A Blog of Wisdom.: Supernatural

Top 10 Worst Theological or Mythological Demons

Whether you are religious or not, demons have played a large part in mythology, books, movies, and even music. Films, such as “Paranormal Activity”, “The Exorcist”, “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, “Fallen”, and–more recently–”The Last Exorcism”, have made demons something to fear. Movies, however, rarely scratch the surface of just how evil these former, corrupt servants of God (or many gods) can be. Here, in no particular order, are the 10 worst–and/or weirdest–demons in theological and mythological history. 
 
10 Abyzou 
 
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Origin: Jewish mythology 
Also known as: Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, and Byzou 
 
This female demon was believed to be responsible for miscarriages, still-births, and infant mortality. Abyzou is believed to have been infertile, so these heinous acts were/are most likely out of jealousy. She is often depicted having snake- and/or fish-like attributes.  
 
9 Agares 
 
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Origin: Christian demonology 
Also known as: Agreas 
 
This male demon makes “those who run stand still”, a terrible thing to be a victim of during, say, a tornado. He is also said to be one of the demons that controls earthquakes. Agares also teaches many languages, focusing on the profanities and ethnic slurs. He is also believed to be the ruler of the eastern zone of Hell, and he is said to have 31 legions of demons at his command. He is also one of the–if not the–strangest looking demon on this list. He is often portrayed as a pale elderly man riding a crocodile, with a hawk either attached to or on his fist. No joke! 
 
8 Aka Manah 
 
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Origin: Zoroastrian mythology 
Also known as: Akem Manah, Akoman, Akvan 
 
His name means “manah made evil”; in this case, the word “manah” represents “the mind”. Many refer to him as the demon of “evil intention”, “evil mind”, “evil purpose”, or “evil thinking”. His job: To prevent people from fulfilling their moral duties (.i.e.: being a good parent, saving a life, etc.). 
 
7 Ala 
 
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Origin: Pre-Slovic and Slovic mythology, and Christian demonology 
Also known as: plural: Ale 
 
Ale are some of the few demons on this list who does evil deeds, but can be persuaded to do good deeds, and can even help you! They particularly like creating bad weather (most notably, hail- and thunder-storms) over farms, orchards, and vineyards, in order to destroy crops. They also are said to like eating children. Ale are so hungry, that they are said to be able to “eat the sun and/or moon”, creating eclipses. They can pose a great threat to a persons’ mental and physical life; they can even possess you. However, if you approach an Ala with trust and respect, she and the other Ale will save your life whenever necessary, and make you rich! Ale are also very afraid of eagles…just in case you don’t want to become friends with one. What they look like changes with each account; some say they look like ravens, others like clouds or dark winds; many say snakes or female dragons. They are believed to live in lakes, springs, clouds, unreachable mountains, forests, caves, or gigantic trees. 
 
6 Asag 
 
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Origin: Sumerian mythology 
 
Asag is one of many demons that causes sickness. “But what,”, you say, “separates him from other demons that cause sickness?”. Well, for one, he had sex with all the mountains in the world, and had a litter of “rock-demon” offspring that defends him in any battle. He is also believed to be so grotesquely, unbelievably ugly, that his very presence causes fish to be boiled alive in rivers and/or lakes within viewing-distance! 
 
5 Belphegor 
 
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Origin: Christian demonology and Kabbalic mythology 
 
Belphegor is absolutely unbelievable. He got his start in Assyria, many, many years ago. He was first called Baal-Peor, and he was associated with orgies, and other types of lewdness. The Israelites worshiped him, in the form of a phallic (penis-shaped) idol. Later on, in Kabbalic mythology, he was a demon who made people paranoid of each other, and who would seduce them with money and overall wealth. Needless to say, it was hard to summon Baal-Peor, because he required the sacrifice of human excrement! In the 16th Century, he changed his name to Belphegor, and changed his strategy (somewhat). He pretty much threw away the idea of causing mutual mistrust in people, and instead…focused on inventions. He would “suggest” crazy (yet plausible) inventions to people, and then use their greed to his (and their) advantage when they became successful. According to legend, Belphegor was sent to Earth from Hell to either justify of disprove the rumors that marriage can result in happiness. Finding no evidence that happiness is possible in a marriage (now, there’s a surprise), he chose to stay on Earth. He is notable for two bizarre attributes: He is believed to be physically, mentally, and strategically strongest in the month of April, and he either was or is Hell’s/Satan’s ambassador to France. Belphegor also played an role in Milton’s book, “Paradise Lost”. He is either depicted as a hideous, bearded demon with horns and claws, or a beautiful young woman. 
 
4 Jikininki 
 
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Origin: Japanese Buddhist mythology 
 
Jikininki are the spirits of selfish, greedy, or ungodly people who have passed on. They are said to be cursed to eat the flesh of human corpses. It is also said that they take valuables from the corpses, in order to bribe local law-enforcement officials to leave them alone. Unlike most demons, they actually hate what they are, and are in a constant state of self-disgust and self-loathing. Some accounts state that they are so terrifying to look at, that seeing one would make you paralyzed with fear. Other accounts indicate that Jikininki can take the form of normal human beings, and can even lead seemingly normal lives by day. They are notable in that–unlike other gaki or rakshasa (“hungry ghosts”), and ghosts in general–they are an endangered species, if one can use such a term in this context. 
 
3 Pontianak 
 
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Origin: Indonesian mythology 
Also known as: Kuntilanak, Matianak, or Boentianak 
 
The Pontianak are the spirits of ladies who died during child-birth, and became undead. Pontianak are said to scare people (mostly men), and then rip out their internal organs for feeding with their claws. In the case of men that the Pontianak knew when they were alive (who abused, or otherwise betrayed them), they are said to remove the man’s genitalia with their bare hands (Ouch!!). They are much like vampires; however, they do what they do more out of vengeance, rather then necessity or sustenance. It’s also hard to judge just how far away from you they are; usually, a loud cry means the Pontianak is far away, whereas a soft cry signifies that the Pontianak is nearby. It is also said that a faint floral fragrance is detected upon first seeing it, however, the fragrance changes to something rotten after a short period of time. Pontianak are believed to live in banana trees, a possible phallic-/fertility-reference. 
 
2 Lady Midday 
 
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Origin: Slavic mythology 
Also known as: Pscipolnista, Poludnica, Polednice 
 
“Lady Midday” is certainly a unique female demon. She is said to pose tough questions and make conversation with laborers working in the fields during the hottest part of the day in summertime. Any incorrect answer or unprompted subject change results in a beheading, either with a scythe, or a pair of shears. “Lady” is also the personification of heat-stroke, and can also give people insanity or heat-sickness, in lieu of decapitation. Her description varies between a 12 year old girl, an old woman, or a generally beautiful woman. 
 
1 Lamashtu 
 
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Origin: Sumerian and Mesopotamian mythology 
Also known as: Dimme 
 
Lamashtu is a heinous, terrifying, demoness. She is said to menace women throughout and after the end of their pregnancies. She is routinely said to kidnap infants while they’re breastfeeding; she would suck their blood, and chew on their bones. Add to that the fact that her other hobbies included: Infesting rivers and lakes, killing crops and other plants, sucking the blood of men, creating sleep-disturbances, spreading diseases and illnesses, and bringing nightmares. And, unlike most demons from Mesopotamian mythology, she didn’t answer to anyone; not any god, or man, or any part of any divine hierarchy. So evil was Lamashtu, that pregnant women and their loved ones would routinely summon the demon, Pazuzu, to protect them. For the uninitiated, Pazuzu was the demon made famous by the, “The Exorcist” movies! Allegedly, Pazuzu and Lamashtu were fierce rivals, who would attack each other at any chance. While Pazuzu was known for bringing famines and droughts, soon-to-be-mothers were so afraid of Lamashtu, that they were willing to take the risk! That means that, yes, Linda Blair’s performance in “The Exorcist” was nothing compared to the wrath of Lamashtu! Lamashtu is usually described as a “mythological hybrid”, with the head of a lioness, the teeth and ears of a donkey, the feet of a bird (complete with sharp talons), as well as a hairy body, and long, sharp fingers and fingernails. She is usually depicted nursing a dog and a pig and holding snakes, while standing or kneeling on a donkey! Subtle, isn’t it? 
 
credit to <a href="http://listverse.com/2010/09/09/top-10-worst-theological-or-mythological-demons/">Listverse</a>

Whether you are religious or not, demons have played a large part in mythology, books, movies, and even music. Films, such as “Paranormal Ac...

Walking Corpse Ritual in Tanah Toraja! (Indonesia)

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It is said that the cave in the village  Sillanang since 1905 has been found in human bodies intact, do not decay until now. Uniquely bodies are not embalmed like the Ancient Egyptians was not even given any potions. 
 
In times past, when the villages of Tana Toraja were still extremely isolated and difficult to visit, it is said that certain people had the power to make a dead man walk to his village in order to be present at his own funeral. In this way, relatives of the deceased were spared the necessity of having to carry his corpse. One particular area, Mamasa ? West Toraja, was particularly well-known for this practice. The people of this area are not strictly speaking of the same ethnic group as the people of Tana Toraja. However, outsiders often refer to them as Toraja Mamasa. In many ways, the cultures of the two groups are similar, although they each have their own distingushing characteristics. In particular, the style of wood carving of the two groups is different. 
 
According to the belief system of the people of Mamasa, the spirit of a dead person must return to his village of origin. It is essential that he meet with his relatives, so that they can guide him on his journey into the after-life after the ceremonies have been completed. In the past, people of this area were frightened to journey far, in case they died while they were away and were unable to return to their village. If someone died while on a journey, and unless he has a strong magic power, it would be necessary to procure the services of an expert, to guide the dead person back to the village. 
 
This is not intended metaphorically-the dead person would be made to walk from wherever he had journeyed back home, no matter how far away that was. The corpse would walk stiffly, without any expression on his face, in the manner of a robot. If anyone addressed the dead man directly, he would fall down senseless, unable to continue his journey. Therefore, those accompanying the deceased on the macabre procession had to warn people they met on their path not to talk directly to the dead man. The attendants usually sought out quiet paths where the procession was less likely to meet with strangers. These days, the practice of walking the dead back to their place of origin has fallen out of currency. 
 
Good roads now connect the villages of Tana Toraja, and people tend to rely on more conventional means of transportation for bringing bodies back home. The ability to bring the dead back to life has not been entirely forgotten, however. Sometimes, even now, the deceased is made to continue breathing and seems alive until all his relatives are gathered around him.More commonly, the skill is practiced on animals. At a funeral ceremony, when a buffalo has been sacrificed and its head separated from its body, the body is made to get up and walk for as long as ten minutes. A demonstration of this sort proves to the audience that the ability to bring the dead back to life has not entirely passed from the community. 
 
credit to <a href="http://mysteriesunsolvedstory.blogspot.com/2010/04/walking-corpse-ritual-in-tanah-toraja.html">mysteries unsolved story</a>

It is said that the cave in the village Sillanang since 1905 has been found in human bodies intact, do not decay until now. Uniquely bo...

Top 10 Most Famous Ghost Pictures Ever Taken

The paranormal is famously hard to capture, when someone claims to have a photograph of a ghost it is usually trick photography or has been digitally enhanced. However some photographic evidence of ghosts do exist and this collection of photographic evidence has stood up to scrutiny and stood the test of time. Without further ado here are our top ten most famous ghost pictures ever taken. 
 
#10. Lord Combermere Ghost 
 
 
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Taken in 1891 by Sybell Corbet in the library at Combermere Abbey. If you look on the left side you can see the man sitting in the chair. Lord Combermere was a British Cavalry Commander who had recently been struck and killed by a horse drawn carriage. This photo was taken while Combermere’s funeral was being held four miles away. 
 
#9. Toys R Us Ghost 
 
 
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Infrared photo taken during a paranormal investigation at a Toys R’ Us in Sunnyvale, California. The man leaning against the shelves in the background was not seen with the naked eye. Other shots taken at the same time with high speed film showed no trace of him. 
 
#8. The Hidden Cowboy 
 
 
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In 1996, Ike Clanton, dressed in cowboy attire had his friend photograph him while he stood in Boothill Graveyard in the famous Tombstone, Arizona. After reviewing the photograph, Clanton noticed a man in the background of the photo that was not there when the photograph was taken. Clanton was intrigued by this and set out to recreate the photo with a friend standing in the background and discovered it was impossible to recreate the picture without having the legs visible. This photograph remains a mystery to this day. 
 
#7. Young Girl at the Window 
 
 
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Photographed by Tony O’Rahilly at Wem Town Hall in Shropshire, England while it was on fire. There was no one in the building at the time, yet this photo shows a young girl peering out. The photo was examined by Dr. Vernon Harrison, the former president of the Royal Photographic Society. Harrison deemed that the photo had not been tampered with and was therefore genuine. In 1677, a young girl named Jane Churn accidentally set fire to a thatched roof with a candle, setting off a blaze that burned down many of the town’s old timber houses. Several people believe that her ghost has haunted the area ever since and witnesses claim to have seen her on a few occasions over the years. It is generally believed that this ghost is her. 
 
#6. Corroboree Rock Spirit 
 
 
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Taken by Reverend R.S. Blance at Corroboree Rock, at Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia in 1959, this famous photograph appears to show a woman holding her hands toward her face, peering out into the distance. 
 
#5. The Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove 
 
 
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Taken on August 10th, 1991 during a paranormal investigation by the Ghost Research Society of Bachelor?s Grove Cemetery, which is near a suburb of Midlothian, Illinois. 
 
#4. Freddy Jackson 
 
 
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A squadron of the Royal Air Force assembled to take a mundane photograph, but after the picture was developed the squad quickly realized that this was no ordinary picture. Standing behind one of his mates was the two days deceased Freddy Jackson. Jackson was a mechanic for the Royal Air Force and served on-board the H.M.S. Daedalus. He had been working when we was killed in a freak-accident by an air plane propeller, but Jackson did not let his death get in the way of him showing up on time for the group photo two days later. Several of the other men in the photo confirmed that it was in fact Jackson’s face in the background of the picture. 
 
#3. Back Seat Driver 
 
 
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This famous ghost photograph was taken in 1959 by Mable Chinnery. After visiting the grave of her mother, Mable turned and took a picture of her husband, who was waiting for her in the car. What Mable didn’t expect was her mother coming along for the ride! 
 
#2. Tulip Staircase Ghost 
 
 
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Taken in 1966 by Rev. Ralph Hardy in the Queen’s House section of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Hardy, a retired clergyman, intended only to take a picture of the impressive Tulip Staircase but also captured this apparition of a robed figure ascending the stairs. The original negative was examined by experts, including some from Kodak, who deemed that the photo had not been tampered with. People have reported seeing unexplained figures and the sound of footsteps in the same vicinity for years prior to and after this picture was taken. 
 
#1. The Brown Lady 
 
 
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The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, reportedly haunts the great house in Norfolk, England. This is of the country’s most famous hauntings primarily due to the captured image of the ‘Brown Lady’ on the staircase. The photograph which would become one of the most famous paranormal photographs of all time was taken by photographers from the Country Life magazine that was at Raynham Hall photographing the staircase. 
 
credit to <a href="http://www.paranormal360.co.uk/top-10-most-famous-ghost-pictures-ever-taken/">Paranormal360</a>

The paranormal is famously hard to capture, when someone claims to have a photograph of a ghost it is usually trick photography or has been ...

Scary Paranormal Games

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Here are some of the scariest games for your paranormal parties. Some are so frightening, they shouldn't be played at all. 
 
WE DON'T USUALLY think of games when we consider the paranormal. The paranormal is something to be investigated, researched and taken seriously, not trifled with in something as frivolous as what we'd consider a "game." 
 
We're not talking about the harmless games children play at Halloween or even the various paranormal-themed action and role-playing computer games available. We're talking about the games that are played in the dark of night that truly can be paranormal in nature and have unexpected, even terrifying results. 
 
Games such as "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board," the Ouija board, "Bloody Mary" and spoon bending seem to be favorites of teenagers particularly. At parties, sleepovers and when the opportunity arises to sneak into an abandoned or rumored-to-be-haunted building, these games are very often played. Teens like them not only because they challenge the unknown, but also for the same reason they love horror and slasher movies - they like to be scared. 
 
Adults and paranormal researchers usually discourage such games - particularly the Ouija and Bloody Mary - because of the negative psychological impact they can have on the participants. Whether the game players are merely scaring themselves or they really are tapping into negative realms, many researchers advise that these "games" are best left alone. And for that reason, we cannot recommend their practice. Light as a Feather and spoon bending are more harmless and may have a scientific basis, but some argue that any game that has elements of the unknown should be avoided. 
 
People play them at their own risk. 
 
LIGHT AS A FEATHER, STIFF AS A BOARD 
 
 
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This levitation game has been around for decades. I recall my sister telling me that she and her friends tried it at a teen party - and it worked. 
 
The most common version of this "trick" requires at least five people. One person, the victim, lies relaxed on the floor with eyes closed. The other four participants surround her, one on each side, one at the head and one at the feet. Each of the participants places two fingers of each hand beneath the victim. With their eyes closed, they begin to chant, "Light as a feather… stiff as a board…" over and over. With just the slightest effort, the participants are able to raise the victim off the floor in what appears to be the defiance of gravity. 
 
Does it work? In addition to my sister, I've heard from a number of other people who attest that it does. I have never witnessed it personally. Some contend that it can work with just three people, which would be even more astounding. There are also variations on this levitation trick involving a chair. 
 
OUIJA BOARD 
 
 
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The Ouija is undoubtedly the most well-known paranormal game in the world, mainly because it can be found in just about any mainstream toy store. It's the commercial version of the "talking board," which may date back centuries. 
 
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Ouija is a game board on which are printed the letters of the alphabet and the words "yes," "no" and "goodbye." Two players place their fingers lightly on a planchette or pointer, then ask questions. The pointer then seems to magically slide around the board, spelling out answers. 
 
While some contend that the movement of the pointer is just the result of unconscious effort by the participants, or the "ideomotor effect," (see the article, "Ouija: How Does It Work?"), members of various religious groups are joined by many paranormal researchers in warning that the Ouija may indeed be opening a door to the spirit realm. Dark and sinister forces, they say, can enter our dimension through this door, sometimes with chillingly negative consequences. (See "Tales of the Ouija" for some of these experiences from readers.) 
 
Because of this possible negative impact, many researchers advise that the Ouija should not be used under any circumstances. Others say that it can be used safely if a proper "cleansing" is done before and after its use, or if used under the guidance of an experienced medium. 
 
BLOODY MARY 
 
 
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The conjuring of Bloody Mary has been a favorite way for teenagers, girls in particular, to scare themselves silly. The appearance of the Bloody Mary spirit has become the stuff of urban legend, yet many have testified that she really does appear. 
 
Basically, the ritual goes like this: stand in a darkened or lightless room where there is a mirror. Stare into the mirror and chant "Bloody Mary" 13 times. The gruesome spirit of Bloody Mary will appear behind you in the mirror. 
 
There are many variations on the ritual, any of which a brave teenage girl will try, usually on a dare. Sometimes a lighted candle is required in the dark room. You must chant the name three times, six times, nine times - even up to 100 times, depending on whom you ask. Another variation is that you must spin slowly in place while you chant Bloody Mary's name, glancing in the mirror with each turn. 
 
An excellent article by Patty A. Wilson in the June 2005 issue of FATE magazine gives the complete history of the Bloody Mary legend, saying that the most likely origin is the life of Mary Stuart. Also known as Mary Queen of Scots in 16th century England, she was involved in many plots, intrigues and murder. She was executed in 1587, and it is her bloody corpse that appears in the mirror when beckoned. 
 
Yet another tradition says that the evil spirit is none other than Satan's spouse. (I didn't even know he was seeing anyone!) 
 
Although the biggest worry with Bloody Mary is that the participant will succeed in scaring herself into hysterics, we occasionally hear stories about people who really did see Bloody Mary in the mirror. Usually these tales come through a friend of a friend and are, of course, impossible to verify. 
 
SPOON BENDING 
 
 
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Psychic Uri Geller is most often credited with the phenomenon of spoon bending. While skeptics claim this feat is nothing more than magician's sleight of hand, others say that it is a psychic phenomenon that just about anyone can accomplish. 
 
It's so easily done that spoon-bending parties have been held. On these occasions, the host brings a load of spoons and forks (forks are probably used more often than spoons because it's more dramatic to get the tines all twisted), usually bought cheap from a thrift store. The party goers are asked to choose a utensil they believe will bend, and sometime during the course of the event, most of the spoons and forks indeed do bend and twist, seemingly in defiance of all logic and the laws of physics. 
 
In short, the method goes like this: Invite people to the party that you know and like. Create a relaxed atmosphere of fun and laughter. Ask each participant to choose a utensil that they believe "wants" to bend. (They don't all want to bend.) It's even suggested that you ask the fork, "Will you bend for me?" Then hold the fork vertically and shout, "Bend! Bend!" Rub it gently with your fingers. 
 
If the utensil does not begin to bend, divert your attention. Focus your attention on something else. Some even say that this inattention to the utensil is vital in getting it to bend. When it succeeds, the fork or spoon will bend easily. Contrary to popular belief, the utensil will not just start twisting of its own accord (although this has happened on rare occasions). Rather, the utensil becomes so malleable that it is quite easily bent and twisted with the hands using almost no effort - as if it were made of the softest metal. 
 
Although I've never had any luck with bending spoons or forks (I've always tried it alone and not at a festive party), my wife was able to easily twist several forks into impossible shapes, as the photo on this page shows. 
 
Have fun and don't take this stuff too seriously. 
 
credit to paranormal.about.com

Here are some of the scariest games for your paranormal parties. Some are so frightening, they shouldn't be played at all. WE DON...

Top 10 Supernatural Abilities

This list is a look at some of the abilities people claim to have that science can not verify – or oftentimes, even witness. The list should be taken with a grain of salt. In no particular order, the top 10 paranormal abilities. 
 
1. Psychokinesis 
 
 
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Psychokinesis is also known as Telekinesis and mind over matter, and it is the ability to move or manipulate objects with the mind. This, in combination with pyrokinesis (item 5) is the ability that Carrie White had in the excellent book and movie adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie. Of all the items in this list, I would say this is the one that most people would love to have. It would make the television remote defunct and we could basically sit on our butts all day long and do nothing! The position normally taken by scientists and skeptics is that any apparent evidence of this ability is the result of fraud. Many books claim to help you learn this ability and they often contain exercises to help. For example, you may be told to throw a dice repeatedly whilst trying to control the number that comes up. Unfortunately, this creates the psychological state of illusion of control, in which a person comes to believe they are influencing the dice, when in fact, on every roll they have a 1 in 6 chance that their number will come up. One famous person who claims to have this ability is Uri Gellar, who is well known for his spoon bending trick in which he would (apparently) gently rub a spoon just beneath the bowl and the spoon would twist or turn. In fact, skeptics have been able to mimic this trick with great success and no claim to having supernatural abilities. 
 
2. Extra Sensory Perception 
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Extra Sensory Perception, or ESP, is the ability to gather information without the use of the 5 senses (hence it is also sometimes called sixth sense). ESP is often tested with a deck of 25 cards called Zener cards. Familiar to most people, these cards comprise a deck of 5 patterns, a circle, a square, a triangle, a set of squiggly lines, and a plus. Two people participate; one views the cards one by one, and the other attempts to “see” the card with the power of the mind. Again, there is a 1 in five chance that you will guess the card correctly, so it is not a particularly useful method of proof. Of course your odds improve with every card produced if you are told whether your guess was correct, as you can use card counting. The cards are also used in tests of telepathy when the viewer does not just record the shape on the card for verification, but attempts to “transmit” the shape to the other person. On average, most people guess right about 20% of the time. 
 
3. Telepathy 
 
 
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Telepathy is the ability to communicate with others with the mind. Within the field of parapsychology this is considered to be a form of ESP. Most often telepathy occurs spontaneously in incidents of crisis where a relative or friend has been injured or killed in an accident. An individual is aware of the danger to the other person from a distance. Such information seems to come in different forms as in thought fragments, like something is wrong; in dreams, visions, hallucinations, mental images, in clairaudience, or in words that pop into the mind. Often such information causes the person, the receiver, to change is course of action, such as changing his travel plans or daily schedule, or to just call or contact the other person. Some incidents involve apparent telepathy between humans and animals. 
 
4. Clairvoyance 
 
 
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Clairvoyance is the transfer of information without the use of the senses – it differs from telepathy in that there is no transfer of information from one person to another. Clairvoyants often say that the information comes from the spirit world. A related ability is called Clairaudience – which is the ability to internally hear information that is passed from the dead. A very famous clairaudient was Doris Stokes, a British spiritualist. Current thinking among proponents of clairvoyance posits that most people are born with clairvoyant abilities but then start to subliminate them as their childhood training compels them to adhere to acceptable social norms. Numerous institutes offer training courses that attempt to revive the clairvoyant abilities present in those early years 
 
5. Pyrokinesis 
 
 
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Pyrokinesis is the ability to ignite or extinguish fires with the mind. In yet another book by Stephen King, Firestarter, the main character, a young girl, has this ability. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that this ability is real, though many people involved in the field of parapsychology believe it exists. There may be a connection between this alleged ability and the various reports of spontaneous human combustion. 
 
6. Psychometry 
 
 
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Psychometry is the ability to “read” information from objects. For example, a psychometrist may hold a watch or wallet belonging to a person they do not know, and by concentrating on the object, garner information about the person’s past, present, or future. The concept of psychometry is a popular theme for stage act and Séance; with participants being asked to provide a personal object to be “read” by a medium or psychic. It was used as the basis for Johnny Smith’s visions in Stephen King’s 1979 novel The Dead Zone and its subsequent 2002 television adaption. 
 
7. Precognition 
 
 
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This is the ability to foresee events. It was precognition that the famous American Psychic Jeane Dixon. She is best known for allegedly predicting the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In the May 13, 1956, issue of Parade Magazine she wrote that the 1960 presidential election would be “dominated by labor and won by a Democrat” who would then go on to “[B]e assassinated or die in office though not necessarily in his first term.” She later admitted, “During the 1960 election, I saw Richard Nixon as the winner.” Nixon held her in such high regard that he ordered preparations for a terrorist attack she had predicted. She was also one of a number of psychics who gave advice to Nancy Reagan during the Reagan Administration. 
 
8. Bilocation 
 
 
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Bilocation is the alleged ability to be in two places at the same time. St Pio of Pietrelcina, the famous stigmatic, was said to have this ability. It is said to be a physical, rather than spiritual ability, which makes it different from astral projection. Friends of Aliester Crowley, the occultist, claimed that he had this ability, though in situations were he was meant to have bilocated, he was unaware of it. Although it is uncommon, bilocation is an ancient phenomenon. It is claimed to have been experienced, and even practiced by will, by mystics, ecstatics, saints, monks, holy persons, and magical adepts. This is also normally the explanation given for the tales of people appearing to loved ones just prior to their death. 
 
9. Postcognition 
 
 
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Postcognition is the opposite of precognition; it is the ability to see an event after it has occurred. This is probably the most widely used ability in modern days as many police forces invite psychics to assist them on difficult unsolved cases. This ability has been yet another topic of a Stephen King novel, the Dead Zone, in which the main character is able to see bad aspects of a person’s past from touching them or an object belonging to them. While there has often been some success with postcognitive visions in criminal investigations, it is still generally considered to be the result of hoax or fraud perpetrated by a person who has done research in to the crime, enabling them to give broad enough description to seem legitimate. 
 
10. Astral Projection 
 
 
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Astral projection is the ability to spiritually separate from your body and travel vast distances with the mind alone. It differs from bilocation in that the second body is a spirit body. The concept of astral projection has been familiar for thousands of years, dating back to ancient China and other ancient cultures. A great deal of skepticism exists around this ability due to the fact that the only evidence is the word of the person claiming to be able to project. A study done by Dr. Charles Tart tentatively concluded that astral projection may have objective validity. For example, in a 1967 study, a subject was not able to discover a five digit number written down and placed face up in an adjoining room, but did provide some details of the activities of the technician monitoring the experiment. Tart summarizes, “Thus, there is some indication that ESP may have been involved with respect to the technician’s activities, but it is not at all conclusive.” 
 
Source : Wikipedia 
 
Credit to listverse.com

This list is a look at some of the abilities people claim to have that science can not verify – or oftentimes, even witness. The list should...

Top 10 Notorious Witches

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The witch hunting craze that swept through northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries was the result of a mixture of genuine superstition and religious fervor combined with political motivations and paranoia. Peasants and nobles alike looked to supernatural causes for storms and diseases, but they also saw the trials as ways to gain office or wealth by eliminating their rivals. The condemned witches and sorcerers were accused of horrifying crimes like intercourse with the devil and killing infants. During the trials their confessions were often extracted by violent means. The neurotic atmosphere of Europe throughout this time period led to more executions than acquittals. 
 
10. Agnes Sampson 
 
 
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Agnes Sampson And Witches With DevilOn Halloween night of 1590, Agnes Sampson, a midwife to the rural residents of East Lothian in Scotland, was said to have attended a witch’s coven hosted by Satan at the gloomy Auld Kirk Green, a small church in North Berwick, Scotland. The insidious intention behind their gathering was to summon a supernatural storm that would sink the caravel of King James VI’s young Danish bride, the newly anointed Queen Anne, on her way to Scotland from Copenhagen. Storms did indeed inflict Anne’s voyage, forcing Anne and her escort to take port in Norway.Upon hearing this news, the King himself went to retriever her and when they tried once more to cross the North Sea another monstrous storm beset them, but this time they still successfully landed in Scotland. Shortly after his return, the King himself questioned Agnes and others at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. This would be the start of the North Berwick Witch Trials which would lead to 70 executions. To extract her confession torturers fitted Agnes with an iron muzzle known as the witch’s bridle, a Scottish invention. After her confession, Agnes was taken to the nearby Castlehill and was garroted before being burned at the stake. Her ghost has supposedly been spotted floating down the austere halls of Holyrood Palace. 
 
9. Anna Koldings 
 
 
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Anne Of Denmark - Victim of a WitchAnna Koldings, who was known by her contemporaries as “The Devil’s Mother,” was a Danish witch who was also accused of summoning storms against Queen Anne’s (pictured above) ship. She met others in the house of Karen the Weaver where they performed spells against the Queen. Witch hunts in Denmark had become popular after the country converted to Protestantism in the early 16th century and while genuine religious zeal fueled this fervor, high-ranking officials also used them for political advantage. The Danish minister of finance, who was being investigated for undersupplying the royal ships for James VI’s journey with Queen Anne across the North Sea, voiced his suspicions of Karen to shift the blame from himself. His accusations led to her arrest. During the investigation, Karen pointed out several others including Anna Koldings. Imprisoned and tortured, Anna eventually confessed and contributed the names of five others, one of which was the wife of the mayor. With twelve other women, Anna was burned at the stake in Kronborg, the elegant green-roofed castle which provided the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 
 
8. Bridget Bishop 
 
 
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Bridget Bishop witchBridget Bishop was the first women executed as a result of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Bishop was a successful and outspoken woman. She owned several taverns and was known to dress in provocative red gowns. The townspeople of Salem claimed a wide variety of accusations against her which would lead to her death. Allegedly she had bewitched five girls, poisoned a pig, and attacked men while they slept. (The last accusation was probably due to a natural condition, sleep paralysis). Dolls were also instrumental in her denunciation. A local named Samuel Shattuck testified that she had asked him to dye lace for her which he believed she intended to use for a poppet. The poppet predated the Voodoo doll and serves a similar purpose of transferring whatever spell is inflicted on the poppet to the person it represents. Salem townsfolk John and William Bly later found poppets in Bishop’s house. Her resentful attitude throughout her trial eventually led to her prosecution, which would be followed by 71 more. 
 
7. Merga Bien 
 
 
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Merga Bien witchMerga Bien, a rich German heiress, confessed to murdering her 2nd husband and his children by means of witchcraft and to attending a Witches’ Sabbath. Witch hunter Balthasar von Dernbach , the prince and abbot of the spire-topped town of Fulda, had embarked on a series of witch trials upon his return from exile in 1602. Merga Bien was one of the first women he arrested and imprisoned. Although she was pregnant, Merga was not exempted from execution as the laws dictated because she was forced to confess that her unborn child had been fathered by the Devil. In Autumn she was executed by fire at the stake. The Fulda witch trials would go on to claim 250 lives, ending only after Dernbach’s death in 1605. 
 
6. Katharina Henot 
 
 
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Katharina Henot witchGermany’s first female postmaster, was tried for witchcraft in Cologne in 1627. In the middle of one of Cologne’s cold winters, a nun at the local convent accused Katharina of causing illness and death among the nuns and the archbishop arrested Henot based on the nun’s suspicions. During her imprisonment Henot was tortured but never confessed to anything. Despite her brother’s attempts to prove her innocence, she was sentenced to be burned alive in May. Her exoneration was not attained until just this year. As of June 28th, 2012, the City Council of Cologne has cleared Henot’s name as well as the other victims of the Cologne witch trials because they believed the executions were the result of political conspiracies. 
 
5. Karin Svensdotter 
 
 
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Karin Svensdotter witchIn a town located within a forested and boggy area of Sweden, Karin Svensdotter, a maid, claimed that her seven children were fathered by the King of the Faeries. This resulted in her being put on trial in 1656 for her own unbidden confession. In 17th century Sweden, consorting with fairies was a genuine crime which was usually punished the same way as sodomy or bestiality. Prior cases involving men’s trysts with nymphs had sometimes ended in execution. However Svensdotter’s case became an early instance of compassion for the insane. Her judge had been advised by church officials that Satan had driven her mad. Instead of punishment, the judge ordered the church to pray for her. Later she affirmed that she no longer saw the fairy. 
 
4. Kael Merrie 
 
 
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Kael Merrie witchDuring the Roermond witch trials in the Spanish Netherlands, Kael Merrie, a Dutch woman, was accused of paralyzing a pig, preventing milk from being churned into butter, and making children sick. The Roermond witch trials, directed by Catholic Spaniards, were the largest of the Netherlands. The accused often came to Roermond with hopes of acquittal, but zealous mercenaries were prone to lynch or drown the freed women anyways. In early trials such as Merrie’s, the Dutch court maintained skepticism towards peasant accusations and would not use torture to extract confessions. Merrie was only banished because she pleaded innocent, but upon leaving Roermond marauding Spanish mercenaries found her and drowned her in the Maas River. 
 
3. Entjen Gillis 
 
 
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Entjen Gillis witchEntjen Gellis, a Dutch midwife, confessed to killing fetuses and newborn babies during the Roermond witch trials of 1613, the deadliest year of all for witches in the Netherlands. Local magistrates raided the rural town of Straelen where they arrested Gillis and thirteen other witches. Their magic was said to have caused diseases and miscarriages and they became part of a larger trial, sparked by the sudden deaths of hundreds of newborns, elders, and animals. As an emergency measure, the magistrates rounded up 63 witches and sentenced them all to death within a short period of time. As in earlier confessions, they claimed the devil had made them do it, but unlike Karin Svensdotter there would be no mercy for the witches of Roermond. 
 
2. Märet Jonsdotter 
 
 
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Maret Jonsdotter witchMäret Jonsdotter was accused of attending Witches’ Sabbaths in Blockula, a mythical Swedish meadow. Jonsdotter was the first witch tried in Sweden during “The Great Noise” that swept through the country between 1668 and 1676. A local shepherd girl, Gertrud Svendsdotter, whose father had unsuccessfully courted Märet, was the first to accuse her. Getrud was not without motivation. At the time, the local priest of Älvdalen, a Swedish town that looks like it belongs to a storybook, was investigating Gertrud because her small brother alleged that she had led a parade of goats across the water like Moses. Gertrud named Märet as the person who had taught her witchcraft and also claimed that Märet had introduced her to the devil. During the trial, Gertud’s father declared that Märet had ridden him as a horse to Blockula. Märet’s little sister asserted during questioning that she and Märet had ridden cows to Blockula where they slaughtered them and slept with the Devil. Because she would not confess, Märet could not be executed at this point in time. But the witch craze continued to spread in Sweden and laws requiring confession for execution were soon modified. When she was again accused during the Mora Witch Trials she was declared guilty. In 1672 Jonsdotter was decapitated, as was the Swedish custom, before being burned. 
 
1. Malin Matsdotter 
 
 
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Malin Matsdotter witchUnfortunate Malin Matsdotter, a Swedish witch who was burned alive at the stake, was the last victim of The Great Noise. No other person in Swedish history was burned alive for witchcraft. The guilty were customarily hung or beheaded before the corpse was burned, but this was not the case with Malin Matsdotter who refused to confess. Her trial took place in Stockholm, where it was believed that the witches were abducting children and taking them to the Witches’ Sabbath in the bloody meadow of Blockula. Malin’s own daughters made the accusations and at the time she was accused, Malin was no more than a poor widow. In 1676 she was executed at Hötorget square in Stockholm alongside fellow witch Anna Simonsdotter. Legends say that she did not scream because witches feel no pain. 
 
credit to listverse

The witch hunting craze that swept through northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries was the result of a mixture of genuine super...

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