Save a Horse, Ride a Centaur...

More than a few of us have dated a jackass, but usually it's not something meant literally. Though to some, that idea just might be appealing. But in these instances, we hardly even consider the possibility that it could lead to a half-human newborn. It's simply impossible, right? Well, as bizarre as it may sound, some experts say that not only is it plausible, but it may be a real part of history for thousands of years.

In 2005, a study of approximately 5,000 rock paintings in South Africa and Australia dating as early as 30,000 BC by University of Cambridge anthropologist Christopher Chippendale and Dr. Paul Takon of the Australian Museum led the duo to a fascinating conclusion: primitive man lacked the imagination to paint what he could not see, therefore such creatures must have existed. In their new visualization of early man, our ancestors walked the earth alongside these half human beings, known collectively as therianthropes. They surmised that while the frequency and chance occurrence of such births would have been rare, the "beasts" from mythology most likely did exist.

The most famous examples come from Greek mythology. The centaur (from Ancient Greek Κένταυροι or Kéntauroi, meaning "piercing bull-stickers") was half-human, half-horse and is seen even today as an iconic image of mythical creatures, as well as the symbol of Sagittarius in astrology. Soldiers during ancient times would bring sheep and goats with them as both a source of food and sexual relief, since it was deemed less sinful than sleeping with a prostitute (my goodness, how times have changed). The Roman poet Juvenal even made mention that "Roman women often exposed their naked buttocks to tempt donkeys into sex contacts."

Well-respected scholars of the past, including the Italian lecturer and philosopher Fortunio Liceti, recorded several births of therianthropes (both born from humans and animals). Even in more recent history, mentions of half-human births were found in medical books of the 19th and 20th centuries. Although genetically-speaking, animals and humans vary only slightly, modern science held out for some time on the belief that interbreeding was even feasible, yet experiments are said to have resulted in successfully creating organisms with both human and animal cells.

So, could your next boyfriend be a centaur or girlfriend be the REAL cat-woman? Not very likely. Russian biologist Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov attempted such experiments during the 1920s and all his attempts were thwarted before his eventual exile to Almaty due to public outcry. Beastiality, even in the name of science, is seriously frowned upon by the general population. Yet who knows? Perhaps in some remote land, far from societal pressures and taboos, any one of us could very well find a four-legged, two armed man of our dreams who is quite literally hung like a horse.

Flair Apparent...

Some of you may be aware of recent news pertaining to a scientific contest of sorts, seeing what people think of submitted "ghost photographs". The study, led by psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman, allowed viewers to vote on which "supernatural" images were most convincing that ghosts exist. The winner was a ghostly image in a window of Tantallon Castle in Scotland. Another 30-year-old photo was later submitted showing a figure in approximately the same window by a different tourist. Both images appear to be unaltered.

But that's not why I mention all this. It's what a 'reporter' said about the whole thing that really made it interesting...

Leave it to ChristWire to bend reality askew and leave you thinking, "oh, no, she didn't..." An article posted on the site made a few absurd remarks that seemed all too appropriate for this blog:

"Of all pictures submitted, the one that troubled viewers the most was that of a gay spirit that was seen spooking about Tantallon Castle in Scotland. The specter’s sexual preference is obvious as it is wearing very flamboyant clothing, much like you would see a man in San Francisco. The photograph is said to be taken by a gentleman named Christopher Aitchison...

This photograph is scientifically verified as authentic and proves once again that gay spirits roam the Earth, and can lure people to the sinful traps of homosexuality."

Obviously, someone understands NOTHING about formal attire pre-1960. Haven't most people bothered to look at a painting of Shakespeare or glanced at a few woodcuts while being taught about medieval times? And then, there's the assumption that it's male and not female. But honestly, do those few hundred years before the earth and humanity were magically molded into shape by god almighty really matter?? It's as absurd as dinosaurs. Right? I mean, come on. Scientists really need to stop planting these frauds to put down Creationism...

As if we didn't have enough hassle from the Moral Minority when we're alive. Now, when we're dead, we're still trying to earn our toasters?? Oh yeah. That's right. We're supposedly possessed by demons anyway. I'm just glad the pope doesn't dress flamboyantly...

Oops. Nevermind. The ghost of Liberace called. He wants his wardrobe back.

Detector School Dropouts...

You're at a haunted location. You want to check to see if there might be a ghost around. So, what do you do? You whip out your trusty EMF meter. Why? Um... well... because everyone else does. As the old argument goes, "and if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you?"

EMF (a.k.a electromagnetic frequency, electromagnetic fluctuation) has become the must-have gadget for any "serious" investigator of paranormal phenomena. Most ghost hunters will tell you that these devices react to ghosts and spirits, which "give off higher readings" of electrical and magnetic energies. It's failproof and reliable. Right? Well, not really. But before you prepare the fire to burn me at the stake for "heretical nonsensical talk", take a moment to listen.

Our world is a noisy cacophony of electricity, magnetism, and waves (radiation, radio, round, microwaves, etc.), most of which we cannot see, hear, or sense. Some is man-made, some natural. If we could hear all the energy constantly around us, it might sound like rush hour traffic in New York City. And this is the world in which we try to fiddle with a Gauss meter (or EMF meter). Many people using these devices don't know what they're detecting. Cheap models cannot filter out natural energy from interference caused by our own technology. But to ask most investigators, they "work".

In reality, they don't. I'm sorry, but they don't. I don't even own one because I've experimented with them and found them about as useful in the pursuit of ghosts as a rubber ducky. Yes, they do indeed note fluctuations in energy on occasion, but in the chaos invisible to our senses, what's really happening? It is that power line or cell phone? Am I sitting on a meteorite? Or did the CIA just fly a covert plane overhead giving off powerful radio signals telling me to invest in the Bank of America? I just don't know.

The sad fact is there is no definitive correlation found between unexplained phenomena and EMF readings. Some say ghosts cause spikes. Others say powerful bursts of energy make us hallucinate. But each is just a guess. A thought. I've witnessed unexplainable sights, sounds, and smells while Gauss meters remained silent and inactive. I've seen them go wild while nothing out of the ordinary occurs. And you're trying to tell me that EMF and paranormal phenomena are connected? No, thank you; I'm not interested in that prime Florida swampland.

If I'm trying to pick up a toothpick, a magnet won't work no matter how hard I try. It doesn't mean the toothpick isn't there; it just means that the magnet isn't a valid method of detecting it. And that's largely how I view Gauss meters in the field. You'll pick up on something alright, but not a ghost. So, you say, what does work, you mean, cranky, pessimist? Well, I don't exactly know. That requires more experimentation. But we need to look beyond one possibility to make any headway. What about a Geiger counter, or a photometer?

And yes, there's a reason I suggest these gadgets. Research in telepathy, which might be related to "psychic experiences" and hauntings, has found that whatever mechanism is being used to convey information is not governed by electromagnetic principles. Psychometry works in shielded environs and Faraday cages. Whatever we're looking for lies outside the known particles, waves, etc. Perhaps it's like a photon, allowing it to be visible yet behave like a wave. Whatever the answer, it exists outside the box.

For an interesting piece of reading material, I suggest Steve Mizrach's The Superspectrum Hypothesis.

News That's Beyond Bizarre...

To end the week on an interesting note, here are some unusual stories from our weird world. And that's no hat trick...

The Whisperer and the Ghost...

Yes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, star of Ghost Whisperer, does believe in ghosts in real life. In fact, she recently had a conversation with her dead grandmother, thanks to psychic James Van Praagh. She told OK! Magazine, "She just wanted to say hello and tell me that she was looking out for me. It was really nice." I'm sure Hewitt was an easier audience for Van Praagh than Barbara Walters.

Please, No Pictures...

The hunt for Storsjöodjuret, the infamous lake monster of Sweden, continues. But there is one slight snag for cryptozoologists: cameras have been banned by the council from being used on the shores of Lake Storsjön. Under-water surveillance has passed through local ordinance four times, but if you're planning an impromptu jaunt with a digital, you had better think twice. Who needs evidence, anyway?

Those Bloody Lesbians...

Perth was shaken in 2006 by the slaying of a 16-year-old girl. The two assailants, Jessica Stasinowsky and her lover Valerie Parashmuti, both pleaded guilty this week to bludgeoning their roommate to death with a concrete block. Apparently, the deed turned them on and they proceeded to make out while standing over her body. Parashmuti, 19, belonged to a vampire cult which engaged in the ritualistic drinking of blood. Their motive? They thought the girl was "annoying" and believed she was flirting with the girls significant other. Thus perpetuating the belief that lesbians are tough, vicious creatures...

Was Darby O'Gill Delusional?

If you're seeing faeries outside of the nearest gay bar, you might be suffering from Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). British doctors estimate as many as 100,000 people in England may suffer from CBS. The disturbance causes hallucinations of people, objects, and even little winged human figures while the sufferer remains otherwise of sound mind. Scientists say it is caused by a lack of visual stimulation, not mental illness. Theories for ending CBS vary from stimulating the fingertips to holding your breath to (in extreme cases) medication. In the case of visual hallucinations of leprechauns, I might recommend looking for that pot of gold anyway...

Supernatural Spotlight: Dean Radin

The paranormal community constantly battles skepticism and doubt. Belief in anything which isn't widely accepted by both the scientific and academic worlds is met with criticism and doubt. Without definitive science, even weathered paranormal investigators can fall victim to disbelief and jaded outlooks.

So, you ask, is there anything that science can say to give us a glimmer of hope that the supernatural exists?

Don't ask me. Ask Dr. Dean Radin, Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

Radin, 14 (he was born on February 29), is a bona fide scientist with a doctorate in psychology. His work ranges from physics to research in consciousness. While he takes his work seriously and maintains a professional, scientific view of the world, he also believes there is more to parapsychology than we give credit.

At a spoon bending gathering in 2000, Radin experienced unusual malleability in the metal. Not content to simply bend a spoon at the neck, he attempted to alter the spoon at its strongest point: the bowl. To his surprise, it bent nearly in half quite easily between his thumb and forefinger. Knowing the amount of force required in the eyes of science, it concreted his long-held belief and understanding in psi phenomena.

Amazingly, Radin believes he has discovered a coexistence between science and parapsychology. If you want to find out about his work, be sure to read his 1997 book The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena. His newest book Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality further explores scientific reality and parapsychological experiences. Even harsh skeptics can't help but take notice.

So, is there truth to our belief and hope that the rational world of science isn't so bland and concrete? Perhaps. But don't take my word on the matter. Read the books and find out for yourself.

Odd News Briefs...

In the last few busy weeks, several news stories fell through the cracks. Here's a little glimpse at some of the obscure events happening around the globe.

Keep You on Your Toes...

Darlington, Victoria has a new claim to fame: it will soon be home to Australia's first "vertical cemetery". Bodies will be buried on biodegradable shrouds standing upright at a cost of $2000—that's a savings of $5000 on a traditional burial. After all the plots are filled, it will become grazing and for cattle (gives a while new meaning to being put out to pasture, doesn't it?). Critics in the mortuary business say it's "disrespectful to the dead" but in these tough economic times, people aren't too shook up over their rotting corpses.

Mobile Monolith...

After selling their historic manor in Abbotts Court, John and Suzy Burton planned to leave a stone circle constructed by fashion guru Thomas Burberry at the site. The developer made clear his plans to demolish the neo-pagan structure, so the couple decided to take it with them. Neighbors were caught off guard as trucks and cranes descended on the suburbs of Dorchester, setting up the the massive stones. Both practicing witches, the Burtons brought their coven to consecrate the grounds. The added positive energy to the neighborhood has been quite wel-received.

Sweet Astronomy...

Do extraterrestrials have a sweet tooth? It's possible, since scientists recently found traces of glycoaldehyde—an organic compound related to simple sugar—some 26,000 light years from earth. The discovery, in a remote section of the central Milky Way where life was thought to be impossible, has brought up questions about other life forms existing in space. But the real, burning question is: one lump or two?

Wolf Man No More...

People suffering from "Werewolf Syndrome" may soon be able to live normal lives. Scientists at New York's Colombia University have made advances in a possible treatment for hypertrichosis, involving testosterone injections. 50 people wordwide suffer from the disease, leading to excessive hair growth over the entire body. This is good news for patients, but bad news for razor manufacturers and circus sideshows.

Seeing With Our Minds...

How do we recognize different visual images? Researchers at the University of Leicester in England are one step closer to solving that riddle.

During recent experiments on patients suffering from epilepsy, neuroscientist Rodrigo Quian Quiroga has discovered that, unlike earlier theories that networks of brain cells store and process image recognition, one or a few cells are responsible for storing memories of people and locations. Electrodes placed within the brain showed specific responses of certain cells when individuals were shown photographs of celebrities and famous landmarks.

Even when actors such as Halle Berry were hidden under costumes and makeup, the same cells reacted. In effect, this could mean that memory problems are the result of damage to only a few cells instead of entire networks.

Quiroga is hopeful that this new development could pave the way for research in different arenas, from schizophrenia and Alzheimer's to prosthetic limbs operated solely by brainwaves. He will be lecturing on his findings next week.

Does this mean that mindreading might be a pausible scientific reality? Possibly. But let's hope technology doesn't get too carried away...

Worrywart Occultists...

When we lack control over our lives, we seek out some form of structure to grasp. Apparently, this applies to beliefs in the supernatural.

Studies conducted at Illinois' Northwestern University have discovered a correlation between the level of stress someone feels and their beliefs in superstitious thoughts.

The findings were recently published in Science. Yet given the current state of affairs, some statements are hardly shocking: "On a national level, when times are economically uncertain, superstitions increase."

Half of the participants were asked to recall situations where they had no control over the outcome and reflect on the experience. They were then shown groupings of dots—some arranged in patterns, others randomly. While feeling under pressure, nearly 50% of stressed volunteers saw hidden images in the random patterns. This same group seemed to have a higher likelihood to believe in conspiracy theories and lucky objects.

Professor Jennifer Whitson of the University of Texas presided over the research. "People see false patterns in all types of data, imagining trends in stock markets, seeing faces in static, and detecting conspiracies between acquaintances," she said. "This suggests that lacking control leads to a visceral need for order – even imaginary order."

So, when we can't control something, we use our imagination. Sounds like politics to me...

Nose Over Matter...

Suffering from bad dreams? Don't just dream of better sleep. Get yourself some roses.

Scientists in Germany have discovered a correlation between dreams and scent. While pleasing smells seem to result in positive dreams, offensive odors can lead to nightmares. Studies lead by Professor Boris Stuck at the University Hospital Mannheim involved 15 sleeping volunteers exposed to various scents during REM sleep. They were soon awakened and interrogated regarding the content of their dreams.

“The emotional coloration of dreams," stated the researchers at a Chicago meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, "can be significantly influenced in accordance with the hedonic aspect of the stimulant."

According to Cardiff University's Professor Tim Jacob, "Smell is the only sense that doesn't 'sleep'... Other senses have to pass through the 'gate' of the thalamus, which is closed when we sleep."

The researchers are currently planning a study involving people suffering from nightmares.

And if your partner has a problem with flatulence in the middle of the night, you finally have an excuse to kick him or her out of bed.

Cursing Like a Sailor...

Doctors in Canada are baffled. Rosemarie Dore has lived all of her 50 years in southern Ontario, yet after suffering a stroke two years ago, something is different.

She now speaks with an east coast "Maritime" accent.

Soon after recovering, her family noticed the differences. Dr. Karin Humphreys of McMaster University said it involves "a change in some of the very precise mechanisms of speech-motor planning in the brain's circuitry.” The unexplainable change in accents was highlighted in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

While cases of foreign-accent syndrome (FAS) are extremely rare, they do occur. An American named Tiffany Roberts made headlines in 1999 after developing a British accent, described by The Telegraph as "a cross between Eliza Doolittle and Sybil Fawlty". Later in 2004, Lynda Walker of England suddenly dropped her thick accent following her stroke and began speaking like a Jamaican.

The most curious aspect of some of these cases is that some of these people had never been exposed to the accents previously.

Can the stopping and restarting of the heart really change who we are as a person? Or is this something that traditional science simply can't rationally explain away?

What We've All Been Waiting For...

It's a landmark day for paranormal investigators around the globe: we now have definitive proof that ghosts actually do exist.

Dr. Clarence Vuyaunte of Cornell University, a professor of physics, says that recent lab work has concluded that the paranormal realm is not only plausible to science but can be quantified by recent experiments in his Eschelmann Hall laboratory. A series of tests were conducted on an entity from a nearby undisclosed cemetery.

His deductions have astounded his colleagues. His findings are somewhat surprising as well:

-"Anti-energy" (similar to antimatter) is the basic component of entities.
-Power is derived from external sources, similar to machines.
-Ribbons of antimatter occur in some manifestations of "spirits", giving them a dark, shadowy appearance.
-Infrared and UV light occasionally captures the outer layer of antimatter from apparitions in cold, dry climates.
-Low levels of current carry the conscious mind of the deceased in a free-floating energy bundle.
-Film specially treated with a phenylalanine solution is best for recording actual phenomena.
-Our "souls" behave like energy waves which enables them to pass through matter.
-Objects are manipulated by entities through a combination of energy transference and antimatter bombardment.
-Light can sometimes be produced by entities. The color depends on the vibration and friction of correlating particles.
-Spirit "orbs" are a form of free energy radicals naturally occurring in the atmosphere.

There are still many trials to undergo, but the current results are very promising. Vuyaunte believes he will be able to publish all of his results later this year.

Oh... and have a great April Fools Day everyone...

Grounded for Life...

New York has more than its share of strange people. But not all of them are intentionally weird.

A 12-year-old boy from Pulaski has been causing problems at Lura Sharp Elementary School. Whenever he would work at a computer, it would freeze and crash. An awards show was nearly canceled when the slide projector near him malfunctioned. Once he was moved away from the hard drive, things went smoothly.

Is he a troublemaker with a eye for technology? not at all. Somehow, he effects electronic devices in his general vicinity. The trouble isn't limited to school, either. At home, his Xbox 360 would freeze up every time he tried to play it.

School officials gave Joseph Falciatano, a.k.a. "Magneto Boy", a special wristband to wear, grounding him and any possible electrical field, and have had no further problems. An expert in static electricity was called in and has yet to discover the cause of these unusual problems.

Panic and the Disco

Sexuality and its origins have always been a fiercely debated subject. Is it genetic? Is it a learned trait? Is it both? Even though science has discovered several possibilities, no one can agree.

I heard a stand-up comedian once discuss a German study involving stress and homosexuality. It turns out, her routine was based in fact. The Dresden Study, as it has become known, noted that during World War II, a higher-than-normal percentage of infants born during the bombing of the city ended up being gay or lesbian. Dr. Günter Dörner published his findings in 1982 (Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 11, No. 5, 1982, pp. 445–450). Researchers in America and the United Kingdom confirmed that the stress chromosome cortisol may lead to a decrease in testosterone, causing infants to become homosexual.

Lately, there's been a rise in researchers trying to find physical differences to "weed out" gays and lesbians: the length of ring fingers, left-handedness, number of older brothers, hair patterns, fingerprints, etc. In most circumstances, the traits apply to "many" gays and lesbians, but not all.

So, where do I register on the plethora of scientific babble floating around in cyberspace? Well, my mother suffered from panic attacks during her pregnancy. Check. I am left-handed (supposedly, gays and lesbians are more inclined to be left-handed... us south paws are better with spatial tasks, i.e. art, science, math, architecture, and everyday life). Check. My index finger is shorter than my ring finger. Oops. My hair has a clockwise whorl. Oops. I have no brothers. Oops. I didn't dress like a girl as a child. Oops. I played with toy cars and trains as a child. Oops.

So, science hasn't quite figured things out. Hopefully, they never will. Why do I say that? very simple: it would create a basis for discrimination and extermination. Mothers could choose whether or not to abort a child who might grow up to be homosexual. People with certain key features could be ostracized or excluded from activities and society. Though the world would not instantaneously become an intolerant place, it would be a better breeding ground for people with malevolent intentions.

My sister is pregnant with her first child. With all the dysfunctional genes and health issues running in our family, it will be quite interesting to see how he or she turns out.

I'll try not to stress her out too much to test the hypothesis.

When Psychics Meet Modern Thought

To say that last night's meeting went smoothly would be a prevarication. Once more, I opened my mouth and allowed a personal opinion to tumble forth... leading to vivid discussion and complete confusion on my part.

All I said was, "It would be nice to have a way to tell how accurate the psychics in the group are. Maybe we could test them somehow."

In the ensuing discussion, the line between scientific evidence and psychic impressions became more of a tug-of-war than open discourse.

Frankly, I have no problems with psychic ability. I have some belief in it. Everyone has some type of extrasensory perception, however minuscule. That doesn't mean all psychics are reliable or even trustworthy. Plenty of people (even some well-known names) use manipulation to pull information out of people and spit it back to them under the guise of channeling or communicating with the spirit realm. This makes the work of the honest, true psychics more difficult and often the target or ridicule.

In my 13 years of investigating ghosts and hauntings, I've worked with over a dozen psychics. Some have left me feeling thoroughly unimpressed, though I always remained polite. Others left me shocked and speechless at the information they had no way of knowing. I hold a deep respect for the tried-and-true psychics and sensitives of the world. However few there are.

Most of the best psychics don't flash themselves around. They're the ones you rarely see on television or see advertisements about in newspapers. They're modest and sometimes doubt their ability. They're humble. They're normal or a little goofy. They welcome technology and scientific verification. And best of all, they're great company.

Still, many psychics will occasionally have issues with my methods. I don't blindly trust people to tell me the truth. I need proof and validation. I want to rule out natural phenomena and mental illness. I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a real reason to investigate a haunting. And if someone rids a place of a spirit without this validation, what proof will there ever be that there was something there in the first place? Is it really necessary to evict every single ghost on the planet? Is the role of a psychic a landlord and housekeeper?

I can't help my rational mind. I walk a very thin line. I'm open to things beyond normal human perception yet I need my five senses to be appeased and alerted. Without both sides of the spectrum, all we are is a bunch of freaks wandering around in the darkness with flashlights. And that's all we'll ever be to the world.