The Poltergeist

Again with the school work. But this time I thought I would share with you a review I did on William G. Roll's The Poltergeist, as I know several of you share my interest in the paranormal.

Book Review of The Poltergeist by William G. Roll

Things that go bump in the night; levitating and thrown objects; unexpected banging sounds - these are the things that mark the territory of a poltergeist. But are these occurrences to be credited toward a supernatural source? An agitated spirit? Perhaps they are the unfettered subconscious emotions of a particular person. Perhaps they are simply the affects of a misguided human who has faked the events. This is what William Roll explores in his The Poltergeist.
The beginning chapter lays the groundwork for studying poltergeists, using some basic ideas that are found throughout the author’s experiences. For instance, to study a poltergeist one must go out into the field where the phenomena is happening. It is not a controlled environment for the researcher. However, poltergeists “are very sociable” (Roll 11). This means the phenomena mostly occurs when people are around.

To help the reader understand more about poltergeists, Roll spends a few chapters discussing various cases involving poltergeist phenomena. Before 1958, the author found 47 cases of activity that fit this description. These span the globe. The stories involve numerous witnesses to events such as common tools moving by themselves or a piece of wood acquiring frog-like hopping abilities. One may even note that often the same objects are affected on several different occasions. In 20 cases, people were looking directly at the objects when the mysterious motion began. Then there were the mysterious knocking sounds. Some people actually reported that they could communicate with the poltergeist by having it knock a specific number of times in answer to direct questions. At other times the mysterious entities seemed to take a certain amount of wrath out on those observing it, people having been hit by various objects. But ultimately, as Rolls digresses into the historical records, he finds that poltergeists are creatures of habit, repeating patterns of behavior.

There is Rolls own research to consider. He provides detailed accounts of several investigations in which he was personally involved. His first case took place on Long Island, at the Hermann House. The phenomena in this case mainly involved bottles opening and spilling of their own accord, which then evolved into a figurine, a globe, bowls and vases, and a lamp seemingly moving by themselves. Many of these moved repeatedly until a few of them were broken. Roll and his colleague spent a great deal of time studying these objects, trying to figure out ways that the displays of motion could have been staged or planted by human constructs. They determined it was not this at all, but was perhaps recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (RSPK). And like many such cases, this one turned out to be short-lived and did no real damage to anyone (25).

But not all cases are given such a resolution. With the Housing Project Poltergeist (Newark, NJ), a young boy and his grandmother had a terrible time with poltergeist phenomena that practically destroyed all of the grandmother's valuable objects. They flew around and broke whenever the boy was anywhere on the premises. Similar things also happened when both the boy and his grandmother were staying in a hotel room together. Roll found the situation to be curious and rarely discovered anything he could consider proof of a true poltergeist. Many of the incidents could have been fraudulently created by the boy, even if in the beginning there were true paranormal happenings. However, even under a lie detecter test, the boy “seemed as unconscious of the fraudulent events as he had been of the apparently genuine ones” (54).
Then there are the poltergeists that deviate from the norm. One in particular had an affinity for biting people. In Indianapolis, this particular poltergeist was accused of biting one woman as well as repeatedly biting her mother. Along with typical poltergeist behavior (breaking items and banging sounds), it did more violent things to the mother as well. Later in the case, it was thought that some of the activity was definitely self-inflicted and the other phenomenon was human-based.

Strange lights can also be considered poltergeist phenomena as in a Clayton, North Carolina case. The lights would flash off and on at various times in the house, usually when one particular person was present in the room. The source was never detected even though electrical engineers checked and rechecked the house’s electrical system. When the family moved, the lights did not follow them.

Other cases are also discussed that have the traditional poltergeist qualities. These were both in the U.S. and Europe. They plagued homes (even following a family to a new location). There was a poltergeist in Miami that broke items in a warehouse. This particular poltergeist allowed Roll and his contemporaries to study it (or more likely the owners of the warehouse allowed for the disruption of their business) and experiment with it.

When it comes to the idea that the phenomena may be caused by RSPK, Roll often tried to study the catalyst person in laboratory settings at Duke University. The one thing all poltergeist experiences have in common is a catalyst person (159), and often this person is pubescent. Some of the people were very obliging; others were not.

Roll himself does not discount the idea that poltergeists are spirit entities, but he feels that such disturbances can be explained as psychokinesis. If one considers that physical objects all have psi fields (according to the psi field theory) that are influenced by an outside source (energy generated by a human in the case of poltergeists), then when the objects' fields are affected, they react (or may be energetically charged to eventually react) (167).

Personality is also a large factor in the phenomena. People who have a common tendency toward “tension, mostly anger, which cannot find ordinary ways of expression” are involved in all these cases (174). Another factor maybe changes in hormone levels within the catalysts, as may happen around puberty.

For those interested in exploring poltergeist activity, the appendix of the book provides a wealth of knowledge. It gives suggestions on how to go about doing an interview and a poltergeist investigation.

Work Cited: Roll, William G. The Poltergeist. New York: Nelson Doubleday, Inc., 1972.

The Alignment of the 2012 Astrology

On December 21, 2012, there will be a galactic alignment that happens very infrequently (about every 26,000 years). This is what I believe is the main mystique behind all the 2012 hype. Do not read this believing that I am a nay-sayer. It may indeed be indicative of change, and change we certainly need, but I do think the astrological alignment is the backbone of it all.

Basically, we need to consider ground zero for this event. John Major Jenkins believes this will be at Izapa, located in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is here, upon the ancient Maya ball grounds that the the aliment really takes shape. One December 21, 2012, the Solstice sun will rise in unison with the galactic center of the Milky Way.

If one is to look at the position of the Izapa ball field, the alignment is astounding. This includes paying attention to where the monuments were erected and how they faced. When on the ball field and looking north (toward the Tacaná Volcano) one can see the Big Dipper rise (the pole star is considered the polar center to the Maya) and fall over this. Then there are six council seats on the court that look over to the initiate or shamans seat. This person sits facing the horizon of the December sun. All the elements will align perfectly from this vantage point.

This goes hand in hand with the Astrology characters the creation myth provides. The Big Dipper represents Seven Macaw. The Milky Way represents the Underworld. The December Solstice Sun represent Hunaphu. With the rise and fall of the Big Dipper, it relates to the taking down of Seven Macaw. With the meeting of the Milky Way and the Solstice sun, it is the resurrection of One Hunaphu. The Milky Way passes the alignment and the Sun remains shining through.

Mayan Dating

12 . 19 . 15 . 2 . 14

Ha. Did you think I would post about the adventures of dating a Mayan, such as "will you go out with me?" (Well, I might literally go out in 2012, depending on your perspective. LOL). What I am talking about is, yes again, the Mayan calendar.

There is a part of me that is completely tempted to take up Mayan time - you know, really use it in the everyday world. I admit it is a complete novelty to me. You will note the five numbers above in orange. This is today's date on the Mayan Calendar. Curious how it breaks down?

• 12 is how many baktuns there has been since the Mayan Long count began (1 baktun is equal to 394.26 years).
• 19 is the number of katuns (1 katun equals 19.7 years) that have passed in the current baktun.
• 15 is the number of tuns (the number of vague years, roughly 360 days per vague year) or katuns that we are on.
• 2 is the number of uinals (vague months in a vague year, about 20 vague months to a vague year) is the amount of months that have passed in the current vague year.
• 14 is the number of kins (days) is the number of days in the current vague month.

The date all this began was on August 11, 3114 BC. Here's that fun number 13 again - on December 21, 2012 the date will be 13.0.0.0.0.

Just something to think about.

Source:
Diagnosis2021.co.uk
The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies, and Possibilities from Sounds True, Inc. 2007.

A Really Brief Look at the Mayan Calendar Math

So, are you now (or at all) intrigued with the Mayan Calendar and what it may mean for humanity in the near future? Well, grab your cowboy boots or whatever you need to go deep into the wilds of ancient culture. Its time to explore some mathematical concepts.

There is a lot to how the calendar works, and unlike the one most of us use these days - seven days a week, 28 to 31 days a month, 12 months in a years and so on - the Mayan Calendar was more complex. It is often described in terms of two wheels whose cogs turn together. One wheel is the tzolken, which loosely translates to "sacred calendar," which has a count of 260 days (broken down into something equivalent to 13 months of 20 days each). This works with the the other wheel - the Vague Year. This has a count of 360 days (some say 365) . These complete a 52 year cycle before starting again (which they do). This was to help them mark scarred times.

But does this have to do with 2012? It is all part of the Great Cycle, which is determined using what the Mayans termed the Long Count. Let's take it like this: we have one day. Twenty of these days equals a Vague Month. 360 days equals a Vague Year. Next in the Long Count, we have 7,200 days that is the equivalent of 19.7 years. And then we have 144,000 days or 394.2 years. Thirteen (that lucky number) multiplied by 394.2 years is one World Age Cycle. And are you ready for this? The end of this World Cycle is on December 21,2012.

There is more to it than what I have surmised, but what is interesting is that even though the Mayan people more or less vanished or assimilated into other cultures, their calender has continued, the time passing by, until...

Source: The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies, and Possibilities from Sounds True, Inc. 2007.

Levels in the Great Chain of Being

Since I have been sharing with you the consciousness views of Ken Wilber in the form of his Great Chain of Being, it might good to give you a break down of the Chain itself. You know, as I read Up From Eden, I rebelled against Wilber's writing style (more towards academia) because the only way I could comprehend it was to rewrite the concepts paragraph by paragraph in my notes. But since then, I guess it is resonating. Am I sold on his philosophies? I am not so sure, but they seem plausible.

The Great Chain of Being is a rather complicated affair (hence his several books about it). But rather than spending all the blog space explain its nuances (do a web search on him and you will find out more), let's look at the levels in general.

1. Level One is "nature” or uroboric (I just like that word). It is an infantile state. One's consciousness is that of being in a state where you do not discern yourself from anything else.


2. Level Two is "body" or typhonic. Consciousness begins to separate one's awareness from everything else, but it is as though one is the center of the universe. Awareness of body and self begin here.


3. Level Three is "early mind" or mythic membership. Consciousness in this area is very superstitious, thus magical. This is a "joiner" or "follower" state of consciousness.


4. Level Four is "advanced mind" or mental-egoic. This is where Wilber feels most of us are in consciousness evolution. The ego or separate-self (individualism) reigns supreme. This is what Eckhart Toll says we need to get past.


5. Level Five is "physic". This is where consciousness is expanded intuitively.


6. Level Six is "subtle" or saintly.


7. Level Seven is "casual" or sagely.


8. Level Eight is "ultimate."

This Great Chain of Being

As you may know (or if not, you will know now), I am working on a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology. I have decided on this path, not be become a total psychologist, but to have a better basis of experience with the idea that it will make me an even better practitioner of hypnosis. My study track is in consciousness studies, which relates completely to hypnosis and suggestion work.

In my travels, I occasionally come across some interesting ideas that are worth sharing. I have mentioned him before, but Ken Wilber has specific ideas about consciousness and evolution. In his book Up from Eden, New Edition: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution, evolution occurs through consciousness. It is not just personal evolution, but what he believes has evolved humanity to this particular point in our history. He has, what is called, the Great Chain of Being. In it there are eight stages of being. Most of us are at his level five – Emotional Egoic. This means that our lives and everything within that concept have to do with our egos. All good, all bad, there it is. I will probably spend more time on these concepts, but not on this post.

Today, I though I would just show an interesting coincidence that is occurring in regards to consciousness. It is more personal, but I think it bears fruit in the universal consciousness. I have spent the last four months studying Wilber’s ideas. Then I get the call from a friend asking me if I was familiar with Eckert Toll. I was not at that time. His whole premise in A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) seems to be about losing, getting rid, or perhaps moving past the ego. Once transcended, it would then stand to reason that we would move on to another level of consciousness, thus evolving.