Twilight Language: Fortean

Showing posts with label Fortean. Show all posts

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Top Synchromystics of the Year 2018: Jim Brandon and Alex Fulton

"Synchromysticism: The art of realizing meaningful coincidence in the seemingly mundane with mystical or esoteric significance." ~ Jake Kotze, The Brave New World Order, August 18, 2006.

Top Synchromystics of the Year 2018

by Loren Coleman, author Twilight Language, Mysterious America, Suicide Clusters, and The Copycat Effect.

Jim Brandon

Jim Brandon is the author of 1978's Weird America and 1983's The Rebirth of Pan: Hidden Faces of the American Earth Spirit. Both of these books have had a long-lasting effect on the thinking of Forteans and synchromystics, first in articles and books, and now in blogs, podcasts, and digital visual works.

The Fayette Factor, as I have characterized it, was first documented by researcher and writer William Grimstad back in 1977. Grimstad wrote about it in an article entitled "Fateful Fayette," Fortean Times, No. 25, Spring 1978, and in his two books shown here - Weird America and The Rebirth of Pan - credited as being authored by "Jim Brandon," who we know as Bill Grimstad.

In 2018, Jim Brandon/William Grimstad resurfaced with the reissuing of a revised edition of his audio book from 1974-1975, Sirius Rising, which he gave a new subtitle, Mr. Downard and the Synchromystical Boson.

Before Brandon became well-known in Fortean circles for his classic books, he had created and shared with associates his now-long-unavailable and difficult-to-obtain tape of his interviews with James Shelby Downard (March 13, 1913 – March 16, 1998). Yes, it was a reel-to-reel tape.

Renewed recognition of Sirius Rising was noted by me on March 30, and then bestowed as a formal critique on December 19, 2018, by Andrew W. Griffin of Red Dirt Report, in his review, "Magick Bullet: 'Sirius Rising: Mr. Downard and the Synchromystical Boson' by Jim Brandon."

Griffin gives a good overview of the entire contents of Siruis Rising tape, and there is no reason for me to repeat his words here. Griffin takes the reader along on the ride, and reminds us that Grimstad reinforces the definitions we are growing aware of ~ "Synchromysticism is the old study of 'name games' and 'Forteana,'" plus "All coincidences may have meaningful relationships."

Grimstad rightfully deserves to be one of the co-honorees for Top Synchromystics of 2018.

Following in the past tradition of receiving a small token acknowledging his award, Bill will be sent a cup with Lafayette and Washington on it.

Alex Fulton

Alex Fulton is the creator of Cryptokubrology on Twitter and the co-mastermind (in association with Robert Shawn Montgomery) behind various cryptokubrology contributions on YouTube and Facebook. (See their site here.)

During the fall of 2018, Alex Fulton began noting the Cryptokubrology hits were coming fast and furious.

Fulton further implied the cause behind this. The date 11/7/2018 "marked the beginning of the 237th month since Stanley Kubrick's death."

A Cryptokubrology "death watch" began.

Douglas Rain, the voice of HAL in 2001, died on November 11: "Here is the 11/11 Cryptokubrology hit," tweeted Fulton.

11/12/18 = Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee died.

11/16/18 = Alex Fulton's birthday.

11/16/18 = William Goldman, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, died.

11/16/18 = Pablo Ferro, graphic designer, film titles designer of Stanley Kubrick films (Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange), died..

11/24/18 = Another director died. Nicolas Roeg directed David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth, and other important films.

11/26/18 = Bernardo Bertolucci died. He had directed The Last Emperor, The Dreamers, The Conformist, others.

11/27/18 = Samuel Hadida, with over 70 producing credits including the Resident Evil franchise, died unexpectedly at 64, in Santa Monica.

Alex Fulton deserves the recognition as one of the Top Synchromystics of 2018.

As a token of his award, Alex will receive a Christmas ornament fashioned after the key to room 237.

Past Synchromystics of the Year

Synchromystic of the Year 2017: David Charles Plate

Synchromystic of the Year 2016: Joe Alexander

Synchromystic of the Year 2015: Will Morgan

Synchromystic of the Year 2014: Alan Abbadessa Green

Master List of Synchromystics of 2017: The Living

Monday, April 27, 2015

Fortean Biographer Colin Bennett Has Died

Colin Bennett was a British researcher known among Forteans and Ufologists for his insightful biographical works. I have just been alerted to his passing at the end of 2014, by editor Patrick Huyghe.

Bennett died on December 13, 2014, after suffering two diabetic strokes in December. He passed away at the Hospital of St. Cross, Rugby, Warwickshire, England. His funeral was held on January 14, 2015, at the Rainesbrook Crematorium. He is survived by his children Ceri and Andy, and his grandchildren Georgia, Madison, Olivia and Finn. He had lived on Portobello Road, London.

Colin Bennett was born on April 2, 1940, in Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest, within arrow-shot of the Sheriff of Nottingham's castle. He left school after studying science and mathematics, became a professional musician, then a mercenary soldier before winning a scholarship to read English at Balliol College, University of Oxford.

After leaving Oxford, he had several plays performed on the professional stage in London, including the Royal Court Theatre, before re-training as an electronics engineer. Bennett then ran his own electronics consultancy and printing firm.

Bennett frequently was consulted on security, conspiracies, and computer hacking.

Bennett had two novels published, early in his writing career. He also was the author of Looking for Orthon (Paraview Press), a biography of George Adamski. His next book was on the life work and ideas of Charles Fort, entitled Politics of the Imagination (Headpress). That book won the Anomalist Award for Best Biography, 2002. His third biography was An American Demonology (Headpress), the story of Captain Edward Ruppelt, who headed Project Blue Book in the early 1950s. This Project was the official United States Air Force investigation into the UFO phenomenon.

Bennett continued writing into the 2000s, online and elsewhere.

The following are some of his published books.

Practical Time Travel (Red Wheel Weiser, 1971)

Entertainment Bomb (New Futurist Books, 1996)

Looking for Orthon (Foreword by John Michell; Paraview Press, 2001)

Politics of the Imagination: The Life, Work and Ideas of Charles Fort (Foreword by John Keel; Headpress, 2002).

An American Demonology: Flying Saucers Over the White House (with contributors Nick Pope and Jerome Clark; Headpress, 2005.)

Rumford Rogues: Tales from Consumer Life (Headpress, 2010)

Sunday, May 04, 2014

Loren Coleman On The Paracast

There is a new online chat with Gene Steinberg and Christopher O’Brien,

which was conducted on May 1, 2014.

I agreed to do various interviews during what I think will become known as my quiet winter-spring of 2014. One that is out already is now on the Paracast.

Here is their site's description:

The Paracast is brought to you weekly on GCN Radio. Click here to get the exclusive GCN app for your iPhone or Android smartphone!
May 4, 2014 (DOWNLOAD!): The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host Christopher O’Brien, a seasoned field investigator, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
On this week's show: Gene and Chris welcome pioneer cryptozoologist Loren Coleman back to The Paracast with an update of ongoing research into the field, including a global call for DNA evidence. You'll hear about case histories, including recent reports, along with a dose of myth busting. According to his bio: "Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say 'the' leading. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries."

+++

I discuss a wide variety of topics including cryptozoology, Bigfoot, and new species. But the hosts of the show certainly wanted to begin with the Twilight Language, the Copycat Effect, and the Fortean end of things - and that's where we went.

Besides briefly mentioning the legacy of the Museum, I can't recall actually talking about my published works, per se, resulting in my books, now or in the future. Listener questions were intriguing, interesting, and broadbased.

This Paracast is a rather casual, all-encompassing conversation that hits a lot of the landscape of my recent intellectual life. You might want to go watch a baseball game, instead, or read a good book. Cheers.

NOW PLAYING! May 4, 2014 — Loren Coleman

The 1983 cover of the first edition of Mysterious America.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Decatur Again: School Shooting Season Begins

Decatur, Georgia, was in the news a week ago. A school shooting nearly became deadly, and, I speculate because of the publicity about it, a workplace shooting occurred over the weekend.

Mass shootings follow a known pattern - another form of school, business-related, or mass violence usually comes within days of a well-publicized event - then more routinely another shooting happens in a week, two weeks, a month, and a year. It doesn't always take place with such regularity, but it often does.

The other predictor of future shootings is the copycat effect that comes into play after an end of the school year outburst. It feels like a Newtown bounce this fall may happen; I hope not but such a possibility is worthy of being on our radar.

Awareness is a key. People protecting others in schools, colleges, malls, churches, workplaces, and similar locations need to be alert. We are entering a dangerous "red zone" time of year.

The Rebirth of Pan (1st edition, Firebird Press, 1983)

Mysterious America (1st edition cover, Faber & Faber, 1983)

Decatur again. Yes. We are use to Decatur in the weird news. Jim Brandon pointed out "Decatur" as a "power name" in his The Rebirth of Pan in 1983, and I wrote about it as part of the "Name Game" in Mysterious America, also first in 1983.

First described as "Atlanta-area," the "almost deadly" school shooting happening last Tuesday, August 20, 2013, occurred at Decatur, Georgia's Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy. The elementary school was named for the second AfricanAmerican astronaut, who died aboard the Challenger, the space shuttle that exploded after takeoff on January 28, 1986.

Michael Brandon Hill, 20, opened fire in the school, using an AK-47, to six bullets in the floor of the office. But as he was calmed down by school bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff, who spoke to Hill while on the phone with the 911 operator. She talked him into surrendering, and the publicity was heightened when President Obama called her a "hero."

Investigator T.L. Wortham of the DeKalb County Sheriff Department's Fugitive Unit told the media that as officers were apprehending the suspect, Hill said, "I'm sorry, I'm off my meds." Several weapons were seized, Wortham said.

Hill took a photo of himself (a "selfie") with an AK 47-style rifle and packed up nearly 500 rounds of ammunition — enough to shoot more than half the school's students - police later said.

After the Decatur incident, another shooting - with six shot - occurred on Saturday, August 25, 2013, in Lake Butler, Florida. The alleged shooter, Hubert Allen Jr., 72, was reported dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a “complete shooting rampage” at Pritchett Trucking. The owner of Pritchett Trucking and the farm, Rolling Oaks, Marvin Pritchett, 80, was first killed. Allen then drove to a local bar where he shot and killed Romando Gonzales Delgado, 28, and then killed himself. The gunman was identified as the step-grandfather of Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.

Decatur, Georgia, has had its brushes with infamy in the recent past.

In June 5, 2012, a fight lead to a stabbing Decatur’s Columbia High School. Two days later, on Thursday, June 7, 2012, a gun was brought to the DeKalb County school after stabbing incident. And then on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, loaded guns were seized at two area high schools.

Mark David Chapman, the assassin of Beatle John Lennon, attended Decatur, Georgia's Columbia High School from 1971-1975. (His high school photograph is at top.)

Decatur, Illinois's old Transfer Station use to be located near Lincoln Square, named after the assassinated Illinois president.

My old hometown’s name, Decatur, (of Decatur, Illinois) has a Fortean mystique and synchromysticism about it that has created all kinds of mojo.

Several locations are named "Decatur" across the United States of America.

Such sites are named after the War of 1812′s Navy hero, Stephen Decatur, who fought against the Barbary pirates. Decatur at one time conducted tests in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in 1804, and fired on the Jersey Devil. The records say that Stephen Decatur identified the winged creature as a “devil” – pale in color, with leathery bat-like wings. Decatur perforated one of the thing’s wings with a fired cannonball, but it seemed unfazed, which disturbed everybody who was there at the time. It flew off.

The word decatur (French in origin) is loosely translated as “dweller at the sign of the cat,” and Native Americans who lived in the area that is now Central Illinois had numerous stories of encounters with large dark predatory cats, which are still sighted in the area to this very day.

Stephen Decatur, a Masonic figure of some noteworthiness, is responsible, as well, for the Stephen Decatur House in Washington D.C., which is located on Lafayette Square.

Should we be surprised if an outburst of new violence occurs in the wake of the copycat effect recoil from Newtown? Will it "pick" a location with a "power name"?

How can the next wave be prevented? Certainly, ignoring the patterns of the past is not wise.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Top Ten Synchromystic Books of 2012

"Words are animals, alive with a will of their own."

~ C.G. Jung

Synchromysticism is the drawing of links and connections in popular and personal culture (through breaking news, movies, music lyrics, literature, historical happenings, patterned behavior and esoteric knowledge), and the finding of connections and lexilinks between occult knowledge (i.e. secret societies, cults and rituals), politics, mass media, and more.

"What is not brought to consciousness, comes to us as fate."

~ C.G. Jung

Synchronicity, the name game, forteana, coincidence, and many other unique moments of our lives are also parts of the field of synchromysticism.

Synchromysticism is ''the art of realizing meaningful coincidence in the

seemingly mundane with mystical or esoteric significance.''

~ Jake Kotze

The following ten titles, in no specific order, are recommended as my top synchromystic selections of newly reprinted classic and new books appearing in 2012.