October 8, 2017 — Paul Kimball

[Gene Steinberg]

The irrepressible Paul Kimball returns to talk about the new TV show, "Haunted," that he does with Holly Stevens, and some of the strange experiences that he and his crew have confronted.

And, yes, there is some UFO-related discussion at the start.

But there was more to be said, and Paul returns for the weekend's episode of After The Paracast to expand upon his views about such personalities as filmmaker James Fox and historian Richard Dolan. They aren't going to be very happy about what he said about them.

The After The Paracast podcast is available to subscribers of The Paracast+. You can learn more about our premium subscription service here: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio

 

[Paul Kimball]

But there was more to be said, and Paul returns for the weekend's episode of After The Paracast to expand upon his views about such personalities as filmmaker James Fox and historian Richard Dolan. They aren't going to be very happy about what he said about them.

I suspect that they won't care, just as I wouldn't care a whit what they have to say about me (unless, of course, I'm being threatened with bodily harm).

Anyway, hope folks enjoy the main show, which is where the really interesting stuff is discussed.

 

[wwkirk]

The Mac Tonnies incident was interesting. One option not clearly articulated has been suggested by Stephen Braude. The friends of Mac may have exercised subconscious psi to activate the device.

Alas, I have to concur with Paul about Dolan. He started out as a sober historian, but has slide into far out associations and endorsements.

 

[SheaOlmsford]

The Mac Tonnies incident was interesting. One option not clearly articulated has been suggested by Stephen Braude. The friends of Mac may have exercised subconscious psi to activate the device.

Alas, I have to concur with Paul about Dolan. He started out as a sober historian, but has slide into far out associations and endorsements.

Anyone who tries to make a living totally from ufology is on a slippery slope. The heyday of mainstream interest in ufo books was probably back in the late 80's with Whitley Strieber, Budd Hopkins and David Jacobs. Now I suspect that the average UFO book has a small fringe audience. Mike Clelland was remarking the other day that the market for such books (as he learned with his book about owls and ufology) is small enough to guarantee poverty. I have no personal experience here, but it seems like the way to stay relevant is to follow current trends and to do what it takes to be invited to the traveling circus show of UFO conferences. Linda Moulton Howe was a serious investigator at one time also, but look at her now. It is like a serious surgeon who discovers he must do a lot of plastic surgery to make ends meet.

 

[Mr. Fibuli]

Great show G&C. I always liked Paul’s appearances on the show, but this episode and the ATP episode were really great. Not just the common like of comics, Trek, and Gordon Ramsay shows either. Just like with Micah Hanks, I was mildly entertained by Paul’s appearances at first, but now, just like with the Gralien report and Middle Theory, Mr. Kimball’s podcast will be joining my ever-so select podcast list joining Gene and Chris, Levar Burton, Joe Rogan, Micah Hanks, and the Trailer Park Boys full stop
Paul, your positive intention and integrity as an artist has really inspired me, thanks!

PS Paul, we have the same taste in shows (barring the fact that Marvel is superior to DC) so I wanted to recommend Red Dwarf the BBC sci-fi sitcom, which I’m sure you must be aware of.

Gene and Chris..I for one love the pop culture references ‘n’ stuff.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

I will have to listen to this one and have not read all the post so far as it will muddy the interview. Ghost experiences of eyewitness /electrical phenomena has more depth to subject looking forward to this one!
May the force be with you and don't beam me up Scotty!

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Actually, it's usually "Scotty, beam me up." Captain Kirk never said "Beam me up Scotty."

 

[Paul Kimball]

Great show G&C. I always liked Paul’s appearances on the show, but this episode and the ATP episode were really great. Not just the common like of comics, Trek, and Gordon Ramsay shows either. Just like with Micah Hanks, I was mildly entertained by Paul’s appearances at first, but now, just like with the Gralien report and Middle Theory, Mr. Kimball’s podcast will be joining my ever-so select podcast list joining Gene and Chris, Levar Burton, Joe Rogan, Micah Hanks, and the Trailer Park Boys full stop
Paul, your positive intention and integrity as an artist has really inspired me, thanks!

PS Paul, we have the same taste in shows (barring the fact that Marvel is superior to DC) so I wanted to recommend Red Dwarf the BBC sci-fi sitcom, which I’m sure you must be aware of.

Gene and Chris..I for one love the pop culture references ‘n’ stuff.

Love Red Dwarf, a staple of my college years.

 

[Randall]

I gave this show 4 out of 5 stars only because nothing is perfect. The show sped by with engaging stories and commentary, but some more searching questions could have been asked. Some comments, particularly near the end regarding the damage done to ufology by certain players were very well stated. Same goes for the ATP. Kimball makes a very good guest. NOTE: @Paul Kimball: I've rarely had hate mail, and certainly no direct threats of physical harm. IMO people who stoop to those levels are the lowest of the spectrum when it comes to etiquette for civilized discussion. So sorry to hear on ATP that you had to go through that.

 

[ChrisJohnsen]

Paul Andrew Kimball, FOR THE WIN! It is long past time that Richard Dolan was called out, in no uncertain terms, about his involvement, however tangential, in that criminal fraud that was the "Roswell Slides" scam. I'm tired of people like Alejandro Rojas of Open Minds, along with several other prominent radio/podcast hosts whom I generally respect, making excuses for him, Schmitt and Carey. "They were duped." "They were victims of their own enthusiasm." Etc. None of them should ever be taken seriously again, and should be shunned, after participating in the defrauding, directly or indirectly, of many gullible people with their child mummy "alien body" hoax. Yet none of them has suffered any long-term consequences. It doesn't matter if it was primarily Jaime Maussan behind the scam. Dolan showed up and got on stage. I am assuming he did not travel down there on his own dime and do it for free, either. Follow that up with Dolan's participation in this year's MUFON Symposium and their "Secret Space Program" theme, even going so far as to participate in a panel discussion with Andrew Basiago, Corey Goode, Michael Salla, and Bill Tompkins. It was like a "Murderer's Row" of Ufology hucksters. Only Wilcock, Gilliland and Greer were missing to complete the full house. What's next for Dolan? A live remote broadcast of his weekly KGRA radio show from James Gilliland's ECETI Ranch in Rainier, WA?

There's not enough honesty, transparency, or truth-tellers in this so-called field of "ufology" and all the attendant blogs, podcasts and radio shows. More people with public platforms need to call these people out, by name, for what they are - modern day P.T. Barnums. There IS a sucker born every minute and many of them seemingly get sucked in to these fact-free tales spun by unscrupulous fantasists looking for a quick buck and some notoriety. I know Greg Bishop, whom I highly respect, might take exception, given his "Do Not Engage" (© 2016 Greg Bishop) mantra but the layperson out there surfing the interwebs and listening to podcasts trying to find answers to these mysteries need some guidance. Otherwise it could take years for a person to learn enough about who is credible and who isn't to make better choices for where they get their information. ThirdPhaseOf Moon and SecureTeam10's relative success show how easily people are duped.

As for James Fox, I don't know enough about him other than to say I watched his documentary and found it compelling. His participation in the abomination that was "Chasing UFOs," a tv series only exceeded in its exploitive nature and terribleness by MUFON's "Hangar 1," was something I know he disavowed after-the-fact, but that's more than many do. I mean, I have yet to hear anyone from MUFON criticize the Hangar 1 series, and I've heard many support it. Fox's option of walking away mid-production, only to risk being sued, makes me give him a soft pass for his involvement. I often chuckle and shake my head when The Paracast repeatedly runs the "This is James Fox from Chasing UFOs" bumper in between show segments, as they have for years. I think it's time to retire that one, Gene. Paul's revelation that Fox left him some aggressive and threatening Facebook posts is definitely unfortunate. Some people apparently have thinner skin than others.

Great shows this week, both The Paracast and ATP. I know Paul gets grumpy talking about UFOs and is now employed as a full-time professional ghost hunter and subsequent producer of a ghost hunting show, but I hope he can occasionally find the time and the intestinal fortitude to come back to The Paracast, OK let's be honest, come back to After The Paracast where he can truly cut loose, and continue to share his uncensored thoughts and experiences with the listening audience about any topic currently holding his interest. One final comment, The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead" deluxe 3CD remastered reissue comes out October 20th, though I am sure Paul already knows this. My copy has been pre-ordered on Amazon for a month.

 

[Paul Kimball]

As for James Fox, I don't know enough about him other than to say I watched his documentary and found it compelling. His participation in the abomination that was "Chasing UFOs," a tv series only exceeded in its exploitive nature and terribleness by MUFON's "Hangar 1," was something I know he disavowed after-the-fact, but that's more than many do. I mean, I have yet to hear anyone from MUFON criticize the Hangar 1 series, and I've heard many support it. Fox's option of walking away mid-production, only to risk being sued, makes me give him a soft pass for his involvement. I often chuckle and shake my head when The Paracast repeatedly runs the "This is James Fox from Chasing UFOs" bumper in between show segments, as they have for years. I think it's time to retire that one, Gene. Paul's revelation that Fox left him some aggressive and threatening Facebook posts is definitely unfortunate. Some people apparently have thinner skin than others.

Great shows this week, both The Paracast and ATP. I know Paul gets grumpy talking about UFOs and is now employed as a full-time professional ghost hunter and subsequent producer of a ghost hunting show, but I hope he can occasionally find the time and the intestinal fortitude to come back to The Paracast, OK let's be honest, come back to After The Paracast where he can truly cut loose, and continue to share his uncensored thoughts and experiences with the listening audience about any topic currently holding his interest. One final comment, The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead" deluxe 3CD remastered reissue comes out October 20th, though I am sure Paul already knows this. My copy has been pre-ordered on Amazon for a month.

We'll have to agree to disagree about Fox, who I consider worse than Dolan. He's a professional (or claims to be one). He should never have agreed to do Chasing UFOs, and even when in production he had options other than just walking away - he could simply have refused to participate in things that he knew were bogus, like the nonsense in the Romanek episode. The worst thing that would have happened is that he gets fired, but better that than what resulted in the end. He went along, either for the money, or fame, or both, and sold out whatever integrity he might have had in the process. His claims of having been duped and his after-the-fact "trying to save his own ass" "confession" are the worst kind of non-apology.

But the threats were the final straw for me. My wife and I are both lawyers, and both worked for the RCMP years ago. She wanted me to call them and report the threats, which we take very seriously up here (especially when they come from a person in a country where seemingly everyone owns or has easy access to a gun). Fox is lucky that for once I didn't follow her advice.

Can't wait for TQID!

 

[Randall]

... But the threats were the final straw for me. My wife and I are both lawyers, and both worked for the RCMP years ago. She wanted me to call them and report the threats, which we take very seriously up here (especially when they come from a person in a country where seemingly everyone owns or has easy access to a gun). Fox is lucky that for once I didn't follow her advice.

I agree with your wife. I would have at least had the threat put on record with the local authorities. Who knows, maybe he'd eventually get flagged at a border crossing over it one day ( I dunno about you, but that would put wry smile on my face ). But I'm probably less tolerant than you are. I had to take formal steps once to get defamatory remarks removed from the James Randi Skeptics forum. The James Randi Foundation Board eventually distanced themselves from that forum, and I imagine it was in part due to the nasty way people were treated ( by certain people on both sides of some debates ).

 

[DaveM]

Richard Dolan is truly a sad case of what might have been. A few years back he decided to make Ufology his career. I have listened to a few of his podcasts of late. He now complains about he doesn't have health insurance because he can't afford it. Boo Hoo!

In order to make a living he has to attend ever UFO symposium available.

Unfortunately for him, he has his name associated with every crank researcher on the planet. He doesn't even realize (or care) that taking the stage with these people is a black mark on his career. These people are his friends, I heard him remark. Oh my!

Being onstage for the Roswell mummy affair has to be the low point for now. Most likely, if someone waves enough cash around, Dolan will be there to give his stamp of approval for another fiasco.

 

[Randall]

Richard Dolan is truly a sad case of what might have been ...

If Dolan is still living in Canada he has Health Insurance. What he might not have is dental coverage. I had to fork out a lot for dental earlier this year and couldn't help but wish it was covered here as part of the system. One of the things I've been criticized for is making a wide range of books and videos available on USI through the amazon affiliate program. I've maintained the position that merely having a catalog that includes titles that we know are contentious isn't bad because in order to be well informed about what is good and bad we need to have access to both.

So guilt by mere association isn't always fully substantiated. There's a murky grey area. I actually respect Dolan for trying to make a go of his publishing business, but I also resonate with your sentiments as well. Ultimately when it's all distilled down, Dolan still seems to come out more favorable than unfavorable, but cleaning off the stains from certain sandboxes he's played in isn't going to be easy. I wonder what he could do to redeem himself ( if anything ) ?

 

[DaveM]

Dolan probably figured out early on, writing UFO books doesn't pay. Publishing is more lucrative, but not by much. Dolan will be thought of in a positive light by the true believers.

When you associate yourself with bogus UFO speakers, don't be shocked when their stain wipes off on yourself.

 

[Randall]

... Publishing is more lucrative, but not by much. Dolan will be thought of in a positive light by the true believers.

What percentage of people who are into ufos would you say are actually true believers? I'm not sure. I don't think Dolan falls into the true believer category himself. But then again . Here's how I'm looking at the phrase "true believer": True-believer syndrome - Wikipedia

 

[DaveM]

What percentage of people who are into ufos would you say are actually true believers? I'm not sure. I don't think Dolan falls into the true believer category himself. But then again . Here's how I'm looking at the phrase "true believer": True-believer syndrome - Wikipedia

If we are talking about attendees to UFO symposiums, I would guess a large majority are believers in ‘the space brothers.’ These people are attending to have their beliefs reinforced. Dolan may not be a true believer, but you can bet he plays to the crowd who come and listen to him.

 

[Thomas R Morrison]

The latest Paracast with Paul Kimball was really interesting and provocative – especially the first half or so when everyone was fully engaged and bringing their A game. It reminded me of hearing a couple of interviews with Dr. Barry Taff back in the 90s (which still fascinate me).

So I had a fun thought about ghosts and hauntings, which I honestly haven’t taken very seriously before because I’ve always assumed that it’s a psychological phenomenon of some kind.

We usually tend to think of our consciousness as just that: unique and solitary, like the brain itself. But what if “our consciousness” participates in another realm, a sea of consciousness, populated by all of the sources of consciousness in the universe (perhaps even very rudimentary forms)? We might find that some universal field, perhaps the hypothesized field of quantum vacuum energy, acts as a “carrier signal” for thought/consciousness, conveying information that only appears as a stochastic background in terms of energy and momentum, but is in fact encoded with a signal by the two-way “consciousness radio” of the brain – a kind of “frequency modulation” in this analogy, that we haven’t yet learned to tune in to with our technology.

Maybe that chill that people feel in a “ghost” experience, is simply a sensation generated in the brain when we suddenly stimulate that part of our brain which has a stronger coupling to this universal field of consciousness, which could explain why disturbances happen around people in that type of excited state. And maybe this experience tends to happen in certain places because certain scents or lighting conditions or acoustic profiles or other environmental factors at that location tend to stimulate this region of the brain. It would be interesting to take active brain scans of people in a place that’s often associated with haunting. An EEG might be sufficient for an experiment, but with an active brain imaging scan we could probably locate the precise region(s) of the brain that might be activated under the right “haunting” conditions. And perhaps we could learn to better control this area of the brain using an “active brain scan biofeedback system” with participants in an experiment. We should probably pick really nice people though, because you don’t want to end up with a telekinetic jerk on your hands.

So in sequence a haunting experience could play out like this:

1.) We enter an environment where certain factors stimulate a normally quiescent region of the brain (and if this happens suddenly it feels like a chill).

2.) We associate the chill we feel, with being uncomfortable, and that induces anxiety so our subconscious mind “broadcasts” this sense of anxiety into this field of consciousness.

3.) This signal in the background field that we assume is random, then actually physically influences the matter in the area, perhaps by reducing the level of entropy in the “carrier signal” of the background field. It would be interesting to see if there’s any variation in the nuclear decay rate of unstable isotopes during a haunting experience, or some other kind of randomized timing event.

4.) We respond to the noise or other form of disturbance with an even more heightened sense of tension, creating a kind of feedback loop between the sense of dread/fear and the power of the disturbances that our own consciousness is producing the area.

And perhaps there are highly evolved forms of intelligence, far beyond our own, that can interact with us through this brain/field coupling mechanism, and some of the most exotic paranormal experiences are an effort to communicate with us at a level that we’re not advanced enough to understand. I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of what I think of as the “intrepid Solaris effect,” where some advanced form of consciousness is reaching out to us through this undiscovered field of consciousness, and confusing the hell out of us by making contact with our minds in the form of personal experiences that defy our comprehension.

Just having fun kicking ideas around here - a good Paracast episode can have that effect on people ;

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Paul ,you should've gone to the Redcaps and death threats are not a joking matter anytime,

 

[Randall]

... I had a fun thought about ghosts and hauntings, which I honestly haven’t taken very seriously before because I’ve always assumed that it’s a psychological phenomenon of some kind. ...

Exactly. If we stick to how virtually every dictionary defines ghosts and hauntings ( dead people in some afterlife ), then that situation can only be a psychological interpretation. Therefore using "Ghost" or "Haunting" in a title cannot help but reinforce that nonsensical interpretation. I find that a bit ironic considering the criticism on the show about other people reinforcing nonsensical beliefs. But then again, what sort of label could be used that doesn't carry all the frontloading and still be as marketable as ghosts? PSI Factor did pretty well with 88 episodes over four seasons.

But what if ...

Fabulously imaginative! You could build an entertaining paranormal fiction plot around that idea.