UFO and Ghost documentation

[XFLexiconMatt]

Hi Everyone,

There are several here who might find this interesting.

New XF Lexicon Blog Entry

It demonstrates how UFO Photos and Ghost sighting videos can be hoaxes. This was neatly a month in the making and so I'm rather pleased with it. Probably the most indulgently creative piece I've done, and probably the last indulgent effort for a while. Enjoy!

[ethsnafu]

A great article Matt and one which taps into a fundamental problem I have these days with the ever increasing swathes of evidence of the paranormal. In this day and age of photo manipulation, digital manipulation and much more besides, how can we trust the evidence placed before us?

Many of the greatest examples of historical paranormal phenomena have proven to be hoaxes. With regards to Nessie, the famous "The Surgeon's Photograph" (which pretty much heralded the resurgence of the legend of Nessie) has been proven to be nothing more than a piece of wood with a sculpted, serpentine head. Similarly, other widely celebrated examples of conclusive paranormal evidence have been exposed as fakes: The Cottingley Fairies, The Alien Autopsy, The Piltdown Man, The Feejee Mermaid, The Cardiff Giant and on and on are all fantastic examples of a creative mind and nothing more.

Considering we don't have to go to the considerable lengths that Barnum did when forging his latest paranormal evidence, almost anyone can create convincing evidence of the paranormal from the confines of their own home and with virtually no expense incurred.

If you, like me, frequent Youtube on a regular basis to see what the latest is from 'the world of the weird' you will have no doubt noticed that a veritable slew of new videos appear daily with such lurid descriptions as 'mexican flying witch', 'alien shipeshifter hovers above car' and so on. For the most part it is non too politely pointed out to the uploader that these witches and aliens are often plastic bags blowing in the wind or a child's kite running amok but even the convincing entries are immediately shouted down as 'photoshop'. You see, the word 'photoshop' in paranormal circles has come to mean the same as the word 'fake'.

My fear is that even if John Doe captured a 'mexican flying witch' on video then some bright spark would immediately be around to demonstrate how such a thing can be easily created using nothing more than a digital editing program and a creative mind.

Pictures and videos of paranormal phenomena are so last year methinks. If the truth is out there, the only way we will ever believe it is to hold it in our hands.

Eth

[Sigil]

Eth, you cut right through it and say clearly something that should have been way more obvious (at least to me). There is little differentiation between the brands of paranormal out there. That is, they are all maters of faith. Whether it be a virgin birth, an alien abduction, parting the Red Sea or a healing at Lourdes, in the end this all becomes very personal, and impossible to prove. We know our evidence cold and we try to convert, but it will always be a matter of faith.

[ethsnafu]

Sigil,

I don't know if you have ever heard of this but there was a delightful documentary made by the BBC called Around The World In 80 Faiths. It was first broadcast by the BBC on 2 January 2009. The series was presented by the Anglican vicar, Pete Owen-Jones who researched the various faiths from around the world by taking part in 80 different expressions of religious belief. He took part in such diverse ceremonies as honouring the Death Saint Santa Muerte, celebrating with Gay Christian Churches, taking part in Wiccan and Pagan celebrations and discovering the rites and beliefs of newer world religions such as Rastafarianism and UFO Cults.

What was so inspiring about the series is that one would expect someone with such a firm religious conviction of his own to struggle in the presence of, and with the acceptance of, expressions of the divine contrary to his own doctrine. This was not the case at all. Rather than focus on that which differentiated the different belief systems he sought to see what unified and bonded them and, as you mentioned, he could see that faith is the currency of any religion and the trappings and superficial adornments are trivial things that, on the face of it, divide them. There were common truths and tenets to all the major and minor religions and he found a way to his own God through all of them be that casting cowry shells with Voodoo Mambos or singing in praise of our Alien Brothers. Inspiring stuff.

Mary McLeod Bethune: Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.

Eth

[XFLexiconMatt]

Thank you Ethsnafu, and Sigil:

These are delightful comments. When I try to offer objective, yet skeptical points such as this, believers in these areas tend to argue that I am being knee-jerk by making such points.

Please feel free to make similar comments on the actual blog, I really am hoping to get more comments posted in there and raise the queue. The more the better.

Thanks

Edited February 9, 2010 by XFLexiconMatt

[ethsnafu]

Hi Matt,

My pleasure, it was a great article and one which tapped into a Zeitgeist I have been riding for some time. To be honest, if I re-read my comments above it makes it appear that I am channelling my inner Scully but that isn't the case at all. In some areas I am a believer and in others not so much but it is undeniable that a youtube video here or a photograph there isn't going to elicit much support for your own world-view if you are a believer. As I mentioned, it is all too easy for sceptics to theorise how those videos and pictures might be created easily in the comfort of ones own home and that is the current landscape and the most significant thorn in the side of any serious paranormal investigator.

I'll head over to the blog this evening and share some opinions there unless people are sick of hearing me already

Eth