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Posted: 17-11-2003 14:00 Post subject: PLEASE READ FIRST: Posting in IHTM!

We've moved the It Happened To Me stories from the main site to this section of the message board, so you can now post your story directly onto the board, rather than emailing it to us as before.

We want to maintain the quality of this section of the site, however, and may remove submissions if they are covering ground that has been well-trodden in previous threads (such as "I woke up at 4am and saw a blurry shadow figure near my curtains" type of stories). Spiny

Posted: 12-03-2005 12:51 Post subject:

Posting and starting threads on IHTM

IHTM! or It Happened To Me! is a forum that allows people to post personal experiences that are of a fortean nature and also discuss their experience with other Fortean Times Message Board members. Fortean in this context relates to Anomalous phenomena and as the Fortean Times describes itself:

Posted: 18-05-2005 14:51 Post subject:

A general thread for strange happenings around the subject of sleep/ing etc. has now been created in IHTM!

Sleep Strangeness

related threads that may be of interest:

SLEEP PARALYSIS?

Dreams that have come true

Dreams

Sleep Paralysis & Night Hag experience

Hypnagogic Voices

~
The Moderator Team

Posted: 03-02-2006 00:24 Post subject:

What is IHTM?

We've been wrestling with that question for years, TBH. Probably the major sticking point, from a mod POV at least, is that Fortean stuff doesn't abide by rules or guidelines, per se: just because one person experienced something extraordinary, as opposed to hundreds simultaneously experiencing it, doesn't automatically mean the former was an hallucination and the latter was a bona fide paranormal episode. A strange phenomenon doesn't come with a caveat that it must be witnessed or investigated by a certain number of people before it gains whatever degree of credence. On the other hand, what you get with multiple witness/investigator stuff is differing points of view and perspectives, which can give a more balanced overview of the whole episode: until, of course, the accounts start to diverge.

Another potential problem with IHTM type stuff is that credibility is often at the mercy of the writer's articulacy. Something truly bizarre could happen to someone, but if eloquence wasn't their strongest suit the story as conveyed could easily appear contrived, confused or just plain dull. Again, on the other hand, if the writer is overly articulate, their post can become equally contrived, confused, or too verbose to maintain interest. Having a big vocabulary does not automatically bring clarity or brevity.

This is the reason we have IHTM, basically: it allows people to relate their experiences directly, in a forum that is dedicated to first-hand accounts and makes it clear that is it's purpose. The other fora deal with reported, recorded or investigated stuff.

The downside of IHTM however comes from the fact that the opportunity to speak directly to the source of material is rare in this field coupled with our tendency to test things to destruction. A a result posters, often new to the board, post a first-hand account in good faith and become bombarded with essentially well-meaning but somewhat robust questioning, and often reply openly and honestly and engage in discussion, and maybe even find an explanation for what they've experienced. Others just run off, never to be seen again. Others still take it as a personal affront ("How dare you not believe me??") and flames and flounces follow.

In conclusion, IHTM is a bit of a curate's egg, yes, but it's the best possible compromise we can come up with in terms of giving people a channel for their first-hand experiences without them becoming lost in the myriad second-hand or classic cases in the dedicated fora.