Most people, whether they want to admit to it or not, have some kind of feeling about the supernatural. Many people simply dismiss it out of hand. Others are intrigued by it. Still others totally embrace it. The supernatural is mysterious, intriguing, and somewhat taboo. However, there is always a disagreement about what does and does not fall within the supernatural realm.
A lot of people automatically put a negative connotation on almost everything that falls within the category of supernatural. They view it all with utter disdain. For every person that believes in the supernatural, there are as many - - if not more - - non-believers. Many think that those who believe in the supernatural are touched by evil. Others believe that the intrigue felt about it might, in fact, be a way of keeping anything remotely unsavory contained within it at bay.
For example, a lot of those who believe in God also believe in the devil. However, just because they believe he exists, it doesn't follow that these individuals intend to embrace him. In fact, just the opposite is true. They often opt to inform themselves about him in order to make certain they do not, in fact, fall into his trap. I think the same thing holds true for other things that tend to be “scary” supernatural in nature.
Many of the things that are thrown into the supernatural realm are not remotely scary and certainly not evil in any way. They simply get lumped into that category because they are unexplainable in nature.
For the purposes of this article, I'm going to address some of the supernatural things in which I do believe; those that many others believe in; and those that I'm uncertain really exist. If the subject matter appears to be a popular one here on Associated Content, then I will continue to explore it in future articles. Let's begin at the beginning.
Affirmative Statements
Norman Vincent Peale called it “the power of positive thinking.” Today, people call it a part of “the secret.” I call them affirmative statement because essentially that is exactly what these kinds of statements are: Positive declarations about worthy goals or objectives.
The idea behind affirmative statements is this: If we take the time to write down these statements and then repeat them often enough, our subconscious mind will start to accept them as fact. When that occurs, we automatically begin adjusting our behavioral patterns in such a way that we can make the affirmative statement come true.
For example, back in the late 80's, I got tired of being nothing more than a worker bee. I wanted to be on the front line, affecting change. At the time, I was working as a coordinator at the Chamber of Commerce. I loved the work but knew I didn't have any real impact on the type of work that the Chamber undertook. I decided that I wanted to change that. I wrote down in my diary that I wanted to be a vice president at the Chamber by the end of the year.
As soon as I made that decision in my mind, I realized that I began moving toward that goal. I started attending management classes; I absorbed every piece of material I could find on subjects like leadership, management, teamwork and more. By the end of the year, I had positioned myself to be a Chamber vice president and I got my wish. It is not the only time that affirmative statement actually worked for me. There have been many others.
Alchemy
This is an ancient practice that combines metallurgy, medicine, mysticism, chemistry, and religion. I am personally unconvinced on this particular subject. I can't believe in something that seems to focus a lot on doing things like turning base metals into more expensive metals like gold or silver. I just don't see the point. However, I do know that there are those who believe in alchemy.
I definitely understand - - and believe in - - the fact that there is an inseparable bond between the physical and spiritual or metaphysical. I just don't get the “greed” factor that alchemy seems to conjure up. So I guess I have to put this supernatural subject into the “I'm just not certain” category.
Angels
I definitely believe that angels exist. However, I hold a somewhat unpopular belief in that I think that they sometimes also exist here on earth; not just in the atmosphere, so to speak. I've encountered people in my life who have had such a positive influence and who have added so much beauty and validity, that I believe them to be earthly angels. But I've also encountered the supernatural kind.
Back in the early 80's I was involved in a car accident that should have taken my life. It probably would have if something unusual had not occurred. That particular morning, after I fastened my seatbelt and headed off base, something in my head said, “take off the belt.” Having always been an avid seatbelt user, I was surprised to find myself actually taking it off.
