Predictions and Hopes for the Paranormal Field in 2025
It is the end of an era! Whether you have been investigating for 30 years or this is your first year, you are probably starting to think about what to aim for next year. Each year I have been writing what my predictions and hopes are for the paranormal field. Here is what I wrote for 2024 and 2023.
So in the 'spirit' of things, these are my predictions of what I think we will see in the field and my hopes for the paranormal field in 2025 on both a personal and general level.
Predictions
I am probably about as psychic as a pole so this is more of a guess based on the trends and shifts I have been noticing in the paranormal field. You may notice that I tend to keep to myself and I observe things from afar. Just because I am not vocal about things doesn't mean I don't see all the things that are going on. Some of it is good, some of it not so much but this is what I think will change or move forward within the paranormal field.
A more 'age' inclusive field
Years ago if you had asked me whether children/teens should be involved in the paranormal field, it was a no from me. A large part of it stemmed from my inexperience and some of the misconceptions about the paranormal field that many of us have early on. Another part of it was purely that when I started I had young kids at home and it was my escape. I didn't want to be around kids. Of course, I softened and changed over the years and so did my knowledge and perception. I think the general nature and tone of the paranormal field has become a lot more welcoming to children and more so teenagers being involved. It is only natural that with the rise in TikTok and YouTubers, our teens are more interested in the paranormal than ever before. A lot of groups are now allowing teens or creating specific kid-friendly events where they can attend and learn about the paranormal. I think in a lot of ways this is important as it also teaches our kids to respect history. Seeing locations getting trashed by teens on a weekend is pretty disappointing. There is also a growing number of teens breaking into locations to do their own 'ghost hunting'. If there was a safe and legal way for them to do this, it could help this problem. Even better when you have experienced people showing them that it isn't all that they see on YouTube and also teaching them to be respectful. Swearing and yelling "Come at me bro" to the spirits is the only exposure some of these teens have.
I have noticed a lot of tour companies are lowering the age limit or doing special 'kids' sessions. I am expecting to see a lot more of this. I also must point out as a tour guide and someone who works in a school and knows all about child safety guidelines, that it is not always as simple as just saying yes let's have the kids come along. Working With Children's Checks, Insurance Coverage, Parental Consent, Supervision and age-appropriate material are things that all need to be considered. If anything, this is what has been some of the roadblocks in the past, but given the interest, I do see there being a lot more 'age-inclusive' events and paranormal experiences that can help our young people get involved. At the end of the day it is up to the parent to decide if their child is mature enough to take that step into the paranormal World. For example, one of my children who I will not name but those who know me will know exactly who I am talking about, I would not bring him along. Even when he turns 18 I would question it. He would not sit still and with the amount of breakables around I just could not put myself through the stress. My niece however who is the same age has started coming along to Black Rock House and helping us behind the scenes and learning the ropes. People don't even know she is there, she is just watching, learning and observing. Kind of like me. If we can show kids to investigate respectfully and treat our venues with respect, there just may be some hope! We all have to start somewhere! While we are on this topic, if you are a reader of Haunted Magazine, I suggest you read the articles written by Junior Paranormal. They are leading the way in this area over in the UK and having a lot of fun while they do it!
More people will research UFOs/UAPS
We are at a really interesting point in history. From an observational point of view, particularly overseas there is a lot of talk about the lights in the sky. Mysterious drones and orbs popping up. Are they military? Are they spies? Are they UFOs? More and more people are looking to the skies. There are even more and more TV shows and documentaries popping up as the topic of disclosure heats up. With more mainstream coverage, more people will start to look into this area. For some, it is something they have always been intrigued about but never really looked into. For others, it has been their lifelong work. Regardless, I do see there being so much more to come in this space and a lot more people getting involved. Armchair experts through to seasoned professionals are all going to have something to say on this topic. Will 2025 be the year we finally get some answers?
Image Source: Live Science
We go back to collecting Data
Over the last 2 years or so, the field has shifted dramatically toward using apps and also incorporating AI. While there is discussion and argument to had, we also can't fight the fact that AI is here and it is essentially embedding itself into our World. As a writer, I have some strong feelings about it, however I also can't deny that it can be helpful when used correctly. I write as a part of my job on very niche topics and at times I have used AI to help lay the foundations which I then break down and add my spin. When working with deadlines this has been crucial to my time management. My husband is a coder and web developer. Again he would never use AI to completely build something, but it can help lay foundations or fill in gaps. Instead of resisting this change, we should look at how it could potentially aid us. I am actually working on another article as we speak to cover this topic, because I do believe AI can aid us in certain aspects of paranormal investigating. Not in the sense of AI drawing us pictures or talking back to us, but helping us with analysing our evidence. Most people now investigate the paranormal with little to no equipment, simply because their mobile phone can essentially do the same thing a lot of the equipment does. We must remember that whether it is equipment or our mobile phone, neither can tell us if something paranormal is happening. It can simply tell us that it has detected a change in whatever it is programmed to measure. It is then up to the person to dechiper this information.
With this in mind, I see us moving away from using apps that simulate something paranormal and moving toward apps that focus more data collection. The apps pretty much do it now. In order for a word to come up, it must detect some sort of change. If it is beeping because their is a change in the atmosphere, again the phone or device is already taking this measurement. Our phones can do this and data loggers can do it. We as humans can also do it with journals. If there isn't already an app out there, one or many will pop up that focus solely on data collection rather than the bells and whistles. Previously we would use data loggers or devices like EDI to do this or someone sitting and writing it all down. It only makes sense with the progression of technology and more specifically our phones that it can do it all for us. I am such a data person that I see a lot of potential here so maybe this is more of a hope rather than a prediction but you see where I am going with it.
Hope for a new year
For 2025, my hope is again more of a selfish one rather than one for the entire paranormal field. I hope I get my mojo back. For the last couple of months of 2024, I was extremely burnt out from events, working and just life. I am now in the middle of a 3-month break. Right now, I am not ready to return, I just hope I will be at the end of the 3 months. The writing is not a problem. I feel like even if I 'retire' from paranormal investigating, I will still read and write about it. I am more referring to the physical investigation. It is finding the energy to be around people, to leave the bubble and comfort of my house. Once I am there and in it and doing it, I love it and for those few hours my mojo returns, but it is the psyching myself up to go. I do hope that gets better in 2025 and I am guessing it will once the exhaustion of Christmas and work wears off while I have a few weeks of holidays with my family. By the end, I will probably be itching to get back out there!
Another hope is that people will think for themselves and not be led by the opinions of others. I really dislike seeing posts or phrases like 'Real paranormal investigators do this' or 'if you do this you are stupid.' We are all here and we are all different and we don't need someone that has given themselves a title to tell us that because we don't do things the way they do it that we are wrong. Our research takes us in different directions and with that comes a difference of opinion. It doesn't matter how long you have been in the paranormal field, everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard and treated with a bit of respect. Your experiences make you and form your knowledge base. The same goes for them. If their experiences are different to yours, then of course their opinion will be different. I can tell you honestly that I am great friends with people who have completely different views than what I have. We respect each other and agree to disagree on many things. We have had many discussions that have been thought-provoking on both sides, but the important thing has been that we haven't tried to tell the other person what we should be doing or that 'I am right and you are wrong.' If we all thought the same, there really wouldn't be much of a paranormal field and it would be pretty boring. We wouldn't get anywhere. So my hope is that you embrace your weird and don't let anyone make you feel like you don't belong. I have experienced this the entire time I have been in this field and it still happens today. I am still here and I hope you will stay here with me and let's all embrace the weird and wonderful together. Even if we don't agree, we are all here for the same reason, we love the paranormal.
As I end this article, I would like to give a very special shout-out to the wonderful souls I have crossed paths with and met for the first time this year. It was a personal highlight to be involved with the Klinge Brothers Ghosts of Texas Tour. I got to mingle with the amazing team from APS, enjoy biscuits with the amazing girls from Mystical Realm of Jacqal, finally meet Anne and Renata even if it was a short hug and hello, meet Miha and the team from Queensland's Most Haunted, meet the girls from Paranormal 11:11, Michelle from Australian Ghost Tours, Paul from Spirit Tech and so many others that I just can't name you all. Thank you to my amazing Black Rock House family that makes it all worthwhile. I wish you all a restful end to 2024 and I can't wait to see the amazing things you achieve in 2025. I wish you all the very best!
The year that was ....
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