In 2019, Wildlife Researcher Andrea Malek Discovered Evidence That The Critically Endangered American

Apparently there's an evolutionary theory that the reason why Africa has so much wild big-ass megafauna while the big-ass megafauna on all the other continents went extinct is because they evolved right beside humans, and knew us well enough to not get hunted into extinction.

So while everything from giant koalas to giant sloths barely had the time to think "what the fuck is that" before getting pierced by a spear and getting their bone marrow gently fed to babies and the toothless elderly, Africa had elephants who had all the time in the world to learn to tell apart human languages and teach the next generations of their herd which human sounds mean that this tribe won't hurt you, but humans who make this kind of sounds are a danger. And hippos learned to conclude "I think I'll fuck up this two-legged weird shit on sight."

Le Manoir du Diable (1896)

Considered the earliest horror film ever made, Le Manoir du Diable, French for House of the Devil, is an 1896 silent film by George Méliès about two wandering cavaliers and how the Devil played tricks on them.

Far from being terror-inducing, the entire 3-minute short film (quite ambitious at the time) was actually a comic sketch meant to evoke laughter and amusement from its audience, rather than fear. It was presumed lost until the late 1980s when a copy was found again and restored by the New Zealand Film Archives.

The Homes of Hidden Animals Series by Jeniak

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Catcalling :3

Going to a library with someone you love and sitting in a corner with your head propped up on their shoulder while you both are reading books in peace and calm is the most intimately wholesome thing ever.

“Superstition is a part of the very being of humanity; and when we fancy that we are banishing it altogether, it takes refuge in the strangest nooks and corners, and then suddenly comes forth again, as soon as it believes itself at all safe.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Maxims and Reflections

“The best aid for supplication is humility.”

— Imam Ali (a.s.), Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9945

Introduction to the Six Common Types of Spirits to Expect When Going on a Spook Hunting Session

Spook-spotting requires preparations and one of the preparations needed is figuring out exactly what type of spirits we are dealing with. Depending on the case, the spook could be one of the following six:

1. The Detached or Replay Spirits. The most common spirits to encounter, replay spirits are shades of the dead that "replay" the events of their tragic deaths over and over again. They tend to keep to themselves and have minimal to zero interactions to living humans.

Protocol: Observe and record their activities without interruption. Communication may be attempted but don't get your hopes up. Even if some of them interact, there is nothing to be done for the spirit themselves. The surrounding psychic energy keeping them trapped will, according to the first law of thermodynamics, eventually dissipate, though how long they will remain trapped, only time will tell.

2. Poltergeist. German for "noisy spirit", it is the second most common spirit to encounter. Always invisible, it makes its presence known through noisy disruptions hence the name. They tend to come and go as they please, though they often focus their antics onto a particular person or family, even buildings. Though violent, it is rarely murderous.

Protocol: Be prepared with backups when dealing with these types of spirit. Chances are, your cameras and other recording equipments will be thrown about during the spook-spotting sessions. Don't forget to bring a few sets of first aid kits. There will be bruising and scratches.

3. The Interactive Spirit. Third most common spirits to encounter and the most diverse. They can range from curious benign spirits to malevolent vengeful ghosts. These are the types that have unfinished business with the living, and if encountering one, it is advisable, though not warranted, that you try to help finish their earthly business.

Protocol: Be cautious. Interactive spirits are temperamental and the slightest agitation can send them flying off the handle. Observe in groups for security, preferably 5:1 in human-to-spirit ratio. If you have a skilled negotiator, bring him or her along. These types of spirits are generally attached to a particular person or building. So if the negotiations go sideways, it is advisable to destroy said building or individual to release the spirit's bond from the earthly plane.

4. Transport or Vehicular Ghost. This is one of the rarer spirits on this list. They behave similarly to detached or replay spirits. However, it is still unknown what triggers their manisfestation. It is also uncertain whether these can be considered spirits at all.

Protocol: Observe and record as normal. Corporeality of vehicular spirits have not been tested since these spirits usually appear far away from observers. For vehicular spirits that appear close to the observer, take caution as people approached by said spirits often report feeling anxious and unexplained dread when approached by these apparitions

5. Animal spirits. About as rare as vehicular spirits, cases of actual animal spirits are still quite uncommon because often witnesses confuse seeing animal spirits with demon cats or hellhounds. They often haunt their previous owners and can be either benign or malicious, depending on how their owners treat them when they are still alive

Protocol: Be nice. These spirits still have an attachment to their owners and it's best not to provoke either them or their owners. Keep your documenting equipment on standby as most cases involving animal spirits only document quick animal-like motions or mannerisms only their owners recognize. Full body apparitions are rare.

6. The Omen Spirit. Rarest of the six spooks and the hardest to document. They typically appear to a particular person or group and they never stay long. Sightings range from pale shades to full-body apparitions.

Protocol: Be vigilant and keep your documenting equipment on standby all the time. You'll have a better chance to capture it on camera if the spirit is attached to a group rather than a person.

These are the Big Six though there are variations within each of them. Some may argue that since vehicular spirits behaved very similarly to detached spirits, these two should be within a supergroup of their own. But whatever your arguments may be regarding spirit classification, always keep your wits about and have a safe spook spotting session wherever you might be.

Happy Hauntings!

Book Review: Informania: Ghosts by Christopher Maynard (2000)

Title: Informania: Ghosts

Author: Christopher Maynard

ISBN13: 9780744577105

Informania: Ghosts offers a brief introduction to everything ghost-related from ghost hunting to films about ghosts. Suitable for young readers and enthusiastic adults alike, the book is divided into five sections:

An abridged version of Algernon Blackwood’s “The Empty House”. Short but suspenseful nevertheless.

A scrapbook by famed ghost hunter Dee Bunker detailing her findings and favorite cases. Dee talks about her experience, her golden rules of ghost hunting, and more.

A tour booklet through the National Museum of Phoney Ghosts. Led by Sir Ghastlie Mones, visitors will see how some of the best ghost sightings can also be the worst scams imaginable.

A Fright Night film guide for all ghost-related movies. Not necessarily horror, but the listing is quite interesting no less, with line-ups like The Cat and the Canary (1927), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and A Chinese Ghost Story (1987).

A handy reference guide to all things ghost-related such as a timeline of hauntings, a map detailing different variants of spooks, and even an internet listing for further reading.

The book itself is quite entertaining and good for early exposure to the world of the paranormal. However, since it was published in 2000, some of the information present within the book may be outdated.

Happy Hauntings!