Has ATS ever seriously affected anyone in their personal life?

Been wanting to ask this for a while, I've read through many threads over the years and have at times seen comments being made perhaps implying that ATS members are subject to some attention by various organisations/government agencies and what have you.

Are there actual known, proven cases where this has happened? Anyone here ever been followed? Anyone ever said something on here that landed them in trouble?

I'm just interested in what kind of experiences other members might have had as a result of frequenting ATS, be they good or bad.

Also, has anyone noticed that since becoming interested in the sort of topics discussed on ATS that they've had a lot more unusual or even paranormal experiences, can frequenting ATS and similar sites open doors so to speak?

Just curious, be cool to hear others experiences. As for me...I've been coming here for about 2 years but only joined around november last year, don't really say much, no really bizarre or odd experiences to report. Have started a few threads, some kinda weird but in the grand scheme of things quite mundane, nothing that interesting but I try my best not to embellish and be as honest as possible really.

Ain't been followed or harassed, and I've told a few people in my personal life that I visit this site, a friend from work told me he visits occasionally but isn't a member, no negative vibes or reactions at all to be honest.

As for positive, well, loads of interesting threats, mostly decent, logical people who pull together to work things out...can't complain eh.

Be nice to hear your experiences.

reply to post by samerulesapply


My experience about the same as yours, I think. No- I haven't had any experiences of surveillance or anything like that, but I wouldn't really expect that I'd be particularly high on the watch list. I hope you get some replies from some of the other members here on that topic, though.

As for heightened paranormal experiences, I'd have to offer a sort of cautious yes. I've always been a magnet for strange experiences, and I have found that reading some of the paranormal threads here does get my mind in a receptive state and thus I can say that my dreams and recognition of synchronicities and warnings is somewhat heightened. I'm not suggesting that ATS is any sort of portal to the occult, it's just a case of reading and sharing experiences that queues the mind to explore and be more receptive.

People watching me? No.

I was here back when the whole "I am a Vampire" thing was all the rage. It did get me to begin wondering about some of my own behaviors that fit the "Psychic Vampire" thing. Frankly, my much-older self find this somewhat gullible (I never fully accepted it, just was VERY open to the possibility--in a way that was plain stupid) younger version of me too influenced by places like ATS. I quit the site and got my head screwed on straight.

Now all the site does is eat up time I could be spending on things "more profitable" to me.

If the government did use this site it would be for public perception , to perfect new angles and spin , trying to troll to sway topics of interests. I guess now days possibly to find and monitor organized militia groups, profiling would probably be the highest on their list after kathleen giford I think her name was and the guy that shot her was a member on this site. I guess anywhere online where there is a pool of peoples thoughts and opinions would be a great resource to the governments. The majority are harmless .. ... Even with all their big man talk , but I would imagine there would be a few that would meet the profiling criteria .

As for "the grey area" stuff I really haven't seen a difference since coming on here. I find it comes and goes as it pleases.

reply to post by CynicalDrivel


Doesn't it though ? I go through phases with this place- short spells where I'm having fun here and then I won't bother with it for months while I'm off doing more worthwhile things.

I agree with some of the comments on here so far about the profiling. No doubt there is at least a casual watch out for those rare ones who might turn out to be criminal weirdos.

Always had really vivid, mental dreams but they did change when I hit my early 20's, I've written about them in other threads so I won't go into it.

So I suppose there's a correlation there, as I was never that much interested in conspiracies or paranormal or anything along those lines when I was a teenager, I had a friend who was, all through school and up until we were in our teens. Me, I was more a rogue I suppose you could say, wanting to drink and be a lad...wasn't a bad lad, maybe a bit naughty now and then.

I kind of lost touch with that friend as we grew apart and also I moved house. I suppose. In a strange sort of way it was because of him I ended up on sites like ATS, as I got older my interests changed, I wanted to read and learn things, anything...I'd just look things up and read. I started searching for things like the philadelphia experiemnt because I remembered him talking about it, he was the first person I heard speak of mothman, of roswell, all that sort of stuff. It was around this time my dreams changed

But I suppose I was going through many changes at that point in my life, becoming a young man, going out less, drinking less...working, and actually wanting to learn about things I never cared about before. But my dreams definitely changed and became more surreal and vivid in my early 20's (about 10 years or so ago). My sleep patterns also changed, I started to stay up late and sleep during the day, it was a strange time in my life, although the dreams persist, they aren't always unpleasant just insane, but not as frequent and less intense as they were back then.

It's actually quite odd how I never found ATS for a while, I mean it must have been about 3 years ago, and to be honest I was put off at first, I don't know why, I think because it was a forum and there was a lot of political stuff also, but as I kept turning up more and more ATS threads in my searches I gradually started to read more and look into the site more, digging deeper. Lol, dunno about the "I am a vampire" thing but sounds like I missed out there, shall have to do a search, thanks.

Be cool to have some kind of experience, I think...don't want to be spied on or followed but I'm hardly likely to be...although I suppose that if I ever do have some bizarre or unexplainable experience I'll akways wonder if ATS is to blame :p

reply to post by seaside sky


TPTB would not be doing their job if they didn't look in here, even if we took the most innocent and loving stance about the TPTB as possible.

Nothing much has changed in my real life. No more or less paranormal stuff happening. I haven't regained any "Normal" ways from coming here but I haven't got worse either. There are so many little conspiracies or Deceptions within capitalism that a person can't take them all to heart. A majority of people nowadays are looking out for themselves and maintaining their way of life.

You are experiencing an increased awareness, I have had that for a while already. You'll get used to it so don't worry. Act normal in front of friends and relatives and acquaintances unless they are as aware as you. Remember that being aware is not considered normal in today's society. They have many named conditions for us. They have created medicines to take away our awareness and help us fit into a crazy society.

If anything I could see ATS affecting people emotionally or even producing undue anxiety from just the amount of info overload and semi-overmastered perceptions of the news that comes through here. Some might even see it as scary.

I mean lets face it, you get more actual news here than any MSM outlet will ever dare to provide. All compiled here to entertain your worst fears.

reply to post by rickymouse


I'm not really experiencing anything out of the ordinary, I just come here to read the interesting stories. I don't really harbour any unusual beliefs to be honest, and don't hide much from anyone or suffer any kind of persecution because of who I am, thankfully.

I like reading peoples experiences on ATS and other sites, I've read some really odd stories over the years not just on ATS...some so unbelievably insane and surreal you have to conclude it's either true or a very clever piece of story telling, it's a win-win situation in that regard.

I love that, when someone relates a story so unusual and unimaginable you think...that's so crazy it might actually be true.

The overall majority of us are the mundane ave worker bees. Conpiracies are fun and get the imagination working. Plus we often hear news here first. Science and archeology are my favorites. Although I love most forum topic areas. When I am done here, That's it, I am done. It is the folks that are doing more than sitting here that are the worry. In other words if you are spending all your time here, how can you be up to much?

Well, Except for the rare mass killer. They can "go" on a moments notice. You can't brain pick every person here or online for the one that is ready to snap. If neighbors, family or coworkers etc don't notice anything admis, how can the authorities by reading most posts here? Although I suspect the absolute craziest of the bunch may get noticed.

So my answer is that I don't think this site will cause problems, except for the paranoid ( all in their head ) and the unstabile and grossly undermedicated mentally ill. Those stand out like a sore thumb anyways.

reply to post by samerulesapply

A lot of the motives for the screwed up way society has become is because of people's desire to have jobs in their desired field available. It is the most screwed up conspiracy that someone could dream up, it's human nature we're dealing with.

reply to post by elouina


Ahaa, I know what you mean, I've gradually started to notice a certain few people tend to pop up frequently making bizarre claims and seem to have exteremely fertile imaginations. That's kind of one of the reasons I wanted to start this thread, some people seem to spiral tino a strange tangent the longet they spend here, creating more and more threads making more and more outlandish claims each time, and I kind of think...you either have the most interesting and bizarre life imaginable...or you've got issues.

Personally, I'll pop on to ATS every few days and check the latest hot topics, usually take a peek in the conspiracy, paranormal and gray areas looking for any threads with interesting titles. If something grabs my attention I'll read, rarely respond.

If I'm really bored I'll maybe look over older threads, there are some pretty interesting threads out there, seeing a lot of rational, objective people come together to try and make sense of some of it is pretty cool.

I find ATS an inspiration. It's definitely an eye-opener. I have a background in constitutional and civil issues. I've hit my share of snags, but one quote from here makes it worthwhile, regardless of the visible outcome:

That is, if you let evil tptb control you, and you accept what you know to be wrong from them, they've already won (without a fight).

reply to post by samerulesapply


ATS is more addicting than an MMO so I would imagine it's upset a fair share of spouses.

reply to post by samerulesapply


Nope.

As I stated in a very long post that no one bothered to read tonight (LOL Oh well)

I am here because of the wired stuff that's happened to me. Weird stuff is not happening to me as a result of me being here.

Originally posted by samerulesapply
Been wanting to ask this for a while,

Are there actual known, proven cases where this has happened? Anyone here ever been followed? Anyone ever said something on here that landed them in trouble?

I'm just interested in what kind of experiences other members might have had as a result of frequenting ATS, be they good or bad.

Be nice to hear your experiences.

edit on 6-6-2012 by samerulesapply because: Fixed some mistakes

Cool idea,

I had a pretty bad experience once; I was following a thread here and u2u ing the OP. He got banned and I couldn't locate him for about 3 weeks...had I had his email beforehand; I wouldn't have worried myself sick harassing other boards like chasing ambulances asking a friend of his I found on facebook, where I found on youtube...etc. etc.

My friend is doing OK...

I got visited by Jehovah's Witnesses a few weeks back now that you mention it. They wanted me to invite them into my home to discuss my anger issues...I have anger issues, but I'm not a 'witness' so I sent them on their way.

reply to post by elouina



But how do we know which had the exciting life, and which has quite an imagination? Myself, I have had some pretty remarkable things happen in my life. Once even gave a premo with date, time, and every last detail to a group of people. When it actually happened as I said, they all got what I felt was post traumatic stress disorder. Those were reputable people with 6 to 10 years of college or more. In other words they couldn't even handle the truth. I think the fact that they didn't prevent the event, added to their misery.

So precog was proven and nearly destroyed them. Reality is a bit too much for some. Especially when it is thought of as mumbo jumbo. So I guess I am a nut since I experience what others think of as fantasy. Que sera sera...

I've lost a lot of "friends" due to awareness to things that pertain to real life. However, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if it's healthy of not for humans to be friends with sheep.

on the few occasions my using ats has become known to people its led to some interesting and thought provoking conversations ... even ended up with another gf when she saw me viewing ats on my mobile last time was at a coffeeshop downriver last year and we got to talking ...

as to attention from various governmental agencies have had the misfortune of putting up with them off and on over the years since my days with s.o.g in vietnam ... usually I tell them to go get stuffed and carry on with my business have better things to do than play with bored government minions ...

mostly ats is entertaining and at times usefull for information on whats going on in the world ...