recently, there were ghost sightings and supernatural occurrences at The Aurora Inn in Ohio near the bar and in some of the motel rooms. One of the long-time bartenders, Diane Sworan, claims she saw a female ghost dressed in a blue bonnet and apron. Moments later the ghost disappeared.

Experiences like this are very difficult to explain and some people use a fallacy called “the burden of proof” to claim that paranormal believers’ defenses are weak. For example, if someone says that possession by demons is real but they can’t prove it because no one else can see them, non-believers use the burden of proof to discount the believer’s story.

It’s a very simple argument to fall back on; however, when it comes to the paranormal, there’s very little that we can do at the moment to acquire tangible evidence.

We have to be open-minded to the possibilities. Humans are still evolving, and there are plenty of unknown phenomena which have not yet been explored by humankind. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t exist.

There are people who have had near-death experiences and claim that they have died and come back to life with a second chance to live. They’ve claimed that they had a sensation or vision of the afterlife, which is astounding. These experiences cannot be measured by any type of human tool kit and should not be seen as falsehoods.

The concept of ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings existing should not be thrown aside as if it weren’t real. There is so much that still needs to be uncovered by scientists and psychologists. We don’t have the answer to everything.

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