Issue 55 –Psychic Kids Pilfering!

By Kirby Robinson

Yes we have survived the holidays and are now ready to get back to work exposing the paranormal fakers and false demon chasers out there.

But first let's take a minute to reflect. The EYE ON THE PARANORMAL has gone through many changes in 2011. We've gone from one post a week to new posts every day. We offer a voice to anyone who has the guts to step up and take the chance. Back in 2008 we were on the forefront of exposing paranormal fakers and frauds from psychics to para-reality shows. We did this due to the harm that was being done by those who only have dollar signs in their eyes. Those para-fakers fed off the children featured on Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal and the viewers who were led to believe the show was authentic.

Our detractors can only run and hide from the truth we are spreading. To date, not one point we raised concerning the fake para-reality shows such as Paranormal State, Demon Exorcist and Psychic Kids have been disproven. We helped stop Chip Coffey's newest fake reality show from being picked up, along with many others. We helped the Face Book page for Psychic Kids get locked down to protect children from the predators who trolled there in search of victims. We stood up to personal attacks lead by Sandra Lynn Sparks and Chip as they refuse to address the truth. Instead, these supposed adults chose to make fun of my failing eyesight or raised questions about my sexuality.

But on a sad note it seems true that Scifake.com has been parked. We are sad to see this happen and wish Ron Tebo the very best in his life. If he would ever want to post here we would make room for him.

OUR CURRENT BLOG SCHEDULE

Monday - Ryan Harshbarger

Every Other Tuesday - Lisa Maliga

Every Other Tuesday - Skarlet Rae

Wednesday - Kirby Robinson

Every Other Thursday - Reap Paden

Friday – Dr. Michael Frisbee

Saturday - Martha Hazzard-Decker

Sunday - Michael O'Brien

Sunday - World Wide Prayer Circle

PSYCHIC KIDS: CHILDREN OF THE PARANORMAL – THE PILFERING  

It was bad enough that such fake para-celebs like Chip Coffey, Chris Fleming, Michelle Griffin, and Kim Russo put children's mental and emotional health at risk and used them to make money.  But they keep trying to slip their hands into people's pockets and mess with their souls. How do they do this?

A production company or a TV network often sets up websites to support a TV show or allow like-minded viewers to gather and exchange ideas and ask questions about the show's content. This was the case for Psychic Kids. A Face Book page was established and became very popular for fans of the show, both adults and children. Unfortunately, what the public didn't know was that neither A&E nor the show's producers monitored the activity. This left it wide open for all kinds of predators to troll for unsuspecting victims. People posted questions and would get a comment/answer back from a person like Sandra Lynn Sparks. Was she working for A&E? No. Was she hired by the production company? No. Does she have any training working with kids? No. Who was she working for? Chip Coffey.

Sandra was a moderator on Chip's board and she is also behind two other boards. We'll get to this next week as we take a look into the content. Sandra made sure that links to Chip's services and events were regularly posted. This made it look like the show was backing these events. She also posted links for Chris Fleming's events, along with any that Michelle Griffin hosted.

If a child posted questions about their mental health, Sandra Sparks would jump right in and direct them to her pages. If a parent posted, she directed them to her pages. And if any doubters posted anything negative about the show, the fake para-celebs or the mental health professionals who engaged in questionable actions on the show, she would launch attacks and spread lies about the doubters.

Does this sound like a safe place for the public? Not at all. Safe for kids? Definitely not. At one point a known convicted felon was posting, willing to work with kids. Another individual, a man, was posting that he was willing to work with young children. This man regularly directed the kids into private chat rooms and never once were the words "ask your parents first" ever used.

It's hard to separate a dog from his bone. The same is true of a fake para-celeb and his meal ticket. When the Face Book page for Psychic Kids was locked down and Sandra couldn't pretend to be a moderator, a new Face Book page, Psychic Kids: Afterword was introduced. It's not an official page and the public isn't' informed of this. Again, they are starting to play their games to scam the public.

To date they only have 70 followers. You can catch Sandra Lynn Sparks and her sockpuppet accounts trying to look busy.

Next week we expose more of the Psychic Kids scam.

THE WORLD WIDE PRAYER CIRCLE

Every Sunday we have the World Wide Prayer Circle. People from all over the world, and from all faiths, can post their prayer needs, no matter how great or small. This is for you, your friends, family—anyone. Let's bring glory to the powers of peace, love, faith and compassion to all.

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

A CALL TO ACTION! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of "Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State" and "Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light" and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link.

Where Paranormal Investigators and Ghost Hunters Tred - Part I

By Skarlet Rae

Lately I've been thinking about several things, and will be covering these topics in the next few segments.  Things like....

What is the intent of paranormal investigators and ghost hunters?  What do paranormal investigators and ghost hunters ultimately accomplish?  How do paranormal investigators and ghost hunters help?

Let's start by looking at the fact that prior to the new milleneum there were very few people who were invovled with paranormal activity.  It was extremely hard, if not impossible to find those who hunted or investigated these occurances.  It is only in the past decade or so, that groups gathered and people started actively and openly being interested in, discussing and sharing their findings.  Those who were involved, were not in the mainstream and not easily accessible.  Finding people who had any experience or knowledge about entities that haunt, occupy or infest places and people was rare, if at all possible.  Aside from Churches, but that is another topic.  In 2003, when I, personally, and not for the first time, encountered and documented some paranormal activity, I was hard pressed to find anyone with whom I could share and discuss such activity and evidence.  Numerous and lengthy internet searched yeilded nothing.  Attempting to find a knowledgable source in the metphysical or parapsychological communities also failed miserably.

Yet if we look around today, there are Ghost Hunting groups or Paranormal Investigative teams in every city, in some more than one.  It has reached such proportions that we can even see teenagers in high school gather their friends to go ghost hunting, which by the way can be terribly dangerous, but that's another blog for another day.

For many who are invovled in such investigations, their journey began to try to solve a mystery that existed in their own lives.  They have had paranormal experiences, usually in their past, that perplexed them, confused them and at worst, frightened them.  Therefore they went on a quest to explore and find answers.  Answers to experiences like what goes bump in the night, what was it that touched them, what made some inanimate object disappear or move while they weren't present.  One can imagine how unsettling it must be to feel or experience something one cannot see.  To encounter things that we were taught do not exist and aren't real.  For those individuals, therefore,  hunting and investigations are not only of great interest but almost a necessity.  They have a great need to find answers and the truth.  Quite understandably.  So they, either alone or gathered with a group of likeminded individuals, set out with some modern equipment to investigate, gather evidence and try to find some answers.

Then there are those individuals who are just plainly fascinated by and interested in the paranormal and paranormal activity.  Whether they have had any personal paranormal experiences or not, they are lead by their curiosity.  They join a team and proceed with investigations.

All are seeking evidence.  Proof of what, most of the time is unseen.  To gather that, which until now most people only rolled their eyes at or whispered behind their backs about.  They seek to prove, with scientific methods, that which until now was only evidenced by eye witness accounts.  Just as most law enforcement agencies and courts find individual eye witness accounts somewhat unreliable, so does society.  People in our communities are accustomed to scoffing at those individuals that relate occurances they themselves have not experienced.  They doubt occurances that are not part of their daily walks of life.  Their first judgement is to assume the possibility of the individual's mental imbalance.  That it prabably was the individual's imagination.  That they must have been hallucinating.  That it had to have been a dream.  Yet ghost hunters and paranormal investigators are now proving that there IS something there.  That those things that go bump in the night have validity.  That even though houses settle and building frames creak, there is, at times, more to those sounds and noises in the night than just building construction realities.

With their evidence they are saying to us, "See.. there IS something there".

But what is it?

What are those things that we see out of the corner of our eyes?  That warp speed shadow that flitted across our perifial vision.  Was it just our imaginations?  Is something really there?  What was that noise that sounded like a child crying out?  Could it just be a cat mewing outside?  At a distance, and we just weren't paying enough attention to realize that's all it was?  What about that knocking and scratching that seems to come from the walls?  Is it a small rodent or animal stuck?  Then why is the knocking rhythmic?  Is it really just the house settling?  Or is there more to it?  These are exactly the questions that ghost hunters and paranormal investigators are trying to find answers to.

So with evidence gathered they congregate to isolate that which was compiled from the shadows.  They have evp's, thermal images, video footage, photographs.  They have spent hours, days and even weeks at times, yet do they know what it really is?  Can they really tell us what that sound was?  Whose voice they caught on that evp?  What was that human looking dark shadow figure standing at the end of the corridor?  Or what that black mass was that seemingly crawled across the floor?  How do they really know what it is?  Where does their knowledge come from?  Do they have an encycopedia or a database that gives them reference?  So how do they know?

No matter how much information is readily available to us in today's day and age through the internet, how do we actually know what is exactly what, when it comes to such an obscure field as the paranormal?  I would equate it to something along the lines of trying to look up the flavor of something in a reference manual or the internet.  One tastes the flavor and searches to find the name for it.  How?

So with even the best of intents, of desiring to prove, scientifically that the paranormal exists.  Even after dedicating ones self, one's time, effort, energy, finances for equipment, having the best intent and integrity of documentation.  How do they know exactly what they're dealing with or finding?  And isn't that the 'intent'... to prove what it is?
With all that said, and thinking about all the ghost hunters and paranormal investigators, some of whom, at this precise moment as I'm writing this, are out there doing a hunt or investigation, one must turn to another aspect of their reality.  Their spirit and their eagerness.

Therefore, there is much good one can say for those brave ones who either fearlessly or overcoming their own trepidation, enter and try to document what hasn't been scientifically documented before.  I think likening them to firemen would be an appropriate analogy.  When firefighters first came on the scene many decades ago, they were volunteers.  They were lacking any formality, equipment and modern technology.  They rolled up their sleeves and rushed forward with water in hand.  Many paid heavy prices for their heroism.  With each passing year and decade they increased their knowledge and experience, where by today, a fireman can give you some amazingly specific details about any fire.

In the same way, I believe that the intent of paranormal investigators and ghost hunters, at least many of them, is positive if not even altruistic.  Yet as it being in it's early developmental stages, one who is involved in hunting or investigating should arm themselves as much as possible.  When a fireman of old headed into a fire, he didn't shed his clothing, but tried to guard himself, using a wet blanket if necessary.  In the same way I believe that today's hunter and investigator should try to protect themselves, even if with old fashioned methods. If and when other methods become available, then the open mind would explore those options.  But until then, I highly recommend using the 'wet blankets' we already have available.

In the next segment I will be talking about, 'What do paranormal investigators and ghost hunters ultimately accomplish?' and 'How do paranormal investigators and ghost hunters help?'.

Please see Part II.

World Wide Prayer Circle – Sunday, January 1, 2012

WELCOME & HAPPY 2012!


Thank you for visiting the new World Wide Prayer Circle here at the Eye on the Paranormal site! Every Sunday you can come by and post your prayer request[s], no matter how large or small.

We welcome anonymous prayer requests.

Anyone can come by, read your request[s], and engage in intercessory prayer according to their religious or spiritual background. This way, we can unify the entire world in a circle of prayer.

Please limit your posts here to the matters of prayer requests, participating in praying, and updates on prayer requests.

Thank you!

The Paranormal Christian – Christmas Myths

By Pastor Michael Frisbee, DD/DM

In a couple of days, we will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate the holiday of Christmas.  This holiday has become increasingly secular and commercialized over the past few decades.  Less and less is the focus on the birth of Jesus Christ, and the gift of Salvation He represents, and later would be sacrificed and resurrected to fulfill that prophecy.

There are a number of myths regarding Christmas and the tying in of Christ’s Birth to it.

Christians have always celebrated Christ’s Birth.

For the first several centuries of Christianity, the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. The earliest Christians viewed the celebration of birthdays, by definition, to be a pagan practice. Christians were discouraged from celebrating their own birthdays, so it is unlikely they celebrated Christ’s. This was true as late as the turn of the 5th century. Of course, by Augustine’s time, some Christians were observing Christmas, and were in the process of pegging it to their calendar, coincidentally at around the time of the winter solstice, which also happened to have been a time-window in which other, older pagan holidays had been celebrated. For a number of reasons this happened to be a convenient time of the year for holidays, so it had long been used for that purpose; first by pagans, then by Christians. It’s quite natural and understandable that they did so.

Christmas customs are centuries old.

This is quite false. We think of things like giving gifts as an old Christmas tradition. From the time Christmas was first observed by the Church, intermittently in the 4th century, then more steadily by the middle of the 5th and on into the Middle Ages, the only Christian activity performed on Christmas was the celebration of a special Christmas mass. Within the first few centuries these special Christmas masses were attended only by clergy, not the congregation. Christmas trees, decorating and feasting were all much-later developments. Giving gifts had been a custom in some pagan holidays, but it did not become a Christmas custom until the Middle Ages, and even then this was not consistent.

Christmas is celebrated by all Christians.

This claim is ridiculous on its face. Even now, there are some Christians who refuse to celebrate it, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Historically, there have been Christian sects who also did not celebrate it, and they even repressed it where they could. The truth is that the only holiday that all Christian sects have in common, is Easter. Even then they don’t all observe it on the same date. Most sects also observe Pentecost in some way, even some that don’t observe Christmas.

Christmas has always been celebrated on December 25

This is not true, not only because not all Christians have designated December 25 as “Christmas,” but because not even all of those who do, actually celebrate that day. Some Christian sects assign Christmas to days other than December 25. Other sects celebrate Epiphany, the annual commemoration of the visit of the Magi, in preference to Christmas. This is more common in Orthodox Christianity, but it’s found even among some western Christians, among many Hispanic cultures for example, which celebrate what they call “Three Kings Day.”

The most sacred holiday on the Christian calendar is Christmas.

Undoubtedly this statement is untrue.  The most sacred holiday for Christians, is Easter, the day which commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. Easter was celebrated long before Christmas ever was, to the point where its dating was a point of contention among Christians a couple centuries before Christmas was a thought. Easter was observed on varying dates as early as the middle of the 2nd century, and dating it was discussed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. At that time it was noted that Christmas was merely a mass that was held annually, and attended only by clergy, only in some places. It was not a “holiday” in any conventional sense, not even in terms of the Greco-Roman culture of that period.

Jesus was born in December near the time of Christmas today.

Although it’s not impossible, it seems unlikely. The Bible does not specify a date or month. One problem with December is that it would be unusual for shepherds to be “abiding in the field” at this cold time of year when fields were unproductive. The normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. Also, winter would likely be an especially difficult time for pregnant Mary to travel the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

A more probable time would be late September, the time of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was commonly accepted. Thus, it is rather commonly believed that Jesus’ birth was around the last of September. The conception of Christ, however, may have taken place in late December of the previous year. Our Christmas celebration may well be recognized as an honored observation of the incarnation of ‘the Word made flesh’ (John 1:14).

Legend Of Santa Claus

Santa Claus has become indispensable to secularized version of Christmas. There has hardly been a Christmas when children have not waited for their kind and beloved Santa. The stories related to Santa Claus have managed to gain much popularity amongst people all over the world. Santa Claus, the noble saint with his big belly and red outfit, wanders around homes spreading the message of optimism and prosperity. He is depicted with a long white beard which is a sign of his worldly wisdom.

The story traces the kind deeds of St. Nicholas in his city. It took form hundreds of years back when Nicholas was born to a wealthy Christian family in Myra, now located in modern Turkey. The legends of his good deeds and helpfulness soon made him the Bishop of Myra. He wished to see his people satisfied and happy and would even travel at night to ensure the same. One night, during his visits, he overheard a family complaining about their misfortunes and poverty which was compelling them to sell their three daughters as slaves or prostitutes. Nicholas could not stand their plight and threw three purses of gold from the chimney in to their house secretly. Such instances were common and only made him more popular. He was referred to as the 'Patron Saint of Children and Sailors'. Every year on December 6th, that is the death anniversary of St. Nicholas, families prepare feasts in honor of the memory of St. Nicholas. Owing to the respect for his great nature, it is also considered good fortune to get married on the same day.

Tomorrow night, Saturday Dec 24th from 7 pm to 9 pm, Reverend Mark Hunnemann and I will delve even deeper into Christmas myth and the Birth of Jesus Christ during our “The Paranormal Christian” radio show.  Join us for a light hearted discussion on these topics, with calls from our listeners, and some great Christmas music.  Tune in at http://www.TheParanormalChristian.com

Even More Danger Lies Within

By Reap Paden

Before we continue please allow me to clear a couple things up. When you post a comment, use your name. When you come onto another person's blog to criticize or praise, use your name. If the words you are putting together have any meaning or value, own them. You can come by and tell the world I am a jerk if you wish but keep in mind- That isn't new news, it's old news. People have either accepted it and moved on or disagreed and stuck around but so far no one has managed to shut me up. You will not quiet me either. This concept should be easy to grasp even for those with stunted intellect who have been posting like maniacal marauding morons to my previous posts. And an FYI to those who question my experience with the paranormal. Read my bio and allow me to add. I have talked to and dealt with many people who are considered 'experts' and 'celebrities' in the paranormal. I know the percentage of bullshit claims by those people, sometimes by them telling me as much themselves. Take that into consideration before you discount my opinion.


In the previous blog I gave you the rundown on what I had found on the Dangers of the Paranormal so far. I had a list of 'dangers' that was so long it could make anybody a paranoid schizophrenic. If someone were to worry about all those things possibly causing them harm at the same time they wouldn't be able to get anything done. For this reason (among others) the list is pretty useless.

Now I'd like to talk about something else I found on this website: http://www.dangersoftheparanormal.com/04.htm

A video interview with a 17-year-old girl named Dawn. Dawn tells a story about an investigation she went on when she was 16 or 17. It was at Waverly Hills. She talks about the Constantinos holding a meeting playing EVPs. As the girl listened she says she heard someone ask "Can you touch one of us?" Then she says she felt something touch her inappropriately. The interviewer asks her if it felt like a male, she replies "yes". Then he asks if it felt like it was inside or outside of her. The girl replies "it felt like it was inside of me."

Watching this crap leaves me with a sick feeling. I don't know who the hell would think this girl's story is just a case of 'the usual' when you go investigating the paranormal. Either this girl is making up the story or she really got touched by someone. In either case she needs some help from a responsible adult, not to be interviewed as a case study showing ghosts like to touch underage girls. If it was my daughter telling this story there would be some heads still rolling around as a result of my anger. (For the record- My daughter would not be out on an investigation, she is too busy with the real world for such things).

Again, just as I've said when talking about Chip Coffey's irresponsible meddling into children's lives, the people doing this interview are enamored with ghost hunting. They will do anything to find stories validating their insane claims of ghosts floating around us, waiting for a ghost hunter recording EVPs so they can contact the living. Usually this is done by the spirit saying something totally random such as "salami sandwich". I've never understood why people can not learn about paradolia and then use that knowledge when dealing with things like EVPs. The fact is our brains will try to make sense out of randomness. This is a well researched and documented fact. That alone should be enough to call any and all EVPs into question. Yes you may have heard something but was that really a ghost talking to you?

This young girl could have very well been a victim of some sort of abuse while she was visiting Waverly. We probably will never know because at the time a bunch of morons were too busy yelling "ghost! ghost!" to think about the more likely causes for this girl's feeling of being touched inappropriately. I don't know, maybe it's just me but I'm not comfortable with a certain percentage of molestation cases being chalked up to "Casper did it" are you?

It is appearing to me that the most dangerous thing about the paranormal is the people in the paranormal. I've wrote about this subject before and I kinda expected some outrage and outcry from the paranormal community. I expected at least some of the 'celebrities' who are featured on this site to voice protest and demand they be removed from the content of this website. You know what? Almost nothing happened. Chip Coffey demanded one of his videos be removed but it was because in the video Chip tells a story that makes Chris Fleming's look like testimony from a nun. He claims a water poltergeist follows him home and puts a hole in his water heater. When Chip calls a plumber he finds out that the poltergeist is the spirit of a African American man who was hung back in the days of slavery. The man's spirit is angry. Chip finds this out through his plumber who also happens to be an African American. It is then that Chip can put the spirit at ease. Who knows what would have happened if the plumber would have been white.It's hard to tell what trait comes through stronger Chip's racism, disrespect, or his stupidity. Maybe it's a tie, I'm not sure.

Before I move on I'd like to ask EVP Experts, Mark and Debbie Constantino, John Zaffis, Chris Fleming, Andrew Calder, or any of the others who are featured on dangersoftheparanormal.com. I'll ask the reader too. (I won't bother asking Chip, he has already made it clear his stance is "I don't care").

If your 17-year-old daughter came home from an investigation and told you she was touched inappropriately would your reaction be to have her do an interview so she could talk about the ghost that felt her up? If you ran a website would you think such a video would be helpful to other young people? Don't worry kids, when you are ghost hunting and something touches you in an inappropriate manner...it's just a ghost. Don't worry about it.

This site isn't new but it's new to each and every person, young and old who comes across it for the first time. Just because material has been posted for a length of time doesn't mean it isn't wrong. I'd like to see some responsible actions on the part of those involved in the paranormal. I wonder if that is just too much to expect.

A NOTE FROM KIRBY

We would like to ask that people posting comments please limit the use of swear words in their comments. This blog is intended for all ages and we wish to keep it that way. Also, try to stay on topic. What does it really matter who is who and who has done what if it has nothing to do with people being deceptive about psychic/paranormal powers, events, etc.

Often the people we seek to expose as being fakes get their followers to come after those who dare to criticize them -- so why should we be doing the same?

And while I'm at it, let me say thank you to all our special contributors. You are doing a great job -- keep it up! As we go into 2012 we'll be adding even more special contributors and that will attract more readers. Then we can move from Blogger to our own site.

To our new and old readers -- keep your eye out as 2012 will bring new books, radio appearances and even TV appearances for me as well as those who contribute their writing to this site. This will raise the awareness of this site, both in and out of the paranormal community, and those special contributors who grace it with their words of wisdom and insight.

Finally, please keep in mind the reason for the season. Take some time to reflect on the gifts the birth of Christ gave us. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!


P.S. Comments will not be approved that contain swear words even if they have asterisks and/or dashes. Off topic comments such as: personal attacks that have nothing to do with the activity within the paranormal community--will not be tolerated.

December 21, 2012 – The Countdown Begins

Ó 2008-2011

By Kirby Robinson

I'm sure that most of you know about December 21, 2012 and all the speculation as to what will happen on that date. The hundreds of books, thousands of web sites, and countless conferences where you can spend up to $200 hearing speaker after speaker pronouncing the forthcoming doomsday, are all warning us about some very big changes. After attending that seminar, you can visit the lobby filled with profiteering vendors offering every imaginable type of survival kit on earth, as well as survival kits that will prepare you to survive in the spiritual realm.

For those of you living under a rock, I'll briefly catch you up on the whole controversy. On December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar comes to an end, as well as numerous other religious cycles come to a conclusion. The planets align in a very peculiar manner and December 21^st is Winter Solstice. Numerous psychics, scientists, and new agers, predict catastrophic changes, in not only the planet, but also the universe and throughout the spiritual realms. We also face a society that could break into chaos and bloodshed. Alarmed yet? So was I when my spirit guides showed me what will happen.

On the dreaded morning of December 21^st, striking Australia first, the ocean waters will begin to rise, and as the water pulls away, the land bridge that at one time connected Australia and its nearby islands will begin to reemerge. When the land bridge thrusts out of the ocean, it reconnects to the Asian continent. The heaving and swelling tsunamis that embroil the Pacific Ocean casts boats, ships, ocean liners, and oil tankers into the air, and mass destruction will follow.

In China, there will be major earthquakes so strong that dams will break, cities will flood, and nuclear power plants will break open releasing toxic gas. The Chinese military assures the populace that the nation is under attack, and will launch missiles at both Japan and Russia, eliminating Japan off the face of the earth. As missiles rain down onto Eastern Russia, the problems will be compounded by large landmasses in Siberia breaking apart and massive steam vents erupting, which will melt the frozen tundra, causing massive flooding.

India will see colossal earthquakes and volcanoes rising out of the earth in a few seconds. Millions will die as mass rioting and stampedes of whole populations flee. The Middle East finally goes through an all out nuclear war. Israel and the Arab Nations will unleash a nuclear holocaust so great that the entire section of that area will be under a nuclear cloud. The Great Pyramids of Giza will turn to dust, and the mighty Sphinx will be no more. Earthquakes will work their way down to South Africa, unleashing locusts buried so long they are the size of eagles, and they begin attacking the population. Europe will pull apart from Asia and within hours smash into the British Isles. In the Americas, from the tip of Canada to the bottom of South America, it will be utter mayhem on a scale never before witnessed by mankind.

OK, folks, hang on a minute, I can't take it any longer. I must tell you the truth of what will happen on December 21, 2012...

No chaos will hit society in any form whatsoever. Nothing out of the natural will happen outside of normal every day events. People doing their Christmas shopping, going to work, playing in the snow, and living their lives. So please, for your sake, save your money. Say no to those overpriced doomsday books, pass on those all day conferences filled with authors that are preying on our fears and spinning tales of insanity and madness in order to increase their bank accounts. Tell those fear mongers who put together lousy end-of-the-world videos to get lost. Remember how we were told over and over again that the harmonic convergence meant the end of the world? Y2K was supposed to be the end of all mankind, and that 9/11 was the start of the End Times. What horrific events happened on 6/06/06? Oh, and to go back in time, wasn't the world supposed to end in 1958? In fact, check out this helpful site, The Library of Date Setters for the End of the World, where they list more than 200 doomsday predictions! And yet, we are still here. And life goes on. Yes, one day the end will come. And catastrophes will strike the planet. Someday, but not in 2012, or 12/21/21. (Wanna bet a few will claim it was all due to some sort of spiritual dyslexia?) Not even 12/21/75. Spend the next year of your life spreading love and compassion, and set your spirits free from the fear of what will happen on December 21, 2012.

Notice how the world didn't end on May 21, 2011? Or on November 21, 2011? The world will not shake, the ground will not rumble. Things will be just the same as always. That being said, the doomsday sayers, those who sell the notion that death and destruction will sweep upon us on December 21, 2012 have not slowed down their wild tales. Even better, they have now been joined by many within mainstream Christian churches who have been teaching that we are in the End Times. In reality, nothing has happened to date.

It’s all a way for them to sell more books, DVDs, survival kits, conferences, etc. for another year until 2012 then they will have to come up with more reasons why the Rapture has yet to take place.

We now enter the one year countdown to what might be the biggest non event of world history: the supposed end of the world on 12/21/12. The only thing that will take place is those charlatans who know what they teach or forecast is a load of crap, will smile as their bank account grows and their popularity soars.  

How many deaths will take place because people are convinced by all these lies that the world will end on December 21, 2012? How many lives will be harmed because people drop out of school, quit their jobs, or fail to vote in the 2012 elections? How many people will cop the attitude that nothing matters because the world is gonna end?

And on December 22, 2012, what will these merchants of deception say?

~ We missed the date but now we have a new one!

~ The world did end, figuratively, at least. Don't you feel different?

~ God could have ended things but He chose not to.

The above three excuses will be very common when these deceivers miss their mark.

Don't be afraid when you hear that the world is ending on December 21, 2012. Stand up to these idiots!  

7 Questions for the Dalai Lama

The following questions and answers were initially published in the 1996 book Beyond Dogma: The Challenge of the Modern World. That book is no longer in print but another volume from the 1993 teaching His Holiness gave in France is: Beyond Dogma: Dialogues and Discourses.


Q: Your Holiness, you have just visited a Catholic shrine. Do you hope to one day go to Jerusalem or Mecca?

A: I am particularly happy to have gone today, in person, to the shrine at Lourdes, the heart of this holy place of pilgrimage I had heard of in the past. I was deeply moved.

Of course I have been attending services and taking part in interreligious exchanges for a long time. For two years I have been planning to do a major pilgrimage to holy places in the company of representatives of other religions. When we visit such places we benefit from their atmosphere, we pray together, or we may simply meditate and commune with our thoughts in silence. I have already done this in India and am happy to begin again today. I believe these sites awaken in us a feeling of communion and understanding much greater and deeper than a simple intellectual comprehension. I would like very much to begin such a pilgrimage by visiting Jerusalem and Mecca, but I do not know when circumstances will allow me to go there.

Q: Have you and the other representatives discussed among yourselves the issues raised by conversion, changing from one religion to another, in particular the different forms of Protestantism, Catholicism, or even Buddhism here in France?

A: In our private meeting, a Christian quoted to me an inscription of King Ashoka, which speaks of how intolerance towards other religions can destroy one's own religion; how the prosperity of a religion is linked to respect for other religions.

Q: What do you think of the work of solidarity taking place between Christians in the West and in China?

A: Christians have always been a minority in China, and they have suffered as such. Moreover, the lack of communication due to the political regime has certainly limited their vision of the international situation. I think, therefore, that any dialogue that can be established with Christians outside China can help them to open their minds to the realities of the world.

Q: Do you think it is possible to be both Christian and Buddhist at the same time?

A: I ... replied to this question indirectly when I said that belief in a Creator could be associated with the understanding of emptiness. I believe it is possible to progress along a spiritual path and reconcile Christianity with Buddhism. But once a certain degree of realization has been reached, a choice between the two paths will become necessary. I recently gave a series of teachings in the United States and one of these teachings was about patience and tolerance. At the end there was a ceremony for taking the Bodhisattva Vows. A Christian priest who was in the audience wanted to take these vows. I asked him if he had the right to, and he replied that yes, of course, he could take these vows and still remain a Christian.

Q: Christ's words "Love thy neighbour" embody for us the Christian religion. What is your message to humanity when you meet another human being?

A: Love of one's neighbour, kindness, and compassion--these are, I believe, the essential and universal elements preached by all religions. In spite of divergent philosophical views, we can establish harmony among all spiritual traditions on the basis of these common traits of love, kindness, and forgiveness. I always insist on this point and devote a great deal of energy to it. Most difficulties between religions come about because of people who, having failed to transform and bring peace to their own minds, not only apply their own beliefs yet are all while to impose them on others. This unfortunate behaviour can provoke serious conflicts, although I have noticed a considerable re-conciliation between the different religions, more particularly between Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity. We have actually set up a very constructive programme of exchanges between monks and nuns of our two traditions.

Q: What are the ten virtuous acts spoken of in Buddhism?

A: Three concern the body: one must not kill, steal, or engage in sexual misconduct. Four others are verbal: do not lie, defame others, speak offensive words, or engage in frivolous conversation, which relates to everything that might be said under the influence of afflicting emotions. Finally, the last three virtuous acts are of a mental nature: do not develop covetousness or malice and, finally, do not hold false or perverted views, such as the extreme view, close to nihilism, which totally denies spiritual perfection.

What we mean by "erroneous views" generally includes absolutist, eternalist, and nihilistic views. But in the context of the ten virtuous acts, only nihilistic views are implicated. It is therefore on the basis of a lifestyle disciplined by ethics that one abstains from committing the contrary acts, the ten non-virtuous acts. When faced with a situation where you might possibly commit such negative acts, you abstain from committing them. A life rooted in ethics has at its foundation the abandonment of the ten non-virtues in favour of the practice of their opposites.


Q: If we have committed a serious negative act, how can we let go of the feeling of guilt that may follow?

A: In such situations, where there is a danger of feeling guilty and therefore depressed, the Buddhist point of view advises adopting certain ways of thinking and behaving which will enable you to recover your self-confidence. A Buddhist may reflect on the nature of the mind of. a Buddha, on its essential purity, and in what way disturbing thoughts and their subsequent emotions are of an entirely different nature. Because such disturbing emotions are adventitious, they can be eliminated. To think of the immense well of potential hidden deep within our being, to understand that the nature of the mind is fundamental purity and kindness and to meditate on its luminosity, will enable you to develop self-confidence and courage.

The Buddha says in the Sutras that fully enlightened and omniscient beings, whom we consider to be superior, did not spring from the bowels of the earth, nor did they fall from the sky; they are the result of spiritual purification. Such beings were once as troubled as we are now, with the same weaknesses and flaws of ordinary beings. Shakyamuni Buddha himself, prior to his enlightenment, lived in other incarnations that were far more difficult than our present lives. To recognize, in all its majesty, our own potential for spiritual perfection is an antidote to guilt, disgust, and hopelessness. Nagarjuna says in "The Precious Garland of Advice for the King" that pessimism and depression never help in finding a good solution to any problem. On the other hand, arrogance is just as negative. But to present as an antidote to it a posture of extreme humility may tend to foster a lack of self-confidence and open the door to depression and discouragement. We would only go from one extreme to the other.

I would like to point out that to set out on a retreat for three years full of hope and expectations, thinking that without the slightest difficulty you will come Out of it fully enlightened, can turn into a disaster, unless you undertake it with the most serious intentions. If you overestimate your expectations and have too much self-confidence, you will be headed for dissatisfaction and disillusionment. When you think of what the Buddha said--that perfect enlightenment is the result of spiritual purification and an accumulation of virtues and wisdom for eons and eons--it is certain that courage and perseverance will arise to accompany you on the path.