The Black Diary: June 5

 My new book, The Black Diary:M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children and Dangerous Books, is officially released on June 5.

Many thanks to Crystal Myrick for the cool and creepy trailer!

Click on the link above for more on the book...

10 Recent Articles From Me...

1. A strange saga of the Loch Ness Monster and magic...

2. And a follow-up article on supernatural lake-monsters...

3. The controversy surrounding the Chupacabra...

4. Shape-shifting creatures...

5. When George Adamski got hoaxed...

6. Flying Saucers and Uranium poisoning...

7. Taking a look at the Yeti...

8.  Brad Steiger and the Trickster phenomenon...

9. Men in ape-suits...

10. The future of Cryptozoology...

A Bunch Of New Articles...

1. Should the term "Ufology" be changed to something else?

2. Is Mothman a Shape-Shifter?

3. Secret Sources: Friends Or Foes?

4. Aliens Or Time-Travelers?

5. The Changing Fashions Of The Men in Black.

6. Looking Back At The Norliss Tapes.

7. Quatermass and the Pit: 50 Years On.

The "Demonic UFOs" Theory Continues...

Back in 2010, I wrote a book called Final Events. It was focused on a group within the government which had a very strange and controversial belief. They believed that the UFO phenomenon is not extraterrestrial but literally demonic. Some people said at the time it was nonsense to say that such a group/think-tank could exist. Now, 8 years after Final Events was published, there's this from today:

http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/08/religious-pentagon-mod-officials-thought-ufos-demonic-divine-former-government-investigators-reveal-7529174/

Ufology Or A New title

At Mysterious Universe, I ask whether the term "Ufology" should be replaced with something else...

The Black Diary - Coming on June 5...

Coming on June 5, my new book, The Black Diary: M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children, and Dangerous Books. When the book appears on Amazon, I'll post the info here.

From the publisher, Lisa Hagan Books:

• “His skin was strange”
• “She had total black eyes”
• “You could almost taste the menace”
• “The impulse to burn the book is mighty interesting”

Nick Redfern reveals the very latest information on the sinister Men in Black, the chilling Women in Black, and the creepy Black-Eyed Children. Highlights include: dozens of never-before-seen stories of encounters with these creatures; Nick’s own sighting of an MIB; the ability of these multi-dimensional entities to invade our space in hostile fashion; and how and why writing, reading
and even thinking about them can be hazardous.

Nick Redfern is the author of more than forty books. They include Men in Black; Women in Black; The Roswell UFO Conspiracy; and 365 Days of UFOs. Nick has appeared on many TV shows, including the BBC’s Out of This World; the SyFy Channel’s Proof Positive; the History Channel’s Monster Quest, America’s Book of Secrets and UFO Hunters; the National Geographic Channel’s Paranatural; and MSNBC’s Countdown. He can be contacted at: http://nickredfernfortean.blogspot.com

Robert Goerman Reviews "The Slenderman Mysteries"

An excellent new review from Robert Goerman of my recently published book, "The Slenderman Mystreries."

The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes to Life
by Nick Redfern
Publisher: New Page Books (February 19, 2018)
Paperback: 288 pages
Reviewed by Robert A. Goerman
http://robertgoerman.wixsite.com/paranormal

Well, soak me in gasoline and hand me a lighter... I must confess to originally never giving all this "Slenderman" business a second thought. Nick Redfern changes all that. The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes to Life leaves readers feeling like helpless bugs trapped in a violently shaken jar.

Eric Knudsen has an epiphany. Prompted by a Photoshop contest to manipulate ordinary photos into scary paranormal images, he "creates" The Slender Man (now known simply as Slenderman) during a "boring" afternoon at work. Knudsen admits to throwing together the two original images in about fifteen minutes and that "it was pretty spontaneous." The black-and-white photographs depict a very tall and emaciated "man" in a black suit. His arms and legs are way too long and spiderlike. He has no hair or face. Tentacles protrude from his back. He is lurking behind a group of children. Using the pseudonym of "Victor Surge," Knudsen downloads the doctored photos, accompanied by some tantalizing text, to the Something Awful (SA) website forum and The Slender Man is born on June 10, 2009. Wednesday's child is full of woe.

In an interview, Knudsen adds, "You’ve seen him, now you can’t unsee him."
As I independently research each aspect while reading Nick Redfern's book, I am amazed and alarmed as to how effortlessly Knudsen's nightmarish contagion is crafted and the efficient incubation period of the psycho-virus. "Slendermania" spreads like wildfire. Redfern writes that "None of this occurred in weeks or even months. It all happened within days."

It gets weirder.

On the night of November 6, 2009, George Noory, host of the hugely popular paranormally themed talk-show Coast to Coast AM, takes a number of calls from people who claim to have personally encountered an entity resembling Slenderman. Some claim the Slenderman invades their dreams. Others see the Slenderman in the real world.

My colleague, the Reverend Robin Swope, has many narratives concerning encounters with Slenderman. Many of these predate the invention of the mythos. These are detailed in his 2012 book Slenderman: From Fiction to Fact.

What is happening here?

Who or what is the Slenderman? Is he a mind-created Tulpa or thought-form that can stride out of our darkest imaginations and into reality if enough people believe in him? Is Eric Knudsen a creator or conduit? Is the Internet awake and tormenting us with equivalents of our very own online nightmares? Is he summoned by Chaos Magic? Is Slenderman the "reborn face of an ancient evil?" There are far more questions and theories and synchronicities than answers.

On May 31, 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both twelve, lure their friend, fellow sixth-grader Payton “Bella” Leutner, into the woods near their Waukesha, Wisconsin suburb. What happens next becomes international news. Geyser and Weier stab Leutner nineteen times and then leave her to die, hoping that her death will make them worthy of becoming servants or "proxies" of Slenderman. Their victim survives the attack and Geyser and Weier are arrested, tried, and sentenced. Slenderman becomes a household word. The horrific tragedy now haunts every attempt to research this topic.
I do not envy Nick Redfern on this endeavor. The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes to Life covers a lot of territory. Interviews are conducted with the likes of Jenny Coleman, Mike Huberty, Allison Jornlin, Tea Krulos, Olav Phillips, Kimberly Rackley, Robin Swope, and Ian Vincent.

Whenever I examine any reported encounter with the paranormal, I attempt to ascertain the temperature of the witness. In a COLD encounter, the witness is minding their own business, with nary a thought about the unknown and unexplained. During WARM encounters, the witness has a temporary involvement with the paranormal spurred by mild curiosity or social pressure. They may be playing with a Ouija board or participating in an amateur hunt for ghosts or cryptids. HOT encounters involve individuals who are in active pursuit of the paranormal.

One of my favorite cases in The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes to Life is very HOT. "Lacy," a trainee flight attendant from Erie, Pennsylvania becomes overwhelmingly obsessed with the the saga of the Slenderman, reading all that she could about the subject. One book that she reads is Slenderman: From Fiction to Fact.

Lacy always keeps her laptop computer on a coffee table in her living room. On three occasions in 2016, her device, which was in sleep-mode, wakes up. The first time it briefly displays an image looking like a cross between a man and a long-legged bug. The second time it clearly displays Slenderman's non-face. On the final occasion, a voice announces: "We are friends." Lacy immediately drops her research into the Slenderman, deletes all her files on the subject, and burns her copy of Reverend Swope's book in a metal container in her mother's yard. Slenderman did not return.
There is a history of paranormal phenomena emanating from telephones, radios, and televisions. Haunted computers seems to be the next phase.

There is also a history of "psychic backlash." Sometimes, when a person becomes too deeply immersed in paranormal investigation and research, the phenomena appears to realize that it is being watched and responds. Usually, not in a positive manner. John Keel and others, warn us, time and time again, about the dangers of contemplating supernatural entities.
Be careful what you wish for.

We may want to prepare ourselves for a new wave of "Slendermania." Slender Man is an upcoming supernatural horror film directed by Sylvain White and written by David Birke. The film stars Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso and Talitha Bateman. The monster is portrayed by Javier Botet. A brief summary reads: "Slender Man tells the story of a tall, thin, horrifying figure with unnaturally long arms and a featureless face, who is reputed to be responsible for the haunting and disappearance of countless children and teens." It will be released by Screen Gems on August 24, 2018.

Nick Redfern's book will be a great place to start.

The Ozark UFO Gig in Photos

A bunch of photos from the weekend, at the Ozarks UFO gig. A great time! About 600 people turned up and lots of fun!

It's Article Time Again...

1: An article from me on the controversial story of Bob Lazar and Area 51. Lazar's claims usually place people into two camps: those who think that Lazar's story is true and those who think it's bullshit. But, what if there was a third theory/explanation, one which involves mind-games, hypnosis and mind-altering drugs? Here's the article.

2: A two-part article on the controversial issue of Bigfoot in the U.K. Here's part-1 and here's part-2.

3: The issue of man-made (rather than alien-built) UFOs.

4: Possibly the weirdest Man in Black story of all.

5: UFOs seen around military and government installations.

6: The Moon-base that never was.

The Man Who Loved An Alien That Never Existed

Over at the Mysterious Universe website, I give my opinion on one of the strangest of all alleged alien encounters, which took place in the Nevada desert in the early 1950s. It's the weird saga of a man named Truman Bethurum.

It's Time For A Few New Articles...

1. A baboon-like animal seen in Illinois in the 1940s...

2. Are the Black-Eyed Children self-aware?

3. Similarly, are the M.I.B. self-aware?

4. Why are strange creatures so often seen crossing roads?

5. The strange creatures of Cuba.

6. A review from me of Roland Watson's new book on Nessie.

Beware of the Black Eyed Kid

So, there I was, speaking on my new book, The Slenderman Mysteries at the 7th Annual Texas Metaphysical & Paranormal Unity Fest in Glenrose, Texas last Saturday.

A great time was had!

As you can see, one of the Black-Eyed Children came up to me and claimed I was its dad......

A New Book on the Loch Ness Monsters

Received in the mail a few days ago and which I'll be reviewing soon. It's the new Loch Ness Monster-themed book from Roland Watson.

I have been waiting for someone to tell this story, as it deals with one of the most interesting aspects of the Loch Ness Mystery, that of sightings on land/on the shores.

You can find Roland's book (titled When Monsters Come Ashore: Stories of the Loch Ness Monster on Land) at this link.

New articles...

Monsters in the Mountains...

Half-Human & Half-Chimpanzee? No!

The United States' Mysterious "Little People"

Reviewing a New Book on Mothman and More...

Kidnapped by Bigfoot?

Another Tale of Kidnapping by a Monster

The Unknown Apes of Kenya


 

If Roswell Should Fall...

That's the subject of another new article from me, which addresses how Ufology will cope (or won't cope!) if, one day, Roswell is shown not to have been an E.T. event. You can find it here.

More on the Slenderman

In a new article, I demonstrate that the Slenderman isn't actually the relatively recent phenomenon that most people assume it to be.

Here's the link...

 

New Article on the Slenderman...

Over at Mysterious Universe, there's a new article from me on the Slenderman phenomenon and my new book on the subject, The Slenderman Mysteries.

You can find the article here, and this is how it begins:

"Right now, I have a new book out on the Slenderman issue. Its title: The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes To Life. I interviewed various key figures who have dug extensively into the phenomenon, all of whom provided valuable insights into the phenomenon and how it has caught the attention and imagination of untold numbers of people – and provoked tragedy too. When it comes to the thorny issue of theorizing what the Slenderman really is, or may be, there are few more notable figures in the subject than Ian Vincent, who I spoke with extensively. His writings on the subject include “The Slenderman: Tracing the Birth and Evolution of a Modern Monster,” “Killing Slenderman,” and “Slenderman: Five Years.”

 "Vincent is a long-term student of the occult, a professional magician, and an exorcist. He says of the Slenderman: 'You can project whatever you want on it; it’s neutral. I mean, there is nothing more neutral than a guy in a black suit. But, that completely faceless aspect of it just makes it that little bit more creepy – and there’s the elongated arms, too. Then, there’s this juxtaposition of the mundane – a guy in a suit – into an unusual setting.'"

My New Book on the Slenderman

The Slenderman Mysteries - Publication Date Today

 

 

Today is the release day for my new book, The Slenderman Mysteries: An Internet Urban Legend Comes To Life.

And, to give you an idea of the contents, here are a few pictures from the book and the chapter titles (the B&W pictures copyrighted to Simon Wyatt):

Introduction

Chapter 1: “The best, new mythological creature”

Chapter 2: “It tends to free itself from its makers’ control”

Chapter 3: “Magic and fiction were starting to have a conversation”

Chapter 4: “Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?”

Chapter 5: “Fear of the Gas Man”

Chapter 6: “Consumed by the Slenderman”

Chapter 7: “Waukesha reminds me of A Nightmare on Elm Street”

Chapter 8: “There will be no safety in this house”

Chapter 9: “Demon-possessed”

Chapter 10: “Evil lies in wait for an excuse to bloom”

Chapter 11: “Slenderman is a physical manifestation of our fear of death”

Chapter 12: “And in did come the strangest figure”

Chapter 13: “A slim man in a dark suit”

Chapter 14: “I knew it would be necessary to kill her”

Chapter 15: “A tall, dark and terrifying entity”

Chapter 16: “His arms are impossibly long”

Chapter 17: “There’s no structure to the face”

Conclusions

Bibliography

Author Interviews and Correspondence

Acknowledgments

About the Author

10 New Articles From Me...

1. Tales of people going into the "wrong room" and encountering something weird...

2. A strange creature and a stranger name...

3. A monster of the deep...

4. Super-sized snakes and the CIA...

5. From human to animal...

6. Beware of the Bunyip...

7. Bigfoot and backward feet...

8. A review of a new UFO-themed book...

9. A tall-tale of a Bigfoot...

10. Paranormal phenomena...