By Dory Hulburt
Phenomena popularized by films such as "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers" are among subjects discussed at the annual event. Photo courtesy Columbia Pictures.
The Paranormal Symposium is moving to Taos. The descent in altitude will distance it a little from unidentified flying objects, but move it closer to simpatico earthlings. According to Janet Sailor, founder and president of the Alliance Studying Paranormal Experiences (ASPE), which hosts the event, “The symposium outgrew Angel Fire, and since Taos has always been so very supportive of the event, and also since Taos has such a strong and positive metaphysical community, ASPE is delighted to be able to make the symposium even bigger and better by presenting it in Taos.”
In this its third year, the Paranormal Symposium is slated for Oct. 25-30 at the Best Western Kachina Lodge, 413 Paseo del Pueblo Norte. Sailor says activities will include lectures, workshops, seminars, tours, films and other activities exploring a variety of paranormal subjects, such as UFOs, extraterrestrial contact, crop circles, reincarnation, American Indian prophecy, crystal skulls, interdimensionality, transformation and angels, the Star Child, and earth changes. Oklahoma radio personality Jerry Pippin will cover the event live.
A dinner party Oct. 25 will kick off the week’s events, with keynote speakers, metaphysical practitioners and audience members participating in an open dialogue about the symposium theme, “Connecting Science and Spirit.” In the spirit of Halloween, only days away, attendees will be invited to dress as their favorite paranormal character. Plans include broadcasting the dinner dialogue on local public access television and the Internet.
Past symposia have featured a spirit of earnest inquiry alongside light-hearted self-parody, in events such as a tinfoil hat contest. Presenters this year will include British extraterrestrial abductee Steven Jones, Dutch crop-circle specialist Bert Janssen and Larry Flaxman, president and senior researcher of the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST), “one of the nation’s largest and most active paranormal research organizations,” according to his website, paraexplorers.com. ARPAST also participates in The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), which investigates paranormal activity on “Ghost Hunters,” a Syfy Channel reality series. All of the speakers have written books.
Plans are still taking shape and Sailor invites Taos area metaphysical practitioners and businesses to participate in the symposium either directly or by scheduling events inspired by its theme.
“It fills my heart,” said Sailor. “So many people are interested in the paranormal and we provide the venue to find out about it.”
The Labyrinth Society will present a conference Oct. 20-24, also at the Kachina Lodge. The two events’ weekends will be connected with synchronous activities.
ASPE will launch www.aspesymposium.com in March, a website providing a schedule and online registration.
According to Sailor, “paranormal denotes events or phenomena that are beyond the scope of scientific understanding and includes everything from angels to Bigfoot, faeries and dragons, UFOs and ETs, ghosts, reincarnation, Native American skinwalkers, leprechauns — even the Taos Hum.”
She founded ASPE in 2008 as a nonprofit with Dave Travis and John Sanders as the first two board members. It’s mission is “to study, document, present and preserve paranormal experiences.”
Some of the experiences already documented on the ASPE website, aspefiles.org, include a flying Huichol mask; a 7-year-old who is not only familiar with extraterrestrials, but claims to channel them; and an alien encounter in Goblin Valley, Utah. A link is given to a MySpace video featuring artist Julia Margaret Brigham, who describes several spinning UFOs she has seen near her home in Black Lake, N.M.
“For those with similar interests and open minds, ASPE meetings and events offer opportunities to discover and discuss experiences for which they can find no scientific or rational explanation,” said Sailor. “For those who have personally experienced the paranormal, ASPE offers an opportunity to document the details of their experience for sharing with others.”
For more information about the symposium and how to participate, e-mail ASPE at info@aspefiles.org or visit the ASPE website at aspefiles.org.
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