Lessons from 2011

It's that time folks. The time where we look back at the passing year and think....

Twenty-Eleven,

With amazing adventures,

Came some harsh lessons.

I love the symbolism of the new year. The man made cycle completes and restarts once again. It's hard to believe that it was just a year ago when we decided to leave Paranormal State. What a difficult transition that was. The decision itself felt rather easy but the entire process of change felt slow and painful. Like ripping of a band-aid...ughhh, I hate when it latches on to some hair....anyway...

But that is what builds character after all. The harsh lessons engraved in my skin make me strong...


Its strange how it seems that 2011 was a really tough year for many people. Its hard to say if it will get better or not....we won't truly know. I do know one thing....that you can make yourself better. After all, the humankind has shown just what amazing feats it is capable of. That ability lies inside all of us and is ready to be unlocked by our potential and will power. I'll stop with the cliche statements for now

We have to remember that the world does not revolve around one person. We all go through the same and different stresses that life throws at us. I guess what matters is how we deal with it. The universe will throw a curve in our path and then add some. That is life. Life is about not giving up. Learn from your mistakes and know that problems are meant to be solved.

I think one of the harshest lessons for me this year revolved around picking sides. For the most part I like to follow the philosophy of staying out it; "playing Switzerland," as some people like to call it. But it seems that sometimes life will make you choose a side. Sometimes you'll make the wrong choice. I guess the ultimate realization is that there isn't right or wrong. There, just, is....

Moving forward, head up high (I think people need to look at the stars more often), family and friends, acquaintances and strangers, best of luck in the new year.

Ganzfeld - a rediscovery in a door that led us to a new world. I will continue experimenting with this technique but like with anything I need to be prepared to explore the unknown.

Digital Memories - attempting to put together my first photography book; the idea has strangely evolved at the turn of the new year; i won't have to start from scratch; i will have to start in order to finish

Tree of Light - not many people know this, but I'm afraid to be alone in the dark sometimes. It takes a lot from me to embrace it. When I do, I find such amazing sights and wonders.

The Fire Inside -   Inside us there is a fire that is ready to burst.  We sometimes fear to show. Sometimes its important to go on a journey of self-discovery to reignite that fire inside.  

One thing that I am looking forward to is resurrecting the Photo Critic. He will rise from the shadows to deliver the upmost demeaning, insightful, witty, rude comments....no, he'll probably just be nice. 

Cloud Hopping - a different way to travel.

Enter Twenty-Twelve,

A brave new world surrounds us.

We are dream-weavers.

the not so New Year's Resolutions

1. Concoct more potions

2. Don't hold the door for escaping criminals

3. Day dream about photographic adventures

4. Stay Jung

5. Give more high-fives

6. Inspire/d
7. Sleep Better
8. Continue to develop my photography style (pun intended)
9. Increase pun usage by 13%

10. And one more 

The curious case for psychical research....

It has been over 30 years since the first time the United States of America decided to employ psychics as tactical spies against various factions that posed a threat to our country and its people. Though the results and opinions of this form of intelligence gathering got mixed reviews, we cannot deny that somehow they were able to reproduce verifiable information. Unfortunately, because the research was conducted by the US military, most of the information has been deemed classified. But despite all the red tape, that potential for psychic activity has incapsulated our lives.

We have heard stories of a mother suddenly sensing her child is hurt with nothing more then a simple intuitive feeling, a man who suddenly catches a scent of his grandfather's cologne, the same time the grandfather was declared deceased. What opens up our minds to receive such information? What is this invisible web that interconnects us?

This upcoming webinar deals with the research done to further explore the existence of psychic activity. What are the theories behind it and what have studies shown with the merging of spirituality and science?

Thank you,
Sergey Poberezhny

PRS 122 - Research in Psychic Activity

OWS - Us VS Them

I wonder if one day....the cops will stand with the people?

Wildlife photographer captures lion rescuing helpless cub from falling to its death

Check it out; makes you smile at the end :)

http://standeyo.com/NEWS/11_Pics_of_Day/110927.pic.of.day.html

Vlog 9/28/2011

And so it continues....

     What a weekend. Blink and its over. Last night I went to sleep pretty late, working on an ad campaign for Canada. My concept is pretty simple....offer interesting facts on various places around Canada in a form vintage Polaroids. The first three can be found below. The idea is to hopefully make them interesting and clever enough for people to notice and share with their friends. Especially their friends in Canada. ;) 

     I am continuing in practicing my Pranayame sessions. Still at the 5 minute mark....what really amazes me is how much clearer I feel after doing that session. Though that is not say that its gotten easier. Its the strangest thing when it comes to introducing new habits into your life. Running, meditations, reading, diet....etc. The first few days, you are feeling unstoppable, the energy is great, the new tasks come so easy, and then suddenly, everything comes to a halt. Something happens, you can't run. You are traveling so you can't eat healthy. You pick up a book, but the battery runs out? (thats gonna be the excuse of the future). 

    As the week progress, I am forced to continue to put my time into the Canada Tour. There is a lot to catch up on, especially after doing the AGH the Movie Tour. But it seems like its gonna be a lot fun. 

Other then that, hope you all have a great week. You know...Mondays, don't seem that bad.

Serg

Habits

One thing at a time....

So I wanted to introduce something to you guys. Especially to all you iphone/ipad owners. There is a an application called, Pranayama. A program that helps promote healthy breathing and meditation. I've used this during some investigations because sometimes a Red Bull or a soda would do more harm then good. But then my habit of using it slowly died out. Not sure why, but I am trying to bring it back.

I recall asking about meditation for years. YEARS! Why haven't I made this into a habit is beyond me. The proven benefits can be astounding all across the perimeters of life. Nature's pill. Not some pharmaceutical grown turd with some insane side-effects. Its strange, look around you. I bet you can think of one thing you can do right now that will improve your life, but all you do is talk about wanting to do something or going to do something. Its strange to realize how I've been "going" a lot in life, but haven't gone anywhere. Learn a language, pick up a new hobby, exercise, write more, paint more, explore!

But short steps....err baby steps. That is after all the key advice from, "What About Bob?" Baby steps into meditation.

No excuses, you can think of something right now. What do you want to do? Join me, do it! Sorry Nike, don't sue me.

-Sergey Poberezhny

Happy 10th PRS

Together we ride

Riding from sunrise to sun,

Sunsets, displaying,

Stars: life connectors.

O, path makers, place holders,

Guide me, advise me.

Up and down we go,

Emotional turmoil,

Tidal waves of life.

Bonds formed from stories,

Nostalgic moments of hope,

Ten more, P.R.S.

AGH Tour VLog

Sometimes the world can be too much...

Einstein on the mysterious

Someone shared with me a short essay written by Einstein on life and I thought it was so interesting that I would like to share it with you guys.

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

Reading this, I can't help but feel the same attitude towards life. It is good to see a scientist who can understand and appreciate the "unknowns" if you will. Rather then denouncing spirituality, he seems to acknowledge that we need to be able to merge it with science; even then we will only know a portion of what is out there. And that is something truly magical. There is so much more that life can offer, that I think we tend to forget and undervalue it. Sure, the world has been circumnavigated and it may feel like we have explored everything, but there is still the mind, body and universe.

So we are left with a couple options; we can sit back and think that life is dull and boring, or you can open your eyes and appreciate the marvels it has to offer.

Salem Field Trip - Group Photo

Thank you everyone for an amazing time. Here is the group photo from the Salem Field Trip.

The Light Bulb Ban

On Monday we are due for an exciting, an enthralling, an unimaginable political movement that will shake the United States, nay the entire world.

It seems that our personal freedom is at stake. Can we as people really sit here and allow our government to dictate what light bulbs we are required to use? I am glad this is the priority for certain members in our political realm... honestly,

reading up on this and how this is being treated reads to me a like blow to what we have become.

I remember hearing stories of how people came together during the two World Wars and made sacrifices. Rationing on how they used their resources. Doing whatever they could in order to give our soldiers and our country the extra support it needed. Now, we live a world where I hear corporations sacrificing their employees in order to give raises to the executives. Doing whatever they could in order to make that extra income so they could live the life of luxury.

United we stand?

Are we really united as a nation? Seems to me like we are split. We have our own thoughts and opinions; we form groups, clicks, parties, communities all for different causes. Some beliefs clash with others and so debates and arguments come into play. However, the divide between our social classes continues to grow. Regardless of what happens, I can't help but want to scream, what in the world is happening that light bubs, NASA and NPR are the cause for whats happening to our country. Is this really what we need to focus on?

People aren't stupid; we see through the bullshit that comes out of our politicians and the news. Instead, we are naive and comfortable. We don't know how to get together and stand up for one cause. We figure someone else will step up to the plate. Or, we don't know where to start. I can raise my hand and state that I don't agree, but that is just a start.

But our country is still new. I'd like to think that we are slowly entering a new era. Similar to that of enlightenment. More and more people are becoming connected. This virtual hub is slowly changing, and although the time of youtube videos of cats is far from over....in fact having this, can bring a lighter mood to an otherwise dull day; we are also seeing the potential it can have on creating change, and spreading knowledge.

Tweet me, @photoserg on your thoughts, or leave em here. Till next time my virtual friends.

Happy 4th of July

Warning: Video has cursing...yada yada yada.

George Carlin skit.

Back from the Tour

Home...return from the quest.

It's strange to be back home. It seems my body and mind has found a way to easily adapt to sudden changes. Within a blink of an eye, the tour is over. And now it feels weird to be back home. Perhaps because its stationary. So used to a fast and changing life, I'm not really sure what to do now that we've stopped.

Its time to reflect....

and think...

Something strange was found written on the ground in our neighborhood. Either its a troll or Dexter moved in...

If anyone has got any theories, I'm open to hearing them. It's strange to be back home.

Peace,

Serg

Tour Vlog 3

Things are starting to get a little bit more challenging. But the challenge is all part of the quest. Though I have an unusual schedule, I got to watch the sun rise. This majestic ball of light. Well, delirious Serg is maybe off to bed....

Tour Vlog 2

AGH Tour Vlog 1

Hey Everyone,

So for the next few days, I will be updating you guys and answering any questions by vlogging.

In the next vlog, I try to figure out how many pairs of clean underwear I need to bring...

Not everyone is a fan...

So I got a strange message from what seemed to be a disgruntled fan a few days ago. I do what I usually do with such messages. Have a chuckle and move on with life. Another one came along the next day and I thought to myself, oh wow, could I really be so lucky as to keep getting them, day in day out.

Seems like the fan lost some steam. The final message seems short and rushed and its a few days late. Color my disappointed.

With that being said, it is the weekend. And the weekend should be filled with fun. Hope you guys have a great one.

Updates

So for the past few days, I suddenly had a creative burst and made some major headway with my first photography book. This book includes photographs taken from our investigations on Paranormal State.

It’s strange sifting through the collection of digital memories. A photo that you took years ago can suddenly bring back a flood of emotions. Anger and resentment from a person who is no longer in your life, yet stands among the photos in a pixelated form. The sadness and frustration from our clients as they reach the breaking point with their paranormal problem. The smiles and laughter from the adventures and the jokes. And even the occasional, “I don’t recall taking this and I don’t know what I’m looking at here…”

People often ask me if I ever captured something paranormal. They seek proof of the afterlife, but what about proof of life? Life itself is paranormal. I went to college for a finance degree and instead of working for a bank or some smug corporation, I travelled the country and helped dozens of families. That is paranormal.

One thing that stands out is camaraderie. We are more than just paranormal investigators. We are a paranormal team. You don’t deal with a weeping client or the negative entities on your own, but together. If anything, that is one message we try to show, without speaking it. When we leave the house, the family needs to work together on this.

One photograph that I keep stumbling back to is where Ryan volunteered to combine the Ganzfield technique with the Shakti helmet. The photograph captured right after he said he heard a deafening scream shows him, startled, a priest encouraging whatever is there to come out, and a camera man. It speaks volumes to me personally, as right before the entire group was divided on the idea of him doing this in the first place. In fact on that investigation I was so concerned that I threatened to walk away. But in the end, we stuck together.

My thoughts on photography will continue to change, as will the meanings of the photographs I take. For now, I will continue to do my best to speak those thousand words, without uttering a single syllable

Calvin and Hobbes on War

Given with whats been happening in the world, I feel this takes that and shows us that the innocent have a greater understanding of whats right, whats wrong and whats ridiculous.

NOLA

Well.... we return from NOLA. And along with that come stories...

My first attempt at Then and Now photography; a process where a photographer goes back to the same location to retake the photograph from the same perspective. With enough patience and practice I am sure you can get them to perfectly align.

Toulouse St.

St. Louis Cathedral

The Cabildo

Bourbon St.

Probably the most unique part of the event. There is something memorable about a voodoo priest getting possessed by ancient spirits.

Reynolds Mansion - March 2006

Went to the past today :)

March 19th 2006, 10:29 PM

March 19th 2006, 10:37 PM

No Vlog Today

Hey Everyone,

I am just typing up a forewarning that there may not be a vlog tonight.

Something to keep your eyes and ears out for tomorrow: Anonymous has made an announcement that it will be releasing documents proving that Bank of America has committed fraud. The world is changing, as we continue to fight for a balance.

Peace be with you,
Sergey

Explorer

Hey my blog readers,

A break from my vlog as I am exhausted, that and the power is going out so it would be impossible to upload any sort of video. Crazy snowy weather in State College all of sudden. What in the world did the groundhog predict? Is anyone checking his stats? I think I'm on to something...this might go all the way to the top...

I recently went on a overnight expedition where I got in a car and drove aimlessly around PA. Despite the unfriendly weather I lucked out really well and was able to take advantage of the situation. I let the universe guide me and my thoughts. As usual I brought my camera for the ride.

http://www.sergeypoberezhny.com/album/searching#1

Explorer

Hey my blog readers,

A break from my vlog as I am exhausted, that and the power is going out so it would be impossible to upload any sort of video. Crazy snowy weather in State College all of sudden. What in the world did the groundhog predict? Is anyone checking his stats? I think I'm on to something...this might go all the way to the top...

I recently went on a overnight expedition where I got in a car and drove aimlessly around PA. Despite the unfriendly weather I lucked out really well and was able to take advantage of the situation. I let the universe guide me and my thoughts. As usual I brought my camera for the ride.

http://www.sergeypoberezhny.com/album/searching#1

Vlog 2-27-2011

Vlog 2-20-2011

Jerusalem UFO Video

So there has been a recent sighting of a UFO in Israel on January 28th, 2011 at approximately 1:00 AM. Since then, several videos have sprung in connection with the event. Among the landfill of youtube'd videos we find four of which that have grabbed our attention... well at least some more so then others, but I will get to that in a moment.

Video 1 (Up for debate) *The video that started it all

Video 2 (Up for debate) *The man from the first video's perspective

Video 3 (Proven to be fake) *Uploaded by some person from the US.

This is nothing more then a still image. Still image has been provided below.

Video 4 (Up for debate) *I believe this is was uploaded by people who were there.

Interesting things to note

A - Location where UFO was near

B - Location where video 1 & 2 were shot

C - Location wehere video 4 was shot

Now I am sure that with todays technology it is easy to create a video such as this. Afterall, people were once fooled by the an old radio broadcast where an alien invasion occurred in New Jersey, and that relied on nothing more then sound. Yes, I have scoured the internet and have seen all the videos that debunk one another. I for one am not sold on the horizon perception theory. But thats the problem with any paranormal video out there. One can always scream debauchery and find that no matter what, there is no such thing as a proof positive piece of evidence.

Though I do have to wonder, how elaborate will a hoax go and for what purpose? It certainly seems that video 3 is clearly fake, and with over 400,000 views, I can't help but wonder, why would someone put out a deliberate fake. To ride the attention of reality, or to cover it up? Asking....ney pursuing questions like this can easily lead toward a spiral of confusion with every possible theory...well that's just it, everything and anything can be possible. Swamp gas, ball lightening, angels, aliens space craft, secret government space craft, hoaxers, government hiding reverse engineered alien space craft, greed, viral marketing for this summer's alien movie...etc and etc.

I guess in times of global change, of social revolution, UFOs are almost a reminder that if there is some form of intelligent life out there that has visited us over the years, we better hope they don't do to us what Europe did when it colonized America. I for one do not want to open up an Intergalactic Casino.

Now the 4th video appeared on the internet on Febuary 1st, and received very little attention, especially considering that it provides a much better angle of the event. I am curious to see if any more witnesses will come out, or will this fall into the internet abyss and become forgotten? What can I say, this white russian, just wants to believe. Thoughts?

A or B II

I've picked out these two photos.... shot at West Virginia State Penitentiary while we investigated for the episode titled, "Darkness Falls." Been thinking about creating a photo book themed around this location. This was definitely one of my most memorable investigations.

A

B

For those that haven't seen it, you can check out some photos from WVSP that I posted a while back on my Flickr account: click me!

Once again, choose between the two photos and state why you like it.

Enter, New Year

Welcome New Year.

So what brings you here? New ideas, commitments, aspirations....followed by chocolate, television, and 3-hour naps. That's right, a time where we create resolutions to fill a void in our lives. I'm too fat, I have no job, I need a relationship....and the list goes on, along with hopefully, some possible solutions.

A rather symbolic time in our society, but somehow I feel the symbolism is overlooked. Swallowed up by Santa Claus himself, and how could it not be, what with all the lights, gifts, friends and family.

As the year grew closer to its demise, it also grew closer to its resurrection. The Phoenix is my New Year and I am the Phoenix. It is around this time that I start to respect the mistakes that I have made and hope that I can use them to help turn myself around.

.....so i started writing this two days ago and then stopped as I remembered I needed to do something else, a photographic promise I made to myself...

I thought it would be fitting to continue from here with the news that you all may or may not have heard: our decision to make this the last season of Paranormal State. The choice was not made lightly; but something that we have been thinking for quite some time.

I am extremely grateful for Paranormal State; the journey has been long and hard (thats what she said) but rewarding on so many levels. For one, investigating human spirituality; something that I had kept very simple for many years. Being good is common sense. Growing up, I had no ghostly visitations; I was spirit-free, well free-spirited....flowing with life, allowing it to guide me where I needed to go. Of course the younger me; never really thought of life this way. As I started to grow with PRS I saw life from a different point of view. That some things, happen for a reason; that moments of randomness stop being chaotic at times, and align for a reason that we may not fully understand.

And now years later, we stand at a cross road with Paranormal State. One arrow pointing towards the possibility of the next season, the other to destination unknown. We are making the choice to not wait, to not wait in hopes that something, or someone will come along, but to take the chance in thought that this is where life wants us to turn. To make that right at the intersection and feel alright; almost like its meant to be.

To our many fans and supporters, I can't help but thank each and everyone of you. I feel that there were some moments where I wasn't able to show my gratitude to you because at times I just wanted to get out of the spotlight. But we would never, ever have been able to take this path if it wasn't for you guys.

We will continue to work with all of our clients who still need help, we will continue to open doors to the unknown and we will continue doing what we feel is right.

Who knows where the next path will take us, but with the new year upon us, I can't help but feel deep inside that this was the right choice, and I think that's what truly matters.

Much love,

Sergey

A or B

Two photos, pick one and tell me why you like it more?

A

B