Para Explorers: Taking on the Paranormal With Science

An interview with Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman

Author Marie D. Jones and paranormal investigator Larry Flaxman have teamed up to found a new organization – ParaExplorers – that focuses a scientific lens on various aspects of the paranormal and the unexplained. In this interview, they explain the concept and goals of ParaExplorers.

Q: There definitely is a growing public interest in paranormal investigation in the media – several popular TV shows and many websites. What’s different about the ParaExplorers concept?

Marie: Our concept is markedly different than mainstream paranormal investigation by two key tenets. First, our charter is to explore a variety of phenomenological subject matter; we are not strictly limited to traditional topics like “ghost hunting” or “UFO chasing”. We intend to explore all manner of unexplained mysteries, from the ancient to the modern, which covers a very broad range of potential topics. Too many groups focus on just one “niche,” such as ghosts, cryptids, or figuring out who built the pyramids. We want to examine all these things, and so much more, including some very intriguing fringe subject matter, as well as topics most people don’t normally associate with the paranormal.

Some of this exploration will find its way into book format, and we are already signed by New Page Books for two books for 2009: 11:11- The Time Prompt Phenomena: The Meaning Behind Mysterious Signs, Sequences and Synchronicities and The Resonance Key: Exploring the Links Between Vibration, Consciousness and the Zero Point Grid. As you can see, Larry and I refuse to be put into a box! As authors, we also get to theorize about what we are researching, and talk to others in related fields about their research. This is one of the things that most excites us.

Second, with our close association with the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST), of which Larry is Founder and President, we will mirror their 100 percent scientific approach, utilizing and following strict scientific methodology. We have at our disposal the incredible resources of ARPAST, which is the best of the best, and plan to utilize it to further our understanding of what makes these anomalies tick. So, not only do we have the cerebral element of theorizing and writing and researching, we have the hands-on element of scientific-based field investigation via ARPAST. Also, Larry and I do plan to get out there as a team to look at these mysteries close up and get our hands dirty, so to speak, digging for clues.

Q: What else can you tell us about the kinds of mysteries or phenomena ParaExplorers will investigate?

Marie: Anything unexplained! From the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids, out of place objects, mystery numbers and sequences, scientific anomalies and quantum enigmas, to myths and legends, conspiracies and cover-ups, esoterica and occult studies and everything in between.

There are the “standards” to be sure: ghosts, UFOs, cryptids… but we want to take a broader look at the unknown, including how science itself is merging with the paranormal, what ancient civilizations knew about the structure of reality, and even get into the most cutting-edge brain and consciousness research in an attempt to pinpoint the mechanisms behind paranormal experiences.

We also plan to look into the psychology of the paranormal, including how myth, folklore and religion influence what we believe, and how perception and the role of the observer influence reality. There are no limits to what we can explore, and that is the beauty of not being restricted to one niche of the paranormal.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish ultimately?

Marie: Primarily, we want to provide public awareness and education, while researching and hopefully answering the mysteries of our world. Or at least a few of them! This is really about knowledge, and if we can add to the body of knowledge, while also inspiring and educating a new “breed” of explorers, then we will have met the intentions of our charter. Larry and I also hope to reach age groups that have an incredible amount of energy and ideas to offer, including young people. We want to solve the unsolvable (or at least get pretty darned close), and encourage others to continue the quest as well.

Q: Using science to investigate many aspects of the paranormal has proved difficult because of its often fleeting nature. How do you plan to handle that?

Marie: While reproducibility of the event may be “fleeting,” there are certain events and “triggers” which occur on a quantum level that are measurable. Piggybacking on ARPAST’s research methodology and utilization of technology, we will approach our research and investigation of unexplained phenomena in a similar manner – by employing every state-of-the-art technological means at our disposal.

In addition, we both have such a broad background of knowledge in areas other than the paranormal that, when put together, give us the edge above many other groups and teams out there. Too many researchers come out of one area of interest, and their focus is very narrow. And way too few ever bother to learn a little bit about the various “other” arts and sciences that can help broaden their knowledge base.

Larry and I both bring so much to the table alone, but together, we just cover all the possible bases! Our bios tell it all (and we both had to leave out a lot)! We are both well-versed in many areas of science. Larry has a background in psychology, law enforcement, information technology – you name it. I have a background in journalism, writing, promotions, and metaphysical studies, and years in the field with MUFON. So put it all together and I think the only thing we cannot do is build our own website. But we have a wonderful person who does that.

Q: What is ARPAST’s methodology?

Larry: The Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team is a science-based research group dedicated to furthering our measured understanding of anomalous and unexplained phenomena via the utilization of state-of-the-art equipment, methodologies, and techniques. ARPAST is not out to “prove” or “disprove” the existence of ghosts and other paranormal phenomena. We do not profess to be experts, either, as there is no such thing as an expert when it comes to unknown anomalies. People who call themselves experts are misguided, and they mislead the public as well. As of yet, no one has offered definitive answers or proof when it comes to the paranormal. ARPAST, working in conjunction with ParaExplorers, hopes to bridge that gap.

ARPAST’s mission is to document, collect, and analyze environmental and corroborated data surrounding paranormal events while ruling out or uncovering any possible explanatory causes for such phenomena. We don’t run around waving EMF meters and taking pictures of dust particles. Everything we do is meticulously planned and executed. We are looking for answers, not just a fun night out in a potentially haunted location.

Q: Besides you two, who have founded ParaExplorers, are there – or will there be – others on your team or that you’ll work with?

Marie: Using the resources of ARPAST, we will be working with consultants and leading experts in the field appropriate to our work. We also plan to liaison with other authors and researchers and share information and resources. And we have our amazing web-mistress, Suzanne Weaver, on board, too. We may one day build a team with an official board and all that, but for now, Larry and I plan to take over the world on our own.

Q: Can others get involved with ParaExplorers?

Marie: Yes, we certainly welcome external involvement. Currently, we are seeking consultants and subject-matter experts to add to our growing stable of professional specialists. We also want other authors and researchers who might wish to network with us to contact us, too. Anyone interested in learning how they can get involved can go to the website, www.paraexplorers.com, and email us. We are just starting up, but already things are moving and growing fast, and the interest is high. As you said earlier, this subject matter is on fire in the media and on the Internet and shows no signs of slowing down, and neither do Larry and I.

Marie D. Jones is the author of PSIence: How New Discoveries In Quantum Physics and New Science May Explain the Existence of Paranormal Phenomena, 2013: End of Days or a New Beginning - Envisioning the World After the Events of 2012, and Supervolcano: The Catastrophic Event That Changed the Course of Human History. Larry Flaxman is the President and Senior Researcher of the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST), which he founded in February of 2007.