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.

Within minutes of doing that, I hit a patch of ice on the road and my car spun out of control. I managed to get it back and park my car off to the side to gather my thoughts. As I was doing so, I heard the squeal of breaks and watched in horror as a huge pickup truck hurtled my direction. That’s the last thing I remember until I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I heard the paramedic tell someone on the intercom. “If she’d had on her seatbelt, she’d be dead!”

It was days later before I found out what he meant. It seems that the impact of the pickup hitting me head on and rolling over me crunched my little car like an accordion. The steering wheel column had been literally pushed through the seat of the car. Had I been sitting there at the time, it would have impaled me. However, because I’d removed my seatbelt, I wasn’t locked into place.

The impact threw me into the floorboard of the car and simply crunched the car over me. Paramedics were able to cut me out of the car. I only suffered a few cuts, contusions, bruises, and a concussion, thanks to what I believe was an angel whispering in my ear. So, of course, I believe in angels. In fact, I collect them and surround myself with them. I find them comforting.

Astral Travel

This is another supernatural subject about which I’m uncertain. The idea of astral projection is that the spirit can temporarily break away from the human body and travel around. Some believe that this is actually how the spirit enters the human body in the first place; we astral travel from the other side to enter into our earth bound bodies. If that were true, then if would follow that our spirit “knows” how to astral travel.

Those who believe in astral travel say it occurs while we sleep; usually one to three times each week. It supposedly accounts for those dreams that we often have about flying free without the benefit of any explainable visible means. They also believe that when you astral travel things occur in a logical, sequential manner rather than the haphazard fashion of normal dreams.

I’ve certainly had my share of flying dreams and dreams that have happened like a real-life story rather than a jumbled puzzle. Was I astral traveling? I have no idea but I certainly accept the possibility.

Astrology

This search for an understanding of the cosmos, how we fit into it, and how it affects our lives is highly popular among many people. It has been used in many different cultures and in countries throughout the world since the beginning of time. Kings, queens, and presidents have used astrology, as have everyday men and women.

Most people; however, tend to use it incorrectly focusing merely on sun signs and not taking into consideration moon signs, and ascending signs. Additionally, most do not consider that astrology isn’t meant to be a literal translation. It is more in the line of an understanding of “how” things work and the “why” behind it.

I know only a smattering about astrology but what I do know makes a great deal of sense, used properly, with a total sum of information rather than a single piece of it. I suggest those who are interested in this arena, contact someone with some real expertise.

Aura

The aura is basically defined as the etheric substance that emanates from human beings. Some people believe it is energy while others believe it is electricity. I honestly have no belief one way or the other.

Those who believe in Aura say that it contains all of the colors of the rainbow but that each person has a dominant color. Black is supposed to be a sign of illness, physical, emotional, or mental weakness. Red is equated with power and strength. Green supposedly implies good health. Blue is a transmission of heightened awareness, etc. Having never actually seen an Aura, I tend to be a bit skeptical about its existence. However, I certainly can’t disprove its existence.

I do believe that there are more things on heaven and earth than we have dreamed of, so it follows that many of these things may actually exist. I guess that the supernatural, like many things in life, is a matter of “faith.”