• Three people walking on snow.
    Contributed Articles,  Research,  Spirituality

    The Third Man Factor

    The phenomenon known as “the third man factor” is truly remarkable. And its bizarre occurrence seems to parallel what my good friend Maxim W. Furek chronicled in his book Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle & Music. After I passed this along to him, he was inspired to dive deeper and write something that I think you will find just as fascinating. –Justin

    Person standing in front of trees in a foggy environment.
    Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

    Davey Fellin and The Third Man Factor

    By Maxim W. Furek
    Contributor to Normal Paranormal

    In 1963, the entire world was gripped by the human drama unfolding in a  remote Pennsylvania coal mine.

    After being rescued from the Sheppton mine, Davey Fellin testified that Pope John XXIII was with him and Hank Throne during their two-week ordeal. But what the miners saw has been at the center of ongoing controversy. The Pope’s specter has been alternately described as both a miracle, as attested to by Vatican scholars, as well as a collective hallucination.

    But could there be other theories to explain the Pope’s ghostly visitation, and, if so, what might those look like?

  • The Conjuring 2
    Commentary,  Parapsychology,  Research

    The Enfield Poltergeist and the Warrens

    I’ve always been fascinated by the Enfield poltergeist, which Ed and Lorraine Warren briefly investigated, as popularized in The Conjuring 2. But coming across any of their work on the case proves rather challenging. That was until I came across this video filmed on August 1, 2013. It comes courtesy of Tony Spera, who has taken charge of sharing the Warren legacy.

    If you’re already familiar with the Enfield case, you probably know that Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair were the chief investigators that did most of the legwork on it. Much of Grosse and Playfair’s research is accessible and reveals some equally fascinating, albeit disturbing, evidence.

    Yet, there are things that Lorraine Warren and John Kenyhercz reveal in their conversation with Spera that I hadn’t heard about. Here are some of the key takeaways from it…

  • Parapsychology,  Research,  Ufology

    The Sixth Observable of UAP

    When Luis “Lue” Elizondo worked for the AATIP program, he outlined five observables, which he noted as commonly associated with UFOs or UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena). But there is also a little known, sixth observable that Elizondo seldom mentions and his old team was more than reluctant to talk about.

    The five basics include:

    • Anti-Gravity Lift
      • Or the ability to overcome the earth’s gravity with no visible means of propulsion. These objects also lack any flight surfaces on them, such as conventional wings.
    • Sudden and Instantaneous Acceleration
      • These objects can accelerate or change direction on a dime with a g-force that would generally crush a human pilot.
    • Hypersonic Velocities without Signatures
      • Conventional aircraft typically leave vapor trails or sonic booms when traveling faster than the speed of sound, but these objects do not.
    • Low Observability or Cloaking
      • The objects may be visible to the naked eye but are sometimes undetected through radar or other means. They can also blink in and out of view and sometimes even appear to alter their shape.
    • Trans-Medium Travel
      • Contrary to popular belief that these objects only fly in the earth’s atmosphere, they can also move quickly in and out of different environments, including outer space and water bodies.

    And, the sixth observable—biological effects brought on by the phenomenon.

  • Park lights illuminate the sidewalk on a dark night.
    Commentary,  Research

    The Issue with Anonymous Sources

    In 2014, this grainy photo made its way around the Internet. The curious image caused quite a stir as it appeared to show a bizarre creature on the side of the road.

    According to KRQE in New Mexico…

    The person who posted it claimed it was taken near Lybrook and Counselor, which is near the Jicarilla reservation.

    The story claims that a geologist was working in an oil field in the area and saw something odd and decided to take a heat signature of it. The next day, the geologist suddenly quit.

    The story spread like wildfire with people on social media saying, “seriously freaking out,” “yikes … I’m driving through there tomorrow,” and “skinwalker!”

    Source: KRQE
  • MIB looking down
    Interviews,  Commentary,  Non-Human Entities,  Research,  The Spectrum,  Ufology

    Going to the Source of the Strangeness

    Recently, I did an interview for the API Case Files Podcast with its host, Marsha Barnhart. In the interview, we talk about my research into the Men in Black and other areas of high strangeness, which I chronicle in my book “The Spectrum.”

    Click here for the full podcast interview.

    Marsha was someone I initially contacted about a 2008-09 case that she investigated for the Aerial Phenomena Investigations (API) team. Even though it’s a multifaceted case, it’s probably best known for containing surveillance footage of two purported Men in Black (MIB) entering a hotel lobby in search of the manager at the heart of the case.

    The clip showing these MIB caught on camera went viral soon after both Coast to Coast AM and BuzzFeed picked up on API’s case report.

  • Commentary,  Cryptozoology,  Investigating,  Research

    Early Testimony is Key in Paranormal Reporting

    The ability of the human mind to recollect events can be a powerful tool. It is also an inevitably faulty tool. This is why it’s critical for the investigator of high strangeness to acquire and document eyewitness testimony early on. The witness (and even the investigator) can become easily influenced by internal and external forces that alter the initial observation over time.

    An example of this can be found in the varied descriptions of the infamous Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV from 1966-67.

  • Demonology,  Education,  Investigating,  Research

    An Interview with the Late Lou Gentile

    Though I never knew him personally, I came across a fascinating interview with the late Lou Gentile the other day. It was recorded in 2004 with a host named “James.” The conversation featured Gentile’s views on demonology, poltergeists, and general hauntings.

    Gentile was not only an HVAC professional by trade but also an experienced demonologist and radio talk show host by night. Here is his interview, along with some important points I took away from it, after the break…