The Exorcist

The book “The Exorcist”, famously made into a movie in 1973, came out 40 years ago.

To celebrate this anniversary, the author William Peter Blatty, now 83 years old, has returned to his original work and made various changes for a new special edition (Harper, $25.99 hardcover, $9.99 e-book). The changes include edits to the dialogue and an entirely new scene.

Read complete article here. {via huffingtonpost.com}

It looks as though my buds may have been correct when mercilessly picking on my fear of the 1973 film The Exorcist. As many of you might have already figured out from older posts that The Exorcist scared about almost every possible bodily fluid out of me. I kid you not, while viewing the re-release a few years ago I broke out in a sweat and almost filled my popcorn bucket. It was another case of “based on a true story” that seemed to always get me. While my sympathetic buds would laugh and point, they would claim it’s a all fake, phoney-baloney if you will. And they might’ve been on to something. After reading The Real Story Behind the Exorcist: A Study of the Haunted Boy and other True-Life Horror Legends from Around the Nation’s Capital by Mark Opsasnick, my opinion about the infamous case has changed…dramatically.

The Real Exorcist

Opsasnick tracks down friends of the boy as well as clergy involved with the case for some pretty interesting insight. When asked about the boy speaking languages other than English, the late Father Walter Halloran who had assisted in the exorcism stated, “Just Latin,” and “I think he mimicked us.” Well I thought that was interesting since that’s often one of the many so-called signs of possession. Opsasnick also inquired about the change in the boys voice which Father Halloran responded with a “Not really.” So no demonic voice speaking ancient languages. Hmmm.

And if you’re wondering what happened to that demon boy, he is still on this planet living among us. Opsasnick does get to him, but things don’t go too well.

My only problem with the book is the length. I was expecting a bit more detail on The Exorcist story. The actual Exorcist chapter is only a little over forty pages. The rest of the book includes the investigations into the Tom Monteleone Contactee case, the Luzo-Brazilian Black Magic Cult, The Ghost of Crybaby Bridge, and the Goatman of Prince George’s County. And by no means are these stories filler, each is a very interesting study on how some of these urban legends are blown out of proportion.

You’ve probably heard before that we allegedly know more about the surface of the moon than the incredible depths of the earth’s oceans. Obviously that’s changing with the development of new technology that’s helping us map the ocean’s floors as well as super high-tech unmanned subs. But when it comes to locations like the Mariana Trench, which at this moment is recorded as the deepest region of all the oceans, at a depth of 35,840 feet, roughly 6.78 miles, could this be the origin of technically superior crafts also known as USOs (unidentified submerged objects). This is exactly what author Ivan T. Sanderson investigates in Invisible Residents, The reality of Underwater UFOs.

The concept of aliens and their craft being more of an earthly phenomenon rather than the standard extraterrestrial theory has always fascinated me. What if the aliens have been here from the start? It’s kind of freaky that they might actually be observing us from below. Sanderson takes us through a whole list of USO accounts that could possibly explain what’s going on. It’s almost too many which explains why it took me a few tries to get through this book. It’s a bit slow at first but I think it’s due to the fact that the book was originally published in 1970 so many of the examples and concepts are a bit dated. But regardless, it’s still well researched with a keen sense of humor and skepticism.

Just one of the many underwater sightings or I should say tracking was that of the United States Navy during a training exercise in 1963.  The Navy tracked an object for four days that was maneuvering at depths of 27,000 feet at 150 knots plus. In 1967, the record dive for a standard submarine was 6,250 feet. So what the hell was it?

Sanderson also goes way back in history for some early accounts of USOs such as a report from the Annual Register in 1767. It was reported that a large luminous body appeared from a thick dark smoke over the water. The unknown object then took the shape of a pyramid and shot up the river damaging a house and bridge. Stargate anyone? Or how about in 1879 when Commander J.E.. Pringle of the H.M.S. Vulture reported seeing two giant rotating glowing wheels underwater.

Also touched upon is the Bermuda Triangle, along with vortices and time anomalies, plus the possibilities of underwater civilizations, and unexplained vanishing of people and objects.

Although Sanderson tends to be long-winded at times reporting on one of the most neglected areas of ufology, Invisible Residents contains a wealth of information on a subject that begs for further investigation.

George Knapp, the investigative reporter who broke the story of Area 51 employee Bob Lazar, was the only reporter allowed onto the ranch to document the investigation by NIDS. Colm Kelleher, a research scientist and author, spent hundreds of days on the ranch leading the investigation. One of the theories they began to develop was the idea of alternate dimensions and portals. And who better to reference than Michio Kaku on human perspective. 

“Let’s say that a ten-lane superhighway is being built next to an anthill,” Kaku says. “The question is: would the ants even know what a ten-lane superhighway is, or what it’s used for, or how to communicate with the workers who are just feet away? And the answer is no…If there is [another] civilization in our backyard, in the Milky Way galaxy, would we even know it’s presence? …There’s a good chance that we, like ants in the anthill,would not understand or be able to make sense of a ten-lane superhighway next door.”

My only problems with the book is, why no photographs and why so little of the scientific data? First, not even one single little pic? I mean come on, all this activity and no one caught anything? And second, when I read science in the title I assume I’ll get some data to back up the accounts. But sadly, that never really happens. None the less, it’s still a paranormal thrill ride that ultimately generates the usual, more questions than answers.

For those of you interested in the demonic side of the paranormal, the new book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by journalist Matt Baglio, sounds like one heck of a read. Baglio heads to the Vatican where he follows a Catholic priest’s training as an exorcist. And part of the training is actual apprenticeship on actual exorcisms. You can’t get any closer to the source than that. Actually sounds a little too close.

“Truth is stranger than fiction … and far more terrifying. Forget what Hollywood tells you about demonic possession and exorcism; The Rite will open your eyes to the awesome truth about such things. I’ve been investigating paranormal events for some time,but this book taught me much that I didn’t know about the timeless battle for the human soul waged between the forces of good and evil. Fascinating, inspiring, and scary, a great read.”
—John Kachuba, author of Ghosthunters: On the Trail of Mediums, Dowsers, Spirit Seekers, and Other Investigators of America’s Paranormal World

Get the book here.

WARNING: Anyone with a major gag reflex or fear of excessive vomiting should stop reading now.

I didn’t think it was possible that I would find another exorcism account that could freak me out more than the half a dozen I’ve read about already. But boy, was I wrong. And again, as the title claims, it’s true. Break out the rosaries and get your rain gear on people. Begone Satan is the account of a a forty year old woman’s twenty-three day battle with Beelzebub in the little town of Earling, Iowa.

The story actually begins way before the exorcism, back when the victim was just a teenager. She had been raised in a religious family and attended church regularly. But at the age of fourteen something sinister began to take hold of her. This unseen force would not allow her to receive communion and eventually got her banned from entering the church. Things only got worse, as she began to hear voices telling her to do some pretty unpleasant things. Her parents took her to doctors and specialists for years, yet nothing would help. It wouldn’t be until twenty-six years later, and numerous religious rituals, that the church finally decided that all efforts had been exhausted and it was time for an exorcism.

A sixty year old Father Theophilus Riesinger, who had already performed many successful demonic battles, was brought in to conduct the exorcism. And from day one the problems began, starting with a brand new car running so oddly that the priest assigned to pick up Riesinger didn’t think he would even survive the drive. 

The exorcism was to be performed at a Franciscan convent to try and keep the lid on things and help protect the woman. Plus, there would be an army of nuns to help the priest. And he would need them. As Father Riesinger began, the woman shot cat-like through the air and clung to a wall over the door. The nuns had to pull her down and restrain her as they started over. This is where I would’ve very quietly excused myself and stepped out. But they carried on and it got really disconcerting. For days the shrieks, screams, and voices, human and un-human filled the convent and beyond. It became so disturbing and exhausting the nuns had to rotate in and out just to get a break and get some strength back. Especially since these voices were coming from an unconscious woman. The only time this woman’s mouth would open, was when the projectile vomiting, and lots of it, began. Remember I mentioned rain gear. In an effort to deface the Lord’s prayer, she would yak all over the place. This is where I start to dry heave a bit. They said that it was common for her to vomit between twenty to thirty times a day, and it was enough to fill buckets. The stench was reportedly unbearable. And I’m not even going to tell you what they said it looked like.

After many long and frustrating conversations, father Reisinger finally got the demon to identify itself. It wasn’t the devil, but it was one of his captains, a.k.a. Beelzebub. This is where we learn just how the daughter becomes possessed. And it ain’t pretty. Beelzebub also reveals an interesting tid bit about the Antichrist. So if you think you can deal with the buckets of body fluids, definitely check this book account. It’s nasty and terrifying.

So have you ever had someone tell you you’re crazy and that there’s zero proof of the paranormal? Especially those smarty-pants types who unless it slaps them in the face, it doesn’t exist (that’s one unexciting world to live in)? Well if you’re reading this I’m assuming you probably know some of these clowns. You know what, it is a bit harsh, but it’s time to turn the tables on these folks and expose them to what’s really going on in our mysterious world, and make them aware that there’s still some work to be done on the unknown and unexplained. Actually, the heck with these people, I want to know what’s really going on. But the only way to accomplish this is with the help of mainstream science, and that’s exactly what Dr. Lawrence LeShan tackles in his new book  A New Science of the Paranormal.

Dr. LeShan, a psychologist and parapsychologist (and originally a skeptic) with twenty books published and more years in the field than most, declares that the paradigm must shift if we plan on moving forward with the study and investigation into the paranormal. He argues that it’s time to stop wasting the time of trying to prove it’s existence and start studying the why and how. Now he’s not saying that we must drop everything and just believe in this new reality, but that we must develop theories that will work with both the old data and the new, and approach it scientifically. Ultimately this should bring the paranormal out from the shadows and into the mainstream, where scientists can study it free of ridicule.

Also, don’t let the title scare you. I know sometimes when you see science in a title that the read might be a bit rough on the old noggin, but this thing moves. LeShan uses actual case studies to help illustrate ideas from each chapter making this an engrossing, begging for more type of read.

And the next time you run into one of those smarty-pants who thinks you’re crazy, ask them about that pesky old fact that the earth is flat.

So have ya heard of the Union screaming house? Well I hadn’t and I can’t wait to be able to un-remember it. This has to be one of the most horrifying, f’ed up hauntings I’ve read about since probably the first time I read the Amityville Horror. As a matter of fact, I  read most of this book during the day with plenty of glorious sunlight, and it still gave me chills. So there’s your warning.

Just when I thought there couldn’t be anything worse then demonic pigs, fly-infested rooms, Indian burial grounds, spinning heads and televison poltergiests, along comes the The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House. And you know as well as I do, when you see the “True” stamped on the cover, that means the pucker factor goes up tenfold.

The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House (Paperback)

LaChance takes us on a hell ride, a.k.a. his life, that doesn’t let up for 200 plus pages. The tale begins with Steven’s wife abandoning him and their three young children as well as the tragic death of his older sister. Now as a single dad, and without a home, he begins the search for a new place to call home. He soon finds what appears to be the dream home. But of course nothing could be further from the truth. Within the first couple of days the paranormal activity begins. And it’s not pretty. We’re talking things like demonic basement clowns. Ugh…clowns. Why did it have to be clowns? Plus, there is constant noise coming from empty rooms, a freaky butcher shower, doors opening and closing, and finally a smoky-shadowy figure that searches room to room for the LaChance family. Within a couple of weeks, Steven and his children decide to flee as the activity becomes increasingly disturbing and possibly life threatening. Sounds like the end right? Wrong! This is where it really begins and all hell breaks loose. After moving out of the house, he hears that the house has been rented to a family with young children, despite his warnings to the landlord. Steven ends up befriending the new tenants, who are really getting pummeled by the demonic. In an effort to help this family deal with the day to day demonic pounding Steven forms a paranormal group and takes the demonic presence head on. Oh, and a priest comes to bless the house and basically runs away with his tail between his legs after being in the house for five minutes.

In The Uninvited, Steven LaChance gives us one of the most frightening haunted house accounts ever told as well as reminding us to always ask our realtor if there is a butcher shower in the basement.

For more info on Steven LaChance.

So what if the screen you’re looking at right now, isn’t really physically there? As a matter of fact, what if that room you’re in, or that chair you’re sitting in, is really a hologram? The holographic universe is one of those mind-boggling theories that excites me on one hand but scares the crap out of me on the other. But now go a little deeper and imagine that your soul is holographic.

The Big Book of the Soul

Ian Punnet, host of Coast to Coast AM, got to dig into the holographic concept with the author of The Big Book of the Soul: Our Many Lives as Holographic Aspects of the Source, Ian Lawton. They touched on a whole slew of related subjects such as past lives, near-death and out-of-body experiences, interlife (the space in between life where we supposedly meet with spirit guides to prepare for our next life) regression and reincarnation. Lawton also discussed many of the documented near-death and out-of-body experiences in the book. One of the more freakish was the strict atheist Russian scientist who was run over by a car, multiple times and then pronounced dead at the scene. Then his body spent 3 days on a slab in a morgue, only to wake up as the autopsy was about to begin. The newly alive scientist had not only come back from the dead but he now had special psychic powers.

The thing that really struck a chord with me though, was all the evidence that had been gained through interlife regressions. Many of the people who went through the process described a complete understanding and no judgement at all. And this really got me thinking because believe it or not, I had actually been told once by a Catholic nun that hell doesn’t exist. So there seems to be hope for all us heathens.

I haven’t read the book yet, but after listening to this it will be on the top of my pile soon. This guy really delivers when it comes to research and the references that back the evidence up. And if you don’t believe me go read Giza: The Truth: The People, Politics, and History Behind the World’s Most Famous Archaeological Site ( I think I’ve read it at least 50 times).

Listen to Part 1:

Listen to Part 2:

Unbelievable

Just a quick heads up for what sounds like a really good paranormal read. The book is Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory by Stacy Horn. It chronicles the experiments of parapsychology trailblazer J.B. Rhine and his team of scientists at Duke University. They ran experiments on clairvoyance, telepathy, ghosts, poltergeists, as well as some other wild stuff like mind-reading used during the Cold War. For those not familiar with Rhine, he  along with psychologist William McDougall would actually be credited with coining the term parapsychology. So this guy was like head honcho of the unexplained. I’ll definitely be on the look out for a copy and will review it as soon as possible. [amazon]