The Paranormal Blog

I have no doubt that there are some people in the "paranormal community", such as it is, that assume I sit about trying to find new and interesting ways to be a complete dung-headed turd... and that would be being kind as to what they probably REALLY feel about me.

Granted, things like this post probably don't help, but NEVERMIND THAT!

I do have a bit of an "attitude"... I admit it... I revel within the term "elitist" which, personally, I don't have a problem with or see as a complete put-down in terms of trying to be the "elite" in these fields of study...

...but I kid you not when I say it does bother me when I do something like the post I mentioned above that you're not supposed to pay too much attention to.

Sure, I get grumpy about missed opportunities to further the study... and with people who, for the sake of a "cheap thrill" or a chance to be a quasi-celebrity kinda walk tracks all over a topic I feel is a genuinely important and viable study...

...but I do honestly feel bad when I rant... or do something like I know I'm about to do... which, to some, feels like taking the fun out of things... or something like that...

We're about to change how PSICAN brings people on board to our team.

The GOOD news is that it'll still be free. (We've never charged and aren't about to start that practice.)

The BETTER news is that ANYONE can be a part of the team no matter what your background, interest, level of education... anything! Provided you're over eighteen years of age, bondable, a Canadian citizen (or landed immigrant), promise to follow our Rules of Governance and Presentation, have regular access to the internet, are willing to invest at least ONE hour per week on the study, and... well...

...here's where people are going to hate me...

...pass a (free - no charge, never any charge!) exam or questionnaire to standards that *will* be made clear and do three articles, reports, papers, or investigations (with notes) for us and submit them for review... Upon passing exam and the review, THEN you'll be on the team.

If not, you'll have to wait a year to try again... if you're still interested.

This is a HELL of a lot of work for many people... especially in the rather hedonistic online world of "instant access" to most things...

...and really, what DOES all this work get you?

Sure, we'll bust our butts to get you information and resources as we can... You will be part of a team that's already impressive in terms of people involved... As a group, we can boast that we've worked with The Koestler Parapsychology Unit in the Psychology Department at the University of Edinburgh, we've worked with members of The Society for Psychical Research, The Rhine Research Center, and The Parapsychology Association... We've worked with and for students and educators at University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University, and dozens of others... We have a healthy relation with countless historical sites and groups both "public" (government run such as Parks Canada,) and private and are proud we can boast friends in groups ranging from The Spiritualist Church of Canada to The Association for Science and Reason (formerly Skeptics Canada). Of course, no matter where you are in the country, we'll send you e-mails, reports, requests, and information on your favoured topic of study as we get them...

...all of which SOUNDS really impressive...

...and to me and I know to our group, FEELS pretty darned impressive...

...but we aren't "ghost hunters". We don't claim we have "ghost detectors". We don't have access to CSIS and the RCMP's hidden data on the aliens. We don't have "the perfect bait" for a Sasquatch. We don't have people "lined up" to hand us the keys to their haunted mansion. We don't have a lab in which to test the psychical abilities of dozens of amazingly talented intuitives...

...well, that last part? I'll add the word "yet". We do honestly hope we will and do think and work towards that goal, but not yet...

Realistically, we want people that DO have the drive, that DO have the interest, that ARE serious about these things to see a PSICAN membership as a legitimate status symbol. Something that says you earned a respected spot on a respected team. Something that let's people know you're not REALLY an "elitist", but you are a member of an "elite" group that shows you've proven your worth.

Basically, I want a PSICAN member to always be a TRUSTED member of any team, investigation, or study project. ('Cuz you DON'T have to ONLY be a PSICAN person... You can be part of another team and a PSICAN member as well...)

Sounds good, doesn't it?

...but I know better...

Everything above will be read as this...

We're elitist! We're better than EVERYONE! We're gonna tell EVERYONE how to do EVERYTHING! We're gonna control EVERYTHING! If you're not a member of OUR team, YOU SUCK!

...which no, isn't true.

Long ago, I realised that you need other voices, other methods, other thoughts coming in or you stagnate. You cease to progress because everyone's not just on the same page, but stuck in the same ruts!

This said, we do think that it would be nice to be able to say that "these" people are open minded completely to any possibility... including being dead wrong in their own beliefs. These people will set aside cherished faiths and beliefs in search of the truth wherever the data leads them. These people aren't solely interested in "the effect", but need to try and find "the cause" too... and are prepared to be corrected when shown they're wrong. These people are primarily interested in the well being and security of a witness or experient... and then the data they can obtain... and these two things far outweigh any "YouTube" dreams of stardom or "cheap thrills". These are people who realise that you don't need to be a "scientist" to practice good science. These are historians, physicists, engineers, observers, data collectors, and all point in between. These people SEE the study as a study, not a social networking tool or a business...

These are the investigators and researchers. These are the people who HAVE proven that these things ARE serious, SHOULD be studied properly, and are worthy of an effort and an educated eye.

Effectively I want to show that "these people"... these PSICAN members... they genuinely care.

That's the hope... and I think we'll make it happen...

...but it does bother me that there will be those who will NOT like this and see it as "controlling" or whatever...

It isn't.

There's room for everyone interested in these studies... We're just setting ONE benchmark. We think it's a good one, but that, I suppose, is in the eye of the beholder...

I honestly KNOW (let alone believe,) that "our way" is NOT for everyone... and that's fine... and hopefully, we can all still work together...

...but to those that I can already hear readying their pitch-forks and torches... I honestly do not mean harm. I honestly do not want to "keep people from" these studies...

We just want to set one bar for ourselves... and perhaps others.

We hope you can and will respect that.

...sadly, I am certain that there will be some who can't.

This said, it won't stop the wheels we've put into motion.

So, here's to the NEXT level of PSICAN members! We will be magnificent... and I'm certain, we will be irritating to some... even if it is truly unintentional.