Image by °Florian via Flickr
Lon Strickler is the brains and the hard work behind two of the web’s most insightful paranormal resources; the Phantoms and Monsters blog and wiki.
If you’re not familiar with the wiki concept then you’re in for a treat. A wiki is a website which any member of the community can update and edit. Just as Wikipedia has grown into phenomenal web encyclopaedia, the Phantoms and Monsters wiki is growing into an extremely valuable archive on close encounters and paranormal encounters.
Lon’s agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for In Pure Spirit.
The Phantoms and Monsters blog and wiki must take up an awful lot of your time. What was the inspiration to start the sites and what gives you the energy to keep going?
For 25 years, I independently investigated paranormal and cryptid reports in Maryland and Pennsylvania. I now work at home and it affords me the time to research and blog about these subjects. Most days, I spend 4-5 hours per day hunting down stories,contacting witnesses and posting the information. In 1981, I had a personal encounter with a hominid (Bigfoot). That experience along with various paranormal events have bolstered my continued interest.
What’s your favourite paranormal sighting or story? Why does it stand out for you against all the others you’ve been able to blog about.
I have had several interesting paranormal experiences but a certain encounter with a spectre in 1978 stands out as the most dramatic. It was one of my earliest investigations and the spectre was witnessed by 3 other people.
What role, if any, do you think governments play in the discovery and reporting of unusual and alternative events?
I think is obvious that most governments have records of paranormal and extraterrestrial contact. To what extent these governments know is anybody’s guess but I feel that disclosure, at some degree, is iminent.
What about the internet? What role does the internet now play in the discovery and reporting of encounters and sightings?
The internet has played a major part by informing more people of what is seen worldwide and that we are not alone. Much of the media currently gets the majority of their information on paranormal and alternative events by reading blogs and wikis.
What tips and advice would you offer to someone who thinks they’ve seen something unusual and want to share their discovery with the world.
Don’t think that all people will think you’re crazy. There are various reporting agencies not connected with the government (ex. MUFON, BFRO, paranormal research groups, etc.) who take reports seriously. Take advantage of their expertise and tell them what you have seen.
In Pure Spirit
What do you believe? Do you believe in spirits but not ghosts? Have governments been keeping quiet about cryptid reports and will that change soon?
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