This weeks para-tip we’re dealing with avoiding “attachments”. Those entities that attach and follow you.
It’s fun and thrilling to go ghost hunting until you bring that
unwanted entity back home with you. Our team has been asked several
times to help out others who, after ghost hunting, have had an
attachment. So we’re posting this weeks para-tip on avoiding it and
helping prevent it before its an issue with a few quick tips.
First off don’t take “souvenirs” from a haunted location! Taking
things from a sight may also bring an unwanted entity home with you, so
leave it there.
Be careful what you’re saying and giving an entity permission for on a
hunt. If you open communication and aren’t specific with your
intentions and expectations the entity may take advantage.
Be responsible with your communication tools like spirit boxes and Ouija boards.
Don’t seek out negative energies.
Before leaving an investigation site simply state for the entities to
not follow you home. Be polite and respectful, but let them know you
don’t want them to follow you home. I know it may seem silly to some,
but we use this practice and its proven to work, not only by us, but
other investigators we know or have helped.
There you are friends, some quick tips on preventing attachments. If you want to know more you can always contact us.
Until next time, Provoke Responsibly
JW Kinzer
Lead Investigator Chasing Kaos Paranormal
If you've ever watched a show with the words "Ghost", "Hunt", or
"…ers" in the title, chances are good that you know what an
Electromagnetic Field (EMF) is and how it relates to the supernatural. A
newly funded attachment for your iPad or iPhone will now let you
measure these EMFs and go ghost hunting with the help of your favourite
iOS device.
The attachment in question is Mr.
Ghost, an antenna that plugs into your iPhone or iPad’s headphone jack.
Using the antenna along with its free companion app allows you to
measure fluctuations in EMF readings and, if the pseudoscience of ghost
hunting is to believed, track the activity of spirits, spectres, and
other boojums.
It definitely looks like we've got some, uh, frequencies… in this room. Yeah, no doubt about that..
Mr. Ghost is the brainchild of Aaron Rasmussen, who recently turned to Kickstarter
to secure a modest funding goal of $7,000 to launch the device. At time
of writing, there are currently 13 days left in the drive and Mr.
Rasmussen has already raised over $11,000.
While completely safe
to use with your iPhone and iPad, the original iPad is apparently not a
strong enough medium to interact with the spirit world - Mr. Ghost will
only work on an iPad 2 or later.
There's too much info on this website to share it... it's one of those Windows 8 looking things where you have to click on a photo to get to the text behind it.
GREENFIELD, Indiana — There is little but rubble left of Black Moon
Manor, the historic home on CR 300N that had become a ghost-hunting
hotspot in recent years.
Owner Walter Eastes, whose family has owned the
property for more than 200 years, made good last weekend on his promise
to have the house demolished amid controversy over its use as a haunted
attraction.
The two-story dilapidated house, which was torn down
Sunday, was dubbed Black Moon Manor in 2009 by Matt Speck, a local man
who leased the home from Eastes, according to the Daily Reporter (http://bit.ly/YKVKFs ).
Speck had originally hoped to use the property for a
haunted attraction but failed to receive approval from the Hancock
County Board of Zoning Appeals, Eastes said. Shortly thereafter, Speck
began advertising the house as a legitimately haunted property and
invited investigators to camp there, overnight, and hunt for ghosts.
As the newly named Black Moon Manor gained popularity -
it was even featured on a variety of paranormal-themed TV shows -
descendants of the Eastes family became upset, criticizing Speck for
misrepresenting the family's history.
Eastes, having heard from several angry relatives,
asked Speck to vacate the property Nov. 1. Eastes said he should have
had the home torn down years ago as it fell into disrepair.
Looking over the flattened property Monday afternoon, Eastes expressed relief at seeing the ordeal come to an end.
"It's been a lot of trouble," he said. "Now, it is done, and they are doing a very nice job of it. I am so impressed."
Mike Leonard of Leonard Excavating Inc. in Wilkinson
took on the task of razing the home and two nearby outbuildings. The
house sits on 70 acres of land, much of which is leased for farming.
Leonard said he'd heard about the home and the
controversy surrounding it prior to taking the job. One descendant of
the Eastes family watched during the demolition process and expressed
regret that the house was being demolished.
But it's not unusual for onlookers to show up when he's taking down an old house, he said.
"They'll say, 'Yeah, I remember playing in that house
as a kid or that barn or whatever,'" Leonard said. "She said she was
related to the Eastes family, . and she hated to see it go. She said she
had a lot of memories there."
Sharon Kingen, 68, of McCordsville, is a descendent of the family and said Monday she was sad to hear of the old home's demise.
"It's just part of the history of the area," she said.
"The Eastes family has a long tradition, really dating back to the
establishment of the county."
But Kingen added she'd rather see the house come down
than continue as a haunted attraction based on a false history of the
Easteses.
"It was an offense to the family," she said.
Eastes said he'd been approached by various people
about efforts to restore the home and convert it into a
bed-and-breakfast, museum or hotel, but no feasible financial options
emerged.
"That would be great if it weren't sitting on 70 acres I
didn't want to part with," he said. "That's really the only sad thing
is I could not find anything reasonable to do with (the house)."
Eastes estimated it would have cost $50,000 to bring
the home up to a usable standard. Demolishing it, on the other hand,
cost about $5,000, Leonard said.
The crew removed most of the home Sunday and Monday, recycling metal roofing and drain pipes and burning leftover wood.
Speck asked Eastes if he could move the house but was
not able to come up with the financing to do so, Eastes said. Various
paranormal groups also expressed interest, but Eastes said he didn't
want the home used for that purpose any longer.
Eastes said Speck's stories - including that 200 people
were buried in the backyard - were so obviously false he was surprised
so many ghost-hunters were interested in the first place.
Going forward, Eastes said he might lease the land for hunting - animals, not ghosts.
If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?
Siri, maybe.
In addition to making phone calls and sending text messages, your
iPhone can now be used to hunt down ghosts in your attic, basement or
crawlspace, thanks to a newly created attachment called Mr. Ghost. The attachment (via Geekologie)
resembles an old cell phone antenna and is available in white, grey,
red or orange; more importantly, it functions as an electromagnetic
field (EMF) detector that plugs into your iPhone headphone jack and
displays on your screen the level of electromagnetic radiation being
emitted by anything you wave the detector over.
That means Mr. Ghost can be used not only to measure the amount of
electromagnetic radiation certain electronic devices in your home are
emitting, but also to find, track down and pinpoint the location of of
ghosts, which, of course, emit unusual amounts of electromagnetic energy
as they zip around the dark corners of your home. Mr. Ghost creator Aaron Rasmussen explains how it all works, and hunts for ghosts in his own attic, in his Kickstarter video below:
As you can see, the primary function of Mr. Ghost is identifying the
gizmos in your house that are emitting high levels of electromagnetic
radiation so that you can avoid exposing your more cherished organs to
them for too long, or too often. The more intriguing function, however,
must certainly be the ghost-hunting mode: We all have spaces in our
homes, or offices, or spouses, that we have long suspected are haunted,
and now we have a device to verify our beliefs and vindicate ourselves
from our dismissive friends and relatives (and spouses).
The Mr. Ghost attachment, then, will allow us to locate any number of
ghosts, including but not limited to spooks, spectres, shapeshifters,
phantoms, phantasms, poltergeists, wraiths, succubi and, of course,
invisible zombie children.
If there is one great downside to the Mr. Ghost iPhone attachment,
it is perhaps that it can only find the position of the ghost, and not
actually subdue or capture it. Maybe, as a followup, Mr. Rasmussen could
invent an iPhone-ready proton pack?
In all seriousness, Mr. Ghost is a real product, available to back on
Kickstarter, where it has already exceeded its funding goal of $7,000,
with two weeks still to go. A white Mr. Ghost attachment costs $20 and
will arrive in February 2013, per the Kickstarter page;
for $25, Rasmussen will get you one by Christmas. Mr. Ghost works on
iPhone 4 or newer and iPad 2 or newer; while the attachment will detect
ghosts on Android phones, there is not yet an app to visualize their
energy, nor is there an immediate plan to build one.
You can find out more and order a Mr. Ghost detector on its official Kickstarter page here.
The month of August marks the anniversary of an event that has shaped our region’s history. On
August 6, 1777, the Battle of Oriskany took place, in what is now known as the town of Oriskany. This
battle was one of the bloodiest battles in the Revolutionary War, and not only effected the history of the
Central New York region, but also shaped our developing nation.
The Battle of Oriskany was started as an attempt to lay siege to British forces attacking Fort
Stanwix in nearby Rome NY. Patriot forces were led by General Herkimer. As they attempted to
intercept British soldiers, General Herkimer and his men were ambushed by enemy forces, as well as
Native Americans supporting the British soldiers. Trained to fight in open fields, the Battle of Oriskany
was fought in the middle of a forest, leading to guerilla warfare on the part of the attackers. While
General Herkimer and his men were not outnumbered, they were outclassed by the Native Americans
who were intimately familiar with the forests surrounding the battlefield. General Herkimer was
mortally wounded during this battle, and died soon after. Overall, Patriot forces lost 450 men, while the
British and Native Americans lost 150 men. This was not the decisive British victory the numbers appear
to be, because the Patriot forces at Fort Stanwix rallied and later attacked the British at their
encampment.
Because of the amount of fighting that took place soon after the battle, and with the sweltering
summer weather, most of the deceased soldiers were left on the field, denied a proper burial. In 1884, a
monument was erected on the site, providing these soldiers with the only headstone they would ever
receive. In 1962, the battlefield was named a Historic Site, and is now a state park.
To approach the battlefield, it is a serene view, with open fields and wooded areas. Without
knowing the tragic history of this location, it appears to be a beautiful area to bring the family. But the
men killed in the long ago battle still roam the field. There have been reports of people seeing soldiers in
military costumes who proceed to disappear, hearing voices of men crying out. People have also
reported hearing the sounds of battle coming from the woods. On the battlefield, long-dead soldiers are
still reliving the war, and those who are there at the right time can experience this.
In October 2012, Ubisoft Games will be releasing the third game in their popular Assassin’s
Creed series. This installment will take place during the Revolutionary War, with one of the scenes in the
video game taking place during the Battle of Oriskany. This will allow modern gamers to discover more
about this influential battle in America’s history. Oriskany Battlefield/Google Maps
Note: I’d prepared this article for the first week of December. With today’s news, about the death of ghost researcher Sara Harris, I’ve decided to publish it early.
Her story wasn’t the first I’ve heard about ghost
researchers contracting respiratory infections after investigations, but
it is among the worst. Her widower, Shane Harris, has started the Sara Harris Foundation.
It will help to educate paranormal investigators about issues of health
and safety, and provide masks and first aid kits to ghost hunting teams
that can’t afford them. Shane says, “I have 3M on board to donate
masks as soon as I get the tax ID number. My Paypal account is under
saraharrisfoundation@yahoo.com, if you can help our cause.”
In addition, a follow-up article at Paranormal Insider includes even more reasons for concern among ghost hunters.
My article barely brushes the surface of the problem, but — in the
interest of getting this information to more people, immediately — I’ve
decided to publish it early. (Also listen to my related podcast, published early.) Among ghost hunters, I’ve been hearing some really scary stories. They’re not about the ghosts. They’re about health and safety issues.
This is especially important during the winter, when we’re often
investigating indoor locations. Energy-saving measures — such as doors
and windows with weatherstripping, and storm doors and windows — mean
less air circulation. The air isn’t as healthy, especially when someone
has “indoor allergies” or environmental sensitivities.
Many researchers don’t take allergy medications before an
investigation, especially if those medications might affect their
alertness. That can put them more at risk for respiratory distress.
Sometimes, a client blames physical phenomena — like dizziness or
depression in just one part of the home or business — on ghosts when the
actual issue is something environmental, like allergies, off-gassing from new wall-t0-wall carpeting, or oil-based wall paint with high VOCs. That’s going to affect some investigators on the scene, as well.
Are you or team members allergic to pets? Ask the site owner if he
or she has animals in the home or business. Since people often isolate
their pets before an investigation team arrives, it’s a mistake to
assume that there are no pets, just because you don’t see or hear them.
Allergies are the tip of the iceberg.
Basements and attics often present safety issues. In at least one
case this year, an otherwise healthy investigator was hospitalized with a
life-threatening respiratory complaint, after conducting research at a
site with rodent droppings.
Structural issues – Attic floorboards can be old and unable to support much weight. Ask the owner before you venture up there.
Dust in attics isn’t just an issue when you’re trying to take credible orb photos. It’s also an allergen for many people.
Basements are prone to mold and mildew. Against cement or stone walls, the problems may not be obvious until someone starts wheezing.
In cities and warm climates where cockroaches are a steady problem, remember that it’s not always the insects but their droppings that present the worst respiratory challenges for people with allergies.
Histoplasmosis – Bat droppings can put you at risk.
It’s not just “bats in the belfry,” but bats (and sometimes birds) in
the attic and the basement. Histoplasmosis can be a serious respiratory disease and a significant threat in some areas. As it says at Bats and Rabies, “To
be safe, avoid breathing dust in areas where there are animal
droppings… wear a respirator that can guard against particles as small
as two microns.“ Every researcher should have — at the very least — a few simple, paper masks in his or her ghost hunting kit. (However, not all blue medical masks protect at the level you need. Read the label!)
If you’re exploring a haunted cave (such as the Bell Witch cave), a mask is an especially good idea, if you’re subject to respiratory issues.
Investigating an abandoned hospital? Some people worry about visiting old tuberculosis hospitals; they’re usually called sanitoriums.
Generally, TB can only be spread from human to human, and only when the
contagious person has an active case of the disease. However, some doctors are now saying that tuberculosis “is spread usually
from person to person by breathing infected air during close contact.”
(Emphasis added.) Should you wear a mask in dusty, abandoned
hospitals? Probably, but not because of TB. At deserted sites, there’s
a greater potential for disease-containing animal and insect droppings.
This isn’t a complete list of the risks involved in
exploring old sites, especially those that haven’t been maintained, but
it gives you the general idea.
Skip the scrubs, but consider the blue mask. Be safe, no matter where you investigate.
With recent reports of ghost investigators becoming ill with
life-threatening respiratory issues — and with the death of Sara Harris —
we all need to be more aware of the dusty places we visit when we’re looking for ghosts.
You’re probably going to be in the dark, anyway. Why not wear a mask if there are any reasons to be concerned?
A ten-cent paper mask can help protect your health, reduce your
chances of an allergic reaction or asthma, and — in extreme cases —
might save your life. Get a box for yourself, or your team, and carry some masks with you, no matter where you’re investigating.
Depending on your health concerns, and the environments where you’re
researching, stronger protection may be necessary if biological hazards
are a very real issue.
However, for the casual researcher visiting sites that may contain
irritants, allergens, and significant dust, the basic mask is one that
protects you from 2-micron size particles or smaller. Inexpensive
surgical masks are the simplest option, but be sure to read the labels.
Particularly around Halloween, companies use , what are believed
to be, haunted sites as a form of tourism. This is especially popular in
towns such as Salem, where nineteen women were hanged after being
accused of being witches.
Some hotels you can stay in advertise to be haunted.
For example, a hotel in Vermont holds a legend that says during
winter storms, the ghost of Boots Berry, who saved a girl stuck on the
inn's roof before falling to his death during a snowstorm, can be heard
tap dancing on the hotel's third floor. While some think of such “ghost
hunts” and “ghost haunts” as simple fun and a little spooky, some
people really do believe that ghosts as well as ghost hunting are real.
For example, Ross Allison, a professional ghost hunter, has done
investigations all over the country. When asked what his most memorable
ghost hunt was he said, "St. Louis University, site of The Exorcist
case, stands out. Five minutes into the investigation, all the equipment
went off at the same time. We asked, 'Whose room are we in?' and
received and EVP saying, 'it's mine' and some words I won't repeat.
Another time we heard pounding on a door and recorded, 'Let me out.'"
Allison also stated that, "Most countries believe in ghosts...European
countries don't need or want proof. They believe in ghosts. They feel
unwanted communication with ghosts is disrespectful.”
So should tourism companies advertise something that is taken so seriously by some as simply spooky fun?
Among ghost hunters, I’ve been hearing some really scary stories. They’re not about the ghosts. They’re about health and safety issues.
With recent reports of ghost investigators becoming ill with
life-threatening respiratory issues — and with the death of Sara Harris —
we all need to be more aware of the dusty places we visit when we’re looking for ghosts.