"Paranormal State" made its debut on the A&E network in December 2007. This documentary program was comprised of an enthusiastic team of college students from Penn State University who wanted to help those troubled by unexplained phenomena. The Paranormal State/Paranormal Research Society's motto was, "To trust, honor, and always seek the truth." The show starred founder and director Ryan Buell along with his group of technicians, investigators and occult specialists. On most of his investigations he was assisted by such paranormal celebrities as Chip Coffey, Lorraine Warren, Chad Calek, and Michelle Belanger. The team was involved with helping frightened people and collecting evidence of the unexplained.
After five seasons and more than 75 episodes, the rumors of staged scenes, questionable evidence, misleading editing, and dissatisfied clients are explored. As other paranormal programming comes along imitating this style of presentation, it's vital that the problems are investigated.
"Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State" is the first and only book of its kind to take an independent look inside this unique paranormal reality TV show. The authors uncover both positive and negative elements. In their quest to reveal the foundation on which this show was built, they unearth some startling secrets. With a step-by-step analysis of every episode, the authors present the facts. They give voice to those present on the set ranging from production staff, former clients, and various para-celebrities. Casual viewers and diehard fans of the program are taken beyond the thermal cameras, EVPs, atmospheric music, and sound effects.
Authors Kirby Robinson and Lisa Maliga spent countless hours interviewing former clients, production team members, current and former PRS crew members, and various para-celebrities. The reader journeys behind the scenes of what might be the most controversial paranormal reality show to air on cable TV.
"Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State" will keep the reader up past Dead Time – not trembling in fear but discovering the truth of paranormal reality.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State" – Soon to be Released!
t's been a while since you've seen any new posts here at the Eye on the Paranormal. I hadn't planned on being away from it as long as this, but you know the saying, 'God laughs at man's plans'. Yet, as much as things have changed they've also remained unchanged.
One of the changes is that I'm a little wiser than I was in the past. I need to say that I am sorry for some of the biting humor I used in the previous posts. Some people might have been hurt by them, and for that I am sorry.
What has remained the same is the popularity of paranormal reality programming. One might say it's even more popular than it has ever been.
Only a few more episodes of Paranormal State will be aired. Then it will no longer be around as we know it. If you've been affiliated with the paranormal field for a few years, you might be aware that I was one of the first, and possibly the most vocal, critic of the show. You can read those commentaries in this blog from 2008. I pointed out it was not as real as some would want you to think.
Back in April 2010, I started the first draft of a book entitled Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State, with my co-author, Lisa Maliga. It's an in-depth view of the show. We also analyze Ryan Buell's book, Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown. We uncover things that the show's producers and Ryan would prefer to remain hidden from public knowledge.
Some might ask that since the show is going off the air, why do we need a book about it? Here are two reasons.
1 The viewing public has a right to know the truth. Evidence has been faked, events have been staged, and facts have been misrepresented. Paranormal State has more in common with a mockumentary than a documentary.
2 To serve as a warning to others who think they can become a para-celebrity and plan on copying the tricks they've seen on the show. If viewers can learn to be more careful and apply critical thinking skills, they won't be fooled again.
Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State will be available later this month. I'll be updating this site when there is more information, including any online interviews.
I'll delve into the world of the unknown now that the Eye on the Paranormal is open again.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Sharon Tate Case
Copyright 2008 by Kirby Robinson
The Sharon Tate investigation came to a conclusion on Saturday, September 13, 2008, as I performed an exorcism and unbinding ceremony at her gravesite, to liberate her and her unborn son, Paul Richard Polanski. To tell the whole story I’m reposting part 1 and then adding part 2. But what is intriguing is as I was cleaning out some old emails, I stumbled across this one that I had totally forgotten about.
"I saw you were looking for houses to investigate. I have a suggestion.
Did you see one of the first ghost hunters, T.A.P.S where they investigated a home that was built in the area where Charles Manson followers had murdered the Sharon Tate and friends?
The guy that built and lives in the house swore his house was haunted by Sharon and a friend and on that Ghost Hunter, they got some good proof they were still there, earthly bound.
Broke my heart, that they were still lingering after all that time. Maybe she was searching for her baby and her friend watches over her.
You should find that episode and watch it, you could help these spirit find the peace they deserve.
I would love to see that. Your friend, Sara”
PART 1
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but I spend a lot of time among the dead. I’m not ashamed to say that I often feel more at ease with the dead than with the living. And one of the places that I tend to spend a lot of time is at different graveyards. I’ve shared photos of some of my visits, as you may have noticed. Now I’d like to share with you the reasons why I visit certain graves.
Often when people pass away, whether from natural or unnatural causes, they enter the spiritual realm with burdens that can often prevent them from moving on to the next level, or if they do move on, they are burdened with issues. In spiritual terms, they send out S.O.S. calls asking to be unburdened from their place of unrest.
One way to free them is to visit the grave personally, anoint it with holy water and holy oil, and say prayers for their spirit, and ask the higher powers for their freedom.
I recently did this producing two totally different results, in a couple of cemeteries only a few miles apart. These were at the graves of mobster Mickey Cohen, and the actress Sharon Tate, respectively.
Meyer Harris “Mickey” Cohen, for those too young to remember, was one of the most well known mobsters of his time. It has been alleged that he was responsible for at least 12 deaths a year. He ran Las Vegas for the mob; he had connections with every syndicate from New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He dated celebrities like Ava Gardner, and was a close friend to Billy Graham. He died in his sleep on July 29, 1976.
For some reason, Mickey Cohen’s spirit tugged at me, so when I had a chance to visit his grave, I went for it. His resting place is in Culver City’s Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in a nondescript mausoleum. Moe Howard, of Three Stooges fame, is entombed within a few feet of Mickey’s tomb. One thing I noticed was the rust and how it eerily spread across Cohen’s nameplate.
NOTE: All the photographs in this blog have been taken with a digital camera.
But none of the others in the same area showed anything like Mickey’s nameplate, which, as you can see, is virtually unreadable. Here’s Moe Howard’s nameplate, note that he died in 1975.
Moe Howard
Mickey Cohen #2
Gotta get off, gonna get
Have to get off from this ride
Gotta get hold, gonna get
Need to get hold of my pride
When did I get, where did I
How was I caught in this game
When will I know, where will I
How will I think of my name
When did I stop feeling sure, feeling safe
And start wondering why, wondering why
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
What's in back of the sky, why do we cry
Gotta get off, gonna get
Out of this merry-go-round
Gotta get off, gonna get
Need to get on where I'm bound
When did I get, where did I
Why am I lost as a lamb
When will I know, where will I
How will I learn who I am
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
Tell me, when will I know, how will I know
When will I know why?
In the middle of the exorcism.
Taken right after the exorcism was completed.
This is how the Stations of the Cross should look.
The Sharon Tate investigation came to a conclusion on Saturday, September 13, 2008, as I performed an exorcism and unbinding ceremony at her gravesite, to liberate her and her unborn son, Paul Richard Polanski. To tell the whole story I’m reposting part 1 and then adding part 2. But what is intriguing is as I was cleaning out some old emails, I stumbled across this one that I had totally forgotten about.
"I saw you were looking for houses to investigate. I have a suggestion.
Did you see one of the first ghost hunters, T.A.P.S where they investigated a home that was built in the area where Charles Manson followers had murdered the Sharon Tate and friends?
The guy that built and lives in the house swore his house was haunted by Sharon and a friend and on that Ghost Hunter, they got some good proof they were still there, earthly bound.
Broke my heart, that they were still lingering after all that time. Maybe she was searching for her baby and her friend watches over her.
You should find that episode and watch it, you could help these spirit find the peace they deserve.
I would love to see that. Your friend, Sara”
PART 1
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but I spend a lot of time among the dead. I’m not ashamed to say that I often feel more at ease with the dead than with the living. And one of the places that I tend to spend a lot of time is at different graveyards. I’ve shared photos of some of my visits, as you may have noticed. Now I’d like to share with you the reasons why I visit certain graves.
Often when people pass away, whether from natural or unnatural causes, they enter the spiritual realm with burdens that can often prevent them from moving on to the next level, or if they do move on, they are burdened with issues. In spiritual terms, they send out S.O.S. calls asking to be unburdened from their place of unrest.
One way to free them is to visit the grave personally, anoint it with holy water and holy oil, and say prayers for their spirit, and ask the higher powers for their freedom.
I recently did this producing two totally different results, in a couple of cemeteries only a few miles apart. These were at the graves of mobster Mickey Cohen, and the actress Sharon Tate, respectively.
Meyer Harris “Mickey” Cohen, for those too young to remember, was one of the most well known mobsters of his time. It has been alleged that he was responsible for at least 12 deaths a year. He ran Las Vegas for the mob; he had connections with every syndicate from New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He dated celebrities like Ava Gardner, and was a close friend to Billy Graham. He died in his sleep on July 29, 1976.
For some reason, Mickey Cohen’s spirit tugged at me, so when I had a chance to visit his grave, I went for it. His resting place is in Culver City’s Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in a nondescript mausoleum. Moe Howard, of Three Stooges fame, is entombed within a few feet of Mickey’s tomb. One thing I noticed was the rust and how it eerily spread across Cohen’s nameplate.
NOTE: All the photographs in this blog have been taken with a digital camera.
Mickey Cohen #1
But none of the others in the same area showed anything like Mickey’s nameplate, which, as you can see, is virtually unreadable. Here’s Moe Howard’s nameplate, note that he died in 1975.
Moe Howard
After reading the prayer for the dead, and anointing Cohen’s tomb with holy oil, I felt a huge wave of regret and loss wash over me as I did this. The pain and suffering that Mickey caused in his life unfortunately has come back to haunt him in his spiritual journey.
Mickey Cohen #2
Actress Sharon Marie Tate is buried in a different cemetery less than two miles away. She was a cover girl/model who started making comic appearances in films, which led to a starring role in 1967’s Valley of the Dolls. A year later, she married film director Roman Polanski. Tragically, on August 9, 1969 an 8 1/2 month pregnant Tate and four other people came face to face with a group of vicious killers sent by a man who had been touched by Satan himself: Charles Manson. After the massacre, Sharon Tate was left hanging from the ceiling after being repeatedly stabbed, her son cut from her womb.
Her black marble grave is a simple one on a hilltop in the Holy Cross Cemetery, near a grotto with statues of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and other saints.
I said prayers for both her and her son, Paul Richard Polanksi, and anointed oil on to the gravestone. Unleashed inside me were emotions that I can never truly hope to explain to anyone. Sadness, pain, suffering, confusion, and dread, cannot possibly clarify what I felt. I heard a door crashing open, blood curdling screams, I saw her being hoisted into the air and the last thing she ever saw on this earth was her child being ripped from her womb. It left me ice cold, even on a sunshiny 85-degree summer day. And I felt as if I was stepping into an abyss. Then an ocean of tears began to flood from me and even days later it still haunts me.
I said prayers for both her and her son, Paul Richard Polanksi, and anointed oil on to the gravestone. Unleashed inside me were emotions that I can never truly hope to explain to anyone. Sadness, pain, suffering, confusion, and dread, cannot possibly clarify what I felt. I heard a door crashing open, blood curdling screams, I saw her being hoisted into the air and the last thing she ever saw on this earth was her child being ripped from her womb. It left me ice cold, even on a sunshiny 85-degree summer day. And I felt as if I was stepping into an abyss. Then an ocean of tears began to flood from me and even days later it still haunts me.
I knew something dark and inhuman had been stirred up so I took a picture, thinking I might pick up something. And to my shock and surprise, I did.
When I first saw this I felt that I was looking into a door or a pit that something was unleashed from. I get a distinct feeling that the spirit of Sharon and her son Paul Richard are being bound to their graves by a demonic presence. And I don’t think that my work there is complete. I will be returning there soon to perform a complete exorcism.
NOTE: If you live in the L.A. area please don’t be tempted to go there and try to do what I’m going to do. If I’m correct, unless you have strong spiritual authority behind you, this is not a demon that you want to attempt to take on.
PART 2
Knowing the spiritual and physical impact of the encounter I’d had at the gravesite, I knew that I couldn’t just walk away from the situation with a clear conscience. So I immediately began a complete investigation of the matter, and there are many people I need to thank for their personal assistance, and those who got doors opened for me and helped me see the entire Manson/Tate/LaBianca story. The whole story that very few have ever seen or heard.
Knowing the spiritual and physical impact of the encounter I’d had at the gravesite, I knew that I couldn’t just walk away from the situation with a clear conscience. So I immediately began a complete investigation of the matter, and there are many people I need to thank for their personal assistance, and those who got doors opened for me and helped me see the entire Manson/Tate/LaBianca story. The whole story that very few have ever seen or heard.
In brief, I wish to extend thanks to all the former L.A.P.D. officers and detectives who showed me files that few had ever seen and gave me the names of people, who, back in 1969, refused to talk even under threat of going to jail. To local reporters who shared confidential information, and to those who were on the fringes of the Manson family and involved in the world of drugs, sex, rock ‘n roll, and the occult of that Hollywood scene.
What I’ve learned is a story that I can’t even tell in a series of blogs. But more likely, to do it justice, a book is called for. And maybe, that’s God’s hand forcing me to finally do so.
What I’ve learned is a story that I can’t even tell in a series of blogs. But more likely, to do it justice, a book is called for. And maybe, that’s God’s hand forcing me to finally do so.
On Friday, September 12, I had intended to do the exorcism and was ready to go. But a spiritual wall of resistance was thrown before me, an evil that I’d never seen or sensed was spreading its wings, thus I knew that Friday wasn’t the day to attempt it.
On Saturday morning I determined that this was the day to do the exorcism. So I set out for the graveyard in Culver City, and right after my arrival at the Holy Cross cemetery, I proceeded to visit the chapel in the mausoleum to anoint myself with holy water. In a courtyard outside the mausoleum, there is a depiction of the Stations of the Cross.
This is what greeted me:
On Saturday morning I determined that this was the day to do the exorcism. So I set out for the graveyard in Culver City, and right after my arrival at the Holy Cross cemetery, I proceeded to visit the chapel in the mausoleum to anoint myself with holy water. In a courtyard outside the mausoleum, there is a depiction of the Stations of the Cross.
This is what greeted me:
I then proceeded to the grotto and this is what was waiting for me at the gravesite.
Kneeling before a statue of the Virgin Mary I called upon Her name as well as an army of angels to gather in assisting in the exorcism and unbinding. Within seconds I’d begun to feel Her presence as well as a sense that many angels were beginning to gather around. A feeling of peace and calm washed over me as I proceeded to the gravesite. Kneeling on a towel I’d brought along, I began the exorcism with the prayer to St. Michael, running through the rite of exorcism, pausing to anoint the gravestone with holy oil and holy water. Once the exorcism was completed, I bound the demon that had been there to hell, and I claimed the gravesite in the name of Jesus Christ forever banishing any evil entities to return. I was then able to walk Sharon Tate and her son into the light and I felt her presence, which had constantly been with me for the past 8 days, lift away. I did a ceremony to eliminate any curses. Her mother, Doris, buried beside her, I walked her into the light, as well.
After 39 years of torment, I knew that she and her son were finally at peace, in the heavens, to live with the angels and the saints.
Some exorcisms and encounters with demons scar you and change you forever. Several months ago I had a particularly violent exorcism that I thought had changed me. But this one tops even that.
Some exorcisms and encounters with demons scar you and change you forever. Several months ago I had a particularly violent exorcism that I thought had changed me. But this one tops even that.
People have asked: why Sharon? She was innocent and beautiful, and I totally agree with that assessment. She was innocent and beautiful. Also, she was a kind person, and from what I discovered, she was totally a victim of evil that seeks to maim and destroy a person’s happiness; not just here, but on the other side, as well.
For the past several days I’ve been hearing the theme from the movie “Valley of the Dolls” repeating over and over in my head. And now as this chapter draws to a close, I realize how prophetic the words are, when applied to the Sharon Tate case.
For the past several days I’ve been hearing the theme from the movie “Valley of the Dolls” repeating over and over in my head. And now as this chapter draws to a close, I realize how prophetic the words are, when applied to the Sharon Tate case.
Gotta get off, gonna get
Have to get off from this ride
Gotta get hold, gonna get
Need to get hold of my pride
When did I get, where did I
How was I caught in this game
When will I know, where will I
How will I think of my name
When did I stop feeling sure, feeling safe
And start wondering why, wondering why
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
What's in back of the sky, why do we cry
Gotta get off, gonna get
Out of this merry-go-round
Gotta get off, gonna get
Need to get on where I'm bound
When did I get, where did I
Why am I lost as a lamb
When will I know, where will I
How will I learn who I am
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
Tell me, when will I know, how will I know
When will I know why?
In the middle of the exorcism.
Taken right after the exorcism was completed.
This is how the Stations of the Cross should look.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Paranormal State & Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal REVIEWS
Due to other MySpace sites being deleted because they gave negative reviews or comments concerning the A&E shows Paranormal State and Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, I thought it was prudent to remove them from my MySpace page and put them up over here.
Review #1 Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal - The Demon House episode
"Dear Kirbe it was nice to read your coments to my last question as well as receiving your personal e-mail. I hate to do this again but with the wife gone and my children being grown living life on their own now I watch a lot of telly. I recently watched Psychic Kids, children of the Paranormal and was rather chuffed. But one episode troubled me very much the demon house. did it trouble you also?" Your friend in Christ, Jack
This is the hardest response that I have written for Metaphysical Musings. I've gone as far as to pulling it late Thursday, but events in the past 48 hours have mandated that I go ahead and answer this question fairly.
Unfortunately, for both the general public as well as those involved in the field of the paranormal, we are caught up in a cult of personality as well as the need to "crank" things up on many of the current reality paranormal programs. Because the star(s) of the program are so appealing and we want to like then so we blindly accept everything that they spoon feed us. We fear that reality isn't exciting enough to draw in ratings that reality is dressed up a bit with some fictional story lines. This is hurting the public and beginning to destroy the credibility of the paranormal field that so many people have worked hard to legitimize.
I watched all 6 episodes of "Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal" at least once, and "The Demon House" episode many times. And I've consulted with others to compare my reactions and refine my opinions.
I do not know Chip Coffey, never met the man, and I'm not going to engage in any personal attacks as has been the case over the past few days by others.
If I'm asked what has been my opinion of Psychic Kids it would be overall good and there are only a few things over the entire series that I have difficulty with. The one primary thing is that every time Chip Coffey first meets one of the children and asks them to perform some kind of psychic skill, the kids are always 100% accurate 100% of the time.
But when it comes to the Demon House episode that's entirely a different matter. The first time I viewed it I could not believe what I was seeing, and with each successive viewing it gets worse.
Now prior to moving on, let me write this in plain English: I get no personal pleasure from this whatsoever. But I have made a commitment to the truth, I've promised to help ALL and I feel that I'm being led to write these words, so I couldn't be what I am if I shirk my metaphysical duty.
So, here is my analysis of The Demon House:
Each episode begins with a statement that "this is a documentary." By definition that means it's to be factual and objective, which implies that events and situations will not be manipulated within either the production or presentation. To both Ryan Buell's and Paranormal State's credit, they do not imply this within their program's description.
The episode opens with a young girl in Houston, Texas by the name of Hailey. She's 12, and lives with her mother, Ileana. The girl sees a spirit of a man that threatens her and brings other spirits that have physically and verbally threatened to harm her. She lives in fear of said violence. The mother claims that there's no help and all this is starting to impact Hailey's life.
At this point in the episode, I feel that Hailey is telling the truth and there is certainly a negative presence in her room and closet that is potentially harmful to both her and her mother.
We then meet Alexa, 14, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who claims she has seen ghosts and demons since the age of 8. The family fled 2 years ago from a house that is demonic, and they have been unable to return to it except for brief moments in the daylight hours. Alexa claims, "someone is there and it kinda freaks me out." Leslie, Alexa's mother, states, "things happen." We are never told what events led to the family fleeing nor why she waited for 2 years to seek help for the house. In the background we notice a door is open and Alexa freaks out when a bird flies through the house. We learn that she has had issues when it comes to social adjustment.
Alexa then describes the demon she claims to have seen and says, "It was anger, frustration, and betrayal." She claims to see a shadow run by and she can stand next to it with no impact.
Mom says, "she is afraid to talk about her child's issues due to fear that they will say that Alexa is crazy, take her away, and put her into a mental institution." Which are basically the same fears that Hailey's mother has uttered in her on camera interview.
At this point, if Alexa and her mother came to me concerning this home and telling me that there was demonic activity occurring there, I would be very hard pressed to believe them. And here's why:
Point 1 – A bird flying through the house is not proof of spirit activity, but an open door.
Point 2 – Alexa makes a big effort physically as well as verbally, to sell her story. Point in fact, is when she uses three terms to sell the demon to the audience. This is often done for dramatic reasons within film, TV, and literature.
Point 3 – Leslie never does explain what really happened that night in the home that drove them out. Leaving lots of personal possessions behind and not returning to claim them, sounds as if one of the elements of the Amityville Horror myth is being borrowed. Notice the shiny black countertops in the kitchen and the overall lack of dust and cobwebs.
Point 4 – Alexa claims that a shadow moved across the light, yet we never see anything.
Point 5 – Alexa claims that a demon/dark spirit at one point is standing right next to her and is very upset about her presence. Yet nothing happens. And if you ever suffer the unfortunate opportunity to stand next to a demon, you will physically know it.
Point 6 – Neither Alexa or her mother ever inform the viewers that they are both regulars at new age/psychic conferences within the state of Florida, according to some professionals that I've worked with in that area. This would give them great insight into knowing the terminology.
Now Chip Coffey and Dr. Lisa Miller enter and begin to work with Alexa. Due to wanting to keep this a reasonable length, I'm not going to focus on anything except the demon house and Hailey's fear of the dark presence. An important point is when Hailey brings out the mirror and tells a bored looking Chip the mirror is a portal into the spiritual world and at one time she sees Isaiah, chapter 26 written on it. This passage happens to deal with how God shall protect the righteous but He also shall judge those who have turned to other gods and engaged in destructive behavior.
Chip and Dr. Miller discuss the fear that was at the old house would follow Alexa to the new house. Chip states, unequivocally, that it is something they need to focus on. Now let's stop here.
1. Chip should have taken the time to find out what that Bible quote meant. And taken a look, spiritually, himself, at the mirror.
2. The family moved out of the old house 2 years ago. If the demon chose to follow the family, it would have. This is certainly an issue because the viewer is led to believe that Alexa is its target. So why didn't the demon follow its desired target?
They now agree to take the two girls to the demon house and Chip promises to teach them means of protection and the happy trio set off to the home.
Point 1 – Concerning spiritual protection -- it is not something you learn in a few minutes. There are many aspects of it, which is not something that can be taught in one session, which is the feeling that you get from the program.
Point 2 – I think the reader should be getting my opinion that the demon house is without a demon, and there's nothing there to be afraid of.
The first trip made to the house features Chip, Alexa, and Hailey. Nothing happens, at least on tape. There are no noises, no movement, no voices, no visual clues whatsoever. Alexa claims she smells something bad and that this is supposed proof of demonic activity. Some points to consider here:
Point 1 – Alexa's claim of one demon now has grown to many demons.
Point 2 – Chip, with an eerily lit face, which calls to mind "The Blair Witch Project" movie, begins to toss the word demon around.
Point 3 – Isn't it strange that only Alexa is "attacked" in the van after the demon house walk through?
Point 4 – Hailey states, "all you have to do is say 'in the name of God, leave me alone!' and they have to leave you alone." Which is totally untrue, and if she was taught this on the set, there's somebody there that doesn't know much about demonology.
The show really goes downhill from here and if this wasn't serious, it would make a great comedy hour.
Point 1 – Linda, the demonologist, and her assistant, Beth, don't ask any questions of Chip concerning the case. They let Chip tell them that the house is demonically possessed; therefore it must be demonically possessed. Yet Chip has declared in this show and in Paranormal State that he is not a demonologist or an exorcist.
Point 2 – Alexa and Hailey both affirm that something is going to happen when they go to the house that night and again, nothing does except Alexa says she feels sick.
Point 3 - Telling the kids that they can come to the house cleansing is a huge mistake on their parts. House cleanings are no joke and I've seen as much demonic violence in a house cleansing as in an exorcism.
Point 4 – Linda shows that she is clearly lacking the ability of spiritual discernment when she handles Hailey's mirror, and she is totally condescending towards Hailey when she asks about the angry spirits. Linda just tells Hailey to ask them why they're angry. Maybe Hailey's residence, not being in Florida but in Texas, was too far away to cleanse. Maybe it wasn't in the show's budget.
Point 5 – When traveling in the van before arriving at the demon house, Chip builds up tension by saying, "it knows we're coming and it knows what's planned." Yet again, nothing happens.
Point 6 – Hailey and her mother are told it will be safe to stay outside of the demon house. Demons can come out through the doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and from underground. So standing outside is not a safe place, either.
Point 7 – When they are doing their walk-through, Linda, the demonologist, picks up nothing.
Point 8 – Alexa, again sounds the alarm that the demon is going to do something. Again, what happens? Nothing!
Point 9 – Alexa aggressively tells the demon to leave her alone and suddenly she is free of its presence. Which is about as likely as a pea shooter stopping an oncoming tank.
Point 10 – Finally, the house cleansing that was performed was amateurish at best, simply going through a house and rebuking and putting crosses on the walls is not a house cleansing.
Unfortunately, at the end, the child that needed the help the most left without really spending any time with Chip, getting any guidance from Dr. Miller, or having the spirits removed from her home.
This is like a low-budget action flick that spends the majority of the movie building up the confrontation between the hero and his arch-enemy. And then, at the very end, the showdown is over in mere seconds. We were given the false impression that this was a serious demon, yet it turned out to be weaker than Casper the friendly ghost.
What we have here is hype over substance. Excitement and danger over reality. And illusion combined with delusion giving us a cloudy picture of what really did and did not happen. Every time a show is done like this there's a cost. People see these shows and accept them as being real and they build up their belief systems from that. Then, in real life, they act out what they've seen, which brings me back to my reason why I reinserted this into the Metaphysical Musings blog.
Later this week, I'm flying out to meet with two families whose son and daughter went out on a date, both of the teens are fans of so-called "paranormal reality" TV shows. They decided to go to a graveyard at 3 AM and put to use what they've learned. Four hours later, they both were discovered wandering around in a field in a daze, totally confused and incoherent, and suffered blackouts and changes in personality. Those are all signs of demonic possession. I don't see the reality shows running to these families aid, there will be no cameras rolling, nor ratings at stake.
The demon house was simply an empty house that now has a life of its own via the internet and TV. No one was ever in danger nor could they have been. What was and still is in danger is the truth. It becomes more clouded and more difficult to comprehend as it gets blended with fallacy and half truths. The gullible general public, who seek a greater understanding, end up buying in to a mish mash of reality.
REVIEW #2 Paranormal State - The Dark Man episode
"Maybe you can settle this ..my roommate who just transferred from Penn State and claims to know everyone in the Paranormal Research Society tells me that the dark man episode never left and that he's still terrorizing that family. The Paranormal State show says that he left the family after the banishment ceremony. What's true?" Shannon
I have to side with your roommate in this argument. According to my sources, the Dark Man is still terrorizing the family and it seems that he never did leave.
I'll state this again, for the record. I have nothing against Ryan Buell and his team, never met the man, nor anyone from the Paranormal Research Society. But, if you're going to call yourself an expert, please conduct your investigations like one. And if you're going to call yourself a warrior, please wage the battle against the proper foe.
The Dark Man is clearly a demon and he was in control of the situation from the very beginning. For some reason, Ryan and PRS was led down one false trail after another. I think the culprit was the ego of the entire team.
For those who have not seen "The Dark Man" episode of Paranormal State, it concerns a family on a small farm in Pennsylvania. They had two sons. Chris, the youngest son, died of a drug overdose due to the presence of the Dark Man, an entity he had been aware of since the age of 5. And it seems that the Dark Man has also been terrorizing the family in their dreams, with paranormal activity, and is holding the son from crossing over. I'll try to deal with my issues of the investigation in sequential order to follow the unfolding of the episode.
~ The first error was and is how can they can conduct a haunting investigation with clear early presence of some kind of demonic activity going on and not have an exorcist or demonologist on hand?
~ Their medium is neither on site nor in the same state, but 1,000 miles away in Florida. They are walking around spiritually blind throughout the entire investigation.
~ Chris died due to a drug overdose. That is considered a form of suicide. And depending on the family's spiritual beliefs, that issue was never, ever addressed within the episode.
~ When the team goes on a tour of the basement, they learn that there has been activity there. A woman had her arm grabbed, bitten, and developed a rash. This activity is not the sign of a few unhappy earthbound spirits; this is the sign of a strong demonic presence of one or more demons.
~ They learn that people feel the property is eerie and strange, things had happened on that property but is never explained nor is the history of the property ever looked into. We then learn that a mentally ill man suffering from schizophrenia, [remember that people who suffered from demonic possession are often labeled schizophrenic] killed himself in the pond. He was holding a little box at the time. Suicide by drowning is not a common form of suicide. It has a very strong element of suffering and is not over quickly. And why did the "mentally ill man" choose to die on their property? The demon of the Dark Man must have been terrorizing him, and that's why the mentally ill man didn't come in contact with him until after his death. The Dark Man led him to die on the property, creating an entrance and a blood anointing onto it then his attention was turned on to the child, Chris. Also, the deceased son may have had some mental issues, but this is never pursued.
~ Ryan makes a severe error when he asks Helen, the mother, to determine who the Dark Man is. Ryan is the expert and he should have the skills to make the determination, but leaves that up to an amateur. And this distraught woman doesn't have any kind of knowledge of demonology.
~ Why was there Dead Time at the pond? The family had not expressed any paranormal activity at the pond whatsoever.
~ Why did Ryan not use the Christian rituals to get the spirits to speak, and to get the demons to acknowledge their presence? And if we accept the activity of the spirits during Dead Time, they were very minor spirits, indeed. Nor did they exhibit the kind of activity that you think Chris would be engaging in, which would be to get the investigators attention indicating that he wants to be released.
~ With Chris dead, the older brother is the next logical target with the demon and this is never followed up.
~ Helen should never have been allowed to challenge the demon. And a good medium should have been able to discern it was not Chris that was speaking to her, but the demon of the Dark Man. By her challenging the demon, she in a sense gave an invitation to that demon to come into contact with her. And there was never any indication presented at all about the family's spiritual activities, or lack of.
~ No EVP's at all! Tormented ghosts love to talk and demons need to talk.
~ Eilfie performs a banishing ritual which she assures Ryan has had "some effect in the past." Going into spiritual warfare with a ritual that simply has "some effect" does not generate a whole lot of confidence in a victory. And why did a pagan ritual need to be performed here? Where was the spiritual proof that she had any kind of authority? What was Eilfie's spiritual authority to perform the ritual if it was just being a third generation pagan? That gives no authority whatsoever. Why are Archangels being commanded in a pagan ritual? Archangels give their authority to be commanded by three entities: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are not going to come in response to a pagan ritual. Pagan rituals are fine, but you don't mix religions with your rituals. Furthermore, when Ryan says, "whether it works or not, we hope it brings peace to this family." If the banishment ritual fails to work, the demon is still bound to the property, Chris is still bound to the demon, and the paranormal activity will continue. How could the family find any peace in this situation? And why wasn't a ceremony performed to release Chris, who was being tormented by the Dark Man, who was a tormented spirit, as well, under Ryan's theory. No prayers or cleansing activity is done in the house that Chris killed himself in. Nothing is done to address the demonic activity taking place in the basement. The house and the rest of the property was never cleansed as Ryan had made an effort to do in other episodes.
~ To claim, just hours after the banishment ceremony in the pond, that it was successful is simply ridiculous. All the demon did was cease his activity while they were still on the property and waited to return to his activity when the cast and crew had departed. And my biggest question is why wasn't an exorcist called in to perform an exorcism? An exorcist could have cleansed the house, and dealt with the issues that were still haunting the family.
~ The only expert in this episode that showed any kind of skill was Diane, the grief counselor.
Conclusion: I am not bringing up these issues to embarrass Paranormal State or Ryan Buell, in any way. It is simply my concern, as a full time demonologist/exorcist for the past 20 years, that one cannot simply put together a team, read a few books, attend a few seminars, and call yourself an expert. Because others will come along, mimic your actions, conduct investigations in the same fashion, and end up harming not only themselves, but also innocent victims. And if this was just one or two errors I could easily brush it off as human error. But as I go back and watch more episodes of Paranormal State, and receive ever-increasing concerns from my readers and other Paranormal Investigation professionals who are afraid to speak out, I feel compelled to do the speaking for them.
REVIEW #3 Paranormal State - The Devil In Syracuse episode
"Dear Kirbe it has been many yrs since we last met. I see your still in the field. I retired due to poor health. I would like to ask for you opinion concerning this programme called Paranormal State and the epsode devil in Syracuse was very troubled to say the least. Iif you saw it did it trouble you also?" Your friend in Christ, Jack
Yes, I have seen it. And yes, it did trouble me. It seems that casting out demons and calling oneself an exorcist has become the current career de jour for some reason. And many think that you can read a few books, watch some TV programs and movies, get a mail order certificate and you're ready to go. Which is very far from the truth and I personally am starting to receive cases that have been botched by so-called "professional" exorcists.
But let's focus on the "Devil In Syracuse" case and the errors that were made in it. For those who have yet to see the episode, it concerns Ryan Buell's investigation of a young couple, Teena and Raymond, with two children with claims of paranormal activity in their trailer. Their claims were not out of the ordinary in any way, as claims go.
1. The first mistake I see in how they handled the case is in opening. You don't go in assuming it is demonic activity, and expecting to do an exorcism. The first rule you should live by, if you are a paranormal investigator, is that you rule out the probable prior to embracing the improbable. You need to completely rule out the chance of: ghosts, poltergeists, or possible psychological explanations for the activity or signs of paranormal activity.
2. The carryover from the previous episode of Paranormal State concerning Ryan's involvement with a demon known as Belial. Anyone who has read anything on the subject of demonology should be familiar with this name. Some say it is simply another name for Satan. It's not. Some say that he is the son of Lucifer. That's not true. And finally, some say he was the next in line for Lucifer's job, but aligned with Lucifer and was cast into hell. Which is true. He is one of the top lieutenants and has at least four legions in his personal army of demons to call upon. In my encounters with him he is never alone, which in this case, they acted as if he was. Also, he loves to do tricks such as move objects, rap on walls, and speak in a loud voice. He loves to show off his personal arsenal of abilities. Yet in this case, he shows no activity whatsoever when called on.
3. One myth again made popular is if you speak the demon's name the demon will come. Sort of like a dark version in the movie "Field of Dreams", if you build it, he will come. Demons can only be in one place at the same time, they're not omnipotent, nor can they hear all words spoken.
4. The trailer itself was not placed under spiritual protection when the team arrived. This put not only the family, but also neighbors and the entire investigation team in danger of being attacked and harmed.
5. Yes, it is true that the messy condition of the house, and the depression that was evident within the family can be both a result and an invitation to demonic activity.
6. I have seen every episode of the first season of "Paranormal State" more than once, and in the majority of cases, I have been impressed with Ryan Buell's efforts. But, in this one, I can't say that. In he flipping of the cross incident. Why were there no cameras set up to catch the act of flipping the cross? Why did the family react to the presence, yet Ryan showed no sense or reaction to the presence of his personal demon? A demon who's got the attention of his adversary will never, ever pass up an opportunity to show of their talents. You have to remember that demons are ego driven and will show constantly how reckless and brave they are.
7. Reverend Andrew Calder's activity within the episode was stellar. He did what any authentic exorcist would do when called upon the scene.
8. Why was there a two-week delay in the performance of the exorcism? You gave the demon two weeks to prepare for battle that was not necessary. And if a demon if Belial's level was present he would have brought in reinforcements, he would have greatly increased demonic activity and if the child was the object of his presence he would have made every effort to go after that child. Even the child being baptized within that two week timespan would not have dissuaded his intentions if that child were his final goal. And in actuality, the child's baptism would have increased his interest. For possessing such a person is a mighty trophy to the dark side.
9. Now here is a big issue, which really troubles me. When you step into demonic battle, you must have spiritual authority concerning your position. And you must have moral authority as well. That does not mean just a few forgive me, Lord type prayers, but a complete and absolute confession of all past misdeeds and also a period of fasting of the flesh, no drinking, no drugs, no lust, no sex, no anger, no envy, and no attachment. If not, the demon will most certainly use that against you during the battle. The young couple absolutely had no business being there during the exorcism. And the exorcist appeared not to know nor could he personally communicate with the demonic presence. This is not how it's done.
10. Concerning the husband being "truly possessed." The husband was not possessed at all. Possibly tainted, but not possessed. If he had been absolutely possessed, the possession on him would have lasted hours, days, weeks, or months, and not just a few minutes. He would have also reacted negatively to the placement of crucifixes and rosaries against his body.
11. The family did not have prayers of cleansing done. Nor was the safety of Pat, the houseguest, ever addressed.
12. Finally, the most obvious was never looked at. And more than likely, the paranormal activity was not demonic at all, but psychological in nature. The house was in a disarray, the family was ruled by depression, emotional and financial troubles, and a pending separation was causing huge amounts of stress between the husband and wife. Tension also was evident between the children and their parents. The presence of the houseguest seemed as though she ruled over the family and caused additional tension. The psychic negative energy will build and build until there's an explosion. Things go wrong, people want explanations for it, let's try to distract ourselves from the physical problems and the answer is we have demonic activity. I've had many cases where this is how it happens.
In conclusion, if it had been Belial, he would have come back stronger than ever against Ryan the next time Ryan went out in the field. But mysteriously, he disappears for the rest of the season. I've never met Ryan Buell, nor do I know him. It does seem that his intentions are good. But it does seem that he's picked up the persona of Fox Mulder of "The X Files" TV show fame. "The X Files" tag line was "The truth is out there." Ryan's is "One step closer to the truth." A little bit of shtick is okay. But it should not blind you to the real paranormal.
Review #1 Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal - The Demon House episode
"Dear Kirbe it was nice to read your coments to my last question as well as receiving your personal e-mail. I hate to do this again but with the wife gone and my children being grown living life on their own now I watch a lot of telly. I recently watched Psychic Kids, children of the Paranormal and was rather chuffed. But one episode troubled me very much the demon house. did it trouble you also?" Your friend in Christ, Jack
This is the hardest response that I have written for Metaphysical Musings. I've gone as far as to pulling it late Thursday, but events in the past 48 hours have mandated that I go ahead and answer this question fairly.
Unfortunately, for both the general public as well as those involved in the field of the paranormal, we are caught up in a cult of personality as well as the need to "crank" things up on many of the current reality paranormal programs. Because the star(s) of the program are so appealing and we want to like then so we blindly accept everything that they spoon feed us. We fear that reality isn't exciting enough to draw in ratings that reality is dressed up a bit with some fictional story lines. This is hurting the public and beginning to destroy the credibility of the paranormal field that so many people have worked hard to legitimize.
I watched all 6 episodes of "Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal" at least once, and "The Demon House" episode many times. And I've consulted with others to compare my reactions and refine my opinions.
I do not know Chip Coffey, never met the man, and I'm not going to engage in any personal attacks as has been the case over the past few days by others.
If I'm asked what has been my opinion of Psychic Kids it would be overall good and there are only a few things over the entire series that I have difficulty with. The one primary thing is that every time Chip Coffey first meets one of the children and asks them to perform some kind of psychic skill, the kids are always 100% accurate 100% of the time.
But when it comes to the Demon House episode that's entirely a different matter. The first time I viewed it I could not believe what I was seeing, and with each successive viewing it gets worse.
Now prior to moving on, let me write this in plain English: I get no personal pleasure from this whatsoever. But I have made a commitment to the truth, I've promised to help ALL and I feel that I'm being led to write these words, so I couldn't be what I am if I shirk my metaphysical duty.
So, here is my analysis of The Demon House:
Each episode begins with a statement that "this is a documentary." By definition that means it's to be factual and objective, which implies that events and situations will not be manipulated within either the production or presentation. To both Ryan Buell's and Paranormal State's credit, they do not imply this within their program's description.
The episode opens with a young girl in Houston, Texas by the name of Hailey. She's 12, and lives with her mother, Ileana. The girl sees a spirit of a man that threatens her and brings other spirits that have physically and verbally threatened to harm her. She lives in fear of said violence. The mother claims that there's no help and all this is starting to impact Hailey's life.
At this point in the episode, I feel that Hailey is telling the truth and there is certainly a negative presence in her room and closet that is potentially harmful to both her and her mother.
We then meet Alexa, 14, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who claims she has seen ghosts and demons since the age of 8. The family fled 2 years ago from a house that is demonic, and they have been unable to return to it except for brief moments in the daylight hours. Alexa claims, "someone is there and it kinda freaks me out." Leslie, Alexa's mother, states, "things happen." We are never told what events led to the family fleeing nor why she waited for 2 years to seek help for the house. In the background we notice a door is open and Alexa freaks out when a bird flies through the house. We learn that she has had issues when it comes to social adjustment.
Alexa then describes the demon she claims to have seen and says, "It was anger, frustration, and betrayal." She claims to see a shadow run by and she can stand next to it with no impact.
Mom says, "she is afraid to talk about her child's issues due to fear that they will say that Alexa is crazy, take her away, and put her into a mental institution." Which are basically the same fears that Hailey's mother has uttered in her on camera interview.
At this point, if Alexa and her mother came to me concerning this home and telling me that there was demonic activity occurring there, I would be very hard pressed to believe them. And here's why:
Point 1 – A bird flying through the house is not proof of spirit activity, but an open door.
Point 2 – Alexa makes a big effort physically as well as verbally, to sell her story. Point in fact, is when she uses three terms to sell the demon to the audience. This is often done for dramatic reasons within film, TV, and literature.
Point 3 – Leslie never does explain what really happened that night in the home that drove them out. Leaving lots of personal possessions behind and not returning to claim them, sounds as if one of the elements of the Amityville Horror myth is being borrowed. Notice the shiny black countertops in the kitchen and the overall lack of dust and cobwebs.
Point 4 – Alexa claims that a shadow moved across the light, yet we never see anything.
Point 5 – Alexa claims that a demon/dark spirit at one point is standing right next to her and is very upset about her presence. Yet nothing happens. And if you ever suffer the unfortunate opportunity to stand next to a demon, you will physically know it.
Point 6 – Neither Alexa or her mother ever inform the viewers that they are both regulars at new age/psychic conferences within the state of Florida, according to some professionals that I've worked with in that area. This would give them great insight into knowing the terminology.
Now Chip Coffey and Dr. Lisa Miller enter and begin to work with Alexa. Due to wanting to keep this a reasonable length, I'm not going to focus on anything except the demon house and Hailey's fear of the dark presence. An important point is when Hailey brings out the mirror and tells a bored looking Chip the mirror is a portal into the spiritual world and at one time she sees Isaiah, chapter 26 written on it. This passage happens to deal with how God shall protect the righteous but He also shall judge those who have turned to other gods and engaged in destructive behavior.
Chip and Dr. Miller discuss the fear that was at the old house would follow Alexa to the new house. Chip states, unequivocally, that it is something they need to focus on. Now let's stop here.
1. Chip should have taken the time to find out what that Bible quote meant. And taken a look, spiritually, himself, at the mirror.
2. The family moved out of the old house 2 years ago. If the demon chose to follow the family, it would have. This is certainly an issue because the viewer is led to believe that Alexa is its target. So why didn't the demon follow its desired target?
They now agree to take the two girls to the demon house and Chip promises to teach them means of protection and the happy trio set off to the home.
Point 1 – Concerning spiritual protection -- it is not something you learn in a few minutes. There are many aspects of it, which is not something that can be taught in one session, which is the feeling that you get from the program.
Point 2 – I think the reader should be getting my opinion that the demon house is without a demon, and there's nothing there to be afraid of.
The first trip made to the house features Chip, Alexa, and Hailey. Nothing happens, at least on tape. There are no noises, no movement, no voices, no visual clues whatsoever. Alexa claims she smells something bad and that this is supposed proof of demonic activity. Some points to consider here:
Point 1 – Alexa's claim of one demon now has grown to many demons.
Point 2 – Chip, with an eerily lit face, which calls to mind "The Blair Witch Project" movie, begins to toss the word demon around.
Point 3 – Isn't it strange that only Alexa is "attacked" in the van after the demon house walk through?
Point 4 – Hailey states, "all you have to do is say 'in the name of God, leave me alone!' and they have to leave you alone." Which is totally untrue, and if she was taught this on the set, there's somebody there that doesn't know much about demonology.
The show really goes downhill from here and if this wasn't serious, it would make a great comedy hour.
Point 1 – Linda, the demonologist, and her assistant, Beth, don't ask any questions of Chip concerning the case. They let Chip tell them that the house is demonically possessed; therefore it must be demonically possessed. Yet Chip has declared in this show and in Paranormal State that he is not a demonologist or an exorcist.
Point 2 – Alexa and Hailey both affirm that something is going to happen when they go to the house that night and again, nothing does except Alexa says she feels sick.
Point 3 - Telling the kids that they can come to the house cleansing is a huge mistake on their parts. House cleanings are no joke and I've seen as much demonic violence in a house cleansing as in an exorcism.
Point 4 – Linda shows that she is clearly lacking the ability of spiritual discernment when she handles Hailey's mirror, and she is totally condescending towards Hailey when she asks about the angry spirits. Linda just tells Hailey to ask them why they're angry. Maybe Hailey's residence, not being in Florida but in Texas, was too far away to cleanse. Maybe it wasn't in the show's budget.
Point 5 – When traveling in the van before arriving at the demon house, Chip builds up tension by saying, "it knows we're coming and it knows what's planned." Yet again, nothing happens.
Point 6 – Hailey and her mother are told it will be safe to stay outside of the demon house. Demons can come out through the doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and from underground. So standing outside is not a safe place, either.
Point 7 – When they are doing their walk-through, Linda, the demonologist, picks up nothing.
Point 8 – Alexa, again sounds the alarm that the demon is going to do something. Again, what happens? Nothing!
Point 9 – Alexa aggressively tells the demon to leave her alone and suddenly she is free of its presence. Which is about as likely as a pea shooter stopping an oncoming tank.
Point 10 – Finally, the house cleansing that was performed was amateurish at best, simply going through a house and rebuking and putting crosses on the walls is not a house cleansing.
Unfortunately, at the end, the child that needed the help the most left without really spending any time with Chip, getting any guidance from Dr. Miller, or having the spirits removed from her home.
This is like a low-budget action flick that spends the majority of the movie building up the confrontation between the hero and his arch-enemy. And then, at the very end, the showdown is over in mere seconds. We were given the false impression that this was a serious demon, yet it turned out to be weaker than Casper the friendly ghost.
What we have here is hype over substance. Excitement and danger over reality. And illusion combined with delusion giving us a cloudy picture of what really did and did not happen. Every time a show is done like this there's a cost. People see these shows and accept them as being real and they build up their belief systems from that. Then, in real life, they act out what they've seen, which brings me back to my reason why I reinserted this into the Metaphysical Musings blog.
Later this week, I'm flying out to meet with two families whose son and daughter went out on a date, both of the teens are fans of so-called "paranormal reality" TV shows. They decided to go to a graveyard at 3 AM and put to use what they've learned. Four hours later, they both were discovered wandering around in a field in a daze, totally confused and incoherent, and suffered blackouts and changes in personality. Those are all signs of demonic possession. I don't see the reality shows running to these families aid, there will be no cameras rolling, nor ratings at stake.
The demon house was simply an empty house that now has a life of its own via the internet and TV. No one was ever in danger nor could they have been. What was and still is in danger is the truth. It becomes more clouded and more difficult to comprehend as it gets blended with fallacy and half truths. The gullible general public, who seek a greater understanding, end up buying in to a mish mash of reality.
REVIEW #2 Paranormal State - The Dark Man episode
"Maybe you can settle this ..my roommate who just transferred from Penn State and claims to know everyone in the Paranormal Research Society tells me that the dark man episode never left and that he's still terrorizing that family. The Paranormal State show says that he left the family after the banishment ceremony. What's true?" Shannon
I have to side with your roommate in this argument. According to my sources, the Dark Man is still terrorizing the family and it seems that he never did leave.
I'll state this again, for the record. I have nothing against Ryan Buell and his team, never met the man, nor anyone from the Paranormal Research Society. But, if you're going to call yourself an expert, please conduct your investigations like one. And if you're going to call yourself a warrior, please wage the battle against the proper foe.
The Dark Man is clearly a demon and he was in control of the situation from the very beginning. For some reason, Ryan and PRS was led down one false trail after another. I think the culprit was the ego of the entire team.
For those who have not seen "The Dark Man" episode of Paranormal State, it concerns a family on a small farm in Pennsylvania. They had two sons. Chris, the youngest son, died of a drug overdose due to the presence of the Dark Man, an entity he had been aware of since the age of 5. And it seems that the Dark Man has also been terrorizing the family in their dreams, with paranormal activity, and is holding the son from crossing over. I'll try to deal with my issues of the investigation in sequential order to follow the unfolding of the episode.
~ The first error was and is how can they can conduct a haunting investigation with clear early presence of some kind of demonic activity going on and not have an exorcist or demonologist on hand?
~ Their medium is neither on site nor in the same state, but 1,000 miles away in Florida. They are walking around spiritually blind throughout the entire investigation.
~ Chris died due to a drug overdose. That is considered a form of suicide. And depending on the family's spiritual beliefs, that issue was never, ever addressed within the episode.
~ When the team goes on a tour of the basement, they learn that there has been activity there. A woman had her arm grabbed, bitten, and developed a rash. This activity is not the sign of a few unhappy earthbound spirits; this is the sign of a strong demonic presence of one or more demons.
~ They learn that people feel the property is eerie and strange, things had happened on that property but is never explained nor is the history of the property ever looked into. We then learn that a mentally ill man suffering from schizophrenia, [remember that people who suffered from demonic possession are often labeled schizophrenic] killed himself in the pond. He was holding a little box at the time. Suicide by drowning is not a common form of suicide. It has a very strong element of suffering and is not over quickly. And why did the "mentally ill man" choose to die on their property? The demon of the Dark Man must have been terrorizing him, and that's why the mentally ill man didn't come in contact with him until after his death. The Dark Man led him to die on the property, creating an entrance and a blood anointing onto it then his attention was turned on to the child, Chris. Also, the deceased son may have had some mental issues, but this is never pursued.
~ Ryan makes a severe error when he asks Helen, the mother, to determine who the Dark Man is. Ryan is the expert and he should have the skills to make the determination, but leaves that up to an amateur. And this distraught woman doesn't have any kind of knowledge of demonology.
~ Why was there Dead Time at the pond? The family had not expressed any paranormal activity at the pond whatsoever.
~ Why did Ryan not use the Christian rituals to get the spirits to speak, and to get the demons to acknowledge their presence? And if we accept the activity of the spirits during Dead Time, they were very minor spirits, indeed. Nor did they exhibit the kind of activity that you think Chris would be engaging in, which would be to get the investigators attention indicating that he wants to be released.
~ With Chris dead, the older brother is the next logical target with the demon and this is never followed up.
~ Helen should never have been allowed to challenge the demon. And a good medium should have been able to discern it was not Chris that was speaking to her, but the demon of the Dark Man. By her challenging the demon, she in a sense gave an invitation to that demon to come into contact with her. And there was never any indication presented at all about the family's spiritual activities, or lack of.
~ No EVP's at all! Tormented ghosts love to talk and demons need to talk.
~ Eilfie performs a banishing ritual which she assures Ryan has had "some effect in the past." Going into spiritual warfare with a ritual that simply has "some effect" does not generate a whole lot of confidence in a victory. And why did a pagan ritual need to be performed here? Where was the spiritual proof that she had any kind of authority? What was Eilfie's spiritual authority to perform the ritual if it was just being a third generation pagan? That gives no authority whatsoever. Why are Archangels being commanded in a pagan ritual? Archangels give their authority to be commanded by three entities: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are not going to come in response to a pagan ritual. Pagan rituals are fine, but you don't mix religions with your rituals. Furthermore, when Ryan says, "whether it works or not, we hope it brings peace to this family." If the banishment ritual fails to work, the demon is still bound to the property, Chris is still bound to the demon, and the paranormal activity will continue. How could the family find any peace in this situation? And why wasn't a ceremony performed to release Chris, who was being tormented by the Dark Man, who was a tormented spirit, as well, under Ryan's theory. No prayers or cleansing activity is done in the house that Chris killed himself in. Nothing is done to address the demonic activity taking place in the basement. The house and the rest of the property was never cleansed as Ryan had made an effort to do in other episodes.
~ To claim, just hours after the banishment ceremony in the pond, that it was successful is simply ridiculous. All the demon did was cease his activity while they were still on the property and waited to return to his activity when the cast and crew had departed. And my biggest question is why wasn't an exorcist called in to perform an exorcism? An exorcist could have cleansed the house, and dealt with the issues that were still haunting the family.
~ The only expert in this episode that showed any kind of skill was Diane, the grief counselor.
Conclusion: I am not bringing up these issues to embarrass Paranormal State or Ryan Buell, in any way. It is simply my concern, as a full time demonologist/exorcist for the past 20 years, that one cannot simply put together a team, read a few books, attend a few seminars, and call yourself an expert. Because others will come along, mimic your actions, conduct investigations in the same fashion, and end up harming not only themselves, but also innocent victims. And if this was just one or two errors I could easily brush it off as human error. But as I go back and watch more episodes of Paranormal State, and receive ever-increasing concerns from my readers and other Paranormal Investigation professionals who are afraid to speak out, I feel compelled to do the speaking for them.
REVIEW #3 Paranormal State - The Devil In Syracuse episode
"Dear Kirbe it has been many yrs since we last met. I see your still in the field. I retired due to poor health. I would like to ask for you opinion concerning this programme called Paranormal State and the epsode devil in Syracuse was very troubled to say the least. Iif you saw it did it trouble you also?" Your friend in Christ, Jack
Yes, I have seen it. And yes, it did trouble me. It seems that casting out demons and calling oneself an exorcist has become the current career de jour for some reason. And many think that you can read a few books, watch some TV programs and movies, get a mail order certificate and you're ready to go. Which is very far from the truth and I personally am starting to receive cases that have been botched by so-called "professional" exorcists.
But let's focus on the "Devil In Syracuse" case and the errors that were made in it. For those who have yet to see the episode, it concerns Ryan Buell's investigation of a young couple, Teena and Raymond, with two children with claims of paranormal activity in their trailer. Their claims were not out of the ordinary in any way, as claims go.
1. The first mistake I see in how they handled the case is in opening. You don't go in assuming it is demonic activity, and expecting to do an exorcism. The first rule you should live by, if you are a paranormal investigator, is that you rule out the probable prior to embracing the improbable. You need to completely rule out the chance of: ghosts, poltergeists, or possible psychological explanations for the activity or signs of paranormal activity.
2. The carryover from the previous episode of Paranormal State concerning Ryan's involvement with a demon known as Belial. Anyone who has read anything on the subject of demonology should be familiar with this name. Some say it is simply another name for Satan. It's not. Some say that he is the son of Lucifer. That's not true. And finally, some say he was the next in line for Lucifer's job, but aligned with Lucifer and was cast into hell. Which is true. He is one of the top lieutenants and has at least four legions in his personal army of demons to call upon. In my encounters with him he is never alone, which in this case, they acted as if he was. Also, he loves to do tricks such as move objects, rap on walls, and speak in a loud voice. He loves to show off his personal arsenal of abilities. Yet in this case, he shows no activity whatsoever when called on.
3. One myth again made popular is if you speak the demon's name the demon will come. Sort of like a dark version in the movie "Field of Dreams", if you build it, he will come. Demons can only be in one place at the same time, they're not omnipotent, nor can they hear all words spoken.
4. The trailer itself was not placed under spiritual protection when the team arrived. This put not only the family, but also neighbors and the entire investigation team in danger of being attacked and harmed.
5. Yes, it is true that the messy condition of the house, and the depression that was evident within the family can be both a result and an invitation to demonic activity.
6. I have seen every episode of the first season of "Paranormal State" more than once, and in the majority of cases, I have been impressed with Ryan Buell's efforts. But, in this one, I can't say that. In he flipping of the cross incident. Why were there no cameras set up to catch the act of flipping the cross? Why did the family react to the presence, yet Ryan showed no sense or reaction to the presence of his personal demon? A demon who's got the attention of his adversary will never, ever pass up an opportunity to show of their talents. You have to remember that demons are ego driven and will show constantly how reckless and brave they are.
7. Reverend Andrew Calder's activity within the episode was stellar. He did what any authentic exorcist would do when called upon the scene.
8. Why was there a two-week delay in the performance of the exorcism? You gave the demon two weeks to prepare for battle that was not necessary. And if a demon if Belial's level was present he would have brought in reinforcements, he would have greatly increased demonic activity and if the child was the object of his presence he would have made every effort to go after that child. Even the child being baptized within that two week timespan would not have dissuaded his intentions if that child were his final goal. And in actuality, the child's baptism would have increased his interest. For possessing such a person is a mighty trophy to the dark side.
9. Now here is a big issue, which really troubles me. When you step into demonic battle, you must have spiritual authority concerning your position. And you must have moral authority as well. That does not mean just a few forgive me, Lord type prayers, but a complete and absolute confession of all past misdeeds and also a period of fasting of the flesh, no drinking, no drugs, no lust, no sex, no anger, no envy, and no attachment. If not, the demon will most certainly use that against you during the battle. The young couple absolutely had no business being there during the exorcism. And the exorcist appeared not to know nor could he personally communicate with the demonic presence. This is not how it's done.
10. Concerning the husband being "truly possessed." The husband was not possessed at all. Possibly tainted, but not possessed. If he had been absolutely possessed, the possession on him would have lasted hours, days, weeks, or months, and not just a few minutes. He would have also reacted negatively to the placement of crucifixes and rosaries against his body.
11. The family did not have prayers of cleansing done. Nor was the safety of Pat, the houseguest, ever addressed.
12. Finally, the most obvious was never looked at. And more than likely, the paranormal activity was not demonic at all, but psychological in nature. The house was in a disarray, the family was ruled by depression, emotional and financial troubles, and a pending separation was causing huge amounts of stress between the husband and wife. Tension also was evident between the children and their parents. The presence of the houseguest seemed as though she ruled over the family and caused additional tension. The psychic negative energy will build and build until there's an explosion. Things go wrong, people want explanations for it, let's try to distract ourselves from the physical problems and the answer is we have demonic activity. I've had many cases where this is how it happens.
In conclusion, if it had been Belial, he would have come back stronger than ever against Ryan the next time Ryan went out in the field. But mysteriously, he disappears for the rest of the season. I've never met Ryan Buell, nor do I know him. It does seem that his intentions are good. But it does seem that he's picked up the persona of Fox Mulder of "The X Files" TV show fame. "The X Files" tag line was "The truth is out there." Ryan's is "One step closer to the truth." A little bit of shtick is okay. But it should not blind you to the real paranormal.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The War Behind the Da Vinci Code – Part 4
Ó 2008 By Kirby Robinson
This blog has become the most complicated writing that I have done to date. The material is not difficult; it is there for the world to see. What has been so cumbersome for the past three weeks is that my life has been beyond the point of hectic. Every time I sit down to put the information into shape a haunting of some kind reaches a crisis. Or getting called into an exorcism that was botched by an amateur and in turn becomes the most physically and spiritually draining I have ever dealt with. But I refuse to give up, so here we go!
The final three things I would like to look at is:
1. Mary Magdalene
2. Did Jesus really die on the cross?
3. Who stands to profit from the Da Vinci Code wars?
Mary Magdalene’s life and relationship with Christ has become a lightning rod for every wild conspiracy thinker out there. Some say that Mary knew Jesus as a child. They fell in love at first sight. She ended up living with Mary and Joseph, and learned secret teachings from Christ. When He departed for his long lost excursions into the Far East, she waited for His return. She departed with Jesus when he started his ministries, and was even baptized with Jesus by John the Baptist. She was above all other disciples, married Christ, in the final days went to Jerusalem with Him, while there hatched a wild plot of smoke and mirrors with Christ and Judas as well as a cast of hundreds to fake His death on the cross, to fake an empty tomb. Then they moved to France, she even has time to produce a child. When they get to France they don’t settle down, but turn around and begin to travel around the world. The pair teaches everyplace they go. She picks up many craft hobbies, and they return to France to live out their old age.
The difficulty with this wild scenario is that there is no proof of this at all. If you attempt to read the book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and try to follow the logic of the authors, they suggest that paintings, architecture of certain monasteries and churches, mosaics and stained glass windows, and elaborate statues found throughout the South of France hold some secret code and are protected by some secret organization. For what they must do is destroy the two roles that Mary played in the Ministry of Christ, destroy the believer’s faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, and get you to buy into the elaborate plotline, because they kind of follow the same conspiracy thinking of writer/producer/director Oliver Stone, which is: if there’s no clue of a conspiracy, then that proves a conspiracy exists.
Mary first shows up in Luke’s Gospel chapter 8, verses 2-3: “And there were some women who had been healed from evil spirits and ailments—Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, Khuza’s wife (Herod’s commissioner), and Susanna, and many others who provided for them from their belongings.”
There are seven demons cast out of Mary, the number seven is representative of the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride), to suffer the bondage of just one is severe enough, what untold emotional, physical, and spiritual damage that the seven is a burden that few could endure. And if they did, it would leave a mark on their spiritual life and it would put them in debt to not only the person but also the power that defeated the demons. The exorcism of Mary and the other women may have taken up to one year. Remember, the Christ of the living is not the same Christ who rose up to heaven after 72 hours in hell.
There is also Mary who knows the suffering that awaits Christ in hell as she had been there and would know from firsthand spiritual experience what would await him there as well she would know that Christ’s death would alter the law that governs spiritual men.
In Matthew 12 verses 43-45 we see this: “He was in Bethany in the home of Simon the scabby (not really a “leper,” as is in the traditional translation), recumbent, and there came a woman who had an alabaster genuine, expensive nard ointment. Smashing the alabaster, she poured over his head. But there were some angry among themselves. Why has this waste of the ointment happened? Because this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor! And they were upbraiding her. But Jesus said, Leave her: why are you making problems for her? she has done a fine deed with me. Because you always have the poor with yourselves, and whenever you want, you can do them good, but me you do not always have. She acted with what she had; she undertook to oil my body for burial. Amen I say to you, wherever the message is proclaimed in the whole world, what she did will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
This act of love that Mary gives to Christ is symbolic of a way a spiritual student should pay their respect to their spiritual liberator and teacher and is not an act of love that flows from a woman to a man on a romantic level.
Much is made by the Da Vinci Code folks that Jesus Christ was essentially a Rabbi, and according to the law He had to be married. But what they don’t tell you is if Jesus was a married Rabbi, He could not travel and preach He would have been expected under the law to settle down and have a home with the family of his wife. Christ stated clearly and repeatedly that He had no earthly home.
Also many attempt to point out that Mary Magdalene was the woman that Christ kept from being stoned to death for being an adulteress. This is not Biblically based but one of tradition and dogma.
Mary’s role in the death, resurrection, and transfiguration of Christ can’t be tossed aside as well. For all the other followers and Disciples of Christ abandoned, denied or betrayed Him. Mary was the one constant in the fact that she stands at the foot of the cross witnessing the opening rounds of the battle between the forces of hell and Jesus the man. It is Mary who went to the tomb and it is Mary who first sees the newly risen Christ.
Now let me stop here and point out an error. Some say that if Christ had risen, His body would bear no marks from the crucifixion, and His appearance would be exactly like as to what it was when He was living. It would be a ghost and ghosts have perfect bodies. The people who say this have never actually seen a ghost. Ghosts do not have perfect bodies and if a person suffers a physical injury or deformity prior to death it’s carried on to the spiritual side. And a person’s spirit is not always what it looks like when they’re living. Your mindset can cause either an improvement within your appearance or degradation within your appearance.
Thus we see Mary played an essential and important role in the ministry of the Christ. He freed her from demonic possession; she became a devout follower and student who truly loved both the message and the messenger. Was Christ married to Mary? Who knows? Did they have a child? It doesn’t change the message. Did they flee to France? Absolutely not.
2. Did Christ die on the cross? Let’s focus on two key points.
1. None of the 12 disciples or any of the other followers of Christ ever abandoned the message, not even at the point of death. They did not deny the risen Christ, nor did any ever tell of the “conspiracy story” to anyone. They all had taken it to the grave with them if this conspiracy story is to be believed and that’s a definite stretch of logic and human nature.
2. This spiritual point the fact that Christ died on the cross can be found in churches and homes around the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People go and pray and have their prayers fulfilled, hear the voice of Christ, and see His risen body. A mere man cannot be ever present, nor could a man who died of natural causes be able to fulfill the prayer requests and healings.
3. So we come to the final stop of our journey. Who stands to profit from the Da Vinci Code wars?
1. Those who wish to become the new evangelists. There’s money and power preaching and teaching the word of God. The conservative, radical Christian right has made a joke of Christ’s message out of being a televangelist. So many have figured out how to become “New Age Christians” we can’t cash in on the Bible thumping, so we will cash in on thumping the Bible.
2. L. Ron Hubbard said it best, “You want to be remembered, start a religion.” There are people out there revising the voice of God and Christ every day so they can tell you what is true and how you must abandon the old.
3. There are those who seek to turn all spiritual paths into a one-world religion.
4. Finally, for the Anti-Christ to make his/her appearance: A. You must first have an Anti-God. B. You must change the message of Christ into an Anti-Christ message. C. You must have the faithful abandon the old Christ and embrace a “new” Anti-Christ, one who is not of God, but of man. D. You must convince the world that all the churches that preach the Lord’s message are trying to deceive you with a false message and are keeping information from you, that they cannot be trusted and in turn, you must embrace secret Gnostic teachings. This new Gnostic church is the only one for you to follow.
There you have my views and feelings on this subject. Accept them, or reject them, as you wish. Study for yourself, enter into prayer, ask for guidance, the path will lead you not to the Da Vinci Code but to the glory of the truth of both the message and the messenger, the Mother that bore Him, and the God who was His Father.
This blog has become the most complicated writing that I have done to date. The material is not difficult; it is there for the world to see. What has been so cumbersome for the past three weeks is that my life has been beyond the point of hectic. Every time I sit down to put the information into shape a haunting of some kind reaches a crisis. Or getting called into an exorcism that was botched by an amateur and in turn becomes the most physically and spiritually draining I have ever dealt with. But I refuse to give up, so here we go!
The final three things I would like to look at is:
1. Mary Magdalene
2. Did Jesus really die on the cross?
3. Who stands to profit from the Da Vinci Code wars?
Mary Magdalene’s life and relationship with Christ has become a lightning rod for every wild conspiracy thinker out there. Some say that Mary knew Jesus as a child. They fell in love at first sight. She ended up living with Mary and Joseph, and learned secret teachings from Christ. When He departed for his long lost excursions into the Far East, she waited for His return. She departed with Jesus when he started his ministries, and was even baptized with Jesus by John the Baptist. She was above all other disciples, married Christ, in the final days went to Jerusalem with Him, while there hatched a wild plot of smoke and mirrors with Christ and Judas as well as a cast of hundreds to fake His death on the cross, to fake an empty tomb. Then they moved to France, she even has time to produce a child. When they get to France they don’t settle down, but turn around and begin to travel around the world. The pair teaches everyplace they go. She picks up many craft hobbies, and they return to France to live out their old age.
The difficulty with this wild scenario is that there is no proof of this at all. If you attempt to read the book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and try to follow the logic of the authors, they suggest that paintings, architecture of certain monasteries and churches, mosaics and stained glass windows, and elaborate statues found throughout the South of France hold some secret code and are protected by some secret organization. For what they must do is destroy the two roles that Mary played in the Ministry of Christ, destroy the believer’s faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, and get you to buy into the elaborate plotline, because they kind of follow the same conspiracy thinking of writer/producer/director Oliver Stone, which is: if there’s no clue of a conspiracy, then that proves a conspiracy exists.
Mary first shows up in Luke’s Gospel chapter 8, verses 2-3: “And there were some women who had been healed from evil spirits and ailments—Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, Khuza’s wife (Herod’s commissioner), and Susanna, and many others who provided for them from their belongings.”
There are seven demons cast out of Mary, the number seven is representative of the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride), to suffer the bondage of just one is severe enough, what untold emotional, physical, and spiritual damage that the seven is a burden that few could endure. And if they did, it would leave a mark on their spiritual life and it would put them in debt to not only the person but also the power that defeated the demons. The exorcism of Mary and the other women may have taken up to one year. Remember, the Christ of the living is not the same Christ who rose up to heaven after 72 hours in hell.
There is also Mary who knows the suffering that awaits Christ in hell as she had been there and would know from firsthand spiritual experience what would await him there as well she would know that Christ’s death would alter the law that governs spiritual men.
In Matthew 12 verses 43-45 we see this: “He was in Bethany in the home of Simon the scabby (not really a “leper,” as is in the traditional translation), recumbent, and there came a woman who had an alabaster genuine, expensive nard ointment. Smashing the alabaster, she poured over his head. But there were some angry among themselves. Why has this waste of the ointment happened? Because this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor! And they were upbraiding her. But Jesus said, Leave her: why are you making problems for her? she has done a fine deed with me. Because you always have the poor with yourselves, and whenever you want, you can do them good, but me you do not always have. She acted with what she had; she undertook to oil my body for burial. Amen I say to you, wherever the message is proclaimed in the whole world, what she did will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
This act of love that Mary gives to Christ is symbolic of a way a spiritual student should pay their respect to their spiritual liberator and teacher and is not an act of love that flows from a woman to a man on a romantic level.
Much is made by the Da Vinci Code folks that Jesus Christ was essentially a Rabbi, and according to the law He had to be married. But what they don’t tell you is if Jesus was a married Rabbi, He could not travel and preach He would have been expected under the law to settle down and have a home with the family of his wife. Christ stated clearly and repeatedly that He had no earthly home.
Also many attempt to point out that Mary Magdalene was the woman that Christ kept from being stoned to death for being an adulteress. This is not Biblically based but one of tradition and dogma.
Mary’s role in the death, resurrection, and transfiguration of Christ can’t be tossed aside as well. For all the other followers and Disciples of Christ abandoned, denied or betrayed Him. Mary was the one constant in the fact that she stands at the foot of the cross witnessing the opening rounds of the battle between the forces of hell and Jesus the man. It is Mary who went to the tomb and it is Mary who first sees the newly risen Christ.
Now let me stop here and point out an error. Some say that if Christ had risen, His body would bear no marks from the crucifixion, and His appearance would be exactly like as to what it was when He was living. It would be a ghost and ghosts have perfect bodies. The people who say this have never actually seen a ghost. Ghosts do not have perfect bodies and if a person suffers a physical injury or deformity prior to death it’s carried on to the spiritual side. And a person’s spirit is not always what it looks like when they’re living. Your mindset can cause either an improvement within your appearance or degradation within your appearance.
Thus we see Mary played an essential and important role in the ministry of the Christ. He freed her from demonic possession; she became a devout follower and student who truly loved both the message and the messenger. Was Christ married to Mary? Who knows? Did they have a child? It doesn’t change the message. Did they flee to France? Absolutely not.
2. Did Christ die on the cross? Let’s focus on two key points.
1. None of the 12 disciples or any of the other followers of Christ ever abandoned the message, not even at the point of death. They did not deny the risen Christ, nor did any ever tell of the “conspiracy story” to anyone. They all had taken it to the grave with them if this conspiracy story is to be believed and that’s a definite stretch of logic and human nature.
2. This spiritual point the fact that Christ died on the cross can be found in churches and homes around the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People go and pray and have their prayers fulfilled, hear the voice of Christ, and see His risen body. A mere man cannot be ever present, nor could a man who died of natural causes be able to fulfill the prayer requests and healings.
3. So we come to the final stop of our journey. Who stands to profit from the Da Vinci Code wars?
1. Those who wish to become the new evangelists. There’s money and power preaching and teaching the word of God. The conservative, radical Christian right has made a joke of Christ’s message out of being a televangelist. So many have figured out how to become “New Age Christians” we can’t cash in on the Bible thumping, so we will cash in on thumping the Bible.
2. L. Ron Hubbard said it best, “You want to be remembered, start a religion.” There are people out there revising the voice of God and Christ every day so they can tell you what is true and how you must abandon the old.
3. There are those who seek to turn all spiritual paths into a one-world religion.
4. Finally, for the Anti-Christ to make his/her appearance: A. You must first have an Anti-God. B. You must change the message of Christ into an Anti-Christ message. C. You must have the faithful abandon the old Christ and embrace a “new” Anti-Christ, one who is not of God, but of man. D. You must convince the world that all the churches that preach the Lord’s message are trying to deceive you with a false message and are keeping information from you, that they cannot be trusted and in turn, you must embrace secret Gnostic teachings. This new Gnostic church is the only one for you to follow.
There you have my views and feelings on this subject. Accept them, or reject them, as you wish. Study for yourself, enter into prayer, ask for guidance, the path will lead you not to the Da Vinci Code but to the glory of the truth of both the message and the messenger, the Mother that bore Him, and the God who was His Father.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The War Behind The Da Vinci Code – Part 3
Copyright 2008 By Kirby Robinson
Prior to moving onto the meaning behind the two different nativity stories I would like to point out three additional things about Mary, the mother of Christ.
1. Many Christians and non-Muslims do not realize that within the Koran (Qur’an), the Holy Book of the Muslim faith, there are two major sections dedicated to the Virgin Birth and life of Mary.
2. In a gospel that failed to make it into the Canon of the New Testament, “The Gospel of the Birth of Mary” gives us even more insight into the gifts of Mary that she started to teach the Rabbis in the temple things they didn’t know and many miracles of healing as well as her breasts produced milk throughout her life that had healing qualities.
3. Mary is the emanation of White Tara, the Tibetan female version of the Buddha of Compassion.
Many point out that the two nativity stories of Luke and Matthew do not follow the same storyline. Thus the whole story is false, and this whole Son of God business is a myth.
We live in a post enlightenment world ruled by the questions of “what is real?” and “what is possible?” verified by experimentation and proof. While the Gospels came about in a pre modern world ruled by the questions “how do we know?” and “what is real?” often backed up by faith and inner knowing. Sadly, today, we say for truth to be true there must be facts to back it up.
The world that the Gospels of Luke and Matthew was penned in, was a very different world. There was no press, public libraries, internet, etc., to keep track of events, time, places, peoples memories are clouded by outlook, mindset, etc. Both Luke and Matthew agree on the central themes of the Nativity, they differ on the latter events. It seems that Matthew tends to be more accurate with his presentation of the Birth Story as we are about to read.
Once Joseph learned of the threats to the life of Christ, the Holy Family avoids assassins by fleeing to Egypt. This is where the Da Vinci Code conspiracy is understandable if His time in Egypt was not documented in any way they would not be hurt by this part of Matthew. But it is documented, many just have not heard about it.
The Coptic Church of Egypt has maintained through documentation that the flight of the Holy Family throughout Egypt, and within these texts we see the signs of the unusual nature of the Christ child.
Point 1 – He was speaking like a young adult within a few days of His birth.
Point 2 – He healed the sick; cast out demons, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise.
Point 3 – Jesus produced food and water sources out of nothing.
Point 4 – Goddesses and God statues of Demigods either broke in His presence or bowed as He passed. And some temples were even documented to crumble to their foundations.
A great source of additional information can be found in Paul Perry’s book, “Jesus In Egypt.”
About four years later, the Holy Family receives the news that King Herod is dead. They return to Israel thus Jesus becomes the new Moses, the old brought the Law to the land while Christ was about to bring freedom to the land.
Now we come to the childhood of Jesus Christ, again we are told we know nothing about these years prior to his first teaching in the temple. Wrong. If we take a quick look at the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which begins at the age of five, shortly after the arrival from Egypt, we see a young boy struggling with being a man and God at the same time, and the powers and abilities that come with such a mixture. Jesus is exposed to countless teachers but none yet can teach Him anything He doesn’t already know. Hence He ends up being their teacher, thus shattering the Da Vinci Code backers claim that Christ was just a normal child. He had ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE INSIDE OF HIM and was taught by God. Why is there a need for Him to travel around the world and copy any teaching or magical tricks as many today tried to claim He did? The reason they need to do this is if they can convince us He was just a man we will begin to value His teachings as just the teachings of a normal person who is simply passing on what he has learned. And they work additionally hard to get our mind focused off of Mother Mary and replace her with Mary Magdalene, asking us to replace perfection with imperfection. In addition, they must come up with some possible reason that Jesus came in contact with the Gnostic philosophy, and a side note here, which would be hard because there is little likelihood that it even existed at the time of Christ’s life.
Much is also made of Christ’s teaching in the temple as a child. Again, the conspiracy people say that this is proof that Christ was from a wealthy and royal family. What it does really prove is that at this temple a few years earlier, Mary graced the building and Rabbis learned from her special knowledge. If she were such a special teacher, then would it not make sense that her child was the same?
We now come to three very important events when it comes to the Da Vinci Code conspirators’ claims.
1. The 40 days in the desert and His confrontation with the devil.
2. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.
3. The water into wine miracle.
Many have tried to downplay the importance of Christ’s 40 days of fasting in the desert and His battle there with the devil. As I mentioned in Part 2, God can’t know the final outcome. The first battle in the desert was the initial phase in the Final Confrontation yet to come after the Crucifixion, and in the depths of hell. Christ in the desert rejects all the temptations of the flesh that the devil tosses his way and he finally banishes the devil. Thus He began to change, and as Paul would write, “He put away the things of his youth and picked up the responsibilities of his manhood.”
Thus He knows that He must be baptized in public, and he seeks out John the Baptist. Now those consistent conspirators make note of the fact that John the Baptist does not recognize Christ. Thus, they say, see, this story’s made up. John the Baptist had seen the Christ, the one who was a boy, but had yet to see the Christ that was now a man. He was not the same, but a new man full of energy and perfection.
Finally, the water into the wine miracle. This, they claim, proves He was married to Mary Magdalene. That’s why he made the wine. Once again, a simple reading of the story shows that Jesus Christ was always and will always show kindness. The wine was simply running out and He gave the guests a “new” wine that symbolizes the fresh wine of Christ as a replacement for the bitter grapes that the world had tasted up until that time.
Next week we will focus on the final two topics of the war behind the Da Vinci Code: Mary Magdalene the manufacturing of a myth, and Christ’s Death on the cross.
Prior to moving onto the meaning behind the two different nativity stories I would like to point out three additional things about Mary, the mother of Christ.
1. Many Christians and non-Muslims do not realize that within the Koran (Qur’an), the Holy Book of the Muslim faith, there are two major sections dedicated to the Virgin Birth and life of Mary.
2. In a gospel that failed to make it into the Canon of the New Testament, “The Gospel of the Birth of Mary” gives us even more insight into the gifts of Mary that she started to teach the Rabbis in the temple things they didn’t know and many miracles of healing as well as her breasts produced milk throughout her life that had healing qualities.
3. Mary is the emanation of White Tara, the Tibetan female version of the Buddha of Compassion.
Many point out that the two nativity stories of Luke and Matthew do not follow the same storyline. Thus the whole story is false, and this whole Son of God business is a myth.
We live in a post enlightenment world ruled by the questions of “what is real?” and “what is possible?” verified by experimentation and proof. While the Gospels came about in a pre modern world ruled by the questions “how do we know?” and “what is real?” often backed up by faith and inner knowing. Sadly, today, we say for truth to be true there must be facts to back it up.
The world that the Gospels of Luke and Matthew was penned in, was a very different world. There was no press, public libraries, internet, etc., to keep track of events, time, places, peoples memories are clouded by outlook, mindset, etc. Both Luke and Matthew agree on the central themes of the Nativity, they differ on the latter events. It seems that Matthew tends to be more accurate with his presentation of the Birth Story as we are about to read.
Once Joseph learned of the threats to the life of Christ, the Holy Family avoids assassins by fleeing to Egypt. This is where the Da Vinci Code conspiracy is understandable if His time in Egypt was not documented in any way they would not be hurt by this part of Matthew. But it is documented, many just have not heard about it.
The Coptic Church of Egypt has maintained through documentation that the flight of the Holy Family throughout Egypt, and within these texts we see the signs of the unusual nature of the Christ child.
Point 1 – He was speaking like a young adult within a few days of His birth.
Point 2 – He healed the sick; cast out demons, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise.
Point 3 – Jesus produced food and water sources out of nothing.
Point 4 – Goddesses and God statues of Demigods either broke in His presence or bowed as He passed. And some temples were even documented to crumble to their foundations.
A great source of additional information can be found in Paul Perry’s book, “Jesus In Egypt.”
About four years later, the Holy Family receives the news that King Herod is dead. They return to Israel thus Jesus becomes the new Moses, the old brought the Law to the land while Christ was about to bring freedom to the land.
Now we come to the childhood of Jesus Christ, again we are told we know nothing about these years prior to his first teaching in the temple. Wrong. If we take a quick look at the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which begins at the age of five, shortly after the arrival from Egypt, we see a young boy struggling with being a man and God at the same time, and the powers and abilities that come with such a mixture. Jesus is exposed to countless teachers but none yet can teach Him anything He doesn’t already know. Hence He ends up being their teacher, thus shattering the Da Vinci Code backers claim that Christ was just a normal child. He had ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE INSIDE OF HIM and was taught by God. Why is there a need for Him to travel around the world and copy any teaching or magical tricks as many today tried to claim He did? The reason they need to do this is if they can convince us He was just a man we will begin to value His teachings as just the teachings of a normal person who is simply passing on what he has learned. And they work additionally hard to get our mind focused off of Mother Mary and replace her with Mary Magdalene, asking us to replace perfection with imperfection. In addition, they must come up with some possible reason that Jesus came in contact with the Gnostic philosophy, and a side note here, which would be hard because there is little likelihood that it even existed at the time of Christ’s life.
Much is also made of Christ’s teaching in the temple as a child. Again, the conspiracy people say that this is proof that Christ was from a wealthy and royal family. What it does really prove is that at this temple a few years earlier, Mary graced the building and Rabbis learned from her special knowledge. If she were such a special teacher, then would it not make sense that her child was the same?
We now come to three very important events when it comes to the Da Vinci Code conspirators’ claims.
1. The 40 days in the desert and His confrontation with the devil.
2. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.
3. The water into wine miracle.
Many have tried to downplay the importance of Christ’s 40 days of fasting in the desert and His battle there with the devil. As I mentioned in Part 2, God can’t know the final outcome. The first battle in the desert was the initial phase in the Final Confrontation yet to come after the Crucifixion, and in the depths of hell. Christ in the desert rejects all the temptations of the flesh that the devil tosses his way and he finally banishes the devil. Thus He began to change, and as Paul would write, “He put away the things of his youth and picked up the responsibilities of his manhood.”
Thus He knows that He must be baptized in public, and he seeks out John the Baptist. Now those consistent conspirators make note of the fact that John the Baptist does not recognize Christ. Thus, they say, see, this story’s made up. John the Baptist had seen the Christ, the one who was a boy, but had yet to see the Christ that was now a man. He was not the same, but a new man full of energy and perfection.
Finally, the water into the wine miracle. This, they claim, proves He was married to Mary Magdalene. That’s why he made the wine. Once again, a simple reading of the story shows that Jesus Christ was always and will always show kindness. The wine was simply running out and He gave the guests a “new” wine that symbolizes the fresh wine of Christ as a replacement for the bitter grapes that the world had tasted up until that time.
Next week we will focus on the final two topics of the war behind the Da Vinci Code: Mary Magdalene the manufacturing of a myth, and Christ’s Death on the cross.
Monday, April 7, 2008
The War Behind The Da Vinci Code – Part 2
Copyright 2008 By Kirby Robinson
I now continue with the war Behind The Da Vinci Code. And focus on three topics:
1. Were Jesus and his Mother Mary Tulkus?
2. Did Jesus really have a virgin birth?
3. The story of the Nativity – True or False?
Tulku is an honorific title used in Tibetan Buddhism to identify children who, in their previous lives, have been great teachers and messengers of the dharma and have taken a vow to constantly return and teach. They are often identified later in life as Rinpoches, a term that means precious teacher.
When Tulkus are found one of the things that are looked for is if their birth took place amidst great signs and wonders such as triple rainbows, snowstorms in the summer, and other unusual events.
One of the pillars of The Da Vinci Code camp is that Jesus was just a man, or He didn’t really exist at all. They point out that from around the world and throughout history there have been at least 35 such stories of a Savior-like man. Examples: Krishna of Hindustan; Bool and Tout both were called “the only begotten of God” of Phoenicia; Indra of Tibet; Mohammed or Mahomet of Arabia; or Beddru of Japan. All of these in some form or another had the titles: Christs, Saviors, Messiahs or Mediators between God and man. Many had a virgin birth and at least 16 suffered the same fate of crucifixion. The number one “Savior” that they claim “the Jesus myth was taken from” was Horus of Egypt, who predates Christ by approximately 2000 years. And they further claim that if you do a side-by-side comparison of the Horus Myth and the Christ Story -- they are exactly alike. A sect of Jewish individuals hijacked, reworked, and retooled the Horus Myth into the Christian religion and the case is simply closed.
Carl Jung, the great psychologist, and father of the New Age movement spent most of his time trying to figure out how his concept of a universal collective unconsciousness originated from. He pondered why were there archetypes found in all societies that were basically of the same design? All around the world, developed at a time prior to emails, faxes, Internet, and satellite communications. How could this have happened? Well, unfortunately, Mr. Jung didn’t pay attention to what Buddha said: “there are many paths to enlightenment.”
The 35 “Saviors” offered 35 different paths to attain some form of enlightenment that one might seek. (Why doesn’t The Da Vinci Code camp point out that there are 35 Buddhas as well? Buddha Shakyamuni gave the 35 Buddhas Sutra as the most effective and expedient method for purifying negativities and accumulating merit.)
Additionally, the Creator doesn’t always get things right. He/She may be omnipotent and ever-present, but cannot know how everything will turn out. The Creator must allow for free will and failure, i.e. in Genesis there are two Creations of men, Satan falling to hell, the failure in Eden, the Flood, Moses giving The Law, and the failure of men to live up to that Law.
Concerning Mary, she has made more than one appearance as well. If we have “35 Saviors we have 35 Savior Mothers.” Throughout the world, there is image after image that links Mary or some form of Mary to that area. And also look at the linkage of Isis to Mary.
So if we have Christ and Mary both having multiple lives and if you focus on their teachings they are basically the same. They are worded differently, presented differently, emphasized differently, in order to have topics for the population they were meant to serve and redeem. (Side note: Many have placed Buddha Shakyamuni into the Savior list, incorrectly, I might add. Buddha never claimed he was a God or asked for others to worship him as a God/Savior. He stated repeatedly that he was simply a man who had found a path.)
Were there signs and wonders on the birth of Mary and Jesus? Let’s take a look at the Infancy Gospel of James. The Gospel begins with Joachim, Mary’s earthly father, who found great love for God but had produced no child. Forbidden to make offerings at the temple he leaves for the wilderness to endure a battle of faith for “40 days and nights” struggling that he alone had not produced a child.
Anna, his wife, meanwhile, eludes possible magic spells (from Satan) to have a child, goes and sits under a tree, praying to God concerning her failure to produce a child. An angel appears and informs Anna she will have a child and that child will be loved around the world. Her husband returns, goes to the temple, and sees that God has forgiven all of his sins. Nine months pass and Mary, the Mother of Christ, is born.
Within six months, Mary is walking; from that point on, Mary’s mother makes sure that Mary never encounters anything impure. Later, when she is first taken to the temple, the High Priests identify her as a supreme individual and celebrate her birth. At the age of three, her parents take her back to the temple to be left there and instructed by the Priests. She performs a dance (how many children can do that at that age?) to the Lord. When her parent’s leave she shows no sign of unhappiness, angels appear to feed her and she is highly respected as a student.
At the age of 12, menarche happens, and the Priests make an effort to find her a husband. All single men of Israel no matter what their income, position, or age, are called to the temple. Joseph, being a widower, with sons, and advanced in age, responds. All the walking staffs of the men are collected, blessed, and returned to their respective owners. Joseph receives the last one, and from the tip of it a dove sprouts and remains sitting on it. Joseph is chosen to marry Mary, and takes her home leaving her to return to his work as a simple carpenter. (Side Note: No place is there any indication that Joseph, even though he came from an important bloodline, had social status, wealth, fame, nor was he in charge of many other carpenters as some claim.)
Mary continues to study on her own and one day returns to the temple where a heavenly messenger tells her that she is going to carry a child of the Lord’s, while she is working on a new lace curtain for the Holy of Holies. She is told that the Son will be named Jesus, which stands for “the Man who will help people be free from their sins.”
Two points here: A prophecy found in the Old Testament states: “The Savior’s name was to be Emmanuel which stands for man of the people.” Jesus was that man.
Some point out that Jesus’s only divinity is that we all choose our parents. I am not sure exactly where this ‘myth’ started, but it’s simply not true. The closest we come to choosing our parents is from our karmic debts that we carry, but we do not consciously choose our parents.
Mary then visits her friend Elizabeth who herself has been visited by an angel and told her child will be a great man who would become John the Baptist. The child prostrates in the womb to Mary.
Mary loses her memory of what God has told her about the child for her own safety.
Joseph returns, finds Mary pregnant, gets mad with her, then has a dream where an angel tells him of the special birth and accepts the fact. Then a Rabbi finds out about Mary’s pregnancy, claims both have sinned, and tests them but finds no record of a sin.
We now come to that fateful trip that leads to Jesus’s birth now much debate has taken place as to whether it was in a house, or a barn or a cave and what time of year did the birth take place? Both of these issues are deeply rooted in dogma, lore, and legend. Where and when He was born is not important, what is important is that He was born.
Now on that night Joseph leaves Mary to seek help as he does he notices that the world has stopped, not just the earth had stopped spinning, but birds in mid flight halted, people were frozen in place, stars were stationary, herds of sheep didn’t move or make noise, a goat’s head was in water but not drinking, clouds in the sky immobile. Then suddenly with a loud noise things returned to normal.
Joseph finds a midwife, returns with her to witness yet one more sign: the area of the birth is covered in complete darkness and then evaporates into a blinding white light.
Jesus performs his first miracle in the healing of the hands of a woman who questioned the virgin birth.
The next scene is when the Magi appear, though again, The Da Vinci camp points out if there was a great star, why didn’t King Herod and everybody else see it? And why didn’t everyone know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? The Magi is defined as in the Oxford English dictionary: “A member of the ancient Persian priestly caste, said by ancient historians to have been originally a Median tribe, hence, in a wider sense one skilled in oriental magic and astrology, an ancient magician or ‘sorcerer.’” Their numbers vary from 3 to 14. They came from Iran guided by a star that “they” could see but others could not. They did not know if Jesus was just a great king, sage, or God, and was originally only going to give Him one gift if He was just one of those things. But after a few minutes they realized that He was truly a Son of God and thus gave the three gifts to Jesus. Some even say four. Jesus then performs his second miracle, which was a gift of a small box, which He produced out of thin air and tells them not to look inside until they arrive home. And the Wise Men depart. (When they returned to Iran they opened the box and saw it contained an eternal flame).
Sadly, I have not gone as far as I’d have liked in this matter. Next week I’ll cover more signs of Jesus being a Tulku, why the two nativity narratives are different, and Jesus in Egypt.
I now continue with the war Behind The Da Vinci Code. And focus on three topics:
1. Were Jesus and his Mother Mary Tulkus?
2. Did Jesus really have a virgin birth?
3. The story of the Nativity – True or False?
Tulku is an honorific title used in Tibetan Buddhism to identify children who, in their previous lives, have been great teachers and messengers of the dharma and have taken a vow to constantly return and teach. They are often identified later in life as Rinpoches, a term that means precious teacher.
When Tulkus are found one of the things that are looked for is if their birth took place amidst great signs and wonders such as triple rainbows, snowstorms in the summer, and other unusual events.
One of the pillars of The Da Vinci Code camp is that Jesus was just a man, or He didn’t really exist at all. They point out that from around the world and throughout history there have been at least 35 such stories of a Savior-like man. Examples: Krishna of Hindustan; Bool and Tout both were called “the only begotten of God” of Phoenicia; Indra of Tibet; Mohammed or Mahomet of Arabia; or Beddru of Japan. All of these in some form or another had the titles: Christs, Saviors, Messiahs or Mediators between God and man. Many had a virgin birth and at least 16 suffered the same fate of crucifixion. The number one “Savior” that they claim “the Jesus myth was taken from” was Horus of Egypt, who predates Christ by approximately 2000 years. And they further claim that if you do a side-by-side comparison of the Horus Myth and the Christ Story -- they are exactly alike. A sect of Jewish individuals hijacked, reworked, and retooled the Horus Myth into the Christian religion and the case is simply closed.
Carl Jung, the great psychologist, and father of the New Age movement spent most of his time trying to figure out how his concept of a universal collective unconsciousness originated from. He pondered why were there archetypes found in all societies that were basically of the same design? All around the world, developed at a time prior to emails, faxes, Internet, and satellite communications. How could this have happened? Well, unfortunately, Mr. Jung didn’t pay attention to what Buddha said: “there are many paths to enlightenment.”
The 35 “Saviors” offered 35 different paths to attain some form of enlightenment that one might seek. (Why doesn’t The Da Vinci Code camp point out that there are 35 Buddhas as well? Buddha Shakyamuni gave the 35 Buddhas Sutra as the most effective and expedient method for purifying negativities and accumulating merit.)
Additionally, the Creator doesn’t always get things right. He/She may be omnipotent and ever-present, but cannot know how everything will turn out. The Creator must allow for free will and failure, i.e. in Genesis there are two Creations of men, Satan falling to hell, the failure in Eden, the Flood, Moses giving The Law, and the failure of men to live up to that Law.
Concerning Mary, she has made more than one appearance as well. If we have “35 Saviors we have 35 Savior Mothers.” Throughout the world, there is image after image that links Mary or some form of Mary to that area. And also look at the linkage of Isis to Mary.
So if we have Christ and Mary both having multiple lives and if you focus on their teachings they are basically the same. They are worded differently, presented differently, emphasized differently, in order to have topics for the population they were meant to serve and redeem. (Side note: Many have placed Buddha Shakyamuni into the Savior list, incorrectly, I might add. Buddha never claimed he was a God or asked for others to worship him as a God/Savior. He stated repeatedly that he was simply a man who had found a path.)
Were there signs and wonders on the birth of Mary and Jesus? Let’s take a look at the Infancy Gospel of James. The Gospel begins with Joachim, Mary’s earthly father, who found great love for God but had produced no child. Forbidden to make offerings at the temple he leaves for the wilderness to endure a battle of faith for “40 days and nights” struggling that he alone had not produced a child.
Anna, his wife, meanwhile, eludes possible magic spells (from Satan) to have a child, goes and sits under a tree, praying to God concerning her failure to produce a child. An angel appears and informs Anna she will have a child and that child will be loved around the world. Her husband returns, goes to the temple, and sees that God has forgiven all of his sins. Nine months pass and Mary, the Mother of Christ, is born.
Within six months, Mary is walking; from that point on, Mary’s mother makes sure that Mary never encounters anything impure. Later, when she is first taken to the temple, the High Priests identify her as a supreme individual and celebrate her birth. At the age of three, her parents take her back to the temple to be left there and instructed by the Priests. She performs a dance (how many children can do that at that age?) to the Lord. When her parent’s leave she shows no sign of unhappiness, angels appear to feed her and she is highly respected as a student.
At the age of 12, menarche happens, and the Priests make an effort to find her a husband. All single men of Israel no matter what their income, position, or age, are called to the temple. Joseph, being a widower, with sons, and advanced in age, responds. All the walking staffs of the men are collected, blessed, and returned to their respective owners. Joseph receives the last one, and from the tip of it a dove sprouts and remains sitting on it. Joseph is chosen to marry Mary, and takes her home leaving her to return to his work as a simple carpenter. (Side Note: No place is there any indication that Joseph, even though he came from an important bloodline, had social status, wealth, fame, nor was he in charge of many other carpenters as some claim.)
Mary continues to study on her own and one day returns to the temple where a heavenly messenger tells her that she is going to carry a child of the Lord’s, while she is working on a new lace curtain for the Holy of Holies. She is told that the Son will be named Jesus, which stands for “the Man who will help people be free from their sins.”
Two points here: A prophecy found in the Old Testament states: “The Savior’s name was to be Emmanuel which stands for man of the people.” Jesus was that man.
Some point out that Jesus’s only divinity is that we all choose our parents. I am not sure exactly where this ‘myth’ started, but it’s simply not true. The closest we come to choosing our parents is from our karmic debts that we carry, but we do not consciously choose our parents.
Mary then visits her friend Elizabeth who herself has been visited by an angel and told her child will be a great man who would become John the Baptist. The child prostrates in the womb to Mary.
Mary loses her memory of what God has told her about the child for her own safety.
Joseph returns, finds Mary pregnant, gets mad with her, then has a dream where an angel tells him of the special birth and accepts the fact. Then a Rabbi finds out about Mary’s pregnancy, claims both have sinned, and tests them but finds no record of a sin.
We now come to that fateful trip that leads to Jesus’s birth now much debate has taken place as to whether it was in a house, or a barn or a cave and what time of year did the birth take place? Both of these issues are deeply rooted in dogma, lore, and legend. Where and when He was born is not important, what is important is that He was born.
Now on that night Joseph leaves Mary to seek help as he does he notices that the world has stopped, not just the earth had stopped spinning, but birds in mid flight halted, people were frozen in place, stars were stationary, herds of sheep didn’t move or make noise, a goat’s head was in water but not drinking, clouds in the sky immobile. Then suddenly with a loud noise things returned to normal.
Joseph finds a midwife, returns with her to witness yet one more sign: the area of the birth is covered in complete darkness and then evaporates into a blinding white light.
Jesus performs his first miracle in the healing of the hands of a woman who questioned the virgin birth.
The next scene is when the Magi appear, though again, The Da Vinci camp points out if there was a great star, why didn’t King Herod and everybody else see it? And why didn’t everyone know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? The Magi is defined as in the Oxford English dictionary: “A member of the ancient Persian priestly caste, said by ancient historians to have been originally a Median tribe, hence, in a wider sense one skilled in oriental magic and astrology, an ancient magician or ‘sorcerer.’” Their numbers vary from 3 to 14. They came from Iran guided by a star that “they” could see but others could not. They did not know if Jesus was just a great king, sage, or God, and was originally only going to give Him one gift if He was just one of those things. But after a few minutes they realized that He was truly a Son of God and thus gave the three gifts to Jesus. Some even say four. Jesus then performs his second miracle, which was a gift of a small box, which He produced out of thin air and tells them not to look inside until they arrive home. And the Wise Men depart. (When they returned to Iran they opened the box and saw it contained an eternal flame).
Sadly, I have not gone as far as I’d have liked in this matter. Next week I’ll cover more signs of Jesus being a Tulku, why the two nativity narratives are different, and Jesus in Egypt.
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