LLIFS: The best of 2025New!

As we wind down for the year, this week I’m going to share my favourite articles I have written this year in 2025! After 10 years of LLIFS, I always worry I’ll run out of things to write about, but it is the opposite. So many choices, and so many questions! 

Once again, I found myself a little lost this year, wondering where it is I ‘fit’ in the ever-changing field of the paranormal.  I have often wondered if I still wanted to be involved and if there was still a space for my writing.  People aren’t reading like they used to.  Instead, they like to watch short videos or reels that readily give them the information they need.  Sales of Haunted Magazine dropped dramatically as we all tackled the cost of living crisis and it was a struggle.  I will however say the sales for the latest issue have been amazing and very much appreciated.  I really hope you enjoy reading it over the holidays.

Back to what I was saying …. Put simply, the way we absorb our information has changed and I have stagnated in a way. I don’t want to do videos.  They are a lot of work and I give massive props to creators who can do it.  I simply don’t have the energy and I prefer to be behind the camera.  I am always the one taking the photos, doing the research in the background.  I like writing.  The paranormal field has changed as it does every year.  In some ways I feel like we had our moment where people were seeking more rationalism and research, and it is back to sensationalism, likes and clicks.  I have also had a bit of burnout this year on a general level, especially with my job.  Professionally, I am actually doing really well and have worked my way up and I am in a job that I absolutely love ….. but I am exhausted and mentally spent by the end of each day.  Working, being a mum, writing, volunteering and everything else can become a lot.  

So in all honesty, when I was scrolling through the year that was and re-reading the articles and research, it was really hard to pick favourites.  There was also a lot less content than other years due to the above.  Everything I write about intrigues me in some way and I put my heart and soul into every word I write so every article is close to me and could be on my favourites list.  Anyway, I had to make a list because I challenged myself to do so.  These are the ones I guess I am most proud of this year.  They steer away from a lot of the typical articles you might see circulating on blogs and I always try to offer something a little different.  I hope you have enjoyed 2025 with LLIFS and there is plenty more to come in 2025.  Thank you for your support and friendship and I can’t wait to see what we uncover and explore together in 2026!  

One of the things I was most proud of this year was launching an online interactive version of the Australian Sheep Goat Scale.  I have always been a more researched based person and it is something I have written about in the past in Haunted Magazine.  With the help of my husband, we moved the quiz online meaning that it was easier for people to get their score, rather than having a piece of paper and adding it up manually.  This is the kind of work I just love doing!

Australian Sheep Goat Scale

Are you a sceptic or a believer? Read about the Australian Sheep Goat Scale and take the test online to see where you sit!

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/australian-sheep-goat-scale/

Some of my favourite articles were:

The Bass Strait Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is one of those mysteries that has intrigued me since I was a child. I mean who hasn’t heard of the Bermuda Triangle? Did you know we have our own version right here in Australia? The Bass Strait Triangle is home to many mysteries and disappearances, including the famous case of Frederick Valentich.

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/the-bass-strait-triangle/

^{The Streetlight Effect and Paranormal Research}

Not to be confused with Street Light Interference (SLI), the Streetlight Effect is a cognitive bias where people tend to look for answers in the easiest of places, meaning the results are not always accurate. Let’s look at how this affects the way we conduct paranormal research

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/the-streetlight-effect-and-paranormal-research/

The Court of Public Opinion VS Peer Review

While people tend to think of social media as a place to gather the feedback of their peers, does the influx of negative comments mean criticism is not taken on board? Has it just become a court of public opinion (which is often quite negative just for the sake of being negative)? Does this mean that genuine concern or constructive criticism is not taken on board as it is all painted with the same brush?

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/the-court-of-public-opinion-vs-peer-review/

When nothing happens … the learnings of a quiet investigation

The reality is that paranormal investigating can be boring, especially if nothing happens.  This doesn’t however mean the night was a failure.  There is much we can learn from a ‘quiet’ investigation.

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/when-nothing-happens-the-learnings-of-a-quiet-investigation/

Haunted Objects and Human Meaning

Are haunted objects truly haunted, or are we the ones giving them meaning?

https://www.llifs.com.au/blog/haunted-objects-and-human-meaning/

Well there you have it!  They aren’t all the articles of course, but I tried to select articles from a range of topics that represent what I am about as a writing.  I love writing about old cases from newspaper, I love writing about the realities of paranormal investigating, I love making commentary on the current state of the field and I love looking at the other side ….. the rational side and questioning if it is us that is haunted?

Thank you for supporting me this year and I look forward to 2026.