Shadow People
by Mary on Jan.30, 2012, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
I recently received a letter from a man named David (I’m not sure if he wants privacy or if it would be okay for me to mention what the name of his group??), that asked, “We really like your page, but I had a question for you…Can shadow people hurt you and or are they bad or good?”
Here is my response below:
Hi David,
I’m Mary Marshall, The Paranormal MD, and I’d be happy to answer your question.
To be honest, no one knows for sure what or who shadow people are. It is suspected that they are ghosts of the deceased who for some reason cannot manifest themselves enough as to appear as full bodied apparitions. With this being said, some may not be the ghosts of our dead, but beings that were never of this world.
The one common thread about shadow people is that other than sleeking around in the shadows as shadows themselves, they do not seem to have much interaction with the living. Other than playing a game of cat and mouse with us, there hasn’t been much interaction reported by investigators who have come across them. So in general my answer would be to tell you that you have nothing to fear from a shadow person. Yes, they look creepy and it can be startling to come across one and see it, but generally speaking, I cannot think of a case in which a shadow person caused anyone any harm. With this being said, IF some shadow people are in fact the ghosts of the dead, they may not only be capable of appearing as a shadow person, but be possible of other activity that is more typical of the nature of a ghost. So moving objects, touching of someone, other type of communication, etc. would be possible. We just aren’t sure if the shadow person and the other ghosts we come across in the same location are one in the same or different entities. In cases where only shadow people have been spotted and named as the main paranormal activity, there are usually no reports of any type of harm of any kind happening to anyone.
Keep in mind, if someone was not a nice person in this life, they aren’t going to a nice person in the next dimension. If a person was a jokester while alive in our realm, they more than likely will be a jokester in the next realm they inhabit. So there could be taunting, pranks, or completely passive behavior exhibited.
Alright, here is the tough antidote to tell people….. shadow people aren’t always poorly manifested ghosts or benign beings of another type. VERY rarely demonic beings appear as nothing more than a darkened shadow. So understandably there always remains concern when they are discovered. However, in the rare instance that the shadow being is something demonic in nature you will know it. Even if they are intent on “tricking” you into a false sense of security, their facade won’t last long. At the very least, in a short period of time you will come to know it because the demonic will not be content to be a wall flower. Again, this is a rare occurrence, but they do exist and you should be aware of this. In my personal experience anyone who has come across something demonic knows it. They will come across as more than just an angry ghost and demonics can hurt you.
So to sum up, shadow people are usually a class of benign entity that in general isn’t too interactive with the living. If there is no other evidence of ghostly activity, you have nothing to fear. If the shadow person is only one display of an intelligent ghost residing in a location, and it seems to be nasty or mean in nature. Possible displays of some mild forms of aggression, and even physical aggression could occur. However, claiming your space and basically putting the nasty spirited dead person/ghost in its place by standing firm and not allowing it to bully you does work in quieting them down. As one final note that I hope will put your mind at ease, in all my years investigating, combined with others out there that I know or know of who’ve either lived with or investigated shadow people, I can only think of one instance in which any ghost or shadow person unprovoked, aggressively attacked and hurt anyone, or intentionally made them feel ill.
The Relevance of The Space-Time Continuum – Revised
by Mary on Nov.23, 2011, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
You may have heard the phrase “time slip” used in the past. A time slip could occur if one dimension slips into another. Other term associated with this one is: colliding dimensions, a tear in the fabric of time, time portals, and so on. What all of these have in common is their association with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and the space-time continuum. These “phrases” also have much more to do with the science of physics than with science fiction as many seem to think. In address this topic and it’s relation to ghosts, or a haunting, and other paranormal activity, I first need to start with a little background information and scientific jargon. I promise to get through this part as quickly as possible so as to not bore you with daunting scientific details.
The first thing to note is that as humans in this vast universe our perceptions are quite limited. Within the time-space continuum, we as humans are aware of and experience 4 dimensions, the fourth being the concept that space-time combines space and time within a single coordinate system, typically with three spatial dimensions: length, width, height, and one temporal dimension: time. There also are several proposed space-time theories that include additional dimensions. How many dimensions are needed to describe the universe is still an open question that no one knows the answer to yet. However, let’s briefly explore a couple of these theories now.
In string theory, elementary particles are not point-like, but instead are more like or similar to strings. In this speculative theory it is predicted that there may be 10 or 26 dimensions. There are various forms of string theory and each requires the existence of at least six extra spatial dimensions.
Brane theory is a short for “membrane” and is also sometimes referred to as the M-Theory, and would be viewed as a sheet floating in a fifth dimension. The M-theory predicts 11 dimensions: 10 spatial and 1 temporal.
One excepted theory is that these other dimensions beyond what we consciously know now are copies, but not exact replicas of our own world, our own self. I find this theory particularly interesting, and plausible. However, I believe in the theory that other dimensions are really not different “worlds” or copies of our own, but spatial, and that each dimension would be comparable to what we understand a year of time to be. That “time” as we know it, and live it, is playing itself out accordingly in these other dimensions like our own. It is possible that time does not run linear, but may coexists side by side in other dimensions. As humans our awareness of time and space is usually limited by our own dimensional existence, within our own space and time, and is usually not affected by these other time dimensions. However, if a clash of dimensions were to occur, then we could be witness to time slips.
In our minds we pass the years one by one, one after another, moving forward; year 1999, year 2000, and so on. You might compare the passing of time like our use of linear measurements. It’s kind of like taking measurements of an object or space with a ruler. You start with at the beginning and calculate 1 inch at a time and as you move up the ruler in a linear fashion in specific spatial increments… 2 inches, 3 inches, and so on. So let’s use a ruler to represent the passing of time. It will really help if you try to see an actual ruler in your head as I move forth with this explanation.
Picture a ruler in your head, and each inch on the ruler represents a year;
inch number 1 /year 1. In this view, time would start at the beginning in year 1 and move forward one at a time until we reach the end of our existence at year 12 (I know only 12, but just stay with me on this). This ruler represents space-time running linear, in a straight forward sequential motion. We move forward through each inch which represents each year one at a time, remembering our experiences of what has passed as we go. We are aware that more years lie ahead of us, but we have not experienced it yet, thus there is no conscious comprehension of its space. We assume in our conscious, known world we cannot move backwards to what has passed, nor are we able to jump ahead, and that we can only move forward in specific spatial increments.
Okay, I know this may be getting confusing…please stay with me on this as it gets easier and does make sense.
What if space-time does not run in a forward linear motion only as described above, but coexists in a different way that is normally inaccessible to us? What if space-time coexists side by side? I want you to now picture in your mind a horse track and race. At the starting gates all the horses are lined up next to each other, side by side. When the race begins all the gates open at the same time and the horses take off into their designated lanes which are only separated by a visually thin line. As the race continues you will notice that often the horses cross over into other lanes other than their own which were originally designated for them. When a crossing like this occurs the horses risk bumping into each other, and occasionally the horses do bump together.
The gates represent the beginning of time as we know it and exist side by side, and as the race begins all gates open simultaneously. Each lane represents a dimension, and each dimension represents a year, and each has its own lane that is only separated by a visually thin line that can easily be crossed.
This example is a rudimental analogy of time playing itself out in other (side by side) dimension to our own. It is time (other years past or future) existing in a different “realm” or dimension. If dimensional clashes were to occur, or a tear or portal exists or is accidentally created between dimensions, a time slip may occur. Meaning, we could bump into other living people, etc., and they into us, literally, or figurative and we become witness to oddities we can’t explain. The “other side” is really the same world we live in, but it is just a different year/time than currently in our own realm.…or as described above, like a crossing over into another lane other than our own and vice versa.
When it is said that “time is relative”, in its simplest terms, it means time is a perspective. And that perspective is thought of in our own individual mind, in this tangibly viewed world of ours.
In the paranormal field we come across what is referred to as ghosts or entities. These “other worlders” may not be ghosts at all but we suspect that some of the intelligent interactions, as well as some of the residual activity may be due to a crossing over of dimensions created by a collision, a tear, or time slip. Some tears or portals may be temporary or permanent. It is possible that some of what we witness is not the dead, but we are witnessing people who are very much alive. People who are living their lives out in a normal timely fashion, just like us, but in their own dimension. And when we come across them with startled eyes and/or ears, because we think they are ghosts, they too are startled by us, and may think we are ghosts.
It is even possible while we think of them as ghosts of a time passed and gone, they may view us like we are aliens from the future. So as ridiculous as it sounds, as of now this all does remain a possibility, and no one knows for sure yet what it is that many experience. We are still limited by our own current scientific understanding. However, our limited perspectives according to what we know now should not preclude other possibilities. For if we were to rule out these possibilities than we might as well just label Einstein as nothing more than delusional.
With all that has been said, additional dimensions to the ones we’ve come to love and know as our reality may also lend itself to other types of ghostly sightings now known as residual haunts. Residual haunts that some refer to as energy imprints may occur if there is a tear or ripple in the fabric of time, a dimensional tear. It may be possible that this film loop of we see and understand now as residual energy isn’t really residual imprinted energy, but just a glimpse though a specific portal in time into another dimension. It would be kind of like looking at something through a tiny hole or tear. It is impossible to see everything going on all around everywhere and we’d only see a bit or portion from a specific vantage point. If the tear remains open to that specific point in time, it would only be a snapshot of that time, like looking at a photograph or video clip of a moment in time. And although this is all that we see, the fact may be that life is moving along in a full and complete and timely fashion on the other side of this small pin pointed tear, but we just can’t see it.
So at this point in the article you Christians are yelling, “But Mary, what about intelligent interactions with those that we know are dead? What about the belief in heaven?”
My answer to you is this: As a Christian I believe in the existence of heaven, and since no one in this realm can definitively with proof tell me otherwise, I believe that heaven most definitely exists. It may simply exist in another dimension. I also happen to believe in science and the intricacies of the universe.
In conclusion, the discovery of, and definitive proof of multiple dimensions, as suspected and theorized by the scientific community may be the key to unlocking the answers to explanations we currently seek in the paranormal community and in general as humans.
Newspaper Featuring a Story on my Paranormal College Class
by Mary on Aug.27, 2011, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
A local newspaper is featuring a story on the class I developed and teach at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois. I recently did a phone interview with the marketing department at the college that is overseeing this all on both our behalves. I assume my words are being passed along in the proper manner to the newspaper. The following is some the questions asked, of course followed by my answers.
What can students in your class expect to gain from hearing about your experiences?
Not to be afraid of the unknown but to feel challenged by it and compelled to find
answers, correlations, etc. I want them to always ask the difficult questions
and be willing to apply themselves in a diligent manner. We must understand
that science is a key to the gateway of understanding. When all fields of
science welcome us with open arms, money for research will follow. I know that
investigating is exciting and fun, but don’t do it just for the thrill. It is
also a matter that should be taken seriously and with respect, especially when
dealing with a family home.
My hope is that they gain a broader perspective and become more precise in their
documentation and standards in their approach to the paranormal and paranormal
investigating. I would like them to understand that this field is an
interdisciplinary one, encompassing several scientific fields, spirituality,
psychology, technology, and more.
How long have you been involved in paranormal investigations? What sparked your interest?
I’ve had many personal experiences over the years, my first memorable experience
occurring when I was 14 years old. I, like many of us, struggled to try and
understand whats, whys, and hows. So I suppose indirectly I’ve been doing
investigating since I was a teen, albeit on a personal level. My desire for
knowledge and answers took me on an educational journey over the years across a
broad range of topic matter. However, I always quickly came to an impasse. Back
then it seemed it was either all spiritually and/or religiously related or just
a case of vivid imaginations. It is when I started searching through different
scientific topic matters and asked myself how does this or that relate to certain paranormal experiences that I
started to make an authentic connection.
Can you please tell me how you began to launch investigations in the area consistently?
Allow me to preface my answer with the following. There are two main categories in
which cases fall. I refer to them as contractual and outings. Contractual is
when someone contacts you to come in to their home or business to document and
report to them what is going on. I have my clients sign agreements that allow
me to come in and try and help them. Many of these cases are confidential in
whole or part. Outings are when your team or a group decides to visit a known
haunted location and pay the owners of the building/property a fee for the
right to investigate there. An example would Moundsville Prison in West
Virginia. They offer access to paranormal groups and a predetermined fee is
charged. Many haunted places offer this now. Ghost hunters used to illegally
sneak into places like this so the owners got smart and decided the liability was
worth them opening up their doors for legal investigation and they also
realized they could turn a very nice profit from it too. A lot of these types
of places making a profit are a good thing. Many of these haunted locations are
considered historical in nature and were or are in dire needs of funds to
either try to repair, maintain, sustain.
I’m really not sure what constitutes consistent, but my personal feeling is that
there are two main reasons. One, people are less afraid of ridicule by others
than they used to be, and more afraid of what they are experiencing. Two, I
think there may be a significant increase in actual paranormal occurrences, but
I’m not sure. However, it is just as possible that the there hasn’t been an
increase in activity and it is just that people are now bringing it more out
into the open. On a personal note I think that it is all of the above plus it
has a “cool” factor and become trendy now. Who knew 20 years ago that
businesses would someday want to be
haunted because it would actually make them money with added business they get
from those hoping to personally experience something that is considered truly
paranormal.
Why do you think this is an interesting or important topic?
Approximately 70% of people have experienced the unexplainable, the out of the norm,
the paranormal. However, most didn’t speak openly about their experiences for
years due to the stigma attached to the topic matter. They felt very alone,
sometimes frightened, and always curious. Up until recent times you may have
been called crazy, a liar, or wildly imaginative. However, now for the most
part that has changed. Not only do people speak more openly about their
personal experiences, they feel more empowered to search out the answers for
themselves, or at the very least attempt to document or capture the experience
in a way that may be considered proof. In other words, they want to prove to themselves
and the doubters they are not crazy or that it isn’t their imagination, but
very much a reality. Now if only the majority rather than the minority of
scientist would get on board for the long haul that would be great. There are
still a lot of hushed whispers coming from behind the closet doors, but the
whispered voices aren’t coming from ghosts. They are coming from scientists,
many of whom are afraid to openly become involved because it may damage their
credibility and careers. I understand their concerns, I really do. I still find
myself saying at times to those outside of the field, “I know this going to
sound crazy, but…” I suppose over time, and individual by individual this too
will change for the better. It took me more years than I care to mention to
come to terms with barring and sharing my paranormal experiences openly, and a
few more yet to figure out how to learn from them.
In general people often fear what they don’t understand, and nobody wants to live
in fear. So it was only matter of time before human nature would rise to the
occasion and start to try to figure this all out like we are doing now.
Knowledge is empowering and empowerment eases fear.
EVP #9 – What Do You Think is Being Said
by Mary on Jan.25, 2011, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
Metaphysics
by Mary on Jan.14, 2011, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
Metaphysics, A branch of philosophy that studies the ultimate structure and constitution of reality, of that which is real, to the extent or degree in what makes it is real. It is not easily definable. It is philosophical, theoretical like much of quantum physics yet goes beyond it, spiritual, and natural. It embraces both mind and matter. It is a look at our universe and existence, our reality and combines it with the non-tangible, and thus combines, the mental, spiritual, and the scientifically unanswerable and philosophically speculates about the nature of reality.
The term, which means literally “what comes after physics,” was used to refer to the treatise by Aristotle on what he himself called “first philosophy.” In the history of Western philosophy, metaphysics has been understood in various ways: as an inquiry into both the mental and the physical, and as the study of reality, as opposed to appearance of reality; also as the study of the world as a whole. Holistic practices, astrology, and forethought are part of metaphysics too. Holistic practices combines the mind, spirit, and body, and is considered the complete approach in bringing healing or wellness to an individual by taking all into consideration with the understanding that there is a balance needed and an intertwined relationship between everything. Simple meditation is metaphysical too, in that it focuses on bringing the spirit, mind, and body into balance with each other.
Metaphysical science in part explores the non-physical aspects of reality. Due to its very nature it cannot be accurately measured using data that relates to the five physical senses. That is why quantum physics, which delves into nature that precedes the physical manifestation, cannot produce consistent and duplicateable results and is sometimes called the science of probabilities.
Interesting enough, psychics and mediums are embraced by metaphysics. Psychic healers, energy healers, spiritual cleansing, and mediums who spiritually channel the unseen use their body, spirit, and mind to bring the scientifically unknown into our reality. Since science itself has differing opinions as to what creates our reality, metaphysics long and varying history has carved itself a permanent notch as a field scientific study. So metaphysics task and burden is to encompass at all times all the other fields of study and knowledge and to create a complete and whole approach.
These days a term such as New Age is used to describe aspects of metaphysics. Most often, crystals, aromatherapy, and healing stones are considered part of new age spiritualism, and thus may be considered a form of a paganistic religious practice.
The problem with metaphysics is that it is difficult to find a concrete and tangible way to document its truth due to the nature of itself and its part in defining our reality. For what is reality? The philosophy and broad concepts of metaphysics do not lend itself to controlled experimentation. It is a study of what is beyond what we consider normal, and beyond current fact and law. Another difficulty is that in trying to understand what is “metaphysical”, one must include all other categorized studies that lend itself in creating the whole of what we philosophize as our reality and beyond. In other words it is undeniably impossible to even try to find proof of substance when we are still philosophizing over what should be considered.
What Do You Think Is Being Said? EVP #8
by Mary on Dec.29, 2010, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
A Paranormal Poke
by Mary on Dec.16, 2010, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
Just poking a little fun at paranormal investigators and enthusiast like myself.
It seems that even when dealing with the dead, one has gotten to be politically correct. Investigators and bloggers of the paranormal choose their words carefully in order to not offend …..and maybe to separate themselves from certain implications and public condemnation. So here is a quick translation of the following words or terms and why they are used or not used.
Entity – A neutral word that is used often due to its homogeneous nature in order to describe a separate and self contained existence. An entity comes from no where in particular and could come from anywhere. It is a likable and non-specific all inclusive term
Spirit – Rarely used word because it is too closely related to the religious sector indicating faith rather than fact. May also indicate affiliation with one religious denomination over another…not good to do
Ghost – What can I say about this old fashioned word but: Too hip and not sick
Other Siders – Those that are intelligent and non-conformist.They are from There not Here
Beings – This word is never used by paranormal investigators. We don’t want people to think we believe in aliens too ;o)
Ectoplasma – It’s like calling a human a disgusting, ugly ameba.
Apparition – A widely used term to describe the manifested form of an “entity”. Acceptable unless combined with the word ghost or spirit
Phantom – Seriously…no one uses this word unless in association with the opera
EVP #7 – What Do You Think Is Being Said?
by Mary on Dec.10, 2010, under Paranormal & Ghosts Blog
Listen and express your opinion as to what you think is being said and leave a comment
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Welcome!!
Welcome to the official blog of The Paranormal MD. My name is Mary, and I'll be your host here on the blog, and as you tour around our official website at: www.TheParanormalMD.com Hopefully I will make you laugh, cry, and think what the ..... I will on occasion rant and rave over something to do with the paranormal field, but hopefully less than the times I will give credit and praise where it's due. Mostly, I hope to be informative whilst at times being, dare I say, a bit humorous. I'm so glad my readers are thus far enjoying the articles I've written and I thank you for your support.
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