I RECENTLY went on an all-night paranormal investigation at Walton Hall and would like to thank James for setting it up.

It lasted from 8pm until 4am and I experienced some very interesting stuff involving a table.

I’m aware that illusionist Derren Brown famously portrays table tipping as a simple conjuring trick in his stage shows and attributes the phenomena to the ideomotor effect ‘an involuntary muscular action where the participant’s subconscious may influence their bodies without the conscious mind being aware.

It seems that the desire to believe can completely override the conscious mind. I went to the venue in true ecumenical spirit.

Some readers have wrongfully assumed that I’m against all things paranormal because of my lay leadership role in the Christian church.

This is not the case. I recognise that it’s unhelpful to label all paranormal experiences as ‘demonic’.

Saint Paul tells us to examine all things (1 Thess. 5:21). Therefore, it would seem that it is alright to examine such events. But for the average pew dweller we need to be careful because to look into them for the purpose of receiving guidance is wrong. We are not to be involved in anything cultic.

However, on the other hand, it is possible for a Christian to investigate the various ‘supernatural’ phenomena for the purpose of exposing them as either false or genuine, or whatever they might be as long as the motive and the goal is to bring glory to God.

As long as the Christian has the glory of God as a central motivation for his studies and investigation into such phenomena, then paranormal investigation could be something for a churchgoer to do.

GARRY-JOHN HAMMOND Latchford