I don’t find others’ fear of the paranormal amusing, but I am puzzled by it.
Don’t be afraid of what you can’t see
Oingo Boingo’s Dead Man’s Party
Not long ago, I watched a teenager panic at the thought of encountering a ghost.
A group of us had just walked past a sign that suggested a location was haunted. I began joking about it until I saw how pale and truly frightened the young person was.
“What are you afraid of?” I asked.
The young person had difficulty explaining. I felt bad that anyone should be terrified of something they’d not only never noticed, they would probably never encounter.
I wanted to put this kid at ease. I tried a variety of approaches from explaining what an apparition was, to sharing the numerous benign and positive experiences I’d had, to out and out humor. The last approach didn’t go too well.
That shit wasn’t funny! Then I suppose in your little sketch, Stevie crashed into a tree, right? Ha ha, very funny,
Eddie Murphy in Delirious
In the end I came to realize that someone with a great deal of influence in this kid’s life had instilled a terror of things paranormal. What’s worse, it was obvious this person had no direct knowledge of the subject and has based their own conclusions on misinformation.
The young person went on to tell me another story aimed at convincing me that I, too, should be terrified of ghosts and all things paranormal.
The sad part is this story was told to her by another teen.
“She was possessed! An evil spirit possessed her!”
You mean like Linda Blair in the Exorcist? I seriously doubt that.
I refrained from calling the other student’s credibility into question. I also skipped sharing my own experience with other kids telling tales, which took place around the camp fire when I was in Brownies and Girl Scouts. Stories about ghosts, witches, goblins, and other beasties. None of us had ever taken that stuff seriously and tucked into our sleeping bags laughing at the outrageous tales.
I let the subject drop, grateful that my own kids wouldn’t grow up with such fear.
Is it cultural?
When I was in high school, a group of us went to see the latest teen slasher film. I think it was one of the Nightmare on Elm Streets. I happened to glance over and see one of my classmates huddled on the floor in the backseat, the hood of his jacket pulled tight around his face.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
He began babbling in two languages about evil spirits.
“You’re afraid of ghosts?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes, I’m afraid of ghosts!” he snapped. “My people know to respect the dead!”
What that had to do with Freddy Krueger, I have no idea.
I grew up in a culture and religion that fostered what I consider a healthy, if not positive view of the paranormal, including death and life after death.
All the girls in my scout troop went to the same Catholic school. I don’t recall any of us being particularly afraid of anything paranormal. I don’t think we were taught to be.
There are numerous stories of the paranormal in the Bible we used in school and at church on Sundays.
According to the Christian Bible, Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead and rose 3 days after his own death. He also appeared in spirit form to his apostles after he had died.
I don’t know what faith the teen followed but I don’t think the views of the paranormal held are particularly healthy, nor were they reasonable.
Your levity is good. It relieves tension, and the fear of death
Terminator in Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines
You have to laugh.
Even when my own paranormal experiences have taken me by surprise I manage to look on them with humor.
In my book Angels and Engineers, I talk about an incident where a spirit argued with me, didn’t like my attitude, and proceeded to drop a good sized wood spider on my face.
“Very funny,” I told him as he roared with laughter.
“You have to admit,” he replied. “That was good.”
Even when it’s painful, I try to laugh.
I have a coffee mug with the following image on it
I have to admit, I don’t find a lot to laugh at regarding how sick my EMF Sensitivity has left me. However, when I saw that image I knew it was the perfect way to use humor, on two fronts.
The obvious one is the EMF Sensitivity angle, but also that I regularly see and communicate with ghosts.
Every time I see that mug I smile.
Halloween is the perfect time.
I know the history behind Halloween, so I know it goes far deeper than overindulging on candy and imbibing at costume parties. I suppose I take a more whimsical approach to decorating for this holiday.
Once again there’s a double meaning. The ghosts are somewhat obvious but I make fun of boos/booze. Having grown up around alcoholics, it’s a tender subject, making it perfect to take with a strong dose of humor, not fear.
