Explaining away the Paranormal

Shape-shifting is the belief that it is possible to alter one's body shape into that of some other form of being. Castaneda allegedly turned into a crow. Werewolves would be another example of shape-shifters. The concept makes a lot of sense in that we are all (animals, plants, etc.) beings of energy. Although energy can neither be created nor destroyed, according to Einstein, energy can be changed from one form into another. (Rub your palms together: mechanical energy is converted into heat energy). Since energy can change forms, and all beings are energy, it is quite logical that beings can take on the appearance of other beings.

In addition to werewolves, vampires are noted for their shape-shifting abilities, being able to change into a bat shape, into myst, into wolves, or into some other form of animal. Much of the origin of vampire folklore, by the way, comes from the process of decomposition of the human body. Hundreds of years ago no one knew the process in any detail. Bodies were also buried often without coffins or with plain wood coffins. These tended to decay, causing the ground to slump in. Sometimes in the process of body decay part of the body, such as an arm, would then manage to work its way above the surface of the ground, usually due to ground slippage or bloating of the body caused by gases produced by bacteria that were busily eating away the human flesh.

Obviously, if a hand was found it indicated that someone was trying to escape their grave, probably the victim of a vampire that was turning into a vampire himself or herself.

The human abdomen can also swell to such an extent during decomposition that it can actually explode, hence the tales of strange noises heard in the past in cemeteries.

In some cases blood can remain liquid, so a body that was dug up and staked (not real long after burial) could still spout some blood when the stake was driven through the heart. Gases produced by decomposition at the same time would be forced up through the throat's vocal cords; hence, the scream of the staked vampire.

The historical Vlad Tepes, with his habit of impaling anyone he didn't happen to approve of, contributed his fair share to the legends, thanks mainly to Bram Stoker and his quite well researched book on Transylvania. There are a number of books on the historical Vlad Tepes and they make for absolutely fascinating, albeit gruesome, reading.

And herein lies another problem in dealing with spirituality. There are logical explanations of many of the "strange" occurrences that are witnessed. Most UFO reports are really quite common objects that are either mistaken or seen under unusual circumstances. Vampire legends, as noted above, had their origins in what is now the well-understood process of human decay. Some ghosts and other spirits are actually the result of some form of hallucination induced perhaps by drugs, alcohol, or some other process.

Yet me must keep in mind that because some alleged supernatural events have quite logical and scientific explanations does not then automatically mean that all such events can be explained. For example, anywhere from seven percent to maybe twenty percent or so of the UFO sightings are not explained, despite solid scientific studies of the events. Some major work is now being done on ghost sightings, involving the use of extremely expensive and sensitive scientific equipment. If this ends up producing some noticeable result, then it will be interesting to see how the skeptics will come up with yet another rationalization of their position that, "it does not exist because it is impossible and cannot exist."

One major lesson we need to learn in spiritual work is to keep an open mind about all things. Don't close ourselves off to possibilities, no matter how odd and unlikely they may appear at first. Base your judgment on good knowledge, application of logic, careful thought, and a willingness to accept what the experts deem is "impossible".