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Legendary Creatures & Cryptid Stuff with Author JW Ocker

Posted on May 25, 2024 | 10 comments

A great book by author JW Ocker with a chapter on the impact the Mothman has had on Point Pleasant, West Virginia

You might be asking yourself, what is a cryptid?  You may not know the word, but you have definitely heard of specific cryptids. Does the name Bigfoot ring a bell? How about The Loch Ness Monster? Those are the big name headliners in a field called cryptozoology. To borrow from JW Ocker’s book, “a cryptid is a creature or species whose existence is scientifically unproven.”

Author JW Ocker does not take cryptids as seriously as cryptozoologists do, but he’s all in on the fun of the possibility of cryptids, and I’m with him on that!

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful, fun world if all those legends like the Mothman, The Jersey Devil, and the Loch Ness Monster were all true?  Let’s get on with the interview!

Picture from CNBC

TPF: How did your interest in the paranormal begin?

JW: As a kid I liked monsters and I was also raised religious, so soul-deep in gods and demons, but it wasn’t until college or thereafter that I really started digging the strange in a real way. Probably at that moment when I got my first real job and a place all my own and was supposed to start getting serious about life. I looked out at that landscape and realized, “Ah. The regular world kind of sucks. Guess I’ll be spooky instead.”

TPF: Which of the creatures you wrote about is your favorite, and why?

JW: The Mothman. It’s got a great story arc (most cryptid stories peter out, but the Mothman story raises to a climax with the collapse of the Silver Bridge), but also because Point Pleasant supports its creature in a way that has become the template for all other cryptid towns. Plus, you can explore the TNT area where the creature was most often sighted and pretend it’s the late 1960s and it could pop up anytime with its glowing red eyes and freaky motionless flying.

The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp-Pic from Redbubble

TPF: Which creature would scare you the most if you came upon it in the wild?

JW: The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp or, if you can count them, Gray Aliens. The former is because a humanoid reptile just sounds like it could mess you up more than anything else in cryptid lore (minus the water monsters, which is a totally different fear). The latter is mostly because of the movie Communion.

TPF: What did you do before you figured out that you could make a living writing about interesting oddities?

JW: Oh, I can’t. Not and keep my family in Bigfoot t-shirts. I’m also a strategist at an agency in Boston. That basically means I tell stories for businesses, which is a lot like telling paranormal stories except that the monsters all wear suits and I’ve got to pitch them to rooms full of people with “Chief” in their titles.

TPF: Those monsters sound scarier than anything else we’ve discussed here!

 

TPF: When I look at your collection of books, it seems like you’ve covered almost everything. Do you have a work in progress right now, and if so what is it about?

JW: I’m currently working on a book about cults that will come out next year. There’s still a ton of weirdness out there I want to tackle, but after my last three nonfiction books–cursed objects, cryptids, and cults–I might just be out of c-words.

Thank you for your time JW. I’m completely enjoying Cryptids and I’m planning some trips in hopes of seeing a Jersey Devil or maybe a Snallygaster! To my readers, JW is a fun follow on social media and has a website: OddThingsIveSeen.com which is always a fun read. You can also find him on Facebook. In addition to his paranormal subjects, he also has quite a few fiction novels for both young readers and adults. You can find his entire collection on Amazon!

Have a great Saturday everyone! ~Phil

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The Top Ten Fictional Paranormal Shows

Posted on May 22, 2024 | Leave a comment

This isn’t a list of reality shows. Feel like watching something scary but don’t want to sit through a two hour movie? I’ve got your back. There’s nothing I enjoy more than being on the edge of my seat. I’m not talking horror or gore. I’m talking pure, can’t take your eyes off the screen, I can’t believe this is happening, suspense. Since it’s National Paranormal Month (ThePhilFactor, copyright pending), I got to thinking about the best paranormal TV shows I’ve watched. I’ve watched 8 of the 10 on the list and included the two others on reputation. This is a very subjective list, so if you have other suggestions I’d love to hear them.

Twilight Zone: This may be the original classic suspense paranormal show. I didn’t see it in it’s first run obviously, but saw it later in re-runs. It premiered in 1959, ran for four seasons, and then returned for two seasons in 2019/2020. I fly fairly regularly and I’m always tempted to yell “There’s a man on the wing!” If you get the reference, in the comments tell me what actor screamed it.

The X-Files: A 90’s classic that ran on network TV from 1993-2002 and spawned two movies in 1998 and 2008, followed by a return to the small screen for single seasons in 2016 and 2018. It was great in it’s time and improved as it grew in popularity. Not every episode was the perfect cocktail of suspense and disbelief, but it was often enough to make my list.

American-Gothic

American Gothic: Maybe I just like this because I have the painting on a tie. Which is more famous, the painting or the show? Who heard of one but not the other? The American Gothic I’m referring to ran from 1995-1998. Interestingly, it was written by 1970’s bubble gum pop singer Sean Cassidy.

My sister, Sharon, will love this. She had this poster on her wall.

I didn’t see American Gothic, but loved the title and heard others give it high praise. You win 50 points to spend in The Phil Factor gift shop if you can tell me, without looking it up, what artist did the famous painting by the same name.

Lost: Apparently I’m stuck in the 90’s. For one glorious season LOST was awesomely suspenseful and mysterious. Then the writers all seemed to lose their minds.

The Walking Dead: There’s just so many. So many zombies. Just the tiniest scratch. Any moment you could become one of them. Your group is getting picked off one by one. There could be one or one hundred around any corner. You just never know. Also the producers never know when to stop putting out new seasons.

American Horror Story: I haven’t watched this one. Yet. I plan to, No one else in my family wants to see it, except my youngest son, so I have to find some time to watch when no one else is around. That’s the best time to watch scary stuff anyway, right? In the picture on the right, over my right shoulder, that’s the original American Horror Story house. My son and I tracked it down while I was in California last year.

In Search Of… Leonard Nimoy rest in peace.  This was a late 70’s-early 80’s show that was part documentary, part reality show where they tried to debunk paranormal phenomena. As a kid I always watched it,  but it always freaked me out.

Kingdom Hospital: Also known as Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital. In 2004 this was a one season series that was based on a Danish show.  Look it up on Netflix or Hulu. Completely creepy, suspenseful and weird. I loved it.

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Stranger Things:  It was a new series in 2016. Season 4 was out in summer 2022 and there will be a season 5… next year when the kids will all be 40 years old and getting divorces.  This show set out to capture the aura of those cool, creepy 80’s Stephen King based movies and succeeded brilliantly.

Twin Peaks: As I said, I recently began re-watching the original series and it stands the test of time. It’s still awesomely creepy and weird. If you were a fan of the show and want to see a funny, hour-long spoof featuring many of the actors and actresses from the original look up the show Psych on Netflix and find the Dual Spires episode in 2010/5th season of the show. After you do that, go back and watch the entire Psych series from season 1. It’s brilliantly funny with a little suspense.

Be careful when you google “Twin Peaks”, because there is a Hooters type restaurant chain that is also named Twin Peaks. I’ve heard the food is delicious. (Btw, if Hooters and Twin Peaks would give me a backlink, that would be awesome.) Who is thinking “Why does Phil know so much about this Twin Peaks “restaurant?”

So what did I miss? What would you add to my best paranormal shows list? And, what would you take away? Please give opinions and suggestions. I’d love some good, new or old shows to watch. Have a great Wednesday! ~Phil

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Interview With Demonologist Rich Valdes

Posted on May 21, 2024 | 2 comments

This, my friends, is one of the most interesting interviews that I’ve had the privilege of doing. Rich Valdes has been a demonologist for over thirty-five years. He is such a legendary presence in the demonology community that he was featured in a show on The Travel Channel last year, Eli Roth’s Legion of Exorcists. It’s a little different also because most of my interviews are by email. Rich was kind enough to spend some time having a phone conversation with me!

TPF: Hi Rich and welcome to The Phil Factor. I really do appreciate you taking the time to talk with me. I want to be considerate of your time, so let’s jump right into the questions! Was there a point in your life when you decided to become a demonologist, or was it something that happened circumstantially?

Rich: I didn’t know what it was called at the time, but I was thirteen years old when I started taking an interest in anything and everything that was like demonic, and the Pastor of the church that my mother attended took notice of it. I had an affinity for it.

When I was about to turn eighteen he reached out to me. He said “I’ve always felt that you had a calling for demonology.” I asked him what that was because at that time I had never heard of it. He explained that it was the study of demons and theology and all the cult practices and religions. I was immediately hooked and I started studying with him for two and a half years before he passed away. Then I had to take a break from my studies.

TPF: How long have you been a demonologist?

Rich: I’ve been a demonologist now for thirty-five years, after nine and a half years of training through three different churches.

TPF: I was wondering how after your pastor passed away, how you continued your studies, because I don’t think you can get that at a community college.

Rich: No. No, that’s usually only offered in churches.

TPF: So the more you became involved in demonology, what surprised you the most?

Rich: What surprised me the most was how demons interact with us. They know more of us, the humans, than we know of them. It’s psychological warfare. Imagine if you would, having to battle something that has pre-dated mankind. They know our weaknesses and strengths even before we discover that we are up against one. So that’s what makes it so difficult.

TPF: What was the most frightening experience you’ve ever had?

Rich: Do you have time for this?

TPF: I have time if you have time!

Rich: (Chuckles) Ok, the scariest experience, well I wouldn’t say scariest, but it rattled my cage a little bit and made me realize that what I was up against was something that knew me better than I knew it.

This was a case about sixteen years back, I was asked to take on. As a demonologist, you have to test and see if there are signs of demonic infestation, oppression, and possession. I contacted the husband of the couple. His wife was the one that was actually being tormented by what he felt to be something demonic.

I drove to Ocala from Miami, but before I did,  I called him and I stated, “Do me a favor. Do not say my name out loud. You will refer to me as “Frank”. “Frank Black”, kind of like my favorite character from Millenium. It’s one of the many tricks of the trade, and he referred to me as Frank. When I got there, he answered the door and referred to me as Frank. He took me upstairs to where his wife was. There was a little table by the window with two chairs.

She was sitting on one side. I put my briefcase down and I introduced myself, “Hi. my name is Frank. Frank Black” and she said, “We both know, we all know that’s not true. Your name is really Rich or Richard.” I was like, “No.” Admittedly I had to fib a little bit but I had to keep my poker face up. I informed her, “No, I’m Frank” and she said, or they said, I should say “As you please.” Then I continued with my testing. Let’s just say that she did not pass. Everything that I tried kept proving that there was something or things with her.

Toward the end, as I started wrapping things up, I looked right at her, but never looking right into the eyes, that’s one thing that we’ve been trained never to do. I dismissed myself and said, “Thank you so much.”  She replied, “No, we thank you, Richard Valdes.” That threw me for a loop. Of course, you always have to keep a poker face.

I went downstairs and said goodbye to the husband. I said, “Thank you very much.” I got into the car and drove three blocks down and I literally went through a half-pack of cigarettes. Let’s just say that I couldn’t drive anymore and I stayed the night in a roach motel and I took advantage of the opportunity to call my pastor and told him that we needed to get a young and old priest over here ASAP.

TPF: Wow! That sounds impactful.

Rich: Yes, it is impactful when you know for a fact that individual didn’t know my name and all of a sudden you’re there being exposed and all those testings that I used, they repelled by whatever testings I used. It wasn’t Captain Obvious things like crosses or anything like that.

TPF: Has anything funny ever happened during one of your investigations? (this is me asking the dumbest question a demonologist has ever heard. He’s probably at the demonologist meeting right now saying to his friends “And then he asked me if anything funny ever happened! I ought to send a demon to his house to see how funny he thinks that is! What a maroon! “)

But this was his polite reply to me…

Rich: Umm, no. Not that I can recall. I’m always vigilant for anything and everything and the phenomena no matter how small they may be, end up towards the end building up to be something more.

TPF: You are in The Legion of Exorcists, on The Travel Channel.  Could you tell us a little bit about that show?

Rich: The only thing I can say is that it is by far the first time that people will witness a show that is presented by theologians, individuals that are well-studied within the church or have degrees and have been certified and trained predominantly by the church. It won’t be by paranormal investigators, although I myself am a paranormal investigator. To have the experience as well as a demonologist, they brought me in just to give a different perspective. It will be the first show presented on the Travel Channel that we have individuals that are not being addressed as paranormal investigators that are talking about demons and giving their first-hand experience with demonic activity through the eyes of a theologian.

TPF: That was my last question Rich. I appreciate you sharing your time and experiences with me and my readers.

Yes, I know this was significantly longer than my usual posts, but Rich and his knowledge and stories were well worth it and one of the highlights of my Paranormal Month. If you or a family member does get possessed, just let me know in the comments and I’ll get you Rich’s number!

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for reading! ~Phil

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Are We Living in The Matrix?

Posted on May 19, 2024 | 3 comments

Don’t laugh. There are people out there who seriously believe that every one of us and our whole existence is a technological simulation. There’s a new documentary movie, Code 12,  that explores and advocates that theory.

It’s not just this one movie though. There are scientists and others who say that repeating patterns, numbers and codes have existed for thousands of years, and continue to repeat themselves over and over across cultures, structures, and languages, proving that we are living in a matrix, or simulation.

I watched the Code 12 movie while writing this. I admit that I went into it biased against the Matrix Theory. As you know from reading my posts over the last few years, I’m open to the possibility of most paranormal things. For some reason though, this theory gives me a very visceral feeling in my gut. It’s a literal physical feeling I get when I consider this possibility. I don’t like it. It kind of makes me want to punch the matrix theorists.

Is this what I look like to the overlords who are controlling my character in the matrix?

Is it possible that my gut reaction is because I’ve been programmed by the controllers of this simulation to reject any notion of a false reality? Kind of like in a video game when your character isn’t allowed to have certain powers or access certain skills until you have leveled up?

Another theory falls back on religion. In Hinduism your physical body dies and your spirit returns in another body to try again to attain self-knowledge. Reincarnation. How is that different than your game (matrix) player dying and then you bring him or her back to try again to reach a higher level? Is that what’s happening to us?

I find the whole matrix/simulation theory ridiculous. If this is a computer or technological simulation, then who programmed it? If there is a head programmer who is running this game, then how is that different than the theory of an all-knowing God that set up life?

I think the matrix/simulation theory is just a modern techno way to frame our belief about life and death. It’s the same kind of ideas but with different labels.

Sadly though, I’m still hoping I get to wear a bad ass black trench coat at some point. And if we are in the Matrix, would the Matrix allow me to publish a column questioning the existence of the Matrix? If this post disappears suddenly, I’ll know why.

Was this the weirdest Phil Factor post ever? Even as a post about a paranormal subject, I find it very weird. What do you think about the Matrix theory?

Have a great Sunday! Thanks for reading! ~Phil

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What I Did In The Haunted Library

Posted on May 17, 2024 | Leave a comment

As you can see from the pictures, the Ray P. Flower Library in Watertown, New York is a beautiful library inside and out. The library opened in 1905. The funds for the library were donated by Emma Flower Taylor in 1903 as a memorial to her father. Another girl with Daddy issues, am I right? Maybe that explains why these statues are there. Is Emma still trying to get daddy’s attention even in the after-life? Emma, when will you ever learn?

 I’m here tonight writing this from within the library. (The blog is coming from inside the house! Who remembers that line from the movie When a Stranger Calls?) The ghost of Emma has been spotted by both librarians and others visiting the library. Also, many have reported blood-curdling screams in the basement.  If there wasn’t a security guard and other people here I’d do a whole Blair Witch thing for you right now.

I am sitting in the room in the library that is dedicated to Emma Flower Taylor. My parents were both from this area and I share a surname with Miss Emma Flower Taylor. Could we be related? I have no idea, but it seems likely. I spent about 90 minutes hanging around this spectacular library. Sometimes I’d sit in one room or area for a bit and at other times I meandered through the halls and stairwells. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to the basement. It was roped off.

I even spoke aloud to Emma when no one was around. Nothing. Hoping to provoke a response from her ghost I even did a cartwheel when no one was looking.

Between my cartwheel and my salt & pepper hair, I don’t know how a ghost with daddy issues could ignore me! If you’d like to hear some first-person accounts, here’s a video with some of the library staff discussing their experiences with Emma.

Have a great Friday, and thanks for reading! ~Phil

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Interview With A Pretty FN Spooky Psychic

Posted on May 8, 2024 | Leave a comment

Just in case you don’t understand the title, my blog guest today, Amanda Paulson, uses “PrettyFNSpooky” as her moniker on most social media.

Amanda Paulson has participated in multiple media projects with paranormal research in the Pacific Northwest, taught workshops on spirit communication and amassed hundreds of thousands of views making spiritual-related content for the company Tamed Wild. In 2022 Amanda created the first Dark History Tour Series for the Campbell House in association with the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and is in her second term as City-at-Large Representative Historic Preservationist for the Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission. She has been featured in the YouTube series Ghost Files, profiled in popular publications Apartment Therapy and The Inlander, and her personal writing published in Haunted Magazine and The Feminine Macabre Vol.1. 

TPF: Hi Amanda and thanks for visiting The Phil Factor. You have a pretty long history of paranormal involvement. Why were you interested in the paranormal, and how did you get started?
Amanda: My experience began when I was 7 years old and living in a haunted duplex with my mom and grandma. I would watch my dolls and other bedroom knickknacks mysteriously move at night and have detailed nightmares about the house being “haunted”. When this activity followed me after we moved, I grew an interest in understanding the purpose of these experiences and finding irrefutable proof. I started investigating in 2008 when I joined the Billings Paranormal Investigative Society in Billings, Montana. They taught me everything I know now about equipment and how to conduct a private or residential cases. I eventually moved away and left the team but they are undoubtedly responsible for my growth and where I am today.
TPF: When I started following you and reading your social media, your Emotive Touchpoint theory immediately grabbed my attention. It rang true to me. Could you tell my readers about your Emotive Touchpoint theory?
Amanda: The Paranormal Emotive Touchpoint theorizes that there are soft spots throughout the world where the other side is closer or easier to contact. These soft spots, or touchpoint’s, present themselves to us by giving us what I call “odd emotions” like nostalgia, deja vu or liminality and do not require the location to be traditionally haunted. They are simply spots that are charged by emotion and still reverberate emotion, that give us a clearer means to communicate with any entity on the other side. Kind of like finding the right station on a walkie-talkie, or a better Wi-Fi  connection – I believe the key to it all is to pay attention to our living emotions.
TPF: For most people, when they hear paranormal, they think of seeing or communicating with ghosts. For you, what was your most definitive experience with “the other side”?
Amanda: I have some experiences that I’ve shared on my blog that felt rather definitive (like my time staying alone at the Lizzie Borden House) but today, I’d say my most definitive experiences with the other side are from the mediumship readings that I have been doing for others. I use a technique that allows me to enter a trance state and journey the living’s subconscious and in that space, I sometimes come across messages or visions from people who have passed away. Hearing stories from the strangers that I’m reading for afterward, that match exactly with the spirits I’d been communicating with for them, has provided me with better “proof” than I had ever gathered in my 15 years of ghost hunting.

TPF: You are starring in a documentary, Death Is With Me. What is that about?

Amanda: Death is With Me is a paranormal true crime documentary based out of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and tells the true story of the Lady of Lake Crescent. It follows my journey researching the Lady of the Lake and investigating her purported ghost. But when the investigations take a strange turn, mine and the crews understanding of the intersection of violence, history and the supernatural, change forever.

 

TPF: A lot of people fancy themselves to be paranormal investigators. Are there any dangers for amateurs who muck around in the paranormal?

Amanda: It’s my personal belief that there are no outside, spiritual dangers of exploring the paranormal though that can change for others with different spiritual or religious beliefs. I believe though that it’s important to ground yourself and check in with the state of your mental health as you search for the meaning and understanding of life after death. The topics explored in the paranormal field can be heavy and it’s important to know your North Star – your reason why. That inner knowing and strength will guide you and protect you along your search for the other side.

TPF: Amanda, thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences with my readers. Amanda is a great follow on social media, so here are her links:

Blog: www.prettyfnspooky.com

IG: Prettyfnspooky

Twitter: Prettyfnspooky

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prettyfnspooky/

TikTok: Prettyfnspooky

The ‘Death is With Me‘ movie: Follow here! 

Readers, as always, thanks for reading! If there are any other paranormal subjects that you’d like me to research and/or get a guest for Paranormal Month, just let me know in the comments!

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Do You Want to See a UFO? Read this book!

Posted on May 7, 2024 | 3 comments

Yes, it’s Paranormal Month and I am pleased to announce that aliens have landed… on The Phil Factor. Well, maybe not aliens, but a guy who knows a heck of a lot more about them than I do. That’s his book cover above and I love the book!

Multiple award-winning filmmaker and Emmy-nominated casting director Craig Campobasso was fifteen when he started in the entertainment business. Craig has worked behind-the-scenes on blockbuster film classics such as Frank Herbert’s Dune and two Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, Conan The Destroyer and Total Recall. He began his casting career on Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Series on David E. Kelley’s Picket Fences.

Craig directed, wrote and produced the short film Stranger at the Pentagon, which was adapted from the popular UFO book authored by the late Dr. Frank E. Stranges. In September 2014, it won Best Sci-Fi film at the Burbank International Film Festival. In 2015, it won a Remi Award at the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival for Best Sci-Fi Short. Clearly, Craig knows how to write and he knows about UFO’s and aliens.

TPF: Craig you’ve done a lot in the entertainment industry over the years, contributing to many popular TV shows and movies, but what intrigued me about your career is your enduring love for UFOs and extraterrestrials. How did that start for you?

Craig: I began my casting career on Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories and when the show was completed I had a major spiritual awakening. I began to ponder the meaning of life, what was out there in the great big universe. I lived at The Bodhi Tree, a metaphysical bookstore, and started reading books on spirituality and contactee cases where individuals were having face-to-face contact with beings not of this earth, most of them humans just like us. That fascinated me.

I continued studying the phenomena, met many UFO researchers, began investigating cases with them. In one case, I actually photographed an extraterrestrial. The photo is in my best-selling book The Extraterrestrial Species Almanac. While I was writing the ET Almanac in 2019, I found my biological father whom I had never met, through a genealogist. He had passed in 2006. Long story short I found his brother who literally lived around the corner from me and discovered that Fred Vierow, my biological father was in the Air Force and was a part of Project Blue Book.

TPF: Why did you decide to write The UFO Hotspot?

Craig: The publisher Red Wheel Wiser books and their imprint MUFON books wanted to do a follow up to the ET Almanac, which is now a documentary I directed, to be released later this year.

We had the head of MUFON send out queries to all the MUFON State Directors to nominate their favorite hotspots. I compiled them, added a few of my own, and wrote the book. The reader will find the story behind each hotspot and or extraterrestrial encounters. You’ll hear from eyewitnesses, see photographic evidence, and learn about the government and military attempts to cover up and control the flow of information.  You’ll learn the when, where, up-to-date story, things to do at the site, tour guide information and Sources so you can read more about the hotspot.

TPF: What is the most convincing proof of alien life that you’ve ever seen?

Craig: A photograph I took of an extraterrestrial on a high profile abduction case in the Midwest. Another photograph I took of a round metallic probe flying away from Bell Rock in Sedona. (That picture is in UFO Hotspot book.) Also UAPs (Unidentified aerial phenomena) zipping across the skies through night vision binoculars, and in some cases, mentally communicating with them to move their ship in different directions, asking them to power up their ship, and they produce a light show.  Also contactee photographs of ships and the extraterrestrial themselves.

MUFON is a national network of researchers, experts and interested people who track and research UFO sightings. You can join!

TPF: What do you say to people who question the existence of UFOs and aliens?

Craig: I ask them if they believe in God. Most reply yes. Then I ask, Have you ever seen God?

TPF: It’s definitely hard to argue with that logic.

TPF: Here is the question we have all wrestled with. If extraterrestrials landed in your back yard and asked you to go with them for a ride in space, would you go?

Craig: I have been asking this question to actors, some famous, and friends–and most of their replies are yes. The few that said no were terrified of the unknown. There have been many contactees that have been onboard craft not of this earth: George Van Tassel, Dr. Frank Stranges, Howard Menger, early contactees in the 50s and 60s. More recent contactees have been on otherworldly craft numerous times, one man over 100 times. They are featured in my ET Almanac documentary and their story and evidence will be revealed upon its release. I myself would definitely go for the adventure, spiritual elevation, and connecting with our cosmic cousins.

Craig, thank you for sharing your time, experience and knowledge with The Phil Factor audience. For my readers, if you enjoy both reality and fiction books about UFO’s and aliens, instead of forking over more money to Amazon, go to Craig’s website where you can order a book and he will autograph and personalize them! I’ve already got the book and am planning to use it whenever I travel.

Thanks for reading, and keep your eyes on the skies! Stayed tuned tomorrow for an interview with a great psychic! ~Phil

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The Mothman Mythology

Posted on May 6, 2024 | 3 comments

Check out those abs! That guy is ripped!

I feature a lot of paranormal content to celebrate Paranormal Month, which I invented (copyright!). When you think about the paranormal you usually think of ghosts, demons, UFO’s and cryptids like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

But have you heard about the Mothman? I had heard of Mothman occasionally when consuming paranormal content, but it wasn’t a big topic. The Mothman never gets paranormal headliner status, except in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. That’s sort of his home region. Despite stories of a winged entity in the Point Pleasant area since the 1920’s, Mothman is still like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster’s little brother, forever in their shadow.

Mothman is an interesting character though because, unlike cryptids, which are usually considered animals that are unusual and difficult to verify, the Mothman (or Mothwomen) are considered to be sentient beings. (Yes, I said Mothmen/women plural. There have been a lot more sightings than people realize.)

The Mothman is often described as being a tall, hairy, winged humanoid being with glowing eyes. Some people have theorized that the Mothman is an alien.

2016 picture of a Mothman flying over Point Pleasant

The Mothman sightings that really captivated the country began in Point Pleasant, West Virginia from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 1966. Author John Keel popularized local folklore about the creature with his 1975 book “The Mothman Prophecies.”

Interestingly is that shortly after the Mothman started appearing, so did reports of UFO’s and “Men in Black” (not Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones). In the documentary The Mothman of Point Pleasant there are several eyewitness accounts of unwanted harassment by the Men In Black.

Some believe The Mothman is a bad omen , only appearing when catastrophe is about to strike. There have been many claims that the winged, red-eyed creature was seen right before the Point Pleasant Silver Bridge collapsed early in 1967. That event took the lives of 46 people.

A great book by author JW Ocker with a chapter on the impact the Mothman has had on Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Over the last 50 years there have been reports of Mothmen or Mothwomen being spotted in Vietnam during the war, in Chernobyl, Russia before the nuclear plant melted down, and even a mothman near the Twin Towers before they were hit. Another was reported in August 2007 when the the bridge collapsed in Minnesota.

More recently, starting in the summer of 2011, reports of Mothman-like flying humanoids have been popping up in the Chicago area. The picture below is a map of where those sightings have occurred around Chicago. That’s a lot of sightings, so it’s definitely is not one or two crackpots reporting their hallucinations.

I find the century long story of the Mothman fascinating. If you look back at history, in every country humans have always reported seeing flying beings. Some were thought to be angels, some aliens, some predators. It’s another of those murky paranormal stories that seems to have enough widespread validation that something different is going on but we just haven’t pinned it down.

If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, there is a documentary titled The Mothman of Point Pleasant on Amazon for free. It’s interesting with some very detailed eyewitness accounts. Also on Amazon is a fictional movie based on what happened in Point Pleasant titled The Mothman Prophecies.  It stars Debra Messing and Richard Gere, who in the 6 degrees of separation game is only one person away from me. I wonder if The Mothman predicted that?

As they say, keep your eyes on the skies! You never know what you might see. What do you think? Are cryptids like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster real? Is the Mothman a member of an alien species that visits Earth to warn us of danger? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!

Have a great Monday! ~Phil

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Do You Want a Haunted House on Purpose?

Posted on May 5, 2024 | 3 comments

Grady Hendrix has no idea that I was going to make his book the first pic on my blog today, but hopefully he’s cool with it. I would be. Today’s paranormal topic is how the paranormal has influenced the housing market. There are literally thousands of real estate signs being put up with NOT HAUNTED as part of the sales pitch.

What? Why wouldn’t you want a haunted house? Why aren’t there signs that say “Haunted”?  I would pay extra for a legit haunted house. In the past I had a house that was lightly haunted and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you are a fan of the paranormal and want to have more of it in your life, why not buy a haunted house on purpose?

You’re probably saying to yourself, “But Phil, how can I buy a haunted house on purpose?” First off, I like when you use my name when you’re talking to yourself and secondly you can learn how to buy a haunted house on purpose by continuing to read this wonderfully written edition of ThePhilFactor. Read on my friends, I have an answer for you.

Yes, that’s real. There is a website that will tell you if someone died in a house that you’re planning to buy. They don’t promise ghosts, but the in-house death certainly gives you a better shot at having some ethereal company. About 20 years ago when my wife and I were house shopping, there was a house that was up for sale because there had been a multiple murder there. I literally said, “C’mon, imagine the discount we’ll get!” She wasn’t having it.

Amityville Horror House

When I moved last year I was hoping for a little haunting. I walked around my house with an EVP meter and and EMF meter and I got nothing. So disappointing.

But then, on Friday, just two days ago I was emptying the dishwasher when a box of cereal literally hopped off the counter and into the sink. It literally had to move at least four inches to the right and clear a ridge about a half inch high. There is no way that was an accident. Windows were closed and the ceiling fan was off, so there was no breeze. Yesterday I mentioned it to my wife, and she casually said, “I’ve smelled cigarette smoke in the living room.”

We’ve been in this house about eight months. Not once has anyone that was a smoker entered my house. Neither of us smokes. I’ve never smelled the cigarette smoke, but between the flying cereal box and the cigarette smoke, I’m feeling pretty good about my chances of living in a haunted house.

If my house is haunted, I want the full on Stranger Things “my son is in the upside-down” kind of haunting. I want to see my dog walking on the ceiling and not knowing why. I’ll be running around the house with my cell phone recording myself Blair Witch Project style, only to find myself in the closet facing the wall.

So who else is with me in wishing for a haunted house? If so, give me a shout in the comments! Have a great Sunday!

Thanks for reading! ~Phil

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Posted in Humor, paranormal, Uncategorized

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I’m Still #WritingInPublic, But Where?

Posted on April 28, 2024 | 2 comments

As I said a week ago, I’m on a mission to write a novel by the end of the year, AND I’m hoping to finish it before my social media friend DeskInvestor is able to finish creating 12 A.I. apps.  Since I last announced my working on a new novel, myself and Desk Investor have agreed to a competition. But, we haven’t agreed on what would be the spoils of victory? Any suggestions?

I’m typing so fast my laptop is on fire!

Here’s my progress in the first week of #WritingInPublic. I’ve written every day of the last week and I have 5700 words, which is only about one 12th of the length of a short novel. So, if I’ve done 1/12th in one week, it goes to reason that it will take me 12 weeks to finish the novel. Do you hear that DeskInvestor?  How are those apps coming along? To be honest, week after this, I have a family vacation, so I probably won’t be writing much. So, because of the vacation, I’m on track to finish the novel in 13 weeks, maybe…

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