Pastor Swope on Beyond the Edge

Tune in to "Beyond the Edge" tomorrow night Sunday December 8th at 8PM for my appearance on this very popular radio show!

Hosted by Cryptozoology expert Eric Altman of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society and Lon Strickler, blogger and paranormal expert at the "Phantoms and Monsters" website.

Eric, Lon and Sean invited me to some on and share what I have been up to.

Tune in here: Beyond the Edge.

Is the The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Trying to be Hydra?

The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office launched a new spy satellite Thursday evening on mission NROL-39. The NRO mission is to design, build, launch, and maintain America’s intelligence satellites. The mission is classified, but the rocket also carried the Government Experimental Multi-Satellite (GEMSat) payload, which contained 12 “nanosatellites” that will perform a variety of missions. And with the mission they came up with a logo, seen above. It is very creepy and reminds me of the Marvel Hydra logo. Hydra for those who do not know is according to the Marvel Database:

"Hydra is a world-wide subversive organization dedicated to global domination."

In the Comics Hydra was created by Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker also known as The Red Skull. What does that say about the current state of America?

We need Captain America. But watch out for that Bucky guy, he's as cold  as ice.

Strange Luminescent Water Creature in the UK

There is a long history of unexplained luminescent water creatures sighted off of coasts or from water craft. I once heard from a former US Navy Captain that his aircraft carrier was once pursued by one that was twice the length of his ship! Recently one was caught on tape in Bristol Harbor. According to the December 5th  report in The UK Telegraph:

"Experts were baffled after video footage emerged of a glowing “alien-like creature” swimming in Bristol harbour.

Stunned eyewitnesses filmed a mystery luminescent, tentacled being, which was flashing a variety of colours, floating close to the top of the water

Videos of the strange marine object in the city’s historic docks were posted on Youtube and Twitter with many claiming to have seen an alien.

Marine biologists admit they are baffled, but claim the footage could be a marine salp which had drifted off course by the weather."

Follow the link above for more on the story. The video is below:

Mekong River Monster footage

A strange creature is caught on film while many spectators look on in wonder. What lurks in the Mekong River?

Ancient Eurasia was a "Lord of the Rings Type World"

Copyright Mariam Ibrahim

As a fan of both Tolkien and Antediluvian lost civilization speculations, a recent article from Nature made my day. Modern humans seem to not only have bred with Neanderthals and Denisovians, but it seems we also are related to another 'mystery' species of early humans. It seems like ancient Eurasia had many species of ancient humans, so much so that it looked like the multi-hominid world of Tolkien's Middle Earth with its Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and men. Follow the link below to the article:

http://www.nature.com/news/mystery-humans-spiced-up-ancients-sex-lives-1.14196

The Ghost Child of Wintergreen Gorge

Four Mile Creek meanders through the woodlands of Northern Erie County Pennsylvania and empties into Lake Erie. Over the eon's it's slow moving waters has cut a large swath of land, and one of the more spectacular creations of the small creek is a mile long ravine called Wintergreen Gorge.

From Prehistoric until Colonial times the Gorge and creeks path provided a clear route to the Lake for both the local Native Americans and European Settlers. Ancient Indian war trails line both sides of the Creek, trails that were used by the Seneca Indians as they waged their war with the local Eriez Indians before the white man entered the area. Many intrepid amateur archaeologist and even professionals from the local Penn State Erie have found a rich stash of pre-Colonial Native American artifacts lining the paths and cliffsides of the small waterway.

My friend Tim grew up in a small house on the banks of Four Mile Creek near the thousands of acres that made up the Penn State Erie's Wintergreen Gorge. Tim Randall grew up hiking and exploring the endless trails that crisscross the ivy covered cliffs of Four Mile. From the age of six onward there was hardly a day that passed that you would not find him with walking stick in hand on his way to have a new journey.

And many of his adventures were fruitful indeed.

He had found a treasure trove of arrowheads and discarded pottery near ancient Indian campsites, as well as early European coins and sword hilts. Perhaps the most spectacular discovery he made was an out of the way vale on the Westerns side of the Gorge far off any path that was covered in thick foliage and had hearty vines from which you could safely swing out into across the vale. In this mystic sanctuary it was hard to believe that you were less than a mile away from a major Interstate Highway and close to one of the largest cities in the State of Pennsylvania.

Most of the time in his journeys of exploration he had the constant companionship of a large Newfoundland Dog named 'Dutch'. 'Dutch' was a birthday gift for Tim from his father on his 10th birthday. From that day the two were inseparable. Despite its formidable and imposing size the large black canine was the most gentle of creatures that I had ever encountered. With thick webbed feet, the dog is specialized for water rescue and there were numerous times while traversing the slippery smile covered slate of the creek bottom that Tim would fall into a nearby pool. Dutch would inevitably jump into the pond no matter the depth, to rescue his little master. Dutch lived a very long life and died at the age of 14 years. Needless to say Tim was devastated. Though many women had come and gone in his life, Dutch was his best friend and constant companion. Moreover, the loyal Newfoundland was a constant assurance of unconditional love in a life filled with turmoil and difficulty.

For you see, throughout his life Tim was in and out of trouble in one way or another. In Grade School he was the practical joker who held the attention of the entire class. He ended up many times in the principles office and there were many calls to his parents concerning his disruptive behavior. In his teens Tim moved from being the class clown to be the chief stoner, sampling any kind of illicit substance that came his way. Gradually his meager funds could not keep up with his veracious appetite for illegal pharmaceuticals and he turned to crime. First it was shoplifting and then it escalated into burglary. Sadly,when he was 17 he was sent away to a juvenile detention facility a few months after he was caught shoplifting at the local mall.

But even this close brush with the law did not stop Tim's lust for mind altering pharmaceuticals. By his early 20's he was dealing drugs and breaking into houses to sustain his addiction. At age 24 when Dutch died, his downward spiral seemed to escalate. In response, he ventured into harder drugs in order to find the release that he could no longer find in marijuana and LSD.

In the fruitless attempt to numb his constant inner pain he turned into a ghost of himself.

As the effects of a hard life aged him far beyond his years, eventually he was no longer the happy go lucky jokester of his youth. By age 25 he was a morose and antisocial malcontent . The only legitimate earnings that he made during this time of his life was while working in a fast food restaurant.

Unfortunately after only working there 6 months he and his manager (who also had a drug habit) cooked up a phony robbery scheme so they could pocket the bi-weekly deposit. But the plan unraveled quicker than it was hatched and both Tim and his manager found themselves in jail before they could spend even a penny of their ill gotten gain.

Whether it was the forced detox of the prison stay or the new found faith he professed after serving his sentence, Tim was a changed man after his incarceration.

He began to attend church and devoted himself to make up for all the wrongs he had done in his short life. He even fell in love with a beautiful young girl who attended the Cathedral where he attended mass. Their courtship was short but a very romantic fairy tale relationship. Tim felt truly loved by a significant other for the first time in his life. The young lady loved him more and more each day. Within 6 short months of dating, they were engaged.

Unfortunately, Tim's Bachelor party was at a local bar and pressured by his old friends, he drank alcohol for the first time in many years. Like a dehydrated man who could not quench his long denied thirst, he drank too much, and on his way home he drove off the road and struck at tree at 65 miles per hour without wearing a seat belt and with no airbag.

He was dead on impact.

The funeral was the darkest day the Randall family had ever experienced. Their oldest son who had gone through so much heartache and grief was on the brink of experiencing everything he had ever wanted, but was cut just short of finding true fulfillment in life.

That dark day was almost 20 years ago.

I often think of Tim as I hike the miles of trails in the Wintergreen Gorge area of Four Mile Creek with my son. All those years ago when I was my son's age I was introduced to the beauty of the Gorge by Tim one Saturday afternoon. Though I lived only a half mile away from the woodland I had never explored that far down the creek. Its large imposing cliffs, waterfalls and dense conifer forests are a treasure; and I often thank him as I walk through the areas we frequented together in our youth.

One afternoon in 2006 I was walking the trails of Penn State Erie near the 'Devil's Backbone', an area near the Gorge's peak where the creek's path turns dramatically, leaving a narrow path with cliff faces of over 100 feet on either side. It was an area where Tim and I would sit for hours and talk about everything from movies to the latest school gossip. The trail gently slopes down from the peak and then after the barren area of the 'Backbone' it drops back into a fully wooded path. I was just coming onto the barren area when at the far edge where the path drops into the trees I saw a young boy and a large dog walking down that far edge and disappear. I was taken aback a bit because for the life of me I swore it looked just like Tim and Dutch did 20 years ago. With curiosily I quickly made my way to the other side of the clearing so I could watch as the boy and his dog descended the steep trail. But when I got to the other side mere seconds later they were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps they had quickly made it down through the underbrush or else I was just seeing things. I logged it in the back of my mind and continued on with my hike, enjoying the refreshing walk in the wilderness.

It wasn't until months later while having coffee with an old high school friend Donna Bradburry that the significance of the event truly sank in. Donna and her husband Eric love to hike the Gorge as well. Donna grew up near the Creek and knew the grounds almost as well as Tim did. She knew Tim from both encounters in the woods and school but she never really liked him, for he had picked on her ruthlessly through Grade School and Junior High because of her weight. They did have a reconciling of sorts shortly before his death when they ran into each other at a social event. Tim had apologized profusely for treating her the way he did, and she saw him in a new light.

She was there a few months later at one of his viewings.

It was shortly a year afterward that she began seeing Tim and Dutch walking in the woods. At first like me she thought it was a figment of her imagination. She had seen them from a distance numerous times and she was sure that it was just another young boy with a large dog walking in the woods. But after seeing the same boy and dog a few times over the span of five years she began to realize that something strange was indeed happening in the thick woods of Wintergreen Gorge, for the boy never seemed to age and his clothing never changed. It was in the spring of 1999 while walking alone down the Creek that she had a closer encounter with the mysterious dog and boy. She was on the Creek bed coming around a bend when she saw the two of them walking parallel to her on the ridge pathway to her left. She was only twenty feet or less from them when she first caught sight of them. The boy turned to look her in the eyes before he quickly disappeared into the dense foliage next to the creek.

It was Tim.

Not the Tim she had met during the reconciliation years before or the bullying teen she remembered from her tortured High School days.

It was the little 12 year old Tim who was the young prankster. The innocent little boy before he had been severely ravaged by drugs and alcohol.

And Donna was sure that the dog was Dutch.

She wanted to run up the lip of the embankment and confirm her fears but she was too shaken by the experience. She knew what she had seen.

She had seen him twice after that close encounter but only from the back and at a distance, just as I had. But it was the same boy, in the same clothes with the same dog.

We sat there together in quiet contemplation for a while after she shared her story. Had Tim Randall finally found peace in the afterlife by endlessly repeating the only thing that ever gave him true happiness?

To some such a fate would seem akin to purgatory or even a form of hell. But knowing the tragic life of Tim it seemed a fitting rest if he could wander the Earth for a while with his faithful dog. After having such a tragic and unfulfilling short life it seems appropriate if he could be given a few extra years to relive and enjoy one of the only times he was loved unconditionally and lived fully.

Even if that time is relived in death.

Slenderman is coming to the Discovery Channel

The Discovery Network's "Monsters and Mysteries" is doing an episode on Slenderman next season. The premise of the episode is based on my book, "Slenderman: From Fiction to Fact". It focuses on the manifestation of the Slenderman entity, with personal stories from eye-witnesses. 

Stay tuned for the air date!

UPDATE: Due to a third party (not creator Eric Knudsen/Victor Surge) they will be changing the name from Slenderman, since someone (possibly a motion picture studio)has filed a copyright on the name "Slenderman".

Osiris Statue starts spinning on its own!!

Copyright Janice Duke
http://janiceduke.deviantart.com/

The statue of Osiris,  a 4,000 year old statue found 80 years ago has started moving of its own accord in the Manchester Museum of History in the UK. With video. What do you think?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346758/Ancient-Egyptian-statue-started-MOVING-sparking-fears-struck-curse-Pharaohs.html

An interesting article on the Nephilim

What are the Nephilim?

While examining Genesis 6:1-4 and the word  נְפִילִים  from verse 4 many scholars have come up with a variety of conclusions.

"Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown" Genesis 1-4 NKJV

Some say the word is translated literally Giants as it has been in so many English translations.

Others see them as the demonic unholy offspring of Angels (sons of God) and humans, citing Verses 1 and 4.

Borrowing from this theory, many UFO researchers and Ancient Alien theorists see the sons of God as aliens who bred with humans and produced the Nephilim: human/alien hybrids.

So which one is true? Throughout history many scholars espoused one of these theories or another (primarily the first two; the Ancient Alien theory is a modern viewpoint not within traditional biblical scholarship) and this interesting article addresses this issue in a thorough and scholarly manner. Follow the link below.

Demon Semen: Traditional and Metaphysical Assumptions in Early Lutheran and Reformed Treatments of Genesis 6:1-4

2013 Erie MUFON Convention

This May 4th Erie Pennsylvania will be host to its first MUFON Convention. Those who read my blog or are familiar with current UFO flaps know that Lake Erie is the scene of some odd and spectacular UFO sightings. Tickets are available online at MUFONPA or at the Erie Bookstore, pre-register at the Erie Bookstore now and save $5 off the ticket price! The guest speakers are:

Keynote Speaker

Stanton Friedman

Nuclear Physicist-Lecturer Stanton T. Friedman received his BSc. and MSc. Degrees in physics from the University of Chicago in 1955 and 1956. He was employed for 14 years as a nuclear physicist by such companies as GE, GM, Westinghouse, TRW Systems, Aerojet General Nucleonics, and McDonnell Douglas working in such highly advanced, classified, eventually cancelled programs as nuclear aircraft, fission and fusion rockets, and various compact nuclear powerplants for space and terrestrial applications.

He became interested in UFOs in 1958, and since 1967 has lectured about them at more than 600 colleges and 100 professional groups in 50 U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces and 18 other countries in addition to various nuclear consulting efforts. He has published more than 90 UFO papers and has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs including on Larry King in 2007 and twice in 2008, and many documentaries. He is the original civilian investigator of the Roswell Incident and co-authored Crash at Corona: The Definitive Study of the Roswell Incident. TOP SECRET/MAJIC, his controversial book about the Majestic 12 group, established in 1947 to deal with alien technology, was published in 1996 and went through 6 printings. An expanded new edition was published in 2005. Stan was presented with a Lifetime UFO Achievement Award in Leeds, England, in 2002, by UFO Magazine of the UK. He is co-author with Kathleen Marden (Betty Hill’s niece) of a book in 2007: Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. The City of Fredericton, New Brunswick, declared August 27, 2007, Stanton Friedman Day. His book Flying Saucers and Science was published in June 2008 and is in its 3rd printing. His newest book, also co-authored with Kathleen Marden, is Science Was Wrong released in June 2010.

He has provided written testimony to Congressional Hearings, appeared twice at the UN, and been a pioneer in many aspects of ufology including Roswell, Majestic 12, The Betty Hill-Marjorie Fish star map work, analysis of the Delphos, Kansas, physical trace case, crashed saucers, flying saucer technology, and challenges to the S.E.T.I. (Silly Effort To Investigate) cultists. He has spoken at more MUFON Symposia than anyone else.

John Ventre











John Ventre is the retired Pennsylvania State Security and Public Affairs Director for UPS and was his Companies liaison to his local Congressman. John used to also head up his companies crisis management team for 3 states.He is a member of the FBI’s InfraGard group and the DHS Regional Business Coalition. John is the Pa State Director for the Mutual UFO Network and on MUFON’s Board. John is the author of the novel’s “12/21/2012 A Prophecy”, “The Day After 2012”, “UFOs over Pennsylvania” and “Apophis 2029”. John is also a lifetime member of the NRA. John sits on the Board of Directors for JDRF, the Westmoreland Economic Growth Connection, MUFON, and Rotary. John is a United Way Tocqueville Society member for charitable giving. John is the co-inventor of the Thor Wood Splitter and owns the UFO themed Mexican restaurant trademark “Flying Salsa”. John appeared in the Discovery Channels “UFOs over Earth” series in 2008 and the History Channels “UFO Hunters” in 2009, the Anderson Cooper show in 2012 and Destination America’s Alien Mysteries in 2013. John has appeared on numerous radio shows and is a speaker at various UFO and Paranormal conferences such as the MUFON and Paradigm Symposium’s, UFO Congress and Fortean Conference’s. John has also lectured at Duquesne and Drexel Universities. John gives four different presentations: End Time Prophecy, The Case for UFOs, UFOs in Art and History and the 2008 Pa UFO Wave.

Stan Gordon

Stan Gordon was trained as an electronics technician, specializing in radio communications. He worked in the advanced consumer electronics sales field for over forty years. Gordon began his interest in the UFO subject and other strange incidents at the age of ten in 1959. In the late 1960’s, he acted as the telephone UFO sighting report investigations coordinator for the UFO Research Institute of Pittsburgh.

Stan began in the field investigations of UFOs and other mysterious events in 1965, and is the primary investigator of the December 9, 1965, UFO crash-recovery incident that occurred near Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. In 1969, Gordon established a UFO Hot-line for the public to report UFO sightings to him to investigate.

In 1970, Gordon founded the Westmoreland County UFO Study Group (WCUFOSG), the first of three volunteer research groups which he would establish to investigate UFO sightings and other strange occurrences reported in Pennsylvania. Since November, 1993, he continues to investigate and document strange incidents from across the Keystone state as an independent researcher.

Gordon is a former PA State Director for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), and was its first recipient In 1987 of the MUFON Meritorious Achievement in a UFO investigation Award. Gordon has been involved with the investigation of thousands of mysterious encounters from across Pennsylvania. He has appeared on numerous local and network news and documentary shows, including the Syfy Channel (formerly the Sci-Fi Channel), Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Fox News Channel. He has been featured on many television shows, including Unsolved Mysteries, Sightings, Inside Edition, A Current Affair, and Creepy Canada.

Karyn Dolan

Karyn Dolan is the host of Through the Keyhole, a live internet radio program which explores topics relating to UFOs and the paranormal. Each week, Karyn interviews a researcher or author about their work in these fields. The show is heard worldwide each Friday at www.paranormalradionetwork.com.

Karyn has spoken at several UFO conferences, including the Roswell UFO Festival, the UFO Crash Retrieval Conference, and the UFO Congress in Bordentown, NJ on the subject of alien images in media outlets targeted toward children. She is also the Media Relations Director for the International UFO Congress, which holds its annual conference in Laughlin, NV.


Robin Swope

Pastor Swope has been a minister for over 20 years and currently is the pastor of historical St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also a writer in the topic of the supernatural and paranormal, having written or contributed to many books on the topic. He has had numerous personal encounters with the odd and unexplained and although skeptical, he likes to keep an open mind.

Join us this May 4th for a wonderful, entertaining and deeply thought provoking series of seminars. Discount pre-sales of tickets are available at The Erie Bookstore, 2609 Peach Street, Erie PA 814-455-1088. Or order online at The Pennsylvania MUFON website.

The Paranormal Pastor on Coast to Coast AM

I will be on tonight's (2/1/13) Coast to Coast Am as the guest of documentary Film maker Christopher Maloney. Tune in!

How to do a Blessing or Consecration

I get about 3 to 4 requests a week for advice from people who are having disturbing experiences with a local haunting.

They want to know how they can rid their house or building of entities which harass the family members dwelling there, spirits which seem to be malevolent or even demonic.

My first response is to try a Blessing or Consecration ceremony. Now these are Christian Ceremonies and the references are Christian. Other faiths have their own traditions, customs and ceremonies. If you object to the use of Christian terminology or Biblical references I am sorry, you will have to find help elsewhere. But in my worldview it is with the power of God through Christ only that you can have successful results when confronting malevolent entities. So here is how to preform the ceremonies for the novice.

It could either clear up the problem or make it worse.

If it gets worse then you know for sure you are dealing with a demonic entity and you need to get someone involved who knows the Exorcist rite. My book, "An Exorcist's Field Guide to Blessings and Consecrations" goes into detail about 'how to' preform more detailed rites of Blessing and Consecration as well as the more advanced rites of Cleansing and the Exorcism of demonic entities from buildings or areas.(please, unless you have professional counseling and spiritual warfare training  DO NOT attempt to deal with the possible possession of a human being. If you do not know what you are doing you can leave the person worse off in the end and could actually face a malpractice or civil lawsuit if you unintentionally do psychological damage)

First:You need two to three others to help, they will be your prayer support. It is best to find believing Christians who know how to pray and have them either come with you (best) or pray at another location.

However, it is very important that you are not alone, have at least one with you who is a Christian of faith. They can support you and if you have others praying elsewhere they could text message them as to how the ritual is going.

Materials needed:

Holy Water (get it at your local Catholic Church, use any bottle you wish)

Incense ( any kind you feel like: sage and charcoal or even cone)

A Hanging Incense censur

Instructions:

Before you begin read Ephesians 6:10-17 from the Bible. Read as a prayer of protection and blessing.

Go into every room with incense and holy water. As you enter swing the incense and pray,

"We consecrate this room in the name of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. As the smoke from the incense rises so do our prayers to the ear of God. We command any evil spirit in this room to depart and to never return. We bind them and command them to leave all occupants and visitors alone in the Name and through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who gave His life for the remission of sin."

Sprinkle Holy Water with each name as you say, "We consecrate this room and this house in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Read one of the following Scripture passages from the Bible, choose which one is more pertinant to the situation:

1 John 4:1-4; Colossians 2:11-15; Matthew 10:1; 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1; 1 John 1:5-9

Repeat in every room and then have everyone gather for prayer in whatever main room the host decides upon, or the room where the most activity happens.

"Lord God we commit this house to you today, if any wrongs have been done to bring this upon this house or this family we ask forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Christ and we accept and welcome that forgiveness. We ask you would call Angels to guard this house as we now commit it to you dear Father. Guard each one of the family (ask God to guard each person dwelling there by name). This house and these people are now consecrated and freely given to you God and we now put our trust and confidence in you to protect us. In The name of Jesus we Pray, Amen."

(note: If it is a serious infestation or has a casual connection to any of the buildings occupants you might hear some phenomena or see one of the occupants behave strangely during this last prayer)

Then as a finale, read aloud Romans 8:33-39 from any version of the Bible you wish .

It is important to stress the Blood of Christ because this will either rid the house of the evil spirit or if it is a strong entity it will rile it up.

Until Next Time,

Pastor Swope