The minute that someone believes that they may be enduring paranormal events it is time to grab a pen and paper. It is not necessary to use anything extravagant when journaling the paranormal – an ordinary composition notebook will do quite well for journaling. What’s more important is the content that is included in a journal about paranormal experiences. The more details one provides within a journal’s contents, the better the journal will serve the individual when attempting to piece together what is occurring.
It is preferable that an individual document strange events immediately: the moment such events start to occur. Unfortunately, human nature does not always allow that to happen. When paranormal events begin to happen, the events are often small or truly questionable. The individual that experiences the said events therefore either brushes the events aside, writes the events off to the trick of the mind or eye, or easily rationalizes the events. Often times, it is not until the situation escalates that the individual becomes concerned enough to really pay attention to strange events. Even worse, the events either disturb or frighten the individual so much that they prefer not to think or reflect about the situation. Sometimes an individual feels like he or she is losing touch with reality, that his or her friends and family will mock them, or that they will become some sort of social outcast because they are enduring bizarre, unexplained experiences that no one else has experienced or is familiar with. Thus, much is lost in terms of documentation, which is later a detriment to researchers interested in examining the events that one is experiencing.
The paranormal journal should include the typical who, what, when, where, and how information one would include in a reported account, even if the reasons why something is happening may not be known. Human memory is faulty, and it is flawed: the more time that passes between the actual event and the documentation of the said event, the larger the likelihood that details will be forgotten or that one’s memory will unconsciously rewrite the experience. With a delay in documentation, unintentional confabulation may be the result of later reported paranormal experiences. Confabulation is the act of filling in gaps in one’s memory with fabrications that one comes to believe as being true or accepts as fact. It is not uncommon for someone to recall an event incorrectly or have skewed perceptions when attempting to recall an event that has occurred: especially one that is traumatic or shocking in nature. Therefore, the sooner the information is documented, the better.
When documenting who was involved in the experience, names, ages, and the individuals reactions to the event in question should be noted. Precisely what occurred should also be documented in great detail – where the event happened, the time of day, what was going on preceding the event as well as the reactions of the individuals that experienced the event, should be documented with as much precision as possible. Sounds, sensations, sightings, and feelings should be written down immediately after every experience. The more details offered the better recollection one will have of the experience when reviewing the documented material, and the easier it will be to piece together any patterns that might exist in terms of paranormal events.
It is important to document the timing of paranormal events to determine if an individual may be experiencing a time recording – an event that occurs repeatedly the same time every day, week, or year. The time that an event occurs may also later be connected to a traumatic event that occurred at a location at a certain time, or it can even sometimes indicate the nature of the activity in question. The time that a paranormal event occurs is critical in determining what kind of spirits one may or may not be dealing with. Repetitive events that occur in the late evening and in the early morning hours can cause broken sleep and sleep deprivation, which can be an indication that a spirit or entity is attempting to weaken the will and resolve of an individual.
The moon phase should be noted as well, if it is known, when journaling the paranormal. In Solar-Periodic Full Moon Effect in the Fourmilab RetroPsychoKinesis Project Experiment Data: An Exploratory Study, Eckhard Etzold asserts that there are more accidents when the moon is full and that there has long been a suggested correlation between the full moon and altered states of awareness or consciousness (233). Further, studies in the 1960s and 1970s have further revealed an increase in extrasensory abilities during the new and full moon (Etzold 233). The latter assertion suggests that an individual might be more likely to have a paranormal experience or to witness paranormal events during the new or full moon phases.
The weather may also play a role in the occurrence of paranormal activity. It is possible that storms generate energies that make it possible for spirits to more easily manifest and/or act. Studies have noted that there are more paranormal occurrences during the colder seasons and the winter months than at any other time of the year; this could be due to the fact that when it is colder, it is easier to convert from one form of energy to another and therefore, manifestations are more possible. The winter months are also the “dark time” of the year – the period of the year when the days are shorter and the nights are longer. Finally, humidity also plays a role in certain paranormal events, and if possible, should be noted. Frequently, a lower humidity has been noted at locations where paranormal activity occurs.
The benefit of journaling the paranormal can be derived, not only during the journaling experience, but after as well. At minimum, journaling gives the individual a small amount of immediate relief – a safe, non-biased outlet for expressing feelings brought on by unexplained events. Later on, should the individual decide to contact a researcher or group to look into the unexplained events in question, the individual will be able to offer the researcher or group clear, concise documentation related to all of the occurrences he or she is experiencing. With more precise information, it helps researchers to better determine what might be the cause of questionable or paranormal activity.
Works Cited
Etzold, Eckhard. "Solar-Periodic Full Moon Effect in the Fourmilab RetroPsychoKinesis Project
Experiment Data: An Exploratory Study." The Journal of Parapsychology 69.2 (2005): 233+.
© 2008. Dayna Winters and Patricia Gardner. All Rights Reserved.
