Review Of Literature
(Exam Questions are not drawn from the Review Of Literature section.)
Perhaps the most well-known paranormal phenomenon of today, aside from UFO’s, is the Loch Ness Monster. The Monsters Of Loch Ness (1976) by Roy Mackal, a respected scientist, establishes the existence of “large, unknown creatures” living in the waters of Loch Ness. These creatures have been “seen by the human eye and caught on film and tracked by sonar.” Mackal concludes, after an exhaustive review of the data, that not one but several large members of an as yet unidentified animal species live in Loch Ness. According to the current theories of evolution and biology, these large aquatic “monsters” represent survivals of one or more species thought to be extinct for millions of years.
There Are Giants In The Earth (1974) by Michael Grumley recounts stories of the creature known in various climes as Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch, and Mono Grande. Such stories can be traced back from present day sightings, through past centuries, and ultimately to accounts of giants in Biblical and Norse legends. Grumley presents evidence supporting the continuous existence of hominid giants in the Himalayas, the Andes Mountains of South America, and the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. The book cover describes this work as “An evolutionary and legendary history of the Yeti, Mono Grande, and Sasquatch, three strains of hominid giants alive today.”
Mystic Places (1987) by the Editors of Time-Life Books explores the mysteries of Atlantis, the Great Pyramid, Stonehenge, and the Hollow Earth. The editors also discuss the connection between ley lines, ghostly apparitions, and UFO sightings. Large photographs and illustrations make this a colorful book that will attune the reader’s imagination to these strange and mysterious phenomena.
Stonehenge (1979) by Bonnie Gaunt explores the subject of Britain’s megaliths from a frankly religious point of view. Gaunt’s work is planted firmly in the field of archeoastronomy, and links Stonehenge to the Great Pyramid by means of mathematical correspondences common to both. Gaunt’s work appears to be in substantial agreement with the pre-Victorian catastrophic schools of geology and archeology, and shows how the astronomical alignments of Stonehenge match up with key events in the Biblical history of ancient times.
The Invisible College (1975) by Jacques Vallee is subtitled, “What a Group of Scientists Has Discovered About UFO Influences on the Human Race.” Vallee draws parallels between phenomena such as Uri Geller’s UFO encounters, the Fatima miracles in Spain, and the Mormon revelations. The author links these phenomena together through the idea of a “psychic reality” beyond the world explored by modern science.
Invisible Residents (1970) by Ivan T. Sanderson is “a disquisition upon certain matters maritime, and the possibility of intelligent life under the waters of this earth.” Of particular interest to us are his accounts of strange events that have occurred in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle. Sanderson speculates on the reason for mysterious occurrences including “the time-speed incongruities experienced by flyers, and the disappearance—without a trace—air and water craft and of shipboard travelers in certain ‘lozenge-shaped’ areas around the world.”
Between Two Worlds (1964) by Nandor Fodor contains an impressive collection of “Amazing True Case Histories of the Occult, the Mysterious, the Marvelous and the Supernatural.” Fully documented accounts of eerie phenomena include “invisible bells, modern vampires, reincarnations, telepathic experiments, magic spells, dreams that reveal the future, hauntings and healings” which remain unexplained by science. In his day, Fodor was called “the world’s foremost psychic investigator.” His case histories include data on demons, poltergeists, pyramid curses, and ghosts.
Cosmic Forces Of Mu, Volume II (1992) by Col. James Churchward argues convincingly in favor of the catastrophic school of geology, and offers scientific explanations for the disappearance of ancient civilizations such as Atlantis. Churchward mercilessly ridicules the uniformitarian theories which have dominated the subjects of archeology, anthropology, and geology since the 19th century. He shows how volcanic action formed the mountain ranges, and explains why cosmic catastrophes no longer cause continents to be submerged beneath the seas. This is only one of several books by Churchward concerning the lost continent of Mu.
Alternate Realities: The Search For The Full Human Being (1976) by Lawrence LeShan seeks to reconcile paranormal phenomena with theories of modern physics. The result is a division of “reality” as we know it into four “modes,” and the ordinary sensory world is just one of these modes. LeShan also offers methods through which we might be able to switch between different modes of perception at will, thus allowing us to experience the other three “realities” directly. “With brilliant simplicity, Dr. LeShan demonstrates an everyday world in which there is not one reality, but a choice of realities for each of us.”
The Encyclopedia Of Parapsychology and Psychical Research (1991) offers alphabetized entries on all sorts of psychic phenomena including ESP, psychokinesis, mediums, and other well-known avenues of paranormal investigation. Investigators and famous psychics are also listed. For general reference and study this work has great value for the students of paranormal subjects.
Harper’s Encyclopedia Of Mystical And Paranormal Experience (1991) by Rosemary Ellen Guiley has information on Near Death Experiences, hauntings, lost continents, healings, and a host of other paranormal subjects. This volume has a more empirical approach that perfectly suits the study of phenomenology.
Everything Is Under Control (1998) by Robert Anton Wilson concentrates on conspiracies and coverups but also includes information about paranormal experiences such as the Mothman sightings. Wilson’s work makes for easy reading, and an ingenious system of cross referencing shows the many connections between different aspects of the paranormal world. This volume also lists websites, periodicals, and books on each of the weird subjects included in its pages.
Exploring The Psychic World (1967) by Fred Archer includes detailed accounts of the poltergeist phenomenon, as well as valuable information pertaining to ghosts and spirits.
Mysterious Realms (l992) by Joe Nickell and John F. Fischer has a thoroughly researched chapter on the crop circle phenomenon. This book also contains an excellent index of names and places associated with inexplicable events.
The subject of new age paranormal activity includes many different experiences of phenomenon, anything unexplained, monsters and mysteries. A ufo picture isn’t enough to explain a ufo sighting to most skeptics. And when most of us picture a monster we don’t see the loch ness monster, loch ness is more of an unexplained mystery, a phenomenon unexplained and mysterious. The sighting of this activity has opened up the field of parapsychology. Many scientists consider new age parapsychology to be on the far edges of science because parapsychology supports the idea that our perceptions are limiting and that there is much more to this life than the current picture of reality in most minds.