Feeling pretty judged right now.

[Fiona]

LOL @ your last comment, Jadewik. Maybe I should give that a go if all else fails

I guess you may be onto something. Perhaps what I perceive to be "judgement" is possibly concern, as it seems to be the people closest to me lately that have harsh things to say about my interest in the paranormal. I guess it's something to take on board, to try to bring that into consideration before I get myself feeling offended.

At a base level, it's those that are closest to me that matter the most, so it does hurt when I feel they believe I'm doing something bad and immoral - especially when it couldn't be further from the truth.

[1TxLady]

People often judge interests of which they have no understanding or knowledge whether it be paranormal or other.
I've dealt with it my entire life in one form or another. I also find that particularly later in life I tend to gravitate somehow through the universe, sometimes by choice and sometimes completely unknowingly, to those who have an interest whether or not they believe in it or not yet .. or ever will .. but they are open enough to explore options outside the confinement of a bubble.

I handle it much like I would politics or the nuances of religion. With those who have an interest and are open to multiple views, I discuss it. With those that are judgmental, I avoid that conversation because there is no need to create discord knowingly.

In your case, Fiona, being that it is now a part of your livelihood, I am sure within family and close circles of friends it does indeed hurt that they seemingly judge.

[Rose Strailo]

I was once judged by my family. Luckily not my mother which makes my life a lot easier. But the rest of my family, when they discovered my interest in the paranormal were far from happy. At the time I didn't really care about their judgements, and no, they weren't worried cares, they were judgements. We didn't get along at the time.

I had to ruin their little views by asking if they knew anything about the paranormal that didn't come from overzealous religious people, movies and books that were older then my grandparents (80 plus years). When I got the answer that I figured I would, I made them look up what the paranormal world was all about before judging me again.

My friends tried the same thing. I just shoved a pile of papers into their hands and told them to read and to get off my back.

I do hope that things get better for you.

[Fiona]

Rose & 1TxLady - Thanks very much for your replies. It's difficult, and no matter the intention of the one's saying the comments, it can be hurtful. Lately it hasn't been so bad, but this issue just seems to arise now and then.

[gvan1970]

Dont let it get to you. I have the same problem sometimes. But I just tell myself that I saw things with my own eyes so I know its true.

[snapdragon928]

(10-01-2011 10:33 PM)jeff Wrote:  Interests in the Paranormal? I've literally read nearly two thousand stories of the paramormal in just the last couple of years. I'm not counting the number of movies I've seen. I'm more picky about the movies I watch..., there are a lot of second rate or third rate movies out there. Beside that, I actually have to pay for movie rentals. I don't have cable or satallite, and I don't think I ever will. If public TV disappears, I'll just reduce my viewing time and continue to rent movies. There. Now we all know, I am a die hard fanatic about the paranormal.

However, I spend some considerable time doing searches and studies about certain characters I see in movies. I read other people's personal experience and look for other accounts already in folk lore or possibly mentioned in one text or another, and I also cross-reference with my Bible, and sometimes other sacred texts.

Yes sir. I take a lot of this as genuine..., not everything! I believe imagination can sometimes seem as real as the real article. The power of suggestion will convince us that our experience is genuine. Example, after reading several hundred stories written by Hans Holzer, one element common to many stories is "hearing footsteps."

I was reading one day, near noon, with the sun blazing in my window. As I read, I began to hear distinct footsteps on the roof going from one end of the house to the opposite end, and starting over again and again. I stopped reading for a couple of minutes and did a little "vizualization." I pictured a pirate dressed in a guady outfit stomping up and back again until the footsteps stopped. Then I continued reading. So, seems like vizualization trumps the power of suggestion. I don't really know what to tell you if vizualization doesn't work. I might go out for a drive, a little fresh air, or maybe a cup of coffee. I think footsteps are nothing more than a scare tactic, if the footsteps can be recorded on some audio media..., and there could always be the possibility that there is some real alternate explanation having nothing supernatural about it.

At one point last year, some very odd (impossible) things started happening around here at home. I stopped all the reading and movies for a while. I've mentioned these events only two or three times. I'll say that I am reminded that the Bible, in the New Testament, says we should think on things that are good, true, Holy, just, pure, beautiful or some words to that effect. This kind of thinking will serve to lift your spirit, and there are some very real benefits to practicing this.

I'm convinced that other family members, in particular my father, think I "like demons." Nothing could be farther from the truth. I don't mean to mislead anyone here, especially children. I am an adult well into my fifties. Children are not adults. They are very impressionable. Adults should defend children's innocense. Once they lose their innocense, it will never come back.

I imagine that some people might think paranormal interests are worse than someone collecting pronography..., I don't do porno. I prefer seeing people keep their clothes on. And, no one would ever want to see me in the buff! That would be truly scary!!

Fiona, don't argue with fools, people could become confused and be unable to tell who is the real fool. One last comment. At one time, I rented the entire "Horror" section at Blockbuster. Now, you can find "Horror" movies in Drama or even in Action movies. Personally, I like humorus horror movies, like "Shaun of the Dead." Incidentally, I just watched the movie "Paul." It was hilarious, and just a bit unkind to Christians. I'm also a sucker for family and kids movies. I'm looking forward to the Halloween movies as the season is already upon us! HAPPY HALOWEEN EVERYONE!!

jeff

I just love you Jeff. So funny.

[jeff]

I do believe that one can find more than a few accounts in the Bible itself that mention persons and things that are genuine, and supernatural. If these accounts were not recorded in the Bible, I'd probably be a lot more skeptical than I am. I'd be on the side "there is a natural explanation for this." Sometimes, there is no alternate explanation for the truly supernatural.

I'm not about to become friends with some unidentifiable spirit. I don't want or need a "familiar." I believe these things can become "attached" to any one of us. Next thing you know, these "things" are following us around. And, sometimes other innocent people find themselves the target for some sadistic spirit.

[snapdragon928]

I was brought up believing the supernatural existed. It was never a question. My older sister was the only one in the family that would straight up deny supernatural events she experienced, until a kidney transplant from my brother. Then she changed sides, and told it all. What she did when younger would be to report something happened, sometimes with brother telling it too, then deny it later. Brother is thirteen years younger. We would share paranormal magazines and try things out. He says he is psychic, been since he was little. Sister see's departed people. Oh and we had a ghost dog growing up. But when brother anounced he was Wiccan and was planning a Wiccan wedding which did not include family, and mother and father were friends with the priestess and her husband, there was judging within the family. Mother was ill informed, unprepared and did not understand why her special baby boy would go this route. Asked questions of the nature of is this devil worship and so on. Even though she had old small books of spells when we were growing up and a book with names of demons, both sat by the unopened bible on the book shelf. Oh and the popular is my child psychic book.
Fast forward, I marry a seventh day adventist, hard core religious man, second husband. I agree to be under his religious rules so we can be married. No paranormal allowed its all of the devil, and the church family would all believe the same. So stories of my childhood of ghostlty encounters and other paranormal experiences are swept under the rug. Big judging and all is hush hush. Then I begin my seeking again, telling my stories and hiding it from church and him. Not good. Did not feel right to hide the true me under a guise of religion I no longer believed in. He and I seperated for this reason. Now I am free to talk about my beliefs and discover what they actually are. bottom line, you are going to be judged no matter what you beleif if it isn't status quo. How to live with it when your beliefs rub up against someone elses the wrong way I don't know. I find people at work judging me also.