A couples points and questions:
-"Most" of this stuff feels "wholesome." For example, most medium communications seem to exist to provide comfort to the living about relatives passed on etc.
-But there are examples of trouble. Clearly these examples extend to medium stuff. Do they also extend to synchronicities? Could they extend to precognitive dreams?
How do we evaluate?
For example, I actually have a serious mental illness (BiPolar disorder) and in 2009 I had a psychotic episode which put me in a psychiatric hospital. This was my first (and only so far) episode. In it I had a complex delusion about being one of the two Witnesses of the Apocalypse (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_witnesses). Associated with this are a couple of synchronicities which reinforced my delusion.
Anyway, I got better but in July last year there was something which brought it back to a certain extent. I wasn't psychotic but this thing got it all going again a bit. It is all hard to explain but basically I cannot believe this thing was a coincidence so therefore it has some "meaning". But it has caused me distress. So I am left with this:
-Is it a coincidence and something I am making meaning from? (e.g. it is nothing really) This is the "rational" choice but hard to accept because of the particulars and because, in my world view, meaningful coincidences do exist. That said, because of my illness I am very sensitive to "signs" (real or imagined).
-Is it a communication from God that I really am a Witness of the Apocalypse (a grandiose delusion if there ever was one). I keep coming back to this but I don't really believe it but I am vulnerable due to it.
-Is it a "good" communication which is symbolic? For example, do I have a little bit of a "life mission" to be a little bit like a Witness?
-Is it from a "demon" with ill (or just mischievous) intent? That's what I want to consider with this thread. An interesting point from an Amazon Hungry Ghosts review:
"While it is dangerous to be unaware of such dark possibilities and manipulative entities, it may also be dangerous to cast your attention in their direction. Attention is not just internal, it is also a beacon visible to others, and not all of those others are visible to us."
Before this event (let's call it the 23 July '13 email), I was intensely "fishing" for contact with my Spirit Guides by typing stuff into Google and seeing what came back. By the way, I know this is unhealthy. An interesting idea I had not given my credence to is that perhaps I was broadcasting a "beacon" to "bad" as well as "good" spirits and so they arranged the 23 July '
So, was my delusion about the Witnesses a "beacon" to some entity who did the "signs" back in 2009 and then reinforced my delusion in July?
-Is it something else? Something I have not considered.
I know no one can answer this question. To explain it all I would need to write a book... Anyway, I offer it as some explanation as to why this is a topic of interest to me.
Let me also say that, in a way, I should stay away from all this paranormal stuff for my mental health. I find this hard to do. It is a strong personal interest of mine. I am interested in learning the truth about it all. Ideally I should let it be but I see God in it all and so want to understand God and so am drawn back to it.
Anyway, some personal musings. BTW, Alan Amsberg is not my real name which is one reason I am prehaps willing to share these things on this forum. So, anonymity on the internet is also an aid to honesty sometimes.