We are entering a time of new acceptance for paranormal beliefs. Sharing mutual curiosities and otherworldly experiences is no longer unusual, or even unthinkable. (Photo by Maija Polsley)
There is a new breed of New Yorker coming out of the closet. They’re the metrospirituals — those who consider the paranormal as perfectly normal; whose fashion label reads, "Non-Traditional Spirituality: Do not iron."
Clearly we are entering a time of new acceptance. Sharing mutual curiosities and otherworldly experiences is no longer unusual, or even unthinkable. Television shows like "Ancient Aliens" and "Celebrity Ghost Stories," along with books such as "The Law of Attraction" and "The Secret," are now part of the popular conversation.
The portals of awareness are opening wide, and metrospirituality is becoming dimensionally trendy.
Leave it to the Big Apple to sufficiently water a once-taboo seed of thought into a blooming tree of knowledge. The branches have stretched far and wide. I've overheard brilliant minds debating the paranormal at art shows throughout Brooklyn and Chelsea. I have partaken in conversations about apparitions and vortexes while sipping on my cucumber martini at the latest and greatest fancy-pants places.
After all, why wouldn't ghosts crowd the city that never sleeps? Manhattan has loads of centuries-old ghost tales. But it's those late- night, local bar stories that often lead to mind-blowing, on-the-spot paranormal investigations that are talked about for years.
And why wouldn't UFOs be attracted to brightly-lit cement mountains that scrape the skies? According to the National UFO Reporting Center, the New York metropolitan area reported eight UFO sightings in January 2016 alone. If orbiting space shuttles can spot the city in a flash, then…who else can?
Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, unarguably many questions about the universe remain unanswered. But the metrospiritual way is not just about astrology vs. science, ghosts vs. physics; nor is it about strange objects in the sky.
Inescapably, it's about how metrospirituality is a huge part of our daily thoughts and routine. I have to do laundry; where do we come from? I need to go to the gym; why are we really here? I have to buy dog food; are we really alone?
A simple definition of the metrospiritual is a modern, chic “hippie” that can muster up the divinity found within each day. Ha! It's actually much deeper. It's hope against feeling hopelessness while having faith around the faithless. Its inherently understanding things others insist you know nothing about.
To see first-hand how metrospirituality has become increasingly commonplace, I recently decided to do a little study of my own. I asked 25 random New Yorkers their thoughts about the paranormal: Are they believers?
Many people seemed uncomfortable to discuss the topic at first but opened up shortly thereafter. Twelve had their own experiences with the paranormal. Nine never had an experience but said it sometimes enters their thoughts.
Only four were convinced that we are alone in this universe and believe there is nothing after death.
Think you're a metrospiritual? From my research and point of view, if you're reading this you’re likely one, too. Here are some common qualities I’ll share with you. While anyone can have some of these, most metrospirituals have nearly all of them:
- They love animals. They share a spiritual connection with them.
- They have an interest in subjects such as astrology or meditation.
- They’d rather watch "Long Island Medium” than "Real Housewives of New Jersey."
- They have empathy for others but can't stand stupidity.
- They are eco-friendly. The water is off when they brush their teeth. They recycle when possible. They don't toilet-flush condoms!
- They often feel obligated to help change this world for the better.
- They are intelligent. They ask “Why?” rather than blindly accepting what they are told.
- They often feel alone, even while living in a condensed population of over 8 million people.
- Their thoughts can easily jump from subject to subject. Their minds work faster than what they can verbally communicate.
- They normally feel grateful rather than spiteful because they can see the bigger picture. Everything happens for a reason.
Want to spot a fellow metrospiritual? If all else fails and you are feeling brave, or perhaps a bit tipsy, casually suggest that you are not from this planet. You will have your answer quickly.
Despite how society is becoming more open to all things paranormal, it’s still understandably difficult for many who want to have a casual conversation about these things. — they fear being judged. At the end of the day nobody has an MBA or Ph.D when it comes to the unknown. What you believe is your own truth and you know what you know.
You only live this life once. Go ahead and figure it out.
Maija Polsley began having otherworldly experiences at a young age and began attending metaphysics classes with her mother at age 12. She has since been dedicated to finding the truth and has not stopped exploring. Producer of the ghost investigation web series "Paranormal Pursuit," Maija is a natural-born, city-dwelling, soul-seeking, independent former teen mom and single woman who is also a dimensionally educated, spiritually empathic writer, actor, poet, standup comic, tarot card reader, earth lover and quintessential metrospiritual.
