It's hard to believe that 10 years this month has passed since I wrote and published my first book, The Game Rules for Life. Since that time, I have grown considerably as a person and published several more books and courses. And I have several more in the works. 

I wrote Game Rules at a time when I was just coming out of an alcoholic marriage as well as leaving Jehovah's Witnesses, the religion in which I was born and raised. It is also the religion in which I served as an elder for seven years and was excommunicated from in August 1999 for leaving my now late alcoholic wife and remarrying. It was a tumultuous time in my life and led to several years of existential crises. However, I feel that I emerged much better than before and in a world that was no longer limited to...

Apparently, the crusade continues. Below is an email by a concerned individual in response to a blog that raises the question of accreditation, which I have not addressed in my previous blog. I do so below. By addressing this issue in my blog, I will not need to address it again the next time. First, the email I received.

Message:
I am quite interested in your cert. as I feel its time to have this after looking at your site I feel you have it together well, BUT...I am concerned about this

Below is an example of some of the emails I've received over the past two years concerning the Certified Paranormal Investigator (CPI) course. I've chosen to post my reply because this person showed sincerity in asking his/her questions. Most of the emails I receive about this have been highly critical and contained ad hominem attacks. I post this here so that others may read and be saved the trouble of emailing me.

Hi [Name Deleted],
I am happy to answer your questions because those questions were respectfully asked. I usually do not reply to these requests because most people already have their minds made up and only want to criticize (bitch). In answering your questions, I am going to be very direct. Please do not confuse this as directed at you personally.

You asked:
First, what exactly was it that changed your mind? Because if you thought the same thing that many have said about any "certificate" sites in regard...

It would seem that the the anomalous research field has comparatively few serious and grounded researchers and spokespersons. The field at large attracts some of the most far-out-on-the-fringe people imaginable--many with seemingly high credibility. Take this recent news story for example:


BAS official: Aliens are among us
http://sofiaecho.com/2009/11/23/819575_bas-official-aliens-are-among-us

Aliens live on Earth and are in constant communication and interaction with us, Bulgarian scientists told Novinar, quoted by Dnes on November 23 2009.

It was even claimed that some alien species were present during a media statement in which they had answered more than 30 questions put forward by Bulgarian...

“There are no experts on the paranormal” is a common sentiment among those involved in paranormal research, most notably among prominent names in the ghost hunter segment of the field. Interestingly, I personally have yet to hear the same statement from anyone in the UFO field. This expression seems to make sense and sounds so good. But does it really hold water?

Do “Experts” Know Everything?
According to the dictionary, the word “expert” is defined as “a person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.”(1) Notice that the definition does not say “someone who knows everything about a certain subject.” It is clear from this definition that a person would simply need to have a “high degree of skill or knowledge of a certain subject” to be considered an “expert.”

Compare two fields of scientific study: gravity and string theory. If...

Even though I have been outspoken in my articles and on ParaNexus Universe Radio, I am not a paranormal debunker or a paranormal negativist (and no, I don’t play one on TV). I am a serious anomalous researcher who has observed a growing number of websites and media stories featuring photos and videos of so-called paranormal phenomena that is dubious at best, and fabricated at worst. I am perplexed at the sheer number of paranormal hobbyists who post misidentified natural phenomena as paranormal in nature, and worse yet, who promote fear in others—especially their clients—and end up doing more harm than good.

Whether we like it or not, Internet sites such as YouTube can exert a powerful force in shaping public opinion regarding paranormal phenomena, and serious researchers have a responsibility to mitigate...

“When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die.”

One of the biggest ongoing issues I have observed over the years is that team members start out with enthusiasm and excitement and then slowly lose that enthusiasm until they end up just going through the motions. This can be a big issue for team Founders because they may need the help but don’t know quite how to deal with members who cease contributing to the team in meaningful ways. It’s even worse if these members are personal friends. Some members—especially new members—have been conditioned by TV shows that anomalous research is always dramatic, exciting, and fun. The truth is that, while there can be moments of excitement, anomalous research is usually uneventful—sometimes even monotonous. The unfortunate result is that the interest...