Just when you thought you've seen it all, you are promptly smacked back to reality. The next great paranormal facade: Paranormal award ceremonies.
The paranormal glut flooding today's mainstream media is nauseating enough without the introduction of "pat yourself on the back" type of Paranormal awards.
One such ceremony, the New England Paranormal Awards, was hosted at Tynsborough, Massachusetts, back in April 2012 and will once again rear its comical self this year.
Billed by one author as a ceremony where "Paranormal teams and investigators from all over New England went to the awards", one has to wonder why it garnered such little attention elsewhere.
Quite a head scratcher.
The obvious problem with events like this is that the paranormal isn't even considered a "field" yet in the eyes of those that really matter: Science. So, with no real scientific backing and more importantly, no set standards from which to operate under, what exactly is being awarded and why.
This is literally putting the cart before the horse.
But what is really appalling is the personal fanaticism of how one's self, or group, is forcefully portrayed onto others in their community and abroad as evidenced with this statement, "Middletown now has Para-celebrities! You can find Laura and PACC members..."
This self-delusional proclamation exposes the deepening sinkhole at the center of the paranormal today. People out to make a name for themselves without merit or cause.
With the carrot of fame and fortune dangling constantly in front of their faces, people will stop at nothing to get a nibble, leading to faking evidence, exaggerating claims and narcissistically beating ones chest until the other "apes" fall into place.
The introduction of pseudo paranormal award type ceremonies will only fuel this problem.
In fairness, there is nothing wrong with recognizing an individual, or team, for dedication, passion and sacrifice in any endeavor in life but when the true motive behind such events is ego-enforcing recognition and money, it becomes self-serving and obstructive to those who are in it for the right reasons: To find the truth.
And besides, just who exactly is qualified to divvy out these awards anyway?
So, in a realm where paranormal teams and para-individuals are scattered about the landscape behaving like rogue clans in an apocalyptic Mad Max world, warring amongst each other for the precious pseudo-resources of notoriety and greenbacks, it's hard to believe an awards ceremony is in order.
And what makes this whole idea even sillier was the handing out of the "New England paranormal award for EVP" to a deaf investigator.
You just cannot make this stuff up.
Sadly though, just like the cash cow para-cons that have inundated the paranormal world in the last few years, so too might these substance-lacking nonsensical ceremonies.
Because the truth is, flattery will get you everywhere you don't want to go.
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