 Welcome to Paranormality Magazine. Each week, Paranormality Magazine explores all 40 subjects from phantoms to UFOs and every cryptid creature in between. Each week, you are treated to a collection of well-researched and investigated stories, interviews and reports on cutting-edge paranormal projects and topics they know you crave. And here in the podcast, I share stories from the magazine to give you just a taste of what you receive in every issue. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Paranormality Magazine. Chances are, if you are listening to this podcast, you are a believer in the paranormal, or at the very least have more than a passing interest in the subject. But have you ever questioned why you believe? Paranormality Magazine's Jason Hewlett has a few thoughts on it. For many, this belief began at a young age, often after something unexplainable happened. For me, it happened when I was five and sitting in the back of my mom's car, a hatchback. We were parked at the side of the road outside a friend's place. My mom had gone up to the house to fetch my friend who was going to sleep over and I decided to wait in the car. I can remember turning and looking out the back window at the hatchback and seeing an empty street. No vehicles or pedestrians to be seen. Suddenly a face appeared in the window staring right at me. It was a horrible, deformed face that was literally not there one moment, appeared and was gone a moment later. It scared the life out of me and I dropped to the floor in the car for fear of seeing it again. Then I heard the crunch of footsteps on gravel as my mom and friend appeared. My friend denied it was him and neither of them saw anyone on the street who could have been the culprit. My mom, a teacher, thought whatever I saw was a figment of my imagination. But I know what I saw and my lifelong obsession with the paranormal began. These experiences happen when our minds are impressionable. We believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, in magic and superheroes, so it makes sense we would be inclined to believe in ghosts, monsters and things that go bump in the night. For whatever reason, those of us who have a paranormal experience continue to believe into adulthood and often for the rest of our lives. Many dedicate their lives to trying to find out what happened to us and why. The truth behind the veil, so to speak. So why do we continue to believe, even after years of schooling, going to church and at times ridicule from those who think we are focusing on figments of our imagination? Dean Bertram hosts Talking Weird and the Mysterious Library on the Untold Radio Network and, like myself, his interest in high strangeness began when he was a young boy. He experienced a series of what he calls nighttime visitations, where a squat little man came into his bedroom at night and took him away. It wasn't a grey alien, he says. Let me make that clear. As he describes these visitations, they do sound very much like a standard abduction experience. This little man took him to a place with high, vaulted ceilings, where he and the little man were surrounded by tall figures. Being a boy, Bertram thought one of the figures might be his mom, so he tugged on its leg, thinking he would get her attention. However, the being that eventually turned and loomed over him was not his mother. In fact, it didn't even look human. Suffice to say, the little man and his visitations were terrifying for young Bertram until these visits simply stopped. It wasn't until he read Edith Fior's book about alien abduction, Encounters, that Bertram considered he'd had a series of such experiences. It even led him on a journey where he eventually did his doctorate on UFO belief. However, he has since decided this was not the case. He was in the end experiencing a form of sleep paralysis. His fascination with the subject has never waned, hence he continues to pursue the UFO phenomenon and other paranormal events academically and professionally. Bertram says having these experiences cracks the cosmic egg. You want to see inside the cosmic egg or you become really interested in what's on the other side of the veil, he says. Shannon Legro agrees. As host of the popular podcast Into the Fray, she's collected upwards of a thousand stories from people who've experienced everything from hauntings to bigfoot encounters to alien abduction and beyond. Thinking back over all the interviews she's had, the one commonality these experiences share is an open-mindedness that extends back before these often frightening encounters have occurred. Of course, once you have an experience, the fire gets lit and the open-mindedness becomes this gaping hole of just wanting to know more information, says Legro. As with Bertram and I, Legro has found most of the people she has talked to on her show had their initial experiences when young, which equates to the open-mindedness she mentioned. She hypothesizes that this young age could be the prime time for something paranormal to make contact. Many people are open to speaking about their strange encounters when young, but they stop for the bulk of their lives only displaying this open-mindedness in old age when most people around them, be they doctors or family, chalk these stories up to dementia. Legro says this is unfortunate. If you're lucky enough to get to that point in your life where you're of that age, where you're on that tail end of things, that's when you're probably really wondering what's on the other side, what's really going to happen once I depart this earthly shell of mine, she says. It's this sense of mortality that likely drives a lot of people's belief in the paranormal, says Legro. Ghosts in the unexplained provide a sense of hope that there's more to life than what's around us on a daily basis, and that we continue on in some way, shape or form once we die. And, of course, that we will be reunited with those who've gone before us, she says. Plus, it's in our nature to speculate and research and investigate and sometimes to just be scared. It's just fun to go out and be scared whether it's a ghost or Bigfoot or whatever it may be. A recent study has shown more than 40% of Americans believe in ghosts and a slightly lesser amount in Bigfoot. Legro says those numbers are pretty high considering the taboo that's associated with the subject matter. It's in our nature to be curious and the subjects just feed that. They fill that void for us, she says. The subject also provides opportunities for interesting discussions and debates with other people who've had similar experiences. Even if these experiences are different, the conversations around them can reveal a common thread which fuels the interest, says Legro. This belief, as with any belief, can have a dark side, cautions Bertrand. Using his own experiences as an example, reading Fjord's book could have led him to consider he was an abductee, which might have prompted him to visit a psychiatrist who specializes in alien abduction regression therapy, which would potentially have led him and the psychiatrist to weave a story where Bertrand was part of a multi-generational plan to abduct people and use their genetics to create a new alien hybrid. The quest for answers can make people vulnerable if they believe with blind faith, or turn to people for answers who share this blind faith belief, says Bertrand. Say if you went along believing that aliens were abducting you and you're a part of some grand cosmic plan. In some ways is it harmless? Sure, but in some ways it's damaging because you're approaching your entire outlook on the world based on something which is probably just fabrication, he says. The best way to combat this is to bring a healthy level of skepticism into any discussion on the paranormal, be it about theories or a potential encounter, says Bertrand. Really analyzing what happened to you or what you can or can't be certain of. Keep masking questions rather than being sure you know the answers just because you've had an experience, he says. Some in the paranormal community do take things at face value, or in contrast aren't willing to consider something as potential evidence because it doesn't fit into his or her belief system. Such tales have sprung up in the Bigfoot community, with those who consider the creature to be flesh and blood discounting any story that carries a hint of the supernatural or omitting such claims from their reports. Regardless of belief, will we ever get any firm answers to what these unexplained things are or why they're happening? Bertrand and Legro don't think we will, although they agree the journey to find out will remain a fascinating one. In fact, it's the potential to not get any firm answers that contributes to this being a fascinating pursuit. We're just tuned to gravitate towards a mystery, and some of us just like some what of a stranger mystery than others, says Legro. We probably won't figure it out, and I think that's a huge draw to this. While we're on the subject of aliens, the May 2023 issue of Paranormality Magazine has a short column entitled What Does It Mean to Dream About Aliens? This is what it says. Dreaming about aliens can be a perplexing and intriguing experience. The idea of extraterrestrial life and the possibility of contact with beings from another world has fascinated people for centuries. However, what does it mean when you dream about aliens? Is it simply a reflection of or a fascination with the unknown, or is there a deeper meaning to these dreams? One interpretation of dreaming about aliens is that it represents our subconscious fears and anxieties about the unknown. Our dreams often reflect our waking life experiences, and the idea of encountering something we cannot explain or understand can be a source of anxiety. In this case, dreaming about aliens may be a manifestation of these fears. Another interpretation of dreaming about aliens is that it represents our desire for connection and communication. Humans are social creatures, and the idea of communicating with beings from another world can be seen as a way to satisfy our need for social interaction in a sense of community. In this case, the aliens in our dreams can be seen as symbols of our need for connection and the search for a sense of belonging. Alternatively, dreaming about aliens can also represent our curiosity and thirst for knowledge. As humans, we are naturally curious beings and are always seeking answers to life's big questions. The possibility of extraterrestrial life and communication with aliens can be seen as an opportunity to gain knowledge and learn more about our place in the universe. It is important to note that the interpretation of dreams about aliens is highly subjective and can vary greatly depending on the individual's personal beliefs and experiences. For example, someone who firmly believes in the existence of extraterrestrial life may interpret their dream differently than someone who is skeptical of this idea. If you have been having weird or reoccurring dreams and are interested in exploring its possible meaning, the best thing to do is to keep a dream journal that can help you identify any patterns or recurring themes in your dreams, including dreams about aliens. Want more Paranormality? Subscribe to Paranormality magazine and each month get it delivered digitally or via mail in our print version. Paranormality magazine is a collaborative endeavor featuring works from people like you who have a passion for all things mysterious and unexplained. Our goal is the pursuit of knowledge, gathering captivating stories from our own team of writers, researchers and investigators, as well as from writers such as yourself. Each monthly issue also includes a list of paranormal, horror, UFO and cryptozoology events around the country, incredible paranormal-themed artwork, articles and writing sent in from our readers, suggested books and podcasts to consume and more. Visit ParanormalityMag.com and subscribe today for as little as $3.99 a month. That's ParanormalityMag.com. ParanormalityMag.com. Tell us conspiracy theories have emerged over the years concerning the planning, execution and cover-up of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy's death is without a doubt one of the most controversial and hotly debated events in history even before one takes into account any elements of the paranormal. Any subject that combines UFO research with the Kennedy assassination is a literal goldmine for conspiracy theorists and truth-seekers alike. One such theory has remained constant and involves just that, convoluted tales of UFO cleanup crews intersecting with shadowy, shady, puppet-mastered governments. Lila Saab from Paranormality Magazine introduces us to Majestic 12, more affectionately known as MJ-12. If you're not familiar, MJ-12 is a supposed secret society that's often mentioned in discussions regarding, you guessed it, UFOs and the Kennedy assassination. The existence of MJ-12 has never been officially confirmed, but many documents that unofficially describe its clandestine activities have been circulated over the years. MJ-12 was allegedly begun in 1947 under the direction of U.S. President Harry S. Truman and was comprised of a secret committee of scientists, military leaders and various government officials. Their central mission was facilitating the research and recovery of UFO events. One of the most famous incidents involving extraterrestrial phenomena is of course the Roswell UFO incident, which occurred in 1947 when an unidentified object crash landed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Some conspiracy theorists claim that MJ-12 was formed specifically to investigate the Roswell crash and to cover up any evidence of extraterrestrial life. It's worth mentioning that President Truman is believed by some to have played a role in the Kennedy assassination, either as part of a cover-up or as a co-conspirator. According to some, Truman was completely aware of MJ-12's activities and he may have even ordered the assassination of Kennedy in order to prevent him from revealing the truth about UFOs and extraterrestrial life to the American people. Richard Doty is another name that gets mentioned in discussions about MJ-12 and various UFO-related activities. Doty is a former special agent of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and is widely believed to have been involved with several alleged disinformation campaigns. For the most part, Doty is known as a shady counter-intell agent whose job is basically to mix the truth with lies and to pretend to be friends with people in order to extract information from them. Doty is admitted to being involved in the spreading of false information about UFOs in the past but denies any involvement in the Kennedy assassination. However, some believe, this writer included, that Doty is not completely innocent and that he was a part of a wider reaching conspiracy involving the CIA, military intelligence and organized crime to eliminate Kennedy. Knowledge of MJ-12's so-called existence stemmed from a series of supposedly leaked secret government documents. As these reports started to make their rounds in the early 1980s, the FBI affirmed that the documents were in no uncertain terms completely bogus. Many ufologists support the FBI's analysis and they also believe that these government documents are little more than an elaborate hoax. Dr. William A. Lester alludes to one such document in his book, A Celebration of Freedom, JFK and the New Frontier. Lester reports that while researching material for his book, he discovered an alleged top secret memo written by Kennedy on November 12, 1963. But according to Dr. Lester, nothing seemed off about the document, causing him to question its validity. In the memo, the president instructed the director of the CIA to organize all their UFO files and to debrief him on anything that was considered to be unknown no later than February of the next year. Sadly, we all know how the rest of that story plays out and ten days later Kennedy was assassinated. Let's take a step back for a second though and talk about that memo. Was this document authentic? Was Kennedy about to uncover forbidden information on UFOs and had to be eliminated? Or is this memo a phony piece of controlled opposition whose intended purpose is to continue to sow doubt and confusion among the masses? Before the explanation is, one thing is certain about the powers that be. The United States federal government routinely declassifies documents after a certain amount of time passes. A certain amount of time usually means that everyone involved is either passed on or they are too old to care. After a document is declassified, private citizens can submit requests to access them. The memo in question would have been declassified sometime around the year 2006 or 2007, but as far as I have been able to tell, the only other place this top secret memo has been seen is in Lester's book. At the time of the writing of this article, the JFK library in Boston which holds copies of all of Kennedy's letters was also unable to find a carbon copy of said memo in the presidential archive. Despite the fact that JFK kept carbon copies of all his letters, even the declassified ones, no evidence of anything like the memo was found. All of the president's office's files were searched, including CIA, NASA and national security files, and they found more of the same. There was no further evidence of the November 12, 1963 memo to the director of the CIA. Additionally, it is alleged that the memo in question does not resemble other top secret memos written by Kennedy during his presidency. While the idea of a vast conspiracy involving government officials, extraterrestrials and secret organizations like Majestic 12 may seem appealing or even plausible to some, it is important to approach such claims with a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking, but to also keep asking the real questions. In this instance, I am reminded of another former president, Bill Clinton. It is said that shortly after being elected president in 1993, Clinton asked a close friend of his, who he would later appoint to his cabinet in the Department of Justice, to find out two very important details for him. Who killed Kennedy? And are there UFOs? You don't have to be a professional ghost researcher or paranormal investigator in order to be heard by the readers of Paranormality magazine. They also accept contributions from readers, including this one by Melanie Clark, which she titles, Oh That's Just Mom. I remember Memorial Day weekend last year like it was yesterday. The air was thick with the scent of charcoal, sea breeze and boat fuel. Known elsewhere in the country as the official kickoff to summer fun, it had already been summer in Florida for a while. From the outside it looked like a typical holiday weekend, except this time nothing was typical. This holiday felt different, in fact everything felt different. Everything felt wrong, like I'd been suddenly jerked out of my own reality and inserted into an alternate reality from hell. You see, my mother had been hospitalized for the past couple weeks with a sudden and severe illness, and despite everyone's hopes and prayers, it seemed like the writing was on the wall. I knew in my heart the end was near. Sure enough, on Saturday morning, just before 11 o'clock, the moment we had all been dreading arrived. My mother passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her husband of over 40 years, my father and us, her children. Devastated, we said our final goodbyes and gave our last hugs and kisses to the woman who meant everything to us for as long as we'd been alive. After leaving the hospital, we rallied together as a family at my house. We spent the afternoon alternating between laughing, crying, listening to my mom's favorite music, looking at old photos and reminiscing about all the good times we had growing up. My siblings and I even managed to throw some food together for a cookout that afternoon. I remember our reasoning behind it being something like, you know, if mom was here she'd be trying to feed everybody. So that's what we did. Somehow it felt like we owed it to her. The evening wore on and my dad and siblings eventually decided to go home for the night. We'd had a mentally and emotionally draining couple of weeks, and the next days and weeks were going to be equally as challenging. So we decided to try and get what little rest we could. My husband and I walked everyone outside to say goodbye, and we all stood in the driveway for at least another 15 minutes, chatting before everyone left. It was when I walked back into the house and set foot through the front door that I immediately knew something else was wrong. My husband and I both noticed the house felt stiflingly hot and humid, even though we had only been outside for 20 minutes at the most, and the AC had been running on and functioning all day. It was the kind of humidity that hung in the air, and it was thick. My husband did a quick check at the thermostat, and the display screen was completely blank. He tapped the screen a couple of times to see if he could wake the thermostat up. Still nothing. The display was still not responding, and the AC unit was just as dead. I was furious to say the least of all times for this to happen. In any other circumstance, this would have been a minor annoyance, but on this night it felt like an insult to injury. I wanted to scream, cry, throw things, but feeling defeated, I settled on a few choice curse words and then tried to collect myself. My poor husband tried to fix the AC, but his efforts were in vain. We ended up opening the windows and turning on some fans, but it only provided marginal relief from the heat. Throughout the night I found myself tossing and turning in bed, my mind racing, unable to find any respite from the heat or the grief. I kept replaying the last time I saw my mom, the look in her eyes, the sound of her voice. Eventually I drifted off into a fitful sleep, but the heat and the grief made for a restless night. The rest of the weekend came and went, and as the sun rose and set like it always does, I felt like I had aged years in the span of just a couple of days. I again was feeling the grief and the holiday felt hollow and meaningless, a cruel reminder of all that had been lost. In my moment of grief, my husband hugged me tightly, then looked at me with a slight smile, and as tears were streaming down my face, he said to me, I know what happened to the AC. I looked at him puzzled. He looked at me with a completely serious look on his face and continued, it was your mom. She is still trying to figure out how to be a ghost. The sheer absurdity and hilariousness of that statement was too much for me. I laughed harder than I had in a while, but then I thought to myself, maybe he is right. It is not like people die and just automatically know what to do in the afterlife, right? I am sure there is a learning curve, and maybe it takes a day or two for dearly departed souls to figure out how it all works. In that moment, it all made sense to me, and if that was the explanation, I should probably cut my mother a little bit of slack. Oddly enough, my husband's observation unlocked a memory of conversations that I used to have with my mother as a little girl. These were about relatives who had passed on in the afterlife, particularly her mother, my maternal grandmother, who passed away when I was still very young. My mom wasn't a superstitious person, but I remember growing up in our house. If anything unexplained or weird happened, like cabinets being opened, toilets being flushed, or random appliances being seemingly kicked on by themselves, her response was always, oh, that's just Grandma. In that moment, it all clicked for me, and I realized the apple really does not fall far from the tree. It's been almost a year since my mother's passing, and I have to say the AC is not the only weird thing going on in my house. I've experienced objects disappearing and then reappearing after a short period of time. I've had rings come off my finger and switch hands in the middle of the night while I'm sleeping, and I've witnessed newly installed light bulbs blow out for no reason. Some of that can probably be chalked up to general absent-mindedness or coincidences, but I must wonder if there is something else happening here. Could it be that my mom was visiting me in the same way she believed her mom visited her years earlier? So take a moment to remember your moms and all your loved ones, whether they are still with us in this realm or not. In the years to come, I feel I'll look back on these holidays as a testament to mom's strength and resilience. I take comfort in knowing that she's at peace and remember her as a magnificent, strong-willed woman who loved us dearly, even in death. Now, when I hear strange noises from the AC unit or find an item that was once misplaced, I smile and say to myself, oh, that's just mom. Thanks for listening to Paranormality Magazine. Get more information about the magazine and subscribe to our monthly publication at ParanormalityMag.com. That's ParanormalityMag.com, or click the link in the show description. And if you're a researcher or investigator, send us your stories. We might feature you in our next issue. If you have a paranormal podcast, you can add it to our website so our readers can find your show. And artists, if you'd like your work to be featured in our magazine or on our back cover, contact us. Again, our website is ParanormalityMag.com. I'm Darren Marlar and I'll have more paranormal for you next time from Paranormality Magazine.