Dan Watkins Investigator/Researcher
The first memory I have of a paranormal experience occurred when I was eight years old atop the Pyramid to the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. Although my father and I saw other people on the Pyramid as we ascended and descended, once we reached the top, no one else visited. We enjoyed the remarkable place alone and remained nearly silent the entire time we were there. On the Pyramid and among the ruins I heard voices and caught glimpses of life there long ago. Even though I was young it was a life changing event that opened a universe of possibilities. By the time I was a teenager many strange events had occurred and the stage was set for my lifelong search and acceptance of the paranormal.
I have learned that most of what we are taught to believe about what is beyond our “normal” perception and beyond our lives as humans isn’t derived from personal experiences, but rather the beliefs of people long past and the ones who perpetuate those beliefs. The unanswered questions that many leave to faith have been or will be answered logically and scientifically, and as that occurs it can still be incredibly spiritual.
Except for my wife of 28 years and a few friends of years ago, I have always been a solitary searcher relying heavily on my personal paranormal experiences as my guide. Many things have occurred during my life that defies scientific explanation, yet I know that they happened. I don’t know about the latest and greatest ghost hunters, psychics, demonologists, or paranormal investigators. I don’t know about all of the most notable hauntings or paranormal events. I do know that the paranormal is always nearby and can occur anytime with the primary variables being frequency, duration, intensity, and cause. There are times when we can greatly influence these conditions thereby creating or closing conduits to places beyond our ordinary perception. I believe that great wisdom comes from accepting the paranormal as normal, and that requires occasionally facing it alone with confidence.
After working many years as a manager for natural disaster recovery operations and emergency management software testing and development, I am currently freelancing. I have taken over ten thousand nature photographs during the last six years and on a few occasions sold some of my work. I grew up in a Christian environment as my parents were missionaries prior to my birth and my father became a minister afterward. I have a profound respect for Jesus. My spirituality has been nature based since my twenties and I feel a strong connection with it, especially in the Shenandoah Valley and American Southwest. I consider nature a vast repository of knowledge awaiting discovery. The Buddhist proverb that states “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” is most applicable when working with nature and the paranormal. A spirit may not be a teacher; however some certainly avoid people who are not ready for contact. In the future many aspects of the paranormal will become an accepted part of the scientific community. If you’re looking for the paranormal, then it is probably looking for you!