Much has been made about these supposed “end times,” the point where the purification of the earth and its sinners will take place. Certainly, there is evidence to suggest that this is at least possible if not probable. There have been prophesies throughout the years that this time is approaching. It must be stated though that there have been prophecies regarding the end times since the beginning of time. Certainly there have been global changes that support the possibilities. Most of those changes are physical in nature- earthquakes and the like. However, there is another side of the coin, a subtler side though one no less ominous. That involves the seeming increase in paranormal activity taking place these days. Is this reported increase in part related to the end time prophesies? It would be logical to assume that it is one but that is only part of the picture.

Let us first take a look at what seems to be increasing. As someone who investigates paranormal phenomena, be it positive or negative, there does seem to be an increase. There seem to be more and more requests by those who believe they are being “haunted.” That is a word we must be careful when using. By and large, it is overdone. A quick glance at any newspaper will show that the world seems to be going mad. There are more violent crimes than one can imagine although this is not to say that there is anything paranormal about street crime. There has been crime ever since there were criminals and there have been criminals ever since there was man. Yet today we see something else, something that can best be described as evil. This too is a word that must be used cautiously although it must be used. The question arises whether there is more evil today or is there just greater exposure to it? What at one time was kept quiet is now on the six o’clock news. Also, one must ask whether there is more crime or evil because there are simply more of us around? After all, we have reportedly reached a population of six billion.

Certainly the more people around, the more crime there will be but it is interesting to look for numbers. Are the reported crime rates in equal proportion to the population? That is a tough one to answer. In my opinion, the ratio is changing and doing so for the worse. Certainly the sense of evil appears stronger. Atrocities are now so frequent that they have all but desensitized most Americans. We see so much carnage on TV that we barely blink, much less find ourselves moved by it. Most people have mastered the art of eating while images of death and destruction flash by. “Look Honey, those savages are throwing that poor soldier out of the window and the mob is pulverizing him.” Then, shaking his head, he adds: “Pass me the salt please.” Were it not so true, it would almost be comical. Thirty years ago, that might have had the makings of a comedy skit; today it is the real deal. Perhaps the most evil part of it is that it no longer shocks us. We have become desensitized to evil and suffering. That can be very dangerous indeed.

Why the rise in evil? There are a number of possibilities. One friend of mine who has spent most of his life investigating the world of the paranormal told me that there seems to be an explosion of supernatural cases. I am not so sure that I agree with that assessment but as I mentioned earlier, there has been a rise. Indeed some of it can be blamed on the fact that our time is dwindling. However, dwindling can be two years or two millennia; it is all relative to time itself. Satan is running out of time but his concept of time is far different than ours. Rather, I think the spike has more to do with how we are living our lives than it does the work of Satan. He is there tempting us and confusing us but we are doing a great job of that ourselves. In order to make any sense of this all, we need to look at the different levels where the problems can be found.

We live in an I/Me culture where we are led to believe that the key to success is to find the god within ourselves. Consequently, we have lost much of our faith, discipline and compassion. We indulge ourselves to a disgraceful level. There are more rich people today that at any other time in history. There are more poor people today than at any other time in our history. Sadly, the rich tend to get rich on the labors of the poor. There is nothing new about that except that it is disproportionate to the number of people. The “middle class” is either becoming rich or poor. Most end up in the latter. We live in a world where people buy blouses that cost two hundred thousand dollars while others shiver in the cold. There are those who pay sixty thousand dollars to drive a fancy car when that same amount of money would enable several families to live decently for a year. This is not a moral spanking; people can do whatever they want with their money. However, if you want to look at a crumbling world, some of what you see is painful. Let your conscience be your guide.

For many years, it was a novelty to look towards Eastern religions and ways of contacting “The Supreme Being.” Today, it is not a novelty at all; if anything, it is commonplace. A large segment of the population believes that “The Supreme Being” is really inside all of us. That leaves little room for a serious discussion on the origins of evil and the evil men do. In this belief system, we are pretty much god so there is no need for a real God. Thus, there is no devil since he is inside of all of us as well. Of course those who believe in contacting the god within them pay little heed to the idea of evil being within us. Call it positive thinking if you will but it is somewhat less than accurate. If this belief system holds true, then we must accept the fact that we alone are responsible for the ills of this world. That is a frightening thought indeed. It makes us monsters, pure and simple.

I have never seen an alien so I cannot say for sure that they exist. Looking at the size of the galaxy, one would have to think that there has to be some other life form out there. You often hear the phrase: “There is no intelligent life out there? Judging by our behavior, there is none on this planet either. If we are the best there is and most people are arrogant enough to proclaim that, there is something seriously wrong going on. Take a look at our planet. As a society, we hunt creatures we consider below us. Save me the bunk about humanitarian intentions or the idea that we hunt for the meat. When was the last time you hade a taste for bear? There is a thrill in hunting and killing. As a society, we have allowed it and even managed to make money off of it. That must make us superior. One wonders how we would feel if those non-existent aliens showed up and deemed us lesser creatures and began hunting us.

Why am I bashing hunters? The point I am trying to make is that we have a general disregard for life. Nowhere is that more evident than our views on abortion. Abortion is the killing of unborn children. Amazingly enough, we have passed laws allowing it. The argument is that a woman has the “right to choose” how she uses her body. Hey, I am pro-choice too. I firmly believe that a woman has the right to choose whether she wants to become pregnant or not. That is where she should exercise her “choice.” There is no secret regarding how a woman becomes pregnant. “A” must do something with “B.” The formula has not changed much. If you do not want to be a parent, either protect yourself or do not do what will get you pregnant. Lest they become smug, this is just as much for the males as it is for the females. There is no excuse for unwanted pregnancies in this day and age. There are so many ways to prevent it. The fact that there are so many unwanted pregnancies does little to support the argument that we are “superior” beings. If there are aliens out there watching us, they must think that we are, by and large, stupid. It would be difficult to argue the point.

Why do I mention this when there are so many ills in the world? The answer is simply because this is one area where Satan has to be delighted and we are talking about the rise in paranormal problems. If something pleases him, he gets that much stronger. The stronger he gets, the more paranormal activity we will see. There is a point that has to be made here. We are not talking about demonic possession or anything of the like. This is not meant to be a hysterical raving that Satan is everywhere. He has some power over us but the way he works best is behind the scenes. That is the area where he is the most effective. He pushes, tempts and encourages bad behavior. For the overwhelming majority of the people on this planet, that is all he can do. However, we fail to see his behind the scenes work. We fail to realize that our behavior is bad. This is not just about abortion; it is about destructive behavior. There is a tremendous amount of abuse today, physical, mental and sexual. There is rampant drug and alcohol abuse as well. Who do you think that serves?

Another reason why there seem to be more paranormal events these days is because of the growing numbers of people who are subscribing to pagan religions. I am not going to pick apart anyone’s belief systems here but there is a problem here. If you go to any bookstore, you will see dozens and dozens of books on witchcraft and magic. These books appeal to the youth of today because it offers material gain without a whole lot of work. Most of those who buy these books do not really care about witchcraft at all; they are simply looking for easy answers in a difficult world. If they get what they ask for, they simply stop doing rituals until the next time they want something. Do spells and magic really work? That depends on who you ask but the important thing is not whether it really works or not, the issue is that those who practice it believe it does.

I have heard many teenagers quote phrases such as the witch belief that “If it harms no one, do what thou will.” That is a dangerous way to think, especially when the young adopt it. They tend to see only what is in front of them; they rarely look at the possible consequences of their actions. Everything is geared towards today. Another problem is how do you know that what you do harms no one? There is the popular phrase: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Things do not always turn out the way we want them to or expect them to. A simple spell can open a Pandora’s box that can lead to ruin. How does one know whom a spell is directed to? Remember, so many of these people know nothing about witchcraft as a religion. They are simply looking for a quick fix. Having a spell come true can have a domino effect that is both amazing and unknown to the person who uses it. They are playing with fire as they are breaking the “Law of Invitation.” They just might invite something in they soon find they cannot rid themselves of.

Another reason for the rise in paranormal activity is the ever-growing number of “psychics.” Most of these people do not know squat about psychic abilities. What they do know is how to read people. They know the gullible ones from a mile away and they take terrible advantage of those people. Channeling is now becoming one of the most popular of the spiritual activities. What these people are doing is trying to get information from spirit guides or from any spirits long passed. Once again, they are breaking the Law of Invitation and are thus playing with fire. The same holds true from the growing use of vehicles of spirit communication such as the Ouija board or any of the spin offs currently on the market today. Certainly, the vast majority of those who use these “games” have no significant problem from playing with them but the fact of the matter is that you are playing Russian roulette when you use these devices. There is just no way to know what is making contact with you, if it is anything at all. As I have said many times, playing with these type of games is much like living in a bad neighborhood and leaving your door open for anyone to come in. Furthermore, when using tools of divination, you cannot see who comes in.

Much is made of the “New Age” philosophy. However, the New Age is simply what we used to call the “Occult.” As Bishop Fulton Sheen said: “Thus, the so-called new religion proves to be an old religion which Satan would establish on earth. There is no new birth in this new faith, but the same old spirit in the same old Adam, full of selfish, envy and sin.” So, we can see that there is nothing new about the new age at all. There has simply been a new spin on it. In this day and age, we have mastered the art of putting a different spin on things. We have people called “spin-doctors” who are paid great money to make anything look better than it is. Truthfully, they are little more than 21st century alchemists with very small consciences. However, because of that spin put on it, the “new age” has become more attractive to the youth of today. There is a whole new generation being taught something “new” that has been around for centuries. It is the same old thing. Lastly, we must not forget the growing numbers who now worship Satan. What used to be cloaked in secrecy is now practiced openly. If you call on Satan enough, he will eventually answer the call. However, you may not like the price you are going to pay for his “help.”

People are turning away from the religion of their parents. Hell, in many cases they are turning away from their parents. So it is easy to see that they are turning away from the Church although the Church itself must bare some of the blame. To many it is considered old-fashioned and outdated, a relic from the past, long past. Prayer seems to come and go based somewhat on someone’s need at a particular moment. Many people find it hard to pray except when the need something. Then the prayers begin. Sadly, so many of these people end their prayers once the result of that prayer has been accomplished. Few pray to God just out of love and devotion. Even fewer stick with it for a long time. To complicate matters, there is growing dissention between Christian religions as well as splits in the Catholic Church. This serves only one being, the one who loves to hide among chaos. Let the good fight with each other for the bad ones he has already. It is so simple it is truly amazing that most people do not see it. Remember the aliens of before; maybe they too have concluded that there is no intelligent life on earth.

Many will scoff at those words. These same people will tell you that there are no such things as ghosts. They will certainly scoff when they hear anything about demons. They will ridicule everyone who believes otherwise. There is no devil, they will say. Little do these people know that they are playing into the enemy’s hands. He wants people to think he does not exist. He has done a masterful job of that over the centuries. You see Satan can win in two ways. First, he gets those who do not believe he exists. The next way is to get people to unwittingly do things that directly “invite” him in. It is a clever strategy. Turn people away from the Church, get them to consider prayer obsolete and set the snares for those who want to dabble around in areas that are “safe.” It is okay to use various forms of divination. It is safe to cast a spell or try a ritual of some kind. After all, that nonsense of ghosts and demons is little more than the hysterical ravings of religiously obsessed lunatics. In some cases it is. That takes us back to “Russian Roulette,” doesn’t it?

These are some of the things that lead to more paranormal happenings today. My organization as well as many others will state that they are getting far more cases today than in the past. In some cases, there are too many to handle. In most of those cases, little is happening. In others there are very real problems. The fact that an increasing number of cases are coming in shows that people are willing to believe that negative supernatural beings exist but somehow find a way to deny the positive one. At the core of many of those cases we find those things I have just talked about. If people continue to dabble around, eventually they will be looking for someone to help them. If people fail to learn from others, if they fail to learn anything from history, the current problems will only get worse. If there is really an explosion taking place, it is because of one being: Satan. It will continue until enough people see him for the son-of-a-bitch that he is. Then we can start healing this world before we destroy it.