I’VE never felt comfortable in the dark.
Perhaps I’m still spooked by the creepy man I spotted lurking in the shadows outside my old house when I was six years old or maybe my mum is to blame because she didn’t keep those Nightmare on Elm Street video tapes in a locked drawer.
Whatever the reason, when the lights go out, I’m always suspicious of what’s making that noise.
Many a party has taken place at which the dreaded “how can you be scared of the dark?” question has been popped, leaving me squirming while others present are allowed absurd, yet seemingly acceptable, fears of their own, such as spiders or even a trip to the dentist.
I’ve always argued that my discomfort with the dark has nothing to do with tall tales about ghouls or haunted homes.
So, when the Scottish and British Paranormal Association paid a visit to Paisley, I was determined to reclaim my masculinity and prove that I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.
This small group of dedicated ‘believers’ had been invited to the Scottish Spiritualist and Holistic Church, in Argyle Street, Paisley, to carry out a Ghostbusters-style stakeout in a bid to discover if anything is going bump in the night.
Far from just switching the lights out and hoping for the best, the well-equipped investigators turned up a couple of hours before midnight, armed with an arsenal of cameras, flashlights, monitors, noise detectors and even an electro magnetic field (EMF) device.
If Slimer was hiding in those walls, we were going to find him!
And it didn’t take long before I experienced my first otherworldly encounter as ‘orbs’ – a technical term for small blobs of light – appeared on the flatscreen TV mounted on the church wall which was recording proceedings in the empty room next door.
Dedicated Scottish and UK Paranormal Association member David Roy, from Paisley, revealed: “They say that 99 per cent of orbs can be explained by dust in the air but it’s when they start omitting their own light that we know they are orbs and that is the first sign of the manifestation of a ghost or spirit.”
Not content with that success, we were soon split into three groups and, armed with two torches and a dictaphone, I joined Glasgow pals Cecilia Connelly, below, and Suzie Gibson, as well as Paisley grandparents Tam and Cindy Leitch, who became interested in mediumship and paranormal activity following the tragic death of their son Mark in 1996.
The five of us headed into a former studio for an hour, hoping to make some recordings of our own in the dark.
We joined hands in a bid to build up the energy in the cold room as we prepared to get in touch with the ‘other side.’
However, the spirits weren’t in a co-operative mood and, despite repeated polite requests to make contact by switching on the light, changing the temperature or even knocking on the wall, we had to make do with Cecilia reporting the sensation of a dog running around her feet and Tam suffering a chilling tap between the shoulders, which he took as proof that we’d overstayed our welcome.
I even found myself getting carried away with the experience, barking orders at our lazy spirit hosts to show themselves before we gave up on them and continued our hunt elsewhere.
A short time later, we teamed up with investigation organiser Ian Williams’ group as we all placed a finger on a glass tumbler which was at rest on a wooden table.
The tumbler gently eased away from the centre of the table when Tam enquired “is there a child in the room and are you happy?”
Monitored
However, any hope of further conversation vanished as piercing screams broke the silence in the old recording studio and the spiritualist room being monitored by the cameras.
We hurried into the main room, where two women were standing, visibly shaken.
If I hadn’t been such a startled wreck myself, I might have taken more time to appreciate what Ian explained was “something truly amazing.”
He added: “Two people were simultaneously taken over by a bad spirit or shadow and we had to get them both out of there and out of the building as quickly as possible to give them a chance to recover.”
The two women who fell victim to ‘the shadow’ were 23-year-old Kirsty Taylor and Paisley woman Steph Roy.
After regaining their composure, they told me all about their spooky experience.
Kirsty said: “There’s a bad, bad man in that room and he wanted us out, so he channelled through me to get his way.
“It has happened to me before, when I was much younger, and I was able to use that experience and push him away.
“That sort of thing can be really frightening. I once had a spirit follow me all the way home but I’m strong enough now to control them.”
And, with that, the gloves were off.
Ian had warned me earlier, during my paranormal activity crash course, that there were a variety of spooks we might encounter, ranging from relatively-harmless poltergeists to demonic entities.
He had feared we could be dealing with a shadow that night and explained that would be “quite bad” as they could be trapped in limbo because they were a murderer or child abuser in life.
Nevertheless, with a full weaponry of cameras, our EMF device, torches, walkie-talkies, a sonic ear, two flashing cones and even a baby monitor, we all piled into the spiritualist room for a 2am stand off with our nasty host.
Now accustomed to the fact that everything had to happen in the dark, I grew in confidence as I had a number of seasoned paranormal veterans on my side.
I almost felt sorry for the ghost we were up against ... even if he was a bad guy.
However, the mood changed as Cecilia was targeted by ‘the shadow’ and she quickly bolted to the safety of the kitchen, while Kirsty repeated determined chants which were designed to keep him at bay.
Meanwhile, the bold Tam became frustrated by the ghost’s unwillingness to let the rest of us in on the action and started goading him with insults of “coward” and “scum”, without getting the reaction he was hoping for.
After a while, it appeared we had managed to overcome the evil in the building and those who stood on the frontline in the battle were recognised for their brave efforts before we all had a round of coffee to celebrate.
Personally, I was proud to go the distance on my first paranormal investigation ... even if I did end up holding hands with the others the entire time!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Paisley, UK: Ghost hunt in Paisley
From the Paisley Daily Express: Ghost hunt in Paisley
PA: Holiday spirts: Team of ghost hunters takes on Pottstown’s Ballroom on High
From Potts (PA) Mercury: Holiday spirts: Team of ghost hunters takes on Pottstown’s Ballroom on High
OTTSTOWN — It doesn’t matter whether you believe in ghosts. What matters is if you are curious.
That’s the philosophy of Jesse Donavan, an investigator with Extreme Paranormal Investigators, a group of ghost-hunting enthusiasts based in Morgantown.
Donovan was among the four-member EPI team that conducted an overnight investigation Wednesday of the five-story building that houses Ballroom on High, 310 E. High St.
From 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, the team endeavored to record audible and visible phenomenon at the building.
To begin, the EPI team — Donovan, Brian Sload, founder, Sandra Dee Guillen, co-founder, who also teaches ballroom dance at Ballroom on High, and Phil Mauro, lead investigator— set up a command center on the first floor of the building.
Next, they did a walk-through, wired up infrared and full-spectrum cameras, and set up audio, according to Sload. Next, they took measurements for Electronic Voice Phenomenon and other sounds. Sload explained that EVP are noises the human ear can’t hear.
“We try to go about it objectively and scientifically as well,” Sload said.
The building was built in 1908, subsequently demolished and then rebuilt in 1928, according to Sload. In its heyday, the building with a stately columned facade was home to an exclusive men’s organization called the Eagles Club. “This was a men’s club that originated in Washington, D.C. From what I understand, this was like the top location of the Eagles Club in Pennsylvania,” Sload said. “They held lots of dances here.”
The investigators set out in teams to record what they saw and heard in each room as well as the original and still functioning elevator with a wire cage. But there is a 30-minute period later in the night when each investigator is on his or her own doing an “EVP session,” all the while maintaining radio contact, Sload said.
“That’s where my heart gets moving really fast,” said Guillen. Continued...
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* See Full Story
First, however, they did something many folks on a ghost hunt might not be comfortable with — they killed the lights.
“The whole investigation is in darkness, except for what we can see in the (infrared) cameras,” Sload said.
Once the set-up has been taken care of, the EPI team says a quick prayer to St. Michael to protect them from the Devil and “all evil spirits.”
Why the Ballroom?
Guillen said weeks before this investigation was planned she and Sload and two others explored the top two floors of the old building late at night, after she had finished up her dance classes.
Those two floors, notably, do not have electric lights.
While on the attic level, Guillen and Sload, both of Morgantown, said they got the distinct feeling that they were not alone.
Sload said “We went upstairs and heard what we call an Electronic Voice Phenomenon. We actually did catch a voice that wasn’t mine” on tape.
They said they heard a voice that was unmistakably male saying “I’m here.”
Prior to that, Guillen said she had sensed a presence in the building. Continued...
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* See Full Story
“When I close at night buy myself, I have the feeling of someone there,” she said. “Just walking into the building you can feel it.”
Wednesday’s investigation was an attempt to get “more scientific” about the process, according to Sload, who works as a professional videographer.
Guillen said she and Sload began investigating paranormal phenomenon after a cemetery visit two years ago. But that wasn’t her first experience with the unexplained.
“What pushed me was when I was younger, I had things happen in my home in Texas. To this day I wonder how was that possible? Is there really an afterlife? It fascinates me,” she said.
Not a profession, a passion
EPI doesn’t charge for their investigations. Sload says no paranormal group should, although some people do try to make a living of it.
For the folks at EPI, the pursuit of the paranormal is more of a passion than a profession. All of the EPI teammembers have day jobs, and they pay for their own equipment.
“All of this is out of pocket. We have about $7,000 to $9,000 of equipment,” Sload said. “And we do it in our spare time.”
With costs going up as they do more investigations, EPI has come up with ways to raise some money. The conducted a seminar in Twin Valley in October, in which participants paid $75 each for a firsthand look at a paranormal investigation. Additionally, EPI is producing a DVD of their investigation of the “Ghosts of the Brandywine” River.
Eastern Pennsylvania with its many Revolutionary War battlefields is ripe for paranormal investigation, according to Mauro. Continued...
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* 2
* 3
* 4
* See Full Story
“We’re trying to put together a project called ‘Ghosts of the Revolutionary War’,” said Mauro.
Other EPI investigations have included Seven Stars Inn, East Vincent, and Joanna Furnace, Morgantown. More information about EPI and their investigations is available on their website, www.extremeparanormalinvestigations.com.
Making contact
Asked if anyone on the team ever felt a physical presence of a ghost, Donovan spoke up. During EPI’s Brandywine investigation, while lying on a slab “It felt like someone put their hand on the back of my neck,” Donovan said, noting he was pretty freaked out. Sload was with him and felt nothing, he said.
With some resignation, Sload admitted he’s not particularly sensitive to paranormal phenomenon. Others on the team see and hear things before he does, he said.
“We’re out on the Brandywine, and these guys were hearing cannon shots, and they even heard a musket shot. I didn’t,” he said.
Sometimes spirits need to be prompted, according to Sload. Glow sticks or even a ball have been used as trigger objects. In the case of Ballroom on High, the EPI team brought cigars, hoping to draw out some of the good old boys from the Eagles Club.
That’s the spirit
An initial walk-through of 310 E. High St. revealed what remains of an old bowling alley. In the years since the Eagles Club used it for recreation, the large space has been divided into various rooms and has become a catch-all for odds and ends of furniture.
“This makes it fun and interesting,” said Donovan when he sees the bowling alley.
The second floor ballroom, with its expansive polished wood floor, is currently used for dance instruction and hall rentals.
The dark third floor appears to be just as large as the ballroom, with smaller rooms off to the side. Up a thin set of stairs is the dark attic floor where Guillen and Sload first encountered the disembodied male voice.
“Hopefully there are some spirits here,” Sload said. “We’re trying to find spirits.”
He noted, however, that the team attempts to rationally explain any noise or other phenomenon before terming it paranormal.
“If I experience something, I try to troubleshoot it,” he said. “We depend on our equipment a lot. We look for environmental changes, such as temperature or humidity.”
Not every investigation reveals something out of the ordinary, Sload said.
“There’s times we don’t catch anything,” he said, noting it’s not like the ghost hunting shows on TV. “On a lot of these shows, you see a lot of stuff that’s fabricated.”
Results?
We won’t know until their investigation is complete what, if anything, the EPI team found in Pottstown. “To do a full analysis takes weeks and weeks,” said Sload.
However, at 3:43 a.m. Thursday, Mauro tweeted: “Some crazy s**t going on this last hour! I can’t wait to go through our audio and video!”
So we do know they had fun looking.
OTTSTOWN — It doesn’t matter whether you believe in ghosts. What matters is if you are curious.
That’s the philosophy of Jesse Donavan, an investigator with Extreme Paranormal Investigators, a group of ghost-hunting enthusiasts based in Morgantown.
Donovan was among the four-member EPI team that conducted an overnight investigation Wednesday of the five-story building that houses Ballroom on High, 310 E. High St.
From 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, the team endeavored to record audible and visible phenomenon at the building.
To begin, the EPI team — Donovan, Brian Sload, founder, Sandra Dee Guillen, co-founder, who also teaches ballroom dance at Ballroom on High, and Phil Mauro, lead investigator— set up a command center on the first floor of the building.
Next, they did a walk-through, wired up infrared and full-spectrum cameras, and set up audio, according to Sload. Next, they took measurements for Electronic Voice Phenomenon and other sounds. Sload explained that EVP are noises the human ear can’t hear.
“We try to go about it objectively and scientifically as well,” Sload said.
The building was built in 1908, subsequently demolished and then rebuilt in 1928, according to Sload. In its heyday, the building with a stately columned facade was home to an exclusive men’s organization called the Eagles Club. “This was a men’s club that originated in Washington, D.C. From what I understand, this was like the top location of the Eagles Club in Pennsylvania,” Sload said. “They held lots of dances here.”
The investigators set out in teams to record what they saw and heard in each room as well as the original and still functioning elevator with a wire cage. But there is a 30-minute period later in the night when each investigator is on his or her own doing an “EVP session,” all the while maintaining radio contact, Sload said.
“That’s where my heart gets moving really fast,” said Guillen. Continued...
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* See Full Story
First, however, they did something many folks on a ghost hunt might not be comfortable with — they killed the lights.
“The whole investigation is in darkness, except for what we can see in the (infrared) cameras,” Sload said.
Once the set-up has been taken care of, the EPI team says a quick prayer to St. Michael to protect them from the Devil and “all evil spirits.”
Why the Ballroom?
Guillen said weeks before this investigation was planned she and Sload and two others explored the top two floors of the old building late at night, after she had finished up her dance classes.
Those two floors, notably, do not have electric lights.
While on the attic level, Guillen and Sload, both of Morgantown, said they got the distinct feeling that they were not alone.
Sload said “We went upstairs and heard what we call an Electronic Voice Phenomenon. We actually did catch a voice that wasn’t mine” on tape.
They said they heard a voice that was unmistakably male saying “I’m here.”
Prior to that, Guillen said she had sensed a presence in the building. Continued...
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* See Full Story
“When I close at night buy myself, I have the feeling of someone there,” she said. “Just walking into the building you can feel it.”
Wednesday’s investigation was an attempt to get “more scientific” about the process, according to Sload, who works as a professional videographer.
Guillen said she and Sload began investigating paranormal phenomenon after a cemetery visit two years ago. But that wasn’t her first experience with the unexplained.
“What pushed me was when I was younger, I had things happen in my home in Texas. To this day I wonder how was that possible? Is there really an afterlife? It fascinates me,” she said.
Not a profession, a passion
EPI doesn’t charge for their investigations. Sload says no paranormal group should, although some people do try to make a living of it.
For the folks at EPI, the pursuit of the paranormal is more of a passion than a profession. All of the EPI teammembers have day jobs, and they pay for their own equipment.
“All of this is out of pocket. We have about $7,000 to $9,000 of equipment,” Sload said. “And we do it in our spare time.”
With costs going up as they do more investigations, EPI has come up with ways to raise some money. The conducted a seminar in Twin Valley in October, in which participants paid $75 each for a firsthand look at a paranormal investigation. Additionally, EPI is producing a DVD of their investigation of the “Ghosts of the Brandywine” River.
Eastern Pennsylvania with its many Revolutionary War battlefields is ripe for paranormal investigation, according to Mauro. Continued...
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* See Full Story
“We’re trying to put together a project called ‘Ghosts of the Revolutionary War’,” said Mauro.
Other EPI investigations have included Seven Stars Inn, East Vincent, and Joanna Furnace, Morgantown. More information about EPI and their investigations is available on their website, www.extremeparanormalinvestigations.com.
Making contact
Asked if anyone on the team ever felt a physical presence of a ghost, Donovan spoke up. During EPI’s Brandywine investigation, while lying on a slab “It felt like someone put their hand on the back of my neck,” Donovan said, noting he was pretty freaked out. Sload was with him and felt nothing, he said.
With some resignation, Sload admitted he’s not particularly sensitive to paranormal phenomenon. Others on the team see and hear things before he does, he said.
“We’re out on the Brandywine, and these guys were hearing cannon shots, and they even heard a musket shot. I didn’t,” he said.
Sometimes spirits need to be prompted, according to Sload. Glow sticks or even a ball have been used as trigger objects. In the case of Ballroom on High, the EPI team brought cigars, hoping to draw out some of the good old boys from the Eagles Club.
That’s the spirit
An initial walk-through of 310 E. High St. revealed what remains of an old bowling alley. In the years since the Eagles Club used it for recreation, the large space has been divided into various rooms and has become a catch-all for odds and ends of furniture.
“This makes it fun and interesting,” said Donovan when he sees the bowling alley.
The second floor ballroom, with its expansive polished wood floor, is currently used for dance instruction and hall rentals.
The dark third floor appears to be just as large as the ballroom, with smaller rooms off to the side. Up a thin set of stairs is the dark attic floor where Guillen and Sload first encountered the disembodied male voice.
“Hopefully there are some spirits here,” Sload said. “We’re trying to find spirits.”
He noted, however, that the team attempts to rationally explain any noise or other phenomenon before terming it paranormal.
“If I experience something, I try to troubleshoot it,” he said. “We depend on our equipment a lot. We look for environmental changes, such as temperature or humidity.”
Not every investigation reveals something out of the ordinary, Sload said.
“There’s times we don’t catch anything,” he said, noting it’s not like the ghost hunting shows on TV. “On a lot of these shows, you see a lot of stuff that’s fabricated.”
Results?
We won’t know until their investigation is complete what, if anything, the EPI team found in Pottstown. “To do a full analysis takes weeks and weeks,” said Sload.
However, at 3:43 a.m. Thursday, Mauro tweeted: “Some crazy s**t going on this last hour! I can’t wait to go through our audio and video!”
So we do know they had fun looking.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Auburn team chases ghosts, spirits
From Auburn.com: Auburn team chases ghosts, spirits
t's after hours at the White River Valley Museum and a ghost hunt is in progress.
For years, rumors of a resident ghost, perhaps a spirit attached to one of many artifacts lining the shelves in the museum's storerooms, have persisted.
Hilary Pittenger, a curator at the museum for six years, said she believes she’s seen the ghost.
“My first experience was before I’d heard anything about her,” Pittenger says. “I was in the back room just doing some cleaning. I saw something walk past that was white and had a textile feel to it, like it was fabric.”
When Pittenger informed coworkers of her experience, they told her of similar encounters.
"Every time after that it's just been walking into a room and getting that feeling that you've walked in on someone that wasn't expecting you," Pittenger says. "There was nothing scary, just a vague irritation or surprise."
Without the distractions of patrons, David Vacknitz and Stephen Johnston of the Auburn Paranormal Activities Research Team roam the museum’s displays and storerooms, collecting evidence they hope will prove that a spirit from the other side inhabits the museum.
Johnston, 26, holds a video camera with a digital voice recorder mounted on it, looking for proof of electronic voice phenomenon (EVP). Johnston explains that sometimes the recordings capture voices, or other noises that are possibly spirits trying to communicate with the living.
Meanwhile, Vacknitz works his way through the museum’s main display rooms, measuring electromagnetic fields for anomalies.
“We always break out the EMF detector first,” he says.
In addition to measuring the electrical energy that might be put out by a spirit or ghost, Vacknitz explains, high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as that given off by old electrical wiring, often can have an effect on human perception.
“The human body has reactions to high EMFs and people susceptible to high levels,” Vacknitz says. “They can cause headaches or nausea or even hallucinations.”
For Vacknitz and Johnston, it’s all part of their normal investigation process, which they’ve been doing since APART formed in 2005.
Vacknitz, 37, has long been interested in the paranormal.
“As a kid I watched all the shows about ghosts or hauntings,” Vacknitz says. “I’ve seen all the movies and all that type of stuff. I’ve had occurrences where I’ve had things talk to me, or I’ve felt things or seen things.”
His experience with the paranormal pales next to Johnston’s, however.
“We don’t use the term sensitive, everybody is sensitive to a point,” Vacknitz explains. “But Stephen is autistic, so he has a tendency to be a lot more open without meaning to be.”
The sensitivity has earned him the nickname “Scooby Doo” with the group.
“That’s because every once in awhile something will spook me and I’ll run in place for five seconds and then bolt,” Johnston says. “I have been scared, sometimes at nothing, and sometimes for reasons. I’ve been choked and scratched. I’ve had physical things happen to me. I don’t know what it is, but they like me.”
Unlike many organizations that thrive on the adrenaline rush involved in investigating spooky places, Vacknitz and Johnston contend that APART is different, seeking to help people deal with the unexplained.
“We just want to help people,” Vacknitz says. “It can be draining and tiring, but who else is out there to try and help people with these things? I figure if I can help one or two people, that’s good, that’s what I set out to do. We don’t want to be one of those groups that go in, investigate and give them tapes and say this is what we’ve found, goodbye. You’re not helping anyone then, so what’s the point to doing it?”
That’s why APART is at the museum.
Team at work
The investigation begins like all APART investigations.
“We go to where the incident is, get their story and take a walkthrough,” Vacknitz says. “Just get a feel for how things are laid out and see if we can find anything that might be causing what they’re experiencing.
“We always to try to rule things out before we make a determination.”
After interviewing Pittenger and museum director Patricia Cosgrove, who hasn’t had any experiences with the presence but is eager to find out what’s behind them, the APART crew gets to work.
Pointing out a life-size cardboard cutout of a woman in period dress, part of the museum’s displays, Cosgrove tells APART, “sometimes we find that moved around.”
In the storeroom, Vacknitz claims to feel something brush by him, despite being alone in the area. He also claims to smell flowery perfume or cologne.
For Johnston, it’s footsteps without feet around to make them.
The investigation goes on with Johnston breaking out his iPhone and setting up the video camera on a tripod. He begins to ask direct questions, trying to coax the spirit into communicating.
“We use anything and everything that will get us some proof,” Vacknitz explains.
On the phone, a program called Ghost Radar looks for anomalies in the EMF, using the many sensors on the phone to search for peaks and assigning an algorithm to them that produces a word.
“Sometimes we get really interesting results, sometimes it’s gibberish,” Johnston says.
Tonight the phone spits out several words – football, tea, David, pattern, cave, Thomas – seemingly gibberish.
An hour into the investigation, APART is wrapping up when they come across the cardboard cutout again. A quick glance at the wall behind the figure reveals a poster advertising a football game. In the window of the replica storefront by the cutout, boxes of tea fill a display.
Although Vacknitz says they typically spend much more time investigating, he and Johnston are satisfied with the night’s work. Now the real work begins for the duo, analyzing the data they’ve recorded. Regardless of how the investigation turns out, Vacknitz is satisfied with the handful of instances he and Johnston experienced.
As to whether the museum definitely houses a spirit, the jury is still out.
Johnston says the recordings captured nothing out of the ordinary, no EVP or voices from the other side.
There are the Ghost Radar words and personal experiences, however.
“While (Vacknitz) and I believe there is something there, we cannot say for sure it’s a woman or man, or maybe even residual energy attached to an object,” Johnston says.
He adds that APART hopes to take a little more time to investigate the museum further.
“I’m not here to make anyone believe anything,” Vacknitz says. “If you believe, great, if not, fine. Unless you’ve experienced something yourself, I can’t sit here and show you a picture and say, ‘it’s right here’ and make you believe. There are lots of people who think it’s BS, and I can’t change their minds. But there are also people who’ve come out with us for a time and started to believe. It really depends on what they’re open to.”
t's after hours at the White River Valley Museum and a ghost hunt is in progress.
For years, rumors of a resident ghost, perhaps a spirit attached to one of many artifacts lining the shelves in the museum's storerooms, have persisted.
Hilary Pittenger, a curator at the museum for six years, said she believes she’s seen the ghost.
“My first experience was before I’d heard anything about her,” Pittenger says. “I was in the back room just doing some cleaning. I saw something walk past that was white and had a textile feel to it, like it was fabric.”
When Pittenger informed coworkers of her experience, they told her of similar encounters.
"Every time after that it's just been walking into a room and getting that feeling that you've walked in on someone that wasn't expecting you," Pittenger says. "There was nothing scary, just a vague irritation or surprise."
Without the distractions of patrons, David Vacknitz and Stephen Johnston of the Auburn Paranormal Activities Research Team roam the museum’s displays and storerooms, collecting evidence they hope will prove that a spirit from the other side inhabits the museum.
Johnston, 26, holds a video camera with a digital voice recorder mounted on it, looking for proof of electronic voice phenomenon (EVP). Johnston explains that sometimes the recordings capture voices, or other noises that are possibly spirits trying to communicate with the living.
Meanwhile, Vacknitz works his way through the museum’s main display rooms, measuring electromagnetic fields for anomalies.
“We always break out the EMF detector first,” he says.
In addition to measuring the electrical energy that might be put out by a spirit or ghost, Vacknitz explains, high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as that given off by old electrical wiring, often can have an effect on human perception.
“The human body has reactions to high EMFs and people susceptible to high levels,” Vacknitz says. “They can cause headaches or nausea or even hallucinations.”
For Vacknitz and Johnston, it’s all part of their normal investigation process, which they’ve been doing since APART formed in 2005.
Vacknitz, 37, has long been interested in the paranormal.
“As a kid I watched all the shows about ghosts or hauntings,” Vacknitz says. “I’ve seen all the movies and all that type of stuff. I’ve had occurrences where I’ve had things talk to me, or I’ve felt things or seen things.”
His experience with the paranormal pales next to Johnston’s, however.
“We don’t use the term sensitive, everybody is sensitive to a point,” Vacknitz explains. “But Stephen is autistic, so he has a tendency to be a lot more open without meaning to be.”
The sensitivity has earned him the nickname “Scooby Doo” with the group.
“That’s because every once in awhile something will spook me and I’ll run in place for five seconds and then bolt,” Johnston says. “I have been scared, sometimes at nothing, and sometimes for reasons. I’ve been choked and scratched. I’ve had physical things happen to me. I don’t know what it is, but they like me.”
Unlike many organizations that thrive on the adrenaline rush involved in investigating spooky places, Vacknitz and Johnston contend that APART is different, seeking to help people deal with the unexplained.
“We just want to help people,” Vacknitz says. “It can be draining and tiring, but who else is out there to try and help people with these things? I figure if I can help one or two people, that’s good, that’s what I set out to do. We don’t want to be one of those groups that go in, investigate and give them tapes and say this is what we’ve found, goodbye. You’re not helping anyone then, so what’s the point to doing it?”
That’s why APART is at the museum.
Team at work
The investigation begins like all APART investigations.
“We go to where the incident is, get their story and take a walkthrough,” Vacknitz says. “Just get a feel for how things are laid out and see if we can find anything that might be causing what they’re experiencing.
“We always to try to rule things out before we make a determination.”
After interviewing Pittenger and museum director Patricia Cosgrove, who hasn’t had any experiences with the presence but is eager to find out what’s behind them, the APART crew gets to work.
Pointing out a life-size cardboard cutout of a woman in period dress, part of the museum’s displays, Cosgrove tells APART, “sometimes we find that moved around.”
In the storeroom, Vacknitz claims to feel something brush by him, despite being alone in the area. He also claims to smell flowery perfume or cologne.
For Johnston, it’s footsteps without feet around to make them.
The investigation goes on with Johnston breaking out his iPhone and setting up the video camera on a tripod. He begins to ask direct questions, trying to coax the spirit into communicating.
“We use anything and everything that will get us some proof,” Vacknitz explains.
On the phone, a program called Ghost Radar looks for anomalies in the EMF, using the many sensors on the phone to search for peaks and assigning an algorithm to them that produces a word.
“Sometimes we get really interesting results, sometimes it’s gibberish,” Johnston says.
Tonight the phone spits out several words – football, tea, David, pattern, cave, Thomas – seemingly gibberish.
An hour into the investigation, APART is wrapping up when they come across the cardboard cutout again. A quick glance at the wall behind the figure reveals a poster advertising a football game. In the window of the replica storefront by the cutout, boxes of tea fill a display.
Although Vacknitz says they typically spend much more time investigating, he and Johnston are satisfied with the night’s work. Now the real work begins for the duo, analyzing the data they’ve recorded. Regardless of how the investigation turns out, Vacknitz is satisfied with the handful of instances he and Johnston experienced.
As to whether the museum definitely houses a spirit, the jury is still out.
Johnston says the recordings captured nothing out of the ordinary, no EVP or voices from the other side.
There are the Ghost Radar words and personal experiences, however.
“While (Vacknitz) and I believe there is something there, we cannot say for sure it’s a woman or man, or maybe even residual energy attached to an object,” Johnston says.
He adds that APART hopes to take a little more time to investigate the museum further.
“I’m not here to make anyone believe anything,” Vacknitz says. “If you believe, great, if not, fine. Unless you’ve experienced something yourself, I can’t sit here and show you a picture and say, ‘it’s right here’ and make you believe. There are lots of people who think it’s BS, and I can’t change their minds. But there are also people who’ve come out with us for a time and started to believe. It really depends on what they’re open to.”
Friday, December 16, 2011
Ghost Hunting Software – The Paranormal Log & Analysis Notebook Review
From Hillybean: Ghost Hunting Software – The Paranormal Log & Analysis Notebook Review (zjebvqhe93)
This paranormal ghost hunting software is created by Dennis A. Batchelor. He has finished actually 100s of investigation though out his 30+ years, and he remains quite energetic and luxuriate in a solid “Ghost Hunt”.
What Is The “P.L.A.N”?
The Paranormal research and ghost hunting software is created to just watch your entire investigation, manage evidence and list complete reports and save your researches for easy and fast for future reference. It has a amount of great features:
1. Tracks researchers certification level.
2. Tracks all of your equipment & kits.
3. It posts e-mail to all members at the same time.
4. Integrated car fill features when making a report.
5. Enables user to set password protection for reports.
6. Import/Export EVPS and pictures.
7. Bit-by-bit instructional videos.
Let’s wait and watch what the real users say:
Angela: Thanks for this great software I am enjoying what I see I simply set it up on my Asus Eee netbook PC, I’ll give it a large test run it seems great. I do think many teams invest plenty of time looking for something established to have their evidence & info on the location’s neatly together. That in its self can be a nightmare hunting to download a method build for all to make use of! It will get everything from that… this indicates so simple to use & simple yet powerful in what it does! My days simply became much simpler!
Michael H. Founder, Boise City Ghost Hunters: I believed the tool was really easy to maneuver. It follows the path of the research process properly. It is very helpful making one spot to save all the data for every individual case. I appreciate you for creating this kind of powerful software.
Sonya S.H. Longmont Colorado: Simply one word…Amazing! I’ve been using the PLAN, and I have to say it is quite helpful for our Paranormal group. The PLAN makes it far easier to maintain monitor of everything, Have points in order and arranged.
Please visit the Real Ghost Pictures (http://www.picturesofghosts.org/ (http://www.picturesofghosts.org/ghost-stori)) website to have more The P.L.A.N Review.
This paranormal ghost hunting software is created by Dennis A. Batchelor. He has finished actually 100s of investigation though out his 30+ years, and he remains quite energetic and luxuriate in a solid “Ghost Hunt”.
What Is The “P.L.A.N”?
The Paranormal research and ghost hunting software is created to just watch your entire investigation, manage evidence and list complete reports and save your researches for easy and fast for future reference. It has a amount of great features:
1. Tracks researchers certification level.
2. Tracks all of your equipment & kits.
3. It posts e-mail to all members at the same time.
4. Integrated car fill features when making a report.
5. Enables user to set password protection for reports.
6. Import/Export EVPS and pictures.
7. Bit-by-bit instructional videos.
Let’s wait and watch what the real users say:
Angela: Thanks for this great software I am enjoying what I see I simply set it up on my Asus Eee netbook PC, I’ll give it a large test run it seems great. I do think many teams invest plenty of time looking for something established to have their evidence & info on the location’s neatly together. That in its self can be a nightmare hunting to download a method build for all to make use of! It will get everything from that… this indicates so simple to use & simple yet powerful in what it does! My days simply became much simpler!
Michael H. Founder, Boise City Ghost Hunters: I believed the tool was really easy to maneuver. It follows the path of the research process properly. It is very helpful making one spot to save all the data for every individual case. I appreciate you for creating this kind of powerful software.
Sonya S.H. Longmont Colorado: Simply one word…Amazing! I’ve been using the PLAN, and I have to say it is quite helpful for our Paranormal group. The PLAN makes it far easier to maintain monitor of everything, Have points in order and arranged.
Please visit the Real Ghost Pictures (http://www.picturesofghosts.org/ (http://www.picturesofghosts.org/ghost-stori)) website to have more The P.L.A.N Review.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Patricia Rieger Branham - Independent Sacramento Ghosthunter
From Sacremento Press: Patricia Rieger Branham - Independent Sacramento Ghosthunter
Question: Tell us something personal about yourself? Your hobbies, family life, recreational activities, etc.
Answer: I was born and raised in Sacramento. I came from a large family of six children. I was a mother figure to my siblings. I worked for the California State Legislature and California Board of Prison Terms. I retired in 2001. I am married with two children, two stepchildren, and five grandchildren. I am a photographer, and currently my work can be seen at the Sierra Framing Shop in Lincoln, California. I am also an artist using the mixed media theory. I am also a returning student to Sierra College where I am finishing up my AA in Social Psychology.
Question: You consider yourself as an independent paranormal investigator. Where have you investigated? What kind of equipment do you use? Have you worked with any other groups?
Answer: I joined my first paranormal group in 2009. As a member of the group I first learned the techniques in regards to “Ghost Hunting.” I enjoyed the fact that much of the hunting served as a “community service” to individuals, easing their concern and fears and in many cases solving their issues with simple physical solutions. I was interviewed on Access Sacramento regarding my paranormal work. I have personally investigated the Carey House in Placerville, private homes, civil war cemeteries and other historic cemeteries. The equipment I use is the digital voice recorder, camera, and EMF meter.
Question: What group did you with?
Answer: API (American Paranormal Investigators).
Question: How many countries have you been to? What did you do in Venice?
Answer: I’ve been fortunate to have traveled to Italy as my husband has family living outside of Milan. We visited Rome, Florence, Asisi, Luca, and other ancient cities. We traveled through the Tuscany region. Also, my husband and I honeymooned in Venice – now how romantic is that? It was on New Years and we attended an international ball on the Piazza of San Marco. We also went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Vatican. This past October my husband and I traveled to the UK. In Cork, Ireland we visited an historic woman’s prison. Walking around the prison (The Women’s Gaol) I noticed that part of the prison was closed as it had not been renovated. The doors were sealed off. Later walking passed the doors again, one was slightly opened. A quick check to see if anyone was watching, I slipped through the open door and went as far back into the prison I could reach. I snapped photos of the original writings on the prison cells, photos of the cells and old windows. Upon review of the photos I found a possible face or two of women. I informed one of the young docents and she said, “oh my gosh, I have worked here for 2 years, and have never been in that part of the prison. Was the door opened for me????
Question: Tell me about your uncle. Your uncle has a unique history with Preston Castle.
Answer: My uncle, Frank White, was the Assistant Head of supervisors at Preston School of Industry (Ione, CA) in the late 50s and 60s. As a small child I would ‘hang out’ with him at the school, swim in the pool, eat in the cafeteria and stayed with my uncle and my aunt in the Preston Housing circle which remains today. My uncle personally gave testimony to the murder of Anna Corbin at the ParaCon Conference of NorCal Paranormal. Anna was the beloved head housekeeper at the school and was tragically killed by one of the wards. It has been reported for years incorrectly as to the whereabouts of her body. My uncle personally viewed Anna’s body and testified at the murder trials. You can watch my uncle here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_NjrKxOovI
Special Note: I will have to mention HPI’s connection to Preston Castle. When Shannon McCabe and I, did the documentary – Conversations with a Serial Killer by Two Four Productions in England, in regard to Richard Trenton Chase aka The Vampire of Sacramento, we did a segment of this filming at Preston Castle. A lot of people do not realize this, but HPI was the first paranormal investigating team inside of Preston Castle and Conversations with a Serial Killer was the first documentary. Following us later were Ghost Adventurers, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Lab. After that Preston Castle was a big hit with many other paranormal groups. Shannon found the place for our filming and we spent the whole night there, in which the entities called 2 female investigators ‘whores, whores, whores’. You were able to hear the entities with your own ears and this was captured on film.
Question: What fascinates you with the paranormal?
Answer: When asked about “ghost hunting,” I explain that it is really not “ghost” but spirit contact. These individuals had lives, families, hardships, love and losses. There are messages that perhaps need to be delivered, situations left unresolved, issues that are loved to be expressed. To be a part of this is very rewarding and gives hope to the after life we all seek.
Question: Have you ever had any paranormal experiences?
Answer: Yes. I was always intuitive to certain family members, but when I lost my dear friend to a tragic passing the activity became very real. I felt her presence, mentally heard her voice reaching out with her frustration of passing and her grief. She contacted me in many forms: the volume on the TV, my burglar alarm and just the overwhelming sense of her presence. Currently, there is a presence in my home, non-threatening, that comes and goes. We have had the experience of doors being unlocked, locked tight, and unlocked again. My mother who is passed loved Christmas, the family usually gets a Christmas hello in one form or another. At the same time in three separate homes, a Christmas ornament was slapped across the room from the tree.
Question: Tell us about Groveland Hotel.
Answer: I joined one of the first groups to “ghost hunt” in this historic hotel outside of Yosemite Park. Lyle is the resident ghost. It was fascinating and really peaked my interest in joining a local group.
Question: What books, TV shows, movies do you like?
Answer: Hooked on Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Ghost Adventures, My Ghost Adventures, Celebrity Ghost Stories, and any paranormal programs that I find of interest. Non fiction books, history, political and enjoy “feel good” movies. Enchanted Cottage is one my favorite movies. I will throw this in…”Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is my favorite song!
Question: If readers of your interview have any questions, how can they get a hold of you?
Answer: Yes, and I can be reached at pbranham56@gmail.com
Special Note: Patricia when in Hawaii visited the office of Dog the Bounty Hunter, but unfortunately he was not working on that day.
Question: Thank you for this fascinating interview! Do you have any words of wisdom for your readers?
Answer: Thank you Paul, it was my pleasure to meet and be interviewed by you. As for words of wisdom: Believe!!
Pictures of Patricia's Trip to Ireland:
https://picasaweb.google.com/113085620574413968867/IrelandCork?authkey=Gv1sRgCJjivKGbqfSUTA&feat=email#
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Swag That Was Given Away Tonight:
Thank you Shannon McCabe for the Swag!
http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/PaulDaleRoberts55/Ehrhardt%20Oaks%20Park/
Interview conducted on 12/2/2011 Friday at Starbucks - 4701 Madison Avenue, Sacramento, CA.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Hunting for haunts inside historic Philadelphia prison
From New Jersey.com: Hunting for haunts inside historic Philadelphia prison
Do you believe in ghosts?
Well, as a fan of the paranormal — I love watching the TV shows “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Hunters International” — I wanted to know if they actually do exist.
Paranormal investigator Kris Williams, who got her start with TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) in 2003 and has appeared on both ghost-hunting shows, was invited to investigate Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia — once home to some of the most notorious criminals, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and Al Capone — and I got to join her on her haunted hunt.
Kris, along with Aaron Sagers of paranormalpopculture.com and Tony Bruno of 97.5 the Fanatic sports radio, was a guest at the historic prison for the 20th anniversary Terror Behind the Walls encore event and paranormal investigation held in early November.
When I arrived at the prison, I was taken to where Kris, Aaron, Tony and some others were greeting guests, signing autographs and snapping pictures with fans.
They were all equally excited to have me there (representing a local newspaper) and I, of course, was ecstatic — this was a dream come true for me.
After chatting for a while and closing up the 2011 haunt for another year, Kris, Aaron, Tony and I, as well as a group of guests who purchased tickets for the investigation, made our way to the central rotunda in the heart of the prison.
For the first part of the investigation, I went with Kris and a group of about six guests plus our tour guide into Cellblock 10. This cellblock is one of the cleanest in the penitentiary and has several artist installations in the cells.
For the most part it was quiet in there.
I had my K-2 meter (a gadget which measures electromagnetic fields) and Kris set it up in the middle of the block. However, it didn’t get any hits.
Upon listening to my digital voice recorder the next day, I didn’t hear anything strange there either.
Next, I joined Aaron in Cellblock 4. This was an entirely different and disturbing experience.
I’ve never been scared at Eastern State (well except for those scary guys — actors — during Terror Behind the Walls) but, in Cellblock 4, I was scared. I didn’t like it at all. It felt very heavy — not pleasant.
An inmate beat a guard to death in this cellblock because he thought the guard was putting something in his food. They were actually putting vitamins in his food to keep him healthy.
After we were settled, Aaron asked us to choose a cell and sit down on the step in front of it. As soon as I sat down, I felt something touch my back just above my waist.
Thinking it was my jacket falling, I reached back to fix it.
My jacket was in place.
I am a skeptic looking for proof — a symptom of watching “Ghost Hunters” — but I was freaked out. I didn’t want to sit there anymore. So I stood up for the rest of that portion of the investigation.
About an hour into the investigation, I heard what sounded like someone make an agreement sound, “mmm. hmm.”
I asked if it had been anyone living, and it wasn’t.
Later, when I listened to my digital recorder, the voice was there, but is still unexplained.
During our time in Cellblock 4, a few brave investigators walked to the end of the cellblock alone, where they said they felt a real heaviness, an overall creepy feeling.
Several people in our group reported seeing “shadow figures” moving at the end of the cellblock, but again, being a skeptic, I blamed it on my eyes playing tricks on me in the dark.
While listening to my digital recorder, I heard several things that I’ve yet to figure out and I believe to be EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon).
One hour and 20 minutes into the investigation, my recorder picked up a strange yell that sounded like it was off in the distance. I know for a fact, no one in our party yelled at any point during the evening and no other groups in the prison were close enough. So we couldn’t possibly have heard any of their yells.
Then, approximately four minutes later, a voice very close to my microphone clearly whispers, “thank you.”
I was alone with no one near enough to whisper into my recorder.
Finally, Aaron asked us to again choose a cell, stand in front of it, and stare into it.
This few minutes of quiet felt like an hour because of the tense feeling that surrounded me. Toward the end of our time in Cellblock 4, I took a picture into the mostly pitch-black cell.
When I turned the camera around and looked at the screen, there was a strange, white blob in the center of the frame. Curious, I took another picture. Then another. This blob did not appear in the two, other photos.
I showed Aaron the pictures on my digital camera, and he came over with his flashlight to check out the cell, to see if there was anything reflective in the shot, a bug flying around or dust that could create this kind of anomaly in a photograph.
There was nothing. And Aaron was unsure of what caused the orb.
I’m not a big fan of orbs, and most paranormal investigators aren’t either, but this one is pretty weird.
My final investigative spot was Cellblock 15 — Death Row — which is located outside between blocks 2 and 14.
According to those who had investigated the night before — this was a two-night investigation — Death Row is an active spot in the penitentiary.
On the first night of the investigation, two EVPS were caught — “Leave” and “Get out.”
So, upon entering the cellblock, I placed my K-2 meter and digital voice recorder on the floor and another guest placed two twist-on flashlights next to them.
These kinds of flashlights are sometimes used to communicate during paranormal investigations.
It was all quiet for a while until finally, Kris asked someone to turn on the flashlight and one of them lit up. From then on, it was a back and forth all night, with both flashlights going on and off, intelligently responding to our questions, and the K-2 meter reacting simultaneously.
While the flashlight action was interesting, my voice recorder caught even more evidence in Death Row than in Cellblock 4.
Kris and the other investigators were asking many questions that were being answered by using the flashlights, but also their voices.
Some of the responses I heard weren’t clear, but were definitely there, such as a four-syllable sentence, a quiet “yeah,” a creepy and breathy moan, both which caused my hair to stand on end.
Then, (whoever was with us) started to respond even more intelligently.
One investigator stated, “I don’t think you can turn on both flashlights at the same time.”
The response, “Can’t,” is heard loud and clear on my recorder.
Approximately five minutes later, while discussing trigger objects — familiar objects that sometimes spur activity — “Help me,” can be plainly heard.
Kris explained that our group was not there to judge anyone, but we were just trying to figure out what happens after death.
The response was two, loud hissing, heavy-breathing noises that coincided with both flashlights being lit. The group responded to the flashlights, but not the sounds, which were apparently only audible to my digital recorder.
A minute or so later, someone said, “You know you don’t have to stay here, right?”
The clear response, “I know,” was captured, at the same time a flashlight turned on in response.
Seeing the reaction via flashlight, Kris asked, “If you know you’re able to leave, why do you keep coming back? Is it a matter of feeling guilty?”
It was then that the responses got a bit erratic. The flashlights were going off and on quickly and non-stop.
“Are you mad right now?” I asked, and the recorder picked up the scariest sound of the evening.
The sound can only be described as an anguished yell.
My recorder turned itself off two minutes later.
As my first, real paranormal investigation, Eastern State was the perfect place. I love the site — day or night — and its deep history.
And to share that experience with Kris Williams — one of my favorite paranormal investigators — and, apparently, some unseen residents — made this the assignment of a lifetime.
For information about Kris Williams, visit kriswilliams.com and visit Aaron Sagers at paranormalpopculture.com.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future
Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
Friday, December 2, 2011
UK: 17 Dec, 2011: Special Ghost Hunt At Cusworth Hall, Doncaster
PR: Christmas Special Ghost Hunt At Cusworth Hall, Doncaster, With Chris Conway – 17th December 2011
Chris Conway Christmas Special. Come and join Most Haunted’s popular Medium Chris for this spectacular event. Treat yourself this Christmas. The historical and much loved Cusworth Hall in Doncaster, set amongst a backdrop of picturesque scenery of woodlands and fields Cusworth Hall has been one of the most exciting and interesting places we have ever held a paranormal investigation at.
It was built in the 18th century and was once home to the Battie-Wrightson family, Cusworth Hall is ,no longer a family home but it has now been converted into a museum for all ages, however it still maintains many period features on display for all to see under the stewardship of Doncaster council.
Dare you enter the ‘hearse room’, or find out what spirits reside in and around this spooky building.
It is said to be haunted by a number of individual spirits, including the ghost of the grey lady, a man is seen standing by the grand fireplace in the entrance, and children have been seen and heard in the classroom area based in the basement, as well as a Victorian dressed lady. There is said to be the spirit of a former worker who fell to his death in a tragic accident, whom is said to make his presence known to visitors on numerous occasions.
The team all agree that Cusworth Hall is one of the most active places we have ever investigated on ghost hunts, needless to say we are certain this event will be a sell out!.
Chris Conway Christmas Special. Come and join Most Haunted’s popular Medium Chris for this spectacular event. Treat yourself this Christmas. The historical and much loved Cusworth Hall in Doncaster, set amongst a backdrop of picturesque scenery of woodlands and fields Cusworth Hall has been one of the most exciting and interesting places we have ever held a paranormal investigation at.
It was built in the 18th century and was once home to the Battie-Wrightson family, Cusworth Hall is ,no longer a family home but it has now been converted into a museum for all ages, however it still maintains many period features on display for all to see under the stewardship of Doncaster council.
Dare you enter the ‘hearse room’, or find out what spirits reside in and around this spooky building.
It is said to be haunted by a number of individual spirits, including the ghost of the grey lady, a man is seen standing by the grand fireplace in the entrance, and children have been seen and heard in the classroom area based in the basement, as well as a Victorian dressed lady. There is said to be the spirit of a former worker who fell to his death in a tragic accident, whom is said to make his presence known to visitors on numerous occasions.
The team all agree that Cusworth Hall is one of the most active places we have ever investigated on ghost hunts, needless to say we are certain this event will be a sell out!.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Channel Guide: Unpacking Our Obsession with Paranormal Investigation Shows
From Film School Rejects: Channel Guide: Unpacking Our Obsession with Paranormal Investigation Show
by Amber Humphries
by Amber Humphries
The title is super cryptic so I’ll explain the premise of Ghost Hunters for anyone who has somehow managed to escape its hypnotic appeal: Ghost Hunters is a reality show in which some dudes (Roto-Rooter plumbers turned paranormal experts) hunt ghosts. Really, though, saying that The Atlantic Paranormal Society (or TAPS) “hunt ghosts” makes the series sound a lot more thrilling than it actually is.
The paranormal investigators on Ghost Hunters, just like the paranormal investigators on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures or A&E’s Paranormal State, visit purportedly haunted locations with an arsenal of scientific sounding gizmos (Electromagnetic Field detectors, thermal imaging cameras); the technology lends an air of objectivity to the proceedings. Flying in the face of this objectivity: a typical episode basically just consists of people walking around in the dark, bumping into stuff, flipping out at the slightest little sounds, talking about how they just got the chills, and whispering, “did you hear that?” repeatedly (add a game of “light as a feather, stiff as a board” and you have every sleep-over that I went to in middle school).
There aren’t any ghosts on these shows. There have never been any ghosts on these shows. There will never be any ghosts on these shows. There is absolutely no rational reason why anyone should be watching these shows. Yet, we are watching them. In fact, we’re watching the hell out of them. Ghost Hunters has been airing on the SyFy channel for an astounding seven years.
Ghost Hunters
So, why is a paranormal investigation series in which, arguably, nothing ever happens cancellation-proof? How do we explain our attraction to this genre? On Halloween night while flipping between Ghost Hunters Live on SyFy and the Ghost Adventures movie on the Travel Channel, I arrived at three possible answers to these questions.
1. I know they’re never going to find a ghost but they might find a ghost.
First of all, no they won’t. At least they’ll never be able to collect any evidence that definitively proves the existence of ghosts. (Wouldn’t we have seen the footage on CNN or some other major news network if they had?) This being said, I can still understand and relate to that irrational anticipation and excitement. It’s the same hopeful but ultimately foolhardy logic that prompts us to buy lottery tickets or watch Dinner for Schmucks—we know that it’s going to be a complete, soul-crushing waste but maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised. Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures may not prove the existence of ghosts but the longevity of these shows does prove that we haven’t all been turned into hardened, world-weary skeptics and that, like Fox Mulder, we desperately want to believe. Perhaps that’s something that should be celebrated. On the other hand, they say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So, there’s that.
2. They’ve totally found ghosts on these shows.
Now, the other school of thought is that there hasn’t been an episode of Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures where there wasn’t some kind of paranormal activity. Changes in temperature, unexplained noises, garbled “spirit voice” recordings, and orbs of light witnessed in photographs and video footage, are more than enough proof for most viewers, completely justifying the continuation of this genre now and forever. There’s no rationalizing or arguing with that kind of unshakable belief. Just don’t show one of those grainy, night vision videos to a Eureka fan. They’ve suffered enough.
3. Paranormal investigators have abnormally high levels of charisma. Fact: the primary ingredient in AXE Body Spray is essence of ghost hunter.
A couple of years ago, I went to Dragon*Con in Atlanta and the Ghost Hunters panel was packed. While walking around the convention floor, I saw a family—all wearing Ghost Hunters t-shirts—carrying around some fancy plaque with “TAPS” inscribed on it that I can only assume they’d planned on presenting to the show’s eponymous ghost hunters. I personally feel that Grant and Jason, the two lead investigators, are completely devoid of personality. But clearly, I’m in the minority. Sure, these shows appeal to a niche audience but they are an incredibly devoted and apparently large niche. Viewers relate to these investigators on some level. They like them. It’s fitting that a reality show about the intangible should be appealing for a reason that is as unquantifiable as the charisma of its star
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Celebrity Ghost Hunt Comes To Atlanta
A press release:
ATLANTA, GEORGIA…( November 21, 2011) National ghost hunt celebrities will be featured Friday, January the 13th at the First Annual Celebrity Ghost Hunt at Rhodes Hall Museum in Atlanta. Chip Coffey celebrity psychic and medium from the A&E Channel’s hit paranormal TV show “Paranormal State” and “Psychic Kids” along with Joe Chin from Syfy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International” will be joining fans for an evening of psychic readings, autographs, photos, presentations and a Live Ghost Hunt.
“This event gives a seldom seen inside look of the Rhodes Hall along with a chance to meet with television paranormal celebrities and then join them on a live ghost hunt.” said Chad Morin, event host and promoter.
Rhodes Hall was originally built in 1904 out of solid granite as a private plantation home for Atlanta furniture magnate Amos Rhodes. After his death and the death of his wife and children, the Hall has now become a historic house museum by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
Over the years Rhodes Hall has reported sites of a little girl in a white dress haunting the first floor, a woman in white that seems to follow visitors throughout the house, a tall man who has been seen going up and down the Grand Staircase, doors that open and close on their own, voices and conversations seeming to come from empty rooms,
and objects that move and appear with no explanation and poltergeist activity in the basement.
Some of the well known celebrity ghost hunters participating in the Celebrity Ghost Hunt include:
Atlanta resident Chip Coffey, a Psychic Medium who has appeared on several paranormal television shows including Paranormal State and Psychic Kids on A&E Channel. He will be greeting guests, signing autographs and photos and then conducting a Psychic Gallery Reading of the attending guests.
Another big name in paranormal reality television participating will be Joe Chin from Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International. Joe will be making a rare United States appearance for this event as he is primarily filming overseas for his television show.
Nate Lien, from A&E Channel’s Paranormal State the New Class will also be joining the lineup of paranormal powerhouses at the ghost hunt.
“We want this to be an intimate event for the attending fans, so we are limiting tickets to only 75 lucky people. Celebrity paranormal guests, a reportedly haunted castle-like building and a ghost hunt on a Friday the 13th should prove an exciting evening for everyone.” added Morin.
The Celebrity Ghost Hunt will be at Rhodes Hall Museum located at 1516 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia. For more information and ticket information call Chad Morin at 1-800-604-9101 or go online to www.GhostHuntWeekends.com
ATLANTA, GEORGIA…( November 21, 2011) National ghost hunt celebrities will be featured Friday, January the 13th at the First Annual Celebrity Ghost Hunt at Rhodes Hall Museum in Atlanta. Chip Coffey celebrity psychic and medium from the A&E Channel’s hit paranormal TV show “Paranormal State” and “Psychic Kids” along with Joe Chin from Syfy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International” will be joining fans for an evening of psychic readings, autographs, photos, presentations and a Live Ghost Hunt.
“This event gives a seldom seen inside look of the Rhodes Hall along with a chance to meet with television paranormal celebrities and then join them on a live ghost hunt.” said Chad Morin, event host and promoter.
Rhodes Hall was originally built in 1904 out of solid granite as a private plantation home for Atlanta furniture magnate Amos Rhodes. After his death and the death of his wife and children, the Hall has now become a historic house museum by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
Over the years Rhodes Hall has reported sites of a little girl in a white dress haunting the first floor, a woman in white that seems to follow visitors throughout the house, a tall man who has been seen going up and down the Grand Staircase, doors that open and close on their own, voices and conversations seeming to come from empty rooms,
and objects that move and appear with no explanation and poltergeist activity in the basement.
Some of the well known celebrity ghost hunters participating in the Celebrity Ghost Hunt include:
Atlanta resident Chip Coffey, a Psychic Medium who has appeared on several paranormal television shows including Paranormal State and Psychic Kids on A&E Channel. He will be greeting guests, signing autographs and photos and then conducting a Psychic Gallery Reading of the attending guests.
Another big name in paranormal reality television participating will be Joe Chin from Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International. Joe will be making a rare United States appearance for this event as he is primarily filming overseas for his television show.
Nate Lien, from A&E Channel’s Paranormal State the New Class will also be joining the lineup of paranormal powerhouses at the ghost hunt.
“We want this to be an intimate event for the attending fans, so we are limiting tickets to only 75 lucky people. Celebrity paranormal guests, a reportedly haunted castle-like building and a ghost hunt on a Friday the 13th should prove an exciting evening for everyone.” added Morin.
The Celebrity Ghost Hunt will be at Rhodes Hall Museum located at 1516 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia. For more information and ticket information call Chad Morin at 1-800-604-9101 or go online to www.GhostHuntWeekends.com
Saturday, November 26, 2011
UK: 21 and 22 Jan 2012: Ghost Hunt at Seaton Holme
Ghost Hunt at Seaton Holme: A former rectory, built in 1248 that throughout the years was sold to the guardians of the poor (1921) and became a home for children from the workhouse and in the 1930s became a hostel for old men. A couple of spirits are said to roam the building. one of which is said to be Prince Bishop Farnham whom the building was originally built for as a retirement home
for tickets or more info visit WWW.SPIRITSEEKERS.INFO or call 07915670663
Ghost Hunt at Seaton Holme at Seaton Holme in Peterlee, Other on Saturday, 21 January 2012.
for tickets or more info visit WWW.SPIRITSEEKERS.INFO or call 07915670663
Ghost Hunt at Seaton Holme at Seaton Holme in Peterlee, Other on Saturday, 21 January 2012.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Ghost Tour Directory
If you're looking for ghost tours in your town, check out the http://www.ghosttourdirectory.com.
Save the date: Ghost Hunt at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado
From the National Examiner: Save the date: Ghost Hunt at the Stanley Hotel
D-Mentd Entertainment LLC is proud to present an upcoming event at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado on Saturday, February 25, 2012.
The Stanley Hotel (about a one hour drive north of Denver) is famous as the inspiration of Stephen King’s movie, “The Shining”. The winding roads into Estes Park take you to the Estes Valley where the Stanley (built in 1909) sits in all its grandeur.
D-Mentd Entertainment invites you to come out February 25, 2012 to the Estes Park, Colorado and find out just how haunted the Stanley Hotel really is. There will be guest speakers form some of our favorite TV shows on hand for lectures and ghost hunts.
Scheduled guests include: (subject to changes without notice due to filming schedules)
Dustin Pari: Ghost Hunters/Ghost Hunters International
K J McCormick: Ghost Hunters
Austin Porter: SyFy’s Fact or Faked
Jael De Pardo: SyFy’s Fact of Faked (pending film schedule)
D-Mentd Entertainment LLC is proud to present an upcoming event at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado on Saturday, February 25, 2012.
The Stanley Hotel (about a one hour drive north of Denver) is famous as the inspiration of Stephen King’s movie, “The Shining”. The winding roads into Estes Park take you to the Estes Valley where the Stanley (built in 1909) sits in all its grandeur.
D-Mentd Entertainment invites you to come out February 25, 2012 to the Estes Park, Colorado and find out just how haunted the Stanley Hotel really is. There will be guest speakers form some of our favorite TV shows on hand for lectures and ghost hunts.
Scheduled guests include: (subject to changes without notice due to filming schedules)
Dustin Pari: Ghost Hunters/Ghost Hunters International
K J McCormick: Ghost Hunters
Austin Porter: SyFy’s Fact or Faked
Jael De Pardo: SyFy’s Fact of Faked (pending film schedule)
Thursday, November 10, 2011
"Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" by Deborah Blum
From Gather.com: "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" by Deborah Blum
"Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death"
by Deborah Blum
read by George K. Wilson
Produced by Sound Library (2006)
approx 13 hours
It seems to be a recent trend to go out and try to find proof of the existence of ghosts, spirits and all things paranormal. We have "reality" TV shows showing ghost hunters and search amazon.com for ghost hunting and you can find all sorts of equipment that theoretically aids the hunt for ghosts. But this trend has been with humankind ever since we began burying our dead and trying to find out what happens next. Pulitzer prize winning writer, Deborah Blum takes a look at some 19th Century ghost hunting int the book, "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death." During this time period Harvard professor William James, remembered more for his contributions to psychology and philosophy than psychical research, was one of the early leaders in scientific research aimed ultimately at determining whether consciousness survives bodily death.
From the mediums speaking to the spirit of a dead girl to find her body to tricksters using various contraptions to fool the audience, several members of society's Intelligencia (both British and American) were looking to prove or disprove psychical arts. William James sought out to apply objective scientific methods to the study of paranormal phenomena. Many times a fraud was found but sometimes during this book you just have to wonder.
Deborah Blum tells this story of intellectuals, philosophers, pyschologists, Nobelists from the 19th Century into the early part of the 20th Century trying to bridge the gap between science and religion when religion was being questioned by the theory of evolution and the the new sciences. I found it quite interesting as to how many folks were out to fool the public in the name of talking to the dead. I had listened to the Mary Roach book "Spook" and she also talked of the the same fakes trying to earn a buck by holding seances. In fact, this book would make a great companion to that book or vice versa.
The narrator George K. Wilson (no relation) does a superb job of narrating the book and even throws in some voice changes and accents when representing quotes from various people in this documentary. I have also heard some other books read by Wilson and I have decided that any documentary or non-fiction audio book I look at I will immediately get the book if he is the reader. He has a way that presents the story or information with no opinion yet keeps the information very interesting to hear.
So, if the study of the paranormal or you're thinking about becoming a ghost hunter like on TV, check out the history of debunking and proof in this book.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Ghost Stories: Visit Gabreil Daveis Tavern for a Ghostly Trip Through History
This event was supposed to have taken place on Oct 29 but was cancelled due to inclement weather.
I share it here because it's an annual event, and next year I'll let my readers know about it in good time so that those who want to attend can do so.
From Gloucester Township Patch: Ghost Stories: Visit Gabreil Daveis Tavern for a Ghostly Trip Through History
(Editor's note, 1 p.m., Oct. 29: Tonight's tour is canceled because of the weather. It won't be rescheduled immediately.)
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Especially when it is in your own backyard.
According to local volunteers, the 250-year-old Gabreil Daveis Tavern is haunted, and by more than one ghost.
There have been reports of chairs moving on their own, doors opening and closing with no one near them, and unexplained banging noises when the house is empty.
Are you spooked yet?
This Saturday, you can experience the haunted happenings at the 12th annual Ghost Hunting Experience from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The event will include a bonfire, snacks, tours of the property, ghost stories and some real-life ghost-hunting with professional paranormal investigators from South Jersey Ghost Research.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the preservation of the historic site, which was willed to Gloucester Township by the tavern’s last owner, William Schuck, who died in 1976.
Schuck is buried on the property, and it is said that Schuck's is one of the spirits who makes frequent appearances at the tavern.
The Glendora tavern was built in 1756, before the Revolutionary War, by Gabreil Daveis. It served as a place for food and rest for weary travelers and immigrants who sailed in on Big Timber Creek, which was, in the 1700s, the size of a river. Later, farming and forestry caused the creek to shrink to its current size.
Throughout the years, the tavern has passed through many owners, including the Warwick and Jaggard families. Joseph Jaggard, who was the last of the Jaggards, is still around the house, according to investigators and volunteers.
“When we first began working on the house and using Joseph’s former bedroom as a storage area, there was some unsettling,” said one of the volunteers, who asked to remain anonymous.
This volunteer said she was once in the basement and the light would not work.
“We asked, 'OK, Joseph, put the light on,’ and the light went right on,” she said.
According to Sharon Vincz, a volunteer investigator with South Jersey Ghost Research, it is not uncommon for there to be more paranormal activity when there is construction or renovations being done to a home.
“These spirits are more like caretakers than ghosts. They have a passion for the area and for the home,” Vincz said.
Neighborhood children have reported seeing Mr. Shuck’s rocking chair rocking on its own. Locals working on their plot in the community garden have heard loud banging noises from inside and ran away spooked. Public Works employees have reported similar unexplained noises and refused to return to the property alone.
But, even with all the spookiness, Vincz says the spirits are harmless.
“We’ve been here enough investigating and know it is a safe environment,” she said.
On Saturday, guests will learn all the ropes of ghost-hunting, from thermal imagining and photography to recording EVPs, or electronic voice phenomena, which are recordings of white noise that may contain messages from spirits. Guests will be given the chance to go on a ghost hunt of their own.
Gloucester Township Historical Society volunteer Jill Maser has participated in the annual ghost hunt, as well as numerous special VIP ghost hunts at the tavern.
“One night, I was holding the thermometer in Mr. Schuck’s former bedroom. The temperature started at 60 degrees and by the end of our time, the temperature dropped to 52 degrees,” Maser recalled.
Maser also reports feeling heaviness—almost as if some one was pushing her.
Investigators have detected ghosts of Revolutionary War soldiers. There are rumors that the property was once a hospital during the war and that there are blood stains on the attic floor. However, according to Maser, there is no documentation that the property was ever a hospital and the stains in the attics could be anything.
Both Mazer and Vincz believe that the spirits who reside at the tavern are friendly.
And whether you believe or not, historic Gabreil Davies Tavern is worth a visit. If you go, tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Contact Joanne Carr at 856-784-5243 for more details. The event is shine only and will be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather.
Tonight, the tavern will host a special VIP Ghost Hunt. The cost is $50.
Reservations are required for tonight's event, which was near capacity mid-week. If you're interested, it never hurts to try, right?
If you miss both events this weekend, keep on the lookout for other ghost-hunting events and activities at the tavern throughout the year.
Gabreil Daveis Tavern is located at Fourth Avenue and Floodgate Road.
I share it here because it's an annual event, and next year I'll let my readers know about it in good time so that those who want to attend can do so.
From Gloucester Township Patch: Ghost Stories: Visit Gabreil Daveis Tavern for a Ghostly Trip Through History
(Editor's note, 1 p.m., Oct. 29: Tonight's tour is canceled because of the weather. It won't be rescheduled immediately.)
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Especially when it is in your own backyard.
According to local volunteers, the 250-year-old Gabreil Daveis Tavern is haunted, and by more than one ghost.
There have been reports of chairs moving on their own, doors opening and closing with no one near them, and unexplained banging noises when the house is empty.
Are you spooked yet?
This Saturday, you can experience the haunted happenings at the 12th annual Ghost Hunting Experience from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The event will include a bonfire, snacks, tours of the property, ghost stories and some real-life ghost-hunting with professional paranormal investigators from South Jersey Ghost Research.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the preservation of the historic site, which was willed to Gloucester Township by the tavern’s last owner, William Schuck, who died in 1976.
Schuck is buried on the property, and it is said that Schuck's is one of the spirits who makes frequent appearances at the tavern.
The Glendora tavern was built in 1756, before the Revolutionary War, by Gabreil Daveis. It served as a place for food and rest for weary travelers and immigrants who sailed in on Big Timber Creek, which was, in the 1700s, the size of a river. Later, farming and forestry caused the creek to shrink to its current size.
Throughout the years, the tavern has passed through many owners, including the Warwick and Jaggard families. Joseph Jaggard, who was the last of the Jaggards, is still around the house, according to investigators and volunteers.
“When we first began working on the house and using Joseph’s former bedroom as a storage area, there was some unsettling,” said one of the volunteers, who asked to remain anonymous.
This volunteer said she was once in the basement and the light would not work.
“We asked, 'OK, Joseph, put the light on,’ and the light went right on,” she said.
According to Sharon Vincz, a volunteer investigator with South Jersey Ghost Research, it is not uncommon for there to be more paranormal activity when there is construction or renovations being done to a home.
“These spirits are more like caretakers than ghosts. They have a passion for the area and for the home,” Vincz said.
Neighborhood children have reported seeing Mr. Shuck’s rocking chair rocking on its own. Locals working on their plot in the community garden have heard loud banging noises from inside and ran away spooked. Public Works employees have reported similar unexplained noises and refused to return to the property alone.
But, even with all the spookiness, Vincz says the spirits are harmless.
“We’ve been here enough investigating and know it is a safe environment,” she said.
On Saturday, guests will learn all the ropes of ghost-hunting, from thermal imagining and photography to recording EVPs, or electronic voice phenomena, which are recordings of white noise that may contain messages from spirits. Guests will be given the chance to go on a ghost hunt of their own.
Gloucester Township Historical Society volunteer Jill Maser has participated in the annual ghost hunt, as well as numerous special VIP ghost hunts at the tavern.
“One night, I was holding the thermometer in Mr. Schuck’s former bedroom. The temperature started at 60 degrees and by the end of our time, the temperature dropped to 52 degrees,” Maser recalled.
Maser also reports feeling heaviness—almost as if some one was pushing her.
Investigators have detected ghosts of Revolutionary War soldiers. There are rumors that the property was once a hospital during the war and that there are blood stains on the attic floor. However, according to Maser, there is no documentation that the property was ever a hospital and the stains in the attics could be anything.
Both Mazer and Vincz believe that the spirits who reside at the tavern are friendly.
And whether you believe or not, historic Gabreil Davies Tavern is worth a visit. If you go, tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Contact Joanne Carr at 856-784-5243 for more details. The event is shine only and will be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather.
Tonight, the tavern will host a special VIP Ghost Hunt. The cost is $50.
Reservations are required for tonight's event, which was near capacity mid-week. If you're interested, it never hurts to try, right?
If you miss both events this weekend, keep on the lookout for other ghost-hunting events and activities at the tavern throughout the year.
Gabreil Daveis Tavern is located at Fourth Avenue and Floodgate Road.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Bethlehem, PA: Ghosts of Sun Inn Help Keep Historic Site Alive
From Bethlehem Patch: Ghosts of Sun Inn Help Keep Historic Site Alive
Built in 1758 by the Moravians, the Sun Inn at 564 Main Street offered a restful night sleep and a hot meal to such famous travelers as George and Martha Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin among others.
“No other Inn has housed more signers of the Declaration of Independence,” said Inn Keeper Bucky Szulborski. The Sun Inn boasts 10 but, this fact is overshadowed by the attention the Sun Inn gets for the guests that haven’t checked out.
In December, the Sun Inn will get national television exposure on the SyFy television series Ghost Hunters, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
“One ghost hunter said that there is more activity than in the Eastern State Penitentiary,” said Szulborski, “They are happy ghosts; they love to talk.” In January of 2009, the Lehigh Valley Research and Investigation in Paranormal Activity caught 15 electronic voice phenomena (EVP).
This same Lehigh Valley Group took the famed picture of the ghost in the window donning a white apron suspected to be Hughetta Bender.
Hughetta Bender founded the Sun Inn Preservation Association and in 1971 began to restore the Sun Inn to its original glory according to the blue prints in the Moravian archives. Hughetta died in 1995.
Szulborski said that he didn’t believe at first but, the more “proof” coming from these paranormal investigations, the more his skepticism subsides.
“R.I.P.A. (Research and Investigate Paranormal Activity) took over 200 shots to try to reproduce it and they could not,” said Szulborski. “No one has been able to reproduce it.”
Not true says Kenneth Biddle, author of Haunted Lehigh Valley and former “boss” of the now defunct Paranormal Investigators and Research Association (P.I.R.A.). Biddle said he has visited the Sun Inn on two occasions by invitation through P.I.R.A. and the other on the 2010 Ghost Hunting event.
“They are attributing the white reflection to her apron," Biddle said. "Unfortunately, it’s simply a distorted reflection of a fireplace that sticks out from the wall to the right, which is not in the image.”
As a professional photographer, Biddle says that this image and many of the images capturing orbs and vortexes can be explained by natural phenomena like the reflection of light or shadows.
“Sometimes, I think people believe what they want to believe when they are on the ghost hunt and anything that happens they attribute to the spirits,” said Szulborski. “We have enough evidence that shows there is paranormal activity going on in the building.”
When R.I.P.A. investigated the building, they found a chest and got some EVP’s recorded when they opened it: “We’re watching you.”
According to R.I.P.A., an elderly man sits in the green chair by the fireplace of the Great Room. When asked his identity, he responded “William” on EVP recordings. Indeed a man name William Jones, the Secretary of Navy under President Madison, died in 1831 at the Sun Inn.
The ghost with the most paranormal support is that of Sarah, the spirit of a little girl still happily playing with toys in the third floor attic.
“It’s the floor with the most paranormal activity ... people bring [Sarah] toys and clothes,” said Szulborski. He showed me a doll seated on a miniature chair that he said drew the attention of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, the team of ghost hunters that star in the SyFy television series Ghost Hunters. It was the creepiest doll I had ever seen and my camera jammed twice when I tried to take pictures of it.
Under the chair was a aged piece of paper that had been scotch taped to the bottom. The inscription read “Sarah ... daughter of Inn Keeper ... Bethlehem.” Also taped to the bottom of the chair was a photo of a man holding the same chair. A doll collector traced the doll's origin to Dresden before 1850.
A woman on the 2010 public ghost hunts said good bye to Sarah and her recorder picked up the EVP: “Don’t go.”
“On September 20, T.A.P.S. investigated the Sun Inn and the Hanoverville Road House,” said Szulborski. “They found a lot of activity here -- something on every floor. EVP’s in the basement and first and second floor, thermal images on the third floor.”
Szulborski said that ghost activity has increasingly become a source of income for the preservation association, which continues to struggle to find the resources it needs to keep the inn open.
“The Inn has been a challenge with the ongoing maintenance and funding. We work with grants because museum admission doesn’t do it. Our ghosts have been doing it,” said Szulborski.
In fact, the Sun Inn is hosting a ghost hunting dinner tonight with a $70 admission price and an overnight ghost hunting stay on Saturday.
Built in 1758 by the Moravians, the Sun Inn at 564 Main Street offered a restful night sleep and a hot meal to such famous travelers as George and Martha Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin among others.
“No other Inn has housed more signers of the Declaration of Independence,” said Inn Keeper Bucky Szulborski. The Sun Inn boasts 10 but, this fact is overshadowed by the attention the Sun Inn gets for the guests that haven’t checked out.
In December, the Sun Inn will get national television exposure on the SyFy television series Ghost Hunters, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
“One ghost hunter said that there is more activity than in the Eastern State Penitentiary,” said Szulborski, “They are happy ghosts; they love to talk.” In January of 2009, the Lehigh Valley Research and Investigation in Paranormal Activity caught 15 electronic voice phenomena (EVP).
This same Lehigh Valley Group took the famed picture of the ghost in the window donning a white apron suspected to be Hughetta Bender.
Hughetta Bender founded the Sun Inn Preservation Association and in 1971 began to restore the Sun Inn to its original glory according to the blue prints in the Moravian archives. Hughetta died in 1995.
Szulborski said that he didn’t believe at first but, the more “proof” coming from these paranormal investigations, the more his skepticism subsides.
“R.I.P.A. (Research and Investigate Paranormal Activity) took over 200 shots to try to reproduce it and they could not,” said Szulborski. “No one has been able to reproduce it.”
Not true says Kenneth Biddle, author of Haunted Lehigh Valley and former “boss” of the now defunct Paranormal Investigators and Research Association (P.I.R.A.). Biddle said he has visited the Sun Inn on two occasions by invitation through P.I.R.A. and the other on the 2010 Ghost Hunting event.
“They are attributing the white reflection to her apron," Biddle said. "Unfortunately, it’s simply a distorted reflection of a fireplace that sticks out from the wall to the right, which is not in the image.”
As a professional photographer, Biddle says that this image and many of the images capturing orbs and vortexes can be explained by natural phenomena like the reflection of light or shadows.
“Sometimes, I think people believe what they want to believe when they are on the ghost hunt and anything that happens they attribute to the spirits,” said Szulborski. “We have enough evidence that shows there is paranormal activity going on in the building.”
When R.I.P.A. investigated the building, they found a chest and got some EVP’s recorded when they opened it: “We’re watching you.”
According to R.I.P.A., an elderly man sits in the green chair by the fireplace of the Great Room. When asked his identity, he responded “William” on EVP recordings. Indeed a man name William Jones, the Secretary of Navy under President Madison, died in 1831 at the Sun Inn.
The ghost with the most paranormal support is that of Sarah, the spirit of a little girl still happily playing with toys in the third floor attic.
“It’s the floor with the most paranormal activity ... people bring [Sarah] toys and clothes,” said Szulborski. He showed me a doll seated on a miniature chair that he said drew the attention of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, the team of ghost hunters that star in the SyFy television series Ghost Hunters. It was the creepiest doll I had ever seen and my camera jammed twice when I tried to take pictures of it.
Under the chair was a aged piece of paper that had been scotch taped to the bottom. The inscription read “Sarah ... daughter of Inn Keeper ... Bethlehem.” Also taped to the bottom of the chair was a photo of a man holding the same chair. A doll collector traced the doll's origin to Dresden before 1850.
A woman on the 2010 public ghost hunts said good bye to Sarah and her recorder picked up the EVP: “Don’t go.”
“On September 20, T.A.P.S. investigated the Sun Inn and the Hanoverville Road House,” said Szulborski. “They found a lot of activity here -- something on every floor. EVP’s in the basement and first and second floor, thermal images on the third floor.”
Szulborski said that ghost activity has increasingly become a source of income for the preservation association, which continues to struggle to find the resources it needs to keep the inn open.
“The Inn has been a challenge with the ongoing maintenance and funding. We work with grants because museum admission doesn’t do it. Our ghosts have been doing it,” said Szulborski.
In fact, the Sun Inn is hosting a ghost hunting dinner tonight with a $70 admission price and an overnight ghost hunting stay on Saturday.
Kentucky: Hotel Metropolitan Ghost Hunt
From Public Broadcasting: Hotel Metropolitan Ghost Hunt
MURRAY, KY (wkms) - Just about any city, town, or hamlet you can think of has at least one place everyone thinks is haunted.
People are drawn to these places, and they come for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's for thrills, or the chance to experience the supernatural. But there's often a degree of curiosity about the question: are there such things as ghosts? Todd Hatton gets his chance when a Fulton County paranormal group comes to Paducah's historic Hotel Metropolitan to see if any of its former occupants are still there.
With the proliferation of paranormal programming on practically every television channel and online, some are taking their curiosity about the supernatural to the next level. They're using meters, cameras and recorders to do something others think impossible: document the doings of the unquiet dead.
That's why I'm standing in front of the Hotel Metropolitan on a sunny October afternoon. The slightest hint of autumn coolness sharpens the air as members of Fulton County Paranormal Investigations haul equipment cases onto the century-old building's front porch. The Metropolitan opened in 1909 to serve African-American visitors to Jim Crow-era Paducah. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Satchel Paige, and possibly even Thurgood Marshall stayed there. Some of those guests may linger there today.
"...I don't have a ghost of a chance with you..."
And of course, that's why we're here.
"We" are myself, Hotel Metropolitan director and curator Betty Dobson, a handful of guests, and four Fulton County Paranormal Investigation team members. The FCPI members course through the building, setting up infrared cameras, prepping digital voice recorders, and running cables. Great care is taken to ensure that all the equipment's doing what it's supposed to do and that all possible controls are in place.
While that's going on, Mrs. Dobson tells me a piano sitting by the hotel's staircase. It used to belong to her late sister, who was very involved in the Metropolitan's restoration. After she passed, the piano was installed as a kind of tribute. Later on, a photographer took pictures of the outside of the building. Mrs. Dobson noticed something, or rather, someone in one of them.
Right about now, I get a chill. FCPI co-founder Leslie Woods announces she's ready, and we file into the main room for an orientation, and an interruption.
A placard hanging on the wall behind Woods falls to the floor. As to why it fell, your guess is as good as mine. The pin holding it up was still in the wall, and the string on the back of the exhibit was still intact.
Undeterred, Woods continues.
There isn't a fire, nor is there any apparent reason for the alarms to go off. In fact, they'll go on and off all night. As the group breaks up, some go to check on gear, others step outside for a moment. The anticipation rises. The investigation is about to begin.
And when it does, we're outdoors on the north side of the hotel. The sun has finally set, and it is dark.
We cluster around FCPI Lead Investigator Carmen Henderson. She's holding a electronic device not much bigger than an iPod called an Ovilus. Put simply, it's a voice box for ghosts.
The theory behind the Ovilus is that spirits can manipulate the local electromagnetic fields, the device's E-M-F meter picks it up and either interprets the fluctuations into words in an on-board dictionary, or simply translates them into syllables. Scientifically, it shouldn't work, but when Carmen asks a question, she usually gets an answer. "The red light, when it lights up, it's picking up something. "Cycle."
It's tough to determine which is the more unsettling; the Ovilus' mechanical "voice," or its response to Carmen's question.
Back inside, it's time to head upstairs, to the Metropolitan's hotel rooms, where the bulk of the investigation will take place.
We pile into one of them and out comes the Ovilus again, along with a EMF detector and an infrared thermometer. Contact comes quickly.
"Were you an owner?"
"Were you a guest?"
"Afterlife."
"Now that one, I've never heard that one come out of this box. I got chills on that one. That was pretty cool."
In case you didn't catch that, the word was "afterlife." After a break, we're upstairs again, in another room. After a few moments, the Ovilus starts speaking again. This time, whoever's coming through has a bit of an attitude.
"Yeah, I'm not even gonna guess what, what it sounded like to me, I'm not gonna say."
"Honky."
"You shoulda heard what it said us a while ago."
Since the belief is that ghosts are largely the spirits of the once-living, the social dynamics can be similar to dealing with someone who's got a pulse. So, it comes as no surprise a few minutes later when the Ovilus spits out a colorful metaphor or two aimed at one of the female investigators. At one point, we're even given a pointed piece of advice as to what we could go do with ourselves. At another, the apparent apparition calls Carmen Henderson a couple of not-so-nice names.
"Really?"
"What'd he say?"
"Sounds like he said 'floozy."
"Honky."
"Honky? You calling me a honky? Is that what he said?"
"Sounds like it."
"And we're trying to be nice!"
You really haven't lived until you've been insulted by the dead. Skeptics will point out that ghost-hunting methods and evidence aren't strictly scientific. Paranormal experiences aren't controllable or repeatable, and they're nearly impossible to predict. So, they get labeled as pseudo-science or worse.
Then again, it's hard to dismiss a cold spot that moves from person to person in a room with no air conditioning. One moves across my hands as I record. An infrared thermometer pointed at my hands indicates a 10 degree drop from my base reading of 71 degrees. As Leslie Woods calls out the falling temperature, the Ovilus comes to life again.
I'm not sure anything I heard, saw or felt at the Hotel Metropolitan that night will turn a skeptic into a believer, and I'm not sure that was the point. You could say it represented an honest effort to explore something beyond ourselves. And if nothing else, it was a remarkable opportunity. After all, how often do you get to go on the kind of investigation you only see on T-V and see first-hand how it works? That is, of course, unless you have a supernatural guest lurking around your own home.
MURRAY, KY (wkms) - Just about any city, town, or hamlet you can think of has at least one place everyone thinks is haunted.
People are drawn to these places, and they come for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's for thrills, or the chance to experience the supernatural. But there's often a degree of curiosity about the question: are there such things as ghosts? Todd Hatton gets his chance when a Fulton County paranormal group comes to Paducah's historic Hotel Metropolitan to see if any of its former occupants are still there.
With the proliferation of paranormal programming on practically every television channel and online, some are taking their curiosity about the supernatural to the next level. They're using meters, cameras and recorders to do something others think impossible: document the doings of the unquiet dead.
That's why I'm standing in front of the Hotel Metropolitan on a sunny October afternoon. The slightest hint of autumn coolness sharpens the air as members of Fulton County Paranormal Investigations haul equipment cases onto the century-old building's front porch. The Metropolitan opened in 1909 to serve African-American visitors to Jim Crow-era Paducah. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Satchel Paige, and possibly even Thurgood Marshall stayed there. Some of those guests may linger there today.
"...I don't have a ghost of a chance with you..."
And of course, that's why we're here.
"We" are myself, Hotel Metropolitan director and curator Betty Dobson, a handful of guests, and four Fulton County Paranormal Investigation team members. The FCPI members course through the building, setting up infrared cameras, prepping digital voice recorders, and running cables. Great care is taken to ensure that all the equipment's doing what it's supposed to do and that all possible controls are in place.
While that's going on, Mrs. Dobson tells me a piano sitting by the hotel's staircase. It used to belong to her late sister, who was very involved in the Metropolitan's restoration. After she passed, the piano was installed as a kind of tribute. Later on, a photographer took pictures of the outside of the building. Mrs. Dobson noticed something, or rather, someone in one of them.
Right about now, I get a chill. FCPI co-founder Leslie Woods announces she's ready, and we file into the main room for an orientation, and an interruption.
A placard hanging on the wall behind Woods falls to the floor. As to why it fell, your guess is as good as mine. The pin holding it up was still in the wall, and the string on the back of the exhibit was still intact.
Undeterred, Woods continues.
There isn't a fire, nor is there any apparent reason for the alarms to go off. In fact, they'll go on and off all night. As the group breaks up, some go to check on gear, others step outside for a moment. The anticipation rises. The investigation is about to begin.
And when it does, we're outdoors on the north side of the hotel. The sun has finally set, and it is dark.
We cluster around FCPI Lead Investigator Carmen Henderson. She's holding a electronic device not much bigger than an iPod called an Ovilus. Put simply, it's a voice box for ghosts.
The theory behind the Ovilus is that spirits can manipulate the local electromagnetic fields, the device's E-M-F meter picks it up and either interprets the fluctuations into words in an on-board dictionary, or simply translates them into syllables. Scientifically, it shouldn't work, but when Carmen asks a question, she usually gets an answer. "The red light, when it lights up, it's picking up something. "Cycle."
It's tough to determine which is the more unsettling; the Ovilus' mechanical "voice," or its response to Carmen's question.
Back inside, it's time to head upstairs, to the Metropolitan's hotel rooms, where the bulk of the investigation will take place.
We pile into one of them and out comes the Ovilus again, along with a EMF detector and an infrared thermometer. Contact comes quickly.
"Were you an owner?"
"Were you a guest?"
"Afterlife."
"Now that one, I've never heard that one come out of this box. I got chills on that one. That was pretty cool."
In case you didn't catch that, the word was "afterlife." After a break, we're upstairs again, in another room. After a few moments, the Ovilus starts speaking again. This time, whoever's coming through has a bit of an attitude.
"Yeah, I'm not even gonna guess what, what it sounded like to me, I'm not gonna say."
"Honky."
"You shoulda heard what it said us a while ago."
Since the belief is that ghosts are largely the spirits of the once-living, the social dynamics can be similar to dealing with someone who's got a pulse. So, it comes as no surprise a few minutes later when the Ovilus spits out a colorful metaphor or two aimed at one of the female investigators. At one point, we're even given a pointed piece of advice as to what we could go do with ourselves. At another, the apparent apparition calls Carmen Henderson a couple of not-so-nice names.
"Really?"
"What'd he say?"
"Sounds like he said 'floozy."
"Honky."
"Honky? You calling me a honky? Is that what he said?"
"Sounds like it."
"And we're trying to be nice!"
You really haven't lived until you've been insulted by the dead. Skeptics will point out that ghost-hunting methods and evidence aren't strictly scientific. Paranormal experiences aren't controllable or repeatable, and they're nearly impossible to predict. So, they get labeled as pseudo-science or worse.
Then again, it's hard to dismiss a cold spot that moves from person to person in a room with no air conditioning. One moves across my hands as I record. An infrared thermometer pointed at my hands indicates a 10 degree drop from my base reading of 71 degrees. As Leslie Woods calls out the falling temperature, the Ovilus comes to life again.
I'm not sure anything I heard, saw or felt at the Hotel Metropolitan that night will turn a skeptic into a believer, and I'm not sure that was the point. You could say it represented an honest effort to explore something beyond ourselves. And if nothing else, it was a remarkable opportunity. After all, how often do you get to go on the kind of investigation you only see on T-V and see first-hand how it works? That is, of course, unless you have a supernatural guest lurking around your own home.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Ghost Sex At Ohio Haunted House Arouses Interest Of Paranormal Researchers
From AOL.cm: Ghost Sex At Ohio Haunted House Arouses Interest Of Paranormal Researchers
A house in Euclid, Ohio, is arousing interest from ghost researchers because the owner claims that she has seen two ghosts having sex with each other.
Dianne Carlisle claims that she has seen afterlife amore going in the living room, which seems to be more of a living-and-dead room.
"It look like, like ghosts having sex," she told the Fox affiliate in Cleveland. "You can see the lady's high heeled shoes!"
If true, this represents an extraordinary development in paranormal research, according to Ohio-based investigator David Jones.
"This has never been reported before," Jones told HuffPost Weird News. "It would be interesting to know more about the house, especially [Carlisle's deceased sister], who supposedly left a voicemail message from the afterlife. However, I don't think that has anything to do with [the sex], but I do wonder how long it's been going on.
Jones says ghosts are examples of residual energy that get imprinted on to a certain location and aren't always from dead people.
"It's possible that the ghost could be [Carlisle] from an earlier age," he said.
Although Carlisle claims she has pictures of the ghosts "getting busy" that were snapped by her four-year-old granddaughter Kimora while she was playing with Dianne's cell phone in the living room, paranormal experts like Amy Allan, star of the Travel Channel series "The Dead Files," is skeptical.
"I've never seen two dead people who were conscious entities have intercourse," Allan told HuffPost Weird News. "I have heard of people having sex with ghosts, but not this."
Based on the evidence she's seen from the news report, Allan is skeptical.
"All we have are a few images that don't relate well to YouTube," she said.
But paranormal researcher Alexandra Holzer, whose dad, Hans Holzer, was a pioneer in the field, says the case, while unusual, is not uncommon.
"These could be two spirits who knew each other in life and have a connection to the house," she said. "When you're dealing with residual energy -- which is what a ghost is -- any intense emotional experience can be imprinted, and that could be an act of passion or of murder."
On the other hand, she says it's possible that the ghostly lovers had no connection with each other when they were on Earth and simply found themselves in the afterworld.
Holzer recommends more research be done on the house, and says that might require researchers as well as psychics who can communicate with any of the spirits that may be lurking.
"You have to speak to ghosts conversationally," she advised. "Say something like, 'I can appreciate it that you have a connection with each other, but we have children here."
Jones, who lives three hours away from the horny haunted house, says he'd love to investigate this afterlife orgy, but Allan says there's not a ghost of a chance she will devote an episode to the horny house.
"It's better for the Playboy Channel, than the Travel Channel," she laughed.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Ghost hunting still popular at Clark
From ABS CBN News: Ghost hunting still popular at Clark
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines —For the past several years, ghost hunters from as far as the United States have visited this free port to pursue their hobby.
American students belonging to one club recently stayed at the Stonsenberg Hotel here for a few days to “ghost hunt.” They wore black shirts and printed on them is “Ghosts we pursue.”
But they declined an interview with the BusinessMirror. “Our uniforms say it all why we are here at Clark,” they said.
Guy Hilbero, tourism chief of Mabalacat, Pampanga, said there is nothing wrong with ghost hunting at Clark. “Ghost tourism” could be packaged in the tourism plan of the state-owned Clark Development Corp. (CDC), which runs the 2,100-hectare area, he said.
Ghost hunters could start their visit at the CDC tourism office itself. The CDC tourism office on Quirino Avenue and E. Aguinaldo Avenue is haunted, according to CDC workers and Hilbero.
“We hear sounds at night. No one dares stay late without companion at the office,” they said.
Nicanor Targa of the CDC Public Safety Department said he has neither seen ghosts nor heard noises, although he had been asked several times by local and foreign journalists on the reported presence of ghosts in the former US military base. He has been the head of the CDC-PSD for five years.
In same area where most of the CDC corporate offices are, helpers claimed hearing strange sounds at night, which, for them was proof that “there are ghosts here.” One of these offices is the recently inaugurated CDC Press Center on Cardinal Santos Avenue.
Hilbero also cited the former Fort Stotsenberg cemetery within the Mimosa Leisure Estate as being one of the most haunted places there. Clark Freeport used to be known as Fort Stotsenburg when the Americans moved here at the turn of the 20th century.
Golf caddies at the 36-hole golf course of the 215-hectare Mimosa said they had heard of a “black lady” appearing under a huge acacia tree at Hole No. 8 of the course’s Lake View.
“Not one or two caddies but many heard about the black lady just standing near the tree,” said a caddie of the Mimosa Golf and Country Club. She added that their locker room near the Mimosa Convention Center was also haunted.
“We often hear sounds of a a woman crying as we prepare to go home, especially at night,” she said. “Sometimes, the faucets would suddenly open even if no one is around in our locker room.”
Hilbero said the Mimosa property also has an unfinished clubhouse in an area that used to be the Fort Stotsenberg cemetery.
“They say the area brings bad luck; ghosts are reportedly heard and seen in the area,” Hilbero said.
The abandoned Clark hospital used to contain a morgue for American victims of the Vietnam War in the 1960s before their bodies where flown to the US or laid to rest at the new cemetery on M.A. Roxas Avenue.
“The Clark hospital is the most popular area for ghost hunters. It’s always on their list,” a security guard stationed at the hospital said. “I, myself, hear voices at night—sounding like Americans arguing with each other—when the place is supposedly totally abandoned.”
The Clark cemetery, which was established in the late 1940s, reportedly contains the remains and headstones from at least four other US cemeteries in the Philippines.
The 12,000-plot cemetery which sprawls over 23 acres, is a lonely place during All Saints’ Day because the relatives of the dead soldiers have long left Clark. But the cemetery remains well maintained.
“Most of the dead soldiers’ relatives are no longer in Clark. So these dearly departed are probably seeking some attention and prayers, hence, they appear in the cemetery,” said Marvin Gonzales, who worked here when the Americans still occupied it.
“They are reports and stories that white ladies and headless soldiers often appear,” he said.
The ghost stories at Clark have gained more attention over the years, thanks to modern technology, particularly the video-sharing site YouTube. Just search “Clark ghosts” after reading this.
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines —For the past several years, ghost hunters from as far as the United States have visited this free port to pursue their hobby.
American students belonging to one club recently stayed at the Stonsenberg Hotel here for a few days to “ghost hunt.” They wore black shirts and printed on them is “Ghosts we pursue.”
But they declined an interview with the BusinessMirror. “Our uniforms say it all why we are here at Clark,” they said.
Guy Hilbero, tourism chief of Mabalacat, Pampanga, said there is nothing wrong with ghost hunting at Clark. “Ghost tourism” could be packaged in the tourism plan of the state-owned Clark Development Corp. (CDC), which runs the 2,100-hectare area, he said.
Ghost hunters could start their visit at the CDC tourism office itself. The CDC tourism office on Quirino Avenue and E. Aguinaldo Avenue is haunted, according to CDC workers and Hilbero.
“We hear sounds at night. No one dares stay late without companion at the office,” they said.
Nicanor Targa of the CDC Public Safety Department said he has neither seen ghosts nor heard noises, although he had been asked several times by local and foreign journalists on the reported presence of ghosts in the former US military base. He has been the head of the CDC-PSD for five years.
In same area where most of the CDC corporate offices are, helpers claimed hearing strange sounds at night, which, for them was proof that “there are ghosts here.” One of these offices is the recently inaugurated CDC Press Center on Cardinal Santos Avenue.
Hilbero also cited the former Fort Stotsenberg cemetery within the Mimosa Leisure Estate as being one of the most haunted places there. Clark Freeport used to be known as Fort Stotsenburg when the Americans moved here at the turn of the 20th century.
Golf caddies at the 36-hole golf course of the 215-hectare Mimosa said they had heard of a “black lady” appearing under a huge acacia tree at Hole No. 8 of the course’s Lake View.
“Not one or two caddies but many heard about the black lady just standing near the tree,” said a caddie of the Mimosa Golf and Country Club. She added that their locker room near the Mimosa Convention Center was also haunted.
“We often hear sounds of a a woman crying as we prepare to go home, especially at night,” she said. “Sometimes, the faucets would suddenly open even if no one is around in our locker room.”
Hilbero said the Mimosa property also has an unfinished clubhouse in an area that used to be the Fort Stotsenberg cemetery.
“They say the area brings bad luck; ghosts are reportedly heard and seen in the area,” Hilbero said.
The abandoned Clark hospital used to contain a morgue for American victims of the Vietnam War in the 1960s before their bodies where flown to the US or laid to rest at the new cemetery on M.A. Roxas Avenue.
“The Clark hospital is the most popular area for ghost hunters. It’s always on their list,” a security guard stationed at the hospital said. “I, myself, hear voices at night—sounding like Americans arguing with each other—when the place is supposedly totally abandoned.”
The Clark cemetery, which was established in the late 1940s, reportedly contains the remains and headstones from at least four other US cemeteries in the Philippines.
The 12,000-plot cemetery which sprawls over 23 acres, is a lonely place during All Saints’ Day because the relatives of the dead soldiers have long left Clark. But the cemetery remains well maintained.
“Most of the dead soldiers’ relatives are no longer in Clark. So these dearly departed are probably seeking some attention and prayers, hence, they appear in the cemetery,” said Marvin Gonzales, who worked here when the Americans still occupied it.
“They are reports and stories that white ladies and headless soldiers often appear,” he said.
The ghost stories at Clark have gained more attention over the years, thanks to modern technology, particularly the video-sharing site YouTube. Just search “Clark ghosts” after reading this.
London, England: Win an overnight ghost hunt to celebrate the release of The Awakening
From Handbag.com: Win an overnight ghost hunt to celebrate the release of The Awakening
You need to go to the original link above via your computer to participate in this contest.
Upset that Halloween is over? Well, fear not. We’ve got a spooky competition for you to sink your teeth into. To celebrate the release of The Awakening on 11 November, we’re giving one brave reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to an overnight ghost hunt at the London Tombs!
Working with a paranormal team including Barrie John, guest medium on Most Haunted, you’ll be taken on an unforgettable ghostly journey and have the chance to try your hand with ghost hunting equipment in dark and gloomy tunnels where so many bones have been discovered.
Starring Dominic West (The Wire, 300), Rebecca Hall (The Town) and Oscar®-nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), The Awakening is the chilling new supernatural thriller from Nick Murphy, set for release on 11 November 2011. In post-World War I England in 1921, an author and paranormal sceptic (Hall) is invited to a countryside boarding school by the history master (West) to investigate rumours of an apparent haunting. But just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling encounter that makes her question all her rational beliefs.
To be in with a chance of winning, comment below and tell us your spookiest experience!
For more information check out The Awakening Facebook page
Event details:
Ghosts of the London Tombs
Date: 25 Nov 2011
Venue: London Bridge Experience, SE1 2PF
Time: 9pm – 5am
Event includes:
Overnight ghost hunt
Working with the Paranormal Team
Medium and equipment workshops, and use of all equipment
Refreshment available throughout the night, including snacks
To enter all you need to do is read the Terms and Conditions and tell us your spookiest experience in the comments section below.
You need to go to the original link above via your computer to participate in this contest.
Upset that Halloween is over? Well, fear not. We’ve got a spooky competition for you to sink your teeth into. To celebrate the release of The Awakening on 11 November, we’re giving one brave reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to an overnight ghost hunt at the London Tombs!
Working with a paranormal team including Barrie John, guest medium on Most Haunted, you’ll be taken on an unforgettable ghostly journey and have the chance to try your hand with ghost hunting equipment in dark and gloomy tunnels where so many bones have been discovered.
Starring Dominic West (The Wire, 300), Rebecca Hall (The Town) and Oscar®-nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), The Awakening is the chilling new supernatural thriller from Nick Murphy, set for release on 11 November 2011. In post-World War I England in 1921, an author and paranormal sceptic (Hall) is invited to a countryside boarding school by the history master (West) to investigate rumours of an apparent haunting. But just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling encounter that makes her question all her rational beliefs.
To be in with a chance of winning, comment below and tell us your spookiest experience!
For more information check out The Awakening Facebook page
Event details:
Ghosts of the London Tombs
Date: 25 Nov 2011
Venue: London Bridge Experience, SE1 2PF
Time: 9pm – 5am
Event includes:
Overnight ghost hunt
Working with the Paranormal Team
Medium and equipment workshops, and use of all equipment
Refreshment available throughout the night, including snacks
To enter all you need to do is read the Terms and Conditions and tell us your spookiest experience in the comments section below.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Live Ghost Hunt broadcast from our backyard on Halloween
This article is a day old...but this event will probably become an annual Halloween event. So I include it here.
From Perkiomen Valley Patch: Live Ghost Hunt broadcast from our backyard on Halloween
As you drive around this time of year, it doesn’t take long to realize that Halloween is quickly catching up to Christmas as the holiday that people decorate the most for.
What it is about ghosts, goblins, witches and demons that spark the imagination?
Recently there has been a barrage of “paranormal” movies, tours and reality shows that all seem to sensationalize what happens to someone who experiences the unexplained.
“Terror Behind the Walls,” which turns a truly frightening place in its own right -- Eastern Sate Penitentiary-- into little more than an amusement park, has actors portraying the guards and scary beings that go bump in the night.
Noting that, there is a real need for help for people who are troubled by unexplained occurrences and have had their lives impacted by something not of this world.
In 2004, the SyFy network launched "Ghost Hunters," a show about two guys who were plumbers, but when the lights went out, they set out to debunk or confirm any unexplained activity.
This Halloween, "Ghost Hunters," broadcast live from our area at Pennhurst Asylum. With investigators and co-founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson leading the way, along with Steve Gonsalves, and Jay's daughter, Haily, set to undertake an evening of investigation at one of America’s “most haunted” locations.
The team that arrived on Thursday, has spent three days getting ready to broadcast live to the world with streaming video from Pennhurst, a daunting task considering there is no power to be had on the property.
On Monday afternoon fans and paranormal enthusiasts from Chester, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Delaware counties flocked to the outer limits of the Pennhurst property, which was being secured by EPS Services, just to see the "Ghost Hunters" and their army of tech people in action.
“We have been huge fans of the show since it came on,” said Linda Widmer, who traveled from south of Coatesville to get a glimpse of the "Ghost Hunters."
“To be here and see them getting ready is great; they put a lot of work into it. I have enjoyed them because their first inclination is to debunk or find a logical explanation. I never expected to even get close today; this is just amazing. I know people that have had experiences, and it’s great that they try to help.”
In today’s world of sensationalized programming and marketing, GH has always stayed firm to their original caveat which was to help people first and try to bring an explanation or theory to any claims of “paranormal activity”, taking into account it’s impact on the people affected, without shameless self promotion and monetary gain as they provide their services free of charge to any client that contacts them.
“This is great to see them here in our area,” said Pottstown native Gabrielle Dyszel. “How they debunk some stuff and can’t explain some other things really helped me realize that there are more things than people can see with their eyes or hear with ears. It opened my mind up to accept that some of the things I have heard are real.”
Even the security people on site were sharing their own experiences with onlookers and fans as the afternoon progressed getting ready for the big night.
“I have been here a lot and witnessed some really strange stuff,” EPS agent Brian Gaily said to some of the people that had made the trek to Pennhurst. “We have had many reposts from several of our people about some really weird stuff. The 'Ghost Hunters' people and their staff have been very nice while they have been here and I can’t wait to see what they find once the cameras start rolling.”
To view the live broadcast go to SyFy on your local cable or satellite provider to see the live feed directly from Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m.
From Perkiomen Valley Patch: Live Ghost Hunt broadcast from our backyard on Halloween
As you drive around this time of year, it doesn’t take long to realize that Halloween is quickly catching up to Christmas as the holiday that people decorate the most for.
What it is about ghosts, goblins, witches and demons that spark the imagination?
Recently there has been a barrage of “paranormal” movies, tours and reality shows that all seem to sensationalize what happens to someone who experiences the unexplained.
“Terror Behind the Walls,” which turns a truly frightening place in its own right -- Eastern Sate Penitentiary-- into little more than an amusement park, has actors portraying the guards and scary beings that go bump in the night.
Noting that, there is a real need for help for people who are troubled by unexplained occurrences and have had their lives impacted by something not of this world.
In 2004, the SyFy network launched "Ghost Hunters," a show about two guys who were plumbers, but when the lights went out, they set out to debunk or confirm any unexplained activity.
This Halloween, "Ghost Hunters," broadcast live from our area at Pennhurst Asylum. With investigators and co-founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson leading the way, along with Steve Gonsalves, and Jay's daughter, Haily, set to undertake an evening of investigation at one of America’s “most haunted” locations.
The team that arrived on Thursday, has spent three days getting ready to broadcast live to the world with streaming video from Pennhurst, a daunting task considering there is no power to be had on the property.
On Monday afternoon fans and paranormal enthusiasts from Chester, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Delaware counties flocked to the outer limits of the Pennhurst property, which was being secured by EPS Services, just to see the "Ghost Hunters" and their army of tech people in action.
“We have been huge fans of the show since it came on,” said Linda Widmer, who traveled from south of Coatesville to get a glimpse of the "Ghost Hunters."
“To be here and see them getting ready is great; they put a lot of work into it. I have enjoyed them because their first inclination is to debunk or find a logical explanation. I never expected to even get close today; this is just amazing. I know people that have had experiences, and it’s great that they try to help.”
In today’s world of sensationalized programming and marketing, GH has always stayed firm to their original caveat which was to help people first and try to bring an explanation or theory to any claims of “paranormal activity”, taking into account it’s impact on the people affected, without shameless self promotion and monetary gain as they provide their services free of charge to any client that contacts them.
“This is great to see them here in our area,” said Pottstown native Gabrielle Dyszel. “How they debunk some stuff and can’t explain some other things really helped me realize that there are more things than people can see with their eyes or hear with ears. It opened my mind up to accept that some of the things I have heard are real.”
Even the security people on site were sharing their own experiences with onlookers and fans as the afternoon progressed getting ready for the big night.
“I have been here a lot and witnessed some really strange stuff,” EPS agent Brian Gaily said to some of the people that had made the trek to Pennhurst. “We have had many reposts from several of our people about some really weird stuff. The 'Ghost Hunters' people and their staff have been very nice while they have been here and I can’t wait to see what they find once the cameras start rolling.”
To view the live broadcast go to SyFy on your local cable or satellite provider to see the live feed directly from Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Augusta, GA has a few ghost stories to share
From the Augusta Chronicle: Augusta has a few ghost stories to share
An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.
– Charles Dickens
Augusta, GA isn’t really what you would call a ghost town, but sometimes over the past 200 years something strange has happened, and this newspaper has tried to explain it.
With Halloween almost here, you might be in the spirit to set out on a ghost hunt.
You could start at the Ezekiel Harris House on Broad Street near the new Kroc Center. During the American Revolution, a bitter British commander hung 13 patriots nearby. Naturally, there are those who report that strange lights are sometimes seen in the vicinity. Odd sounds are heard, too.
On the other end of Broad at the corner of Fifth Street is the famous “Haunted Pillar.” This lonely column is what’s left of an old market building destroyed by an 1878 tornado. The “haunted” part is a local legend – move the pillar or touch it, and you’re supposed to die.
The truth is the pillar has been moved a lot, and if you want to get picky, it’s not even the original. In 1935, The Chronicle reported, an automobile hit it and “reduced it to a pile of brick and cement.” The driver was not injured; the pillar was rebuilt. On a Friday the 13th in 1958, this newspaper said, the column was toppled when an oversized bale of cotton fell from a passing truck. The driver was not injured.
Maybe the curse involves bad driving.
Walk down the street a few blocks into Olde Town, and you might see something spooky. On both July 11 and July 13, 1871, The Chronicle reported a ghost frightening residents. It turned out to be a mentally unbalanced girl wandering in her nightclothes.
Now on to Walton Way. In June 1903, The Chronicle reported that ghosts were seen at Meadow Garden, the former home of George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Maybe it was George and political rival William Few renewing a political argument.
Keep going up Walton Way, and you arrive at the campus of Augusta State University, scene of one of our town’s most repeated ghost stories.
According to both Chronicle reports and a Georgia ghost story anthology, a professor strolling across campus one spring night reported seeing a man dressed as a Confederate officer walking in the old Walker family cemetery. Then he vanished.
The professor said he didn’t believe in ghosts, but he could offer no other explanation. We’ll have to take his word for it, and you can take my word for this: If you do see something spooky Monday night, it won’t be me.
I should be at my own front door passing our treats. Don’t get greedy. Crowd control will be handled by my vigilant little assistant in a dog costume.
An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.
– Charles Dickens
Augusta, GA isn’t really what you would call a ghost town, but sometimes over the past 200 years something strange has happened, and this newspaper has tried to explain it.
With Halloween almost here, you might be in the spirit to set out on a ghost hunt.
You could start at the Ezekiel Harris House on Broad Street near the new Kroc Center. During the American Revolution, a bitter British commander hung 13 patriots nearby. Naturally, there are those who report that strange lights are sometimes seen in the vicinity. Odd sounds are heard, too.
On the other end of Broad at the corner of Fifth Street is the famous “Haunted Pillar.” This lonely column is what’s left of an old market building destroyed by an 1878 tornado. The “haunted” part is a local legend – move the pillar or touch it, and you’re supposed to die.
The truth is the pillar has been moved a lot, and if you want to get picky, it’s not even the original. In 1935, The Chronicle reported, an automobile hit it and “reduced it to a pile of brick and cement.” The driver was not injured; the pillar was rebuilt. On a Friday the 13th in 1958, this newspaper said, the column was toppled when an oversized bale of cotton fell from a passing truck. The driver was not injured.
Maybe the curse involves bad driving.
Walk down the street a few blocks into Olde Town, and you might see something spooky. On both July 11 and July 13, 1871, The Chronicle reported a ghost frightening residents. It turned out to be a mentally unbalanced girl wandering in her nightclothes.
Now on to Walton Way. In June 1903, The Chronicle reported that ghosts were seen at Meadow Garden, the former home of George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Maybe it was George and political rival William Few renewing a political argument.
Keep going up Walton Way, and you arrive at the campus of Augusta State University, scene of one of our town’s most repeated ghost stories.
According to both Chronicle reports and a Georgia ghost story anthology, a professor strolling across campus one spring night reported seeing a man dressed as a Confederate officer walking in the old Walker family cemetery. Then he vanished.
The professor said he didn’t believe in ghosts, but he could offer no other explanation. We’ll have to take his word for it, and you can take my word for this: If you do see something spooky Monday night, it won’t be me.
I should be at my own front door passing our treats. Don’t get greedy. Crowd control will be handled by my vigilant little assistant in a dog costume.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Middleburg Heights, Ohio: Things to go bump at the ’Berg
From Advertiser-Tribune.com: Things to go bump at the ’Berg
Enter if you dare.
Trick-or-treaters brave enough can participate in activities Thursday in Heidelberg University's France Hall, which is believed to be haunted by several ghosts.
Rebecca Dickinson, a sophomore from Middleburg Heights studying history, has helped organize the fundraiser, which is to be 7:30-10 p.m. Thursday at the residence hall. The resident assistants of Brown and France halls are putting on the event with the help of other organizations.
"We worked hard on trying to get campus organizations involved with the project," she said.
Dickinson said the family-friendly event is to have activities and candy for children and also areas geared more toward adults.
There is no cost, although any donations are to go toward the renovation of France Hall's basement, she said.
"It's a haunted house, but we do have an area designated for kids," she said.
A couple of months ago, a Heidelberg class went ghost-hunting in France Hall.
April Beisaw, assistant professor of anthropology at Heidelberg, taught an honors class titled "Science or Pseudoscience?" that focused on testing methods and whether ghost-hunting is a science. She said she purchased ghost-hunting equipment, and students broke into small groups to go hunting in the attics of France and Pfleiderer halls and the basement of Founders Hall.
She said France Hall is the only place where something that could be considered paranormal happened, and unfortunately, it happened to her.
"I did research afterwards," she said.
Beisaw recalled preparing to take her students into France Hall and securing two keys, one for each side of the attic. She explored the attic before taking her students up, closed the door and went downstairs to get the students. She then returned to the attic with them.
"I went to open the door, and the door wouldn't open," she said.
Beisaw said she had been given the keys to a padlock, which she was holding. The door had locked with the old mechanism, which staff wasn't using anymore.
"We couldn't get the door open," she said.
She and the students went downstairs and returned to the attic through the other entrance. After the ghost hunt, she did research and learned the female ghost who is supposed to be in the attic is known for locking doors.
"I didn't know that when that happened," she said.
Beisaw said some students believed the experience because they wanted to, while others weren't sure.
"It was fully locked, so that was really the main thing that happened up there," she said.
Wednesday, Beisaw is taking students ghost-hunting in an octagonal house the university owns on Perry Street. She said the class is going to be giving a report about the history of the house and what the class thinks should be done to it to President Robert Huntington.
"It's just falling apart sitting there by itself. ... We'll see how (the ghost-hunting) goes," she said.
Enter if you dare.
Trick-or-treaters brave enough can participate in activities Thursday in Heidelberg University's France Hall, which is believed to be haunted by several ghosts.
Rebecca Dickinson, a sophomore from Middleburg Heights studying history, has helped organize the fundraiser, which is to be 7:30-10 p.m. Thursday at the residence hall. The resident assistants of Brown and France halls are putting on the event with the help of other organizations.
"We worked hard on trying to get campus organizations involved with the project," she said.
Dickinson said the family-friendly event is to have activities and candy for children and also areas geared more toward adults.
There is no cost, although any donations are to go toward the renovation of France Hall's basement, she said.
"It's a haunted house, but we do have an area designated for kids," she said.
A couple of months ago, a Heidelberg class went ghost-hunting in France Hall.
April Beisaw, assistant professor of anthropology at Heidelberg, taught an honors class titled "Science or Pseudoscience?" that focused on testing methods and whether ghost-hunting is a science. She said she purchased ghost-hunting equipment, and students broke into small groups to go hunting in the attics of France and Pfleiderer halls and the basement of Founders Hall.
She said France Hall is the only place where something that could be considered paranormal happened, and unfortunately, it happened to her.
"I did research afterwards," she said.
Beisaw recalled preparing to take her students into France Hall and securing two keys, one for each side of the attic. She explored the attic before taking her students up, closed the door and went downstairs to get the students. She then returned to the attic with them.
"I went to open the door, and the door wouldn't open," she said.
Beisaw said she had been given the keys to a padlock, which she was holding. The door had locked with the old mechanism, which staff wasn't using anymore.
"We couldn't get the door open," she said.
She and the students went downstairs and returned to the attic through the other entrance. After the ghost hunt, she did research and learned the female ghost who is supposed to be in the attic is known for locking doors.
"I didn't know that when that happened," she said.
Beisaw said some students believed the experience because they wanted to, while others weren't sure.
"It was fully locked, so that was really the main thing that happened up there," she said.
Wednesday, Beisaw is taking students ghost-hunting in an octagonal house the university owns on Perry Street. She said the class is going to be giving a report about the history of the house and what the class thinks should be done to it to President Robert Huntington.
"It's just falling apart sitting there by itself. ... We'll see how (the ghost-hunting) goes," she said.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Calendar Reminder - Oct 26 in Niagara Falls, Ghost Hunter's lecture
From Niagara Falls, WGRZ.com: Local Ghost Hunter Offers Lecture on Hauntings at Niagara Wheatfield
Have you ever wondered what goes bump in the night? Locally renowned ghost hunter Steven Richards did after an encounter at the Town Hall in Niagara where he is supervisor. “I was at the town hall late at night and I heard voices and footsteps. I went to explore and no one was there.” After learning that other people he worked with had experienced the same thing he and some friends stayed overnight to see if anything would happen. At 5:00AM all the candles blew out simultaneously and the amateur ghost hunters ran out the door. But the experienced peaked his curiosity and it wasn’t long before he and two other ghost hunter enthusiasts, James Kramp and Diane Tallarico, joined forces to create the Dark Starr Paranormal Research Society. “Since then it has exploded,” he says.
“We spend a lot of time exploring odd and creepy places. The most fascinating thing I have ever experienced was being pulled on while on a ghost hunt and nearly knocked over. Also there have been a lot of EVP’s that we have picked up.” EVP’s are Electronic Voice Phenomenon and he had his partners have picked up many of them at local sites like the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club, Iron island Museum and the Pharaoh’s Night Club.
He will be speaking about his experiences and showing off his ghost hunting equipment at a lecture for the Niagara Wheatfield Adult Education program on October 26th from 6:30-8:30PM at the Niagara Wheatfield High School. “At the lecture people can expect three things: number one to see all the equipment we have and they get a hands-on demonstration of it. Number two, they get to see and hear all the evidence we have collected and number three, they get a chance to share an experience they had concerning the paranormal with the group which seems to be a great way for people to open up.” People who attend the workshop will also have a chance to sign up for a once in a lifetime guided field trip with Steven. “Our field trips will consist of taking a large group of people and breaking them into smaller groups where one of our instructors will take each smaller group on a real ghost hunt to a place where we have already been and know is haunted.”
The lecture fills up quickly, so anyone interested in hearing Steven should go to the Niagara Wheatfield website www.nwcsd.k12.ny.us under Adult Education or call the Adult Education Office at 215-3109.
Have you ever wondered what goes bump in the night? Locally renowned ghost hunter Steven Richards did after an encounter at the Town Hall in Niagara where he is supervisor. “I was at the town hall late at night and I heard voices and footsteps. I went to explore and no one was there.” After learning that other people he worked with had experienced the same thing he and some friends stayed overnight to see if anything would happen. At 5:00AM all the candles blew out simultaneously and the amateur ghost hunters ran out the door. But the experienced peaked his curiosity and it wasn’t long before he and two other ghost hunter enthusiasts, James Kramp and Diane Tallarico, joined forces to create the Dark Starr Paranormal Research Society. “Since then it has exploded,” he says.
“We spend a lot of time exploring odd and creepy places. The most fascinating thing I have ever experienced was being pulled on while on a ghost hunt and nearly knocked over. Also there have been a lot of EVP’s that we have picked up.” EVP’s are Electronic Voice Phenomenon and he had his partners have picked up many of them at local sites like the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club, Iron island Museum and the Pharaoh’s Night Club.
He will be speaking about his experiences and showing off his ghost hunting equipment at a lecture for the Niagara Wheatfield Adult Education program on October 26th from 6:30-8:30PM at the Niagara Wheatfield High School. “At the lecture people can expect three things: number one to see all the equipment we have and they get a hands-on demonstration of it. Number two, they get to see and hear all the evidence we have collected and number three, they get a chance to share an experience they had concerning the paranormal with the group which seems to be a great way for people to open up.” People who attend the workshop will also have a chance to sign up for a once in a lifetime guided field trip with Steven. “Our field trips will consist of taking a large group of people and breaking them into smaller groups where one of our instructors will take each smaller group on a real ghost hunt to a place where we have already been and know is haunted.”
The lecture fills up quickly, so anyone interested in hearing Steven should go to the Niagara Wheatfield website www.nwcsd.k12.ny.us under Adult Education or call the Adult Education Office at 215-3109.
Newport News, VA: Halloween events include a harrowing walk through the woods
From Daily Press: Halloween events include a harrowing walk through the woods
With apologies to Robert Frost, the woods are deadly, dark and deep.
This time of year, there seems to be a werewolf snarling behind every tree, a troll slithering beneath every bridge, a sexy nurse frolicking outside every ABC store.
Danger lurks at every turn. Which means scary Halloween fun can be found in dozens of different forms.
At St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Catholic parish serving Tabb and Poquoson, youth group members have created a Haunted Trail with the intention of frightening the devil out of their friends and neighbors.
It's a tradition that stretches back more than a decade.
"This year, our theme is Terror Island where our 'victims' will get shanghaied onto the island by pirates where zombies, cannibals and other creatures of the night rule," explained Pat Kovac, youth minister at St. Kateri. "They will be taken through a maze, cemetery, a haunted junkyard, executioner's row, spider nightmare and other surprises."
The Haunted Trail is a big fundraiser for the church's youth summer work trips and it's something kids and adults eagerly anticipate each fall. It takes as many as 65 teens and 20 adults each night to run the trail. The number of quivering, screaming customers can reach 800.
"There are 14 large crosses on the trail that we have lit and have posted Bible sayings that pertain to fear," Kovac explained. "Our rule is that the crosses are safe zones. Between the crosses, not so much."
A new wrinkle in this season's set of Halloween events is a zombie-dodging race scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28 in the woods around The Mariners' Museum in Newport News.
"How do you dodge a zombie?" a press release for Fright Night 2011 asked. "Each participant will receive a flag to tie around around their arm or waist and be released into the woods."
In the shadows, zombies will do their best to get their hands on the participants. "How realistic will the zombies be? They're just like us, but dead," said Susanne Raiszadeh, president of the City Center Rotary Club, organizers of the race.
Those who cross a finish line alive — that is, with their flags intact — are winners. As for the losers, well, zombies need their brain food.
The race will raise money for The Arc of the Virginia Peninsula, an organization that helps people with developmental and other disabilities.
Here's a closer look at Halloween events happening across the region.
Colonial Williamsburg's "Ghosts Amongst Us." During the one-hour walking tour, guests enter the sites and meet ghostly inhabitants and those who have lived to tell of their supernatural experiences. 7 and 8:30 p.m. Lumber House Ticket Office, nightly Oct. 23-Nov. 1 and sporadically until Nov. 24. Ticket: $12. Not appropriate for young audiences.
Ghost Hunting 101. Central Virginia Paranormal Investigations, a ghost-hunting team founded in 2008, discusses do's and the don'ts of getting started in ghost-hunting, organizing a team, avoiding legal issues, finding the history of a location, working with the media and more, 6-8 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, at Grissom Library, Newport News. They also will demonstrate their equipment and answer audience questions. No registration required. 757-369-3190.
Haunted Trail presents "Terror Island." 7-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday Oct. 26-27, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. The St. Kateri Tekakwitha Youth Group is hosting guided spooky outdoor tours through "Terror Island." The event is located at 3800 Big Bethel Road across from Tabb Elementary School. Tickets are $8 or $6 with student ID and can be purchased in advance at the church or at the event. Scary fun for adults, teens, and tweens. Contact Pat Kovac at patkovac@stkatri.hrcoxmail.com or 766-3800. This event is not appropriate for young children.
Fort Monroe Haunted Tours. Presented by the Hampton History Museum. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26-Saturday, Oct. 29. (Gazebo beside the Historic Chamberlin), Fort Monroe. $20 per person for ages 6 and up. Comfortable walking shoes recommended. Tours not recommended for small children. Proceeds benefit the Hampton History Museum. Each tour is approximately 11/2 hours long. For advance tickets, call 757-727-1610.
Haunted Ship: BB-64 Paranormal Investigation at Nauticus. An after-hours ghost hunt below decks. Explore dark, creepy spaces that have never been open to the public. Tours will run Oct. 27-30. Thursday 6:30-10 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 6:30-10 p.m. Participants must have the ability to climb steep ladder steps and navigate tight sub-deck spaces. Not suitable for children 11 and younger. Tickets are $15. One Waterside Drive, Norfolk. Call 664-1000.
Haunts of Poquoson. Oct. 27-29. 7:30-9 p.m. Poquoson Museum, 968 Poquoson Ave. Haunted maze, haunted walk, ghost stories. $3 a person. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. http://www.poquosonmuseum.com.
Casemate Museum Lantern Tour. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27. One-hour walking tour of Fort Monroe. Tour begins at the entrance to the Casemate Museum and is free of charge. Reservations are required: 757-788-3391. Weather permitting.
Haunted Forest and Hay Ride. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28-Oct. 29, Oct. 31. 600 W. Main St., Smithfield. 757-617-9758.
PFAC Presents: The Haunted Hospital. 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28-Monday, Oct. 31. Gentle scares by baby monsters, lively zombies, and ghoulish doctors and nurses. There will be take-home treats. Appropriate for ages kindergarten-fifth grade. Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Museum Drive, Newport News. Tickets are $5 per person. 757-596-8175.
Survive Norfolk, a game of zombie tag. Saturday, Oct. 29, streets of Ghent, Norfolk. A limited number of participants will be able to play as either humans or zombies. Check in and registration starts at 6 p.m., game begins at 8:30 p.m. Only 18 and older are eligible to participate. $10 registration fee. Visit survivenorfolk.wordpress.com.
Wicked 10K and Monster Mile foot races. Saturday, Oct. 29, Virginia Beach oceanfront. Runners don costumes as they race along the oceanfront. Post-race party will feature beer, costume contest celebration and live music from the band Rock Star Parking. Registration fee $60 to $25. 10K race starts at 8 a.m., Monster Mile race starts at 10 a.m. Visit http://www.wicked10k.com or call 757-412-1056.
Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. This year's fright fest will feature new haunted houses, scare zones and shows built around the theme "The Dark Side of the Gardens." Evil clowns and the musical show "Fiends" are among the attractions. Howl-O-Scream is not suitable for children after 6 p.m. Younger guests will be treated to Halloween happenings during the day at Sesame Street Forest of Fun. Single day admission, $66.99 or $56.99 for children ages 3-9. Visit http://www.howl-o-scream.com/va
Nightmares on the Beach. Through Oct. 31. Nightmare Mansion: 2008 Atlantic Ave. Haunted 3-D Fun House, Mirror Maze of Terror: 1910 Atlantic Ave. and Pirate Ghost Ride: 1608 Atlantic Ave. Starting at 6 p.m. Virginia Beach. 428-FEAR, http://www.youwillscream.com.
Fright Night – A Zombie-Dodging Footrace. 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The Rotary Club at City Center Newport News is hosting a zombie dodging footrace through the woods and fields at Williams Field at The Mariners' Museum. This zombie-tag event will include prizes, snacks and music from DJ Chris Rice. Footrace is for those 18 and up only. $10 in advance, $15 at the gate. 757-713-2199.
The Haunting of Hampton. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. A frightening night of live musical entertainment and activities. All visitors are encouraged to dress in costume. Music will be by Excess. Queens Way, downtown Hampton. Free.
Virginia Air & Space Center's Halloween Bash. 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Safe trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, creepy make-and-take activities, spooky feely stations, the skeleton crew of a ghost place and a wacky wizard's castle. Costume contest for all ages. Hampton Sheriff's Office will be on hand with their Child ID program. Space is limited and advance tickets are encouraged. 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton. Order tickets online at http://www.vasc.org or call 727-0900, ext. 705.
Pirates, Mermaids & Monsters Halloween Cruise. 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Visit with pirates and mermaids on the water this Halloween aboard Spirit of Norfolk's pirates, mermaids and monsters lunch cruise. $32.50 per person, excluding taxes and fees. 866-304-2496.
New Covenant Church hosts its annual Night of No Fear. 6-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31. Children under 12 are invited to bring a parent and have fun in a safe, fright-free environment. There will be candy, free hot dogs, games, prizes, inflatables. 1079 Big Bethel Road, Hampton. 757-838-8700.
With apologies to Robert Frost, the woods are deadly, dark and deep.
This time of year, there seems to be a werewolf snarling behind every tree, a troll slithering beneath every bridge, a sexy nurse frolicking outside every ABC store.
Danger lurks at every turn. Which means scary Halloween fun can be found in dozens of different forms.
At St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Catholic parish serving Tabb and Poquoson, youth group members have created a Haunted Trail with the intention of frightening the devil out of their friends and neighbors.
It's a tradition that stretches back more than a decade.
"This year, our theme is Terror Island where our 'victims' will get shanghaied onto the island by pirates where zombies, cannibals and other creatures of the night rule," explained Pat Kovac, youth minister at St. Kateri. "They will be taken through a maze, cemetery, a haunted junkyard, executioner's row, spider nightmare and other surprises."
The Haunted Trail is a big fundraiser for the church's youth summer work trips and it's something kids and adults eagerly anticipate each fall. It takes as many as 65 teens and 20 adults each night to run the trail. The number of quivering, screaming customers can reach 800.
"There are 14 large crosses on the trail that we have lit and have posted Bible sayings that pertain to fear," Kovac explained. "Our rule is that the crosses are safe zones. Between the crosses, not so much."
A new wrinkle in this season's set of Halloween events is a zombie-dodging race scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28 in the woods around The Mariners' Museum in Newport News.
"How do you dodge a zombie?" a press release for Fright Night 2011 asked. "Each participant will receive a flag to tie around around their arm or waist and be released into the woods."
In the shadows, zombies will do their best to get their hands on the participants. "How realistic will the zombies be? They're just like us, but dead," said Susanne Raiszadeh, president of the City Center Rotary Club, organizers of the race.
Those who cross a finish line alive — that is, with their flags intact — are winners. As for the losers, well, zombies need their brain food.
The race will raise money for The Arc of the Virginia Peninsula, an organization that helps people with developmental and other disabilities.
Here's a closer look at Halloween events happening across the region.
Colonial Williamsburg's "Ghosts Amongst Us." During the one-hour walking tour, guests enter the sites and meet ghostly inhabitants and those who have lived to tell of their supernatural experiences. 7 and 8:30 p.m. Lumber House Ticket Office, nightly Oct. 23-Nov. 1 and sporadically until Nov. 24. Ticket: $12. Not appropriate for young audiences.
Ghost Hunting 101. Central Virginia Paranormal Investigations, a ghost-hunting team founded in 2008, discusses do's and the don'ts of getting started in ghost-hunting, organizing a team, avoiding legal issues, finding the history of a location, working with the media and more, 6-8 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, at Grissom Library, Newport News. They also will demonstrate their equipment and answer audience questions. No registration required. 757-369-3190.
Haunted Trail presents "Terror Island." 7-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday Oct. 26-27, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. The St. Kateri Tekakwitha Youth Group is hosting guided spooky outdoor tours through "Terror Island." The event is located at 3800 Big Bethel Road across from Tabb Elementary School. Tickets are $8 or $6 with student ID and can be purchased in advance at the church or at the event. Scary fun for adults, teens, and tweens. Contact Pat Kovac at patkovac@stkatri.hrcoxmail.com or 766-3800. This event is not appropriate for young children.
Fort Monroe Haunted Tours. Presented by the Hampton History Museum. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26-Saturday, Oct. 29. (Gazebo beside the Historic Chamberlin), Fort Monroe. $20 per person for ages 6 and up. Comfortable walking shoes recommended. Tours not recommended for small children. Proceeds benefit the Hampton History Museum. Each tour is approximately 11/2 hours long. For advance tickets, call 757-727-1610.
Haunted Ship: BB-64 Paranormal Investigation at Nauticus. An after-hours ghost hunt below decks. Explore dark, creepy spaces that have never been open to the public. Tours will run Oct. 27-30. Thursday 6:30-10 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 6:30-10 p.m. Participants must have the ability to climb steep ladder steps and navigate tight sub-deck spaces. Not suitable for children 11 and younger. Tickets are $15. One Waterside Drive, Norfolk. Call 664-1000.
Haunts of Poquoson. Oct. 27-29. 7:30-9 p.m. Poquoson Museum, 968 Poquoson Ave. Haunted maze, haunted walk, ghost stories. $3 a person. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. http://www.poquosonmuseum.com.
Casemate Museum Lantern Tour. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27. One-hour walking tour of Fort Monroe. Tour begins at the entrance to the Casemate Museum and is free of charge. Reservations are required: 757-788-3391. Weather permitting.
Haunted Forest and Hay Ride. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28-Oct. 29, Oct. 31. 600 W. Main St., Smithfield. 757-617-9758.
PFAC Presents: The Haunted Hospital. 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28-Monday, Oct. 31. Gentle scares by baby monsters, lively zombies, and ghoulish doctors and nurses. There will be take-home treats. Appropriate for ages kindergarten-fifth grade. Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Museum Drive, Newport News. Tickets are $5 per person. 757-596-8175.
Survive Norfolk, a game of zombie tag. Saturday, Oct. 29, streets of Ghent, Norfolk. A limited number of participants will be able to play as either humans or zombies. Check in and registration starts at 6 p.m., game begins at 8:30 p.m. Only 18 and older are eligible to participate. $10 registration fee. Visit survivenorfolk.wordpress.com.
Wicked 10K and Monster Mile foot races. Saturday, Oct. 29, Virginia Beach oceanfront. Runners don costumes as they race along the oceanfront. Post-race party will feature beer, costume contest celebration and live music from the band Rock Star Parking. Registration fee $60 to $25. 10K race starts at 8 a.m., Monster Mile race starts at 10 a.m. Visit http://www.wicked10k.com or call 757-412-1056.
Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. This year's fright fest will feature new haunted houses, scare zones and shows built around the theme "The Dark Side of the Gardens." Evil clowns and the musical show "Fiends" are among the attractions. Howl-O-Scream is not suitable for children after 6 p.m. Younger guests will be treated to Halloween happenings during the day at Sesame Street Forest of Fun. Single day admission, $66.99 or $56.99 for children ages 3-9. Visit http://www.howl-o-scream.com/va
Nightmares on the Beach. Through Oct. 31. Nightmare Mansion: 2008 Atlantic Ave. Haunted 3-D Fun House, Mirror Maze of Terror: 1910 Atlantic Ave. and Pirate Ghost Ride: 1608 Atlantic Ave. Starting at 6 p.m. Virginia Beach. 428-FEAR, http://www.youwillscream.com.
Fright Night – A Zombie-Dodging Footrace. 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The Rotary Club at City Center Newport News is hosting a zombie dodging footrace through the woods and fields at Williams Field at The Mariners' Museum. This zombie-tag event will include prizes, snacks and music from DJ Chris Rice. Footrace is for those 18 and up only. $10 in advance, $15 at the gate. 757-713-2199.
The Haunting of Hampton. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. A frightening night of live musical entertainment and activities. All visitors are encouraged to dress in costume. Music will be by Excess. Queens Way, downtown Hampton. Free.
Virginia Air & Space Center's Halloween Bash. 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Safe trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, creepy make-and-take activities, spooky feely stations, the skeleton crew of a ghost place and a wacky wizard's castle. Costume contest for all ages. Hampton Sheriff's Office will be on hand with their Child ID program. Space is limited and advance tickets are encouraged. 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton. Order tickets online at http://www.vasc.org or call 727-0900, ext. 705.
Pirates, Mermaids & Monsters Halloween Cruise. 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Visit with pirates and mermaids on the water this Halloween aboard Spirit of Norfolk's pirates, mermaids and monsters lunch cruise. $32.50 per person, excluding taxes and fees. 866-304-2496.
New Covenant Church hosts its annual Night of No Fear. 6-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31. Children under 12 are invited to bring a parent and have fun in a safe, fright-free environment. There will be candy, free hot dogs, games, prizes, inflatables. 1079 Big Bethel Road, Hampton. 757-838-8700.
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