My work in the paranormal as an investigator, researcher and author has brought me face to face many times with its dark side: nasty entities, weird phenomena, curses, hexes, parallel worlds and strange experiences that seem straight out of a fiction writer’s head.  Paranormal themes are indeed hot in romantic fiction, but here’s the bizarre twist: the truth really is often stranger than fiction!  Sometimes my real life seems more like an episode of Supernatural or Fringe.

All of the exotic, compelling and wonderful characters and circumstances in paranormal fiction have a basis in reality: experiences that have happened to people over and over again throughout history.  We have always bumped up against other worlds, some of them uplifting and some of them dark and creepy.  The dark side lures us the most in a push-pull of morbid fascination countered by fear and aversion.  When Sharon invited me to write for her blog, I knew I wanted to talk about the real dark side of the paranormal.

First, a bit about my background.  When I set out in my career to write about the paranormal (and the metaphysical) in the early 1980s, I had no intentions of becoming an expert on the dark side.  I have been interested in the unseen since I was a kid, fueled by childhood experiences of fairies and angels, psychic abilities in my family, and a voracious reading habit that embraced science fiction, fantasy, and horror.  My far-ranging interests made me curious about everything, and so when I set out on my writing career, I cast a wide net over many subjects.  I have put more than fifty books under my belt covering topics from A-Z in the paranormal, angels to zombies and everything in between.  My generalist bent has served me well, for the paranormal overlaps from one arena to another, and from the light to the dark; everything is entwined and interconnected.

I believe in getting out into the trenches, so I have conducted as many field investigations of haunted and mysterious  locations as possible, and I have interviewed hundreds of witnesses about their experiences.  And, I have had plenty of my own experiences along the way.  Over the course of time I discovered that I had a stomach for probing the dark side, much more than most people in the field, and that there are a lot of folks who have troubling experiences who need guidance and help.  Those factors prompted me to go even deeper into dark territory involving demons, Djinn, real vampires, abducting ETs, Shadow People, black magic, negative hauntings, possession, and unknown but hostile entities.

I engage with this heavy energy often, and while I have never run screaming like the scripted “reality” shows, I have occasionally made what I call “prudent exits” when up against something that is too powerful, too determined, and too unpredictable to take on.  I invest a lot of energy in keeping my home my sanctuary, but sometimes I have breaches in which a negative entity gets through and creates some havoc for a short time.  I also invest a lot of energy in keeping my own energy field as strong as possible as a buffer.  Working in the paranormal, especially the dark end of it, is akin to walking through cobwebs – “stuff” clings to you.

I receive so many inquiries about paranormal problems that I put together a Guide to the Dark Side of the Paranormal as an educational introduction to the realities that are “out there.”  Here are some short takes on some of them, all of which are useful in fiction:

Curses

Curses work, even if the victim does not know about them.  It takes a great deal of energy and skill to curse effectively.  Deathbed curses are among the strongest, and can affect generations.  People have had differing moral positions on curses in the past.  For example, the Romans hired professional cursers as a matter of doing daily business, to gain an edge in business, love and sports.  Now there’s an interesting character – the professional curse-layer!

Dream Invasion

Some entities and magically skilled people have the ability to enter a person’s dreams.  Sometimes it is for messages and manipulation – and sometimes for psychological upset, psychic attack,  and even possession through nightmares.

Possessed Objects

Objects hold energy and even entities themselves.  Objects can retain energetic properties of owners and events.  When energized objects fall into the hands of the right person, those energies are released and can affect both people and environments.  There may be poltergeist activity, apparitions, dream invasions, and psychological and mood changes.  Metal retains energy imprints the best, followed by stone and wood.  The ability of objects to hold a psychic charge is the principle behind amulets and talismans.

Houses With Attitudes

Similarly, houses themselves can take on an animating “atmosphere” from previous occupants and events.  In the Guide to the Dark Side of the Paranormal, I describe such a house that I lived in myself.  It had no ghosts of people, but it had its own phantom presence that watched and reacted – and it became very unhappy when we tried to move.

Problem Mirrors

Mirrors are well-known as portals or doorways to the spirit world.  In many problem home hauntings, there are likely to be one or more badly placed mirrors involved.  They are especially problematic in bedrooms, where people are at their most vulnerable to unsolicited spirit visitations.  Above all, mirrors should never look into one another – a strange warping of space takes place that seems to cut through dimensional barriers.

Sex With Entities

Our sexual activities with the dead and supernatural beings have been documented since ancient times.  There are numerous accounts in mythology and folklore, both of which contain the kernels of real experiences.  Some of our sexual liaisons are good, such as with gods and goddesses and the semi-divine, while others are horrific, such as with demons and hostile aliens.  Historically, we have considered most of the hybrid offspring undesirable to downright abominations.  Sex with entities goes on today and it is not just a product of the imagination.

The Hidden Djinn

The Djinn are a race of supernatural entities known only in the West for being the origins of the genie in the bottle – a creature we usually dismiss as humorous fantasy.  They are quite real, very powerful, and not always kindly disposed toward human beings.  Their name means “the hidden ones.”  Years of research has convinced me that the Djinn are behind much of our paranormal activity, for they are superior shape-shifters and masqueraders.

The Evil Eye

The ability to harm and even kill by looking is a global and ancient belief.  “Overlooking,” as it is also called, can be learned as a magical skill.  Some people are believed to be born with the ability, which gives them an unfortunate life.  People shun them, fearing that the rays of their lingering gaze will bring ruination of health, luck, and life.

Drive-by Demons

“Drive-by demons” is a term I coined to describe opportunistic entities who home in on people and create problems from minor to major in impact.  They are drawn to us by the spiritual energy we generate, which is like a light on the spiritual planes.  Negative entities are drawn to the lights of emotional turmoil, addiction, and the low energy of immoral, unethical and deceitful living.  Sometimes people going through a major upheaval in life will sink into depressed states that invite entity interference.  “Drive-by demons” usually do not linger – they seize advantage, make the most of it, and cruise on to another target.

Details about these and more fascinating dark side topics – twenty in all – are in my Guide to the Dark Side of the Paranormal, which is available as an e-book from Kindle and in paperback print from my website, www.visionaryliving.com.

As for protection, daily mediation is the best preventive medicine against the effects and influences of the dark side.  Meditation builds up the aura, strengthens grounding, improves the psychic faculty, and enhances the connection to the spirit realms, including the benevolent beings who come to our aid and protection.  Periodically I see my acupuncturist (who is a Taoist exorcist) and get a Qi Gong tuneup, which cleanses the aura of that cobwebby stuff and bolsters the aura’s strength and vitality.

People often ask me about the effectiveness of crystals, medallions, religious symbols and so forth as amulets.  They can be quite useful, and everyone must find the one or ones that personally work.  You have to resonate with the energy of an amulet for it to elicit the right energetic response from your consciousness.  However, it is also wise to develop inner protection, which is always with you.

That’s my nutshell on the dark side.  I do spend a lot of time on the other side of the fence, dealing with angelic presences, guides, and “ethereals” who are involved in spirit communications and certain channelings.  All in all, it is never a dull day in my world – or worlds!

I hope you’ll visit my website, www.visionaryliving.com, to browse my library of articles on a variety of topics, and check out my other books – including my encyclopedias, which many fiction and script writers find to be useful references for their work.  In addition, I have a complimentary monthly e-newsletter, Strange Dimensions, which features articles as well as my professional activities.

BIO:

Rosemary Ellen Guiley is one of the leading experts on the paranormal with more than 50 books published by major houses on a wide range of paranormal, spiritual, and mystical topics, including nine single-volume encyclopedias.   Her work is translated into 15 languages.  She has worked full-time in the paranormal since 1983, researching, investigating, writing, and presenting, and teaching.   Her present work focuses interdimensional entity contact experiences of all kinds, technological and mediumistic spirit communications, spiritual growth and development, problem hauntings, and “portals,” or geographic areas of intense paranormal activity.  She spends a great deal of her time out in the field conducting investigations and research.  She has done ground-breaking research on Shadow People and the Djinn. Rosemary lives in Connecticut.  Her websites are www.visionaryliving.com and www.djinnuniverse.com.