The Letters of Oscar Wilde

It happened in a séance room belonging to Leslie Flint, often regarded as one of the great British mediums who held up to ridicule and testing. Flint was known to contact both common people and celebrities in his time through an ectoplasmic “voice box”, which would appear during mediumship, making the words come not from his own lips but the nearby air. On the 30th of August, a spirit came through in the presence of George Woods and Betty Greene. After much aloofness, it declared itself as Oscar Wilde.

The author spoke of his life and afterlife, and views of many differing topics for quite some time before fading away from “lack of energy”. Given Flint’s fame as a medium, audio recordings were taken of each session starting in 1955. The recording of “the spirit of Oscar Wilde” has survived and can still be listened to today. Many recordings can be found on this website. The full 30-minute recording of the Wilde séance is available online through this link. A partial excerpt and transcript is provided on “Oscar Wilde Returns“. British videographer Jim Clark took an excerpt of the recording and jazzed it up slightly. Here is his computer animation of a photograph of Oscar speaking the words recorded almost 47 years ago:

Rhine and the famous Rhine Reseach Center (as it is now referred to as… they even have a blog) forged a path for paranormal phenomena, butting heads with psychology and other sciences since the 1930s. If you’re a paranormal investigator and you haven’t heard his name before, you certainly should review his work. Skeptics often argue that there is no evidence of paranormal phenomena, yet data collected by Rhine and his colleagues proves otherwise.

I did learn an interesting piece of information from the book. I purchased a deck of ESP cards (a.k.a. Zener cards) on Ebay several years ago for a few dollars, dated 1937. This was, in fact, the very year these cards began released to the public as radio programs hosted telepathy experiments to the public. In effect, I own a piece of parapsychological history. They’re a little worse for ware, but after seventy years I would expect that.

The book is filled with interesting bits of history: Alfred Hitchcock’s failed attempt to find a haunted house in New York City to host a party, Jackie Gleason’s desire to start a paranormal television program, early EVP experiments, Ouija board origins, and so much more. Horn even mentions oen of my favorite paranormal personalities, Loyd Auerbach, on a few pages. For a good overall review of Rhine, his efforts, conflicting opinions, and the historic struggle for acceptance of parapsychology, I highly recommend this good read. Who knows; you just might learn something…

As a slight departure from my usual ramblings, here are just a few of my many favorite quotes spoken by great minds. No truer words were ever spoken.

“Logic, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human understanding.” — Ambrose Bierce

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” — Lewis Carroll

“It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.” — Marlene Dietrich

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein

“The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” — Albert Einstein

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” — Benjamin Franklin

“I have found little that is ‘good’ about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think.” — Sigmund Freud

“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” — Ernest Hemingway

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” — Carl Gustav Jung

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” — Carl Gustav Jung

“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” — Carl Gustav Jung

“It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” — Edgar Allan Poe

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” — Mark Twain

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain

“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” — Mark Twain

“It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.” — Mark Twain

“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” — Mark Twain

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” — Mark Twain

“There are three types of lies — lies, damn lies, and statistics.” — Mark Twain

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” — Mark Twain

“…gratitude is a debt which usually goes on accumulating like blackmail; the more you pay, the more is exacted. In time, you are made to realize that the kindness done you is become a curse and you wish it had not happened.” — Mark Twain

“Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination.” — Mark Twain

“The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” — Oscar Wilde

“There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” — Oscar Wilde

“A true friend stabs you in the front.” — Oscar Wilde

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” — Oscar Wilde

We hear a lot of things from a lot of people, amateurs and professionals, saying what they believe. Some speak from personal experience, others from books and websites they’ve read. There are those who claim to make contact with the deceased. Others are more scientifically-minded, carrying around enough electronic equipment to blackout a small Kansas town. The best psychics in the world are never 100% accurate; even the most tech savvy individuals don’t always understand their own equipment or what it detects exactly. Yet everyone is an expert in their own mind. Everyone knows the “right way”, what’s “undeniably true”.

And then, you delve into the muddied waters of speculation and faith-based principles. Some people label certain spirits “demons”, or even practice “demonology”, often needlessly frightening clients and business owners with unverifiable information biased by their religious beliefs. Another small segment of the field promise to evict a ghost or spirit from a property by “sending it to the light” or making it disappear in a puff of smoke. Still more produce “photographic evidence” which, to the trained eye, is nothing but cold breath, glare from lights, or flying dust-bunnies and mosquitoes. They fail to mention that each above-mentioned item is refutable. There’s no proof of demonic entities (and using the term implies a Christian view is the only “right” answer). It’s impossible to guarantee the removal of a ghost (how do you guarantee something without proof it exists in the first place; furthermore, if you’re dealing with a person having a mental illness and they still “see the ghost”, you’re up a creek without a paddle). Many pieces of evidence can be replicated quite easily using non-supernatural means, making it impossible to prove that orb is a spirit, that misty smoke covering the lens is a phantom.

There is one person out there shedding a bit of light on the latter: Patrick H. T. Doyle. This author and paranormal investigator noticed that his YouTube promotional videos were being misinterpreted as ghosts when they were mere parlor tricks. So, Doyle set out to create a short series showing how “paranormal” footage you might find online can easily be faked or misinterpreted. Does this make him a non-believer? Hardly… just observant. In fact, he does investigate hauntings and believes he has experienced supernatural things. But what we see isn’t always what we perceive. It’s important to learn the difference between natural occurrences and spooks.

Here’s a clip from his series… discussing the one topic that annoys me so: orbs.

This year will be another year of great change for me. I have things to accomplish and things to look forward to. Some friends who drifted by the wayside will stay in the shadows this year. People come and go in our lives at different times so I understand the cycles. Yet other friends who have been long absent will be returning. It’s a trade-off: some fade while others re-emerge. I’ll accept it for what it is: an evolutionary process.

I’ve taken a few breaks from research to amuse myself with reading and films. So many sad lives. As I watched the commentary for The Bad Seed, I was frustrated by the lack of knowledge behind the film. Neither commentator knew about the author of the novel on which it was based, William March. He died two years before the film was made. And the interesting tidbit behind knowing how loved this film is by gay men? March, the author, was gay. He also thought the book was crap. Of all his works, it was the one he wasn’t proud of. Yet it’s what he is remembered for. How ironic.

Yet that’s the writer’s curse. We judge our work and the critics (and audiences) have an entirely different view.

It only reinforces how unpredictable life really is. People we believe will be around forever aren’t. Things we do that we believe matter most don’t. Insignificant things end up having great meaning.

Life is a game of Russian roulette.

So to those of you planning out resolutions, remember that nothing ever works out exactly according to plan. Life can’t be scheduled for the proceeding year. Don’t beat yourself up if that list goes unheeded. Set your sights on goals, but be willing to be a little flexible…

So, you ask, is there anything that science can say to give us a glimmer of hope that the supernatural exists?

Don’t ask me. Ask Dr. Dean Radin, Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

Radin, 14 (he was born on February 29), is a bona fide scientist with a doctorate in psychology. His work ranges from physics to research in consciousness. While he takes his work seriously and maintains a professional, scientific view of the world, he also believes there is more to parapsychology than we give credit.

At a spoon bending gathering in 2000, Radin experienced unusual malleability in the metal. Not content to simply bend a spoon at the neck, he attempted to alter the spoon at its strongest point: the bowl. To his surprise, it bent nearly in half quite easily between his thumb and forefinger. Knowing the amount of force required in the eyes of science, it concreted his long-held belief and understanding in psi phenomena.

Amazingly, Radin believes he has discovered a coexistence between science and parapsychology. If you want to find out about his work, be sure to read his 1997 book The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena. His newest book Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality further explores scientific reality and parapsychological experiences. Even harsh skeptics can’t help but take notice.

So, is there truth to our belief and hope that the rational world of science isn’t so bland and concrete? Perhaps. But don’t take my word on the matter. Read the books and find out for yourself.

From webmaster to prolific author, Belanger has churned out a series of books on both the paranormal and odd history. And it may not be surprising that his website was the catalyst. The Worlds Most Haunted Places: From The Secret Files Of Ghostvillage.com launched his paranormal literary career, though he had been a writer long before it was published. He received his English degree from Hofstra University and was the editor of a Connecticut newspaper for a spell.

But like many of us, ghosts were a fascination of Jeff’s from a young age. His first investigation was at the age of 10 during a sleepover at a haunted house. The lure of hauntings never went away and Belanger is now considered a leading expert in the field of the supernatural. Even so, he maintains a good sense of humor and level head, earning him many fans and lecture engagements.

Ghostvillage.com began in 1999 and has grown to an enormous size. Jeff has been featured on countess radio and television shows and mentioned in dozens of print media sources. Now, he is a full-time writer living in Massachusetts with many projects on his slate. There are plans for a paranormal thriller novel and even a children’s book in the works. He is also the writer and researcher for the new series, Ghost Adventures, starring Zak Bagans.

His newest book, Who’s Haunting the White House?: The President’s Mansion and the Ghosts Who Live There, is currently available in bookstores everywhere. If you’re looking for some spooky reading material, this is one author to check out!

Now the subjects covered in Christopher’s books are not paranormal in nature, yet I felt compelled to mention him. Yes, paranormal topics and ghosts do encompass a lot of my interest, but I do not limit myself strictly to things of this nature. I read a wide range of works and enjoy thoroughly engaging topics, films, and literature.

As is often the case with me, I discovered his books by accident in a bookstore. I began with The Snow Garden before tracking back to his debut novel, A Density if Souls. Light Before Day made its way onto my bookshelf soon after it was published. I had been aware of the work of his mother, Anne Rice, for many years but it was not this connection which lured me. I have been a fan of thrillers and mysteries most of my life, so the synopses caught my attention.

I have yet to be disappointed with any of his work. Perhaps it comes from the two of us being extremely close in age (though he has accomplished far more, but I commend him for that). Even his column articles in The Advocate are worth a read. And I’ll confess something else: unlike his mother’s work, I have actually finished reading his books. Odds are if I begin reading something, mark my page, and lay it down, I will probably never finish it. At least in this lifetime. Then again if I read an entire novel in a day or two and schedule everything else around it, I’m going to keep that one forever.

Check out this little snippet about his newest book, Blind Fall:

Research has showed to a painstaking level for the book. But I’m all about historical accuracy so it’ll be worth it. Unfortunately, this means there are numerous errors in my “road trips” that will be corrected as time progresses. I’m attempting to find genealogical information for a few places to verify ghostly legends, but that’s not proving to be very easy. I have gathered enough evidence, though, to safely say that an article produced in the LA Times about one specific place contains a few errors… and a book by Troy Taylor about Hollywood haunts is riddled with inaccuracies when it comes to one tale in particular (if a 40th birthday party was held for the son of a prominent citizen on the date mentioned, that would mean his mother would have been 3 years old… I doubt even then they started that young).

Otherwise, I’ve run across some odd bits for future posts and have a busy evening of ghost hunting in store for me, which I’ll touch upon tomorrow. For now, I have a few things to hurry up and complete before I run out of time!