The Dark Side of the Moon

A mystery illness has lately felled most of the Chronicles staff. We are down, but not out. Posting goes on.

A curious link for our faithful readership: Numbers Stations

"It's 3 AM, I must be lonely..."

3 o'clock in the morning and the whole world is asleep. They call this the witching hour, when darkness enfolds the mundane world.

Waking up at 3 AM, it is easy to feel the sensation of being between the worlds. Some religious folk say that demons are at their most powerful at this hour. At this time, the veil between our world and some "dark realm" becomes thin. Some say that this is when the sick and dying most often sense the silent arrival of Charon's little boat and depart into the next world.

Even for the living, this is the time of deepest dreaming, when our bodies descend into sleep paralysis. It is the hour of the succubus or night hag. You may awaken suddenly to find someone standing over you or crouched at the foot of your bed. As you struggle to sit up, the vision disappears but the instinctive night terror stays.

Note on the video: Please make note that the "Mystery Man" in this film was played by Robert Blake of In Cold Blood, who went on to (apparently) murder his wife a few years later. Of course, we still do not fully understand the relationship between acting and spirit possession.