Phantoms and Monsters |  |
- Emptied Water Tank Phenomenon Continues In Argentina
- Battlefield Tech Focus on Deception, Deterence and Minimal Trauma
- Fortean / Alternative News: Alien Encounters Inevitable, Government Censors TruTV and Discovery / Catholic Church Team Up
- Roman Catholic Exorcism Rite Workshop Detailed
| Emptied Water Tank Phenomenon Continues In Argentina Posted: 10 Jan 2011 10:41 AM PST  Scott Corrales of Inexplicata is reporting another emptied water tank incident in Argentina. I also post the previous incident from June 2010. Date: January 10, 2011 Argentina: Another Water Tank Is Mysteriously Emptied [One of the most perplexing anomalies in Argentina – tied to UFO and cattle mutilation phenomena – is the emptying of large water tanks (locally known as tanques australianos – "Australian tanks") from one day to the next. Water is also drained from other sources, including ponds and swimming pools. This report from Luis Burgos of FAO concerns the latest in such developments – SC] Ciencia OVNI - "We were having lunch on Sunday with a cousin who owns a field in the vicinity of the "La Vidriera" salt flats. In order to spend time with us, he left another relative alone in the field in charge of the animals. Just as we were done eating, the relative phoned him in a state of near-derangement. The previous day he had filled up the water tank shut the windmill down because the tank was full. It has a capacity of 60,000 liters (16,000 gallons) of water more or less. But there was not a drop to be found on Sunday morning. No sign of puddles or spills around the tank. No cracks on the tank's floor either. He told me, furthermore, that it has a 6 inch flood cap and when they drain it, it takes more than half a day to empty it out completely. The temperatures were in excess of 36 centigrade at the time, and I put off further research until the next day (Monday morning). But by then, the other relative had filled up the tank, because the animals had been left without any drinking water. Therefore I no longer wanted to go in person. This is the second time that this has happened. The first time was some 15 years ago. A bit of information I forgot to mention is that there were no missing animals. It should be ascertained if any neighbors were missing livestock." ----------  This interesting case again shows the depletion of water tanks by unknown forces – a constant in Argentinean UFO cases since the cattle mutilation wave of 2002 and the research into the mysterious draining of water from swimming pools and ponds conducted by Quique Mario since the early 2000s in Santa Rosa, Argentina...Scott Corrales, Inexplicata Date: June 8, 2010 Argentina: Alleged UFO in Entre Rios By Norberto Puntonet/ La capital Diario La CapitalA farmer from Rosario who visited a farm in the Province of Entre Rios claimed having seen a UFO while in the company of both his son and the owner of the "El Rancho" rural facility. The curious event took place last Saturday some 23 kilometers from the town of Federal and some 400 km from Rosario. This is not the first time the witness has seen a UFO, although he acknowledges that this time he was "very scared." The man, who asked to be kept anonymous, has a potato stand at the Mercado de Concentración in Fisherton and when he has time, he visits a friend who owns a field in Entre Rios. Luis, a native of General Lagos, told La Capital: "I travel frequently to Entre Rios because of my job and I made great friends. This is the fourth time that I've seen strange lights in the skies over Entre Rios, but never so close by. To clear my head a little, I went to "El Rancho" this weekend with my son Guillermo. What we both saw, along with the field's owner, left us stunned," he admits. Luis added that as they took some things out of their truck, the saw a light approaching in the distance. "It was nine o'clock at night and we were taking some things out of truck to go into town for fuel. We saw a light approaching us and we told the owner of the property, whose name is Guillermo Jorjato, if he was waiting for someone. He said no. The light was coming through the middle of the field and not along the road. We stood there watching, to see what it was." "Some 300 meters away from us was a windmill and an "Australian" water tank with a capacity of 125,000 liters. When the light reached the tank, it rose and remained suspended overhead. We could clearly see that it was a vessel shaped like an inverted platter. It was twice the size of the tank. I figure some 25 or 30 meters. It had red, green and gray lights that rotated but made no sound. My son wanted to run into the house for a shotgun to fire at the vessel, but I stopped him. What good was such a weapon against that display of technology?" At that time, the property owner told Luis that he had never seen lights nor anything similar, but that he had on several occasions found the tank empty overnight, without finding traces of tire tracks or any water spilled in the vicinity. "After a brief while suspended over the tank, the device went straight up at an impressive rate of speed. We only heard a slight sound, but a sound of friction, not of a motor, like a prolonged "Z" sound. When it reached a certain altitude that I cannot imagine, two small explosions were heard, like rockets. I suppose this happens when the sound barrier is broken," he reflects. "The next day we went to see the tank. It was full of water. We don't know why they didn't take the water this time. They must've read my son's mind and felt afraid!" Luis said ironically, although he admits to having "trembled like a leaf" at the moment.  |
| Battlefield Tech Focus on Deception, Deterence and Minimal Trauma Posted: 10 Jan 2011 10:15 AM PST  Highly sophisticated electronic sensors attached to the tank's hull will project images of the surrounding environment back onto the outside of the vehicle enabling it to merge into the landscape and evade attack. The electronic camouflage will enable the vehicle to blend into the surrounding countryside in much the same way that a squid uses ink to help as a disguise. Unlike conventional forms of camouflage, the images on the hull would change in concert with the changing environment always insuring that the vehicle remains disguised. In Helmand, for example, all armoured vehicle have desert sand coloured camouflage, which is of little use in the "Green Zone", an area of cultivation where crops are grown and the Taliban often hide. Up until recently such concepts were thought to be the stuff of science fiction but scientists at the defence company BAE Systems now believe battlefield "invisibility" will soon become science fact. Scientists at the BAE hope the new technology will be available to use with the British Army fighting in Southern Afghanistan and in future conflicts. The concept was developed as part of the Future Protected Vehicle programme, which scientists believe, will transform the way in which future conflicts will be fought. The programme is based around seven different military vehicles, both manned and unmanned, which will be equipped with a wide variety of lethal and none lethal weapons. The unmanned vehicles or battlefield robots will be able to conduct dangerous missions in hostile areas, clear minefields and extract wounded troops under fire. The vehicles include: * Pointer: an agile robot which can take over dirty, dull or dangerous jobs, such as forward observation and mine clearance. * Bearer: a modular platform which can carry a range of mission payloads, such as protected mobility, air defence and ambulance; * Wraith: a low signature scout vehicle; * Safeguard: an ultra-utility infantry carrier or command & control centre; * Charger: a highly lethal and survivable reconfigurable attack vehicle; * Raider: a remotely or autonomously controlled unmanned recce and skirmishing platform – similar in design to the "Batmobile" * Atlas: a convoy system which removes the driver from harm's way. BAE's Future vehicle project is, in part, a reaction to the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) 'Capability Vision' for armoured vehicles, designed to spur development along different paths from the MoD's previous research. Commanders are aiming for a prototype within four years and an experimental operational capacity by 2013. The brief is for a lightweight vehicle, weighing 30 tonnes, powered by a hybrid electric drive, with the same effectiveness and survivability of a current main battle tank. The UK's current tank, the Challenger 2, weighs 62.5 tonnes, and runs a 1,200hp V12 diesel engine. Britain's current fleet of armoured vehicles are also close to approaching the end of their service life and armoured vehicles designed specifically for use in Helmand, such as the hugely successful Mastiff, may be inappropriate for use in other operational theatres. Scientists at BAE are also looking at a number of revolution battlefield inventions which will increase troop protection as well as making the vehicles more lethal. One concept being developed is to develop technologies, which will cut the use of fuel on the battlefield. In Afghanistan, the cost of fuel is 50 times that of the pump price. All fuel currently used by NATO troops comes in via road convoys which are often attacked by insurgents which are responsible for 80 per cent of US casualties. Scientists are close to developing a form of transparent armour - much tougher than bullet proof glass – which could be used in turrets of on the sides of armoured vehicles which would improve the situational awareness of troops inside. Also being developed is a technology known as "biometric integration which uses advanced algorhythms to analyse crowds and to search for potential threats from suicide bombers by analyzing suspicious behavior in groups or individuals. Electronic scanners would search for suspicious behavior, inappropriate clothing or individuals on wanted lists who can be identified through facial or iris recognition. The information would then be displayed on screen within vehicle or handheld vehicles carried by dismounted troops. Hisham Awad, the head of the Future Protected Vehicle project said: "The trick here is to use machines to do what they are best at (and humans are not) - ploughing very quickly through dull, repetitive data to strip out the overwhelming bulk which is of no use and would take a long time and enormous human resources to process. "Then you can quickly bring human intelligence to bear where it excels - making life-or-death decisions based on 'real time' information on suspicious activity flagged up by the machines." ---------- newscientist - Marauding pirates could soon find themselves up against a new long-range laser weapon, designed to leave them blinded, bewildered and all at sea. Although the laser will not necessarily repel determined aggressors, it should let them know that they have been spotted while still at a distance and that their quarry is ready for them. "This is very much a non-lethal weapon," says Bryan Hore of BAE Systems in Farnborough, UK, where the system was developed. By taking into account the range of the target, as well as the atmospheric conditions, the system can automatically regulate the intensity of the laser beam to ensure there is no lasting eye damage, he says. Sight for sore eyes While the effects are not permanent, the light should leave pirates at least wishing they had worn an eyepatch or two: from as far away as 1500 metres the effect of looking at the beam is like accidentally looking at the sun, says Hore. "Sunglasses wouldn't help," he says – in fact, wearing them would only exacerbate the effect. That's because the glasses would not affect the green laser light – chosen because that colour is particularly irritating – but the laser would appear even brighter contrasted against the darkened background. "It's a warning shot," says Hore. "[The pirates] are looking for targets of opportunity," he says. The metre-wide beam can target the entire vessel and its crew. "They tend to be 6-metre skiffs," says Hore, so the beam can be scanned across the entire vessel. This would make it difficult for the attackers to target their weapons, which are usually AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, he says. Piratical practice According to antipiracy organisation the International Maritime Bureau there were 430 pirate attacks last year, an increase of 5.6 per cent on the previous year. In a bid to develop a suitable non-lethal weapon to help fend off this threat, BAE Systems studied pirate behaviour. The conclusion, says Hore, was that an automatic weapon was needed, one that would not put any of the crew at risk, and one which would distract suspected pirates rather than harm them. The system has been field-tested from ranges of up to 1.2 kilometres, but using optical sensors rather than human subjects. But if it gets backing for commercial development it could be made available in as little as a year, he says.  |
| Posted: 10 Jan 2011 09:54 AM PST  Earth must prepare for close encounter with aliens, say scientists guardian - World governments should prepare a co-ordinated action plan in case Earth is contacted by aliens, according to scientists. Scientists argue that a branch of the UN must be given responsibility for "supra-Earth affairs" and formulate a plan for how to deal with extraterrestrials, should they appear. The comments are part of an extraterrestrial-themed edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A published today. In it, scientists examine all aspects of the search for extraterrestrial life, from astronomy and biology to the political and religious fallout that would result from alien contact. "Will a suitable process based on expert advice from proper and responsible scientists arise at all, or will interests of power and opportunism more probably set the scene?" asked Professor John Zarnecki of the Open University and Dr Martin Dominik of the University of St Andrews in the introductory paper. "A lack of co-ordination can be avoided by creating an overarching framework in a truly global effort governed by an international politically legitimated body." The pair argue that the UN has a ready-made mechanism for such a forum in its Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Copuos). Member states of Copuos should put "supra-Earth affairs" on their agenda, say the scientists, and establish structures similar to those proposed for dealing with threats from near-Earth objects, such as asteroids, that might be on a collision course with our planet. According to Simon Conway Morris, a professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at Cambridge University, anyone planning for alien contact should prepare for the worst. Evolution on alien worlds, he said, is likely to be Darwinian in nature. Morris argues that life anywhere else in the universe will therefore probably have important similarities with life on Earth – especially if it comes from Earth-like worlds that have similar biological molecules to ours. That means ET might resemble us, warts and all, with our tendencies towards violence and exploitation. "Why should we 'prepare for the worst'? First, if intelligent aliens exist, they will look just like us, and given our far from glorious history, this should give us pause for thought," wrote Morris in the journal's special issue. Ted Peters, a professor of systematic theology at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in California, considered what might happen to the world's religions in the event of ET making contact. Conventional wisdom suggests that terrestrial religion would collapse if the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) were confirmed, he wrote. "Because our religious traditions formulated their key beliefs within an ancient world view now out of date, would shocking new knowledge dislodge our pre-modern dogmas? Are religious believers Earth-centric, so that contact with ET would de-centre and marginalise our sense of self-importance? Do our traditional religions rank us human beings on top of life's hierarchy, so if we meet ETI who are smarter than us will we lose our superior rank? If we are created in God's image, as the biblical traditions teach, will we have to share that divine image with our new neighbours?" His conclusion, however, is that faith in Earth's major religions would survive intact. "Theologians will not find themselves out of a job. In fact, theologians might relish the new challenges to reformulate classical religious commitments in light of the new and wider vision of God's creation." "Traditional theologians must then become astrotheologians ... What I forecast is this: contact with extraterrestrial intelligence will expand the existing religious vision that all of creation – including the 13.7bn-year history of the universe replete with all of God's creatures – is the gift of a loving and gracious God," he speculated. ********** Government Allegedly Forced TruTV To Yank FEMA Camps Episode networkworld - What is one sure-fired way to feed a conspiracy theory? Make a TV episode supposedly exposing a conspiracy theory and then, after alleged government pressure, have truTV yank that episode off the air. The episode was Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory "Police State" about "secret" FEMA camps or fusion centers. There are still no public answers as to why this happened. It is, at the least, thought-provoking. Although I did not see this episode when it aired, and had never seen Ventura's Conspiracy Theory series, I did watch the program via YouTube to see what all the fuss was about. "The secret government plan to spy on, round up, and imprison innocent Americans." Taken from the narrator's description, "Jesse Ventura uncovers a plot to force martial law on law abiding citizens, replace 50 states with 10 giant prison sectors, fill up hundreds of concentration camps with people like you and me, and pull the trigger with a disease pandemic." According to Alex Jones, truTV pulled the episode from the airing schedule due to government threats. Jones added that he isn't allowed to talk about it, something to do with government men in black showing up, and "they are now remotely erasing it off of DVRs." In theory, these videos posted at the bottom of this article are not expected to stay up on YouTube very long before being pulled. I advise you to also watch it and see if it makes you go hmmmm. The thing is, I do watch what is happening to our freedom and our privacy, innocent people in peace groups put on watchlists, so there were many things I did know in this episode and many that I did not. The huge stockpile of hundreds of thousands of plastic coffins, that can hold four bodies each, is very creepy and only a tiny piece of the puzzle. But be warned, allegedly you can also land on a watchlist for being a conspiracy theorist. According to the ACLU, the number of fusion centers jumped from 40 to at least 72. ACLU'S Mike German, a 16-year veteran of the FBI's Special Agent in domestic terrorism, said fusion centers have no guidelines and no oversight. During Ventura's exposé, he says, "That Government plan to suspend the Constitution, declare martial law, and round up anyone deemed a National Security threat, it's documented; it's called Rex 84. It was cooked up under the Reagan Administration by Col. Oliver North." He adds that the Council of Governors, established by President Obama on Jan. 11, 2010, divides America into 10 sectors. In case of a national emergency, the country is quarantined into these sectors and the president can send in the military and round up dissidents. Where would these people be taken? FEMA camps? Ventura and Jones visited "residential centers" that were designed by Halliburton and others to hold whole families. Ventura said they look like prisons with barbed wire, double fences, railroad tracks just like Nazi Germany, and were intended for rounding up immigrants, aliens and also dissidents. The bill H.R. 645 called for the creation of these camps to be run by Homeland Security. Activist William Lewis on Ventura's show said he has found over 800 detention facilities -- concentration prison camps. They can even be found on old military bases; a way to spot them is supposedly the barbed wire. If the barbed wire is turned inward, it's meant to keep the people in from getting out. Most barbed wire that protects facilities is designed pointing outward to keep people from getting in. Then Ventura and Jones traveled to Madison, Georgia, where they saw hundreds of thousands of stacked plastic coffins that could hold four bodies per container. Again, the trail seemed to lead to a Halliburton contract. These "coffins" were "officially plastic grave liners with lids." Shortly after taking video of this mass coffin pileup, workers came in and hauled off the coffins. Jones added that he believes FEMA and the CDC may intend to trigger a pandemic to bring in martial law. In 2009, Popular Science debunked FEMA Camps and the reasoning for the "500,000 plastic coffins" -- just in case you want on opposing investigation viewpoint. Ventura tried to get answers about the facilities, including why the posted sign on the residential facility used the term "escape" -- which usually implies someone inside is being held against their will. There were many "no comment" answers, even when Ventura went to talk to the congressmen who helped sponsor H.R. 645 and the creation of these "concentration camps." Congressman Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania "left his office" when Ventura showed up for an interview. Another co-sponsor of H.R. 645, Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee, said FEMA camps "don't exist." If you don't intend to watch "Police State Fema Camps," then you should at least consider watching this portion. Congressman Cohen denies the existence of these camps; when asked why would we be building FEMA camps and their purpose, Cohen states, "Well we wouldn't because they don't exist. It's just a figment of some people's who have concerns about maybe Martians or other creatures coming to infiltrate our society thinking there are such camps." Ventura replied, "I have fear of my government, not green monsters in machines from outer space." Cohen, in reply to Ventura's question about children being kept there, said, "I don't know who the children are and the children are probably very happy." I'm fairly certain I've seen lines like that in movies where sick Nazis have children in concentration camps. It's flat out creepy. The entire episode is disturbing and thought-provoking, whether you decide you agree with this conspiracy theory or not. But if it's not basically true, then why would the government allegedly place pressure on truTV to stop it from airing again like all the other episodes do? The part that is no conspiracy for certain? This episode has well and truly been removed from truTV...so if it was censored, how much more of this is true? It provokes deep thoughts of "hmmmm" at the very least. You can find the episodes here **********  South Korea Buries One Million Pigs Alive sky - South Korea has been heavily criticised for burying up to one million pigs alive as it grapples with a foot and mouth disease outbreak. Since the first case of the disease was confirmed in November the country has embarked on a mass cull. Foot and mouth disease affects all cloven hoofed animals such as pigs, cattle and goats, and any country that has cases of it is unable to export the animals' meat. The South Korean government has so far refused to vaccinate pigs against the disease and is now slaughtering them in record numbers despite appeals to stop. On January 4 in one area of Gangwon-Do, 33,900 pigs alone were destroyed, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) said that South Korea's actions contravene international guidelines. Michele Danan from the organisation said: "Live vaccinations are the best route but if they do have to kill them we would prefer that they were at least slaughtered humanely." The estimated cost of the cull so far is believed to have reached around £230m when a mass vaccination programme would have cost an estimated £63m. Some animal rights campaigners have criticised the government for putting economic considerations ahead of animal welfare. It is believed the live burial of pigs began at Christmas and the figure is likely to climb far above the one million mark. Joyce D'Silva, Director of Public Affairs for CIWF said: "Compassion in World Farming is appalled that the Republic of Korea is allegedly throwing pigs into pits and burying them alive. This is totally contrary to international guidelines on humane culling, which the Korean government endorsed five years ago. We urge the Korean government to end this horrendous practice at once and to ensure that, if animals are culled, this is done humanely." ********** Discovery Channel, Catholic Church Teaming Up For Exorcist Series insidetv - Discovery Channel is teaming with the Vatican for an unprecedented new series hunting the deadliest catch of all: Demons. The Exorcist Files will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the Catholic Church. The project includes access into the Vatican's case files, as well as interviews with the organization's top exorcists — religious experts who are rarely seen on television. "The Vatican is an extraordinarily hard place to get access to, but we explained we're not going to try to tell people what to think," says Discovery president and GM Clark Bunting. Bunting says the investigators believe a demon can inhabit an inanimate object (like a home) or a person. The network executive says he was initially skeptical when first meeting the team but was won over after more than three hours of talks. "The work these folks do, and their conviction in their beliefs, make for fascinating stories," Bunting says. If the show's first season is successful, the network hopes its partnership with the Church will pave the way for producers GoGo Luckey to take the series to the next level — joining Catholic investigators on live demon-purging ride-alongs. (Move over, Syfy's Ghost Hunters.) Exorcist Files marks one of two new series coming to the network and first reported by EW. The other is the intriguing Disappeared (working title), produced by Pilgrim Films, which will test whether its possible to really "go off the grid," as contestants ditch their identities and attempt to hide anywhere in the world from a team of trackers. More details on Disappeared here. The Exorcist Files will debut this spring on Discovery Channel; an exact date has not yet been set. ********** NASA names '2012' most absurd science-fiction film of all time guardian - 2012, Roland Emmerich's gleefully comprehensive demolition job disaster movie, has been named the most absurd science-fiction film ever by Nasa. The film, which was released in 2009 to groans of guilty pleasure and the healthy ringing of cash registers (it took nearly $800m from a $200m budget), was deemed the silliest and most scientifically flawed film at a conference in California. Set on 21 December 2012, the film tells the story of John Cusack and Amanda Peet's marital reconciliation, against the backdrop of the end of the world – an effect of mysterious neutrino particles that lay waste to the globe's top tourist attractions. It was, said head of Nasa's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission Donald Yeomans, an "exceptional and extraordinary" example of Hollywood bad science. "The film-makers took advantage of public worries about the so-called end of the world as apparently predicted by the Mayans of Central America, whose calendar ends on December 21, 2012," Yeomans told newspaper the Australian. Part of Nasa's gripe with the film, it emerged, was the mushrooming mailbags it had triggered. "The agency is getting so many questions from people terrified that the world is going to end in 2012 that we have had to put up a special website to challenge the myths. We have never had to do this before." They also were unhappy with the use of neutrino particles, which in the film cause solar flares, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis, but which in fact can't interact with physical substances. The Day After Tomorrow (global warming, accelerated), The Sixth Day (insta-clones), Chain Reaction (bubble fusion), The Core (magnetic field trouble), What the Bleep Do We Know? (billed as a documentary) and Volcano (LA sprouts a volcano) were also singled out for their factual shortcomings. Armageddon – in which an asteroid the size of Texas is blown to bits to save our planet – was the most surprising inclusion on the damned list, as Nasa originally supported the film. The agency had praise, however, for the attention to scientific accuracy exhibited in Gattaca (recruitment via DNA), Blade Runner, Metropolis and Jurassic Park. NOTE: yeah, '2012' was a silly film...but still, NASA has little sense of fun. Lon  |
| Roman Catholic Exorcism Rite Workshop Detailed Posted: 10 Jan 2011 09:17 AM PST  The afflicted person may curse the cleric, speak in a voice not his or her own, even assume facial features that one priest described as "reptilian." But in the great majority of cases in which a Catholic seeks an exorcism, church officials say, what the person really needs is help of a less dramatic nature: a doctor, a therapist or simple pastoral counseling. With some parishes seeing an increase in claims of demonic possession in the United States, the Roman Catholic Church is training its clergy in how to respond to requests for the ancient rite. More than 100 bishops and priests attended a November workshop on the subject in Baltimore. Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, who organized the two-day, closed-door event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, says pastors need help discerning the difference between those who need an exorcist and those who only believe they do. The goal, he says, was to help the clergy counsel people who believe they are possessed by a demon by referring them to a physician, a therapist, or — in very rare cases, he stresses — an exorcist. "We have only a small number of priests who have any training in this area in the United States," said Paprocki, who heads the Diocese of Springfield, Ill. "Every diocese should really have its own resources." While no one is keeping statistics, he says anecdotal reports suggest that the phenomenon of people claiming to be possessed "seems to have increased in the last five years or so." Clergy and theologians offer several possible explanations: the growth of the Charismatic Renewal Movement, with its traditions of mysticism and ecstatic worship; renewed interest in the occult, abetted by the Internet; the influence of television shows about the paranormal and the many cinematic descendants of "The Exorcist," the 1973 film that spiked modern interest in the subject. The burgeoning number of Catholic immigrants from Latin America and Africa, where belief in demonic possession is common, also has been suggested by some theologians as a possible factor. At least one opinion survey suggests that substantial numbers of Americans believe in the possibility of demonic possession. A 2001 Gallup poll found 1,012 people split in their belief in demonic possession; 41 percent believed and 41 percent did not. Paprocki estimated that about 30 of the 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States have appointed exorcists. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not keep statistics, a spokeswoman said, as dioceses keep their exorcists' identities confidential. The Archdiocese of Baltimore has not appointed an exorcist, spokesman Sean Caine said. He said he could find no record of the rite ever having been performed here. "We have four priests in the Archdiocese who have experience, and who can investigate cases of paranormal complaints or suspected demonic activity," Caine wrote in an e-mail. Of the "very few" recent cases they have investigated, he said, "none required an exorcism." The Baltimore event was the first Paprocki knows of to be sanctioned by the bishops' conference, and the number of attendees suggests to him that interest in demonic possession is strong. Paprocki, who chairs the conference's Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, said he was "pleasantly surprised" when more than 50 priests and more than 60 bishops turned out. While exorcism has attracted both popular interest and official attention in the decades since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, some Catholic theologians despair of the very subject as an anachronism that focuses on the devil rather than Jesus. Thomas Groome, a theologian at Boston College, called the Baltimore session "a very peculiar event." "The reality of evil in the modern world is patently obvious," he said, but recourse to supernatural explanations seems a "throwback" — and a convenient scapegoat. He cited comments by Pope Benedict XVI blaming demonic causes for the emergence of the clergy sex abuse scandal in Europe. "If you say pedophile priests and abuse are the work of the devil," Groome said, "you take responsibility off of the perpetrators and those who protected them." The Rev. Harvey Egan, also a B.C. theologian, said that while exorcism can be considered "part and parcel" of Christian faith, he worried about "all these people saying 'the devil, the devil,' when they should be saying 'Christ, God.' " The Baltimore gathering was divided into three parts. The first explored the scriptural background on demonic possession. The New Testament includes several accounts of Jesus Christ casting out demons. The second part, which Paprocki said took up most of the time, was devoted to the work of screening people who ask for an exorcism. Paprocki and others describe this as the sort of interview a counselor might conduct, exploring all possible natural causes for the person's experience: are they drinking or taking drugs? What is their family history? Have they been sexually abused? "The exorcist has to be the ultimate skeptic," said the Rev. Gary Thomas, the exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., who attended the Baltimore event. "My role is to really discern … what is this about? I'm not there to dispute their experience, but to get at the root cause." The four key symptoms of demonic possession have remained consistent for centuries. Along with a violent reaction to holy symbols or prayer, the afflicted person would show capabilities that defy explanation: superhuman strength, speaking or understanding a language previously unknown to the person, or knowledge of other information that he or she cannot possibly have. Thomas, who pastors a church in Saratoga, Calif., said he has seen people rolling their eyes, hissing and spitting, and even assuming what he called a "reptilian look" in the cast of their facial features. His experience as a student and practitioner of exorcism is the subject of "The Rite," a book by the journalist Matt Baglio and the basis for a film scheduled to be released this month. Thomas and others emphasize the extreme rarity of real cases of demonic possession. Of the 100 people he has counseled since he completed training in Rome five years ago, he said he performed a full exorcism for only five. The rite itself — the subject of the third part of the Baltimore gathering — consists of a sequence of prayers, including the Lord's Prayer, the Litany of the Saints, other selections from scripture and prayers written specifically for exorcism. The rite, which was revised in 1999 for the first time since 1614, takes from 45 minutes to an hour to complete. It is usually repeated, in a process that can unfold over months and even years, not unlike treatment with a therapist. Exorcism depends on an understanding of the devil as not merely a symbol of evil but as a real being, capable of acting in the world. Several recent popes, including Pope Benedict and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, have taken steps to stress that understanding. "Evil is not merely a lack of something, but an effective agent, a living spiritual being, perverted and perverting. A terrible reality," Pope Paul VI told a general audience in 1972. Pope John Paul II, who is reported to have performed three exorcisms, said in 1987: "The battle against the devil … is still being fought today, because the devil is still alive and active in the world." And shortly after he took office in 2005, Pope Benedict publicly praised a gathering of exorcists, referring to their work as an "important ministry." Pope Benedict was head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2004 when it asked bishops throughout the world to appoint exorcists in their dioceses. It's not clear how seriously the request was taken. But for all the high-level attention, the Rev. Thomas Reese said, exorcism is "certainly not at the core of who we are as Christians, even though it is mentioned in the Bible." "I'm very agnostic in approaching any of this stuff," said Reese, a theologian at Georgetown University. "I've never seen a possession. I hope I never do." While the supernatural is a part of Christianity, Reese said, he prefers the emphasis on good works in this world. He cites the Gospel of Matthew: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. …" Reese said pastors should not forget the crucial focus on guiding and mentoring their flocks. In the final analysis, he said, "you're not going to be asked how many exorcisms you did." Send us an email   New Items - Strickler's Celebrity Autographs  ANOMALIST BOOKS Works on maverick science, unexplained mysteries, unorthodox theories, strange talents, and unexpected discoveries. Please check out their excellent and diverse catalog  The 'C' Influence Actualizing Esoteric Discussion   "The latest news from beyond the mainstream" Join Ben & Aaron for their weekly podcast! Check out Mysterious Universe Plus+ all access format!  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