Observations on the State of the Paranormal Community - Part 1

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

With the New Year I feel compelled to ask: what is the state of the paranormal community? Before I respond, let me say that I consider myself part of the paranormal community (though I prefer to call it supernatural), and I care for these folks. I am not an outsider throwing rocks at these “nuts”, rather I am inside trying, in my weak and stumbling way, to change people’s minds through reasoned persuasion. Because of past bad experience with the church, often it is hard to gain an audience, and this grieves me. So, thank you dear friends for your continued interest and support.

I whittled it down to two issues—what is happening to the investigators and what is happening regarding the investigations. In this section we will deal with the former. When I say investigators, I mean that in the broad sense of anyone who is actively and regularly making contact with the spirit realm by attempting communication with the dead—there are untold millions of Americans who are engaging in this activity privately or informally, primarily due to what they have seen on TV. Perhaps we could distinguish between formal investigators (group structure and a stated purpose to assist others who have problems), and informal investigators (one or two individuals who do it for themselves or just for the thrill, and no mission statement). In 2009, when I began this quest, paranormalsocieities.com listed 950 formal investigative groups; today the count has risen to 4,054 groups—by any standard of measurement, that is astonishing growth! However, the amazing growth only serves to underscore the importance of doing an analysis of how things are going.

Let me plunge right in and say that I do not know of anyone who has regularly attempted to contact the dead, who at some point, has not dealt with demonic activity of their own. Recently I was on a Christian paranormal radio podcast in which the host, who has many more years’ experience than I do, concurred. (I was touched by the dignity and respect that was shown to me by this Christian woman)  We agreed that this is an extremely noteworthy phenomenon which is being systematically swept under the rug. I am sure that someone reading this will disagree with our observation, and that is okay. However, the undeniable fact is that a very high percentage of investigators (both kinds) are/have developed demonic issues. We may disagree as to what it is, but I think most would agree that experiencing paranormal activity appears to come with the territory. But why does it? And who/what is it that is following you home? Why is there so much obsessiveness that transcends healthy passion? As a man determined to see ghosts through God’s eyes, the bible must be our guide, along with science and critical thinking. All truth is God’s truth, but only the bible is inerrant and must be our only guide to faith (beliefs) and practice. Sola scriptura! (2 Tim. 3:16-17) You owe it to God, yourself, your team mates/friends, and your loved ones to grapple with this and not sweep it under the rug.

Biblically, the picture is sobering for all who are attempting communication with the dead, because God explicitly commands us not to engage in this (Deut.18:9-14; Lev.19:31; 20:1-6). So, first and foremost, every time an investigator investigates, they are disobeying God’s objective law. There are gradations of sin, and speaking to the dead is one reason God ordered the complete slaughter of an entire Canaanite people and culture (men, women, and children). In v.12 we are told explicitly that the occultic sins mentioned in these verses are the reason for the utter destruction of the inhabitants of the land. They were not innocent; the people who sought mediums and spoke to the dead were doing something the Lord considered “abominable.” All of these activities, including child sacrifice, are designed to seek supernatural wisdom apart from God. It is instructive that this text is juxtaposed with the section on God’s prophets (including the prophecy of a prophetic line culminating in Jesus)—the true and only source of wisdom we are to seek regarding God and the supernatural. In the Leviticus text, the heinousness of spirit communication is accented by stating that it was: whoring in God’s eyes; it was a capital crime; and if the Jews failed to kill the ghost whisperer, then God Himself would kill them…this is the only place in the Old Testament, that I am aware of, where the Lord threatens such personal involvement in the punishment for a particular sin. All sin is cosmic treason against our holy God, but some sins are particularly hateful to Him, and spiritism is one such sin. Therefore, the punishment and consequences of violating this command are especially severe. However, we must never lose sight of what we call the ellipsis of a negative prohibition (flip side); it is because God LOVES us that He wants us to delight in the words of His prophets/apostles and not be burned by touching the hot occultic stove.

Spirit solicitation is spiritual warfare! As we have noted before, the solicitation of EVP’s is attended by the same dangers as conducting an Ouija session. By entering into the spirit realm, we give the demonic a legal right to attach and attack, because we are trespassing in the realm that the Lord has given to them as their temporary home. Also, for the first time in recorded history, lay people in large numbers are plunging headlong into a world that universally has been approached in the past by a community’s representative—a priest or shaman—due to a natural fear of the spirits. Hence, the canopy of God’s common grace of protection is removed. In a word, the paranormal community is rapidly becoming demonized—investigators are coming under ever deepening influence of unclean spirits. Tragically, this is the dirty, dark secret of the paranormal community; for a variety of reasons we are not being honest with ourselves and each other. I suggest that this is not wise, and is only causing more people to be affected. Are we reluctant because it may signify a systemic problem in our ranks? When we unwittingly dance with the demonic, then we open ourselves to their accelerated activity. The condition of investigators is perilous in the extreme, and is getting worse each passing day…Lord have mercy on us. Next time we will look at the state of investigations.

ACTION STEPS

We must determine to speak out regarding this issue…it is a matter of integrity and compassion.

Some of you are under demonic influence, and you may, or may not, sense it…yet. Seek godly, competent help in dealing with it.

Eph. 6:12 states that we are to WRESTLE…do you realize how strenuous wrestling is? Many Christians are in lounge chairs…or doing the spiritual equivalent of “professional wrestling”—which is a joke and mockery of perhaps the most rigorous of all sports. Do we wrestle in prayer, as Daniel did, and was highly esteemed because of it? Pray for our country, other countries, the paranormal community, and our families…for ourselves that the Lord would increase our influence and fruit.

Read Part 2--The Investigations