I rarely ask anyone to watch a video, but if you are interested in the paranormal, if you consider yourself to be on a spiritual quest, if you are neither religious nor atheistic but consider yourself spiritually inclined or fascinated by the supernatural, then please, watch the video below. In it, Peter Laws talks about the “in betweeners” who do not attend formal church services, but also do not consider themselves “disbelievers”. They are open minded, curious about what lies “out there”, and seek evidence for their beliefs instead of relying on faith. Ironically, states Laws, this is the group of people most likely to fear death. Committed believers of all faiths do not worry about death, as their faith in the afterlife is strong; committed atheists do not attach meaning or transcendence to the biological processes of birth and death, and are therefore unconcerned about moral and/or ethical belief systems that require codes of conduct and adherence to rites and rituals. It is the vast numbers of people who don’t identify with either extreme who fear death the most, and they are the ones most likely to pursue interests in the paranormal and other spiritual topics.
Peter Laws argues for a more inclusive community that both embraces traditional religious systems and beliefs while simultaneously opening up to the many people who are looking for answers that can be verified, or at the least, for which evidence can be found. The ghost hunt might be the new Mass, but that idea for most Christians is repellent and ‘sinful’. That disdain that organized religion proclaims for anything paranormal is reflected in the paranormal communities’ distrust of anything religious. For them, God is a ridiculous fantasy, but fairies and Slender Man are quite real (Laws).
I encourage all of you reading this blog to please watch all of Law’s video, as I truly believe you will find it fascinating; and also, more importantly, because this topic is truly important for all spiritual seekers, regardless of how we find transcendence. I will be writing much more about Law’s video in future posts.
International Society for Paranormal Research 