See the Unseen

Mama San once asked me what ever did happen to my supposed post on our trip to Baguio. I had grand ideas for that post too, even coming up with a rough outline like what most organized writers do instead of my usual "type until a make some sort of sense" technique of writing. I'd talk about the climate, the people, the food - ah such illusions of grandeur that perpetuate the mind of a hack.

Instead I'd prefer to keep Baguio ingrained in my mind and refuse to share it with the world because I don't think my words can ever do justice to the awesomeness of that road trip. I will however, touch on something... shall we say... unnatural?

Recently my interest in the occult and the paranormal have been piqued the past couple of days, perhaps because I recall being traumatized by certain movies in my childhood, one of which was the original Omen. Hence, my hatred towards small children who just stare at you and keep quiet. Seriously, tell me that's not creepy?

Speaking of out-of-town trips, one of the hazards of partaking in the great outdoors in a country which has a rich folklore like the Philippines usually means that paranormal stories and legends add to the flavor of the trip. That made absolutely no sense, but I don't really care, it sounded like it was profound and it meant something... whatever.

Mama San is gifted, or cursed, with what we call the Sixth Sense. "I see dead people" is just the tip of the iceberg, so M. Night Shamaladingdong only touched on very little on the aspect of ESP or the Third Eye. These people can also see beings that are not visible to the naked eye. You know, the underpants gnomes, them hobbits and fairies. Now you would think I would scoff at such things, but it is my firm belief that one should never discount the presence of beings beyond our understanding... I mean, come on, Britney Spears?

That said, I am absolutely certain that I'm blessed not to have such "gifts". On the other hand, the paranormal has a degree of appeal that leads me to keep coming back for more. Be it unexplained elements of a picture, strange smells of local flowers like a sampaguita while walking in isolated and poorly lit environs or mysterious knocks on one's bedroom door despite having no one there every time you answer it.

What is it about the unseen that stimulates man's imagination? A world within ours not seen by the naked eye does sound intriguing... but at the same time, I personally think it's somewhat depressing. Imagine a culture secluded from ours, knowledge unknowable to us for we lack that extra ability to see the unseen. Oh the things we could learn from one another.

Of course, while I see the missed opportunities of learning and sharing with an alternative culture, one that is beyond our imagination, I'm not for stirring the hornet's nest. To paraphrase the bastardize Hollywood version of Alan Moore's Hellblazer's Constantine, "You see them, they see you." Truly, sociological pursuits are the least of my concerns when faced with something that scares me honestly. Perhaps further exposure and understaning would take that away, but really, I'm just human. After all, it is simply in our nature to be afraid of the unknown.