Octagon Hall offers celebrity ghost hunts

The Amplifier.com: Octagon Hall offers celebrity ghost hunts

Quietly nestled in a well manicured landscape just inside Simpson County lies an historic site widely regarded as one of the most haunted places in the South. Octagon Hall is one of only four brick Octagonal shaped buildings surviving in the country and its long history includes service as a Civil War hospital. In the world of ghost hunting it is a must see location and Executive Director Billy D. Byrd has been able to sustain the museum by hosting events for those seeking to commune with things that go bump in the night, the largest yet to take place on September 10, 2011.

The hall had served as rental property for many years before it was purchased by Byrd in 2001. As he began restoration, he and other workers experienced some strange occurrences, so his curiosity made him happy to oblige when a Nashville group contacted him asking to spend the night and investigate a potential haunting.

Preferring to avoid the strings attached to State and Federal money and grants, Byrd seized the opportunity to fund the museum through weekend excursions by ghost hunters and eventually began allowing a select number from the general public to accompany the investigators on certain weekends.

After being featured on A&E, the Travel Channel and the History Channel, he more recently introduced celebrity events with the help of ghost hunter and promoter Keith Fournier.

In July such an event was held featuring Jim O’Rear, a multitalented celebrity who will return on September 10.

Jim O’Rear has been well known in a variety of fields through the years. He first drew attention at the age of 12, billing himself as The Youngest Professional Magician and working with talents such as David Copperfield, Harry Blackstone, Jr., and The Great Tomsoni as well as opening for acts like Cheap Trick and John Anderson.

He then trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began a successful run on stage before transitioning to acting, stunt work and special effects on the silver screen. His many films include the original Day of the Dead, the remake of Little Shop of Horrors, Lethal Weapon 3, Star Trek IV, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, Evita and Psycho Beach Party.

In recent years he turned his attention to writing and has produced films starring true horror royalty from a number of his screenplays as well as writing several books on ghosts including Tennessee Ghosts. An early screenplay for example was made into the film House of Pain starring Robert “Freddy” Englund, Gunnar “Leatherface” Hansen, Tom “From Dusk Until Dawn” Savini, Bill “Chop Top” Moseley and scream queen Debbie Rochon.

He became involved in ghost hunting as a member of Hollywood Ghost Hunters which features “Horror film professionals stalking the supernatural”. Cohorts included R.A. Mihailoff (Leatherface), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees and Adam Green (Hatchet). After leaving the Hollywood Ghost Hunters, Jim started his own team dubbing them the Celebrity Ghost Hunters. They have recently completed a TV pilot featuring Robert Englund and Mandy Barnett.

At the July meet and greet, Jim relayed some of the history which brought him to the world of ghost hunting. His first interest in the unknown came about as a child. He described an old woman in his small hometown that all the children feared and referred to as a witch. Word was, he said, that if you made eye contact with her you would die. Being a daredevil from the start Jim’s curiosity lead him to hide and observe the woman and one day he wasn’t quick enough and she caught his gaze. “I didn’t die!” He said. He had had some strange experiences in his own home so he began to question other stories and beliefs about the supernatural world. He became fast friends with the old woman and they kept in touch until the day she died.

When he visited Disney World the first time, Jim was fascinated with the Haunted Mansion and by the age of 15 he had created his own haunted event, which he still does from time to time in Nashville.

When it comes to real ghosts, Jim says he seems to be one of those with a special sensitivity. When he is present, things tend to happen. And according to Innovative Paranormal Research’s founder Dudley Pitts, Octagon Hall is one of the most active sites you can visit. IPR was the team sponsoring the July 22 ghost hunt and have done many investigations at the hall. Pitts claims that though the Waverly Sanitarium and the Bardstown Jail are believed to have more ghosts, Octagon Hall has the most consistent activity with nearly a 95% chance of some kind of occurrence during investigations.

The most active ghost, Mary Elizabeth was a young girl who burned to death in the house’s kitchen after a spark from the fire ignited her dress. Mary Elizabeth has taken many forms according to the hunters, from a misty presence to appearing as solid. Witnesses have claimed to see and hear her both during the day and at night. Further she has interacted with a variety of people they say, answering questions and even singing along with them. Pitt’s described one of his visits during a Civil War encampment where she approached a family with a young child asking if the child could play. After the mother told her it was too late and the child was asleep, they realized no other children were on the site that night besides their own.

Other visitors who gathered July 22 included a couple from Gallatin Tennessee who had experienced a little girl calling to them in their home and become intrigued with the idea of ghost hunting from watching TV and a teenage boy from Arkansas who had played with an “imaginary friend” in his childhood and grown to find the entity could play tricks with nails in his wall and items around the house.

While only 12 - 15 people are invited to join professional ghost hunters on a typical investigation, the September 10 event hosted by Ghost Hunt Weekends will be a more sizeable endeavor with 100 tickets being sold. Keith Fournier is bringing in 7 or 8 team leaders including himself and Jim O’Rear so that participants can be split into small groups and rotate through the various areas to investigate and interact with celebrity guests one on one. Guests include John Zaffis, The Godfather of the Paranormal from Syfy’s Haunted Collector and Bruce Tango from Syfy’s Ghost Hunters.

The Day’s schedule which begins at 11am, will include historic tours, lectures and classes, Q&As, Dinner with the stars, a live Civil War encampment and a live ghost hunt. Tickets are $195 per person and can be purchased at ghosthuntweekends.com or by calling 866-559-4741. For more information about Octagon Hall visit www.octagonhall.com or friend it on facebook.

And, be sure to check out Jim O’Rear’s upcoming projects including Disciples with Billy Moseley and Linnea Quigley, The Jersey Devil and his own Underground Entertaiment: The Movie, a Spinal Tapesque mockumentary featuring a who’s who of horror stars.

Alaska Paranormal Societies

From the Paranormal Societies website:

I'll be sharing urls later.

Full Moon Paranormal Investigations - Northwest Division

Halton Paranormal Group Campbellville Website

I.O.P.I.A. Investigation Of Paranormal In Alaska Anchorage Website

Midnight Sun Paranormal Society Anchorage

Northern Lights Paranormal Anchorage

Pennine Paranormal Society Haworth

Pranormal Searchers Metaire

Silverpoint Indiana Paranormal Indiana [who knew Alaska had a town named Indiana]

Ghost Hunting at The Golden Fleece, With Simply Ghost Nights On The 6th August

Media Syndicate: Ghost Hunting at The Golden Fleece, With Simply Ghost Nights On The 6th August
The Golden Fleece is a Tudor looking timber framed building, and as you walk through the doors you can see how steeped in history this location is.
The Golden Fleece is reputed to be one of the oldest coaching inns in York and its origins can traced to around 1500.

One of the bedrooms is named after Lady Alice Peckett whose husband John is a former landlord and Lord Mayor of York. The spectral residents of the Golden fleece are said to be Lady Peckett herself, Lady Peckett’s ghostly body is reported to walk the corridors of this old inn. A malevolent spirit called John is known to haunt the bedroom at the top of the building.

On a ghost hunt at The Golden Fleece some years ago we were all calling out for spirit activity when we all heard a bang on the floor, and some noise coming from the bedroom wardrobe. What we found will stay with us for years, not only a coat hangar was now on the floor the remaining coat hangars were swaying likes a pendulum.

After the screaming and shouting had subsided once the shock had gone, we all knew that something not human in that room had thrown the coat hangar and was the cause of the other coat hangars to swing to and fro.

It was an eventful incident that will stay with me and the others in the group forever, and as our return to The Golden Fleece approaches the Simply Ghost Nights team is getting excited to see what John the spirit resident of The Golden Fleece will do next time.

England: The Ghost Tours of York

From Anglotopia.net, a Guest Post: The Ghost Tours of York

The GRFI (Ghost Research Foundation International) has named York as the world’s most haunted city. Learning about its scary past can be a humorous and entertaining way to learn more about the city’s history.

Ghost hunting is serious business in York! A huge amount of buildings in York are said to be haunted and many tours of the most infamous places take place throughout the year. Feeling brave? Some of the hotels in York are said to be haunted, such as The Golden Fleece, however since “Most Haunted” visited to try and make contact with the other side, the popularity of the place has risen dramatically and it is often booked up months in advance.

Number 35 Stonegate is reputed to be York’s most haunted house. Open each evening in summer, the house is over 700 years old. It has been said that visitors have heard eerie sounds emanating from the attic, as well as icy fingers touching their faces. It was reported that “Most Haunted” crew ran out of the house in fear of the restless spirits that still haunt the building.

York has its fair share of haunted inns, one being The Punch Bowl at Stonegate. This former house of ill repute has two resident ghosts, one being a landlord who perished in a fire centuries ago and the other a gentleman whose advances were rebuffed by a young lady who worked there. It is said that in a drunken rage, he strangled her and her spirit still runs from room to room in an attempt to avoid him.

Dating back to the time of Henry 7th, the Old Starre Inn has its own ghostly past. The cellars date back as far as the 10th century and were used to house soldiers from the Battle of Marston Moor. Their screams of death can still be heard in the dead of night.

York’s enterprising folk have devised many walks and talks to inform tourists and locals of the city’s fascinating and gruesome past. Take your pick from the many that are on offer.

The Original Ghost walk is one of York’s oldest. On this walk, you hear tales of persecution and betrayal as well as how many unruly citizens of the past shaped York’s history. This tour can attract over 150 people at a time and meets every evening at the King’s Arms Pub at 8pm.

If you don’t fancy walking, for a ghost tour with a difference, the York Boat Ghost Cruise is a great option. The tales you will hear are frightening, yet the experience is fun.

The York Dungeons are meant to scare and educate at the same time. With stories of executions and The Plague, the museum is fascinating as well as gory. A guided tour of York in the 14th century tells of how The Plague started and spread throughout the city. Dick Turpin, the infamous highwayman, is featured in one exhibit in the building and Guy Fawkes, famous for the Gunpowder Plot in which he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in another.

For those who prefer to perform their own investigations, Garry Goldthorpe, York’s well known ghost detective, has his own suggestions. His advice is to bring a tape recorder to those places you feel are haunted and then play back the tapes on high volume. You may well hear voices that are not meant to be there!

Lasting over an hour is The Ghost Hunt of York, which takes place at Shambles, the most famous medieval street in England. Complete with Victorian guide in top hat and frock coat, the tour starts at 7.30pm daily.

At 7.30pm, York’s Premier Ghost Walk commences on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from the months of November to June. The walks also take place from 1st July to Halloween and start at Coppergate walk outside the Jorvik Viking Centre, whatever the weather.

The Ghost Trail of York starts outside the West doors of The Minster at 7.30pm every night. There’s no need to book. The tour takes you back across the centuries to experience the tales that make up the chilling history of York’s ghostly past.

York’s Ghost Walk Experience also tells tales of the city’s murky past and visits the places where some ghastly events took place in years gone by. This tour starts at the Roman Column nightly at 7pm. The Column can be found right outside the Minster.

“Ghost Story” provides mini ghost walks combined with ghost stories and suppers all held each month at the Red Lion pub. Ghost Story also arranges bespoke ghost walks, ghost pub tours and ghost parties.

Ghost Hunters International are 'Sensing Evil: Trinidad and Argentina'

From MassLive.com: Ghost Hunters International are 'Sensing Evil: Trinidad and Argentina'

The Ghost Hunters International crew continues their investigation in the country of Trinidad with a case involving a former leper colony on Chacachacare Island. Run by both Dominican and French nuns there have been reports of voices, footsteps, apparitions and shadow people.

Being taken by boat out to the island we are introduced to the local ghost hunting team who repeat the rumor of a nun that hooked up with a Venezuelan sailor and when the affair was discovered and she was told to break it off she committed suicide by hanging herself over the altar in the chapel. The Paranormal Investigators of Trinidad Tobago also tell about a group of coast guard soldiers that felt as though they were held down in their sleep and being pushed up the stairs by an unseen hand.

After the local paranormal guys managed to frighten Kris Williams with their machetes they continue to give a tour of the island including the cemetery for the nuns where a woman in white is seen wearing lipstick. A three-quarter melted Paul Bradford gave a quick interview describing the difficulty with covering the location with cameras and we are soon underway.

Barry Fitzgerald and Kris begin the investigation in the chapel looking for the suicidal nun. Pushing together boxes from their gear Barry attempts to create a ‘bed’ to test out the theory of the feeling of being held down. Soon they hear footsteps over by the altar.

In what I think was the reason for the title of this episode: ‘Sensing evil’ Joe Chin and Scott Tepperman are in the nun’s quarters where Joe repeatedly says that he doesn’t like the building. Citing tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing Joe tries to reassure Scott that he is not in fact having a heart attack although, I have to say, I wasn’t too convinced.

Taking a boat driven by the local ghost hunting crew and their guide to another section of the island Paul Bradford and Susan Slaughter head to the leper infirmary to try to convince the resident lepers that they have found a cure for leprosy and that they can get them off the island. Not buying it the spirits take offense and tell the GHI team members to get out but not before Susan claims to feel someone push on her backpack, see a shadow and begin feeling really uncomfortable.

Visiting the cemetery Barry claims to hear a woman’s voice and it’s all aboard for the boat ride back to the mainland.

Analysis of the evidence gathered revealed little. There is the footsteps heard in the chapel which I can really only make out one thump of, the woman’s voice heard in the cemetery sounds like rusted metal grating, the ‘no’ or ‘go’ heard in the infirmary could just as easily be an exhale. The ‘get out’ recorded there is perhaps the strongest bit of evidence gathered on this investigation and yet still isn’t all that impressive.

Research done by the Ghost Hunters International team reveals that there was an American nun found dead in the water named Sister Mary Luigi. The priest that told them about said that she was being asked to go to Guyana but didn’t want to and they aren’t sure if she jumped into the water or if she fell. Hopefully the local team will now stop spreading the horrible rumor of the ‘wayward nun and her hook up with a sailor’ because it’s just plain sexist and mean.

Heading out, Kris and Barry agree that it’s a wonder that Paul didn’t fall into the water on the boat ride but no explanation is given as to why they would think that.

The next investigation takes place in Gualeguaychu, Argentina at Frigorifico Slaughter house. Built in the 1920s it was abandoned 15 years ago and as Paul mentioned when he saw the building it looks like something out of a horror movie.

Reporting incidents of apparitions, screams, mumbling, conversations and residual sounds of the slaughterhouse still in operation which I can only assume entails a lot of horrible mooing noises.

Being given a tour by a gentleman and his interpreter the Ghost Hunters International team is also joined by several different stray dogs as they tour the elevator where a shadow is seen dressed in white and guy managed to get himself decapitated by the elevator. The slaughterhouse lot is the scene of a workplace stabbing and women continue to chat in the salon, while photographs taken in the cold chamber come back with orbs on them.

As I was watching the team being escorted around the buildings by the stray dogs it did cross my mind that they were going to have to keep an eye out for contamination that night. In a great move, we see Kris give the team a heads up to check on any noises to make sure they were caused by any of the wildlife they encountered in the building.

While not much was found in the investigation of the slaughterhouse it was interesting to see the team do a great job of debunking some of the instances that did take place. Paul and Susan hearing women’s voices in the salon, just as was reported in the walk through, checked out to be a flock of sky rats hanging out in the rafters. Kris feels something touch her arm and in asking Barry if he touched her he says that he did. In a clip we see Barry say he hears someone say ‘Kris’ and in analysis it is shown to be just their own heavy breathing.

Eventually the reveal shows really only one somewhat solid piece of evidence in the form of an EVP captured that says ‘It’s my job.’ What is odd is that the voice is captured speaking in English, which I kind of find hard to believe that there would be someone working in this slaughterhouse that is speaking English on a regular basis.

Both investigations by the Ghost Hunters International team were at interesting locations which made this an episode worth watching but both locals (to the team’s credit) were told that there wasn’t enough evidence for a declaration of ‘haunted.’

Local ghost hunting group gears up for appearance on new Travel Channel series

From: Bluefield Daily Telegraph: Local ghost hunting group gears up for appearance on new Travel Channel series
PRINCETON — A group of Princeton-based ghost hunters will be making their first national appearance in a new Travel Channel reality show.

Appalachee Paranormal is a group of six Princeton-area residents who perform free paranormal investigations in the states West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The group will have their television premiere on the Travel Channel competing against another team for the new show “Paranormal Challenge.”

Tony Riffe, a member of the Appalachee Paranormal, said the team found out about the show via Twitter.

“One of our team members, Jeff Griffith, is big into Twitter and one of the people he follows is Zak Bagans, who is on the show ‘Ghost Adventures,’” Riffe said. “One day, he saw that Zak had posted on Twitter that he was seeking groups to participate in a new show on the Travel Channel. He saw the post and tweeted him our information. We just took a chance, figuring it couldn’t hurt.”

After sending in their information, Appalachee Paranormal was selected to interview for the show.

“We did a Skype interview with the producers of the show,” Riffe said. “After about three weeks, we hadn’t heard anything back so we figured we weren’t in. Then, one day out of the blue, we got a call about 9 p.m. saying we had been picked.”

Along with another group, Appalachee Paranormal participated in an investigation of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, W.Va., as part of the show. The groups were judged on various aspects of their investigation. Riffe said he couldn’t elaborate on the details of the investigation itself, but said being on the show was “an interesting experience.”

Though Appalachee Paranormal has only been an official investigation group for a little over a year, Riffe said their friendships date back much further.

“Our group has been together for a year in May, but most of us have known each other longer than that,” Riffe said. “Three of us — myself, Matt Cline, and Jeff Griffith — have been friends for years. We met another friend, Jack Wade, and found out we shared some of the same thoughts on matters of the paranormal. Jeff connected us up with some people who were already doing paranormal investigations. We all just formed the group based around that.”

Riffe said the group decided to name themselves “Appalachee” for two reasons.

“We picked the name because the root word is a reference to the Appalachians,” Riffe said. “The word is also a Native American word that means ‘the other side,’ so we thought it was pretty fitting.”

According to Riffe, the group works investigating everything from local businesses to private residences to larger facilities in the area. Riffe said each member of the six-person team brings their own point of view to the group.

“I’m probably the biggest skeptic in the group,” Riffe said. “Everyone adds something to the table and we all have unique experiences.”

Appalachee Paranormal will be holding a viewing party for their episode when it premieres at 9 p.m. on July 29 at the Green Valley Volunteer Fire Department beside Go-Mart off of Route 460. Riffe said those attending the party will get to review old evidence with the group, watch the show, as well as learn more about paranormal investigations.

“Paranormal Challenge” airs Friday nights at 9 p.m. on the Travel Channel.

Ghost Hunting in Goldfield

Petaluma 360.com: Ghost Hunting in Goldfield

by Annette White
I don’t believe in ghosts, the boogeyman maybe, but definitely not the ghostly ”Casper” variety that resembles a simple white sheet with two cut-out eyes. But, just in case they were not the fictional characters in my head, I went to hunt ghosts at Goldfield Ghost Town in Arizona. In the 1890s Goldfield was a bustling town with 3 saloons,a general store and schoolhouse. But, when the vein of gold ore played out, the quality of ore dropped and miners decided to mosey on.

It was a hot April day in Arizona, I was riding solo and the only thing on my agenda was to head to the Superstition Mountains to get spooked at Goldfield. It is a beautiful drive, amongst the rolling tumbleweeds, statuesque cacti and on the outskirts of any major town.

The town is now bustling with tourists…not ghosts. Strolling through the shops, watching the scoundrels gunfight and panning for gold equals a shindig of a day.

The miners must have cleared out of town by horse, because they left their tractors behind.

You can still get some biscuits and gravy or buy knick-knacks, like these metal cowboys, at the handful of shops. [For the photos that illustrate this article, go to original article]

The Church on the Mount still has Sunday service (but, unfortunately today is a Tuesday) and is complete with an 1880s organ and pews built in the 30s. It’s backdrop is heavenly.

Before heading out, put yours butts here. [A bedpan for cigarettes).

I spent an hour meandering through the town, snapping photos and hoping to encounter something even a little eerie. I did not see, hear or even feel a spooky ghost, but maybe they only come out at night. Though I did learn more than I will ever need to know about ghost towns, dirty rascals and gold mines.

Defying skeptics, Las Vegas teams trudge forward to investigate paranormal activity

From DailyReporter: Defying skeptics, Las Vegas teams trudge forward to investigate paranormal activity

LAS VEGAS — "You're just disgusting," yells the man pacing back and forth between the darkened bedroom and bathroom. "I hate you, you coward."

He's not speaking to anyone in the room, but to everything, the walls.

"Show yourself."

The man, a 20-year-old named Michael, has seen "it" countless times over the past five years. A 6-foot-tall "shadow man," he and his family call the intruder.

The figure walks down the stairs and stands there, staring down a hallway at Michael sitting in the living room.

"It's not out of the corner of my eye anymore," Michael said earlier that night. "He sees me and stands there for three to four seconds, then goes back upstairs."

His mom has seen it in her bedroom more than anywhere else. But she doesn't want the word getting out that she sees ghosts. That's a stigma she doesn't want wrapped around her family.

She allowed a reporter in her house, but only on the condition that the family's last name not be used. It's a condition requested by all the folks who have been haunted in this story and for the same reason.

Four full-spectrum cameras -- seeing through the dark of night -- catch Michael's every move. Their cords snake across the carpet, down the stairs, along a hallway, and into the kitchen, feeding into a flat-screen monitor on the table. There, paranormal investigator Kelly Elkins sits, watching the live footage with a couple other members of his team.

"Does this stuff work? We don't know," he says, referring to all the ghosthunters' tools, such as electromagnetic-force detectors called K-II meters.

Approximately two dozen paranormal investigation teams are operating across the valley. And most of the ghosthunters have normal careers -- nurses, police officers, aircraft mechanics, truck drivers, chefs and more. They keep their day jobs because they must. And they don't charge a dime to investigate. If they did, clients would become suspicious. It's more of a passion, a hobby.

These teams consistently receive calls from local home and business owners who have claimed to exhaust all normal explanations. They now look to the paranormal.

A sudden increase in electromagnetic levels is supposed to suggest a spirit trying to communicate. Investigators tell spirits to make the meter peak twice to answer yes and once for no. A device also throws a grid of green laser dots onto the walls. The idea is that any disruption of the dots would suggest something is there.

"We're looking for something, consistent feedback, a pattern," says Elkins, a thick-figured man with long hair and a chest tattoo poking through the collar of his shirt. "We're still in the infancy of our understanding. This is a pseudoscience."

THE PARANORMAL FOOD CHAIN

But amateur investigators aren't doing anything close to science, asserted professor Gary Schwartz of the University of Arizona in Tucson. Schwartz is one of the few "parapsychologists" working at a U.S. public university. The fringe sub-discipline of psychology attempts to scientifically prove the paranormal through controlled experiments.

Schwartz knows of only one other public school, the University of Virginia, with a lab doing similar research.

But even Schwartz, a former Yale University psychology professor with a doctorate from Harvard University, isn't accepted by his peers. Mainstream scientists look down on Schwartz in the same way that Schwartz disregards weekend hunters, claiming their experiments are flawed and the results willed.

Wallie Luna, founder of Las Vegas Paranormal Authority, said the best weekend hunters aren't quick to buy into ghost stories. They start out assuming the explanation is natural.

"We are very skeptical, yet we are believers," said Luna, whose team conducts an intensive interview on every potential client.

Sometimes, people mix medications. Others watch too many ghost-adventure shows, he said. The simplest explanation is often the truth. Even in the rare case when a call seems promising and an investigation ensues, Luna's team finds supporting evidence only 20 percent of the time.

"It's rare, very rare," he said, and the evidence is never a ghost caught on tape but the so-called crumbs left behind.

THERE'S NEVER PROOF

"The worst thing a client can hear is ..." Elkins said, pausing, "... 'Nothing's here.'?"

It's a surprising reaction that investigator Brian Purdy has also noticed.

"They want to be told it's paranormal. That's why we're there," said the founder of Elite Vegas Paranormal Society. "There's never proof. That being said, I have stuff on film and tape that there's no explanation for."

"And they're afraid it's going to escalate," Purdy said. "Somehow, their dream home, their sanctuary, is going to become a nightmare."

That was the case for Las Vegas resident Hugh. His 18-year-old son, a straight-A student entering the Air Force, was being bullied but wouldn't tell Hugh for almost a month.

"He was horribly embarrassed," Hugh said. "He was waking up at 2 in the morning to footsteps in the room and breathing on his neck."

His son originally thought it might just be a convincing dream, but it kept happening. And then his bed began shaking when he was wide awake. He got up and turned on the lights.

That's when Hugh called the four-man team of Ghost Town Operations. They came over and claimed they used the electromagnetic-force meter to communicate with the spirit, asking him questions. They told him to spike the meter twice for yes and once for no.

"We found out that he didn't like the boys or Hugh at all," team member John Cushman said.

After a night in the house, Cushman told Hugh that the spirit was the father of his fiancée, which surprised Hugh. He never told the team about her father, who died before the couple had met and was described as protective. Hugh and his sons had recently moved into the fiancée's house.

"I tried to explain to him (the ghost) that Hugh loves his daughter," Cushman said.

Hugh hasn't had any problems since then. Clients aren't the only ones with vulnerable reputations.

"My friend looked straight in my eyes and said, 'You believe in that,'?" investigator Luna said. "I thought you were smarter than that. That hit me in the heart."

STRUGGLING AGAINST STATUS-QUO SCIENCE

Ray Hyman, emeritus psychology professor at the University of Oregon, is parapsychology's most noted critic. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but said that's not the issue.

"This flies in the face of reality," he said, claiming Schwartz' findings are flawed. "There's no evidence for it. The brain creates these experiences, these ghosts."

Schwartz is seeing what he wants to see, Hyman said. But even doubting scientists realize they aren't all-knowing.

"If they are able to prove it, they'll be the Isaac Newtons of the new world," Hyman said.

That incentive keeps these fringe scientists going.

"We used to think the Earth was flat. We were wrong," Schwartz said. "Our perception is very limited."

And so, Elkins sits in front of his monitor, watching a split screen of four live video feeds. He remains there into the darkest hours of morning, looking for something. But he doesn't know what. Something not normal.

Even Elkins doesn't know whether he believes in ghosts.

By the end of the night, he still hadn't seen one.

Ghost hunting's popularity is reducing the stigma

Kentucky.com: Ghost hunting's popularity is reducing the stigma

Their conventional occupations as a retired school teacher, emergency room clerk and firefighter don't hint that in their spare time, Ron and Lori Coffey and Howard Hamilton investigate reports of ghost sightings.

The trio are members of the Mount Sterling-based Gateway Paranormal Society, one of numerous teams statewide that investigate paranormal activity in private homes, historical sites and cemeteries.

The groups say that as the pastime has become more popular, the stigma is beginning to end. Known as ghost hunters, they consider the searches not just a hobby but services to provide help to people.

"They want us to come and identify what it is to help them understand they are not crazy," said Ron Coffey, whose group does not charge for investigations.

He and his team try to debunk the idea of ghosts being present by looking for common-sense reasons for the reported activities. For instance, a supposed shadowy ghost on a tombstone at a cemetery in Frenchburg turned out to be car headlights casting a shadow on two nearby wreaths.

Of about 100 incidents that they've investigated, Ron Coffey said they've found paranormal behavior in about half.

Lee Kirkland, co-founder of a similar group called Spirit Hunters of Central Kentucky, said his group has investigated as many as 400 incidents of paranormal activity for free since 2007 and generally documented it in less than 10 percent of cases.

Kirkland, who lives in Harrodsburg, estimates that statewide, there could be 100 such teams, whose members mostly have full-time jobs in conventional employment. He is an MRI technician, and his wife is an ultrasound technician for an obstetrician. Their eight-person team includes a deputy sheriff, a corrections officer and a schoolteacher.

The conventional jobs are further evidence of the mainstream acceptance of the hobby. The Coffeys, who have self-published two books about their investigations, said so many people are becoming interested in the topic that they don't hear much criticism anymore from skeptics.

In fact, it has become so popular that Ron Coffey is teaching a class on ghost hunting at the Montgomery County Library on July 19.

The state parks department has found that the groups are "often very popular among our visitors," Kentucky Department of Parks spokesman Gil Lawson said.

"We have allowed these groups to use parks, especially the historic parks," he said.

There was a paranormal weekend held in May at General Butler State Park at Carrollton, with a professional ghost hunter and ghost-hunting teams, Lawson said.

Kirkland's group has hosted a ghost walk at the Perryville Civil War Battlefield, and all the proceeds are donated to the battlefield.

There's such interest from the various ghost hunting groups that it can "get very territorial over haunted locations," Kirkland said.

While on their hunts, the groups use a variety of tools. Among them are digital audio recorders, as sometimes disembodied voices come across when they would otherwise be unheard, said Lori Coffey, the wife of Ron and a clerk in the emergency room at St. Joseph Mount Sterling.

The groups also use digital still cameras; infrared surface thermometers, because cold or extreme heat can indicate spirits; electromagnetic field meters; and dowsing rods, because they think the rods can help locate energy, Lori Coffey said.

At a cemetery in Mount Sterling, the Coffeys said they saw a ball of light that indicates paranormal activity. Ron Coffey said they also ran across an angry spirit at a Bath County graveyard.

For their teammate Hamilton, a firefighter and paramedic at the Montgomery County fire department, the search has its roots in his childhood. He lived for a time in a house that he thought might be haunted, leading him to always be intrigued by paranormal activity. He said he thinks he has captured two instances of ghosts — a young girl's sigh and a sound as if someone was knocking on the door — during his dozen or so trips with the group.

Another area ghost hunter is Patti Starr, who owns the Ghost Hunters Shop on Porter Place near Versailles Road in Lexington.

She heads a company called Ghostchasers International. She also teaches ghost-hunting classes and conducts ghost walks in Bardstown.

She said the popularity is rising, as evidenced by the thousands who ventured to Rupp Arena in 2010 for Scarefest, which is billed as the largest horror and paranormal convention in the United States.

"We are in an age of discovery," Starr said. "People are being more open-minded about it."

A closer look at ‘ghost hunting’ shows, the pros and the cons

Paranormal Old Pueblo: A closer look at ‘ghost hunting’ shows, the pros and the cons

by Elsa Cook
Here are my reviews of my four favorite ghost hunting shows. You are welcome to share the pros and cons of your favorite shows in the comments section.

1. T.A.P.S/Ghost Hunters with team leaders Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes – PROS: I have watched the Transatlantic Paranormal Society show since it’s inception. This team genuinely wants to help people and I appreciate that. I also like the way Grant and Jason have empowered their team members and have trained them to be professional ghost hunters. As a result, they are able to readily debunk questionable paranormal activity and well as successfully capture true haunting activity. ( The St. Augustine lighthouse was incredible!) A majority of really great haunting evidence has been captured with their huge cache of cameras and instruments. Some of the longtime team members have graduated to the T.A.P.S spin-off Ghost Hunters International. The team members are calm, rational and professional. No one has run off screaming into the night when encountering an apparition. They bring a sense of peace and closure to their clients. CONS: In the beginning,T.A.P.S had dissent among their ranks with team member Brian who was a flinty sort of knucklehead. The struggles with him should have been edited out and replaced with more ghost hunting activity. Now, a large part of the novelty has worn off and Grant and Jason look as bored as if they were on a Roto-Rooter job, which is their daytime livelihood. Mercifully, someone has at last either mentioned to or coached Jason on good grammar when speaking. When Jason would begin an explanation, for example, with “Grant and me took a look …” I would literally cringe. Still a good show, but could use some life breathed into it and more real time evidence displayed.

2. Ghost Adventures with Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Adam Goodwin – PROS: These guys use real time technology to show haunting evidence and have caught some utterly amazing footage from various locales (see Washoe Club, Virginia City , NV.) CONS: Zak Bagans is a loud, self-aggrandizing megalomaniac with too much hair product. His “calling out” or provoking of negative entities is disrespectful, abusive and potentially dangerous to amateur would-be ghost hunters looking to emulate him. The three don’t appear to want to help anyone and can be counted on to run and scream epithets when they do encounter a manifested spirit. Why do I watch? The evidence that they collect, I do find compelling and they do their homework researching the haunted locales.

3. Paranormal State – PROS:Caring professional students of the paranormal looking to help those plagued by potentially haunted activity. Well versed in the types of hauntings as well as debunking questionable haunted activity.. They are respectful to their clients as well as respectful when attempting to communicate with spirits. They have state of the art equipment and enter situations with a prayer of protection and with reverence for the dead. CONS: Evidence collected shown in real time would make this show a bit more exciting. They sometimes employ Psychic Chip Coffey in their investigations whose irritating, snippy smugness I find really annoying.

4. Paranormal Cops – PROS: This short-lived series featured detectives and officers from the Chicago Police Force. These men were well-versed in interviewing clients, debunking, and used a check sheet rating the type and level of paranormal activity found at the various locations, to present to the clients at the conclusion of the investigation. They conducted thorough prior research on the various locales and were knowledgeable of tumultuous history of inner city Chicago as well as its’ hinterlands. They seemed to provide a feeling of security to the clients by being in law enforcement (Serve and Protect!) and were able to wade deftly through questionable evidence and bring the truth to the forefront. CONS: The show was cancelled after just a couple of episodes.

Do you have a favorite Ghost Hunting show? Review your favorites right here!

Richmond, KY: White Hall hosts its annual ‘Scandals and Ghost Stories’

Richmond Register: White Hall hosts its annual ‘Scandals and Ghost Stories’

RICHMOND — Apparitions, weird lights and unexplained sounds have long been a part of White Hall State Historic site in Richmond for years, according to many ghost hunters and writers. The mansion also has seen its share of scandal.

For the next two weekends, anyone wanting to find out all about it will have the chance.

The historic house will be the site of “Scandals and Ghost Stories,” a guided tour designed to entertain guests with tales of the home’s fabled history.

Ghost hunter Patti Starr devoted an entire chapter of her book “Ghosthunting Kentucky” to White Hall.

She has experienced encounters with children and a woman dressed in black who wanders the hallways, she said.

A photo of a newly married couple at White Hall that is shown on Starr’s website, www.ghosthunter.com, shows a weird light on the wall that resembles a human form. Starr claims it is an apparition.

In his novel, “Cassius M. Clay: Freedom’s Champion,” author Keven McQueen details some of the strange occurrences in the house.

He writes of mysterious lights being turned on in unoccupied rooms.

“The ghosts of White Hall appear to have a certain fondness for playing tricks with the lights,” McQueen wrote. “When restoration began on White Hall in the later 1960s, a trailer was placed near the house for the guards to stay at night. Reportedly, almost every night, the guards would watch a single ball of light moving from window to window in the second-floor master bedroom.”

The guards investigated the lights but could never find their source, according to the book.

McQueen also wrote of strange odors and mysterious sounds coming from White Hall.

“Often the strong smell of pipe smoke or perfume will come seemingly out of nowhere, fill only a particular room or two, then abruptly disappear without fading away,” McQueen wrote.

The mansion was the former home of Cassius Clay, a 19th century emancipationist, politician and newspaper publisher.

Cassius Clay married Mary Jane Warfield Clay and had 10 children, according to White Hall’s website. Until the 1860s, the home they lived in together was called Clermont. After a renovation that included such updates as adding central heating and indoor plumbing, they renamed it White Hall.

After the couple divorced in 1879, Cassius remarried at the age of 84 to a 15- year-old, causing a lot of scandal, according to the website. They divorced a few years later.

Cassius resided in the big mansion until he died in 1903.

Visitors will be led on a tour throughout the home while the tour guide delivers the stories, said Lashe Mullins, White Hall curator.

This is the third year of the event, and the first year to offer three nightly tours, she said. The past two years tickets have sold out.

“It’s a very popular event,” she said.

The three nightly tours are scheduled for 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. July 15 and 16 and July 22 and 23. Admission is by paid reservation only and is $7 for adults and $4 for children. For more information, call 623-9178.

Ghost hunting arsonist gets 30 months for Preston fire

Norwich Bulletin: Ghost hunting arsonist gets 30 months for Preston fire

New London, Conn. — A Waterford man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of probation Thursday for his involvement in an Aug. 11, 2007, fire set while he was apparently ghost hunting at the administration building at the former Norwich Hospital in Preston.

Steven A. Lamotte, 24, had pleaded guilty to third-degree arson, though he claims it was admitted serial arsonist Kevin Walker who lit the fire. Lamotte and Walker are among the 10 people charged in connection with a string of Norwich-area fires.

During an investigation into the Preston fire, it was Walker who told investigators that Lamotte set the fire, police reports show. Walker said he and Lamotte were on the second floor of the building when Lamotte rolled up some paper and doused it with gasoline, setting it ablaze with a lighter he borrowed from Walker, according to police reports. Another arson suspect, Keith Mutch, 36, of Norwich, recalls that Walker and Lamotte were ghost hunting at the time.

Several months after the fire, an ex-girlfriend told police that their interest in the paranormal brought them back to the site of the fire, where “Kevin Walker was very excited and actually started running around the other rooms saying how they could light other rooms on fire,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit in the case.

Walker is now serving a 15-year prison sentence.

Judge Patrick J. Clifford, during sentencing in New London Superior Court, acknowledged Lamotte’s dysfunctional upbringing and his apparent fascination with the occult. He knocked six months off the state’s recommended sentence, but cited six previous arrests in his decision.

Defense Attorney Linda Sullivan said Lamotte had been treated for depression since he was 12 and bounced around a series of foster homes. He was out of prison and on probation when state police served him with the arson warrant.

“He seems like a well-behaved, sincere young man,” Sullivan said. “He was involved with this Kevin Walker person. He knows he was hanging around with the wrong people.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney David Smith.

In the presence of spirits: Paranormal society goes ghost hunting in a downtown pub

Star Local News: In the presence of spirits: Paranormal society goes ghost hunting in a downtown pub
MCKINNEY - The matching dozen descended on Churchill's British Restaurant & Pub downtown in search of ghosts of McKinney's past.

Decked with black shirts, video cameras and anxious smiles, the Haunted Texas Paranormal (HTP) society was ready for a mysterious Thursday night. Some convicted, some curious --- the members awaited their newest investigation.

The ghost-hunting group formed in January, with its membership spread across Texas. One investigator, McKinney resident Misty Clayton, lured the team to the town she's lived in for 11 years to chase down stories of spirits in McKinney's historic buildings.

"I've heard so much about downtown McKinney all these years," she said. "I told them, 'I've got a playground in my own backyard.' We needed to be here finding things out."

The group took a break from their weekly ghost tours in Mineral Wells to look for signs of the afterlife in McKinney. A few of its 2,000 Facebook fans also tagged along, eager to meet those who travel far and wide to conduct these paranormal expeditions.

Clayton joined HTP to explain what's been with her for years. Now married with two kids, she started seeing apparitions when she was three years old.

Her brother pulled a pot of boiling water onto her, scolding her with third-degree burns from neck to knee. She soon became friends with a girl only she could see --- one she described as "plain as day, like you or me."

Clayton said that she invited her friend to dinner once, and when the friend's chair moved from the table on its own, Clayton's father freaked out and told her to end her strange friendship. The girl went away, but Clayton's apparitions didn't.

"It's something that I've always had; I just kind of pushed it down because you don't want to be made fun of," she said. "I've probably seen about eight apparitions just as plain as you and me. Just recently, I decided I was tired of running from it and pretending like I didn't have it and that I was going to have some fun with it."

That's when she joined HTP. Founder Amanda Eagleton lives south of Fort Worth and for the last year was a part of Stockyards Paranormal. Because her husband, Jesse, couldn't join the already full group, she started her own.

And like Clayton, she's sure of the paranormal.

"I'm a believer," Amanda said. "I believe in ghosts. I'm one of the more open people, and I'm not scared of any of it."

Jesse and Amanda's mom, Bridgette Perry, are also members. Jesse is one of the skeptics.

His father fixed cameras for 30 years and taught him all about them, giving him a base for explanations for what his wife and others view as ghosts.

"I believe there's something out there, but I've never seen anything to actually prove it to me," he said. "I've done a pretty good job so far proving different things they see are linked to something wrong with the picture. In my opinion, it's just their minds and eyes playing tricks on them."

Jesse said that some electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recordings, reviewed after an investigation, have no reasonable explanations. He wishes he could see things like the others.

"One member saw a little girl at [abandoned] Yorktown Memorial Hospital," he said. "I would kill to see something like that, even though I'd probably scream like a little girl if I did."

Perry, a former skeptic, said that she first believed during an investigation at Miss Molly's Bed & Breakfast in Fort Worth. She said that late one night while the group sat talking in the commons room, she felt a hand run down her hair and back.

The owners told her that a cowboy ghost --- Jake, who stays in Room 7 --- often touches girls' hair and makes noises at night with his boots.

Before setting up for their midnight review of Churchill's Pub on North Tennessee Street, the HTP members shared their experiences with fans and showed them ghost-hunting equipment: parabolic microphones, infrared cameras, EVP recorders and electromagnetic field (EMF) devices.

Spectrum cameras record activity in different light, from which investigators look for anomalies that normal sight can't pick up. Different gauges measure temperatures and EMF levels, which the group examines during the night for sudden aberrations.

Members review the evidence following every investigation through a process that often takes weeks. Thus, there is not yet a verdict of paranormal presence at Churchill's.

Whatever the group finds, Amanda said she remains confident that ghosts are out there.

"Our mind is constantly going," she said. "I don't think when you die it ever shuts up. I think everything else goes away, but your spirit and soul sticks around."

For more information about Haunted Texas Paranormal, visit www.facebook.com/hauntedtx.

17 Practical Tips for Would-Be Ghost Hunters

Paranormal Old Pueblo: 17 Practical Tips for Would-Be Ghost Hunters

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, these are some common sense ideas to remember in the pursuit of spirits. One thing I would add is to recite a prayer of protection before hunting for ghosts in the event you encounter an entity that is evil or harmful.

Ghosts are thought by some to…

…hurt you (rare but possible!)
…move at the speed of thought
…mess with your equipment
…speak to you through thought
…follow you home!

For the first-time ghost hunter, the excitement of being in the moment can sometimes cause lapses in common sense. Sometimes, a last minute decision to visit a cemetery late at night can end badly. Recall the school teacher in Tennessee who held a group of teens at gunpoint, believing them to be trespassing.

In fact, this relates to the number one rule:

ALWAYS get permission from the owner to investigate.

Never disrespect the property. Ghosts can get angry and so do the property owners.

Have a first-aid kit handy. Just in case!

No alcoholic beverages

No smoking

Wait at least 15 minutes before snapping pictures and running experiments. They have to get used to you there. By following this, you will have better results.

When shooting a video or taking pictures, do not a vision landmarks as being landmarks (houses, trees, etc) for the ghosts do not. Instead, look for possible places in which they usually can be found. This is where a EMF Meter might come in handy.

Occasionally, snap pictures behind your back. Who knows, they might be following you!
Clear your thoughts and trust you instincts before your gadgetry.

Refrain from taking pictures of reflective surfaces.

Use fresh batteries for your equipment and always carry extras!

NEVER go alone! You are safer in a group. Depending on the situation, at least 2 will suffice. 4 or more is recommended.

Do not show fear. It may be used against you. Easier said than done!

Do not try to find ghosts or you will not find them. They are watching you, they will be observing you the whole time. Act like you don’t believe they are there, or your equipment is faulty. You probably will get better results.

BE OPEN-MINDED! The minute you start to say, “That can’t happen”, or “That’s not possible”, you’re done!

Most importantly, don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation! Know your surroundings and carry something you can defend yourself with (mace, tazer, etc.) – not from the ghosts but from any potential mugger, rapist and other sick people out there. Don’t go to an area known for crime. It’s not worth it.
Never put yourself in harm’s way by entering areas closed to the public like abandoned mine shafts or condemned buildings. They have been closed for a valid reason. Safety first!.

Keokuk, IA: What's that noise?

Gate City (Keokuk): What's that noise?
Paranormal group explains what it found during investigation of Miller House Museum in Keokuk

By Celia Malm/Correspondent
Published: Saturday, July 2, 2011 10:28 AM CDT
On Thursday evening, the River City Paranormal Society gave a report about its investigations of paranormal activity in the historic Miller House Museum in Keokuk. The Lee County Historical Society sponsored the event, which took place in the Round Room at the Keokuk Public Library.

Natalie Porter of Keokuk and Jolene Kempker of Hamilton, Ill., organized the River City Paranormal Society about five years ago. The group, which has about seven members, investigates ghostly activity in the Tri-State Area.

Porter and Kempker explained that in the past, people often wouldn’t talk to anyone about their paranormal experiences. The popularity of ghost-hunting shows has changed that to some extent.

The development of technology designed to identify paranormal activity also has allowed ghost-hunters to find objective proof of ghostly phenomena. EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors can show electrical activity where none should be present, and non-contact temperature sensors can locate inexplicably cold areas that may indicate the presence of a ghost.

Other high-tech tools include digital voice recorders for capturing EVP (electronic voice phenomena); digital cameras for picking up images, such as orbs, that are invisible to the naked eye; and the “ghost box,” which scans rapidly through the radio wave spectrum, giving ghosts a source of electronic white noise that they can manipulate in order to communicate audibly with investigators.

Recently, the River City Paranormal Society had the opportunity to take their ghost-hunting equipment into the Miller House in Keokuk.


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The Miller House was built in 1859 by Samuel F. Miller, who was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. It is now operated as a museum by the Lee County Historical Society.

Many people have reported paranormal incidents there over the years, such as cold spots and shutters opening and closing on their own.

On one occasion, a re-enactor who was using an upstairs bedroom in the Miller House as a dressing room returned after her presentation to find all the chairs in the room shoved up against the door from the inside.

“There are so many items in that house that belonged to so many different people,” said Kempker. “You have to wonder if their spirits are still connected.”

During the group’s evening at the Miller House, their instruments picked up a number of curious phenomena, including EMF energy around a desk owned by Mark Twain’s mother, and some strange drops in temperature.

Electrical malfunctions can also signal ghost activity, and the group experienced several such incidents. The lights in the upstairs hallway flickered off when no one was near the switch, and several members had inexplicably rapid battery depletion in their electronic devices.

Battery draining is common around ghosts, said Porter, who recommended bringing extra batteries for flashlights while ghost-hunting.

Another unexplained incident occurred when a video camera that had been left on unattended made an attempt to change the auto-focus, without anything moving in front of the lens.

The most interesting phenomenon that was captured, however, was the output from the “ghost box.” On a number of occasions, the box expressed words that were clearly in response to the conversation of the group members.

At one point, Kempker was talking about what time it was. The box piped up, “Late.” It also replied, “Thank you,” after Kempker thanked the ghosts in the house for their cooperation as the group was leaving.

In addition to their report about the Miller House, Porter and Kempker shared their experiences at two other locations: the Mason House Inn in Bentonsport, Ia., and the “Axe Murder House” in Villisca.

The Mason House Inn is a haunted bed and breakfast that periodically offers ghosthunting classes. Porter and Kempker recommended it as a good place to start looking for friendly ghosts, including a ghost cat that may have shown up in a photo as an orb near the floor after Kempker called, “Here, kitty, kitty!”

Villisca, in southwestern Iowa, was the scene of the grisly mass murder of a sleeping family in 1912, and the family’s home is believed to be one of the most haunted places in Iowa. Porter and Kemper collected much paranormal evidence there, including video of a closet door that mysteriously closed in response to their request.

River City Paranormal Society’s next project is an investigation of the Grand Theatre in Keokuk. Many ghostly incidents have been reported there over the years, such as the appearance in the balcony of a woman in white, the sound of voices when no one else is present in the building and the strange behavior of lights in the basement hallway.

Even Porter’s very skeptical husband experienced a strange encounter when he was alone backstage during a performance: He felt something brush past behind him and heard footsteps on the basement stairs. No one was there.

Porter and Kempker hope more people in the area will join their group.

“We don’t charge for our investigations,” said Kemper. “This is our hobby.”

Those who are are interested in ghost-hunting or have experienced a paranormal phenomenon in the Tri-State area and would like it investigated, can contact the group by email at rivercityps@gmail.com or call Porter at 524-8042 or Kempker at 319-470-0774. The group also has a website at www.rivercityps.webs.com.