“Ufology is just another name for demonology,” concluded John Keel, author of The Mothman Prophecies. His life-long quest to figure out what’s really going on “behind the curtain” eventually left him exasperated and confused. It seemed that every time he thought he was getting close to the “truth”, something totally bizarre would come out of left field to scramble his latest theory. His approach was always scientific. His research admirable considering the limits of a pre-internet world. Yet after years of trying to put two and two together, he never managed to make them equal four. Not only did the truth elude him, it seemed to mock him from every side.
This is something that modern paranormal investigators have dubbed, “The Trickster Effect”. This description implies the presence of some Intelligence behind the scenes. One that seems to delight in misdirection and that will not hesitate to play the inquirer for the fool. This is not a phenomenon exclusive to ufology. Investigators of various types whether they be spiritual, scientific or something in between will also encounter a version of this. Just as you seem to be figuring something out, it morphs into something else.
How often do we read about the person who witnesses a UFO only to have a poltergeist begin tossing things around their house in the weeks to follow? What are we to make of the Skinwalker Ranch events? Was there a type of craziness that did not take place there? What about lights in the sky that begin to respond to a witnesses unspoken thoughts? Why do the camera batteries always fail just as the monster makes an appearance? Why does reality always seem to come unglued when we look at it too closely?
Who are the Strangers that hide out there at the edge of this little clearing in the forest that we call home? Are they Gods? Devils? Aliens? Simulation Programmers?
They seem to laugh at our hapless antics and lead us by the proverbial nose as we desperately try to solve the mystery of our own existence. Those of us who figure it out are immediately struck dumb. Then it’s our turn to laugh. Why? Because the joke is on us! Because at the “center” of “reality”, there is a “hitch” or a “snag” that is the “heart” of “paradox”. (That’s the dumb-struck part showing. The Truth is beyond the level of words. Anything that we say in attempting to describe It becomes immediately wrong. Becomes misdirection. Don’t look at my finger! Look at where I’m pointing.)
What makes a joke funny? The same thing. The unexpected absurdity. The jolt to the system that relieves the pressure created by attempting to comprehend the incomprehensible. The realization that what you took to be true is not. And spectacularly so.
The Long, Dark Night of the Soul gives way to the Golden Dawn and the understanding of what we’re really dealing with here.
You see, it’s you out there on the dark edges of reality. And it’s me. We are both the Dreamer and the Dream. And we are nothing if not playful.
So relax! That person you mistakenly think you are is just a passing whirlpool. Who you actually are is the water.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the Wikipedia entry for “Zen” runs well over 10,000 words?