Changing thoughts...

[Debi]

After a brief discussion on last night's chat thread during the Art Bell program, the topic of how we've changed some of our thoughts about the Paranormal over the years popped up.

I know my own thoughts and ideas have changed, even since coming to the forum 9 years ago. I've found it to be constantly shifting as new ideas and information have come forth, with many of my original beliefs confirmed, but some have also changed...like my new thoughts on cryptids.

At my age, what I thought I knew for sure has changed many times!
How have your ideas/beliefs been influenced or changed over time?​

 

[garnetsilver]

First, I really enjoyed hearing Art Bell. I was briefly acquainted with Fate magazine, back in the day, but was not overly familiar with the man's radio program.

How my beliefs have changed about the paranormal, is that I have learned that getting angry isn't always wise, when it comes to paranormal intruders or any other worldly interference. I have learned to try to understand what is going on instead of going into instant fear/combat mode. I believe that the entire world is going through a major shift about the paranormal, as evidenced by the increase in paranormal hunting activity, NDEs, etc.

I have learned that when someone or a pet dies, that what follows can be different than what was expected. And I have learned better ways to psychically protect myself, better shielding, and how to be of better service to others.

 

[Debi]

First, I really enjoyed hearing Art Bell. I was briefly acquainted with Fate magazine, back in the day, but was not overly familiar with the man's radio program.

How my beliefs have changed about the paranormal, is that I have learned that getting angry isn't always wise, when it comes to paranormal intruders or any other worldly interference. I have learned to try to understand what is going on instead of going into instant fear/combat mode. I believe that the entire world is going through a major shift about the paranormal, as evidenced by the increase in paranormal hunting activity, NDEs, etc.

I have learned that when someone or a pet dies, that what follows can be different than what was expected. And I have learned better ways to psychically protect myself, better shielding, and how to be of better service to others.

That's quite a bit, Garnet! Good for you!

 

[Debi]

My thoughts have changed radically on Bigfoot and the cryptid world. I went from a total non-believer in their reality to a believer in them as interdimensional beings with a paranormal twist. I've come over to the "it's all connected" group, fitting in with the John Keel theories.

 

[ozentity]

My thoughts have changed or altered on almost every aspect of this, some week to week. The paranormal never ceases to amaze me and I never stop learning or relearning and never will I believe, though maybe on passing. Just when you are sure you have the answer, you don't.

 

[Debi]

Just when you are sure you have the answer, you don't.

That sums it up nicely. I was much more confident in my knowledge when I was young! lol Wisdom has come along and taught me all that I don't know.

 

[Selectric]

Paranormal interest has been with me all my life. I always read books on Bigfoot and Nessie and UFOs. Ghosts? Absolutely lol. But as i began having my own experiences, some of those spooky stories became reality. I don't think much has changed about my beliefs as i always figured most of this stuff will never have complete answers. Some things are not meant to be understood. The belief that all of this is part of some bigger picture that is just out of our reach, yeah, i have gotten onboard with that.

 

[Stevedog]

My thoughts s have changed quite a bit over time. As a young boy I loved reading the "true mystery" ghost stories because to me they were just stories. It was just like the kid in 4th grade who one day has bandages on on his hand and told us that as he was loading his BB gun one of the BBs malfunctioned and exploded in his hand. I hear this story and I know it can't possibly be real but the way it's told is entertaining. BBs don't explode and ghosts don't exist, so hearing stories about these things is just simple fun and nothing more.

Even when I began experiencing unexplainable things myself I dismissed them as simply being a bizzare coincidence or a kind of optical illusion that I just didn't know the cause of, the fact that I couldn't explain it personally didn't mean there was no logical explanation. I was (and still am) a huge science nerd and knew that there has never been any actual scientific proof that anything like this is real so therefore it's just a remnant of childish superstition and ignorance.

As I got older and talked with people who also had unexplained experiences I started to get a little angry with them. I wasn't a little kid anymore, I knew that Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real and nobody tried to pretend they were just because I was around. So why are these people trying to pretend that ghost, bigfoot and UFOs are real? During this time I was also experiencing things that were much harder to even understand let alone explain. I remembered a quote from Sherlock Holmes (and also Star Trek because I'm a nerd) that goes “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” and began to think in earnest about what is or isn't impossible.

Sure there is no solid, scientific evidence of the supernatural but there are a lot of things that people knew about for hundreds to thousands of years before sufficient science existed which could explain them. This would be things like earthquakes, viruses, lightning or even why certain plants seem to help heal people. All of these were thought to be supernatural or magical in some way before science could explain them. So what if ghosts are the same, there is hard science behind what's happening but we just don't have the right tools or theories yet to test this phenomena properly.

So I began to study such things with the idea that there is some kind of unknown science at work. As Confucius said, "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." The more I studied and the more I spoke with people the better I understood the things which I had experienced and also would experience in the future. It's difficult because there still are a lot of story tellers out there that make stuff up and cause people to look for the most fantastic explanation first before considering one more mundane.

Today I am confident in the idea that many of these things we talk about here do in fact exist. However I am highly skeptical of all stories I hear and evidence I see. I start with the assumption that there is a non supernatural explanation and endeavor to figure it out. Many times I can come up with some reasonable account of what has or might have happened, but it's those times I can't which intrigue me the most.

 

[GoneWestUtah]

Three years ago I was a hardened skeptic.

So yeah, a lot has changed!

There is no better teacher than experience.

 

[Paulm]

some thoughts have changed, or better yet, been built upon. i think what ive learned most is patience. answers will come when the timing is right, or someone will cross paths that will have the answers i need or am seeking, and you will know when or who that may be. ive learned to trust the universe more and to let go of the individual control.