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Paranormal

What lies behind ghosts, demons and aliens – according to sleep researchers

Captblack76/Shutterstock.com Alice M Gregory, Goldsmiths, University of London If you believe in the paranormal you might not be surprised if you hear stories of deceased loved ones appearing during the night, huge explosions heard just as someone is drifting off with no obvious cause, and other peculiar occurrences. But what if you don’t? My interest in the paranormal started with an impromptu coffee with a colleague, Chris French, who researches reports of #paranormal experiences. He told me stories of countless people who had recounted such events. These experiences tended to start while lying in bed. Then something unusual would happen – perhaps a demon would appear or the environment would seem strange or there would be a sensed presence. The person having this experience might also report being glued to their mattress, tarmacked into the bed, totally unable to move. It’s unsurprising that people who experience such things might interpret them as paranormal. But certain phenomena such as sleep paralysis provide an alternative to paranormal explanations for such occurrences. Hence my interest in the subject, as a sleep researcher. Sleep paralysis When we sleep, we cycle through different stages. We start the night in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep – which gets progressively deeper. We then cycle back until we hit rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During REM sleep we are most likely to have vivid dreams. At this stage, we are also paralyzed, perhaps as a safety mechanism to stop us acting out our dreams so that we don’t end up attempting to fly. But during #sleep paralysis, features of REM sleep continue into waking life. Those who experience it will feel awake yet might experience dream-like hallucinations and struggle to move. This experience is pretty common, occurring in around 8% of people (although estimates vary dramatically depending on who we are asking). It’s even possible to induce sleep paralysis in some people, by disrupting their sleep in specific ways. Certain researchers, French among them, believe that this explains a huge number of paranormal accounts. Information about sleep paralysis is finally seeping into public awareness, but we now need to understand more about this common complaint. Our preliminary work, which I recount in my new book Nodding Off: The science of sleep from cradle to grave, hints at possible genetic and environmental explanations for why some people are more likely than others to experience sleep paralysis. This now needs to be replicated using much larger samples. Reviewing the literature, we have also highlighted a host of other variables associated with this common experience, including stress, trauma, psychiatric difficulties and physical illnesses. The worst dreams.Creativa Images/Shutterstock.com Exploding head syndrome Sleep paralysis aside, how else are sleep researchers helping to explain paranormal experiences? People sometimes describe experiencing huge explosions during the night which simply can’t be explained. There is no sign that a shelf has fallen down or a car has backfired. There is no one playing the electric guitar next to their head. Again, this can be linked to our sleep – this time explained by “exploding head syndrome”, a term coined relatively recently by the neurologist JMS Pearce. When we fall asleep, the reticular formation of the brainstem (a part of our brain involved in consciousness) typically starts to inhibit our ability to move, see and hear things. When we experience a “bang” in our sleep this might be because of a delay in this process. Instead of the reticular formation shutting down the auditory neurons, they might fire at once. As with sleep paralysis, this phenomenon is also under-researched. For this very reason, in 2017 my colleagues and I joined forces with BBC Focus and Brian Sharpless, a leading expert on this phenomenon, to collect data on this topic. Imps and ghouls Finally, what might scientists make of precognitive dreams? We might dream of a friend we haven’t seen for years only to have them call us the very next day. French thinks science can provide an explanation for this too. Referencing work by John Allen Paulos that focuses on probabilities, he explains how such an occurrence may be surprising on any single day, but over time, quite likely to occur. Researching my book, I spoke to Mrs Sinclair, who is 70, and lives alone. She told me about what she had thought was a #ghost living in her house, an #imp throttling her during the night and other things that had left her petrified. Having scientific explanations provided her with immense comfort and she no longer believes in paranormal explanations for the things that she experienced. Our hope is that scientific explanations of paranormal experiences might help others by lowering anxiety. Decreasing anxiety has also been hypothesised as a potential method by which to reduce sleep paralysis. So, perhaps providing more information about these unusual experiences might even mean that things are less likely to go bump in the night. Alice M Gregory, Professor of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Historical Paranormal

Historian Dale Cox Featured on Wiregrass Haunts

Stan and Teresa Fikes, the husband and wife duo of #Wiregrass Haunts, a local Internet radio show that covers reports of paranormal activity all over the USA, recently welcomed historian #Dale Cox to their program. Cox was invited to share his historical expertise on the program, as well as share a few stories of paranormal encounters he had experienced.  Cox’s Story of the Bellamy Bridge After being asked about where he grew up and what kind of paranormal activity he heard about as a kid, Cox said that the most popular story in the #Florida suburb where he grew up was the one about Bellamy Bridge. Cox told the story about how a young woman was said to have died in the 1830s and was buried near the bridge, and Cox said how he managed to find reports from the 1890s of people alleging to have seen her ghost. Stump Jumper Another popular story Cox shared was of a “stump jumper” who is said to be a nocturnal creature often seen in swampy terrain. While he has never encountered it, Cox recalled how the creature would knock loudly on people’s doors at night and disappear when they opened the door. This happened once when Cox’s son was visiting, and Cox remembered how his son woke him, telling him that he had spotted something on two legs that then slithered through the mud and into the surrounding pond. This was Cox’s closest encounter with the being, but his friends and family have also seen it. Cox told Wiregrass Haunts how #Jackson County is one of the oldest counties, which means there’s plenty of time for stories to build. Speaking on his fondness for conducting research on paranormal topics, Cox stated:  “What I like to do is dig into them and see what the real facts about them are.”   Sources:

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Investigations Paranormal Religious Supernatural

Exorcisms & Demonic Possession: Catholicism’s Dark Secret

Do you believe in exorcisms & #demonic possession? Some people do, but it can certainly be embarrassing to admit due to the risk of sounding crazy or absurd. In fact, in certain parts of the country, even admitting to believing in God can be difficult to do, in this age of skepticism and cynicism where spirituality isn’t always treated with respect. However, for many people, including some members of the Catholic faith from different parts of the world, demonic possession is very real, and in some cases, calls for an #exorcism performed by an ordained priest. Gabriele Amorth While it’s easy to dismiss the idea of exorcisms as ridiculous, make-believe and superstitious, here is the story of the late #Gabriele Amorth, who died in 2016 at age 91. Reverend Amorth is believed to have performed over 70,000 exorcisms over the course of his career. He was #the Vatican’s most sought after exorcist, in constant demand, believed in the constant battle between good and evil. To read more about Reverend Amorth, check out Vanity Fair’s article on witnessing Reverend Amorth performing an exorcism before his death in 2016. Whether you truly believe in demonic possession or not, Reverend Amorth’s story will undoubtedly keep you up at night.

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Investigations Paranormal Religious Supernatural

Child Ghosts – Demonic or Real Children

Over and over again, we hear of hauntings by the spirit of a little girl or boy.  Perhaps it’s the fact that a child represents innocence and goodness that disarms us from fear or apprehension. We let down our guard, thus exposing ourselves up to a spiritual battle for which we are unprepared. We make ourselves vulnerable to a spiritual world to where earthly rules do not apply.  I would like to examine a few aspects of child #spirits combining both my spiritual beliefs and personal experience in investigations involving “them.” My personal belief is that there is no such thing as earthbound deceased children, even despite tragic and traumatic deaths. As a Christian, I base this on my spiritual beliefs and the character and nature of #Christ.  It is not my intention to impose my personal #religious beliefs on anyone else. Rather, I am merely illustrating and explaining my thought process. As a Christian, I cannot accept that Jesus would leave a child alone and lost to “haunt” a location; let alone seek sympathy and compassion from living human strangers.  It is illustrated in Matthew 13:14-15 where Jesus blessed the children: Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And The disciples rebuked those who brought the children. But in Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he placed his hands on them, he went on from there. There are other spirits who may choose to remain earthbound for fear of judgment. According to Judaism, children are unaccountable for their actions until they come of age. Typically, this occurs following a religious ceremony when a girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah at age 12 and a boy becomes Bar Mitzvah at 13. He or she is now considered an adult in the eyes of God. If the “spiritual” aspect of this concept is removed,it is still a formidable argument.  Let us consider strictly appealing to human compassion. Who, in the depths of their heart and soul, could not help but feel sympathy for a young child, living or dead? This emotional response is compounded by what those of us who are parents and grandparents feel. From this perspective, I feel the strongest empathy and compassion; a maternal instinct.  Who would not issue an invitation for this ghost child to stay? That is all the demonic require to get permission to turn your life into a literal living hell. The demonic cannot gain a stronghold without permission to do so. It doesn’t matter if we’re aware  that we just rolled out that welcome mat. Demons are opportunistic, cunning and know how to play this game.. They come to steal, kill, destroy and deceive as many as they can.  A demonic spirit can change in the blink of an eye from appearing to be a sweet, innocent child rolling a ball across the floor to an evil and unclean entity in a battle for your mortality and soul.  One is left wondering if anyone saw such a disaster coming. There have been many documented cases of #child ghosts turning demonic.  I wish to speak from personal experience with regard to a case that my team and I were called in on.  At the time, I was a sensitive medium. I was able to communicate with spirits and discern the nature of hauntings as in positive or negative.  This case hailed from Hamden, Connecticut, a blue-collar town. Let us call this client “Judy” to protect her identity. Our team, SPI, was called in after things became really bad. By “really bad”, I am referring to Judy being scratched and pushed, inexplicable foul smells, the presence of dark, shadowy figures and full body apparitions, electronic disturbances, and lights malfunctioning.  Judy started doing her own EVP sessions while drinking and cursing at the entity. This was one of the worst cases I had ever seen and from the moment I set foot in Judy’s house, I knew not only that the spirit was demonic, but also that there were more than one of them. One of the demons threatened me and a year or so later, it made good on those threats and nearly destroyed my life and soul. In fact, Ryan Buell from Paranormal State and Lorraine Warren were also involved with this case. However, Judy refused to give permission to air or disclose anything about what happened.   So, why have I gone into such detail on this particular case? It all started with Judy seeing the spirit of a little boy who appearing to be about seven or eight years old.  She loved having him around and invited him to stay with her. Bam! An invitation issued. This “little boy” told her he would show her his grave and she should go to the cemetery with a spirit/Ouija board and he would communicate with her. Naturally, Judy wanted to know all she could about the so-called little boy, so she went to the cemetery with her best friend and the board.  That’s when all the dynamics changed. There have been many, many cases with a child spirit tugging at a person’s heartstrings. I ask you to keep an open mind and to proceed cautiously when empathy and compassion overshadow the fact that it may be more of a sinister plan than a call of innocence. Join us on Wiregrass Haunts Thursday evenings 7:00 CST and 8:00 EST on  WEBB Radio Network to challenge your minds and spirits via the paranormal. Tune in on Spreaker!

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Investigations Paranormal

Hell Unearthed: The Dozier School for Boys

If you should live in the Wiregrass region, you live mere miles away from the location of the former #Dozier School for Boys, incorrectly described as a reform school, a little more accurately described as an abhorrent prison for young boys, and, in more realistic terms, a virtual hell on Earth, full of physical, mental, sexual and psychological torture and abuse for poor little boys, some of whom had committed petty crimes, and many of whom were #orphans who had committed no crimes at all. The black and white little boys were separated, and, not surprisingly, it was the young African-American boys who suffered the worst torture and abuse during the Dozier School’s heyday in the 1900s. As more and more is discovered about what went on the grounds of the Dozier School, the truth becomes more and more violent, #depraved and unimaginable. Yet, the evidence is there. Rooms devoted to physical torture. Bloodstains still evident on the walls. And the #unmarked graves, spread everywhere across the school’s vast property, still being unearthed. Compelling evidence Perhaps the most compelling evidence and all is the testimony of the few surviving former inmates of the Dozier School for boys, who have just begun to share the true horror of the experiences they suffered and endured at the horrid, brutal, disgusting, hellish and #deplorable Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, #Florida. Perhaps one day the WEBB Paranormal Group will have the opportunity to visit the cursed former premises of the Dozier School to see firsthand a location where compassion was abandoned, morals were shirked, and #children were abused and destroyed, even those who survived. Some scars never heal.

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Paranormal

Zac Bagans’ Dybbuk Box

If you are reading this article, the odds are, you are, at the very least, somewhat morbidly curious. Morbid curiosity can mean a wide range of things. From seeing a brave acrobat perform aerial tricks, dozens of feet above the area, with no safety net, turning around on the highway to get a better look at a terrible car crash. What is it we are looking to see? Do you want to see a young, beautiful, athletic, hopeful and fearless acrobat fall to his or her death right before our very eyes? The short answer is no – most of us have no desire to see that. It’s the allure of the possibility. The odds are extremely unfavorable that we will actually see a terrible injury, let alone a fatality, unfold as we sit, stunned, from our seats in the audience. It’s the same when we see a car crash. Even the very hint of death, or the possibility that death or serious injury could occur, commands a certain draw. It excites our primal fear. Logically, we understand that the odds of seeing an injury or, God forbid a death, are very slim. Nevertheless, the possibility, minute though it is, cannot be eliminated, nor can it be destroyed through a plethora of safety harnesses, cables, and nets. The possibility of death or injury, no matter how unlikely, must still exist, lest we do not feel that same maddening desire to see the stunt and the inevitable surge of relief once the acrobat/athlete is okay like he or she dodged a bullet. What does this have to do with the famed #dybbuk box from the Conjuring? Nothing and everything at once. Dybbuk boxes are nothing less than ancient superstitions that a heavy, wooden box can temporarily capture an evil spirit, or a #demon, and prevent any further evil from escaping the dybbuk so long as the demon or evil spirit is strapped inside. For a pop culture reference, think of the scene in #Ghostbusters when all the evil ghosts, spirits, and demons are trapped in the Ghostbusters’ vacuum, for a letter term. When the bullying EPA executive forces the BGs to open the “vacuum,” he has no idea the concentrated evil he has just unleashed upon the world. Concentrated, pure evil with two common goals: (1) revenge against those who imprisoned them; and (2) to wreak havoc and take control over the innocent people of NYC and beyond. So, what does this have to do with the Dybbuk Box from The Conjuring? For one thing, the spirit of Bathsheba (OR, if you read any of #Andrea Perron‘s writings), the unnamed female demonic creature who wreaked havoc on the Perron family for a decade while they lived in the house that held the Dybbuk Box. Whether it’s Bathsheba or some other malevolent force, you certainly don’t want a Dybbuk Box anywhere near your home (and certainly not your family) ESPECIALLY IF THE DAMN THING IS OPEN. Sure, this is a great way to attract curious guests and the #paranormal, but at what risk?  One word for Mr. Bagans – be careful.

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Investigations Paranormal Paranormal Media Supernatural

Momo: Viral Hoax, Deadly Curse and the Dark Side of the Internet

#Momo is real; as real as we allow her to be. In case you missed the brief flurry of articles and news reporters that appeared earlier this year, Momo is a frightening, disfigured female with a distorted, human like face and birdlike body who, reportedly, suddenly appeared in the middle of YouTube videos intended for young #children. Momo appears to gaze directly into the camera, an uncomfortable and sudden sight for any adult to see, let alone a child. Possession or Not? Whispers began to circulate that once a child viewed a video featuring Momo, he or she would be possessed by Momo’s demonic spirit, spurring what became known as “the Momo #Challenge,” which would ultimately lead to the child committing #suicide to appease Momo. Rumors of the Momo Challenge spread like wildfire thanks to social media, stirring up a brief but frenzied panic, with parents urging other parents to monitor what their children are watching on YouTube (um, shouldn’t we be doing that anyway?). Post after post appeared with stories of young children committing suicide as a result of the challenge, though subsequent investigations failed to find any actual documented cases of the Momo Challenge resulting in any deaths, suicide attempts or otherwise. The Wave of Internet Hysteria Later, a Japanese artist would admit that he created Momo as an artistic #experiment, and destroyed “her.” Momo was a farce that resulted in a brief wave of #internet hysteria, and it was a success in a very morbid sense of the world. The Momo Challenge is not the first “suicide challenge” to go viral. Prior to Momo, there was “the #Blue Whale Challenge,” rumored to have originated in Russia, which includes the completion of 50 tasks and also culminates in suicide. However, the truth behind the Blue Whale Challenge is heavily disputed. So, for argument’s sake, let’s say that both the Momo and Blue Whale Challenges are fake, and that (fortunately), no young people have actually lost their lives thanks to the production and circulation of an ill-advised “artistic experiment” or viral video. What is known is that dangerous trends do spread online which can indeed hurt children and teens. Take, for example, the number of young people who have lost their lives attempting to take selfies in dangerous situations (i.e. from great heights or so forth). Or, other seemingly dumb yet harmful trends like the cinnamon challenge, the fire challenge, the Tide Pod challenge, or the trend of smoking alcohol, which can land you in the hospital (Google it if you must, but under no circumstances attempt these ridiculously reckless stunts). What is the Bottom Line? The bottom line is that while Momo and the Blue Whale Challenge are undoubtedly disturbing and frightening, especially in an era when it feels like a losing battle to protect our children from the content they view online, Momo and the Blue Whale are not nearly as dangerous as popular, reckless viral trends that teens and adolescents are drawn to in order to gain views and likes online. How to combat this? Perhaps by having a frank and honest discussion about why taking dangerous selfies and videos is simply not worth it. Momo may not be able to touch our children, but fear, anxiety, peer pressure, insecurity and loneliness certainly can.

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Paranormal

Bill Sketoe’s Hole

Perhaps the most haunting bit of Newton’s history was a tragic and brutal death that took place months prior to the battle of Newton; the death of William “Bill” Sketoe. The exact circumstances of Sketoe’s death are unknown. What is known is that Bill Sketoe was a Methodist minister. He was captured in December of 1864. Some believe that Sketoe was a deserter. Others even go so far as to suggest he was secretly aiding Union forces. However, these charges are largely disputed and, with the passing of time, have been largely dismissed altogether. What is believed is that Sketoe may have hired a mercenary to fight in his place so that he could return home to care for his ailing wife, who was dying of a terminal illness. Nevertheless, Sketoe was captured by a mob and sentenced to death. He was to be killed by hanging, after being severely beaten, brutalized and humiliated by his tormentors. Sketoe was lynched and captured as he crossed a wooden bridge over the Choctawhatchee River in December by the rogue militia. Sketoe’s method of execution was to be death by hanging; a rope was slung over a tree branch with a noose fashioned at the end. Asked if he had any last words, Sketoe began to pray – not for his own life, but for God to have mercy on his executioners. This only further enraged the militia. Sketoe sat on a horse with the rope around his neck as he prayed. The militia, incredulous by Sketoe’s act of prayer, whipped the horse, causing Sketoe’s body to drop. In a gruesome turn of events, the militia had misjudged Sketoe’s large frame. His feet were able to touch the ground. Though he was struggling to breathe, Sketoe was nowhere near death; his neck unbroken. As such, the militia dug a shallow hole under Sketoe’s feet. Eventually, the hole reached sufficient depth, and, after several minutes of anguish, Sketoe finally died, suffering a slow, painful, cruel death. After removing Sketoe’s corpse, the militia attempted to fill the hole with dirt and debris. To their horror, the following day, the hole was discovered to be empty again. It was unknown who might have dug out the hole. Several more attempts were made to fill the hole, only for it to be discovered completely empty again, sometimes within hours. This inexplicable phenomenon lasted for over 125 years. No logical or scientific theories have ever been able to explain the unfillable hole. Ultimately, all theories lead to the paranormal; an inability to cover up a gruesome episode in American history. An unjust, torturous death of an innocent, good man, that we cannot bury or hide. Instead, Sketoe’s hole serves as a constant, permanent reminder of man’s capacity for cruelty against man; an ominous warning to never let an incident like this happen again. Unfortunately, there have been many other acts of cruelty, torture, and murder throughout the United States since the lonely death of Bill Sketoe in 1864. Perhaps until we learn the importance of mercy, justice, and compassion, the hole will never be filled.

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Paranormal

What is a Doppelganger? How to Rid Yourself

A #Doppelganger is a German word meaning “look-alike” or “double-walker” and is the non-biological look-alike of a living person. In folklore, a doppelganger is representative of a #paranormal or ghostly occurrence that is sometimes viewed as an omen of bad luck. A doppelganger has no shadow or reflection and it causes a lot of damage and complications by inserting harmful thoughts into the person’s mind. It is believed that if one sees their own doppelganger, it is a sign of impending back luck or even #death. Some traditions believe a doppelganger is a person’s evil twin; currently referred to as a “twin stranger.” The term “doppelganger” is most frequently applied in a more common or impartial capacity, and sometimes as a slang term as a way of illustrating the physical or behavioral similarities a person may have towards another. Some Examples of a Doppelganger An example of a DG in literature was the #ghost of #Hamlet’s father in #Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. Shakespeare used the idea of a doppelganger to create the plot of revenge against the murder of Hamlet’s father. Ideas were put into Hamlet’s mind by an #apparition of his father who told him he had been murdered. In the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, “William Wilson” the idea of a doppelganger of the boy, William, he meets another boy in school who has the same name, looks alarmingly similar to him, and even dresses and walks as he does. The double of William’s only dissimilarity to him was that he only spoke in a whisper. After being haunted by his doppelganger, his entire life, in the chilling conclusion, William attempts to stab him with a knife, only to look in the mirror and witness he has stabbed himself. The famous “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” story by #Robert Louis Stevenson is another example of a doppelganger situation. How can you rid yourself of a doppelganger? Freudian psychoanalytic views a doppelganger as being the part of a person’s self they are struggling with to gain control over. The doppelganger of a person has features of similarity as well as opposition to the unique person it duplicates. In order for a person to be rid of their evil twin, they must first confront the aspects of their psyche the double represents, by confronting those suppressed feelings one can finally be free of the doppelganger in their life.

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Paranormal Religious Supernatural

Why Easter Frightens Us

Why does #Easter frighten us? Okay, Easter doesn’t truly frighten “us.” For most of us, it might mean a trip to church, a basket full of colorful, delicious candies, an Easter egg hunt, a celebratory family meal, and, if we’re young enough, an opportunity to meet the bunny himself at the local shopping mall for a photo op. Many people skip the church part altogether and focus on the colorful baskets and egg hunts, making Easter a Sunday filled with jubilant glee. In the Bible, #Jesus died on Good Friday and was resurrected on Easter Sunday, rising from the dead and ascending to heaven. With all due respect to the members of the Christian faith, Jesus was dead between Friday and Sunday, before He was risen. For a child, that thought can be quite confusing, macabre and #frightening in and of itself. However, in the church, Easter is not a time for fear or distress; rather, it’s a celebration. Easter is not a time to dwell on death; but rather the concept of rebirth in His name. Easter represents the end of sorrow and the beginning of hope. The end of grief and suffering, and a grand display of His love for mankind. A display of God’s power as shown by His son, who died for our sins. Solemn, yes, but ultimately, Easter is a time for gratitude and joy among Christians, proof of His miracle and His ascension. Proof of the power of faith, and that death is not the end. Proof of enduring love. Somehow, various stories about what happens on Easter have evolved, much to the joy of the confectionary industry. In the US, we have the #Easter Bunny, who, like Santa, visits us in the middle of the night and leaves us with chocolate and jellybean filled baskets (as long as we don’t see him). In France, there’s a flying bell (yes, seriously). From the idea of a human-sized bunny entering our homes in the middle of the night to the concept of Jesus rising from the dead, there are several elements of Easter that can certainly frighten a child. For a visual aid, check out this collection of terrifying Easter bunnies. For an even more brutal interpretation, check out this scene from director Kevin Smith’s film #Holidays.

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