Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Myths of Paranormal


By Virginia Nelson
 
Paranormal, the world I write about, combines romance with ancient folk lore. Is it all make-believe or based on truth? Ask this Native American and I’ll tell you there is more truth to the unknown and the unexplained than most of you can imagine.  

Throughout time, every culture and religion on Earth has at one time or another recognized and acknowledged the unexplained, including spirits, ghosts, hands-on-healing, shifters of all kinds, even astral and time travel.  
Virginia Nelson

What today’s society view as Metaphysical or New Age, I grew up with. I’d like to take you back to my early childhood. I’ll bet you, my childhood was quite different from most of yours.

During the early 1950’s, I lived with my traditional grandparents. My grandmother, for all intents and purposes, was considered a medicine woman, a healer in her own right. She instructed me in such a way I never knew I was in school.  On long walks in the forest, she would stop, dig up a root or pick a leaf off a plant and tuck it into her shoulder bag. Young children love to mimic others and I was no different. By the time I was three, I’d walk along side her gathering my own small leafs, stems and roots. When we returned to our camp, we’d sit down at the picnic table and separate our great finds. I soon learned how to make everything from potions, to healing salves, to fragrant incenses which made our canvas tent a wonderful loving home.

While other children my age played tag or hide and seek with their human friends, I enjoyed the companionship of my feathered and furry friends, those that lived in the forest. My grandparents also shared a host of games with me – ones you might expect to experience in an ancient Kung Fu temple or modern day parapsychology training center. Not knowing the things we did were not real games, but training sessions, I happily played along. By the time I was five, my grandmother blind-folded me several miles from our camp then told me to walk home. It was no big deal, she’d been instructing me in third eye development long before I could walk. In addition, I was never told my imaginary friends didn’t exist… my grandmother even sat extra places at the table for them or included them in our conversations. Nights were spent around the camp fire listening to stories of my ancestors which always included some magical elements.

As I grew up, my interest and life changed. I went to a real school and found another love; history. I eventually received my higher educational degrees in Ancient Civilizations and teaching.

I’m getting a little off track here as I never intended this to be an article about my personal journey, but I felt if I explained where I came from, you might have a deeper understanding of where this is going.

A 1996 Gallup poll estimated that 71% of the people in the United States believed the government was covering up information on UFOs. A 2002 Roper poll conducted for the Sci Fi Channel reported that 56% of their viewers thought UFOs were real and 48% believed aliens visited the Earth.

In addition, the 2001 Gallup poll found that 54% of the general population believed in psychic or spiritual healing. Another 42% believed in haunted houses while 41% believed in satanic possession, 36% in telepathy, 25% in reincarnation, and 15% in channeling. A survey by Jeffrey S. Levin, associate professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, found that over 2/3 of the U.S. population reported having at least one mystical experience.

Now I ask you once again, is the paranormal world I create in my romance novels real or make believe? Perhaps a little of both. In my series, Sekhmet’s Guardians, I have combined my love of ancient cultures with the mythical tales and events of my childhood in an unlikely duel, combining Native American lore with European and Ancient Egyptian mythology.

Are the Shifters, Were-wolves, Vampires, Zombies, Ghosts, Selkies, Banshees, and Aliens we are so drawn to in our paranormal romances, simply a creation of the author’s imagination or is there some truth to their existence?  I’ll let you decide.

The perfect blend of tradition, history, romance, action and suspense.
With a love for history, Native American author V.S. Nelson, instructed elementary, high school and college in the U.S. and abroad before launching her second writing career. V has been a story-teller all her life, always creating stories about people discovering the courage to make a difference. This drove her into writing her paranormal series centering on strong relationships and led her to coin the term: Ancient Legends, New Worlds.
She is well known for her “time management and sprint style writing,” producing well over five thousand words daily - consecutively.
V is available for speaking engagements, appearances and is more than willing to share her methodology with others in a variety of workshops.
A member of three RWA chapters she sits on several committees and judges writing contests across the states.  
In Jan, 2013, Eternal Lovers, the first book in her eleven book paranormal series, Sekhmet’s
Guardians launched with a fury. Being a series reader herself, she has held true to her promise by releasing no less than two books in the series per year in addition to her other work.
 
When two hidden worlds collide near modern day Lake Michigan, Jennifer, a young Native American, is confronted with the reality, not everything is as it seems and things do go bump in the night. The questions she has long since asked are answered in this epic tale of self discovery when she meets Gabriel; the director of Guardians Incorporated.

 
Born in New Tuat, Netchkhet, now known as Gabriel, came to Earth some five thousand years ago to protect the human race. Disillusioned because of an unfulfilled prophecy, he has become cold and distant -- even from those of his kind. Secretly, he waits for his enemy to take his head so he may leave this world for good.

 
Can a tiny Selkie melt his hardened heart and restore his faith in a power far greater than himself? When history repeats itself, can he save her from death’s embrace or will they be robbed of a future again?
 
With each passing day Jessica’s consciousness grew stronger. For twenty years she was content to remain as she was—trapped inside another. The life she led came to an abrupt end the moment she laid eyes on Raphael. At first she suspected they were destined to be together--his gentle touch confirmed it. Although he didn’t know it, he ignited waves of a fiery passion that burned deep into her soul. It became brighter every day, giving her the strength she needed. Somehow she would find a way to free herself from her grandmother’s powerful magic.

Since her birth she learned vicariously from observing others of her kind and until now she was satisfied with the life she led. She had everything one would need to live a meaningful life without the stress the human world inflicts on its inhabitants. With each passing day her obsession to be more than she was, intensified. Jessica knew she was gifted with her race's abilities to communicate with others but until now she had never used them. They say practice makes perfect and she was at a point now where she could make her presence known—at least to him.
 
 
Coming Fall, 2013 - Eternal Blades – Sekhmet’s Guardians – Book three
Author website:                http://www.authorvsnelson.com
Author blog:                       http://www.authorvsnelson.com/blog/
Facebook: (author)           https://www.facebook.com/authorvsnelson
                   (series)             https://www.facebook.com/SekhmetsGuardians
Twitter:                                              https://twitter.com/AuthorVSNelson
Authorsdb:                         http://tinyurl.com/c52uwt9
Goodreads                          http://tinyurl.com/dxgo35
 
 




 

7 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

So glad you could be with us today, Virginia. Your childhood sounds wonderful and I'm so glad you shared some of it with us. Being able to grow up connected to the spirit world, communicating with the feather and furry members of this planet - you've experienced gifts many will never know. Especially in this externally busy world, it takes a commitment to find that quiet time and open to the energy, the spirit of all that is around us, to be open to the messages that are there if we just take the time to listen and receive.

How do you remain or gain that place in this 24/7 world?

Paty Jager said...

Virginia, You had an interesting childhood and it formed you into the interesting writer and person you are today. I've always felt there is more to the world than what everyone sees.

Your stories sound fascinating. I wish you continued success with your writing and your life.

Naomi Baltuck said...

Interesting post! Thank you for sharing!

Amber Polo said...

Yes a great post. I believe "paranormal" see and interpret the world worlds through their own eyes.
Some is imagination and some is unexplained.

Shobhan Bantwal said...

Growing up in India, I too grew up with certain beliefs that were so entrenched in the culture that we never thought of them as paranormal. It was just a way of life, with faith in everything our grandparents and parents told us.

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks for sharing your early life with us. How wonderful to be spiritually attached to the world around us. Sometimes it's the quite moments that are most filled with inspiration.

Unknown said...

Thank all of you for your lovely comments and I apologize for not getting back to you soon... I was actually in the mountains, without phone, tv or any modern conveniences for the past week... Now back in the city I feel a bit overwhelmed having to deal with over 2500 emails, etc... I think one has to balance "modern" life with all ones spiritual life if we want to continue to honor all that we were meant to be. Enjoy your week! Always, V