By Chris Holly
Recently I was sent an email from a concerned reader. I would like to share his email and my answer with all of you. I think many people feel as this reader does. I also think many of you may want to ask me the same questions he does in his email. I feel we have failed as a society when it comes to the subjects of the unknown. Please read the email and my response to understand why I feel as I do.
Email from reader :
“Chris,
I hope this correspondence finds you doing well. Recently, I have become quite interested in unexplained sightings, videos and imagery. The problem I have is that there are virtually no trustworthy sources. Many sites boast about the “legitimacy” UFO stories that are clearly faked. Most seem to have very little to no content control and simply print whatever comes along . The mainstream media is too quick to discount sightings (or more likely, they refuse coverage in the first place).
I have plenty of experience in video and graphic arts (I was a TV reporter for about 12 years) but I have never attempted nor would I attempt, to create an intentionally deceptive video depicting an alleged UFO in the hopes of setting the internet abuzz and getting a laugh at the masses’ expense.
First, I do not think hoaxes are funny. Second, the hoaxes create an impression that anyone who does not rule out trans-dimensional travel and/or alien life forms is foolish – which I find reprehensible and intellectually appalling.
At this point, you are probably wondering what my point is and why I am writing to you… I apologize for the meandering. I am curious what you believe. I sincerely am. You seem to receive numerous reports about fantastic things. And I am curious how you weed out the hoaxers from the truth tellers. I am also curious if the task annoys you?
Recently, video of alleged UFOs over Jerusalem and Utah have surfaced on the web. The debunkers were on the video from the get-go. I am still, as of yet, undecided. I would hope someone would not fabricate a video like this but the Haiti video gives me pause to not trust anything.
Your thoughts?
Respectfully,
Jay Daugherty “
My response :
Dear Jay,
Let me start by saying I appreciate your letter . It is so good to find someone who realizes that there is a great deal in the unknown going on yet very little truth to be found concerning what is going on.
The paranormal is a very difficult subject matter to deal with as it is soaked in so much difficulty that it is hard to figure out how to define, understand or discuss it.
I know there are huge amounts of people all over this earth who encounter extremely strange things. I am sure although strange many are explainable. I also know some are simply impossible to explain with the knowledge we have at hand and remain as unknown.
Unfortunately the world of the unknown is also a place where people give false statements, lie about encounters and spend enormous amounts of time faking photo’s , videos and stories.
This is the very thing that keeps us as a civilization in the dark ages concerning the subjects considered paranormal or unknown. We do not move forward due to our own actions. It is nearly impossible for those who have had real experiences with the unknown to find help or even a place to report the event .
If you are a serious person who is not given to flights of fancy and have had an incredible event happen to you reporting it to a site or organization may be confusing and frustrating. Trying to negotiate the paranormal world by way of many sites and groups that obviously mix the fakes and ridiculous with the real and amazing is a over whelming task. Many times it just seems to be a like a waste of time.
The idea of being combined with the nonsense that so soaks these subjects along with the idea of being thought of as a nut case by way of this combination of all things together keeps many credible witnesses to fantastic sightings and encounters silent . We as a society are the ones who lose out by way of this confused mess.
As you have pointed out the reaction of our media is one of ridicule or to simply ignore everything unknown . I have personally watched far too many news casts of dim wits laughing and insulting those who may have had a truly amazing experience.
The media is trained to play down or insult those having these encounters. This has set up a system that leaves those who try to come forward to feel alone and left looking like the town fool. This has developed a system that keeps those we should listen to silenced when they have witnessed or experienced an incredible strangeness. Who wants to be laughed at or insulted after seeing or encountering a life changing event?
I think we have become our own prisoners when it comes to the paranormal . We as a society have locked ourselves in a closed box and refuse any forward learning or understanding in subjects we categorize as unknown.
Knowing this is our way of dealing with the unknown keeps those having the experiences reluctant to come forward. I find this reaction of the media either one of total ignorance or fear of taking a stance outside of the typical box they are locked in to on the subjects of the unknown. I think we all understand to take a different view of it could mean being fired or ridiculed by the media system they work for . The tight control remains the same and we all are forced in to the dark concerning subjects considered paranormal. The unknown remains closed down and cemented in a taboo box. Since all things paranormal are simply subjects we are yet to understand by our known science this view is ridiculous.
It is obvious that those who run the media channels demand a closed mind when it comes to reports of unidentified flying objects. Why they insist on this approach is anyone’s guess. It certainly is not the road to understanding what is happening in our skies.
As far as the government is concerned they are happy as larks. Society provides what they need not to move forward as far as disclosure on the unknown. We do the work for the government when it comes to destroying any chance of being told what is known and not known by our governing power.
The subject of UFO’s has been turned into a convoluted mess of fantasy and fiction via our own fake reports and ongoing paranormal TV shows and fantastic Hollywood versions of it all.
Living in a society brainwashed and controlled by many things including the media, Hollywood and the insanity of the internet-we do not take the subjects of the unknown seriously at all. We do as a society as we are told. We have been trained by all of these things to react like fools to things we do not understand.
The powers that govern us need not do a thing but allow this path to continue. The fact we are living in the dark ages about things like UFO’s , space and those who inhabit other places in the universe by way of our own hands and controlled closed minds is ludicrous .
It is true there are a mass of paranormal sites , chats, forums , newsletters and blogs floating wildly along the internet freeways. It has become a free for all making a confusing stew of fake reports, faked photo’s , faked video’s and people who have no idea at all what they are talking about all experts and investigators.
Sadly in this mix are real people who have had real experiences with real photo’s or video’s looking for a place to share what they encountered. For them this mess becomes an impossible mountain to climb leaving them alone and disgusted. Many refuse to join in with the fake and ridiculous things found all over the net and retreat never reporting or sharing the things they witnessed or encountered. This is where we all lose and all stay firmly planted in the dark ages concerning the paranormal world and all its unknowns.
I decided long ago to stay away from what is popular and keep to what seems real and interesting to me. I rarely look at other sites and never know what is popular or what topic is hot at the moment. I simply write about what I think is interesting by way of people I think are truthful. The only way for me to focus on the unknown is to ignore what goes on in this crazy subject on the net and write about it as I have experienced it or have been told by those I consider truthful who have experienced it.
You ask me how I can tell those who may be honest from those who are not? That skill took me a bit of time to learn.
Many years ago while working in a career that had nothing to do at all with the paranormal I attended classes on reading those I communicated with. Much like the TV show about the skills used to spot a liar we were taught to read both oral communication as well as body language. . It served me well in determining with more skill the truth and substance of those I worked with . I found this area fascinating and continued using these skill throughout my life.
I try to use these skills and have found them to be very useful during my time writing about the paranormal and those who claim to experience it.
I would offer a list of tips that tend to alert me to the fact I am dealing with a false report but know that would only make my job harder. I learned long ago that once you teach those who are frauds how to deflect their lying ways they will incorporate or change what they do to try to continue to pull the wool over our eyes.
Let us leave it that I can pick up on those who are lying after talking to them for awhile or listening to them talk . If I can see them so I able to view their body language it gives me a bigger helping hand in figuring out how truthful the person is. I use as many skills as I can including my gut reaction as I negotiate along those who are honest and those who are not.
With that said I fully admit I have spent many wasted hours along the way listening to people tell me wild tales of fantasy for reasons that can only be their own. I quickly realized that many lonely, confused or attention wanting people were a major issue for those trying to find truth in the subjects of the unknown. Quickly you learn the ropes and sorting out the fakes from the real reports becomes a skill that all who seek real truth try to learn and apply when talking to those who report what they have seen or endured.
I am sure I have been lied to often but will say I try as hard as I can to only write about or show posts that I feel have at least a base of truth to them. I also have learned over the years that people who do have real events happen to them will embellish at times to try to make them more appealing to those they report them to. I believe this is an effort to make others listen to them. Making the experience bigger than it actually was is a way to encourage others to understand they truly had a life changing experience. These events although stunning and incredible may only last a few minutes or seconds. When something life changing smacks you with a huge intensity in a brief time period I think those experiencing the event add to it to try to communicate to us how spectacular it actually was .
I understand this and try to keep those I talk to on point and exact by keeping them firmly on the experience as I try to by pass the fluff to keep as close to the true event as possible. It is not always easy and I am not always as close as I wish I could be . I do give it my best as I want to know what is happening in our skies. I want to know who or what is taking so many people who suffer abduction events or lost time scenarios . I am not interested in being popular or being part of the in crowd of paranormal junkies. I just want to know what is going on.
I will tell you that some days it is very hard to keep at this search for truth and understanding of the strange and unknown. The fakes and frauds become so over the top and ridiculous I feel my efforts are wasted and lost .
Just the other day I was shown a ridiculous feature article on one of the paranormal blogs concerning an odd sighting . I was shown the article by a friend who found it funny and one of such blatant lying he just could not stop laughing.. The article was about a so called event that happened not only in his town, but on his exact street.
My friend found the article outrageous as it told this big long story of an event that was suppose to take place during a past summer on his very street. The problem was that the description of the area was incorrect, the access to the public was made up, the area at that time of year was closed down to the public and the entire story was an absolute fiction.
In fact the street at that time was holding a special event with thousands of people standing in the exact spot this fantasy report was supposed to have taken place. According to the story the person who had the sighting was alone with just one friend in this deserted location when this sighting took place. My friend thought that was really special as the very location at the time the story claimed was covered by thousands of people.
What can I say? At least the article gave my friend a great deal of comic relief . I know the area well as I have spent many hours there myself and know it was nothing like the description in the article and privately owned. I could only shake my head and wonder if we will ever be able to grow up enough to pull out of our own ignorance.
I understand how smart people who seek the truth can easily and quickly become disgusted by the state of the paranormal. We seem determined to stay dumb deaf and blind to the truth that goes on around us while remaining firmly planted in the dark.
As long as society insists on keeping the subjects of the unknown a place to hang out, socialize and fit in we will continue to sit in ignorance and the dark ages concerning the very things we should be hungry to understand.
A good friend of mine once described the paranormal as ‘The internet town bar ‘ – where you can hang out with a buddy, shoot the bull and down a few beers before heading home.
As long as lost souls and fools waste endless hours making up fictional stories for fun and attention we will remain stunted in many areas. As long as we keep laughing and lying the disclosure will never come and we will continue to be taken or go missing while the world has a giggle while chatting about it .
As long as people think they can make a dime from feeding the rest of us nonsense- this will continue. As long as fake photo makers and video frauds live in the delusion Hollywood may discover them we will live dumb and in the dark.
We may never know what it is that visits this planet. We may have miles to go before we understand who abducts us against our will , or goes about the business of whatever it is they do to this planet and all who live upon it One thing that is fact is that as long as we behave as we do we will never find out.
I will continue to try to bring the truth to my readers to the best of my ability but will admit I have my days when I wonder if it is worth it. I feel the paranormal as a society is our biggest failure. All the subjects considered unknown such as UFO’s , aliens, crop circles, unknown creature sightings, dimensional confusions are subjects we should be seriously investigating. Instead we have allowed it to be our weakest moments. Finding the truth to so many unknowns seems to be just too much for us.
I will tell you I have looked in to the eyes of the unknown. I know what it looks like. I have been there and understand first hand about many things I write about . I just do not know if those who have not experienced the things I have and many like me can or will ever comprehend that what we are trying to let you know- this is not a joke.
As Michael Jackson sang in his song Thriller:
“Under The Moonlight You See A Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart
You Try To Scream But Terror Takes The Sound Before You Make It
You Start To Freeze As Horror Looks You Right Between the eyes”
Be careful out there. You never know when you will be the one alone looking into the face of the unknown . That moment you will understand what I have been trying to say in so many ways.
♥Copyright © 2011
Chris Holly’s Paranormal World
