Programmed to Think: Life Inside a Cult – Part 5

Evocation of the Aliens

Tonight’s ritual was solely in order to bring back the three beings that they saw a few nights before. But this time I would be there if it worked.

I don’t have notes on the rites of evoking the spirits of protection or how to call forth spiritual beings, asking them to show themselves, so all of this is from memory.

I remember it was an overcast evening with a nearly full moon hiding behind the clouds. We made a circle in the backyard near the wooded area where the three beings supposedly appeared. We had a torch lit in each of the four directions: north, south, east, and west. There were prayers spoken by Starlight and Danny and a Native American drum being played by Starlight’s husband. There were about seven us from the order present at this time.

The atmosphere played a large part in the ritual. Even though I remained open-minded, I stayed skeptical throughout the whole scenario. That said, even I felt a sense of anticipation that something was going to occur. The prayers, chanting, firelight, robes, drumming, and glowing overcast sky gave me a sense of wonderment. Mental visualizations were much sharper, almost like being in a waking dream. The only distraction was the slugs from the ground creeping up on our clothing. Time felt like it was slowing down. We were definitely put into an altered state of consciousness.

Eventually, the drumming and prayers stopped. We could hear something in the woods, some sort of movement. Starlight and Danny were excited. They could feel the presence of the beings they said. Although I saw nothing and could easily contribute the sounds to squirrels and other woodland creatures, even I felt a sense of paranoia. What if there is something more to this than I had realized?

CONTINUED IN PART 6

Programmed to Think: Life Inside a Cult – Part 4

More Background Information

Before I go any further, I would like to elaborate on my motivations for joining a cult so easily. My natural tendency is to be skeptical about paranormal events, but at the same time I have a desire to explore said events in the hope that I am wrong. It’s a dichotomy of sorts: a skeptical-believer.

With the turmoil in my personal life driving me closer to suicidal thoughts, joining a New Age cult seemed like a healthy choice at the time. And as cults go, this one was a benign one – no talk of mass suicide, perpetrating violence, or end time prophecies. But there were still problems, which I will explain below.

But first off, I want to stress that not all Wiccan groups are cults. What made this group different was the hybrid belief system of pagan practices and UFO-related beliefs.

The downside of the group was the typical “us against the world” attitude which is common to most cults. If you were not a part of the order, you must be a “dark force” working against it. And anyone who left the order was considered a negative influence and suspect from then on. Peer pressure was prevalent throughout. And what Starlight and Danny said were law.

Back to the narrative…

A Futile Exploration

Greg and I arrived at the state park with the crudely drawn map Danny had given us. As we followed the trail, I asked Greg more about the night that the three being zapped Danny with a laser. He admitted that he really didn’t see the beings or the laser, but Danny did fall backwards onto the ground clutching his stomach. I wished I had been there to have seen what had really occurred.

Finally, we got to the end of the map and in front of us was a large tree. It was really quite plain and nothing remarkable about it. What a let down! But we wouldn’t give up so easily. We searched around the base and found a small gully with some pottery fragments in it. We both wondered if they were left there by Danny himself and that this was some form of initiation. We gathered a few of the larger pieces then left.

We went back to Starlight’s house and showed her what we recovered. She wasn’t impressed either but was still undeterred. Even though we found nothing, an alien intelligence still had contacted them she said. And they were going to do another ritual tonight to see if they would come back. I knew I had to stay for this.

CONTINUED IN PART 5

Thoughts on Aging

Just a brief interlude from the “cult series” of posts.
I will post part 4 of the cult series tomorrow.

It’s so amazing how fast time flies. Here I am, 37 years old, rapidly moving away from my 20s and approaching 40 in just a few short years.

Surprisingly, I’m not upset about it. I will feel fortunate that I made it to 40, alive and kicking.

It used to bother me, but I realize that I’m pretty much the same old me, just hopefully a little wiser.  And besides, why worry about something you cannot change?

Age is a funny issue with some people. A dear friend of mine thinks she’s old at 49. My brother, too, is concerned about turning 50 next year. My sister, on the other hand, is 52, and she lives her life the way she wants to – going to loud rock concerts, traveling, loves horror films, and so on.

My former ladyfriend turned a landmark age (I will keep it a secret), and she broke up with me because she thinks she is too old for me. While I disagree with her wholeheartedly, I respect her decision and have moved on.

Personally, I don’t know what is old anymore. I’ve met women in their 70s and 80s who are more active and physically fit that me. How dare I call them old! Their abilities make me seem older than them.

That said, I know people in their mid-50s who seemed to have given up on life. It is as if they reached their goal and cannot fathom turning 60. Actually, I feel sorry for them.

The old cliché is that you are as old as you feel. That’s why I support older adults to stay active and to do what makes them happy. After all, we only have one life to live (maybe), and there is no reason to stop living because of a number.

After all, an age is simply the number of times one has revolved around the sun. Keep that in mind on your next birthday.