Things pg 4 3-4-10
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By Don Spaeth
What is it that makes some people Believers?
My wife, Pam, thinks there may be a “Faith gene” involved. Some people are born with it, others aren’t. Believers tend to accept things on faith—not necessarily religious faith, but a more open, less filtered belief system. Those of us with less trusting natures need to see or experience something to believe in it. We need proof.
Yes is a powerful, positive, wide-open word. I love Yes. But my life experience has taught me that No is often the correct response to certain proposed beliefs. No sometimes takes more courage than Yes. But all this talk of Yes and No is based on peoples’ life experiences and learning. If you’ve looked behind the curtain and seen the little man pretending to be the Wizard, your view of the world changes. You become less trustful. The opposite also applies. Maybe you’ve been to Scotland and watched a giant sea creature swim down Loch Ness. That would certainly open the gates of my mind.
But as far as The Paranormal World is concerned I’m going with No. For many reasons. Why do we not hear about constant ghost sightings in places like Gettysburg, Hiroshima or Auschwitz — to name only a few? But that’s not really the point. The point is that there are people who, in the face of strong, contradictory evidence, continue investigating, continue hunting spirits or ghosts or evidence of life after death. Bill and Christine LeClair and their associates at CTPRT go out most weekends looking for evidence of paranormal activity. These people interest me because they live their lives with open minds and Hope. And of all the powerful words I know, Hope is always near the top of the list. I may not believe the ghost stories, but I admire the courage of the LeClairs who, fueled by “passion” and Hope, go out into the night looking for a glimpse of that land beyond Death.
Christine LeClair was raised by her grandparents and was particularly close to her grandfather. She was 14 when he died. As she put it, her world “collapsed.” Most of us know that feeling and it is terrifying. A complete loss of control. People or things you believed in and depended on desert you, leaving you alone, vulnerable and frightened. After his death Christine would hear her grandfather’s voice calling her. Just his voice calling “Christine.” Not terrifying. Odd, certainly, but not frightening. Then objects began to move in the house. One day grandpa’s favorite ashtray slid across a table and fell to the floor while Christine and her grandmother watched. As suddenly as these paranormal activities began, they stopped. When her mother died at home 18 year old Christine and her younger sisters would watch a bodily indentation form in their mother’s chair, as if an invisible body were sitting there with the girls. Christine began attending seminars on the paranormal and eventually met and married Bill. Together they formed their paranormal investigative team, CTPRT.
What makes a person a Believer? Is it how we were raised? Is it personal experience? Is it a natural tendency to believe that life is filled with mysteries that can be solved? Is it a need to control the uncontrollable? A dear friend of mine who believes in and lectures on reincarnation attributes his belief to how he was raised and to certain experiences he’s had.
So, I suppose nature, nurture and experience play a large role in whether we become Believers or Non-Believers. But I also feel that there is an element of mystery in our lives that can never be explained.
I’ve enjoyed my investigation of the local paranormal scene through the narrow lens of Connecticut Paranormal Research Team. This team spends approximately $1,600 a month on expenses and invests well over 100 hours a month in investigations, research and review of evidence. And, as the business card states, “Investigations 100% Free of Charge”. What a wonderful combination of youthful energy, hope and purity of purpose.
Don Spaeth is a retired English teacher and Woodstock resident. His blogs appear at: Across The Wide World.blogspot.com