Banter: Ouija Boards

No comic for this one, guys.  I think Ouija Boards should be taken seriously and they are already too commercialized for me to poke fun at them.

Ouija Boards (aka "Witch Boards", "Spirit Boards") are traditionally used as a method to contact the dead. It is a board that has all of the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and the words "Goodbye", "Yes" and "No". The spirits are said to manipulate the planchette (heart-shaped piece of wood sometimes with glass in the middle). Some people also use clear glasses to substitute for a planchette.

Normally, the people holding the seance or calling forth the spirit each put a finger or two on the planchette.  They call on a spirit and the spirit is said to use the glass to spell out messages in order to answer questions.  Hasbro has Ouija Boards trademarked and they sell them as a board game in stores all over North America.

Now here is the issue:
Amateurs around the world are getting their hands on these boards, thinking they are a harmless way to have some fun.  They are wrong.

Ouija Boards are not a plaything.  They are medium to invite a spirit into your house and if you do not prepare yourself or protect yourself, you are leaving yourself open for something malignant to come in.  I don't care if you "only asked the good spirits to come".  The fact it, an invitation is an invitation and that is all that demons and evil entities need.  One small mistake caused by reckless "fun" could potential turn into something you never expected.

If you think you are being haunted, I would suggest not using a Ouija Board to communicate with the spirit.  Yes, you could get your ghost come through and learn something useful.  However, you could also end up with something in your house far worse than your average-everyday ghost.

So why does Hasbro sell these as board games to pre-teen girls at sleep-overs?

I have no idea.  I think the lack of knowledge and disbelief in the paranormal and supernatural play a big part in it.

Ouija Boards have a lot of myth and mystery surrounding them. There are stories of having thrown them out and/or burned them and having it return to your home in perfect condition.  Tales of being possessed while using them.  Seizures can sometimes occur while using them (thought of as an attempt at possession).  They are used regularly in horror movies (ie: Paranormal Activity).

Even as a teenager I stayed away from Ouija Boards.  I have always had an interest in the paranormal and I knew that Ouija Boards were just asking for trouble.  I will also urge my daughter to stay away when she is old enough to understand the possible repercussions of it.  I don't pretend to be an expert, but I know enough to not mess with things you don't fully understand.

The point of the matter is, don't play with the paranormal.  Be curious, be speculative, be investigative - but do not issue an open invitation for something to speak with you.  You might not like what you get.

Banter: Reincarnation

There is enough research on reincarnation to write for ages, so I am not going to go into all of the research proving or disproving this belief.  If, after you read this post, you would like to find out more to sway your opinion one way or the other you can locate the research fairly easily.

So, what is reincarnation?

Reincarnation is the belief that after you die, your soul is reborn into the world based on your deeds.  This process is also referred to as "the transmigration of souls" and known more commonly throughout North America as past lives.  Reincarnation is derived from Latin and literally means: "entering the flesh again".

Religious practices around the world, too numerous to list, believe in this spiritual concept.  It dates back thousands of years - so far back that no one can even give a rough estimate of when it began. All we know is that the idea has been around for ages and has been found in cultures and religions that span the globe.

I will say that I believe in reincarnation.  My husband does as well.  Usually, in order for me to figure out if I believe something or not, I dissect it through logical conversation.  My husband is always good for that.  Early on in our relationship we talked about reincarnation and how we felt about it.  I decided that I believe strongly in reincarnation and here is why:

Old Souls.  Old Souls is a term used to describe a soul who has been through many lives before.  They normally get intense and, sometimes frequent, urges of deja vu (French term meaning "already seen") and are responsible and wise for their age.

I have always gotten intense deja vu, so intense that sometimes I have to yell something completely out of the blue to break out of it.  My family has seen this happen (Patrick included).

I have always been responsible for my age - I started looking after kids on my own at the age of 10, for instance.  I always seemed to be more aware of what was acceptable and what was not.

 I'm not sure if this is related, but I believe it may be:  I can also remember a lot of things as a small child (before 5).  A lot of scientists say that most people don't remember anything at all before that age and that anything you remember is a fabrication based on something someone told you or pictures you have seen.  My parents don't have any pictures or videos of our first house - we moved out when I was two.  I accurately described the whole layout to my mother once.

Our second place was an apartment.  I also accurate described the layout of that place.  I named
numerous random small events that happened there with frightening detail as well as something I would never have picked up on in conversation - I told her that the combination to my bike lock was written inside a cabinet on the door.  I also remembered clearly the night I broke my elbow (2 years old) up until the point I passed out from pain.

There are many more, but this post seems to be getting long.

I believe that this awareness has something to do with being an Old Soul, which obviously leads me to believe in reincarnation.  The more I write these posts, the more I realize a lot of weird things have happened to me over the course of my life that I just shrugged off.

So, do you believe in reincarnation?  Why or why not?

Religious Provocation

Religious Provocation is used by the clergy and Religious Demonologists to make demons show themselves in order to gather the proof needed to get the church involved. It is also used by paranormal groups when they wish to make a spirit or entity show itself. There is one major difference though: if the clergy is the target of an attempted attack they know how to successfully defend themselves and fight back.

A paranormal group or investigator usually does not know how to properly defend themselves against demonic attacks. A paranormal group will use provoking when it appears that whatever is in the home isn't going to show itself on its own. The word "provoking" is used because the paranormal team will try to get the spirit/entity to show itself by making fun of it, demand that it show itself, challenge it, and even use foul language.

For a paranormal team to provoke whatever is in the home is not only foolish but it is also extremely dangerous and usually done improperly. This is for the simple fact that they may not be sure what they're dealing with. Many investigators have learned this the hard way because when they attempted it they were not only attacked physically but also emotionally and mentally. This is because most people, whether they are seasoned investigators or not can be traumatized by this. How do you think it would make you feel if you were attacked by something that you couldn't see let alone defend yourself against? It can really do some serious damage. It is for those reasons that no one should ever provoke or challenge something that may be in a home unless they are trained professionals.

Please, do not ever use provoking if you are an untrained person. Religious provocation is used only in extreme cases by trained professionals to gain proof of demonic activity so the church will get involved.

What We Believe In: Jesus VS. Church

We were raised in Christianity - first Pentecostal and then turned to Baptist.  No matter what sector of Christianity we were a part of we encountered hypocrites and bigots.  As children, we thought it was a part of being Christian, but it didn't take us long to figure out the score.  This turned us away from the Church.

After a discussion and watching this video, we decided that it summed up our experiences within the Church and want to share it all with you.

What do you think?

Monthly Discussion: Orbs Valid Paranormal Evidence or Not?

The discussion thread for July is now up!

Question: Are Orbs valid paranormal evidence or are there too many other possibilities for them to be credible?

Check out the thread for links of information in case you need to play some catch up.

Weigh in under the "discussions" tab!

Banter: Karma

Karma is something that I believe in as a part of everyday life. It comes as natural to me as breathing and that is because I feel as though I experience it.

First, the basics. What is Karma and what religion does it belong to?

The first one is an easy enough answer: Karma is the universal law that what you put out into the world comes back to you.

The word "Karma" is of Indian origin. It is a prevalent belief in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism & Sikhism. However, the concept of Karma is known throughout many different religions.

For example, the Christian faith refers to Karma as:

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galations 6:7-8)

In essence, what you do comes back on you.

The New Age/Wiccan movements defines Karma as the "Law of Threefold". They believe whatever energy you put out (and the drive of it) will come back onto the owner three-fold. This shows in the motto: "And in it, harm none". If you put negative energies out into the universe it is bound to come back on you.

Even in Western Culture the concept of Karma exists without the connotation of religious belief. Ever heard the saying "What goes around comes around"?

I believe that Karma is inherent in the universe - that is why it is so prevalent in so many different cultures and belief systems. You do good, you have good Karma. You do bad and watch your back. This is the universe's way of policing the energies.


If you pay enough attention, you will see Karma in your everyday life.

So, Karma is definitely one of the banters that I back wholeheartedly.

Do you believe in Karma in any of it's forms?

Religious Artefacts - The Veil of Veronica

Veronica: Vera Icona (True Image - Latin)

The Veil of Veronica has an interesting story behind it. The veil is one of the four principal relics of the Passion said to have been preserved in Saint Peter's basilica in Rome. It is a cloth believed to be miraculously imprinted with the image of Christ. According to the legend, a pious woman from Jerusalem who encountered Christ on his way to Calvary was deeply moved by His suffering. Looking into his face pouring with sweat and blood, she wiped it with her veil - and found his portrait imprinted on the cloth when she got it back.

The white, almost transparent veil measures about 6.5 by 9.5 inches and bears dark red features of a bearded man with long hair and open eyes. The face on the veil is that of a young man who has suffered greatly. He looks tired. The marks of blows that have struck him are clear: bruises and other scars on the forehead, clotted blood on his nose, one pupil slightly dilated. Yet, in spite of the evident signs of suffering and pain, the look is that of a serene man enduring his suffering with patience.

It is now said that the Veil has miraculous properties. It has been rumoured to quench thirst, let the blind see, cure leprosy and even raise the dead. Although the Veil of Veronica is supported as a true relic by the Catholic Church, one of the few people whom was allowed to examine it claimed it was just "a square piece of light coloured material, somewhat faded through age, which bear two faint rust-brown stains, connected one to the other".

When the part of the Basilica containing the relic was scheduled to be taken down for remodeling, the relic disappeared overnight. In 1616, Pope Paul V prohibited copies of Veronica's veil not made by a canon of St. Peter's Basilica. Next, Urban VIII (Pope from 1623 to 1644) not only prohibited reproductions of Veronica's veil, but also ordered all existing copies to be destroyed. These actions suggest that the precious relic wasn't in the Vatican anymore.

In fact, all the copies made after this period showed the image of Christ with his eyes closed, though earlier images show Christ with his eyes open.

Almost four centuries after the mysterious disappearance from the Vatican of the legendary veil of Veronica - with which Jesus is said to have wiped his face on the road to Calvary - German Jesuit Fr Heinrich Pfeiffer claims to have rediscovered it. Fr Pfeiffer, a professor of Christian Art History at the Pontifical Gregorian University, says he found the relic in the Abbey of Monoppello, Italy, high in the Apennine Mountains.

Many believe that the veil never existed, others believe that the veil in the Basilica is a copy of the original. Many other theories suurond the veil, is the real veil in the vatican archives? Was the veil stolen? Did Pfeiffer recently find the actual veil hidden in the abbey of Monoppello.

What are YOUR theories on the Veil of Veronica?

Personal Experiences: Patrick

Location: Southern New Brunswick, Canada

Log: 

People often ask: "How can you be stupid enough to believe in ghosts?". Well trust me, if you had seen or felt some of the things I have, you would be a believer and not asking such a stupid question.

It was said that my childhood house was one of the oldest in the neighbourhood, arguably the oldest. The house had been built at least 150 years ago and trust me, it showed. The feelings, sights and sounds I experienced in this house would lead me to develop unusual habits and make me a believer in the paranormal world.

Many memorable and frankly quite terrifying things happened to me in my childhood home. Things as insignificant as hearing footsteps and noises from the upstairs to events as extreme as seeing objects levitate before my eyes and being touched.

My first and most frightening experience with the paranormal world occurred around the age of 5 or so. I remember it clearly, it was a nice summer day, the smell of dish soap filled the air. My mother was at the sink doing dishes, my sister sat at the table doing homework. I, however, was on the kitchen floor diligently building a lego house, ignoring my sisters advice to "Lap the Blocks". She had given up on teaching me how to build a sturdy lego house and turned her attention else where. I go to grab another block and freeze at what I see. A 2x2 blue block of lego had simply started floating, the block floats to about a foot and a half, levitates over my lego house and lands right in the centre of the unfinished house. This is when I started believing in the paranormal.

Another slightly less drastic story is one that I never bother to tell. If I recall my mother was at the local bingo game, my father was working and my sister was at her boyfriend's. I wake up at the usual time of about noon and carry on my business for the day. The sun had just started to go down. I was exiting the bathroom when suddenly the air got a mild chill; I wouldn't call it cold. It was then that I felt a light touch on my shoulder, I turn around, knowing that no one would be there. And alas I was right. I ran out of the house, completely panic stricken, threw up and, if I recall, I called my sister crying and she swore at me before trying to comfort me.

Countless less significant things happened in the house. Needless to say my childhood house was haunted and it would seem that the ghost bothered me more then anyone else in the home. My parents assured me that the ghost was simply "Old Andrew" and not to be afraid, but I wasn't convinced.

Personal Experiences: Kristal

Location: Southern New Brunswick, Canada

Log: 

When I was five and my mother was pregnant with my brother Patrick, they decided to buy the 150 year old house outback of our current rented home.  With 4 bedrooms it seemed like the perfect place to grow their family. I remember being really excited about it as well.

It didn't turn out quite the way we planned.

I am not sure what happened to deter my parents (since I was so young), but they ended up completely closing off all of the upstairs.  3 Bedrooms up there were then unusable and mainly used as storage.  They kept the door shut at all times.  I ended up in the one bedroom downstairs while my parents slept in the living room.

I never thought anything of this when I was younger - or even when I was living there.  But now it seems really strange.

As a child, I did venture up the stairs with my friends upon occasion. It always had a creepy vibe to it and there was always a fight over who would be the last one down the stairs.  It always felt as though their was a presence on the very top just standing there, staring at you.


Then, if you were alone in the house, you could always hear shuffling and moving upstairs.  This happened almost without fail to numerous people throughout the years.  My brother and a few of our adult neighbors would never venture into our house by themselves.


Once when I was a pre-teen and Patrick was six or seven our parents tried to move us upstairs to the bedrooms.  This was the first time they attempted to use the upstairs.  Patrick refused outright and moved into the bedroom downstairs while I moved into the smaller one upstairs.  There was no door on the bedroom and I could always feel someone watching me.  I ended up putting up a blanket, but I still had the strange feelings.  Every night my dog would sleep in the entryway or on my bed.  In the morning, I would run down the stairs as fast as I could.


We cleared out the medium-sized upstairs room with a door, and I moved into that when I was sixteen.  I had my Dad put a lock on it so I could feel safer (even though it wouldn't have stopped anything anyway).  When the door was closed, I felt safe.  It was, strangely, the one place in the house I felt completely normal. It was my haven.  My dog continued to sleep outside the door.


Over the years, the sounds, feelings and sensations I felt in the house I grew up in made me into a believer.  Although I never contacted the spirit (who we believe is Andrew, the builder of the house) I know he/she was there with us.  It never did us any harm except to freak us out a little once in a while and change the channel on the television.


So, I grew up in a haunted house and I am a believer.  What's your story?  Let us know!

Introductions

We would just like to take this opportunity to say hello and introduce ourselves and our blog.

Our names are Kristal and Patrick (siblings), we decided to start blogging about our ideas about the paranormal, religion and all the things between.  It all began as we tried to uncover what we truly believed about the afterlife and paranormal experiences in the here in now.

And so, now we have Belief Banter.  Banters about what is real, what is believable and what is truly going on.

Please stick with us as we try to figure everything out.  We welcome comments, feedback and suggestions. We will post your personal experiences in the "Personal Experiences" section for you to share with the world, if you would like.

Check out the discussions going on every month as well!

Thanks for dropping by.