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Q & A composed of collected responses from our professional paranormal investigators...

Inquiry: I recently went to a show that featured a mentalist. This guy was so accurate it actually scared me. Are mentalists actually tapping into the supernatural to be able to read a person’s mind?

Answer:

By LFN Member Carsen ‘Apparitionist’ Lanz, PI

Believe it or not, mentalists are actually super observers rather than supernaturalists who have trained themselves to discern people and their expressions and body movements. They do not depend on the supernatural although they would like you to think so. They are great human decoders and profilers and will observe how you look, how you talk, what you are wearing and even if you are sweating or stuttering. Great listeners, mentalists will tend to ask a subject vague questions and encourage an opinion so it all seems innocent enough. All of this is probably why most mentalists are also great “lie detectors” relying on “tells.” Tells include observation of the eyes - dilation or constriction of the pupil of the eye (dilation is associated with positive emotion; constriction with negative), where a subject gazes, rate of respiration and obvious perspiration, gulping, and fidgeting. The best mentalists start out as magicians who become extremely proficient at sleight of hand and some are also proficient at hypnotism. So, you can see a mentalist is not actually reading your mind – you are volunteering the information.

Inquiry: What is a devil’s pact?

Answer:

By LFN Member John Holbrook, Holbrook PSI

A pact with the dark side or devil’s pact can be written or oral by the means of an invocation, conjuration or ritual that is said to summon a demon to make the pact with. The way I understand it, you do not make the pact with the devil but with one of his subordinates or demons. It is like a business deal, you don’t get to talk to the president of the company to make your deal, and you have to deal with the hired help. And to be more to the point there are specific jobs in every company and it is the same with the dark side; you don’t talk to the truck salesman to buy a car. Some of the pacts that are said to have been made are for power, wealth, and fame and of course love. Most pacts are made for the person soul for the wanted favor (power, wealth, fame, love). What if the favor you want is worth more than your soul? Let’s say that you are looking to be the President - that would be more expensive than let’s say being a good blues musician so you would have to sweeten the deal with more than your soul. If it is more that your soul that is needed you may have to do a sacrifice or so other favors for the demon at a later date. This may also be part of the contract in general that you will serve as a representative of the deal you made like a form of advertisement. So the demon could use you as an example for someone else or use you to get a bigger fish.

Inquiry: For about a year items have gone missing in my house and showing back up in strange locations where they would not be normally placed. Is a ghost taking them?

Answer:

By LFN Member Lydia Morrissey PI, Para-Research

In the realm of the paranormal this situation is known as being ‘jottled.’ The word jottled comes from ‘jott’ which stands for “just one of those things.” If you have honestly ruled out absent-mindedness then this is what happened to you. Unfortunately being jottled does not fit any paradigm but the displacement of objects in this way might be attributed to either teleportation or poltergeist activity. According to paranormal specialist Rosemary Ellen Guiley there are different types of jottles: Walkabout. An article disappears from a known location and is found later in another and often bizarre location, without explanation for how it got there. Comeback. An article disappears from a known location and later — sometimes minutes or perhaps even years — mysteriously reappears in the same location. It may be a special case of walkabout. Flyaway. An article disappears from a known location and never reappears. Flyaways may be stage 1 walkabouts with an exceptionally long time-frame. Turn-up. An article known to an observer but from an unknown location is found in a place where it was previously known to be. Turn-ups may be stage 2 of a walkabout. Windfall. A turn-up in which an article is not known to the observer. Trade-in. A flyaway followed by a windfall that is closely similar to the article flown away. If your objects are reappearing – be glad because some don’t return. You might try clearing your house with sage to help with any mischief.

Inquiry: Why can’t I have paranormal experiences where I see ghosts?

Answer:

By LFN Member Phillip ‘Constantine’ Constantino, PI

The first thing you might ask yourself is why you want the experience as for most who do can tell you it is not a ride in an amusement park. That said, this is a common frustration for some people with this desire. Ghosts never do anything “on cue.” Experiences more often than not come out of the blue. You did not mention how you were going about trying to accomplish your goal. Being over-anxious for results never gets any job done let alone ghost hunting. I would suggest that you do a lot of reading – find some classes or join some reputable ghost hunting group in your area and take some tours. I would not suggest working with psychics or mediums early on as you might get more than you bargained for one way or another since these folks don’t always receive information directly from the deceased. When on your own, advance slowly and simply. For example, try experimenting with capturing some EVPs and then using some discernment to figure out what you are hearing. This might give you some satisfaction and set you on the right path.

Inquiry: Is the Ouija Board really dangerous or is it all just media hype?

Answer:

By LFN Member Olivia Constantino, PI, Para-Research

Most paranormal investigators advise against using a Ouija Board not only because of dangerous capacities to open doors to unknown dimensions and entities but also because of possible manipulation by other people who may be unwisely and cruelly tapping into your personal fears and exaggerating them. Many religious institutions advise against using the Ouija Board because they believe it is an invitation to voluntary demonic possession. What must be remembered is that the board itself is only a tool and is not dangerous but the intentions of those using it might be. I know some people who have tried to avoid negative outcomes by announcing out loud that the session is only for positive outcomes and negativity is not welcome, and, they make sure that they move the planchette to the GOODBYE position before closing the board. Despite this, some of those people still had negative outcomes and further problems.

Inquiry: Can pets be affected by ghosts?

Answer:

By LFN Member Norm ‘Paranorman’ Justice, PI

Yes. Pets like dogs and cats are receptive and sensitive to sounds, vibrations, and energy. If they run towards, away from, raise hackles or hiss or bark for no apparent reason at an area in your home they may be picking up an energy that is not natural for the environment. Remember, animals don’t make judgments. They simply react to barometric pressure change and higher frequencies. In some cases where there is obvious pet reaction, it may be an entity’s way of getting human attention such as during an intelligent haunt. Pet psychologist have studied this phenomena and can neither concur nor deny. For example, in Tails of the Afterlife by Peggy Schmidt, the author writes about a woman named Del Johnsen who left seven dogs and six cats when she passed away. Several witnesses believe she still visits her pets daily, and have reported seeing the animals suddenly gather in one spot while staring at something unseen and reacting in enjoyment as though they were being petted and cajoled.  If pets are consistently being alarmed by an area it might be a good idea to call in a reputable local investigative team before anything escalates.

Source: LFN members with many years of experience in paranormal investigation.