With the onset of a global pandemic causing the shutdown of fan conventions all over the world, it was only a matter of time before the cancellations hit the paranormal world. Over the last month, dozens of the biggest paracons have (wisely) pushed their dates into late 2020 or cancelled them entirely, but the disappearance of the conventions has left fans of the strange and the unexplained feeling lost, lonely, and disappointed. Well, gang, Phenomenacon is here to save the day.
Phenomenacon is the first-ever online paranormal conference, dedicated to bringing social-distancers presentations by the brightest minds in the study of High Strangeness, the biggest stars from your favorite paranormal television shows, and groundbreaking authors, occultists, psychics, and more in the most inclusive and accessible format ever.
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Speakers include Amy Bruni from Travel Channel’s Kindred Spirits, Michelle Belanger from Travel Channel’s Portals to Hell, John E.L. Tenney from Destination America’s Ghost Stalkers, the cast of Planet Weird’s Hellier, experts from History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, and many more. Better yet? At fifteen bucks a ticket, Phenomenacon is easily the most inexpensive paracon you’ll ever attend in terms of sheer value.
From their official website:
Born from the mass postponements and cancellations of paranormal events in the midst of a global pandemic, Phenomenacon aims to fill the void left by social distancing and nationwide bans on large gatherings. By providing a highly polished, easily accessible, and inexpensive online event with top tier presenters, Phenomenacon scratches the itch for lovers of the unexplained who’ve seen their favorite events postponed into late 2020 and beyond.
Presentations will run in the evenings from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 2, and are set to cover everything from how global pandemics influence conspiracy theory, the history of speaking to the dead and the wild devices used to do so, separating fact from fiction in the study of haunted objects, how to foster your own latent psychic abilities, and more fun stuff like live Q&A panels about your favorite shows, live meditations, and research workshops.
Phenomenacon will be streamed live in the museum’s secret Facebook group, where you can interact with other attendees, take part in live question and answer sessions with the presenters, and even visit virtual “merch tables” where you can snag special deals on each presenter’s books, art, films, and other items that supports their work.
“We wanted to do something that would faithfully replicate the convention experience,” says event planner Greg Newkirk. “We’re just as bummed out about not being able to travel to our favorite paracons, so putting this together is just as much fun for us.”
There’s a more important reason for the event though: it supports creatives in an already niche industry that’s being further squeezed by social distancing measures.
“Phenomenacon will help hold fans of the paranormal over until the world gets back to normal, but it’s also a way for us to support our friends in the industry who’ve seen the events they rely on disappear. It gives attendees the paracon they’re missing, bit it also puts some of the most fascinating people we know in front of people who are eager to support their work.”
All that’s needed to attend all three days of Phenomenacon is a membership to the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult at the Friend of the Museum tier [$15] or higher.
NOTE: if you only intend to pledge long enough to gain access to the conference, be sure you don’t pledge until May 1 or you Patreon will charge you membership dues for both April and May. For more information, see the museum’s official post. There are no refunds for accidental pledges.
Membership in the museum doesn’t just gain you access to the world’s only online paracon, it unlocks hundreds of hours of exclusive content just for museum members, including live paranormal investigations, in-depth looks at rare artifacts from the history of the unexplained, classes on magick and the occult, and loads of daily content in their ongoing Paranormal Quarantine event.
Perhaps most important of all, the membership also supports the museum’s mission to preserve and protect items of historical and paranormal significance to the study of the unexplained at a time when museums around the world are hard hit by social distancing lockdowns.
For more information about Phenomenacon, including the full schedule, speaker lineup, and ticket info, head over to the official website.
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