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Growing up I was taught to avoid the occult or paranormal, which I did except for ghost stories at girls camp, the occasional visit to a graveyard at night with teenage friends or by playing “light as a feather, soft as a cloud” at slumber parties. But recently I’ve become interested in the paranormal for several reasons. Late one night I found myself watching a show called Ghost Hunters because it was filmed at a location literally down the street from my Rhode Island house. Now I’m a big skeptic so I wanted to know more about the credibility of the two goofs on the show running around in the dark, reporting that’d seen things, and well, I was surprised to learn that one of them, Grant Wilson, was/is a Mormon. I’d be curious to know how this impacts his “ghost hunting.”
Mostly what intrigued me about the program were the “EVPs”- human voices caught on digital tape recorders. My academic background/research is in the communications field and I’ve worked in broadcast for a majority of my career so the idea that it may be possible to communicate in another form has caught my interest. While I’m skeptical of anything I haven’t experienced myself—and no, I’ve never seen a ghost, but I’m open to the possibility. What do you think, are there ghosts? Also, through the lens of Mormonism what did you learn about ghosts growing up? What is the LDS church's doctrine on ghosts as off hand I have no idea! Do you think Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters would have any conflict by being a Mormon and ghost hunting?
Also, an open invitation to all ghosts, I'm here and I'm ready to talk... if you're even there.
fMh Anniversary
8 months ago
8 comments:
I wasn't always LDS. In fact, before I joined the church I used to play with the paranormal quite a bit.
I do know that "ghosts" are real, I've seen them, heard them, you name it!
HOWEVER - I'm leery of anything to do with them - my experience is that they aren't the most savory of characters.
I'm leery of the paranormal as well. There was a time I wouldn't have hesitated to get my palm read, played with an ouija board, used tarot cards, etc,. before I joined the church.
Now, I've learned that there are imposters on the other side, who have information from whatever source it comes from so they can give the appearance of being a prognosticator, however, their motives may be counterfeit to our eternal destiny - yet appear close enough to the genuine thing to gain your trust until they throw you off balance. Or, they may distract from the eternal destiny and purpose...it is very important for us to be here in this life, and I've found them often very willing to distract from this life.
Often those who get involved in such affairs are motivated by fear, fear of the unknown, fear of the future, fear of something bad. It's quite a satanic trick! The gospel teaches us to fear not and take no thought for those things and be grateful - they are Gods and Gods alone to give, however the tarot cards and others offer a "cheaters" way to obtain them from other than God who's prerogative it is to give them.....
Ultimately, I've found no knowledge from them that I need, or that is helpful to me, and I've found it quite literally dangerous and pernicious!
So, YES! I've played with them, and even seen them since my membership, but as for getting involved with them, no thanks....
It's why I'll stick with the HOLY GHOST.
I think mormons who don't believe in ghosts haven't thought that much about it... because 'dead people appearing to Prophets' sure sounds like ghosts to me. (I guess the church term for it is.. "Spirits"?)
I guess that depends on your definition of ghosts. I beleive that there are spirits all around us all the time. Good and bad. I believe in angels and demons. I know my best friend visited me one night to give me a hug when I needed it most. She had been dead for 5 years.
I know my parents taught me never to seek them out because they believed the ones that would bemost likely to answer would be the bad ones. By which they meant the bodiless ones sent out from heaven with Satan.
I know that there are many unexplainable things out there that are beyond my comprehension. But I dont think that means they don't exist.
I don't always equate paranormal with occult. I think they are 2 different things that can sometimes hold hands. That said, I avoid the occult part, as I've always been told I should. But I have a very keen interest in the paranormal and have had experiences throughout my life that have fed that interest.
My mother always said I was "full of witch" which basically acknowledged my intuition, ESP, whatever you want to call it. I sense things. I know things. I can't explain it. I don't exploit it. I don't even disclose it except to those I am very closest to, or when it comes up and seems appropriate to share.
My grandmother died 3 years ago. The night before she passed away, I woke when I felt someone sit at my feet and then shake me awake. I know that it was her. And since then I often sense her near me, or watching over my children and I, sitting always at the same chair at my table. I just know that it's her. As I said, I've experienced things throughout my life, but since my grandma passed away, it is much more frequent and much more specific.
I've also felt near panic in places where I instinctively knew that I should not be. There was something there that was there to mislead or harm, as the first comment mentioned.
I am intrigued and love to soak up anything I can, hear every story, and I enjoy the visits from my grandmother. Also, as a previous comment mentioned, I think it's counterintuitive that LDS people would discount the paranormal, knowing what we know about the pre- and post-mortal existences.
Next Wednesday there's the premiere of the new season of Ghost Hunters International on the Sci-Fi Channel. Check your local listing for the time, but I think it would be interesting if you watched and posted your opinion on this entry. If nothing else, you'll see some beautiful foreign places!
Several years ago when I was younger and still living with my parents, they started doing alot of geneology and found some ancestors that havent had temple work done. They got the cards and my dad was holding onto them till he got a chance to go to the temple to do the work for them. The night he got the cards, all the lights were switched on and the cupboards opened in the kitchen, (the family either sleeps upstairs on the second floor or in the basement, so no one is near the kitchen at night). My dad thought it was one of us kids and kept getting upset at us for doing it every night. A few weeks later when he did the temple work it stopped instantly. I'll let you decide what you think it was. But my brothers and I didn't do it, we all swear we didnt. My dad believes it was our ancestors, anxious to get the work done so they were bugging us to get it done.
What an interesting and taboo topic! I can say that I certainly believe in Angels. After I had my son, and he would just smile at nothing other than a wall. It just confirmed my beliefs. Also I was talking with my BIL and he was telling me about his mission is Guam, I think it was Guam. But he said that there was a little town where every one did black magic and vodoo. And that he knew not to go there, and that you could feel a really awful presence. He also told me how he had to participate in an exersism of a young girl while and where he was serving. It was interesting to me, and I thought I'd share.
I prefer the flying spaghetti monster myself. Unlike ghosts and ghoulish apparitions, if you're hungry, you can just catch him and have a bite!
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