THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
February 24, 2019
www.theparacast.com
Explore Amazing Paranormal Encounters with Michael Grosso on The Paracast
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! So act now! Check out Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio for more details about The Paracast+.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Randall introduce paranormal author/researcher Michael Grosso. During this episode, he'll focus on a variety of strange experiences including levitation and ghosts. He is affiliated with the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is on the Board of Directors of the American Philosophical Practitioner’s Association, and is a past editor of the journal for that association. His published books include "The Final Choice: Playing the Survival Game" (1985); "Frontiers of the Soul: Exploring Psychic Evolution" (1992), "The Millennium Myth: Love and Death at the End of Time" (1995), "Soulmaking: Uncommon Paths to Self-Understandin"g (1997), and "Experiencing the Next World Now" (2004).
J. Randall Murphy's Ufology Society International: Ufology Society International (USI) - Explore the UFO Phenomenon
Michael Grosso's Blog: Consciousness Unbound
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on February 24: In which Gene and Randall discuss the appearance of paranormal author and researcher Michael Grosso on The Paracast, an episode that turned out to be unexpectedly controversial. The discussion focuses on reports of levitation, and the possible causes of such phenomena. Mass hypnosis? A stage magician's stunt? The intervention of higher beings? Gene comes up with a not-so-novel suggestion about the cause of some paranormal phenomena. You’ll also hear about some new Paracast forum modifications that will improve your experiences.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Check out our new YouTube channel at: The Official Paracast Channel
Making Too Much of Nothing Special
By Gene Steinberg
Over the years, I haven’t been as “lucky” as some of you in having a variety of paranormal experiences. I’ve mentioned a few possibilities in my columns, but I didn’t come away with the feeling that I had truly confronted the unknown.
Take a possible UFO sighting when I was a teenager. I saw an unusual cloud formation that a friend, Larry, insisted must be a UFO. He went around for several years proclaiming his great luck, that we’d seen a genuine spaceship, until I forced him to submit to a dose of reality.
“It was just a cloud!” I told him emphatically. He tried to protest for a moment, and grew silent. But my attempt to set things straight did spoil our friendship, and I didn’t talk to him much after that.
On another occasion, it was early evening in Brooklyn, NY. I saw a bright light in the distant sky that appeared to be moving slowly, until it suddenly turned away at a distinctly higher rate of speed.
“Aha! this is it!” I thought. But when I considered the details, I realized it was just an airplane. Living near the flight path of two airports, it was obvious that they’d show up quite frequently. In this case, the unusual way it reflected light appeared, at first glance, to indicate something possibly unworldly.
I should be so lucky.
In 1975, I helped sponsor the National UFO Conference in Valley Forge, PA. I was busily engaged in the business of managing and hosting the event with my ex-wife Geneva, and an associate with whom I had a falling out the following year. Well, that’s a story for another time.
In any case, several of my nearby friends came to show their support, and maybe help out a little. That night, they told me that they did see a UFO, while I was otherwise occupied.
But it wasn’t the first time that I missed out on a UFO encounter.
In 1997, I spent most of my weekdays writing computer books and magazine articles. UFOs and other strange phenomena weren’t on the radar. On March 13th, I noted, in passing, that it was my late brother Wally’s birthday.
The next day, I read about the Phoenix Lights in the Arizona Republic. But I didn’t pay too much attention to the reports until The Paracast debuted in 2006.
I suppose I could have made something of the relatively mundane experiences I’ve had, and there might be one or two that I might elevate to the unknown category that I’ve reported on previously. But I haven’t tried to reach so far as to make something perfectly normal into something strange and unknown.
I thought about that when I considered the appearance of paranormal author/researcher Michael Grosso on the February 24th episode of The Paracast.
During the course of an interview that turned unexpectedly controversial for reasons you’ll discover when you listen to the episode, Dr. Grosso spoke of an incident in which he claimed to have been attacked by a ghost!
For a brief moment, talk of being engulfed in its ghastly presence brought to mind some of the scenes in the original 1984 “Ghostbusters” film.
While I held my tongue as the incident was described, the fact that Dr. Grosso couldn’t move when the ghost invaded his space seemed to indicate that it was nothing more than a case of sleep paralysis. When this alleged apparition appeared, he was in a supposedly haunted house, and it’s quite possible he went to sleep and had a not-unexpected nightmare.
To him, however, it was a big deal. He had faced the unknown and come out of it not the worse for wear, more or less. There was, of course, a good story to tell, and maybe that influenced his decision to accept it as possibly real.
Now I suppose I could add a few choice details to some of my experiences and present them as significant paranormal encounters. Take the time Geneva and I were asleep on a mattress downstairs in the two-story apartment we rented in Coatesville, PA. I can’t recall the date other than that it was in the early 1970s.
Sometime early in the morning, she woke me up and told me she had seen a “water elemental” sliding across the room. At first I saw nothing; I am quite myopic without glasses or contact lenses. But after a brief moment, it did seem that I saw something faint on the other side of the room.
In short order, it was gone. I went back to sleep and have only thought about it occasionally over the years. Last time I mentioned it to Geneva, she didn’t even remember that it happened.
Or maybe I was never awakened. It all took place in a dream!
Perhaps I’m lacking something, which is the common tendency to elaborate upon personal experiences over the years and provide rich new details. Maybe I’m just a practical and logical Virgo, and I don’t attempt to stretch my imagination when it’s not called for.
I’d rather be realistic about the whole thing. Perhaps, if I talked about these incidents with a fellow researcher, I might remember a few telltale details that would put them in the class of unknown events.
Take those terrifying nightmares that I suffered from over a period of several weeks in my preteen years while living in a Brooklyn brownstone. Around that time, I recall walking around the neighborhood and sometimes smelling the foul odor of what I later interpreted to be burnt sulphur. It wasn’t there all the time, just occasionally, and then it was gone.
Now I suppose there was a perfectly rational explanation of some sort, perhaps the result of something being done by a construction crew welding some pipes together. It seemed something was always being built in those days.
Sure, the fumes from welding don’t exactly fit the burnt sulphur category, and they can be noxious if frequently inhaled. I’m probably just reaching here for some answers.
Considering my line of work, I could easily embellish such experiences and turn them into something truly paranormal. If I were writing fiction, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But I have too much respect for factual reporting to get involved in that game.
Copyright 1999-2019 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
February 24, 2019
www.theparacast.com
Explore Amazing Paranormal Encounters with Michael Grosso on The Paracast
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! So act now! Check out Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio for more details about The Paracast+.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Randall introduce paranormal author/researcher Michael Grosso. During this episode, he'll focus on a variety of strange experiences including levitation and ghosts. He is affiliated with the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is on the Board of Directors of the American Philosophical Practitioner’s Association, and is a past editor of the journal for that association. His published books include "The Final Choice: Playing the Survival Game" (1985); "Frontiers of the Soul: Exploring Psychic Evolution" (1992), "The Millennium Myth: Love and Death at the End of Time" (1995), "Soulmaking: Uncommon Paths to Self-Understandin"g (1997), and "Experiencing the Next World Now" (2004).
J. Randall Murphy's Ufology Society International: Ufology Society International (USI) - Explore the UFO Phenomenon
Michael Grosso's Blog: Consciousness Unbound
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on February 24: In which Gene and Randall discuss the appearance of paranormal author and researcher Michael Grosso on The Paracast, an episode that turned out to be unexpectedly controversial. The discussion focuses on reports of levitation, and the possible causes of such phenomena. Mass hypnosis? A stage magician's stunt? The intervention of higher beings? Gene comes up with a not-so-novel suggestion about the cause of some paranormal phenomena. You’ll also hear about some new Paracast forum modifications that will improve your experiences.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Check out our new YouTube channel at: The Official Paracast Channel
Making Too Much of Nothing Special
By Gene Steinberg
Over the years, I haven’t been as “lucky” as some of you in having a variety of paranormal experiences. I’ve mentioned a few possibilities in my columns, but I didn’t come away with the feeling that I had truly confronted the unknown.
Take a possible UFO sighting when I was a teenager. I saw an unusual cloud formation that a friend, Larry, insisted must be a UFO. He went around for several years proclaiming his great luck, that we’d seen a genuine spaceship, until I forced him to submit to a dose of reality.
“It was just a cloud!” I told him emphatically. He tried to protest for a moment, and grew silent. But my attempt to set things straight did spoil our friendship, and I didn’t talk to him much after that.
On another occasion, it was early evening in Brooklyn, NY. I saw a bright light in the distant sky that appeared to be moving slowly, until it suddenly turned away at a distinctly higher rate of speed.
“Aha! this is it!” I thought. But when I considered the details, I realized it was just an airplane. Living near the flight path of two airports, it was obvious that they’d show up quite frequently. In this case, the unusual way it reflected light appeared, at first glance, to indicate something possibly unworldly.
I should be so lucky.
In 1975, I helped sponsor the National UFO Conference in Valley Forge, PA. I was busily engaged in the business of managing and hosting the event with my ex-wife Geneva, and an associate with whom I had a falling out the following year. Well, that’s a story for another time.
In any case, several of my nearby friends came to show their support, and maybe help out a little. That night, they told me that they did see a UFO, while I was otherwise occupied.
But it wasn’t the first time that I missed out on a UFO encounter.
In 1997, I spent most of my weekdays writing computer books and magazine articles. UFOs and other strange phenomena weren’t on the radar. On March 13th, I noted, in passing, that it was my late brother Wally’s birthday.
The next day, I read about the Phoenix Lights in the Arizona Republic. But I didn’t pay too much attention to the reports until The Paracast debuted in 2006.
I suppose I could have made something of the relatively mundane experiences I’ve had, and there might be one or two that I might elevate to the unknown category that I’ve reported on previously. But I haven’t tried to reach so far as to make something perfectly normal into something strange and unknown.
I thought about that when I considered the appearance of paranormal author/researcher Michael Grosso on the February 24th episode of The Paracast.
During the course of an interview that turned unexpectedly controversial for reasons you’ll discover when you listen to the episode, Dr. Grosso spoke of an incident in which he claimed to have been attacked by a ghost!
For a brief moment, talk of being engulfed in its ghastly presence brought to mind some of the scenes in the original 1984 “Ghostbusters” film.
While I held my tongue as the incident was described, the fact that Dr. Grosso couldn’t move when the ghost invaded his space seemed to indicate that it was nothing more than a case of sleep paralysis. When this alleged apparition appeared, he was in a supposedly haunted house, and it’s quite possible he went to sleep and had a not-unexpected nightmare.
To him, however, it was a big deal. He had faced the unknown and come out of it not the worse for wear, more or less. There was, of course, a good story to tell, and maybe that influenced his decision to accept it as possibly real.
Now I suppose I could add a few choice details to some of my experiences and present them as significant paranormal encounters. Take the time Geneva and I were asleep on a mattress downstairs in the two-story apartment we rented in Coatesville, PA. I can’t recall the date other than that it was in the early 1970s.
Sometime early in the morning, she woke me up and told me she had seen a “water elemental” sliding across the room. At first I saw nothing; I am quite myopic without glasses or contact lenses. But after a brief moment, it did seem that I saw something faint on the other side of the room.
In short order, it was gone. I went back to sleep and have only thought about it occasionally over the years. Last time I mentioned it to Geneva, she didn’t even remember that it happened.
Or maybe I was never awakened. It all took place in a dream!
Perhaps I’m lacking something, which is the common tendency to elaborate upon personal experiences over the years and provide rich new details. Maybe I’m just a practical and logical Virgo, and I don’t attempt to stretch my imagination when it’s not called for.
I’d rather be realistic about the whole thing. Perhaps, if I talked about these incidents with a fellow researcher, I might remember a few telltale details that would put them in the class of unknown events.
Take those terrifying nightmares that I suffered from over a period of several weeks in my preteen years while living in a Brooklyn brownstone. Around that time, I recall walking around the neighborhood and sometimes smelling the foul odor of what I later interpreted to be burnt sulphur. It wasn’t there all the time, just occasionally, and then it was gone.
Now I suppose there was a perfectly rational explanation of some sort, perhaps the result of something being done by a construction crew welding some pipes together. It seemed something was always being built in those days.
Sure, the fumes from welding don’t exactly fit the burnt sulphur category, and they can be noxious if frequently inhaled. I’m probably just reaching here for some answers.
Considering my line of work, I could easily embellish such experiences and turn them into something truly paranormal. If I were writing fiction, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But I have too much respect for factual reporting to get involved in that game.
Copyright 1999-2019 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!