Simplicity. Simplicity is what makes for a good horror movie. There isn’t any need for elaborate plots, or million dollar special effects. No. Just a basic story, with ordinary characters and terrifying scenes in where most of the fear is left to the imagination of the audience. Do you remember reading “The Amityville Horror” or “The Exorcist”? The books were written with such simplicity and realness to them, that fear gripped you by subtle details.

When it comes to the parapsychology, it’s the cases that are the most subtle and well witnessed that send shivers down my spine. Most of the new school ghost hunting shows are painfully dull. They repeat the same pointless types of investigations which requires them to run around in the dark with thermometers and flashlights, scaring each other. Then we have the old school “ghost hunters” (if we can call them that). These are the guys that put a lot of effort into investigations. Analytical investigation through science, as we understand it, and through psychology, is what they were all about. Cases weren’t solved in a 1-2 day time frame. In fact, I don’t believe them to be ever “solved”. The paranormal activity just dissipated. These were the men and women that used logic, reasoning and common sense into every investigation they headed.

Through the decades, one man has had one foot squarely planted on science, while the other foot explored the unlimited possibilities of the paranormal.

Dr. Barry Taff has seen it all. From his meticulous work as a young researcher for UCLA’s parapsychology lab in the 70s, to his most famous cases which propelled his status as one of the greatest in the annals of the paranormal. Dr. Barry Taff has always focused on understanding the phenomena that many mainstream scientists deny or belittle. With decades of experience, Dr. Taff now finds the time to reflect back through all the crazy years and crazy things his research took him to. Still, keeping his firm stand on science, Dr. Taff explains his encounters with the unknown in his new book titled “Aliens Above, Ghosts Below“.

The book is riddled with stories of apparitions, hauntings, aliens and science. It’s an incredible read for the skeptics, as well as the believers. From the subtle cases involving “ghost cats” to Dr. Taff’s topsy-turvy ride through the dating world (which his take on the subject is quite amusing); the book is as chilling as it is entertaining. “Aliens Above, Ghosts Below” is one of those books that you have to put down. Not because it’s bad, but because you need to turn on the lights to keep from being freaked out.

I do most of my readings late at night, due to my busy schedule. So when I was reading through Dr. Taff’s version of the “San Pedro haunting” and “The Entity“, I felt chills going down my spine. Enough for me to turn on more lights. Those are two of his most famous cases. One of which spawned a movie. Now, I know those cases back and forth because I’ve been interested in the research that was done. Meticulous scientific studies, and well documented witnessing of the paranormal phenomena by scientists and others. But what really creeped me out where the stories of ghostly apparitions that were reported by families throughout the L.A. area. The stories of those who reported UFOs or aliens and then weeks later disappear from the face of the earth, never to be found, even decades after…those types of stories freak me out, and that’s what the book is filled with.

The book is written in such way that Dr. Taff starts with some of the basic cases and research that he’s done, and then takes you to some of the most unbelievable explanations to the paranormal and even how we, as humans, can begin to understand what really is out there. Holographic brains, time traveling and even theoretical physics is how the book concludes Dr. Taff’s amazing journey through this bizarre world. And for some strange reason, although I’m not a big sci-fi fan, it all made perfect sense.

“Aliens Above, Ghosts Below” is one of those books that presents the problems with gathering evidence or data in parapsychology and the contradictions of what the modern laws of physics tell us, but at the same time, does a hell of a job in presenting eyewitness testimony of the impossible. Or what we perceive to be the impossible.

Whether you’re an avid “ghost hunter” or mainly a skeptic, this book will speak to both sides of the argument and serves as a great tool for opening the doors of curiosity. A great read and great exploration into the unknown.