Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: supernatural

  • Temple of Dreams

    Temple of Dreams

    In a change of style from her Pandora trilogy Carolyn Matthews has set her latest novel Temple of Dreams between modern day Britain and ancient Greece, which as a setting for a tale between two worlds is ideal.

    The main character Sebastian (Seb) is trying to come to terms with the death of his adopted parents in a Motorway pile up. He has no real idea about his birth parents: the only clue he does have is a distinctive broach left pined to his blanket at the Maternity Hospital.

    It is fairly obvious that he has a somewhat different ability in his life, as when he is first met, he is stuck in a narrow lane due to a vehicle breakdown. He uses his strength to singlehandedly move the car out of the way, thinking nothing of this ability, other than it was needed to get him to his destination on time.

    He is on his way to undertake a course in natural medicine which has been modelled on ancient Greek healing. After spending the night in the Temple in the gardens of the Clinic, he dreams he has returned to Greece, which eventually leads him into unchartered and undiscovered realms.

    When he meets Fliss, who saw him shift the car, a relationship begins to be established that means a lot to them both. As his birth past is a mystery, she encourages him to try and discover who are his birth parents, to consider whether it may have any bearing on the dreams and time travel he is experiencing.

    The pace of the work tends to be set for a slow read, but can be either undertaken as a cover to cover, or little by little, which is perhaps the preferred option, as it gives the script time to settle, become established and therefore the nuances, which in some instances are somewhat subtle, time to be absorbed.

    Much evolves in this storyline which can almost be overwhelming and therefor, runs the risk of becoming dysfunctional as a work that appeals largely to a broad imagination. Perhaps Temple of Dreams could have been created as a trilogy as many of the scenario’s are such that they would make an ideal standalone book.

  • What Dwells Within: A Study of Spirit Attachment

    What Dwells Within: A Study of Spirit Attachment

    “It is believed that ghosts haunt areas that the deceased were either fond of or met their demise within…” This is the foundation upon which the authors base their studies. Jayne Harris has qualifications in Criminology, Psychology, and Counselling, and has always had an interest in the paranormal. She has written this book clearly and simply to explain how procedures are used to test if a spirit has inhabited an object. Although several objects, such as chairs and houses, are mentioned, dolls have a special place in Jayne’s collection, and she has her own Haunted Dolls website.

     Recognition of Jayne’s work has been given by magazines and paranormal groups. People have invited Jayne into their houses to help them make sense of strange occurrences around an object. The author discusses spirit attachment, which happens more with people than with objects such as dolls, but she has devised a series of observations and tests to check an object. There is a chapter on “Spirit attachment through History”, where Jayne discusses voodoo, puppets and twins who have been parted by death.

     It is fascinating to read about the equipment that is taken to assess a paranormal occurrence. There is a K2 meter to detect electromagnetic fields. Headphones, an infra-red camera, an onyx pendulum and a mini digital recorder are some items that also help Jayne to form a conclusive opinion. If she believes there is evidence of paranormal activity, the author (with the owners’ permission) takes the doll home. The doll is placed in isolation for twenty four hours in the basement. It is surrounded by salt and kept in a glass case. Later the doll undergoes a cleansing ritual.

     One of the dolls able to express itself was called Peter. Peter was the name of the boy who owned the doll. Peter died in a boating accident and wanted to stay with the doll and not pass over. Doors would slam and books fall off shelves when Peter was active. Another Welsh doll called Polly displayed various activities during investigations. “Light bulbs often blow in rooms where she is kept. Door handles rattle, pictures fall from the wall, and the sound of children playing or giggling is often heard”.

     We know so little about para normal activities. This is a well written introduction to the basic procedures that are used to identify objects that have spirits attached. It is quite fascinating to see the practical equipment and methods used by those who study this topic. There are many examples documented, enough to make the reader wonder, and arouse curiosity. Some of those dolls……Hmmmmm, they look strange!