There's a lot of mystery out there in the world, and it's impossible for us to understand most of it. For some, it doesn't take much to make you believe in just about anything. For others, an "I'll believe it when I see it" mentality is more commonplace. What happens, however, when the entire reasoning for why a person believes in something specifically is because you can't see it and never will? I recently had this conversation with my mom and sister about believing in ghosts, my sister is a total skeptical.
While I am more like,
This difference in attitude probably has something to do with the fact that I watch paranormal movies nonstop and love Ouija boards (I have never played with one, don't worry). Now, there is no doubt about it that there is a massive selection of fake ghost encounters online; in fact, there are probably more fake videos than genuine ones lurking about the web.
That being said, however, I do believe in the paranormal. Whatever that means you for may be completely different than what it means for others. For one person, the paranormal may mean that they believe demons can drag you into the basement and devour your soul. For someone else, it could mean believing in a different "realm," one in which people are stuck and sometimes your bathroom door opens by itself. In other words, there are vast differences in what people believe.
Because it is the spooky season of October, I've been all over the internet looking at ghost hunting videos, watching horror films and interviews with people who claim to have experienced hauntings. The most recent interview I've seen is with a famous psychic and ghost-hunter, Lorraine Warren. This was not a brand new interview, but it was new to me.
During the interview, Lorraine was talking about how she doesn't go into the basement anymore, where, as some of you may know, possessed relics collected from hauntings are kept. To be fair, I don't blame her, I wouldn't be going down there either. They then proceed (without Lorraine) to go into the basement to get a look at everything Ed and Lorraine collected through their lives, guided by a priest. They are warned multiple times not to touch anything because spirits are still inside the objects and could transfer to you.
To those of you who don't believe in the paranormal, remember that there are some people who sincerely do. We can never know the experiences that these people have or haven't had, and I don't think this topic is something we will ever be clear on.
Along with ghosts, there are dozens of other paranormal creatures whose existences may never be confirmed. It isn't hard to find "spotted" videos on these creatures all over the internet either. Some of these creatures are the Rake, Bigfoot, and, my personal favorite, the Wendigo, all of whom were featured in the 2015 horror adventure game, "Until Dawn."
The paranormal isn't all just bad though. There are a handful of more mystical creatures that you may choose to believe in, like Baba Yaga (although some would still argue she's one of the bad ones) and Will-o-the-Wisps, which you may recognize from a fantastic Disney film, "Brave."
Maybe you've never had a paranormal experience and don't believe in any of the creatures I've listed thus far. That's fine; I've never had a paranormal experience either, and I don't really want one. I prefer the idea of just thinking that stuff is out there, I don't really want it to become a part of my life though. For anyone wondering, "How can you believe in the paranormal?" the answer is simple: I just do.
It might be because I see how sincerely other people believe in it, and I believe them. It might also be because I see the world as mundane and in need of a little something that makes it more interesting. What I'm really going to blame it on is when my neighbor from a long time ago bought a fairy hunting kit and invited me over to play with her. We were sitting in the grass all afternoon with our fairy food, dust and magnifying glasses trying to see the fairies. I don't remember if we ever caught one.
There are hundreds of mythical creatures out there (possibly) and, for whichever ones you believe in, and for whichever ones whose existence you question wholeheartedly, there is someone who claims to have video evidence of that creature. Some of you will probably need proof, more than someone in their backyard with a blurry camera capturing Bigfoot. I, for one, will never need any certifiably real evidence, at least for some of these creatures. (Vampires will be a little harder to convince me on, though.) It's October, so now is the time to get yourself spooked by watching some of these low-quality videos. That is, of course, only until Christmas, when it's possible that you may be getting a visit from Krampus rather than Santa.
