Paracon Australia will take place in just a few months. After attending last year, I cannot emphasize enough to anyone interested in the paranormal how amazing this event is. You’ll meet all kinds of people interested in different topics of the paranormal and you’ll also hear the best in the business give their opinions on things. One of the international acts speaking this year is Calvin Von Crush, who will present his collection of occult objects and bizarre artefacts. Calvin is an award-winning tattoo artist from Berlin, Connecticut in the United States. In addition to tattooing, Calvin’s passion is collecting macabre objects from the past. Not only does he collect them, he also keeps them in his house. Haunted and cursed objects, skeletal remains and strange animals are just some of the things he sleeps among at night. Calvin was kind enough to give me some time to talk about his very special collection and the controversial Ouija board!
So what can we expect from this presentation entitled ‘Show and Hell’?
“I came up with the tongue-in-cheek name because I wanted it to reflect on the ‘Show and Tell’ presentation at primary school, where children would bring something from home and talk about it. I never brought a ‘normal’ item. I always brought live lizards or something. So I guess as an adult I still do it using airairplanes instead of school buses. I really get a kick out of it. I bring some items that are very uniquely American. From some of our strangest places. Items related to crytozoology, curses, hauntings, and even communication with angels. Although I can’t say too much. I want to keep it a mystery. I ran the item list through Alex and he thinks the attendees will appreciate it, but he also promised not to tell. I think that’s part of the appeal of the paranormal anyway. The mystery and intrigue.”
How did you get into the world of the paranormal and start collecting obscure items?
“I have been a fan of the paranormal since childhood. It has always been a part of my life. I grew up hearing stories that my grandmother was a witch and that Ouija boards passed on messages from the dead that came true. It scared me, but excited me at the same time. I think horror movies and TV have only amplified it. So as an adult I still had countless questions about these phenomena and I wanted to play with fire, so to speak. I wanted to give the paranormal every opportunity to present itself. I would do anything to make my house haunted. After all, the experts were always against that. I would make my walls bleed or chains rattle at night. So I filled my house with item after item related to the occult and supernatural.”
Do you have a favorite item out of all the items in your collection?
“This is such a difficult question to answer. I get questions all the time and not a single item stands out. It sounds materialistic, but being surrounded by all these fascinating things feels like home to me. I always had a sense of wonder when I entered museums. Still. And that’s the feeling I have when I walk through my house. The collection itself is a flourishing creature that I get to nourish with each new piece. I literally watch TV while sitting on a couch, nestled between the antique skeleton of a murdered Parisian prostitute named Monoque and an aquarium with a live two-headed turtle. That’s my favorite place, I think. Right in the middle of it all.”
Have you come across that one object that you think is really haunted?
“None. No piece has ever lived up to its intended purpose, diabolical design or terrifying story. The search continues. If anyone in Australia will try to change my mind and swears he or she has something that proves positive delivers in the paranormal, then I would like to take it home.”
In addition to all of the above, Calvin is also one of the directors of the Talking Board Historical Society, which aims to preserve the history behind Ouija boards and spiritual communication devices of the era. After the talks wrap up on the first day of Paracon, there will be a very special event in the dark, co-hosted by Cavin, specifically focusing on Ouija boards and other traditional styles of spirit communication. It will be a practical presentation where you will have the opportunity to use the Ouija board and discuss the theories of how it works and experience the ‘phenomenon’ yourself… if you dare! We all love to hate Ouija boards. Some believe they are toys, while others believe they can cause problems and should not be used. I must admit that in the past I have been hesitant to touch one due to the over-hyped and elaborate stories I had heard about demonic possessions and apparent deaths caused by ‘Ouija Boards’. I’ve used one since then and I’m happy to report that the worst thing that happened to me was that I got sore wrists from holding the planchet for so long.
Image by Sarah Chumacero Life in the full spectrum
How did the Talking Board Historical Society come about and what is it all about?
“It’s really the brainchild of the world’s foremost Ouija and talking board expert, Bob Murch. He literally has so much passion that he had to gather a group of collectors he’s met over the years and let us absorb some of his overflow so he doesn’t blow up. So far it’s working. We are constantly discovering new information about the inventors and innovators behind these devices. We held the world’s first talking board convention, which was a great success. We dedicated a monumental plaque in a supermarket located in the building that Ouija is named after. Soon we will place a proper memorial on the grave of Helen Peters Nosworthy, the woman who named the board. We are also as focused on the future as we are on the past. People are learning how fascinating these signs are and helping to remove that sense of villainy that has been wrongly assigned to them thanks to pop culture and very real science and history. We are passionate about signs and hope we can further enhance their iconography.”
What are your thoughts on the stigma surrounding Ouija boards that they are evil and something we shouldn’t mess with?
“I love that people are terrified of Ouija boards. Really and truly. In the age of virtual reality and big-budget video games, it’s refreshing to see that the human imagination is still strong enough to work on 126-year-old technology. But imagination is perhaps too harsh a word. Because Ouija boards work. It is its own tangible proof. But when I say ‘work’ I apparently mean a movement of one’s own accord. The human body and mind are the catalyst, but nothing paranormal. By teaching the science behind it all, I feel like I’m getting people in on the joke. Let them see behind the curtain where Oz is hiding. I want the legend to live on, but I also don’t like seeing people scared. It’s sometimes a difficult position to be in. The bottom line is, it’s a game. The danger lies in the user’s faith.”
How much of a role do you think the power of suggestion plays in the world of the paranormal?
“Nothing in life, especially the paranormal, is black or white. There is never one solid reason “why” that we can answer. I think people experience the paranormal, or at least say they experience the paranormal, for a number of reasons. I think wanting to believe is probably the most common core. Once the heart is set on something, the mind usually moves along. And that’s when suggestion can really kick-start the cognitive acceleration. Whether it is an outside influence or an internal struggle that creates the suggestion may be the deeper question here. I want to believe in it too, but I expect results. The burden of proof lies with the person making the claim. Not the person hearing the story. A woman who believed she was a medium once told me that I don’t experience the paranormal because I have an army of angels in heaven looking after me. Well, they’re really clipping their own wings when it comes to helping an atheist see the light, because a ghost or specter can go a long way in bringing a wayward lamb back into the fold.
Finally, as a self-proclaimed skeptic, what do you look for in the paranormal?
It’s true that I’m a skeptic, I’ll never say I believe when I’m trying to score a speaking engagement or a spot on a TV show. I never accept any statement about anything as true without testing the waters myself. Whether it’s food, music, movies or a demon that makes someone float above their bed. I always have to make my own judgment. But I was a fan of the paranormal from the start. I sincerely doubt I’ll ever find an item that lives up to its reputation. Nor will I ever see a phantom floating through a wall. But I know I have no chance of just sitting on the couch with bare white walls. No one likes an armchair commentator on any topic, and I feel like going out to the supposedly haunted locations and grabbing relics from our days of paranormal past gives me more support for my position than someone who doesn’t get their hands dirty makes. By getting involved, I speak from experience and not speculation. The deeper I dig, the less I believe. I see that human nature is behind everything. I think Dana Scully from X-files recently summed up how I feel about the paranormal with something she said. “I believe you believe.” I don’t think everyone just tells me stories they made up themselves. These people who touch spirits, talk to angels, or see big feet all tell me truthfully what they consider reality. So I guess I’m looking for the concrete truth. The evidence that can be real for everyone, not just the spectator. Along the way, I’ve found some great friends, incredible experiences, and countless opportunities that I wouldn’t have had to collect baseball cards. So even without the evidence, I find enough to hold on to.”
Big thanks to Calvin for giving us the time to pick his brain, and also big thanks to Alex from Paracon Australia. Sleep well!
Want to see more and meet the man himself? All you have to do is head up (or down depending on where you are) to Paracon Australia, held in the Blue Mountains in NSW. Tickets are on sale now, but are selling fast.
Visit www.paraconaustralia.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
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