Someone Like Me: A Friday Funny!

Aww, I love this lil' cartoon by Matt Tarpley!  I'm sure most of us with an interest in the paranormal field have, at one time or another, felt like we'd never find someone spooky like us to share our passion with!  Plus, there's bunnies, making this the perfect Easter-month Friday Night Funny!  Have a fun and spooky weekend everyone! 

Book Review for The Little Book of the Paranormal

Title: The Little Book of the Paranormal
Author: Rupert Matthews
Published: 2010 by The History Press
Amazon Order Information

Rupert Matthews' The Little Book of the Paranormal is just that! This under-sized hardback edition only measures in at 5 inches by 8 inches and only contains about 144 pages of information...but for such a small package it packs a hefty punch.

This probably isn't a book specifically aimed at the reader who is well-educated on a variety of paranormal topics. Rather, its a great little introduction to the novice student of the paranormal, or for someone who just wants a quick sampling of stories without delving into too much history or analysis.

The topics covered in this book range from cryptids to UFOs to ghosts and hauntings. Whatever your niche interest in the paranormal field is, there's sure to be something here to interest you. Historic illustrations help break up the well-written text and serve as visual interest to the information presented.

I really enjoy books like this; each story is short, concise, and to the point. It's a quick read that you can put down and pick up again any time without losing any context. It's an entertaining read, and one that has inspired me to do additional research on topics such as the British WWI pilot whose spirit arrived back at his room...at the very moment he died in a plane crash.

The Little Book of the Paranormal was included in the pile of books I purchased this year at ScareFest, but you can find both a physical copy and the Kindle edition on Amazon. With such a wide appeal, I think this book would be a great read for anyone with any level of interest in the paranormal.

*More Book Reviews*

Know Your Normals

What is normal, anyway? Normal is boring! Luckily, we live in a weird, wacky world where 'normal' is a subjective state of mind! We're also lucky to have a great vocabulary in which to accurately describe all that weird, wackiness around us.

These three definitions represent three different ways to describe the phenomenon that we as paranormal researchers and enthusiasts deal with. Is it truly paranormal, or is it something else?

Paranormal---Dictionary.com defines 'paranormal' as "of or relating to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation,as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernatural phenomena." The key here is the phrase, "without scientific explanation." So, the paranormal is something that is beyond the normal range of science.

Perinormal---Scientist Richard Dawkins uses the term 'perinormal' to refer to events and phenomena previously thought to have been  paranormal, but having since been scientifically verified as natural.

Xenonormal---According to the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomenon, 'xenonormal' is "a term for events that, in certain circumstances, resemble the paranormal, even though they are not. They can be called 'xenonormal'. This means 'foreign normal'; in other words 'the unfamiliar but natural'. In many cases, witnesses to apparent paranormal events (and sometimes even the researchers!) are simply unfamiliar with a purely natural phenomenon. The xenonormal covers not only rare, exotic phenomena but also some common ones (that were simply unfamiliar to particular witnesses)."

So as a quick summary, very rarely is any phenomenon truly 'paranormal.' More often than not, what we perceive as paranormal is actually xenonormal---it might seem paranormal to us because we simply aren't familiar with the natural explanation for the phenomenon. That is where continued education, lots of reading, and lots of studying of multiple disciplines really comes in handy for this field. Finally, historically there are lots of examples of phenomenon that would now qualify as being perinormal---before modern science, our ancestors had to try to make sense of the world around them as best as they knew how. What was once considered divine intervention, witchcraft, hoodoo, etc. is common scientific knowledge.

I personally believe that ALL paranormal phenomena will one day be recognized and explained through science, thus reclassifying it as 'perinormal'.  But, that doesn't make it any less interesting or any less valid of an area of study. I just hope that this happens during my lifetime.

Theresa's Top Links for July 2015

It's been awhile since I've done a link-roundup! Usually I just share anything cool I find on Facebook or Twitter, but there are a few sites that I find myself going back to over and over so much that they deserve a more permanent shout out! This is by far a comprehensive list---just a few that stick out to me that I haven't already linked to in the past.  Skeptical views, haunted places, ghost stories, radio shows, and plenty of articles on all aspects of the paranormal are covered here.  If you want to add any notable links, please let me know in the comments!

1. Supernatural Magazine--An excellent collection of articles on a variety of paranormal topics.  Whatever your paranormal beliefs, you're sure to find something here of interest...and something you'll find educational.  I've posted several individual articles from this site over the past few months and they always seem very well received.

2. Paranormal King Radio Network--This is the home to Paraversal Universe, one of my favorite paranormal radio shows.  Join Jennifer Scelsi and Kevin Malek each Friday evening at 8pm EST for excellent discussion and interviews with some of the top names in paranormal research.  A chat room is also available during the shows to ask questions and interact with the guests and hosts.

3. Mysterious Heartland--Anything and everything to do with haunted locations, ghost stories, urban legends, and beautifully creepy locations throughout the Midwestern United States.  Those tri-state area fans in Ohio might find this website of particular interest.

4. Midnight in the Desert--Art Bell is back with an all-new radio show! Check out the website for information on guests, upcoming shows, and how to listen to the show live, Monday through Friday at 12am EST.

5. Memento Mori (My Macabre Fascination)--This is the blog of paranormal researcher, Anna Hill. Anna Hill is a voice of reason in this field, and I always enjoy her writings.  If you want some serious paranormal commentary by someone who really knows what she's talking about, check out this blog!

Top Tuesday: Best Christmas Ornaments!

This post is being published a little later than originally planned...I meant to post it right before Thanksgiving, but better late than never, right?  Anyway, I found this collection of awesome ornaments that any paranormal investigator or enthusiast would be thrilled to have hanging on their tree!  In no particular order...

Krampus, from Paranormal Books and Curiosities

1. Krampus:  Paranormal Books & Curiosities out of New Jersey is selling this delightful glass artwork for $14.95.  But who is Krampus and what does he have to do with Christmas?  Look for a Krampus post here on Theresa's Haunted History in December, but in short, Krampus is a beastly companion of St. Nicholas who pays a visit to and punishes the naughty children of northern Europe.  He arrives on the night of December 5, and for those who are particularly naughty, he takes them away to his lair in a sack.

Jersey Devil, from Paranormal Books and Curiosities

2. The Jersey Devil: Also from Paranormal Books and Curiosities comes this more traditional glass bulb ornament featuring New England's favorite cryptid.  This one is a bargain at $9.95.  I really love how elegant these look!  They'll definitely add a more subtle nod to the unexplained on your Christmas tree.

Bigfoot, from Toscano

3. Bigfoot:  This 2010 design from Toscano is a real work of art...and is one of the most festive Bigfoot ornaments I've seen on the market.  It's hand painted resin, which sounds pretty durable, and can be yours for $9.95.

Frankenstein by Hallmark

4. Frankenstein's Monster: Available as part of Hallmark's 2014 collection.  This Universal Monsters favorite is only $14.95 and can be purchased online or at your local Hallmark store.  As an added bonus, this particular ornament has a pretty broad appeal; paranormal enthusiasts will enjoy it, but so will literati and fans of classic horror movies.

Cthulhu, from Amazon

5. Cthulhu: This is a strange little Cthulhu ornament--it resembles more of a classic alien representation with a curly beard of octopus tendrils than H.P. Lovecraft's iconic creature, but its so cute and festive with its lil' Santa hat! Seriously, who wouldn't love that on the tree this holiday season? This one is being sold for $8.45 through Amazon.

Alien, from Bronners Christmas Wonderland

6. Alien: There are tons of awesome alien/ufo ornaments available from a variety of sources and at a variety of price points, but I chose this guy from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  He's made in Poland of high-quality glass, and costs $21.99.

Zombies, from Amazon

7. Zombie: What says Christmas more than rotting flesh hanging from the limbs of a pine tree? Amazon is offering a full set of 8 zombie ornaments for $34.95. These are from Tree Buddees and each brain-devouring fiend stands about three inches tall.

8. Mothman:  This one actually comes from my personal collection!  This was purchased many years ago at the annual Mothman Festival, and I haven't been able to find a similar one to share here.  Sorry for the terrible picture...this was a very shiny ornament and I was taking this photo at 3am, so no natural light was available, lol.


*Gotta throw a shout-out to the awesome blog, Ghost Hunting Theories.  When trying to find a particular photo for this blog, I realized that she'd already beat me to a paranormal ornament post, lol!  Check out that list at the link above.*

Theresa's Top 5 Links for November

I haven't done a Theresa's Top 5 Links in a long time...but I've got a few new sites that I'd like to share with everyone.  It's getting harder and harder to find stuff that I haven't posted about before, but I'm pretty confident that these are new-to-me sites that are well worth a visit!  Please enjoy!

1. Fiona Broome's Lab--this site doesn't have a ton of content, but it does have some interesting articles and experiments for those interested in ghost research.  Fiona is more known for her ghost hunting site, Hollow Hill, but runs a number of different sites, including this one, which is described as being her notes on fringe and extreme paranormal research.

2. West Virginia Urban Legends--this site is just getting its start, but its got some cool information on WV weirdness...and they also have a FB fan page where I've noticed that they've graciously shared a link to Theresa's Haunted History!  I'm keeping an eye on this site; there is a lot of great potential here.

3. Cabell County Doors to the Past--Okay, I'm not sure if this one has been posted or not before, so I guess I lied in my opening paragraph, lol.  But seriously, this is a great site for Cabell County history and I've used it in my research several times.

4. Ghosts on Cracked.com--a humorous look at ghosts from one of my favorite websites!  May not be appropriate for young children...and may be NSFW!

5. Supernatural Connections--sort of like a paranormal FB...well, MySpace, lol.  Forums, places to share videos, blogs, and photos, and much more.  Kinda slow right now, so come join and connect with me!

Do YOU have any recommend websites or articles for Theresa's Haunted History?  If show, share them below in the comments, or come LIKE Theresa's Haunted History on Facebook!