Greetings from a long-time lurker and a new member. I actually joined ATS in September, but I just started posting today so I though I should introduce myself.

My name is Gabe and I'm 19 years old. I had been going to school to be a respiratory therapist. That is until my epilepsy violently returned on my birthday after a five year absence. I'm now suck having to see a doctor every week and taking a variety of different medications since they can't find anything wrong with me. That and my seizures "don't follow the textbook description." I'm interested in diseases, UFOs, aliens, ghosts, strange stories, earthquakes, volcanos, violent weather, conspiracy theories, dream interpretation, etc.

I was introduced to the paranormal and when I was five when I had seen a porcelain doll walking on its own; I didn't follow it or investigate. You can say that it's a child's over active mind, but it was forever burned into my mind. I gained my belief in ghosts shortly after when I was terrorized by some sort of demon until I was 15 when it was banished. It ends up that my dads side of the family has always had these weird "quirks." Abilities to see the future, sense ghosts, see ghosts, and attract ghosts. I've been told by my aunt that spirits love me. I've also been told that I'm like a magnet, and I will be forever followed by ghosts until I die.

My belief and love of aliens and conspiracy theories began when I was six though. I was introduced to them by my dad by videos and his long talks on the subjects. The only experience that I have related to this is when I experienced missing time. It was the strangest thing and everyone tells me I must have blanked out like people do when they are driving or walking. It's only strange because I don't understand how I could have blanked out. One second I had been trying to open the plastic warper around those microwavable popcorn packets near a table. And then the next second I was standing in front of the microwave, something I don't do, on the other side of the room feeling like I had just woken up. I burned my popcorn because freaked out and stopped the microwave when I became aware of what had just happened. The only reason I thought I was missing time was because it just felt like I was, and I had a sense something was wrong; a gut feeling. Then again why would aliens microwave your popcorn.

That's a short on my background on how I was introduced into all this. I hope to read many interesting topics and stories here on ATS. Thanks for reading.

Gabe.