Out of the Dark: The Ghost Hunting Chronicles

New Year New News

2012-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone reading this Blog. It has been a long time since our last post but just to update you I am working very hard on writing The Blue Ghost Tunnel: The Making of a Legend and also transcribing our investigations from years past including the investigations of The Atlas Coal Mine in Drumheller, Alberta and also The Lougheed House in Calgary, Alberta.

Stay Tuned and Best to you in the New Year!

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend

2011-07-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

In paranormal circles across Canada and the United States, the hauntings at The Blue Ghost Tunnel (BGT) frequent the conversation. Often referred to as "The Most Haunted Location" in Canada or a place where you are guaranteed activity, the tunnel is synonymous with historical haunted locations across North America.

I've been investigation the tunnel as a possible haunt for the past 14 years as a solo investigator, with The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers and with members of The Shadows Project.

In the late 1990s the tunnel, previously known under various descriptions became popularized as The Blue Ghost Tunnel, the name coined by a young paranormal investigator who is said to have witnessed a "Blue Misty Ghost".

A few years of intense interest on the Internet, multiple investigations and visits by paranormal enthusiasts prompted the once popular TV program Creepy Canada to film at the location.

Together with a Ghost Tour Group Haunted Hamilton, questionable psychics and an impromtu "historian" of the tunnel, they exposed the location to tens of thousands of viewers solidifying the legend and suspected haunt.

The episode depicted the tunnel as "700 ft of Hell on Earth!"

As a result of their illegal trespassing and exposure of the location, the site became explosively popular and thousands of visitors each year come to visit the tunnel prompting the Seaway Authority to attempt to secure the location. Even with extensive security, people trek out to discover the BGT for themselves...

But who really discovered this long, lost tunnel?

What is the truth behind the hauntings and experiences at the tunnel?

Is the tunnel an Urban Legend, conjured-up by a young wannabe author?

Are we simply developing our own experiences using our own minds?

Or is the tunnel really haunted? And by whom?

I decided to write about the tunnel, because I am fascinated with legends and lore and how they develop and what truth is hidden within. The book includes interviews, photographs and documents from decades past including the first ever investigation in 1976.

It includes historical accounts from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s with photographs and evidence supporting a number of theories.

Photographs have been generously donated by residents including Kevin Valencourt, Niagara-area photographer.

Please visit the Facebook Group Page for The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend and support and discuss this project.

Ryan Buell’s Bogus Journey: A Most Excellent Review

2011-06-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Who Forted? have just released a review of Ryan Buell's new book: Paranormal State.

Ryan Buell wants to believe.

Paranormal State was not a “reality documentary” show that he says it is, but a paean to his will to believe and the producers’ efforts to convince the viewer to believe too. I want to believe in cool, spooky stuff too but I guess I have higher standards for evidence than what his Paranormal Research Society(PRS) team (and all other ghost seeking groups) collects.

I had only watched a few episodes of the TV show before. While I was not impressed, I didn’t have a deep disgust of the show like some people I know (ahem, WF? editors). These folks make this funny noise when I mention Ryan and his crack team of young investigators (Weird! I can hear that noise even when the communication is online.). But, as one who begins squarely on the fence, ready to examine things from multiple sides, I really wanted to know what Ryan is about and what his ideas about the paranormal are. I read Buell’s book Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown all the way through with open-minded interest. It was not awful. Well, it wasn’t Dianetics-grade awful or some goofball celebrity NewAge (pronounced like “sewage” with an ‘N’) claptrap. It had some interesting bits.

Read the full review here

Playing with Hope - Psychic Detectives

2011-04-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

By Alex Ballingall
aballing@uwo.ca

Even though Jason Jolkowski has been missing for nearly a decade, his mother still receives regular phone calls from people who claim to be psychic. They tell her they can find out what happened to her son, that they can reveal the answers she so deeply craves.

“This one said he's alive. This one says he's dead. This one tells you these visions of a brutal murder,” says Kelly Jolkowski from her home in Omaha, Neb. Once, a psychic even guaranteed he could tell her what happened to Jason – but only if she paid $25,000.

Jolkowski says such psychics re-victimize families by exploiting their hope and desperation for a solution. She also believes they can impede legitimate police work by giving the public the impression that investigations are under control.

When she hears what psychics have to say, she calls it nonsense. When they come asking for money, she calls it fraud. In both cases it’s harmful, she says.

“It’s like, how dare you? How dare you play this game?”

In October 2003 Jolkowski founded Project Jason, an organization that helps families in the aftermath of having a loved one go missing. After experiencing this herself, Jolkowski now encourages people to be skeptical of psychics when faced with a similar crisis.Jason was 19 when he went missing

“Early on, we didn’t know any better,” Jolkowski says. “You’re so numb that you can’t even think straight. And in addition to that you’re just so desperate. It’s like you’ll do anything to find your child.”

Jolkowski says what usually happens is that people claiming to be psychic either collect fees from families desperate for answers, or they “consult” them for free to boost their own credibility and fame.

Of the hundreds of cases she’s familiar with, nearly all of them involve a psychic in one way or another. “Especially a case that has a lot of media, they'll come out of the woodwork,” Jolkowski says.

The result, she says, is never anything more than more anguish and uncertainty for the families of missing people or murder victims. She adds that she’s never seen any scientifically reliable evidence to suggest psychic abilities have ever been responsible for solving a crime or finding a missing person.

And yet, there are countless self-proclaimed psychics in North America who claim to be able to do just that.

Sarnia psychic sparks local controversy

One of them is a “psychic criminal profiler” from Sarnia, Ont. called Robbie Thomas. His website boasts that he has “successfully assisted” police in both murder and missing persons cases.

It also displays a statement written by the aunt of Tori Stafford, the nine-year-old girl form Woodstock, Ont. whose body was found more than three months after she was kidnapped and murdered in the spring of 2009. It expresses gratitude for Thomas’s support during the family’s harrowing experience.

A spokesperson – who went only by the name Tom – from Thomas’s office confirmed the psychic had “consulted” the family during their ordeal.

But Thomas’s opponents say they don’t believe in his skills. One man calls himself “the Sarnia Skeptic,” and conceals his true identity to provide evidence that Thomas isn’t a real psychic. If he was, says the Skeptic, then Thomas would be able to identify him.

“I’m not out to destroy Robbie as a person, I just want him to change his ways,” says the Sarnia Skeptic.

The tension between Thomas and his opponents has even stirred up some controversy in the lakeside city. During one of Thomas’s speaking events held last March at Sarnia’s Imperial Theatre, a rumour erupted that there were men handing out white, unmarked envelopes filled with anthrax to people entering the venue. The theatre doors were locked and the police called in.

A local salesman named Dave Jones was one of the men handing out envelopes that night. “There was no assault, no anthrax,” he says. Instead, the envelopes contained instructions on how to trick people into thinking you’re a psychic.

Family 'distraught' by psychic

As an example of this, the Sarnia Skeptic points to the decades-old unsolved murder case of 14-year-old Karen Caughlin. The girl’s family, which has been working with the Ontario Provincial Police to keep Karen’s case in the public eye since she was killed in 1974, lashed out at Thomas after he claimed to be involved in the criminal investigation.

In a letter provided to the Sarnia Skeptic and published on his blog, Karen’s sister Kathy Caughlin describes how Thomas approached the family in 2005. She says he told them Karen’s case would be solved within six months.

That was six years ago.

“Imagine how we felt when he said that?” says Kathy Caughlin, who now lives in Calgary. “We weren’t just upset, we were completely distraught.”

Thomas also tried to get the family to sign a waiver that would allow him to talk about Karen’s life in one of his upcoming books, Caughlin says.

Even though they turned him down, Thomas kept citing Karen’s unsolved murder case in the promotional material for his upcoming speaking tour. He also repeatedly took down information posters about Karen’s case and placed them in his office to increase his credibility, says Caughlin.

“We want this man to stop exploiting our dead sister and the horrific manner in which her life was ended,” she says.

Critics say 'psychics' disrupt real investigations

One of her main worries expressed in the letter is that by claiming to be using his psychic abilities to solve Karen Caughlin’s case, Thomas was impeding the ongoing police investigation.

Jolkowski echoes this concern, saying that when psychic investigators claim to be involved in missing person or murder cases, they can give the impression that everything is under control. That may dissuade people from coming forward with tips, or it could make the investigation seem less urgent.

“We always have to fight to keep a case alive and to keep people looking no matter what,” Jolkowski says.

Thomas eventually removed all mentions of Karen Caughlin’s unsolved murder case from his website, according to John Ramses, Thomas’s former business partner. But for Kathy Caughlin, the anger and pain she says Thomas caused for her and her family is inexcusable. Caughlin maintains that if Thomas ever mentions her sister’s name again, her family will sue him.

According to his spokesperson, Thomas was too busy for an interview. When invited to answer to his critics, he didn’t respond.

But Angie Aristone, a self-titled psychic from London, Ont., was willing to speak on the record. She says there are a lot of fake psychics, and that it’s heartbreaking to hear that psychics can add to a family’s trauma in a difficult time.

Aristone admits to having worked with such families in the past, but says she would never approach a family if they weren’t ready and willing to hear from her.

“It doesn’t get any worse than that. That’s like human exploitation at its deepest and darkest level,” Aristone says.

Police rarely use psychics

Although people like Aristone and Thomas mention having worked on murder and missing persons cases, most police organizations say they have never used psychics in their investigations.

Wes Veenstra, a veteran missing person’s detective from the London Police Service, says he takes any tip he can get, regardless of who provides it. Through his entire 35-year career, he’s never heard of any investigation in which a psychic was used.

“I couldn’t qualify it as being scientific,” he says.

Staff Sgt. Doug Warn of the Sarnia Police Service expressed similar experiences, adding that his organization doesn’t ever use psychics like Thomas in their investigations.

“We have to be able to justify every fact in court,” Warn says. “Our job is to deal in facts.”

Still, many families do speak with psychics, usually out of desperation, Jolkowski says. She describes how she felt tremendous pressure from those around her to accept psychic readings after her son disappeared. She says this comes from how many people are uneducated about the implausibility of psychic abilities.

“There's all the influences of the media and TV shows,” she explains. “I've actually had people insinuate that I was a bad mother and I didn't care about my son because I would no longer have anything to do with the psychics.”

Jolkowski says there’s also an aspect of guilt that causes people to turn to psychics for a solution to their pain. No matter what one believes, says Jolkowski, there’s always the hope that the next psychic may be on to something. Maybe this psychic is for real, maybe this is the one with the real answers – or so the logic goes, she says.

“You’re always kind of haunted by that,” she adds.

But now, just a few months before her son Jason’s 30th birthday, no self-proclaimed psychic has ever been able to help her figure out what happened to him. Much like Kathy Caughlin, Jolkowski sees psychics as nothing more than deceptive profiteers of the desperation of families in crisis.

She says psychics either give you false hope where there is none or kill hope when it should be there.

“No one has the right to do that,” she says. “No one."

The Woman in Black Teaser Trailer

2011-04-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Director James Watkins is shooting for a simple ghost story. Here's the official synopsis: "A young lawyer travels to a remote village to organize a recently deceased client's papers, where he discovers the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance." And it's based on the acclaimed novel by Susan Hill, which has been a hit stage play since 1989, adapted by Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale. (Hill discusses the novel's origins and how she set about creating an original ghost story here.)

The movie hits theatres two days before halloween!

CrossTalk EVP Review - software that lets you communicate with spirits!

2011-04-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

Over the last year I have experimented with two-way communication using various methods to capture EVPs. I recently visited a web site http://crosstalkevp.com/ which sells Crosstalk EVP.

It claims I was about to “take the next step forward in modern spiritual communication.”

That is just what my end goal was and so I decided to try the product.

The vender boasts:

“This exclusive software package and “HOW TO” guide has been put together by famous psychic and paranormalist Jason Profit to help you explore 2-way EVP!”

It also boasted some info from Wikipedia about Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) and information about Ghost Boxes and Frank's Boxes.

Furthermore the ad boasted:

“Both the franks box and cheap ghost boxes are amazing tools for the paranormal researcher… but now there is a better way to talk with the other side! But you do not need the hacked radio OR a franks box! Just your Computer!”

Then there were the amazing testimonials from paranormal researchers and parapsychologist from around the globe:

“Great stuff” -Ebay user

“I am The Founder Of mycincyghost.com and STAFF at
teamupi.com This CD WORKS!” -Dan Conners Jr

Now how could I resist? But there is more...

“CrossTalk EVP Software: The next evolution of 2 way spirit communication has arrived! My amazing “Cross Talk” guide teaches you to conduct real time 2 way EVP or instrumental transcommunication with the other side! Thanks to a recent breakthrough in EVP software, you can now use your COMPUTER instead of a hard to find franks box or ghost box! You will receive the “How To” guide as well as Jason Profits exclusive software which will enable you to actually achieve much more easy to understand spirit communication.”

“FREE Bonus! Revolutionary audio source for allowing the spirits to generate vocal formations”

The software is marketed by Jason Profit, the modern mind-reader. (http://www.modernmindreader.com/) His homepage showcases him bending a freakn' fork! This guy is the real-deal! His tagline is: “Palm Reader, Paranormal Entertainer, Psychic”And yes, he does home-parties! It's all about credibility and this man has it, wouldn't ya say so? He's about two notches above the fraud, Psychic Robbie Thomas.

Anyhow, back to the software.

Installation was a breeze and only took a few seconds. Documentation consisted of a How-To Guide. It basically said how to set up the basic functions of the Crosstalk software to make the spirits be able to communicate easily. Now the CrossTalk Guide was supposed to provide me with exclusive insight into how to communicate with the other side and how to make it work. The guide was complete nonesense and told me to “believe” in what I hear and also to “keep trying” and also to keep the software running throughout the investigation.

I finally got the software set up as said in the documentation and was ready to communicate. I pressed play and this is what I got:

yemenoaisososusuysys jdisss sisisj sis shhs sisjshsh sisjushjs s sjsu s su sjhsjhhj sis sshshshsh sisjsjs

REPEATEDLY.

Well, perhaps I contacted a retarded spirit. I loaded the software up again, believed in it, and let it run. I asked questions like a crack head talking to his shoes. Nothing. Just the same message over and over again. I looked through the how to guide and it said I could load up any sound file and use it. Great, maybe I would get success! I loaded up Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix and believe it or not this is what the spirit of Jimi

Hendrix told me:

“Hazep brsa.” over and over again. Fuck Jimi, gimmie a break here and tell me something about how the establishment murdered you and Janis.

Crosstalk EVP is an absolute waste of time and not worth the $24.99 price tag. It simply takes a sound file and breaks it apart and replays it. Ghosts are supposed use the sound and play the sound clips in an order in which they can make words and sentences. I could not see how this would work unless you are into the Ganja. The sound pattern played over and over again

Below are some examples of the software in work.

REMEMBER, THE ORBS ARE SCARED.

Insidious Movie Review

2011-04-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's been some time for a horror film to actually accomplish its goals – to scare the hell outta the audience. Insidious accomplishes while giving us a fresh new perspective on haunted houses.

The film starts with a family moving into a seemingly normal house, But even when everything is seemingly normal, the grating score and gray colour palette is just enough to suggest something evil is lurking right around the corner. Still, director James Wan seizes the opportunity to pull you in and make you earnestly invested in Josh and Renai’s situation wasting no time in doing so. We do get quite a bit of character development in the first portion of the piece, but not at the expense of a drastic amount of the film’s running time and, before you know it, you’re deeply submerged in the nightmare this family is living through.

This film will bury you deep in your seat and make you extremely anxious and paranoid. It’s a very similar sensation here that many had with Paranormal Activity or Nightmare on Elm Street, but minus the visual gimmick. Each block of scary material is seamlessly interwoven into the family's daily life, making the tonal shift that much more terrifying.

While still successful, Insidious does hit a few bumps in the road as it crosses its midpoint and approaches the third act. It’s one thing to give an audience a good scare, but it’s another to explain that scare’s source. No, writer Leigh Whannell doesn’t make it totally believable, but thanks to the strong build-up, you’re more than willing to go along with the show.

There are a few comical moments in the film that revolve around the ghost hunters. The ghost hunters are stereotypical and offer moments of relief from the frightening scenes and scares. There are some other moments that I am assuming were not to be laughed-out-loud at - the psychic uses a gas mask to communicate with the other side, and the use of Tiny Tim's Tiptoe Through The Tulips (OK Maybe that IS scary.)

From a technical standpoint, Wan and his crew nail just about everything. From the moment the film starts, Joseph Bishara wastes no time letting you know his original music is there and continues to do so throughout the film. Yes, it’s quite intrusive, but appropriately so. As for the visuals, they’re disturbingly striking. Cinematographers David M. Brewer and John R. Leonetti do a fantastic job making use of the houses’ eerie features even when the sun is shining allowing the film to maintain its, well, insidious tone. Meanwhile, the costume and makeup departments are responsible for the striking imagery.

Scary dreams or reality?

Overall, Insidious is a fresh story that is woven quite well in the first two acts, however, toward the end, when the reveal is made as to what is happening, we are left a little less scared. That is ultimately due to the fact that we are scared of the unknown more than anything. Once we know the source of the haunting, we tend to be relieved.

One of the ghost hunters drawing what the psychic sees in the house.

This is true for an actual ghost investigation. The unknown that families face can certainly be frightening, but once one is familiar with the source of the haunting and even the acknowledgement from someone in the field that indeed, their story is to be believed, the fear is gone.

Only in Hollywood movie scripts does the fear persist and invade our minds. Enjoy the Insidious Movie Trailer Below:

Investigating Ghosts and Hauntings in Jamaica

2011-03-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

Fascinated with the islands history and general beliefs in ghosts and hauntings I decided to pursue four investigations in Jamaica this year. One was the infamous Rose Hall, which as it turns out is more urban legend, than haunting. You can read more on Rose Hall here.

I journeyed around the island and was escorted by a great guide who took me to three locations other than Rose Hall. One was in a very remote central location, deep in the mountains and another was one area I was looking forward to moreso than Rose Hall - Port Royal, the Pirate City. And yet another was a location deep inside a forested area where a Pirate is supposedly haunting a particular location.

All three of these investigations proved interesting and developed results. I will be posting more about these in the coming months.

But first, I want to speak to the general belief of ghosts and hauntings in Jamaica. It seems, that everyone on the island has had an encounter, or a good ghost story to tell. Many avoid certain locations on the island and are quick to make an excuse to leave if I bring up the topic of a Duppy late at night.

Jamaican's believe in what is known as a Duppy. Duppy is a Jamaican Patois word of West African origin meaning ghost or spirit. Duppies are generally regarded as malevolent spirits.They are said to come out and haunt people at night mostly, and people from the islands claim to have seen them. The 'Rolling Calf','Three footed horse' or 'Old Higue' are examples of the more malicious spirits.

In many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, duppies are known as Jumbies.

Duppy folklore originates from West Africa. A duppy can be either the manifestation (in human or animal form) of the soul of a dead person, or a malevolent supernatural being. In Obeah, a person is believed to possess two souls - a good soul and an earthly soul. In death, the good soul goes to heaven to be judged by God, while the earthly spirit remains for three days in the coffin with the body, where it may escape if proper precautions are not taken, and appear as a duppy.

My guide told me tales of duppies and said that it is not uncommon to come across them and he promised me to take me to a very haunted location. He kept his promise.

Every once and awhile the local media will pick up on a duppy story and last year the news was engrossed by a boy in Kingston, Jamaica, who was said to be constantly attacked by a duppy. The news camera caught the action for the evening news:

And with a worldwide interest in ghosts and hauntings, Jamaica may open the island up to Duppy Tourism-

Duppy storytelling through the oral tradition was rife throughout the land, before the proliferation of electronic media technologies in Jamaica. It was part of the nightly entertainment in the absence of radio, television, telephone and the Internet. In parts of rural Jamaica, the elderly are still telling these stories to a reluctant young generation, but it is a fast-dying tradition.

However, there might soon be a revival, a resurrection if you will, of duppy storytelling. It is part of the idea of duppy tourism, now being tossed around by Countrystyle Community Tourism Network in Mandeville. Ghost-hunters are to be lured to Jamaica.

Diana McIntyre-Pike, community tourism consultant and trainer, said, "Our Countrystyle Community Tourism Village programme blends well with this niche market as every community has potential with the many old churches, houses and exciting duppy stories. For example, there is an abandoned St Barnabas Anglican church (known as Way Pen Duppy Church) near to Mile Gully en route to Balaclava, in a village called Green Hill, which is supposed to be so haunted that it scared away the congregation who have some amazing stories to relate of their experiences!

"Communicate this to the many passionate ghost-hunters and see how intrigued they will be to visit Jamaica, to experience and talk to the community ... which will result in income generation for accommodation, food and tours businesses. In Jamaica, we can pursue this lucrative market by researching the haunted places and areas with the assistance of the communities and develop an exciting marketing programme highlighting a 'duppy trail' throughout the country, which will take visitors to many diverse villages."

I hope to share my stories and investigations here for Jamaicans and those visiting the island. It has many secrets and many stories to be told - not all of them Urban Legends.

Insidious Movie Trailer [HD] A New Paranormal Movie with a Twist Ending

2011-03-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Inside Edition Investigates Psychic Detectives

2011-03-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

John and JoAnn Lowitzer have been searching for their 17-year-old daughter Alexandria (Ali) since she vanished in April, 2010.

But when the case made national news, the Houston parents say they became inundated with calls from so-called psychic detectives. They say some even showed up at their front door promising their psychic visions could help bring their daughter home.

"He guaranteed me that he'd find Ali in three days. I mean what parent wouldn't be excited to hear that you were going to have your daughter home in three days?" said JoAnn.

Mark Klaas, whose daughter Polly was abducted and killed more than 20 years ago, warns families to avoid psychics, saying they prey on the desperate and send police on one wild goose chase after another.

"They descend like vultures," he told INSIDE EDITION. "Never in the history of the world has a psychic solved a missing child case. Never."

But countless psychic crime fighters like Portland, Oregon clairvoyant Laurie McQuary claim they've helped solve hundreds of missing person cases.

McQuary says she has been in the psychic detective business for over 30 years.

So we decided to see what would happen when we asked a psychic detective to help solve a missing person's case.

Posing as the distraught brother of a missing child, we sent a producer to meet with McQuary.

Our producer showed her a photo of a missing girl and the psychic agreed to take the case for $400.

"I think it's solvable," McQuary said, upon reviewing the case.

But what McQuary didn't know was that the photograph our producer gave her was actually a snapshot of INSIDE EDITION's Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero as a child.

"I don't believe she's alive. I'm sorry. I believe that it was a violent passing," McQuary said.

McQuary's "sixth sense" told her the girl in the photograph was brutally murdered and sexually assaulted.

"I think she was hit in the head with a rock," said McQuary.

But her visions didn't end there. Pointing out a remote location on a map, she even said she could help bring the girl's body home.

The next day McQuary sat down with INSIDE EDITION's Lisa Guerrero for an interview to talk about the work of psychic detectives.

"I just had a gentleman in yesterday. 30 years ago his sister disappeared," she said.

She soon began talking about a recent case. But clearly her psychic abilities didn't tell her that Lisa Guerrero was actually the girl in the picture.

"One of the first things I do in a case, Lisa, is I always make sure people know if I feel the person is living or not," McQuary explained.

"So you always know when you talk to a family member when you start a case, you'll know if this person is dead or alive?" Guerrero asked.

"Yes," said McQuary. "And that's the point."

"Every time?" pressed Guerrero.

"Yes."

But apparently McQuary's psychic abilities didn't see this coming:

"Laurie, I'm going to show you something. Does this girl look familiar to you?" asked Guerrero, holding up the picture INSIDE EDITION's producer showed McQuary the day before.

"Yes she does. I worked this case," confirmed McQuary.

"This is a girl who you said was beaten and killed," Guerrero said. "This little girl is me and you told somebody that she is dead."

"Wait a minute, you didn't disappear?" McQuary asked.

"I'm right here," Guerrero said.

"Well, that's interesting, isn't it," said McQuary.

"How do you explain being completely wrong?" Guerrero asked.

"I can't explain it. I can't explain it. Okay, you know what dear, I think we're done," said McQuary, and then stood up to go.

"You're taking advantage of desperate people with a bunch of hocus pocus aren't you?" Guerrero asked her.

"No I'm not," said McQuary. "I think we'll go, thank you. It's been an interesting experience. You all have a lovely, lovely evening."

JoAnn Lowitzer told INSIDE EDITION, "Until I see my daughter physically, I'm not going to believe anything that any of them say."

Altogether, ten different psychics told our producer that the girl in the photo of Lisa Guerrero had been murdered. The FBI tells INSIDE EDITION they are "not aware of any criminal investigation that has been resolved as a direct result of information provided from a psychic.

WATCH INSIDE EDITION'S EPISODE HERE

Investigating Rose Hall, Jamaica - home to Annie Palmer, The White Witch PART 2

2011-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

And there she was, looking right back at me, in full view.

The painting is said to be of Annie Palmer, The White Witch of Rose Hall. I stared in silence at the painting, trying to get an impression and I felt sadness and confusion.

The said Annie Palmer in the painting is smiling, youthful, and has an uncanny appeal to her. She does not look like the stereotypical Voodoo Mistress. But what do I know? Maybe her appearance is an illusion.

I continued throughout the bedrooms but did not capture any evidence on camera, nor with my EVP recorder. Each bedroom was said to be used by The White Witch to kill her husbands in gruesome ways, but I didn't even feel mildly apprehensive. I did feel the sense of history and majesty this place projects, but I did not once feel anything haunted.

I was then told to visit the grave of Annie Palmer outside as it was rumoured to be the most haunted location on the entire property. I proceeded outside and a woman was near the grave singing in Patois. She cautioned me about the White Witch's grave and to be really sure if I want to proceed.

I did.

And again, nothing. No feeling, no evidence no haunting – for me at least. I was gravely disappointed and decided to simply walk around the property on my own will to see if I could get anything. As you can guess, I did not record any evidence, nor feel any evil presence as I was promised I would. I did, however, manage to see a glimpse of Johnny Cash's mansion house. He was fascinated by the Annie Palmer and wrote a song about her.

After wrapping up the investigation I proceeded to do my research. I found countless tales of this haunting, each with their own perspective and story. Then I found documented history, irrefutable facts that makes me believe that Rose Hall is not haunted by Annie Palmer, and the story of the White Witch of Rose Hall, one of the “most haunted places on earth”, the “most evil place imaginable” is simply an Urban Legend, Jamaican style.

It is no surprise that those previous producers of Ghost Hunters International that visited Rose Hall did not do their research, and if they did, they ignored it completely, because after all they are simply there to entertain, not to inform, learn or share.

So how did this Urban Legend begin?

Geoffrey S. Yates, Assistant Archivist, Jamaica Archives explains in detail:

The melodramatic legend of Mrs. Annie Palmer of Rose Hall and Palmyra in St. James, a woman of unknown origins and of sinister beauty, who was murdered by her slaves as a retribution for her wickedness, is widely known and implicitly believed in Jamaica.

It is frequently retold in magazine articles, and visitors to the island are regaled with lurid stories of debauchery and death which are alleged to have taken place at this once splendid plantation house. Sometimes the scene of Mrs. Palmer's murder is transferred to Palmyra, a nearby property.

There have, however, always been bold spirits who have mentioned the conglomeration of inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and over-writing which bedevils the whole affair. It is behind these spirits that I shelter when I come forward to brave the belief of the public and state categorically that neither Mrs. Rosa Palmer nor Mrs. Annie Mary Palmer was ever murdered by slaves at Rose Hall or Palmyra, that there is no evidence that either of them was involved in debauchery or unnatural cruelty, and that the commonly held tales of luxury and ___ers are without any foundation whatsoever.

For this, I rest my case on official archival evidence which has never before been examined in detail. I must also state that neither was Mrs. Palmer ever known to her slaves or contemporaries as "The White Witch of Rose Hall." This title was invented by H. G. DeLisser for his novel which was published in 1929, almost 100 years after the abolition of slavery.

Ruined splendour

Rose Hall, as we know it in it ruined splendour, was built by the Hon. John Palmer, Custos of St. James, somewhere between 1770 and 1780, at approximately the same time as Colbecks Great House and most other plantation residences of Jamaica. It was built on the site of a previous residence which was also known as Rose Hall, after its mistress Rosa Kelly, daughter of the Rev. John Kelly and Mary his wife, of St. Elizabeth.

Rosa Kelly was the Hon. John Palmer's second wife, whilst he was her fourth husband, and they had been married 25 years when she died in 1790. Her monument in the parish church at Montego Bay is well-known. Let me say here that there is no breath of suspicion that either Rosa or John Palmer was a murderer or murdered.

Shortly after Rosa's death, the Hon John married a young bride, Rebecca Ann James, of a prominent family in that past of Jamaica. In 1797 the Hon. John died at his Brandon Hill residence. Almost immediately Rebecca went to England, where she married Dr. Nathaniel Weeks of Barbados and eventually died at Sidmouth in Devon in late 1846 or early 1847.

During all those years, we must remember, Rebecca enjoyed a handsome annuity from Rose Hall and Palmyra under the marriage settlement, and it was this annuity which was the ---g charge on all the profits and proceeds from these estates.

Lived on credit

Like many other rich planters of the period, the Hon. John Palmer lived on credit, which was fine as long as the sugar boom lasted. His wealth was more apparent than real, and the more he spent on building and furnishing Rose Hall, the deeper he floundered into debt.

Eventually, in 1792, his creditors foreclosed, and he was forced to mortgage Rose Hall and Palmyra, moving to his more modest house at Brandon Hill, where, as we know, he died. To cut a long story short, the merchants, Messrs. Hibbert and Co., sold out their interests and the properties fell into the hands of the Court of Chancery. It was this court which was responsible for administering such properties by means of officially appointed receivers.

The receivers saw to the administration of slave labour, providing such plantation supplies, food, clothing, medical attention, (such as it was in those days), doled out punishment if necessary, sold and shipped the sugar and rum. They were responsible for submitting accounts which were officially lodged with the Court, and which survive in the Jamaica Archives at Spanish Town.

In all these accounts, there is no mention of money being spent on repairing or maintaining either Rose Hall or Palmyra Great House. The receivers, who were men of prominence, such as the Hon. William Miller, Custos of Trelawny, and William Heath, a solicitor, had their own houses. We can therefore assume that Rose Hall and Palmyra were empty, except for housekeepers, from 1792 onwards.

In all this legal embroilment centring round properties in debt, however, the real owner still retained some kind of title. In 1818, John Rose Palmer, the great-nephew and heir to the Hon. John, came to Jamaica, obviously with the intention of trying to wrest Rose Hall and Palmyra from the hands of the Court of Chancery, so that he might enjoy such profits as were left after the payment of Rebecca Weeks' annuity.

His brief life in Jamaica was signally unsuccessful for although he managed to become appointed official receiver to his own estates, he was so hard up that he was compelled to mortgage the receivership to Henry Martin Ancrum of London! I make these points to emphasize the fact that, although he may have had a case for claiming he was the true heir, he did not own the slaves on Rose Hall or Palmyra, nor could his wife, whilst he was alive, as they would belong to him by law.

Now, who is going to lend money for orgies whilst the properties are in the hands of lawyers? And what receiver is going to allow a woman to carry on, as Anna Mary Palmer is alleged to have carried on, when he must endeavour to make the places pay?

Nothing peculiar

In November 1827, John Rose Palmer died at Rose Hall, aged 42. In those days of fever and rudimentary medical care there is nothing peculiar about this. During his brief life in Jamaica he had served regularly in Montego Bay as a J.P.; in 1824 he was appointed to administer the neighbouring estate of Running Gut whilst George Whithorne Lawrence, the owner, was absent in Scotland.

When his death was reported in the Royal Gazette and in the Kingston Chronicle some four or five days after it took place, his obituary read "His intrinsic worth, kind heart, and generous disposition obtained him the esteem of all his acquaintance, but to his family, and those friends who had the pleasure of being intimate with him, his loss is irreparable."

Even allowing for a measure of hyperbole, it is obvious he was quite a prominent citizen. It was his wife who was supposed to have murdered this well-known man, and to have lived on at Rose Hall enjoying the embraces of her lovers until she in turn was murdered.

But can anyone, who has ever read a detective thriller, suppose that such a murder at such a prominent place could have escaped detection and the attention of the newspapers of the day? Where is the evidence? And who was the supposed criminal anyway? The answer is there was no murder, no motive and no evidence.

Was it really Annie?

Annie Mary Paterson, upon whom a malicious and unjust fate has bestowed such an evil and unmerited reputation, was born in the autumn of 1802, the only child of John Paterson, Esq., of The Baulk, near Lucea, and Julian his wife. Her paternal grandparents were Dr. John Paterson, a Scotsman who had settled in Hanover, and Deborah McKenzie his wife.

On the death of Dr. Paterson, the Hanover parish register noted he was "universally regretted." Her maternal grandparents were the Hon. William Brown, a Scotsman and Custos of Hanover, and Mary Kerr James his wife, of Kew near Lucea.

John Paterson married Juliana, the eldest Brown daughter, in 1801 but died at the early age of 24 before his daughter Annie Mary was born. The young girl was brought up by guardians, including her mother, her grandfather, her uncle and later her stepfather, for in 1812 Juliana Paterson married Capt. David Boyd, a retired naval officer and professional planting attorney.

William Brown died in 1817, Mrs. Boyd in 1832, and Captain Boyd in 1842, so that Annie Mary was not alone in the world even after she was married. Her mysterious and unknown origin, her training in voodoo-these must be abandoned in favour of upbringing on a property normal for her time and class.

We do not know how and when Annie Mary met John Rose Palmer, but on March 28, 1820, they were married at Mount Pleasant, St. James, then the home of Capt. And Mrs. Boyd, Annie Mary was 17. The young couple, so we are told by the Royal Gazette, were married again in England, on their honeymoon. This was not unusual as sometimes doubt was expressed as to the validity of marriages in those days.

After returning, the couple moved to Rose Hall, not to a life of luxury but one of money worries, as so often to newly-weds Annie Mary did not enjoy her married life for long for John Rose Palmer died seven years later, some £6,000 in debt. His personal possessions, including £350 worth of plates and some debts owing him totalled a mere £1,137.15. 10 1/2d. What was his wife to do? She had no money, no real claim to the estate, no slaves, nothing.

Seek shelter

She left to seek shelter elsewhere, and eventually sold out whatever rights she may have had in Rose Hall and Palmyra for £200 sterling to a Dr. Bernard in Bristol. This was in 1830. However, Rose Hall was empty before this, as we know, for a variety of reasons.

In a Rose Hall Estate Journal quoted by Shore in his "In Old St. James" (1911) and now, alas! Of unknown whereabouts, but perfectly genuine, there were from the first week in January, 1829, to December, 1832, one slave attending the Great House and two with Mrs. Palmer. This first slave must have been a housekeeper or caretaker, for Mrs. Palmer was elsewhere. She was not at Palmyra, for as we know that too was empty except for a housekeeper, Mary Ann Hill, whom the receivers sold to her own husband, Frederick Earl, for £45 in 1833.

The two slaves may have been allowed by the receivers to accompany Mrs. Palmer to her new abode. However, according to officially enrolled slave returns, she had in June 1829 four slaves, Cymir aged 30, Sarah Smith aged 30, and Sarah's two children Alexander and Charles aged 6 and 8 respectively.¹

In 1833 she is listed as being at Bellevue, St. James, with 8 slaves.²Bellevue and Bonavista³ are both shown by the Jamaica Almanacks as belonging to the Bernard family, and may well have been both part of the same property, as both names mean "Beautiful View."

In 1842, William Augustus Dickson, a Scottish merchant of Lucea, and her uncle by marriage, left a will which stated "my settlement in St. James called 'Bellevue' I leave to Mrs. Palmer for life." It is not clear how he obtained Bellevue⁴, nor how Annie Mary acquired the slaves. Probably Dickson obtained land at Bonavista or Bellevue from the dissolution of the Bernard family estates when they got into trouble, and left his niece in charge. In any case, she was a connection to the Bernards, one of whom had bought up her rights to Rose Hall and Palmyra.

Annie Mary Palmer, for she never married again and had no children⁵, was not destined to live to a ripe old age. In 1846 she dies at Bonavista, near Anchovy, and was buried in the church yard at Montego Bay by Rev. T. Garrett on July 9. No tombstone has survived to mark the spot.

By her will, which may be seen in the Jamaica Archives, she left everything-which cannot have amount to much as it was not specified-to Giolia Mary Spence, her goddaughter, aged two, the child of Dr. & Mrs. Patrick Spence of Montego Bay. This, then, was the true end of a woman-allegedly murdered twelve or more years before by her slaves-long after the abolition of slavery.

Monstrous

How then, did this monstrous legend grow up? For an examination of the printed sources I should draw my reader's attention to an article by Miss Glory Robertson of the West India Reference Library entitled "The Rose Hall Legend: was it really Annie?" in the Jamaica Historical Society Bulletin of December 1964.

Briefly, all the commonly accepted sources are confused and contradictory, and Roby, in his serious "History of St. James" (1849) does not mention it at all. Nowhere in the official archives of Jamaica is there anything I have yet discovered which links either Rosa or Annie Mary Palmer with any form of crime, debauchery or unnatural death.

It was a Rev. Waddell who first mentions the strangling of a Mrs. Palmer at Palmyra in 1830. Being an abolitionist, he would be inclined to accept evidences of the iniquities of planters. There was indeed a 'bilbo room' or punishment cell at Palmyra which had been repaired by the reviewers for years after his visit! This he did see when he preached at Rose Hall and visited Palmyra after Mrs. Palmer had left.

As Rosa was not murdered and Annie Mary Palmer was still alive, who could it have been whom he was told was strangled? Probably he was told some confused story by a slave or plantation hand talking patois, which he did not understand correctly, and which related to some murder which took place perhaps a 100 years before, when such things were more likely.

Legend grows rapidly, smothering facts and attaching itself like a vine to places where it does not belong. Statements are made only a few years after events have taken place, which on examination are found to be untrue.

Somewhere, a far-off tale of murder has become attached to Rose Hall and Palmyra and to the two Mrs. Palmers who lived there. Hearsay rumours were taken as gospel truth, and once the legend was given currency, by James Castello in his pamphlet of 1868, it stuck. Because it was in print, it became believed as true and then people started to look for blood stains and ghosts and saw them.

Delisser gave the legend far wider currency in his novel "The White Witch of Rose Hall" than did Castello. The legend throve, the facts disappeared. Now it has become so firmly established-and I frankly admit it is a good story-that a film is to be made of it. Rose Hall has been bought and is to be restored at a cost of some £300,000. Is it too much to hope that when all this money is spent, some tiny portion will be set aside to let Jamaica and her visitors know the true tale of Rose Hall?

¹This ties in with the 1831 Almanac where she is shown with 4 slaves previously reported (doubled to 8 for not filing a return in 1830.) Her name is listed as Anna M. Palmer.

²See 1833 Almanac, number still doubled from 4 to 8.

³For the names of the proprietors of Bonavista, see the following Almanacs: 1818, 1826, 1828, 1831, 1840.

⁴See 1840 Almanac.

⁵See also 1845 Almanac.

Ghostly Lovers, a television show examining Spectrophilia

2011-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

The Travel Channel aired one of the most interesting paranormal shows ever produced.

Perhaps they were looking for shock value or something other than Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures, but what they got was an interesting show which showcases three women talking about Spectrophilia, which is a sexual attraction to ghosts. No, really.

Paranormal researcher, Dr. Barry Taff was interviewed for the show and briefly discusses his involvement with a famous and documented case - the Doris Bither Case. The show also recaps Doris Bither’s case. So if you are interested in the case, don’t miss it.

Here they are for your entertainment:

The Haunted Niagara Falls Customs House

2011-02-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Stone Jug

The former Post Office, Police Station and Customs House stands tall in the desolate downtown area of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The massive three-story stone structure was abandoned after a fire destroyed the interior of the main building and some of the exterior portions of the additions. Holes in the roof have causes extensive water damage and the building is unsafe to investigate or visit.

There have been reports as far back as the 1950s of a shadowy man who has been seen in the upper floors, pacing the hallways and peering out of windows. In the 1970s a group of teenagers believed they saw this same entity walk through the front doors and proceed across the street where the figure vanished.

Others have seen a woman crying on the front steps that appears for a few moments and then disappears into a mist-like form. Strange, unnatural noises from the back portion of the building have been reported by witnesses and many thrill-seekers have ventured into the back portion to investigate. To date, only a handful have been inside to investigate.

I have investigated The Stone Jug on two occasions, once in 2001 and again in 2004 for the book Shadows of Niagara.

The first investigation I was allowed to enter the basement and first floor only, as the entire upper floors were destroyed or distressed. In 2004, we only allowed on the main floor and the back rooms as the building had further degraded.

There have been attempts to repair the building but each attempt runs out of funds and the building stands empty to this date.

Below is a rare view of the Niagara Falls Customs House interior:

More pictures can be found here:

http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2008/10/stone-jug.html

WELLANDCANALS.COM - a source for historic discussion and research

2011-01-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

Photo by Kevin Valencourt

Good friend, and fellow paranormal investigator, Gord Westwater has created a rich and dynamic resource for persons interested in Welland Canal History, as well as the history of the Niagara Region.

The web site features, histories, monumental amounts of photographs, research and historical data. In addition, the web site hosts a forum where Niagara history and historical locations are discussed.

And diving into history and researching historical locations is an essential element when investigating suggested haunted locations.

I encourage those interested in Niagara History to visit www.wellandcanals.com and also join in the forum.

Cropsey Trailer - investigating an urban legend

2011-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

What if an Urban Legend was True?

Check out this scary documentary:

Investigating Rose Hall, Jamaica

2011-01-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

Investigating Rose Hall, Jamaica Part One

The legends and haunting of Rose Hall in Jamaica is known world-wide. Its reputation as an active haunted location has been documented and showcased by several prominent teams of ghost investigators and individuals researching the paranormal. Rose Hall has come to be known as the most evil, the most haunted and the most scariest place on earth.

I was about to investigate and come face-to-face with The White Witch of Rose Hall. My investigation and research will, no doubt, shock some of the readers.

The Legend of Rose Hall and The White Witch

The Legends and Hauntings of Rose Hall surround one Annie Palmer, matriarch of Rose Hall and the surrounding sugar plantation.

In the 1700s, a woman's route to wealth and power was usually via marriage, and Annie Palmer was no exception. Born in France, Annie was a petite woman (barely 4 feet tall, it is said) who moved to the beautiful island of Jamaica to be the wife of a powerful man who owned Rose Hall and thousands of acres of sugar plantation. Little is known of her early days at Rose Hall but it is said she visited Haiti before arriving in Jamaica and studied Voodoo. We do not know if she came to the island already imbued with a streak of cruelty, or if she cultivated it under the demands of her husband and her duties as the mistress of The Great House. It is said that she pined greatly for the bright lights of Paris, and found life on the island to be a hardship.

Whatever the cause, Annie was feared by the slaves who lived on and worked the plantation. She ruled with an iron fist, and defiance, or even perceived insolence, was answered with public whippings, torture in the dungeon, or even death. Annie started her day by stepping to the small bedroom balcony and issuing the orders of the day to the assembled slaves in the yard. Her orders often included punishments and executions.

Perhaps out of boredom, or sheer wantonness, Annie started taking slaves to her bed. When the Mistress of the House lavished her attentions on a slave, that man's days were numbered. When Annie tired of her lover, she would murder him and have him buried in an unmarked grave. We know little of her first husband, John Palmer, except to say that she murdered him in his bed as well. Perhaps he caught her in the act, or maybe she just tired of him too.

These were rather lawless times, and the sudden death of the master of the estate seemed not to cause any investigation. Regardless, Annie cultivated the image of being a tough and merciless mistress, at least in part to keep her from appearing to be easy prey. These were difficult times to be a woman, particularly a rich widow in a country frequented by pirates and the like. Annie found another way to remain independent and in control – she practised Black Magic.

Many of the slaves were practitioners of the art, and in order to curry favour and live longer, they taught Annie everything they knew about magic, particularly Voodoo. This was to include human sacrifice, particularly of infants, whose bones she used in practising the black magic. Soon Annie was known far and wide as "The White Witch of Jamaica". Her reputation for ruthlessness and magic powers served to keep her safe from those who would normally consider her a target. Even so, Annie found time and reason to marry two more husbands, which she eventually dispatched in a similar manner, acquiring their wealth in the process. One has to assume they were foreigners, unacquainted with Annie's reputation on the island.

Annie's Overseer was a slave known to be quite a powerful Voodoo practitioner, a fact he managed to conceal from Annie, at risk to his own life. The Overseer had a daughter who was engaged to marry another handsome young slave on the plantation. Unfortunately, Annie's lustful eye fell upon the young man, and he was soon called upon to pleasure the mistress of the house. The Overseer knew what to expect, and began to make preparations to protect the young man from Annie's "disposable lover" policy.

However, Annie did not follow her usual pattern, and she killed the young man that same night, instead of playing with him for a week or so. Perhaps he objected to her attentions and declared his love for another. Whatever the reason, the young man was dead, the Overseer's daughter grief-stricken, and the Overseer was filled with helpless rage. Annie must die, at all costs.

A special grave was prepared in the woods, within sight of the Great House, using Voodoo ritual and markings. The Overseer then entered the house, confronting the White Witch, and engaged her in magical and physical battle. He succeeded in killing her, sacrificing his own life in the process. Slaves who were privy to the Overseer's plan entombed the body of the White Witch in the specially prepared grave... a grave designed to keep her from rising and walking the plantation again. But they failed to complete the ritual properly, and the White Witch is said to roam the Great House to this day.

That is the Legend. That is the story told.

Media Attention & Previous Ghost Hunts at Rose Hall

With such a rich heritage and such a dramatic legend it is no doubt that authors, musicians, radio personalities and television shows gained interest in Rose Hall and the said hauntings.

In recent times, Ghost Hunters International filmed an episode of their popular program at Rose Hall. Below are the full episodes for your entertainment.

And previous to GHI, Linda Blair's Scariest Places on Earth, featured Rose Hall. Once again, the episode appears below for your entertainment.

My Investigation Begins

With such media exposure I was tainted and knew the story of Rose Hall and the Legends of the Great House. I was excited and ready to begin when I was told I was not allowed to do an overnight investigation, but was welcome to participate in a daytime or evening investigation. I was told that many of the previous paranormal encounters took place in the afternoon and that I was sure to get evidence and to be prepared.

My investigation began outside, in a peaceful garden area. I moved slowly towards what the caretakers called The Dungeon of the Great House. Historically, I called The Dungeon a previous Root Cellar and now a modern gift store. I was told that people feared the location, smelled blood and felt the horrible crimes of the White Witch. I felt nothing and continued to the first floor.

Rose Hall is a spectacular piece of heritage and the curators have created a fantastic and accurate portrayal of what the Great House used to look like. The US investor spent $1.5 Million to repair and restore the Great House. There is no doubt it was a wise investment - individuals are charged $22 each to take a self-guided tour and it is one of Jamaica's top visited tourist sites.

"The Dungeon" held books, collectibles and trinkets for the tourists. The sad part is, average Jamaicans would not be allowed to visit the site, nor be able to afford any of the gift shop's offerings.

I sat on the first floor alone for several moments and decided to move on.

Several of the bedrooms were mentioned as having ghosts – the murdered souls of Annie's husbands. Each bedroom, I waited, recorded, and investigated. And again, my senses told me nothing. My equipment revealed that I was completely alone.

I was beginning to feel a great deal of disappointment and decided to call out for Annie out loud - to ask her to reveal herself to me...and to my surprise I met her.

Click Here To Read Part II

Ghost Hunting? There is an App for that!

2011-01-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

I received an Android Tablet for Christmas and was impressed with the amount of apps one can load up. Similarly, Smartphones are able to load up a host of ghost hunting apps and other essentials that may assist in your investigation and research.

Robin Pyatt Bellamy wrote an article on the subject for Psican. You can read a sample of the article below and read the full article here.

Ghost Hunting? There is an App for that!

Written By Robin Pyatt Bellamy

In the summer of 2010 I finally entered the world of Smart Phones with the purchase of an iPhone 3GS. My husband purchased the 4G a few weeks later. We’re both delighted with our phones, but have chosen very different applications to download.

As you might have guessed, many of the ones I have on my iPhone relate to my research into the paranormal. Some are more “handy” than others of course. The flashlight is a must have. I have found that the typical “battery drain” I get from AA-D batteries does not happen with my iPhone. I don’t have an answer to why, I just know that statistically I get far more sudden drain with traditional batteries than I do with my phone. The iPhone flashlight applications are generally not extremely bright and have relatively NO range like a traditional flashlight, but when I’m in the dark and my regular flashlight fails, this app is a real blessing. As there are several versions available, it’s a matter of personal preference. Typically these are free apps.

The iPhone app I use most would probably be the “Handy Level” app. This is simply a standard level. Most researchers I’ve come across don’t use a level at all, but my kit has two. I have found the iPhone level as accurate as the standard one. Why use a level? It’s common sense. If things are moving, first rule out slanted surfaces! If you have a witness reporting a glass moves across a table, and the table is not level, it is impossible to rule out natural causation. Especially in Toronto, with its heavy traffic and pubic transit systems, or any building anywhere near a train track. I do use the camera on occasion the problem being, of course, that it is digital and therefore creates no negative. But I almost always carry my phone, whereas I don’t always carry a 35mm camera..

How To Engage A Psychic To Solve Your Cold Case (or Missing Person's Case)

2010-12-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

Each year in the United States and Canada there are countless victims of crime, but for the families involved, sometimes the most difficult aspect is closure. Many crimes remain unsolved, even those with high-publicity and police activity.

From missing persons to unsolved murders many families remain in limbo not knowing what has happened to their loved one. Perhaps you are in this situation yourself, and you are desperate to finally find out what exactly happened and to also bring justice to the perpetrator.

Local police, FBI and other specialized law enforcement agencies usually provide a great deal of assistance to the family and work diligently to solve the case. In some instances, they are unable to find a missing person, or solve a crime. Days pass, months go by and suddenly years later the file is labelled a cold case. There are no further leads and the police are no longer able to pursue the case as they would normally do.

We have all seen countless television shows of psychic detectives – psychics who work with law enforcement to solve crimes. It gives us hope, that, if only, we could find a psychic, we could also solve our cold case and bring closure and end the heartache.

Many of the psychics who appear on television are represented by agents and lead very busy lives within the entertainment industry. The television shows are documented and edited to create drama and entertainment – something you are probably not interested in.

A quick Google search and you will find hundreds, if not thousands of psychics. And the majority of these psychics say that they have been involved with law enforcement and have the ability to solve missing person's cases or unsolved crimes.

How do you find the right psychic?

Weeding through the psychic ocean is difficult. Let's first examine how to weed out the phony psychics who wish only to gain notoriety from your grief or gain monetarily from your loss. Let's look at how a Psychic Detective like this works, so that you can identify them and avoid further grief and heartache.

Take a look at the web page of the psychic you are interested in using. Look for clues that this person is using their ability (if they truly have one that is), solely for the purpose of financial gain. Do they sell books? Are they on a lecture circuit? Do they host paranormal events? Do they offer their psychic readings online, over the internet or in person at inflated rates?

Chances are, they see your case as another stepping stone to their quest for fame and fortune. They will use your deceased family member and your grief to further their agenda. You, and your loved one will end up being a footnote in a book, or an online testimonial. Whether or not the psychic has solved your case, does not really matter to them. Another case, another name, creates buzz – both online and on the news.

There are countless newspaper articles and evening news clips that show psychics about to or are working on cold cases. The truth is, that newspapers want articles that sell, as does the evening news want viewers to stay tuned-in and psychics and the paranormal are hot topics that sell. The newspapers rarely follow up to see what, if anything, resulted from the psychics vision. Because sadly, that story of a cold case remaining cold, and a failed psychic does not interest the public.

Psychics in turn use this free publicity, once again, to further their own agenda. They use the articles on the web sites to promote themselves and to offer evidence that they are working cases. Most suggest they solved the crimes because a small case in Canada will never be investigated by a web site visitor from Kentucky. It is simply believed to be true. Many of these psychics are quoted as saying they have worked with police and the FBI further adding to the credibility.

But I found a psychic who has testimonials from law officers.

It is true that some law enforcement agencies have requested the help from psychics, but it is also true that none of these agencies, ever, have said that the psychic's vision helped solve any crime.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have stated that they never use psychics because they have never found their information to be useful in an investigation and have never once solved a crime based upon a psychic's impressions. The FBI has stated that it is their policy not to use psychics.

You will find many psychics online who claim to have solved crimes suggesting they worked with police and even have testimonials from police officers. But upon further investigation, you will find that that the police department's have never heard of the psychic or they have dismissed the psychic's visions as fantasy.

The direct quotes from police officers about psychics is also questionable. Many psychics will write a testimonial and then apply a name such as F. Smith. The name is ambiguous and the testimonial false. Some psychics will intentionally misspell names so that they appear to be legitimate, but again are false.

I found a psychic who has worked on a high-profile case.

Once again, you must be careful here. Many psychics have claimed to have worked on high-profile cases because this adds to their resume and the ability to fool you into thinking they are very credible. The truth is, the psychic has attached themselves to the case so that others believe they are someone special and they have true psychic powers. It's all marketing.

The psychic does not want to charge me anything, so what's to lose?

You may have found a psychic who does not want to charge you directly for their services. But you have to ask yourself – what is it they wish to gain? Many people fall to the charm and compassion the psychic is displaying. The psychics want to gain more exposure, that is the bottom line – more exposure, more press, more books sold, more paranormal event tickets and more psychic readings.

But isn't it worth it? To have your family member found or your crime solved – so what if they psychic makes money doing this? Who cares! It's a win-win situation, right?

Not necessarily. One example, of many, is the Psychic Justice Tour, performed by Psychic Robbie Thomas. Psychic Robbie initially set out a National Tour across Canada and the United States to assist families to solve cold cases and missing person's cases. Sounds wonderful...

The Psychic Justice Tour and Psychic Robbie Thomas performed for the families created buzz. A new book, Paranormal Encounters was being published and a television-series Psychic Justice was supposed to be marketed. And it was.

Psychic Robbie claimed he had helped all the families, but not one of the crimes were eve solved. Not one. It left the families further questioning and further grieving. Psychic Robbie continued to sell books, develop paranormal events and provide expensive psychic readings all at the cost of the grieving families.

The families and crimes forgotten. Many in the public were led to believe the crimes were solved and hindered the real investigation.

One family has written a statement about their dealing with Psychic Robbie Thomas and can be found here.

Psychic Robbie Thomas is exposed by WANE TV and Fort Wayne Police. Click the Play Button Above To View.

You can also read all about Psychic Robbie Thomas here: www.stoprobbie.com - a site dedicated to exposing Psychic Robbie Thomas as a fraud.

Are you suggesting I do not use a psychic at all?

No, I am suggesting you do your own research and if you must, find a psychic that doesn't charge, isn't interested in being on television, doesn't sell books, does not have a psychic phone line, or even a web site.

How do I find a psychic that can help with a cold case or missing person's case?

There are many people who believe in psychic abilities and paranormal forums and groups are a good place to start. But once again, many of the forums and groups are infiltrated with phoney's or the groups themselves are interested in fame and fortune as well.

Another area to search is the scientific community. Many universities have conducted or have ongoing research into psychic phenomenon. They may be able to assist you in finding candidates willing to assist your case. You may also wish to visit the sites below to conduct research and to find assistance.

RESOURCES:

International Remote Viewing Association
IRVA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the responsible use and development of remote viewing. We are an independently formed member organization of scientists, remote viewing professionals, students, and other interested persons.

The Parapsychological Association
The Parapsychological Association, Inc. (PA) is the international professional organization of scientists and scholars engaged in the study of ‘psi’ (or ‘psychic’) experiences, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, remote viewing, psychokinesis, psychic healing, and precognition.

PSICAN – Paranormal Studies and Investigations Canada
A Canadian-based Education Organization

Society for Psychical Research
Founded in 1882, The SPR was the first society to conduct organised scholarly research into human experiences that challenge contemporary scientific models.

CSICOP
The Committee for Skeptical Enquiry

Multiple Witnesses Claim They Saw Ghost of Girl

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

Ghosts Don't Exist

2010-11-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

Catchy title isn't it? Ghosts Don't Exist is a newly released movie based on a group of paranormal investigators who find more to ghosts than they bargain for.

The storyline is simple enough but gives plenty of opportunity to delve into this character driven thriller. The center of the story is ghost hunter Brett Wilson. He's the star of his own paranormal TV show and he struggles to move on from the death of his wife, Nicole, and their child. During an interview he makes the announcement that he is retiring but will take on one more case. When a stranger calls claiming that Nicole contacted him, it sets him off on a course of events that will change him and those around him. Joined by his small crew, he's determined to find the truth, at any cost. Adding to the mix is an old foe, set on debunking any story Wilson and his people find.

The movie suggests it lives in the horror genre and is an independent film, a description that could mean it is total crap, or totally original. Ghosts Don't Exist is neither. It also doesn't fill the description of a horror film as well.

Out of the Dark Rating: 5/10

Enjoy the trailer below:

Check In Niagara

2010-11-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Check In Niagara launched this year and showcases a video blog of a local who goes on a journey to rediscover Niagara, looking past the cliched tourist trappings to find a region that's charming, historic and quite often sublime (and sometimes spooky)

Adam White is the host and provides narratives for each episode including history, interesting facts and how to get to the location. His journey has included some haunted hot spots across Niagara and we are sure he will visit many more along his journey.

You can visit the web site here: http://www.checkinniagara.com

Check in Niagara is updated every Thursday.

Episodes so far:

Episode 1: Welcome to Check In Niagara

Episode 2: Shaeffe’s Path To Victory

Episode 3: Roy Terrace

Episode 4: Southern Terminus of the Bruce Trail

Episode 5: Brown’s Point

Episode 6: Cold War Era Radio Microwave Tower

Episode 7: Limestone Kilns

Episode 8: Slater’s Dock

Episode 9: Remnant Limestone Quarry Stones

Episode 10: Welland Vale

Episode 11: Butler’s Burial Ground

Episode 12: St. Mark’s Cemetery

Episode 13: Loretto Academy

Entity Caught on Video During Paranormal Investigation

2010-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this Video:

Investigator Doreen captures an apparition. She was up on the second floor of a home, she was in a room by herself when this was caught.

Barb King is the founder of the PA. Dept of Paranormal Investigations or PDPI, a non-profit investigative team based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania vicinity. She describes Doreen Hill as "a strong investigator with good skills," then adds, "I trust her totally."

One evening in March, 2009, Doreen Hill and a handful of researchers from the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society accepted an invitation to investigate a rental property in East McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

The mother and her two sons living there felt threatened. The family witnessed shadow phenomenon in the stairway leading to the second floor. Vile odors wafted through the residence. They began sleeping on the living room floor before finally retreating to a relative's house since they did not have anywhere else to go.

When investigators arrived, there was a "TERRIBLE" smell in the home. They asked the tenant to check her refrigerator to see if maybe something had gone bad... nothing.

Two investigators immediately decided to check things outside.

Doreen escorted the mother upstairs to escape the stench, shoot video, and maybe run an EVP. Being somewhat "sensitive," she was drawn to a bedroom currently being used for storage. The mother returned downstairs to be with her children and to check on what everyone else was doing.

Doreen shot some video without incident.

Routinely checking what her Sony Handycam Hybrid DCR-SR45 had captured, her eyes more than likely popped out of her head reminiscent of some 1940's animated cartoon.

"I never saw that apparition in my view finder," Doreen explained. "After an hour or so, I wanted to check my video and that is when I saw her! I could not believe it and ran downstairs to show the tenant and the founder of the paranormal group what I caught. When I got downstairs, I found everyone in the basement because one of the investigators got pushed against a wall and they were making sure that she was okay."

The apparition can be clearly seen at 0:06 seconds as the camera pans slowly left and is really blurred at 0:16 seconds as the camera pans very quickly to the right.

We have three choices here:

1.) Deliberate hoax? Doreen Hill's integrity and her lack of technical savvy negate any hint of hoax.

2.) Mistake? To counter skeptical arguments that she merely recorded her own reflection or someone else in the house, Doreen says, "As far as the colors I was wearing....I know for a fact that I was wearing a black shirt with white lettering and jeans. The shirt I was wearing was the shirt I wore when I was with Pittsburgh Paranormal Society." This is no reflection or accidental capture of any living person present in that dwelling. The family is African American. No one in attendance dressed in the manner of this apparition. This is no orb or pareidolia.

3.) Real deal? Shawn Kelly, the Founder of the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society, states for the record, "The video is for real and it is a true apparition. It is the best piece of evidence out there to this day."

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

For more information on the PA. Dept of Paranormal Investigations
http://www.padeptofparanormalinvestigations.com

We have been granted written permission from Doreen Hill to use and disseminate this still photo from the video at our discretion. If you use it, please include: Photo Copyright 2009 by Doreen Hill

The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham Ghost Photo

2010-10-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham claims to be one of the most haunted locations in Great Britain.

Scores of highwayman, murderers and thieves were subjected to public hangings from within its walls.

Many modern visitors to the site in Nottingham, now a museum, claim to have witnessed spooky goings-on from flying orbs to strange smells and rattling keys.

Now, a couple has stepped forward claiming to have photographic evidence of a supernatural being haunting the former dungeon.

Christine Spice visited the old prison and courtrooms with her partner Denyer earlier this month and took snaps of what she describes as "an eerie mass of white, like an evil male figure."

The figure is pictured behind a second apparition, which appears to be a small child in some form of period dress, captured on Christine's mobile phone camera.

Ms Spice, from Herfordshire, said: "Denyer and I went on one of the museum's guided tours.

"We are both very spiritual people, and could sense quite a lot of spiritual presence around the building.

"We went to visit the pits and immediately I became very agitated and sensed something really bad and evil.

"I told Denyer I thought we should leave as it was affecting me. I could sense the danger and my breathing and heartbeat became faster - I felt very scared.

"We could smell a musty, rotting smell and was very uncomfortable. I then became so freaked out that I ran out.

"The feeling of evil was so overwhelming. Once outside we looked at the photo and could see a white glow like a huge threatening aura."

There has been a court at the Galleries of Justice since at least 1375 and a prison since 1449.

It is the only place in Britain where criminals could be tried, convicted, and sentenced. Some executions were even done at the entrance of the building.

The Galleries contains the original cells, dungeons, two courtrooms, and several medieval caves, where the photo was taken.

Christine said that after she calmed down, they continued looking around and spent some time looking at all the ID photos taken of prisoners displayed on the walls.

She said: "It was in this room that someone pulled my hair. I turned around expecting to see my brother but there was no one there," she said.

"We could sense spirits all over the building and I would definitely describe the place as being very haunted."

Tim Desmond, chief executive at the museum, said: "The staff at the museum are quite used to experiencing the supernatural on the site, not surprising as it was a place of punishment since the Middle Ages.

"What is interesting is now that people have camera phones we are receiving actual images of what they pick up. Even if you are a sceptic it is very difficult to refute the unusual sights."

Ghosts Use Cell Phones to Contact Living

2010-10-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

A paranormal expert in Britain has claimed that ghosts are trying to contact the living through mobile phones, with the number of mystery calls attributed to them rising by 43 percent in the last four years.

Phil Hayes, a spectre investigator from Paranormal Research UK, believes a third of all haunting are now through mobile phones.

"There is evidence to suggest that ghosts can use phones to communicate, with reports of people receiving phone calls from deceased relatives," the Sun quoted Hayes as saying.

According to him, the calls often feature heavy static and the voice sounds faint and distant, and nine in ten show as "withheld number" or "000000000000" on caller ID.

Statistics show two thirds of all paranormal phenomena feature sounds, with just 20 percent being actual sightings of ghosts and 15 percent based on smell.

The study by Tesco Mobile revealed Paranormal Research UK have seen a 70 percent upsurge in paranormal evidence in the last year due to people using their phones.

"We'd recommend those brave enough to capture any spooky sightings should MMS or email their pics to the paranormal society for investigation," Lance Batchelor, CEO of Tesco Mobile said.

"Keep your camera phone on the highest quality resolution setting and use the recorder to capture the noise of any spectral sounds," he added.

America's Top 10 Ghost Tours

2010-10-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

TripAdvisor Releases their Top 10 Ghost Tours of the USA

1. Hair-Raising Harpers: Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Self-proclaimed as “America’s oldest ghost tour,” this terrific tour has been running for more than 40 years. Brave travelers are invited to journey through Harpers Ferry’s historic “Lower Town,” to visit Hog Alley and other dwellings where past tragedies have left sauntering spirits.

2. I Ski Dead People: Park City Ghost Tours, Park City, Utah
Discover which apparitions inhabit local hot—or rather, chilling—spots in this famous ski destination, known also for its former days as a mining town (and its ghosts of miners gone by). Tour-goers often catch a glimpse of “Lizzy,” the apparition who frequents the Imperial Hotel, while ghoulish miners from yesteryear have been spotted sipping a cold beverage at the No Name Pub, formerly the Alamo.

3. A Risky Ride: Hearse Ghost Tours, Savannah, Georgia
This dark and daring tour passes through the old streets of Savannah in an authentic hearse, which formerly transported corpses for more than 15 years. Fearless travelers are invited along for the ride of their lives, to learn about the grisly ghosts that live in some of the city’s most beautiful homes and cemeteries.

4. Macabre Market: Market Ghost Tour, Seattle, Washington
In the Market district of Seattle lies the city’s first mortuary and a dilapidated graveyard, offering countless tales of terror. Spirits remain amongst these ruins and are often seen throughout the Market Ghost Tour, while photographs taken at the sites have been known to include mysterious phenomena, such as glowing orbs and even the ghostly face of a man.

5. Quick and the Dead: Tombstone Ghost Tour, Tombstone, Arizona
True to its name, the city of Tombstone provides ghost stories galore. Travelers can follow fearless tour guides through the dark streets of this “Wild West” town, as they recount bone-chilling stories about the spots where cowboys and deputies once battled.

6. Spooky Surprise: Providence Ghost Tour, Providence, Rhode Island
Come nightfall, travelers are invited to follow the murky glow of a lantern and brace themselves for some spooky surprises on the Providence Ghost Tour, while exploring the secrets of this New England city. Based on research and historical documentation, this tour—which takes thrill-seekers to the scenes of many horrific deaths—will likely instill fear in the bravest of souls.

7. Seeking the Supernatural: Old Bisbee Ghost Tours, Bisbee, Arizona
Stroll through the atmospheric streets, stairways, and alleys of this 125 year-old town, and tour-goers may catch a glimpse of one of Bisbee’s infamous ghosts. Lingering residents include Julia, a “Lady of the Evening,” Nat the Miner, who owed money and paid for it with his life, and the Lady in White.

8. The Big Spooky: New Orleans Ghost Tour, New Orleans, Louisiana
Over the course of two terrifying hours, this walking tour escorts the living to several of the Big Easy’s top haunts, for ghost-spotting gluttony. The route includes a visit to a haunted bar, where paranormal sightseers can enjoy a refreshing break and some spirited fun.

9. Horrifying History: Chattanooga Ghost Tours, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Led by storytellers and actors, this tour will entertain, educate and send chills down travelers’ spines. The hair-raising itinerary includes a stop at the Sheraton Read House Hotel, where the ghost of Annalisa Netherly has supposedly resided since the 1920s, following her murder at the hands of her husband in room 311.

10. Smoking Specters: The Original Ghost Tours of Catalina, Catalina Island, California
Travelers can enjoy the eerie ambiance of Avalon, a small village that was established above a burial ground, on this spine-tingling tour. The ghost of Zane Gray, a local legend of Catalina, has been seen enjoying a cigarette along the Via Casino walkway; when approached, he disappears—leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke.

“With Halloween just around the corner, travelers can enjoy some spine-tingling thrills and hair-raising encounters on these memorable expeditions,” said Karen Drake, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Offering unique destinations, colorful history and lively tales, these tours offer a fun and festive way to enjoy the season.”

*In Canada I recommend the Fort George Ghost Tour in Niagara On The Lake, it is true to the history and hauntings. Other ghost tours in the area, including ones offered by Haunted Hamilton and Burlington Ghost Walks are dissapointing and are often referred to as pieces of 2nd grade fiction and outright lies.

Top 10 Haunted Homes in the U.S.

2010-10-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

Winchester House
Location: San Jose, Calif.
Notable ghost: Sarah Winchester

As one of two homes in California sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department as being haunted (the other is the Whaley House, below), the magnificent Winchester House stands alone as perhaps the most bizarre haunted home in the U.S. It was inspired and designed by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, founder of Winchester rifles. Legend goes that Sarah was deeply affected by the deaths of her daughter, Annie, in 1866 and then her husband, William, in 1881. Sarah consulted a medium who instructed her to build a house to ward off evil spirits. Construction on the Winchester House started in 1884 and continued for 38 years — until Sarah's death in 1922.

Sarah reportedly held nightly seances to gain guidance from spirits and her dead husband for the home's design. What resulted was a maze-like residence full of twisting and turning hallways, dead-ends, secret panels, a window built into a floor, staircases leading to nowhere, doors that open to walls, upside-down columns, and rooms built, then intentionally closed off — all to ward off and confuse evil spirits.

Lizzie Borden House
Location: Fall River, Mass.
Notable ghosts: Andrew and Abby Borden

Who killed Andrew and Abby Borden with an ax on the morning of Aug. 4, 1892 in this Fall River, Mass., home? To this day, no one truly knows. Lizzie Borden, the daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby, became the prime suspect and eventually, the subject of a popular children's rhyme.

Andrew was a widowed cabinet-maker and had two daughters, Lizzie and Emma Lenora. In 1865, he married Abby Durfee Gray and then in 1872, he bought the home so he could be closer to the city's downtown district. Reports say the Bordens were not a loving family unit and the stresses of step relatives created much tension in the house, which were only escalated by the Borden girls' fears that their father was bequeathing his assets and property to the stepmother's side of the family. Lizzie was indicted for the crime, and then acquitted by a jury. It was the trial of the century. She and her sister eventually moved to a home on French Street, and the murder home is now a bed-and-breakfast where Andrew and Abby are said to still roam.

Courtesy of Zillow

LaLaurie Mansion
Location: New Orleans, La.
Notable ghosts: Victims of Madame LaLaurie

Horrific stories of torture and abuse inflicted on slaves who worked in this house were reported in the 1830s and the abuser was said to be Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite of great wealth and prominence in New Orleans. Delphine and her husband, Dr. Louis LaLaurie, would host elaborate parties at the house, but soon, stories of vicious cruelty emerged. In one tale, Delphine was whipping the child of a slave when the child broke away and ran to the roof, falling to her death. But the turning point came when a fire broke out in the mansion and when help arrived, they witnessed horrific scenes of punishment and torture inflicted on the slaves. Delphine fled, never to be seen again.

The home has undergone many changes and owners over the years, with one of the most recent owners actor Nicolas Cage. Cage said of the LaLaurie house, "You know, other people have beachfront property; I have ghost-front property." Unfortunately, Cage lost the property in a foreclosure auction.

Courtesy of Zillow

The White House
Location: Washington, D.C.
Notable ghosts: Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln

It makes sense that a home this old and with so much history has a lot of ghosts. Abigail Adams, wife of second president John Adams, is considered to be the "oldest" ghost in the White House since she and John were the first to live in the big, drafty home that was still unfinished when they moved in on Nov. 1, 1800. She was known to hang her laundry in the East Room and is still "spotted" there to this day. But perhaps the most notable ghost is 16th president Abraham Lincoln, who reportedly had psychic powers and even anticipated his assassination days before. Many former presidents, residents and heads of state have seen Lincoln or felt his presence throughout the White House, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who fainted at the sight of him.

Other famous ghosts include Dolley Madison, who stands watch over her Rose Garden; seventh president Andrew Jackson has been heard laughing in the Rose Bedroom; third president Thomas Jefferson plays his violin in the Yellow Oval Room; ninth president William Henry Harrison haunts the White House attic; and British soldiers are seen walking the hallways.

Tabitha Kaylee Hawk / Flickr photo

Franklin Castle
Location: Cleveland
Notable ghosts: Babies crying

Finally, a haunted home that really looks haunted. Complete with a tower, turrets, balconies, stone outcroppings, gargoyles, wrought-iron fixtures and fences, this imposing, Gothic-style Franklin Castle is said to be Ohio's most haunted home. It was built in 1860 for Hannes Tiedemann, an immigrant from Germany who became a wholesale grocer-turned-banker. Depending on who you believe, Tiedemann was either an evil tyrant who had a hand in mysterious deaths that occurred in the home between 1865-1895 — including the deaths of three babies — or he was a decent and hard-working man, but faced unfortunate circumstances. There have been many owners of the home including a German singing society and a church group.

Presently, it is owned by an Internet businesswoman who wanted to renovate the home, turn it into a B&B and hold "haunted mystery weekends" — but a fire in 1999 derailed her plans. It is rumored that Franklin Castle will be listed soon. In the market for a haunted house? Amenities include sounds of footsteps, babies crying, and doors slamming … and no one's there. How many agents dare to appear for this broker's open house?

Cranston Historical Society

Sprague Mansion
Location: Cranston, R.I.
Notable ghosts: Amasa Sprague, Charlie the butler

One of Cranston's most prosperous families, the Sprague family, owned Cranston Print Works, a textile mill that was the first to make calico prints and help pioneer chemical bleaching. When William Sprague died in 1836, he left the business to his two sons, Amasa and William II. Amasa concentrated on the family business while William II focused on politics, serving as a U.S. Representative, governor and U.S. Senator. On Dec. 31, 1843, Amasa was found shot and beaten on the road between his textile mill and his mansion. A man was hanged for the crime, but later found to be innocent. The true killer was never found. The Sprague family's fortunes eventually faded and the Sprague Mansion changed ownership many times until the Cranston Historical Society saved it from demolition in 1967.

Hauntings of the mansion most often observed include Amasa in the wine cellar and a spirit thought to be "Charlie the butler" descending the main stairway. Legend goes that Charlie's hopes and dreams of riches were dashed when his daughter did not marry the wealthy homeowner's son.

San Francisco Properties

Chambers Mansion
Location: San Francisco
Notable ghost: Claudia

In the prestigious Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco is the Chambers Mansion, which was built in 1887 and named after its first owner, Richard Chambers, who was a silver mine tycoon. Legend goes that Chambers lived here with his two nieces who hated each other. When Chambers died in 1901, the nieces inherited the mansion. One reportedly bought the house next door and moved in while the other sister, Claudia, stayed. Claudia reportedly loved pigs but met her fate one day when she was nearly cut in half from what her family called a "farm implementation accident."

Ghost expert Jim Fassbinder, who conducts haunted home tours in San Francisco, "claims that an insane member of the Chambers family, who was kept in the attic, chased Claudia downstairs into the Josephine room and killed her." The mansion was eventually converted to the Mansion Hotel in 1977, where celebs such as Barbra Streisand, Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams stayed. Many guests have reported strange occurrences while staying there.

Wikimedia Commons

Myrtles Plantation
Location: St. Francisville, La.
Notable ghost: Chloe

Take an historic old, antebellum plantation home from 1796, surround it with trees draped with Spanish moss, and set it in voodoo-rich Louisiana and you have the perfect setting for ghosts. But, you need mayhem and history to generate ghosts and there are lots of both at the Myrtles Plantation. In 1808, Clark Woodruff took charge of the plantation from his deceased father-in-law, Gen. David Bradford, where he kept things running along with his wife, Sara, and three kids. Legend has it that Woodruff also took a special liking to a slave he owned named Chloe. But Chloe was immensely jealous of Woodruff's family and baked a birthday cake filled with poisonous oleander leaves. Woodruff's wife, Sara, and two of their children died. Chloe confessed, but fellow slaves retaliated, hanging Chloe and dumping her body in the Mississippi.

Lots of other natural deaths occurred in the home, but the only other murder was when plantation owner William Winter was shot and killed in 1871 while standing on the front porch. He supposedly staggered inside, dying on the 17th step of the home. Myrtles Plantation is also reportedly built on the site of an old Indian burial ground and during the Civil Warn Union soldiers ransacked the home. While it is hard to separate fact from fiction, popular sightings of ghosts around Myrtles Plantation include the large mirror in the home that contains the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her children, ghosts seen around the 17th step and, of course, Chloe who is outside, tending to her plantings. The house is on National Register of Historic places and is now a bed and breakfast.

Elmschrat / Wikimedia Commons

Stranahan House
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Notable ghost: Frank Stranahan

The Stranahan House was one of several structures built between 1893-1906 along the New River in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by an enterprising young man named Frank Stranahan. Frank arrived in 1893 to operate a barge ferry across the river and was the first non-Indian to live in what is now the center of Fort Lauderale. Soon, this prime location spawned other businesses for Stranahan, including a trading post, post office, bank and hotel. He became a powerful land owner in the area and soon, the Stranahan Trading Post became well-known. He married school teacher Ivy Cromartie and built her a home right on the New River in 1906, the Stranahan House, which still stands today as the oldest remaining structure in Broward County. Frank and Ivy were considered Fort Lauderdale's First Family.

This is also where Stranahan's story turns grim. He suffered from depression and his mental health could not endure a hurricane that devastated his businesses, or the financial effects of the Great Depression. Stranahan committed suicide on June 23, 1929 by strapping a large iron gate to his ankle and throwing himself into the New River. There are many reports of Frank Stranahan's ghost in the Stranahan House, as well as the ghost of Ivy Cromartie. Other ghostly presences include six family members and the apparition of an Indian servant girl near the back of the home. The Stranahan House is now open to public tours.

David Schwartz / Flickr photo

Whaley House
Location: San Diego
Notable ghost: "Yankee Jim" Robinson

In 1849, as news of the Gold Rush broke, young Thomas Whaley moved from New York to California and opened a hardware store in San Francisco. Arson destroyed his business in 1851, so he moved to San Diego — the present day Old Town San Diego — where he set up general store businesses. Always the entrepreneur, he also started a brick-making business and used those kiln-fired bricks to build a granary. Then, in 1857, he built an adjacent two-story Greek Revival brick building where he and his wife, Rachel Pye, lived. It was considered the "finest new brick block in Southern California" by the San Diego Herald, and cost $10,000. The walls were finished with plaster made from ground seashells.

The site of the house is also where gallows once stood and where "Yankee Jim" Robinson was hanged for attempted grand larceny. Whaley reportedly witnessed the hanging, but was not fazed by it, since he bought the property a few years later, removed the gallows, and built the Whaley family home on the site. Shortly after moving in, heavy footsteps could he heard throughout the house "by the boots of a large man." Whaley concluded it was Yankee Jim, whose spirit is alive and well two centuries later. Two later tragedies occurred in the house: the Whaleys' second child, Thomas, Jr, died at 18 months of scarlet fever and their fifth child, Violet, committed suicide in 1885. The home was designated a California State Historic Landmark in 1932 and is open to public tours.

An aside: Thomas Whaley had some prominent family history: His grandfather, Alexander Whaley, supplied George Washington with badly needed muskets during the American Revolution's Battle of White Plains and his mother, Rachel, made some shrewd real estate deals including buying "Sheeps Meadows," which was used as grazing land in New York City. It is now known as Central Park.

But, wait. Where is the Amityville Horror House?

Courtesy of Zillow

Amityville Horror House
Location: Amityville, N.Y.
Notable ghost: None

We saved the least haunted home in America for last, but felt the need for inclusion because it is a notorious home that was the scene of a horrific murder in November 1974. The Amityville Horror House is perhaps the most "commercialized haunted house" in America. It is where 23-year-old Ron DeFeo, Jr. killed his mother, father, two brothers and two sisters with a rifle as they slept in their beds. The Lutz family purchased the home in 1975 for $80,000 but left after 28 days in which they described many supernatural events occurring such as slime oozing down walls, strange odors, moving furniture, swarms of flies in the dead of winter, and slamming doors, to name a few.

Soon a best-seller was born, "The Amityville Horror: A True Story," which also subsequently generated nine movies. In reality, the Amityville story was more fiction than fact. DeFeo's lawyer, William Weber, admitted that he along with the Lutzes "created this horror story over many bottles of wine." After the Lutzes moved on, several families have lived in the home for decades each and have expressed nothing horrific occurring. As a matter of fact, the home was just recently sold to a couple who report that the only thing scary about it are the people who come gawking.

Travelocity Names Top Haunted Hotels in America

2010-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just days away, travelers bent on spooking themselves should consider planning a trip to a haunted hotel. Travelocity’s editors picked six of their favorites in the US.

Historic Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage, AK

The intimate size of this 26-room hotel lets guests get up close and personal with the property’s reported 32 spirits in residence. Ghosts include a woman in a wedding dress, a laughing little boy and girl and, most famously, John 'Jack' Sturges. Jack was the first Chief of Police and was shot with his own gun in an alley behind the hotel in 1921. His murder has never been solved and he is said to haunt the hotel to this day.

The Homestead, Hot Springs, VA

Built in 1766, The Homestead is one of America’s oldest resorts. Ghostly encounters include staff members being approached by a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes and being asked for the time. Legend has it that in the early 1900s, a woman was set to be married at The Homestead. On the day of her wedding, her husband-to-be, nervous and having second thoughts, told her to stay in their room while he ran out for a moment. He left the hotel, never to return again. The story goes that the bride became so distraught she took her own life. Now, her sprit roams the resort asking guests and staff for the time, still waiting for her groom to arrive.

Hotel San Carlos, Phoenix, AZ

Though the Hotel San Carlos has hosted many famous people including Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Mae West, its most famous guest is the one said to still be residing at the hotel – though she died more than 80 years ago. Leone Jensen was an actress who leapt from the rooftop in 1928 and guests have reported a woman's shape floating through the hallway and up the stairs that lead to the roof.

Hotel Jerome, Aspen, CO

The iconic Hotel Jerome’s 120-year history includes a resident ghost known as 'water boy.' Legend has it that in 1936, a 10-year-old drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool. The family stayed in Room 310, which overlooked the pool, on that fateful visit. Throughout the years, many guests and hotel employees have encountered the ghost of the small boy. He is always soaking wet and will not speak, leaving behind only wet footprints. The haunting always occurs near Room 310.

Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, LA

In 2003, the International Society of Paranormal Research spent several days investigating Hotel Monteleone and, while at the hotel, the team made contact with more than a dozen spirits. The hotel is also said to be haunted by a little boy named Maurice, whose father died on a trip to New Orleans and whose mother died shortly thereafter. The speculation is that the ghost of young Maurice sometimes roams the halls searching for his parents on the 14th floor where they were staying at the time of his father’s death.

Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, CA

The Queen Mary is recognized as one of the most haunted locations in the world, some say with as many as 200 spirits. Reports of ghostly encounters include figures dressed in period clothing walking through the halls or the sound of a little girl laughing coming from the empty swimming pool. Hotel guests and Queen Mary staff have reported flickering lights and whispers from inside empty hotel rooms and claimed sheets were pulled from the bed by unseen forces.

NEW BOOK: Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture.

2010-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

About 68 percent of Americans believe in the possibility of the paranormal, according to the authors of the newly published book "Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture."

Baylor associate professors of sociology Dr. Carson Mencken and Dr. Christopher Bader, along with Joseph Baker, co-authored the book about paranormal beliefs in the U.S. The book is geared toward a general audience.

"Anyone can read it and everyone should read it," Mencken said.

The book examines who tends to believe in the paranormal and how pervasive paranormal beliefs are in society. The book also researches paranormal theories but does not confirm or deny their validity.

"The book is about the believers of the paranormal, not whether or not it is real," Bader said.

Mencken and Bader began their work on this book in response to the realization that by looking at existing research, no one knew who paranormal believers were.

"Research was a mess," Bader said. "It was old and no one had done a random sample. There were good studies done about whether Methodists or Presbyterians believe, but not about the average American."

Mencken said a lot of media stereotype paranormal believers as uneducated, unemployed alcoholics.

"We were surprised to find in our research that the people who believe in the paranormal fit none of those stereotypes," Mencken said. "We discovered that those that held unconventional beliefs were of a respected position."

Mencken and Bader hope that readers will walk away from their book with an understanding of what sociologists do, and how pervasive the paranormal is in society.

"Roughly two-thirds of people believe in the possibility of one paranormal item, which includes astrology, UFOs, psychic abilities, Atlantis, Bigfoot, ghosts and haunted houses," Bader said.

People from more conservative religious traditions tend to be less willing to believe in the paranormal than those from more moderate traditions, Mencken said.

"People who are more moderately religious tend to believe in the paranormal," Bader said. "If you are not at all religious, or highly religious, it is not likely that you will believe. Someone who attends church once a month is much more likely to believe in the paranormal than someone who attends church on a weekly basis."

While researching, the authors found that it was not difficult to find paranormal believers due to the large number of organizations devoted to the unconventional beliefs.

"Something that has changed in the paranormal over the decades is the level of organization," Bader said. "Texas has several Bigfoot organizations and Waco has a ghost hunting club."

The two professors went on a ghost hunt in the fall of 2007 and brought along a few graduate students of sociology, including Andrew Whitehead.

Whitehead said spending time with the ghost hunters and learning about their experiences and how they hunt ghosts was an interesting experience when he was new to learning how to study society.

"I didn't see or feel anything so I can't speak to whether or not ghosts were there," Whitehead said. "But I was surprised to remember how it felt when I was a kid and I was discovering my grandparents' attic and it's all new and exciting. Going into the haunted house with the ghost hunters, I had the same exciting rush."

Whitehead said he can't recommend going ghost hunting, because he wasn't actually hunting ghosts but watching the hunters. He said that spending time with ghost hunters is always exciting.

Bader said there are fliers at Ninfa's in downtown Waco about weekly ghost tours that are offered if anyone is interested in experiencing the paranormal this Halloween season.

The book is now available in bookstores and online.

What Will Happen to Bertie Hall?

2010-10-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

With a lack of funding and support the entire collection of doll houses and dolls were auctioned off this year and the home known as Bertie Hall has an uncertain future.

Today, the historical house remains empty.

Since 2001, when I first visited, the house has been a subject of great interest to paranormal investigators. Prior to my visit, the curator had several psychics do readings on the home. All the psychics and investigators came to the same conclusion - Bertie Hall is haunted.

To me, it was one of the most interesting haunted locations I have investigated and I have returned often to conduct investigations and research.

But what will become of Bertie Hall? Who will the city lease it too and will future paranormal investigators be welcomed?

Here is an article from the Niagara Falls Review:

Doll houses on auction block
By JOHN ROBBINS , REVIEW STAFF WRITER

Historic Bertie Hall won't sit vacant for long, predicts Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin.

"We look forward to getting a new tenant in there -- one that's in keeping with our heritage," Martin said Sunday. "I'm sure there will be lots of people who will be willing to take over the building. We'll be going through a process starting immediately so we can have it up and running for the first of the year."

Since 1983, Bertie Hall has been home to the Mildred M. Mahoney Dolls' House Gallery.

The gallery, which was home to one of the largest and finest collections of antique miniatures in the world, once attracted 4,000 people a year.

But the gallery fell on hard times in recent years and was forced to close.

On Saturday, contents of the gallery were auctioned off with proceeds to be distributed to charity in keeping with the provisions of the late Mildred Mahoney's will.

Hundreds of items were up for grabs, including some pieces that are more than 200 years old.

The oldest doll house in the museum dates back to 1780 and was owned by six generations of the same family.

Total proceeds raised through auction haven't been tallied yet, but auctioneer Don Plato said he was pleased with how the sale went.

"For a niche market sale it was good," said Plato.

Buyers who came in person for the sale travelled from as far away as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

"We had (absentee) bids from California, Maine and Florida over the phone," said Plato.

The highest selling item was a doll house that sold for a cool $11,000.

"It brought more than I thought it would, but then there were some that I thought would bring more that brought less," Plato said Sunday evening. "Now, I have to deliver it to Massachusetts," he added with a chuckle.

Martin himself couldn't resist the urge to pop by the sale for a little while to see how things were going.

"It looked to be a good crowd," said Martin.

"It was a beautiful day for it. I don't know what the end results will be, but it'll be interesting to see what took place. There were some priceless pieces on display there."

Bertie Hall was built in the Greek revival style in 1835.

The property has been owned by the Niagara Parks Commission since 1981.

The Town of Fort Erie leases the building for a nominal sum.

Originally a residence, Bertie Hall was an important stop on the Underground Railway, which helped fugitive slaves from the U.S. make their way to freedom.

From 1828 to 1865, it is believed there was a tunnel located in the basement that served as a main entry point for freedom seekers.

"Since this all happened, I've had preliminary discussions with individuals who are interested in doing some things there. We'll go through the process and see what the proposals are to ensure the fact that from the black history aspect it's important to include that with it as well."

j

Volunteers Wanted! (Dead or Alive)

2010-10-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

For the 6th Annual Haunted Atlas Coal Mine

Volunteer Meeting: Oct 13th, 7 pm - Civic Centre AV Room (above the Library)

Big Boo Oct 23rd & 30th
Commitment: 6 - 10 pm

Little Boo Oct 24th & 30th
Commitment: 1:30 - 4:30 pm

Everybody Welcome! & Bring a friend!

For more information please call Kelly at 403.822.2220 or 403.822.2220

Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site
Box 521
East Coulee, AB T0J 1B0
Phone: (403)822-2220 (403)822-2220
Fax: (403)822-2225
E-Mail: info@atlascoalmine.ab.ca
Web: www.atlascoalmine.ab.ca

16 TONS OF FUN!

Our Top 10 Halloween Movies to Watch this Season

2010-10-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are my Top 10 Movies I'll be enjoying this Halloween Season. If you have not seen one on my list, pop some popcorn and prepare to be spooked!

1. Night of the Living Dead 1968
2. The Shining
3. Dawn of the Dead 1978
4. Dawn of the Dead Remake
5. REC
6. Ju-on
7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
9. 28 Days Later
10. 'Janghwa, Hongryeon

And if you are in Calgary, Alberta do check out the Rocky Mountain Horror Film Festival to see a host World Premieres and Canadian Premieres of Canadian Indie Horror.

Vist The Rocky Mountain Horror Film Festival to see what's playing!

Paranormal Activity 2

2010-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Paranormal Activity is one of the most profitable movies ever made, based on return on investment. Watch the new Paranormal Activity 2 trailer now. Official site of Paranormal Activity 2. In theaters October 22, 2010.

Paranormal Activity is a 2009 American horror film written and directed by Oren Peli. It premiered at the Screamfest Film Festival in the US on October 14, 2007, and was shown at the Slamdance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. The film received a limited release in several US cities on October 9, 2009, and had a nationwide release on October 16, 2009.

The movie centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. The movie is presented in the style of “found footage”, from the camera set up by the couple to capture what is haunting them.

The film has earned nearly 200 million at the US box office alone, on a reported budget of $15,000. Paranormal Activity is one of the most profitable movies ever made, based on return on investment. However, such figures are difficult to verify independently and are likely to exclude marketing costs. The film was nominated for “best first feature” in the Independent Spirit Awards 2009.

Ghost Tours at the Copper Queen, Bisbee, Arizona

2010-10-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

BISBEE, Ariz. — Many hotel guests would complain if they were awoken by bumps in the night or if they found their things had mysteriously disappeared from their dressers. But not visitors to the Copper Queen Hotel, a rustic old place that is considered Arizona’s longest continuously operated hotel.

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Ghost Tour at the Copper Queen

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The Copper Queen is haunted, or at least that is what the owners claim and what numerous guests have affirmed over the years with stories about mysterious voices, odd sounds and smells, and even levitating objects. For many, a quiet, uneventful night at the Copper Queen, which dates to 1902, is a dire disappointment.

“Oh, oh!” a non-ghostly woman exclaimed in surprise when she rounded a corner on the fourth floor one recent evening. When she realized she had encountered another non-ghost, she seemed disappointed. “Have you seen anything?” she asked.

The front desk clerk’s voice grew low as he told how he heard a female voice one evening while riding the elevator between the third and fourth floors, even though he was the only physical being inside. And he swore up and down that he once saw a room key floating in the air.

At his side were the ghost journals, accounts left by guests over the years of their encounters with the hotel’s resident spirits. So compelling are some of these tales that they have been compiled into a book that came out this month. Adding credence to the hotel’s claim of three resident ghosts, at least for those who believe in the paranormal, was the hotel’s appearance in an episode of the “Ghost Hunters” show on the Syfy Channel.

One Copper Queen guest, Tina LaVon, wrote about how she had tried to take a photo in the hotel but the camera said it had no memory card. The scary part is, she insists it did have a memory card.

Others wrote of hearing whispers, of the remote control for the television not working or of a cellphone battery mysteriously losing power. A child wrote of losing her stuffed animal only to have it mysteriously reappear later.

Nine-year-old Devan heard breathing over his shoulder when he was reading the ghost book. Other guests said coins disappeared from the desk in their room, which legend has it is the handiwork of Billy, a young ghost, who died long ago in the nearby San Pedro River and supposedly now has the run of the Copper Queen.

“Southern Arizona’s Most Haunted,” a book on Bisbee and other reputedly haunted locales in the southern part of the state, recounts how Billy has been seen jumping on the leather couch in the lobby.

“The Copper Queen Hotel is haunted by over 16 spiritual entities,” said the book’s author, Renée Gardner, who has been named by the local Chamber of Commerce as the official ambassador to the ghosts and spirits of Bisbee. She conducts walking tours of ghostly spots around this old copper mining town, as well as a special driving tour in a secondhand hearse.

All the spirits supposedly roaming around the Copper Queen, and some guests perhaps pretending to be spirits themselves, mean a lot of potential for mischief.

A guest named Roxana wrote of a ghostly incident that occurred when she showered.

“My husband and daughter left our room and I got in the shower,” she said. “When I was in the shower I heard the bathroom door shake. When my husband and daughter returned I said, ‘Very funny.’ They swore they hadn’t returned to scare me.”

Another guest, Natasha, wrote about something that may or may not have happened as she and her stepfather were dining one night. He had locked the door to their room, No. 401. She had seen him. But when they got back, their door was wide open.

There have been rooms that got phone calls with no one at the other end of the line, a photograph on the wall that moved, a shaving kit that fell to the bathroom floor and mysterious taps on guests’ shoulders by invisible beings.

“My husband and I are believers but skeptics at the same time,” wrote a woman who heard strange sounds in Room 316 at 2 a.m.

On Thursday nights, ghost experts lead guests through the creaky old building in search of mischievous Billy, a former prostitute named Julia Lowell (who is said to have taken her life in the hotel and now pays particular attention to male guests) and a mysterious bearded man in a top hat and black cape who smells of cigar smoke.

Not all guests have ghostly encounters. On a recent night, the old elevator did make some groaning noises, but they seemed more mechanical than supernatural. From the hallway on the fourth floor, one could hear sounds from guest rooms, although they seemed to be CNN. Nothing appeared to have moved in Room 404 from late one night to the next morning.

Yes, for some guests, the Copper Queen is not the least bit scary, offering little more than a good meal, a lively bar scene and an uninterrupted night of slumber.

“Absolutely nothing happened to us of a ghostly sort,” a guest named Crystal wrote in the journal. “The only sounds we heard were from the noisy people upstairs.”

A version of this article appeared in print on August 23, 2010, on page A10 of the New York edition.

The Queen Mary Halloween Haunted Harbour

2010-10-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

As patrons walk into Dark Harbor, they are tormented and ridiculed by a demon-like clown. Walking further, they are brought into a 220-foot maze of cargo containers filled with strobe lights and fog. Suddenly, a figure appears, causing them to scream and run. When they escape, they find themselves next to a haunted ship and in a village full of monsters that hunt them down.

The Queen Mary presents Dark Harbor, an 18-night event that stands out among Southern California's haunted attractions. Complete with five mazes - "The Cage," "Village of the Damned," "Containment," "Hellfire" and "Submerged" - and great acting by the monsters, the event is sure to haunt anyone who enters.

"The Cage," one of two onshore mazes and located in the dome, is filled with monsters who lurk every corner. The monsters are trapped in cages but that doesn't stop them from haunting everyone who enters. Unlike other mazes that have one clear route, "The Cage" is easy to get lost in because there are several paths to choose from.

"Village of the Damned" isn't quite as frightening as "The Cage," but it is still worth visiting. Upon entering the maze, lunatics caution visitors to "beware of the pot." More demented monsters wait inside the maze, leading attendees to the scariest part of the maze - a thin inflatable tunnel that is sure to cause a claustrophobic feeling.

Though the onshore mazes are scary, they are no competition to the ones aboard the Queen Mary itself. Whereas typical Halloween attractions bring patrons through artificial settings, Dark Harbor brings people into some of the ship's actual haunted areas where people have died, including the swimming pool and engine room. Visiting these spirit-filled rooms will surely cause even the toughest people to get spooked.

"Containment" has quarantined sailors and passengers that urge visitors to turn the other way. The actors in this maze possess believable talents and creative makeup that make one sympathize with their infected conditions.

In "Hellfire," the ship is ablaze and burnt victims chase visitors for help. Impressive lighting effects and more acting talent make this maze one to visit.

"Submerged" gives the effect of boarding a sinking ship. Water pours in as one enters the maze and drowning victims try to claw their way out. What makes this attraction one of the scariest mazes is that it brings visitors by the ship's swimming pool, which is supposedly haunted by spirits and normally closed to the public.

Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is open every weekend until Halloween night from 7 p.m. to midnight. General admission is $35 and front-of-the-line Fright Passes are $55. Special student prices of $25 will be available from Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queen's Highway.

For more information, visit queenmary.com/Dark-Harbor.aspx.

Evicted by an Evil Spirit

2010-10-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

A YOUNG couple who are refusing to live in a council property which they claim is haunted by an evil spirit now face the threat of having the property repossessed.

Laura Burke, her partner Ritchie, and their son, Kyle (4), are refusing to live in the three-bedroom house at Hollywood Estate in Hollyhill on Cork's northside after a bizarre series of events between December and March of this year.

The couple are still paying rent to Cork City Council on the property -- but they are refusing to live there and currently reside at the home of a family member.

The house has now effectively being lying empty for the past six months.

The couple are pleading with the council to be re-housed, though locals in the Hollyhill area have become increasingly sceptical of their supernatural claims.

Cork City Council warned last week they have no way of verifying the couple's claims and will not be providing them with an alternative property.

However, the council has offered to refurbish and repair the property, but stressed that, because the house has effectively been abandoned, it is now within their right to repossess it unless they take up occupancy.

Last March, a special 'cleansing' ceremony was performed on the house -- with one spiritualist claiming he could sense "an angry spirit" in the property.

The young couple, who only moved into the house in August 2009, insisted they are too afraid to remain in the building after the unexplained incidents.

"I really can't [go back]. We don't want to go near the place," Laura said.

Special prayers were said at the house to placate the spirit earlier this year, and a 'New Age' shaman even performed the 'cleansing' exorcism there.

Laura told the Sunday Independent that holy pictures were routinely knocked from the wall, screams were heard in the dead of night, their son was once flung from his bed, and both furniture and furnishings were discovered re-arranged despite being left in an empty room.

The family received their greatest shock when they spotted what they described as "glowing orbs" hovering in mid-air in certain rooms in the house. Their son claimed he could see 'eyes' following his every move in his bedroom.

"It's an evil spirit -- I just get the feeling that it is something evil. Whatever it is, I don't believe it means us well," Laura said.

The publicity surrounding the haunting attracted hundreds of curious onlookers when the story first hit the headlines last February and March.

Clairvoyant John O'Reilly was invited to inspect the house and he said he immediately felt "a presence".

"There is someone here. I am getting [a feeling] of a younger man who would have hung himself," he said.

Spiritualist and shaman, Paul O'Halloran, said he felt there were numerous spirits in the house, and believed they may be from children who were buried in unmarked graves in Cork.

However, locals are increasingly dubious about the haunting claims -- and pointed out that no one recalls previous incidents at the house, or any tragedy fitting the descriptions being cited.

A group of local children who at one point mounted a vigil to watch outside the house earlier this year for 'ghost-busting' activity gave up in disgust after four hours of seeing nothing unusual.

"A dog fell asleep on the front doorstep -- and animals are supposed to be the first to sense spirits and ghosts," one local girl said.

- Ralph Riegel

Sunday Independent

Rocky Mountain Horror Film Festival

2010-10-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween Horror Film Festival Scares Up Food for Calgary Shelters & Food Bank

Calgary, Alberta – October 3, 2010 – The Rocky Mountain Horror Film Festival is set to feature a selection of highly awarded and anticipated horror films from around the globe.

“We have entries from Spain, France, Greece, Australia and the UK,” says John Savoie, Festival Director, “And each film is either a multiple award-winner, or is a Canadian Premiere.”

If you are a horror fan, or simply looking for a Free Halloween Event, the festival offers films from the downright scary to clever dark-comedies with a horror theme.

“We have something for everyone – from zombies, demons and monsters to traditional ghosts stories,” Savoie says. “We even have two animated selections.”

In addition, two Canadian selections are onboard including Stranger in the Eyes of the Maker, a Calgary-made, traditional vampire tale featuring homegrown talent.

All of our selections are from independent studios and filmmakers. “These films are not produced by Hollywood and you don’t get the hype and marketing agenda. What you get is a really good film and a good story,” says Savoie.

All events for the film festival are free. Admission is a non-perishable food item to benefit local shelters and the Calgary Food Bank.

The Rocky Mountain Film Festival take place October 25, 2010 from 2pm-10pm at the Cardel Theatre, 180 Quarry Park Blvd SE, Calgary, Alberta.

For more information visit the web site at http://www.rmh-filmfestival.info

The Shadows Project Gets a Facelift

2010-09-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Shadows Project web site recently unvieled a new design with easier navigation, stunning graphics and loads of information about the Niagara Region and beyond. It also promises to showcase new investigations.

You can visit the new Shadows Project here:

www.theshadowsproject.com

New "Reality" TV to showcase haunted hot-spots

2010-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

Aiming to give audiences goosebumps, a new television reality show is exploring the dreaded paranormal phenomena of ghosts.

MTV's latest show MTV Girls Night Out, which airs from today, will have young women left all alone in a haunted location for an entire night to brave the unknown. Being produced by Miditech, the 13-part hair-raising series is hosted by daredevil VJ Rannvijay.

"With no crew, no phone lines and no connection with the outside world, but under the constant vigil of strategically placed cameras, the contestant will be a given a series of tasks to complete during the night," Rannvijay said.

After assessing their performances, one girl will be elected the most fearless of them all and take home Rs five lakhs.

To add scientific and logical credence, paranormal investigators Gaurav Tiwari and Akanksha Kaushik from the Paranormal Organisation of India, have also been deployed. "The investigators will analyse the situation and will also give the participants a lowdown on the gruesome history of the haunted place," Niret Alva, executive chairman of Miditech told PTI.

The investigations will be done with the support of modern equipments like K2 meters, EMF readers, IR thermometers, night vision HD cameras and various softwares for analysis of the haunted locations.

Is the show trying to prove the existence of ghosts?

"No, our aim is not to prove or deny the existence of any supernatural, but to give participants the opportunity to check their fear in a scary situation," he said.

From Imagine TV's Raaz Pichchle Janam Ka and The Chair at UTV Bindass, channels are now trying to delve deep into the supernatural realm.

America's top 10 most unusual haunted places

2010-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

By Jennifer Oldman
Sep 24th 2010 at 2:00PM

Fright addicts looking for a different way to celebrate Halloween this year might want to visit one or more of the country's most ghost-infested sites.

From Civil War battlegrounds, to haunted highways, to several dozen venues in Vegas rumored to be inhabited by poltergeists, there are plenty of places to keep ghost hunters busy.

A great place to start is the Internet, where ghost chasers throughout the nation offer up myriad tours. A look at the top-10 most unusual haunted offerings:

10. Visit the haunting grounds of Bugsy Seigel, Liberace, Redd Foxx and Elvis in Vegas, including the "Motel of Death," where various celebrities met their demise, with guides who say they received help from a paranormal historian in crafting their tour.

9. Drive the haunted highways of America, including byways in Missouri, Mississippi, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee and many more.

8. Take a walk with ghosts of former patients who are reputed to haunt this psychiatric hospital, located on 325 acres in New Jersey.

7. See the sights at Gettysburg, Pa., the scene of the Civil War's bloodiest battle, where 51,000 Americans were killed or wounded from July 1 to July 3, 1863. Hot spots include the Hunterstown Battlefield, the Gettysburg Engine House and the National Soldier's Orphan Homestead.

6. Decide for yourself whether aliens touched down in Roswell, N.M. in 1947, when many local residents said they saw an unidentified flying object fall from the sky and land in a local rancher's yard. Do they still lurk overhead?

5. Civil War buffs might also want to check out what some consider America's most haunted plantations, located everywhere from Louisiana to Virginia.

4. Travelers who are bewitched by Salem, Mass.' checkered past will want to check out Gallows Hill, which is believed to be haunted by the spirits of 19 witches hanged there.

3. Locals advise that visitors should "use extreme caution" before exploring New Orleans oldest and reputedly most haunted burial ground, St. Louis Cemetery Number 1, where voodoo practitioners are said to refuse to rest.

2. Many ghost hunters are fascinated with California, where dozens of locations from high schools, to former battleships, to rehabilitation clinics, are said to be home to poltergeists. Even Disneyland is reputed to be inhabited by the paranormal.

1. Some believe that San Diego's Whaley House -- where many members of the Whaley family passed away in the half century they lived there -- is America's "most haunted house."

See full article from WalletPop: http://srph.it/bR6AN6

The 13 best haunted house attractions for Halloween 2010

2010-09-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

By Jayne Clark • USA TODAY • September 24, 2010

Halloween is big business and among its growth industries are seasonal haunted houses that operate from mid September through October. If you're considering venturing into one, here's some advice from a guy who knows from haunted houses: If you see a grim reaper in a hockey mask, get out of the house as fast as you can.

Ideally, before you've forked over the admission. Because it's bound to be one sorry spook-fest.

The whole Jason thing is soooo '80s slasher film.

Larry Kirchner, editor of Hauntworld Magazine, believes this because he not only builds haunted houses, but he spends a lot of time hanging out in them and comparing notes with other aficionados on his website, Hauntworld.com. The site has just issued its annual 13 best list of haunted houses.

The "haunt industry" as Kirchner calls it, has gotten increasingly sophisticated, thanks in part, to an influx of former Hollywood special effects and makeup people who lost their entertainment-industry jobs to computer animation.

Kirchner estimates there are about 3,000 haunted houses nationwide poised to open this month and next, but the vast majority are home-grown affairs usually staged for charitable causes. And then there are what Kirchner calls "home haunters who just love Halloween." This time of year Hauntworld.com's message boards are abuzz with people swapping fake-blood recipes.

The full-time denizens of the industry, however, are into more elaborate effects that might involve flame machines, fog machines and other pricey accoutrement. A Kirchner favorite seen at a recent Halloween trade show is a hearse with a 20-foot-tall animation of a grim reaper that shoots out of the roof with victims in its clutches.

For a time, some haunted house operators were favoring animated effects over live actors -- a mistake, if you ask Kirchner. "What makes a haunted house successful is the spontaneity the actors can provide," he says.

Other attributes Kirchner believes are necessary to deliver a truly heart-pounding scare:

When you step inside, its realism should make you believe you are where they say you are. "You're in the middle of the plot," he says. "You are Jamie Lee Curtis, and your life's in danger."

The experience should be immersive, with 360-degree effects, not just action taking place in front of you.

A lot of haunted houses crib from horror movies, but that's not Kirchner's style. "Anybody can do bloody bathrooms and circular-saw chases," he says. "If you want to see Freddie Kruger, go rent the DVD."

Fort Erie Beach Blog

2010-09-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Found this terrific blog documenting the Fort Erie Beach. It makes mention of Shadows of Niagara and asks if you've ever seen a ghost at Fort Erie Beach or not. Post your comments on the discussion at:

http://eriebeachbook.blogspot.com/

The Zombie Chronicles

2010-08-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

VOLUME ONE NOW AVAILABLE!

The Zombie Chronicles, Volume One is now available for advanced purchase.

Inside you’ll find unique zombie fiction true to the genre from today’s best horror writers and the freshly departed. Whether you like a good survival story, a post-apocalyptic tale or pure terror, this anthology of the living dead will quench your appetite.

We owe this anthology a dedication to George A. Romero. Romero's reinvention of zombies in 1968 is notable in terms of its thematics; he used zombies not just for their own sake, but as a vehicle to criticize real-world social ills—such as government ineptitude, bioengineering, slavery, greed and exploitation—while indulging our post-apocalyptic fantasies. The tales within certainly pay homage to the master himself while providing new, disturbing visions of our own world and of our nightmares.

Each year we will introduce you to a volume of zombie fiction, starting with Volume One packed with unique tales of the living dead. In addition, we are releasing a companion DVD with award-winning short zombie films.

Click Here to see a detailed listing of short stories and author bios from The Zombie Chronicles Volume One.

Contributing Fiction Includes:

Love in the Time of Zombies, by John F.D. Taff
Feeding The Beast, by Kenneth C. Goldman
The Friendliest Zombie In The World, by Michael A. Kechula
Satan Claus, by Tom Hamilton
Food for the Dead, by Meghan Jurado
The Wall, by Christine Savoie
The Purple Word, by Erik T. Johnson
What Comes After, By Matthew Burgess

Order Your Copy Today!

The Zombie Chronicles: Volume One
Paperback: $12.99
Ships in 3–5 business days
Order Now

Available in print, kindle or ebook edition

Lochinvar Mansion Haunted By Uncle Eb

2010-07-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Built in the late 1830's, the mansion was home to the Gordon family for many years and watched over by an old caretaker. The Gordon family is long gone now, though it's said the old caretaker still watches over the place.

Lochinvar was built by Robert Gordon, a Scottish adventurer, in the late 1830's as a gift for his wife. At the time, Gordon owned a strip of land which stretched all of the way from Pontotoc to Aberdeen, sixty miles away. Aberdeen was Gordon's own town. He had founded a trading post there in the early 1830's and named the place Dundee in honor of a town in Scotland. He later changed to the name to Aberdeen. It was near Pontotoc where Gordon found the land where he wanted to build his home. The location that he chose had been the land of the Choctaw Indian chief, Chinubi and once the Indians were gone from the area, he began building the new house.

After moving into the grand mansion, the Gordons would have one child, a son named James. His earliest memories of Lochinvar included magnificent parties and his personal servant, named Ebenezer. He could not remember a time when Ebenezer had not been a part of his life. He taught James to hunt and fish, told him stories, supervised his manners and when he was old enough, packed his trunks and watched him leave for the University of Mississippi at Oxford in 1851.

As the years passed, the beloved slave grew older and became known by the respectful name of "Uncle Eb". He remained particularly close to James Gordon and their relationship went far beyond master and servant.

In February of 1856, James married Virginia Wiley and in December of that year, their daughter Annie was born. From that time that she could walk, Annie was attached to Uncle Eb. She followed him everywhere and begged him to push her on the swings and to tell her stories.

Delighted, Uncle Eb took under his wing a new generation of Gordons.

Then came the Civil War. Robert Gordon, now too old to be involved, gave his support and advice to James and they raised a company of Confederate cavalry, the first from northern Mississippi. Before James Gordon left for service, he called Uncle Eb to see him. "Take care of my family and the plantation," he told his mentor, "My father needs your help and I need to know that you are here with my family. Don't let anything happen to them and I'll be back home soon." He embraced the older man and told him goodbye.

This began Uncle Eb's role as the caretaker and guardian of Lochinvar. Every afternoon, he would begin his rounds of the property, making sure the gates were closed, the doors to the house were locked and that there were no strangers lurking around the plantation. He moved his bed to the hallway outside of Annie's door, where he slept from that night on. He took to roaming the grounds at various times throughout the night, carrying an oil lantern and making sure that everything was secure.

As time passed, he learned other skills and began making repairs on the house and the farming equipment. He learned to cook and prepare the meals and even to dark socks and make repairs on clothing.

Night after night, the light from Uncle Eb's lantern circled the house, the barn, the garden, the pasture and the orchards, reassuring himself that nothing was amiss and that the people he loved were safe.

One night, while Uncle Eb was on his rounds, a rider approached. It was Captain James Gordon, home for a brief stay at Lochinvar. A few days after he left, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, returning to combat with the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Regiment, Armstrong's Brigade.

Colonel Gordon and Uncle Eb would never meet again.

One rainy night, Uncle Eb was roused from his sleep by a strange sound. He took his lantern outside and crossed the grounds in the storm. He was soaked to the skin before he was sure that everything was secure. A day or so later, what seemed to be a cold developed into pneumonia. In less than a week, old Uncle Eb was dead.

It was a long time before Colonel Gordon received word of his friend's death. He was in England at the time on a mission for President Davis. On his way home, he landed in North Carolina and was captured and imprisoned. He soon escaped and made his way to Canada. There, he met and befriended an actor named John Wilkes Booth. This casual friendship with Booth later pointed suspicion to Gordon when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Luckily, Gordon was able to prove his innocence.

After the war, Gordon finally learned that Uncle Eb had passed away while carrying out his duties to the plantation.

Many believe that since Uncle Eb died before the war ended and before his guardianship of the Gordon home came to an end....he has not rested in peace in the years since the Civil War. As the years have passed, hisoil lantern is still seen roaming the grounds of the Lochinvar estate. It has been seen for decades and locals believe that the light belongs to the spirit of Uncle Eb, watching over his beloved family throughout eternity.

Jim Morrison haunts washroom?

2010-07-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

July 3 marks 39 years since Jim Morrison, the deep-voiced front man for the band The Doors, was found dead in an apartment bathtub in Paris, France.

But that doesn't mean "The Lizard King" isn't still making the rounds in one of his former West Hollywood haunts.

As devout fans gather at his Parisian grave this weekend, looking for signs of the brooding singer and poet's spirit, they might be better served if they visited a Mexican restaurant at 8512 Santa Monica Blvd.

"You feel it here almost every day, throughout the entire place, but especially near this spot," says Christina Arena, general manager of Mexico, a colorfully festive restaurant that's been open about a year.

And just what spot does Arena refer to?

The unisex restroom.

You see, the building Mexico occupies was formerly "The Doors Workshop," an office space/crash pad/recording studio used by the band in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

And the restroom? It was the actual vocal booth where Jim Morrison recorded the classic "L.A. Woman" in 1970.

Today, a framed plaque featuring the album cover, gold record and hand-scrawled lyrics hangs outside the famous john. Fans come from all over the world to pay homage to Morrison at this sacred site, and they may get more than they bargained for.

"His presence hangs very heavy here," Arena says. "It gets eerie sometimes."

"Jim Morrison is definitely still here," office manager Christine Chilcote agrees. "Funky things happen all the time we can't explain. Lights popping on and off at weird times. But when that bathroom door handle jiggles by itself, that's the weirdest sign. It's totally inexplicable."

Well-known chef and restaurateur Larry Nicola, who opened Mexico last year, has created an authentic, south-of-the-border atmosphere using bright fiesta colors and fun outdoor decorations that make it seem as if a giant pinata exploded nearby.

He's also a huge Doors fan, so he understands that some customers may initially arrive to feast on memories of Morrison before ordering up some of Mexico's mouth-watering Mexican specialties (or one of their famous margaritas, like a "Cadillac Eldorado With Pink Fins" or a "Screamer").

"One of my favorite bands," Nicola says. "We knew what had happened here before we came in, and it's important for us to preserve the memories. It's incredible to think about what took place here."

Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger was even in recently to reminisce about the hazy, crazy "L.A. Woman" days spent at this very site.

"His spirit is here for sure," Nicola said without a hint of doubt.

"The building moans and breathes and makes sounds I can't explain," Nicola says. "We had someone come in before we opened up, to do a 'spiritual cleaning' to try and put everything at peace, but in the end they told us, 'Sorry, whatever is here is not leaving.'

"So we said, 'Cool. It's Jim's place, too. We're fine with that.' I hear it from guests all the time, especially the serious Doors fans. They know he's still here."

Nicola's daughter, Michaela, also works in Mexico. While giving a recent tour of the restaurant to AOL News, she said she understood from day one that they have a special guest who never leaves.

"I felt it from the beginning, and even though it can get a little weird sometimes, we love it. It's a special, unique history this building holds, and we honor it."

Sitting upstairs in Mexico's cozy open-air lounge, she adds, "I think if he was still alive today in body, this would be the place that would serveJim Morrison's favorite margaritas. But we have Jim Morrison in spirit, and so we just have to be happy with that."

Hauntings and Ghostly Activity on The Canadian Prairie

2010-07-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

The wide-open prairie can be a spooky place late at night. I discovered this last weekend, while driving across the lonely stretch of land between Spruce Woods Provincial Park and Brandon. The pale light of the full moon made every cluster of trees seem haunted and gave the mist that hung over the land an unearthly glow.

Why was I travelling across the prairie at one o’clock in the morning, instead of being sound asleep in my tent at Spruce Woods' Kiche Manitou campground? My travel partner and I were heading towards the weirdest provincial park in Manitoba – the Criddle/Vane Homestead Provincial Heritage Park.

The Criddle/Vane Homestead sits at the end of a farm road, off Provincial Road 340, 40 kilometres southeast of Brandon. Percy Criddle brought his family over from England in 1882, hoping to make his fortune by growing wheat on the Canadian Prairies.

This sounds like the story of most immigrants to Western Canada during this period, but with the Criddles there was a twist. The Criddle family wasn’t like most families. Percy not only brought his wife and children to Manitoba, but he also brought his mistress and the children he shared with her along with them. For 24 years, this very unconventional (even by today's standards) family lived in a tiny loghouse on the homestead.

In 1906, Percy built a sprawling farmhouse for his large extended family, along with tennis courts and a golf course. Percy’s descendents excelled at both the arts and sciences, establishing a weather station and Manitoba’s first entomology lab on the property.

The family sold the homestead in 1960 and in 2004 it was preserved as a provincial heritage park. Local legend has it that the farmhouse is haunted by the spirits of the Criddle family. I’m not the type of person who believes in ghosts, but the opportunity to explore a "haunted" house was too great to pass up.

As my travel partner and I drove down the isolated farm road, the farmhouse came into view from behind a small copse of trees. In the moonlight, it looked like it could easily stand in as a setting for a zombie movie. If you’ve seen Night of the Living Dead, you’ll know what I mean.

We had been at the homestead earlier in the day and the house was spooky looking - even in the daylight. At night, the house looked downright terrifying. The light of the full moon and the mist rising off the ground didn't help.

We entered the house, flashlights in hand, and began our exploration. In the main hallway of the first floor, an ominous epitaph, "Get Out!" was carved deeply into the wall, but we attributed that more to local vandals and less to angry spirits. The house was empty, just a few tables and chairs.

We climbed upstairs and wandered through the six or seven bedrooms that housed the Criddle clan. There were a lot of creaks and squeaks emanating from the floor boards, but nothing that sounded supernatural.

Back on the main level, we discovered the stairs leading down to the basement. After a couple minutes of discussion -- mostly "You go first," "No, you go first" -- we decided that it would be better if we stayed out of the basement. We had both seen too many bad horror movies and a vision of the ending of The Blair Witch Project was flashing in both our heads.

Then we heard the howls of coyotes, not far from the farmhouse. Already a little spooked, we took this as a sign to head back to our campsite. In the end, we didn’t see or hear any ghosts, but the house on its own was scary enough. It’s an interesting site to visit during the daytime, but at night it’s down right spooky.

Arriving back at Kiche Manitou, we were pulled over by a conservation officer, who wondered why we were pulling into the campground that late at night. I think my answer, "We were exploring a haunted house," threw her off because she gave me a strange look and hesitantly said, "That sounds interesting…" I can imagine that was one explanation she had not heard before.

Kiche Manitou is the main campground for Spruce Woods Provincial Park. The campground sits on the banks of the Assiniboine River, just off Highway 5, 185 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. To the north of the campground is one of the most interesting natural sites in Manitoba, the Spirit Sands.

Often labelled a desert, the Spirit Sands actually receives roughly twice the amount of precipitation that a true desert receives. This additional precipitation means that a lot of the sand dunes are covered in vegetation, however there are still many exposed dunes.

These dunes are relics of Lake Agassiz. Over 15,000 years ago, a much larger and more powerful Assiniboine River flowed into Lake Agassiz in this area. The river deposited 6,500 square kilometres of sand at its massive delta. As plants and wildlife colonized this area, only four square kilometres of sand dunes were left uncovered.

At the west end of the dunes is the Devils Punch Bowl. This pond is in a depression between sand dunes and is fed by underground springs, which give it an unnatural lime-green colour.

The hike through the sand dunes and to the Devil’s Punch Bowl is roughly 10 kilometres, and includes a few steep climbs through loose sand. The hike through the dunes is spectacular. The Devil’s Punch Bowl isn’t worth the trek.

Leaving Spruce Woods, we stopped next at Portage Spillway Provincial Park and Yellow Quill Provincial Park, two parks literally across the Trans Canada Highway from each other just outside of Portage La Prairie. Both parks are essentially highway rest stops, so not much needs to be said about them.

For the upcoming Canada Day weekend, I'm heading to the two most northerly road-accessible provincial parks in Manitoba, Zed Lake and Burge Lake, near Lynn Lake. It should be quite the adventure.

The Sahuarita Ghost Hunt of 1943

2010-07-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

In the Fall of 1943, residents of Sahuarita lived in terror.

Paranormal activity plagued the area 20 miles south of Tucson, with most of the activity focused on the home of a 70-year-old woman. Bricks were tossed down her chimney. Rocks frequently pelted her roof in the dead of night. She would routinely find sand mixed in with her coffee.

Not long after the rumors of the haunted house began to circulate throughout the community, a man was robbed. The man could not see his assailants in the pitch black darkness of the night. Two other men were beaten on different nights. Residents started to carry guns, fearful that the ghosts appeared to be multiplying. The residents acknowledged that their bullets were useless against the ghosts, but they didn’t know what else to do.

When the news of the robbery and assaults reached the 70-year-old woman and she made the decision to abandon her home.

Deputy Sheriff Ben Mariscal also had enough of the paranormal activity in Sahuarita. Mariscal wasn’t afraid of no ghosts and was determined to put an end to it.

Over the course of his (paranormal) investigation, he suspected that several area youths were up to no good in the neighborhood. He targeted two boys, in particular, as the “ghost chiefs” of the bunch. One of the boys, a 15-year-old, was the grandson of the 70-year-old woman who abandoned her home.

Mariscal arranged a “ghost hunt” with the two boys at the abandoned home. He told the boys that he wanted to witness the ghostly activity for himself. The boys agreed to participate . On the night of the paranormal investigation, Mariscal arrived at the home with an innocent 15-year-old boy. The boy would be used as a decoy, according to his plan to nab the “ghosts” that evening. The deputy told all three boys to sit on a bench, with the decoy seated between the two suspected ghost boys. Mariscal turned off the lights. They all waited for the midnight hour, which was just moments away.

Through the darkness came the sound of a blood curdling scream. Mariscal turned on the lights to find the decoy with blood pouring out of his busted nose. Mariscal demanded to know which of the boys was the ghost. The two suspected ghosts immediately turned around and accused the decoy of attacking them with a metal instrument. The decoy protested, saying that he felt one of the boys’ arms move just before he was hit in the face. When Mariscal revealed that the bloody-nosed boy was a “plant”, the ghost boys ended their charade.

The boys were put in front of Judge William G. Hall in juvenile court. The “chief ghost” was given a year probation with the guarantee of being shipped off to reform school at Fort Grant, if even the slightest “ghosting” occurred again. The second boy received a slap on the hand.

Judge Hall said about his ruling: “If they had stayed with their pranks and let it go at that, I would have been inclined to show leniency, but when they began knocking down people and robbing one, it was going too far. This one boy is without doubt the leader of the little gang and supplied most of the ideas, I believe, and for that reason the terms of his probation are rather severe. The other lad was not involved to the same extent and I thought if we took care of the chief ghost the difficulty would be solved.”

The 70-year-old grandmother of the heavily reprimanded chief ghost returned to her home. From that point forward, no rocks showered her roof. No bricks dropped down her chimney. No coffee was tainted with sand.

It is assumed that the decoy’s nose healed nicely, though there is no record of what happened to him after the ghost hunt. It is due to him, and Deputy Sheriff Mariscal, that the streets of Sahuarita became safe, once again.

Tucson Arizona Bank Ghost

2010-07-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Bank of America at 902 North Stone Avenue in Tucson is closed today due to the 4th of July holiday.

That doesn’t mean that there is no activity at the bank. Ghosts don’t work bankers’ hours and they don’t take holidays. The branch is bustling with paranormal activity.

The strange goings on at this location have been reported for several years.

This particular location was established in 1948 as The Bank of Douglas. By 1960, the bank operated under the name Arizona Bank. In the 1990’s, bank mergers and acquisitions brought the names of banking giants like Bank of America and Wells Fargo to town. Banking customers at First Interstate and Arizona Bank underwent the painful process of bank account conversions. Perhaps that is what stirred up the ghost at 902 North Stone Avenue. The ghostly activity at the bank was rumored to have accelerated around that time.

Employees saw apparitions. Doors swung open. Doors slammed shut.

One dreaded door, the door to the furnace room, was avoided as much as possible. Employees considered that room to be the source of activity and simply steered clear of it. In 1997, Alan D. Fischer of the Arizona Daily Star paid a visit to investigate the rumored haunting. He witnessed the furnace door swing open for no apparent reason. He investigated the area and found no prankster around. He examined the door, which was too heavy to simply swing open by itself. He concluded: “I don’t have an answer, but I do have a strong belief that there is something going on there.”

One has to wonder whether there is something going on there today. The next thing to ponder would be whose spirit feels compelled to haunt the bank and why they would haunt it. No one knows the answers yet. It could be someone associated with the bank, or someone associated with the property prior to 1948.

While future dreaded mergers and acquisitions could change the name of the place, the activity of a nameless ghost may remain unchanged.

Ghost Trips Alarm and Seen on Security Camera

2010-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

From ABC News Channel 13 in Franklin, North Carolina comes this video of what a paranormal investigator believes is a ghost seen on security tape.

The motion-sensing alarms were triggered and police were called to investigate. They found an empty storeroom. When store employees checked the surveillance video footage, however, a mysterious figure can be seen moving across the warehouse. The ghostly figure appears near a closed door, walks down a few steps and then across the area.

Years previously someone had asked employees if the place was haunted and if anyone had seen the ghost recently.

What do you think?

View the Video Here

History of a Haunting - Success at Last!

2010-06-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last year, Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog showcased a Canadian Television pilot entitled History of a Haunting.

The newly announced show had a host of unfamiliar faces, virtual nobodies, save for a widely used actor from the now-defunct and ridiculously cheesy showcase of Canadian paranormal: Creepy Canada.

The authors, titled the blog entry as:

History of a Haunting: ANOTHER Media Letdown Before Production Even Starts...

(Visit The Blog Entry Here and View Comments)

What the authors probably did not know is how absurd and disturbing the whole production would be and how the story would unfold. At first amused by the whole idea of History of a Haunting, the paranormal community quickly were insulted by the rationale, the production and the personalities involved. And the paranormal community quickly uncovered the lies.

In 2010, the producers, decided that they would bring the show to the Banff World Television Festival. They paid to attend. Enough Said.

According to Nathan Chamberland it was a success! Read on...

Timeline of History of a Haunting: From Innocent Stupidity to Retarded

History of a Haunting producers post ads to attract actors to play major roles on their reality TV show.
The producers post an ad looking for a scriptwriter for the reality TV show.
Casting call results are poor, friends are put in lead roles instead. They have zero experience in anything paranormal, or with investigating, however, they are portrayed as "Team Leaders" and "Lead Investigators"
Cast is a trance medium named Shane Flannigan, who goes by the stage name Zoltach or Sayge, who also doubles as a clown named Soupy. (No, I am not making this up!)
Another psychic was hired on to the production - Shelly Murdock, of Niagara Falls.
Matthew Didier posts his blog entry alerting the paranormal community.
Production begins for the pilot episode. According to Shelly Murdock, the producers and actors were drinking while on set.
Shelly Murdock says she exposed Zoltach as a fraud on set, but producers decided to "let her go" with the excuse that "she does not look good on camera."
Matthew Didier's Blog Post attracts readership and comments. One, notably from Nathan Chamberland himself, the show's "producer".
Blog comments quickly establish that Nathan Chamberland is out of his league. His feeble attempts to defend the show quickly turn to anger.
Shelly Murdock is officially "fired" from the show.
Photos and the address of the first house appear on the History of a Haunting web site revealing its location of a private home and a private individual.
Shelly Murdock comes forward and suggests the show is fake, and that Zoltach is a fraud. She publicly answered questions here: The Shadows Project Forum
The homeowners, disgusted by the production and the lack of reality refuse to let the film production film another scene in there home. The production uses another house and property as a double and bills it as the first home.
Shelly Murdock says she was harassed and threatened by the production team.
Producers were asked repeatedly to join in the discussion and defend their show - to which they refused.
A promo appears on Youtube with poor viewership and negative comments.
Another promo for "The Team Leader" appears, again with poor viewership and negative comments.
With marketing ideas lacking, the team turns to forums on Bloody Disgusting and Fangoria to drum up an audience. It fails.
The producers claim to have a historian dig up clues from the past. However, no historian is featured and no name is given. The public calls it BS.
Nathan Chamberland, the shows front man, appears on the Shadows Project Forum to defend himself.
Nathan suggests he and his show are there to help people, however he cannot answer how he can help a homeowner.
Nathan Chamberland finds himself entangled in his own web of lies and is exposed continuously by posters on the forum.
Nathan admits that he made "one hundred mistakes" in the production of the first pilot.
Nathan gets ripped apart by Creepy Bastard on the TSP forum.
Enter Divine Intervention. Zoltach (also known as Sayge or Soupy) uses a fake alias to defend the show anonymously. He lies about his person and the show and is exposed quickly.
Zoltach appears as Sayge and pretends he has never been on the forum. He is exposed as a liar.
A Team Leader is chosen - an artist and friend of the group. He has zero experience.
New psychics are added to the show - The Ghost Eliminators! They profit from providing clearing services to home owners. They are showcased on Youtube talking to the spirit of a stuffed tiger in Niagara Falls.
Betty of the Ghost Eliminators appears on the forum and quickly gets ripped apart.
TSP's thread on History of a Haunting is locked.
The homeowners voice their complaints to History of a Haunting and want to their privacy back. They are also concerned that the team made things up and do not know the truth.
History of a Haunting threatens the homeowners and decided to pull the plug and reshoot another pilot episode.
The web site www.historyofahaunting.com vanishes.
Spoof videos of History of a Haunting appear on Youtube and elsewhere.
Another pilot episode is produced using a friends house as the backdrop.
A pilot episode is released via the new History of a Haunting web site.
Viewers including their own family memebers complain of viruses, malware and pornography infecting their computers once they viewed the video.
History of a Haunting leaves the pilot episode up - infecting the viewers computers.
Views are low and comments negative about the production.
The History of a Haunting web site goes down again.
Nathan Chamberland announces that History of a Haunting is nominated for a Rocky Award (sic Rockie Award) at the Banff World Television Festival. What he fails to mention is the festival takes on any pilot IF you pay the registration fee.
Psyched a fundraiser is created to sent Nathan and friends to Alberta.
Audience members and those present laugh at the production.
Nathan Chamberland returns home to Niagara licking his wounds but announces that the intention was NOT to win an award at the award show.

So what is next for History of a Haunting?

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein

History of a Haunting's Team Leader

Teaser Trailer for History of a Haunting:

Here is the Redeveloped Pilot Episode:

Chip Coffey Visits The Banff Springs Hotel

2010-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Chip Coffey, self-proclaimed psychic, and known from the A&E television series Paranormal State and Psychic Kids was on hand at the Banff World Television Festival taking part in a discussion about paranormal television shows.

The discussion was an absolute bore with no direction or focus. It was primarily a marketing event for current television productions such as Paranormal State. Chip Coffey went on to say that he believes the host-hotel, The Banff Springs Hotel, is haunted. He went on to say that as he entered the hotel he was met by several spirits and within 15 minutes had met them all.

Chip Coffey is a celebrity even with the dead.

Chip went on to say that the ghosts were busy mingling with the movers and shakers of the television world as the Festival was in full swing. He did not, however, explain why a bellhop, a pregnant bride or a child ghost would want from a television producer or a scriptwriter.

In an interview with the Calgary Herald after the discussion panel, Chip explained one ghost was a woman, perhaps the famous bride who died on her wedding day and is said to haunt one of the hotel's many stairwells. Her name, Coffey has determined, was Christina and she was pregnant when she died.

"Not one life but two were lost at that time," said Coffey. "With me being here, she felt very comfortable is saying, 'It's not a stigma anymore, so I will let you know I was pregnant. And the only two people who knew at the time was my mother and my husband-to-be.'"

He also saw a man who he believes may have been Sam McAuley, the devoted bellman whose ghostly figure is said to haunt the hotel on a regular basis since his death in the 1970s.

The third was a little boy named Jack.

"He just wanted to hang," said Coffey. (Again, it must be his celebrity status that is attracting even young, ghostly children to him. Either that, or he had some candy to share.)

"He's been around and pretty active and hanging in my room. I do a show called Psychic Kids and I work with a lot of children. Children in particular feel comfortable, in spirit, to be chatting with me. The boy identified himself as Jack -- he's blond, he's about six to nine years old. He showed up in my room first and came through last night on the ghost walk."

It's not the first time the Banff Springs Hotel has had an inpromtu ghost walk or investigation. It's been rumoured to be haunted for some time and Coffey took guests around the hotel and explained what he felt. No evidence was presented and the tour was quickly wrapped up.

Chip Coffey went on to explain that during his overnight stay his computer rebooted twice and the lights in his room flickered on and off. He attributes these events to the ghosts. He failed to explain, however, why a ghost would reboot his computer of flick on and off the lights to communicate with him, when previously they presented themselves and started chatting about intimate secrets.

Some were absolutely astonished by Chip Coffey's knowledge of the suspected haunted hotel. How did he know about the Bellhop named Sam? How did he know of the bride who is said to haunt the main staircase? And what about the little boy? How did he know about him?

The answer is:

John Robert Colombo.

With several books on his person including two by Colombo, Chip Coffey simply did a quick read-up on the ghost stories of the Banff Springs Hotel to impress the crowd and his fans. Some were not so impressed by the psychic abilities, mainly because he was so vague and did not offer anything new - he simply regurgitated ghost stories that were already known to most participants.

Chip Coffey is either loved or hated by the paranormal community. For A&E and shows like Psychic Kids he earns his keep and those loyal viewers will never see him do any harm. After all, he is a "warrior of god!"

However, there are plenty of people who think his psychic abilities are bollocks and he is an unethical fraud.

Certainly, his whirlwind tour of the Banff Springs Hotel and his "discussion" of paranormal television did not prove he was real, nor did it prove he is a fraud.

It simply proved he is becoming a washed up para-celeb with trinkets to sell and demon-slaying stories to tell.

Interview with The Shadows Project

2010-06-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Southern Ontario certainly has a lot of suspected haunted locations and there are just as many paranormal investigation teams.

In recent years, some have scaled back investigating, while others have pursued commercial interests such as “parlour theatre” or “ghost walks” and have determined that good-old-fashioned research and investigation mean nothing – unless it brings in money and/or the promise of fame.

There are also groups who have decided that the area lacks enough haunted locations and have made up hauntings-and-histories as-they-go, keeping their whereabouts secret and making Twitter moments of the investigations.

And then there are a select few who have decided that investigating the paranormal is primarily driven by the desire to learn, understand and share.

The Shadows Project is a group of paranormal investigators who have researched and documented hauntings from Buffalo, New York to Toronto, Ontario and do so with integrity and determination.

From left to right: Elvis, Tom, Chae, Steve, Gord

There isn’t one team member that stands out, nor is there one that fails to be a contributor. From sensitives to skeptics, the team comprises of a wide-variety of individuals, each bringing with them their own unique way of investigating. From drop-dead serious moments, to comedic outtakes, the team can be summarized in one word: Real.

I had the opportunity to interview members of The Shadows Project and this is the result:

Question One: What are the Shadows Project’s goals?

Gord Westwater (aka Dr. Gord):
The Shadows Project goals are to investigate as many reported haunted locations as possible and collect whichever evidence we may find. With the evidence, our findings will be presented on our website, in a fashion that all can relate to. Also the evidence will be presented in such a fashion
that, anyone who reads it, will have their own opinion of it, rather than forcing ours upon them.

Tom Hubert (aka Ace):
As always, to keep our integrity by always being honest on every investigation.

Elvis Podvorac (aka Creepy Bastard):
The goal of the Shadow’s Project is seek an answer to the question: What are ghosts?

Stephen Willett (aka nAz):
As a team, I believe our goal is quite simple, Prove or disprove the existence of Ghosts. Personally, as a believer I want to know Why? Why do they appear to us when we least expect it? Why are they here? There are too many “why’s” I want to know…

Gord Westwater of The Shadows Project

Question Two: What is your favourite investigation and why?

Gord Westwater:
Personally, I have two favorite investigations. The first would be Century Manor in Hamilton, Ontario. This place was an abandoned Psychiatric Hospital and it was here that I really started to have experiences that I could not explain. The second being St.Peter’s Cemetery, as it here I have seen numerous shadow apparitions.

Tom Hubert:
I like Century Manor, but wasn't experienced enough at the time to fully get it. So, after that, Decou house foundation. Because there always seems to be shadow activity.

Elvis Podvorac:
My favourite investigation is/was in the location we dubbed The Abandoned Farmhouse, in Flamborough, Ontario (which has been torn done). The location presented a number of, what I believe to be, spirits. A number of EVPs have been captured on our recorders when left unattended in the house as well as when carried with us. On one investigation, one of the doors was locked from the inside. From our previous investigations we knew that there door locks do not work. On the following investigation the door was open again, and we checked the lock. Sure enough, the locking mechanism was not functional. What made this location for me was that we were able to visit it multiple times and each time we felt we were progressing. It was like a pattern was forming and a picture of what we were experiencing there was coming together. Of all the places I have explored, this one had the greatest potential for a breakthrough.

Stephen Willett:
I really can’t pin point a favourite investigation. Every time I record a “evp” or feel an unseen force touch me, that gives me a “rush” -a thrill. I have fun on every investigation with TSP. To me that’s what it’s all about, having fun & hoping to see that full apparition.

The Abandoned Farmhouse

Question Three: Where would you like to investigate in Canada and why?

Gord Westwater:
I, personally, would like to investigate historic places within Toronto and Montreal. The reason being, these are some of our oldest cities with lots of history, and it seems to go hand in hand with strong paranormal activities and locations.

Tom Hubert:
I think Banff Springs Hotel. It has to be believed to be haunted.

Elvis Podvorac:
I would like to revisit Century Manor again. I have had a few experiences very early on and would like to investigate it some more.

Stephen Willett:
No place in particular, except for some old hotel nestled in the mountains in western Canada.

Question Four: Tell us about your most recent investigation.

Gord Westwater:
The most recent investigation was to a place called Metler’s Cemetery in Fonthill, Ontario. I had a strong feeling when visiting the place one night, and took the team there to investigate. Sadly, my experience seemed to have been a one off chance as nothing revealed itself that night that the team went.

Tom Hubert:
Not much to tell. Cemetery with no activity at all.

Elvis Podvorac:
Our latest investigation was an old pioneer cemetery out in Font Hill, Ontario. Aside from the historical interest, the location yielded nothing of note.

Stephan Willett:
Metler’s Cemetery, Personally, I didn’t get anything.

Question Five: Take me through the steps of an investigation – from someone calling in saying: “I’d like you to investigate…” to the results.

Gord Westwater:
When someone approaches the Shadows Project with a chance to investigate, we offer our assistance to them, but ask that they do not reveal any knowledge or facts of what has happened at the location. From there, we will meet first at a designated spot, just to relax, catch up and then head to the location. Upon arriving at the location, we are all at the same frame of mind. Depending on the size of the location, we may either approach it in teams or all at once. We generally will not talk with one another during an investigation as this can lead to the power of suggestion. The only way of communicating is by hand signals. For example, if a team is experiencing something they cannot explain, a wave of a hand will bring another team member over to stand in that spot. A simple yes or no nod of the head will suffice and the investigation will continue. At the conclusion of the investigation, we will compare what we found with each other, and at this time, if it is a person’s home, we will then approach them with our findings. After discussing what we have found, we will reassure the person that nothing negative or hurtful will come to them. The next day or so, we will go over our audio and video and report back to the client of any evidence found or not found. If it is a public location, we will then post our findings on our website, for others to read.

Tom Hubert:
We get the call, or email, we specifically ask for no details. From this point on, this is what happens for me only. I am not told where we're investigating. I don't meditate, or try to remote view. Mainly because I don't believe there to be any value in that. The day of the investigation, when I'm driving to meet the team, I either listen to music quietly on the drive, or nothing at all, and just try to get into the right frame of mind. When we meet, we don't really discuss the details of where we're going. During the investigation, I do not use any tools or equipment other than my flashlight. Occassionally, I bring an audio recorder, but it's digital and have never had anything on it. I think equipment is useless. There is no tool specifically invented for this field. Until then, it's just a guess that these tools work. After the investigation, while at the location, we discuss in private, what we've come up with and how best to reveal that to the client. The team takes turn with their reveal to the client. Any photographic/evp evidence found later is sent to the client by email. We video ourselves after the investigation for our notes. We also never reveal our client, or post anything that would give away who they are or where they are.

Elvis Podvorac:
(Empty, creepy silence.)

Stephen Willett:
A “client” will email or contact a member of the team. That team member will contact the rest to work out a time and date, withholding any information sent in by the client. After the investigation we will sit down with the client and discuss any immediate findings before letting the client share what they have experienced in the location. After listening to audio and watching video, the team will share any possible evidence to gather opinion & will have non-tsp individuals to listen & attempt to debunk. Once any possible evidence has been gathered TSP will share that information with the client as well as any followups.

Question Six: What has made you a believer?

Gord Westwater:
What has made me a believer in this field are too many instances of activity I could not rationally explain. From having the same images within my mind that others have found, or seeing a shadow figure walk across a field, has a resounding effect on the psyche that cannot be
explained. Also finding an evp on audio that you did not hear during the investigation, also leads to more unexplained evidence.

Tom Hubert:
Nothing at least not yet.

Elvis Podvorac:
When certain things happen, or when I get a certain feeling that ‘something’ is odd, it is easy to dismiss and my imagination. What has made me a believer is that, not only am I experiencing strange things, other people are too. What really cemented it for me was when we confirm each others feelings and they are spot-on identical.

Stephen Willett:
Way too many experiences have happened over the years to make me think otherwise. As a skeptic as well I’ve attempted to debunk everything that has happened & I cannot. When objects move infront of you and others for no logical reason…

Question Seven: Has your views changed over the course of investigating? Explain.

Gord Westwater:
My views on the paranormal have indeed changed over the course of 5 years of investigating, at the time of writing this. When I began in this field, I was the skeptic however over the course of investigations and more and more instances of unexplainable encounters, it has led me to
believe that there is more happening in this world that meets the eye.

Tom Hubert:
No. I am still the skeptic

Elvis Podvorac:
My views have definitely changed. When I first started, I was at the mercy of whatever information was available. The more I investigated, the more I experienced. The more I experienced, the more questions I had. That is the one thing I noticed most of all. The more I do this, my questions don’t get answered. They just lead to more and more questions.

Stephan Willett:
Many, many, many times. As a believer and a skeptic, I have frustrated myself with wanting to believe and at the same time explaining away what I saw and felt. In the beginning I really had fun. Checking out insane asylums, creepy tunnels and graveyards, getting those disembodied voices on tape, yeah, good times. After awhile I started taking it too seriously, thought that I should try and conform to some level of professionalism. Now I’ve realized life is too short & I’m back to having fun with my friends.

Question Eight: Many of you have been investigating the paranormal for some time, and there are years of reports from the TSP crew of various locations. Most of the reports offer similarities in the evidence and experiences. Once you find a haunted location, or one that is perceived haunted - what is the next step? What is beyond sitting in the dark, recording on tape, videotaping, photographing? What is the next step? How will TSP go beyond this foundation?

Gord Westwater:
At this current time, it is hard to show the world of evidence of the paranormal. As everyone is aware, both believer and non believer alike, spirits and paranormal activity does not happen on command. All we can do to continue, once we find a truly haunted location is keep investigating it and collecting more and more evidence. Essentially, the cream of the crop would be to find a trigger to make the activity happen and then present that to the world. From a realistic point of view though, what we do is just continue doing what we do, investigating the unknown and presenting our facts in a truly mature and sensible fashion and hope one day to find irrefutable evidence that ghosts do exist.

Tom Hubert:
(Skepto Stare of Silence).

Elvis Podvorac:
We believe that when investigating, it is important to visit and revisit that same location as often as possible. One visit, for a couple of hours, and that’s it, doesn’t work. Every location and haunting has its own personality. What may work at one location, may not work at another. Some locations yield more EVPs than others. Some locations overwhelm you with strong emotions and overload your senses. These little traits are impossible to define without repetition and experimentation. Once we find that perfect location that we feel has the potential to yield results, we will batter it with whatever method we feel may work towards finding answer to our question.

Stephan Willett:
Beyond the foundation would be simply, correlation of data and networking. As there is no real method or tools to confirm a spirit presence, correlating data from as many individuals and ghost hunting groups as possible would be the only way to come close to confirming a spirit presence.

* * *

The Shadows Project provides homeowners and businesses no-charge investigating and all notes on all their public investigations are online for visitors to read up on.

Most recently they released Episode One of their investigations on Vimeo. In the past, the group experimented with podcasts of their investigations.

For more information on the Shadows Project, and haunted locations in Southern Ontario and beyond, visit their web site at www.theshadowsproject.com

The Archives: NAGS The Blue Ghost Tunnel

2010-05-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers (NAGS) investigates the Blue Ghost Tunnel aka BGT in Thorold Ontario. A news reporter is also along for the investigation.

Notes from GhostBoy:

This was my first visit as NAGS team member to the ever-famous Blue Ghost Tunnel. We had acquired expressed written permission from the Seaway Authority to be on the private property and conduct an investigation. Joining us was Petr Cihacek, a reporter with the Niagara News. This was his first visit to the tunnel and his first ghost investigation.

As we arrived there were already two groups of people descending into the tunnel or just about to. I always find it interesting that visitors go into the tunnel stick around for a few minutes and then walk out expecting a paranormal encounter to occur. They do not take the time, nor execute an investigation in a way that is respectful or tactical. Ghosts simply do not show up, wave a big “Hello” and then send you on your merry way. I am not saying I know the right way, but I know a way that works for me.

We allowed the other groups to go in and out and as another group exited I entered the tunnel alone. I made myself known of who I was and what I was there for. I immediately could feel something, but could not figure out what it was.

The team then joined and we walked the length of the tunnel and noted that it has deterieted rapidly since my last visit. The tunnel it appears, will not last more than three winters. It will simply collapse under the stress of time and water erosion.

We decided to kill our lights and enter into a circle and try to communicate with the ghosts that reside in the tunnel. At first we started off generically asking questions and talking openly with the spirits. I then wanted to see if we could speak directly with the two firemen, who past on due to the collision of the trains outside of the tunnel. I called out for Charles Horning and tried to communicate with him. I didn’t get anything, nor felt anything at this time. Other team members replied that they had the same feelings. I then tried again for Abraham Desult and again, I did not feel nor sense that this spirit was here. In my opinion, these two gentlemen died, moved on and do not haunt the tunnel.

When we asked further questions Naz saw movement behind me and I also felt as if there was something behind me about 10-20 feet. Naz indicated that it was closer. At this time several EVPs were recorded and several team members heard distinctive voices (mostly female) coming from each end of the tunnel. The voices were not recognizable, however, they only occurred after a question was asked.

We then moved down towards the exit of the tunnel and conducted another attempt to communicate with whatever spirit that was at this end of the tunnel. Again, we could hear voices, but could not make them out. Several EVPs were captured at this location as well. I tried to communicate with the names I previously recorded by Pauline Raby during the work we were doing for Shadows of Niagara, but none of the communication attempts with these names were conclusive.

I decided it was perhaps a good idea to split our team up. I don’t know why I did, but I asked Dr. Gord to join me back at the first location we were at. At this location Dr. Gord had his own experiences which I will allow him to explain. At this location I could feel a cold spot in front of Dr. Gord. I also picked up the name of “Carrie” and that this ghost was looking for its mother. Naz joined us and indicated he picked up the name “Margaret” – I could attribute this name to the mother. It was like a recognition to the ghost. Naz confirmed he could feel the cold spot in front of Dr. Gord and indicated he could see something around his hand. Further questioning of the ghost of “Carrie” determined that the spirit is stuck in the tunnel. The words “Evil Bastard” also came forward. Perhaps this spirit is being held against its will by another.

In several of the communication attempts I asked how many spirits were present or in the tunnel and the number seven was coming forward clearly. At the front of the tunnel, again, Dr. Gord had an experience and I could feel what he was feeling. Naz confirmed the cold spot that we both felt.

At this time I asked both Dr. Gord and Naz concentrate on the spirit and ask how they died. I wrote down the words “Choked” on my pad of paper. I asked Naz and he said he couldn’t give me an answer. Dr. Gord said, “Strangled,” and I showed him the pad of paper and he looked dumbfounded. Independently, without knowing each others thoughts we both came to the conclusion that this ghost died of some sort of strangulation.

We then discussed the tunnels history and our experiences in the tunnel with Petr Cihacek and we concluded our night investigation of the Blue Ghost Tunnel.

Notes from Dr. Gord:

The NAGS Team accompanied with Petr, a local reporter for the Niagara News, went for an investigation to the Blue Ghost Tunnel. Upon meeting at a close destination, we all piled in to vehicles and with our trusty LEGAL WAIVER in hand, we set off for the tunnel at top speed. Arriving at the tunnel, we waited outside while some local tourists explored the tunnel for themselves as we wanted to investigate in peace and quiet with little to no interruptions. After the tourists left, we ventured in as a group with cameras and recorders in hand. Upon arriving at the section just before the waterfall, which on a side note appears to be the beginning of the end for the old BGT, we gathered in a circle and attempted to communicate with the spirits that are said to reside there. John called out to the two boiler men that died in the train wreck to which we got no response. Upon uttering a general question a faint female voice could be heard from the end of tunnel.

Asking it to be louder the voice grew in strength but still was unclear, at this point; yours truly accredited it to the water droplets falling at the right time. Watching Petr scribble notes like a madman kept me fascinated as I tried to figure out the sounds in my head. We then moved as a group to just outside the trusses and again attempted communication. Nothing could be heard physically but upon examining my tape I got some real good evp’s which will posted later this week. We then split up in to two groups. John and I went back to the first location and the rest went to the entrance of the tunnel. It was here that the fun began.

Now being the resident skeptic I have always downplayed the paranormal activity in the BGT until this night as stuff happened I still cannot explain. John called out to the spirits to communicate with us. All of a sudden I became very very cold. Thinking it was just a breeze being in a tunnel in all you would think that, so in true skeptical behavior I put my arm out to the left, it was cool but not as cold. I did the same thing on the right and the same result. It was then that a vision popped in my head of a little girl to which I described to John as a girl aged 10 – 12, out 5ft tall with long locky light brown hair, dressed in a brown dress with a white apron head piece. I could see it clear as day in my head and I chocked it up to imagination but something happened later that would question this. Steve then approached and the cold dissipated, John informed the spirit not to be afraid and it came back. Steve concurred that he too could feel the cold spot in front of me. I began to feel emotional of lost, sad and lonely and it was then that Steve got the name MARGARET. This would not prove anything to me except this 5 foot tall cold spot in front of me. It was then that we said our goodbyes and turned and headed for the exit of the tunnel. I kept getting this message that I was not wanted to leave but shrugged it off as active imagination. Exiting the tunnel we as a group hung around and answered Petr’s questions but still I was drawn to the tunnel. Steve asked me what I was feeling and I said I felt that something did not want me to leave. Taking two steps back in to the tunnel there was a significant temperature drop, Steve called John over who again concurred the difference. It was then that the freakiest thing happened to me. John asked me to in my head ask how she died and he would write down what he got. In my head I saw a man dressed in black jump her and strangle her to death. When John asked me what I saw I told him strangulation, he then showed me his piece of paper with the word “CHOKE” on it. Of all the ways you could died, it puzzled me that they matched. All in all was a very eventful night for yours truly and the whole NAGS Team.

Notes from nAz:

This was my first investigation of the tunnel with NAGS & my first time at the tunnel at night. I’ve been to the tunnel before during the day, but never at night, so I was looking forward to it. Also a NAGS first, a newspaper reporter for the Niagara News, Petr C. joined us.

As we were walking to the Tunnel, 3 people joined up. They didn’t have flashlights, so we showed them the way. As we got down the hill to the tunnel, several other people were coming the other way to the tunnel, so we let both groups go through as to not interfere with our investigation. Like the Screaming Tunnel, people seem to think that something paranormal is going to happen just because they take a quick walkthrough…

After the sightseers left, we entered the tunnel. As a group, we got down the tunnel to the 8^th support truss. The tunnel after the 8^th truss is leaking water very badly. Time has finally taken it’s toll on the Tunnel.

As a group we turned off the lights and stood in a circle to start attempting communication with the spirit’s there. GhostBoy was calling on specific spirits. He attempted communication with the two fireman who perished because of the train collision outside of the tunnel and also called on the names of the spirit’s that Pauline Raby had determined to be there during his investigation for Shadows of Niagara.

While in this circle, we as a group, heard these loud “booms” that seemed to be coming from the tunnel. Some of these noises almost appeared “thunder” like. It was interesting.

During the circle, I noticed movement towards the entrance to the tunnel. It seemed like that movement was coming towards us. At one point I squatted down & felt something brush past me, between the wall and I. Kevin and several members of the group also heard what sounded like a girl crying and talking.

We moved further down the Tunnel towards the exit and started another circle. Again, we could hear voices.

After attempting to communicate with the spirits in the Tunnel in the second circle, GhostBoy stated we should split up into two teams. GhostBoy and Dr. Gord went back to the original location, while Kevin, Makeajazznoise, Petr and I went closer to the entrance. Near the entrance I distinctly noted the presence of a spirit and started asking questions. Here is where I got an evp of a spirit answering me.

Kevin, Makeajazznoise & Petr exited the tunnel while I went to check on Dr. Gord & GhostBoy.

Upon joining GhostBoy & Dr. Gord, I could feel cold spots right in front of Dr.Gord. I was actually able for the first time, pick up a name of a spirit. I got the name “Margaret”. Also, while I was holding the recorder, I could see movement around it! I t was almost like my hand & the red light from the recorder was blinking on & off.

After we left the Tunnel, I noticed Dr. Gord standing just a couple of feet inside holding his hand out and snapping pictures with the other. I joined him and immediately noticed cold spots in front of Dr. Gord and myself. I called GhostBoy over to help investigate. He asked us both to ask the spirit how it died. At the same time, I got this strong impression that the spirits were detained or held against their will in the Tunnel itself. I was shocked! When GhostBoy asked us to ask the spirit that question, I couldn’t answer but Dr.Gord answered choked. It was then that GhostBoy showed Dr. Gord his notes and they confirmed with each other “strangulation”.

Why are these spirit’s in the Tunnel? There is nothing on record (that we know of) of deaths inside the Tunnel. Why did GhostBoy and I both get the feeling at different times that they (spirit’s) are being contained in the tunnel? This is something worth checking into in the future. Hopefully we’ll solve the puzzle before the deterioration of the Tunnel is complete.

Notes from David:

Well. it was our first visit with the current group of N.A.G.S. team members to the B.G.T. I have been to this locale numerous times with various combinations of people... but this was the first time I went on a proper investigation. This was at the request of Petr Cichacek, a writer for a local newspaper, who wishes to write a story on the tunnel. Most of our current team members, myself included, have stated that prior visits lacked any significant paranormal events. I thank Petr for requesting we do this, as we had kind of disregarded the B.G.T. as a team... and the night turned into yet another noteworthy N.A.G.S. outing.

We arrived at the Grand Trunk Railway tunnel at approximately 9pm, amongst two other groups on their way into to tunnel. The N.A.G.S. team and Petr hung back and allowed the other groups to proceed which gave us a chance to advise Petr a little of what our group does and on the history of the tunnel. Once we proceeded into the tunnel it completely dark outside. We entered with magnetic tape recorders, digital cameras, an electro-magnetic field detector and notepads. The EMF detector went off a lot on this night, and all of us captured EVPs as well. I have seen at least one interesting picture from this night, and since I didnt have a camera with me on this night Im eager to see the investigation pictures myself!

Sad but true...the tunnels decay is more apparent with every visit, it doesn't appear it will last another year. The instability of the ceiling kept us from going all the way in. We would have needed rubber boots and rain jackets/hoods. We gathered as a group and attempted to make contact about halfway in... after backing up from the noise of the water closer to the end. If any EVPs were to be captured on this night we had to step back. During our session I audibly heard distant voices. They were unclear, but they were in time to our attempts to communicate. I felt a cold tingling sensation on my right arm and right side of my neck at one point... but otherwise I personally had no other contact to report from this evening. I do know that others had more intimate contacts on this night, and I look forward to reading the others' reports... as well as Petr's article in the Niagara News.

Note from Kevin:

I have to admit this was one of my most rewarding trips to the tunnel. I have been on several occasions in the past, during the day, night, winter, and I have experienced minimal paranormal activity.

The N.A.G.S. team, with granted permission and armed with signed waivers from the St. Lawrence Seaway escorted reporter Petr C. a reporter from the Niagara News Thorold edition to the well known Blue Ghost Tunnel aka Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel.

Once we got all of our equipment organized and the tunnel was clear of other visitors, we all trekked in as a team. We made it up to the area where the water leaks from the roof, and decided that the noise of the water would compromise any EVPs that may be caught on tape, so it was decided to move closer to the West entrance, just far enough away so the water wouldn't be a problem.

We formed a circle, and right away heard a loud rumbling, almost sounding like thunder; this repeated a couple times, I personally don't have an explanation for this. Once we turned of all our lights, John started asking questions, trying to get some spirit activity to contact us. John and I both hear foot steps in the distance on the wood floor, closer to the water, I asked if whatever was there could move closer, and hear the mumbles of what sounded like a young girl. John and I asked questions back and forth, David and nAz also tossed in some questions. What got my attention the most was the sound of crying from this young female, and as soon as I heard that, John asked the question, "Why are you sad" this leads me to believe that we both heard the same thing.

After a few more moments, the teams split up. David, nAz, Petr, and I headed toward the West Entrance, stopped for a few more moments of recording and headed out of the tunnel to discuss things with Petr.

Gord and John headed towards the East Entrance and as you can see by Gord and John’s notes, it was very eventful.

EVPs Recorded:

EVP's

1. Female voice answers "Yes", after the drop of water is heard. DOWNLOAD

2. A childs voice heard calling "Help" DOWNLOAD

3. After asking the spirits to make there presence known a loud "Knock...Knock" is heard on tape but not on location. DOWNLOAD

4. John asks the spirit a question and gets a male voice responding with "Near end...flood or blood". DOWNLOAD

5. Male voice stating "What is this". DOWNLOAD

6. Same distinct "Knock...Knock" as above but on a different recorder. DOWNLOAD

7. Appears to be a male voice stating "Hear a voice" DOWNLOAD

8. Very loud sounding "Hello" DOWNLOAD

9. Male voice can be heard saying "Hey now" DOWNLOAD

The Archives: NAGS Decou House Ruins

2010-05-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers (NAGS) investigated the Decou House Ruins. This would be the last investigation as the original team.

Notes from GhostBoy:

This was one of many visits to the Decew House Ruins and probably one of the most interesting for myself.

Steve and I arrived early to the site and remained in the vehicle. It was especially dark, however, we both could see some movement out and around the vehicle. Once we stepped outside I could feel something go up my back and to the top of my head. The top of my head felt numb and it tingled for a few seconds.

Steve indicated he could see specks of light and I, too, could see these. We tried to find a logical explanation such as leaves reflecting light falling from the trees. We weren’t satisfied with any answer and noticed that the lights went up on occasion and sometimes whooshed about.

Kevin, Dave and Gord arrived and the feelings and movements almost dissipated. We continued into the house via the backdoor and felt out the area. We made a brief circle but I broke off because I was sensing something happening at the back of the house. I lit my conch shell and presented white sage as an offering and cleansing. We all took part in this impromptu native ceremony.

I also brought along an oval mirror to attempt scrying. I asked Steve if he would like to try first and he did. I went to explore the property and met with Gord who was in the back of house sitting on the triangular rock. I could sense movement, but nothing much more.

I was the next to try the scrying, and when I compared notes with Steve some of the events that happened during the scrying were eerily similar.

Dave then indicated he could see a young girl looking into the window. The name “Emily” stuck with me. I then proceeded to interview the team individually for a video for the web site. At this time Dave brought me to a site where he said he had a vision of a woman doing laundry. When he described it I could smell soap. We explored but did not find anything more.

Steve and I continued to follow the back trail where we sensed movement and we tried to communicate with the spirits of the natives. Steve recorded the whole event.

I concluded the night with a very uplifting feeling and my scrying attempt proved interesting. I was shown things that made it very enjoyable. It wasn’t a scary location, nor did I feel fear. I simply felt satisfied afterward. Personal answers were given during this investigation that meant a lot to me.

Notes from nAz:

GhostBoy and I rode to the Decew House together. As we waited for the rest of the team to arrive we kept noticing activity (movement) near the vehicle and in the parking lot.

After watching for some time I decided to have a cigarette outside of GhostBoy’s car. I stood near the field with my back to the parking lot. We kept noticing small “pin” lights randomly around the field. I don’t know if it’s too late for fireflies, but it may be that, fireflies.

As I finished my cigarette I got this strong impression of “native” and a presence drawn to the tobacco. This is promising to be an active night.

The rest of the NAGS team arrived, we said our hello’s and got right to it. GhostBoy brought a mirror with a wooden frame for scrying and white sage to burn for cleansing & for the spirit.

While the team was getting ready to start GhostBoy lit the white sage & we all “washed” with the smoke. I saw activity near the back of the property & started to feel what was there. GhsotBoy brought the mirror out with a candle and asked me if I wanted to give scrying a try.

I saw down at the entrance of the ruins & started to meditate on the mirror. Before I begin explaining what happened let me say I must attempt this with no one around to distract. Camera flashes and cars going by interrupted me several times. Ok, back to the mirror. Once, the entire mirror went black. Next I saw my face and from the top of my eyes down past my chin, my face looked like it was painted black. Just the outside edges of my face was still white. Another time it looked like my head was a skull. After another distraction, it appeared that I was looking at my face in the water, there was a rippled effect, it cleared, then I saw what appeared to be several cuts on my forehead and face. I actually reached up and touched my forehead to see. What these visions mean, I don’t know. I just know what I saw. This is something for me to try another time!

After my scrying attempt, I went into the field and walked over to the triangular stone. I felt the native presence again and offered some of my tobacco to the spirits. I could feel activity in the field behind me so I sat down on the rock and asked them to present themselves. I let them know that I meant them no harm & that I was there to honor them. Shortly after I said that I got a vision of a wolf jumping out of the bush straight at me. I again thanked the spirits and left.

GhostBoy interviewed the Team on video & Makeajazznoise shared with us a vision he had. I’ll let him explain what he saw.

After the interviews were finished GhostBoy and I were drawn to the path that leads to the river. Walking along the path I stopped to figure out the feeling I got that that spot. GhostBoy was looking behind us and mentioned activity behind us like we were being followed. I could sense it as well & figured out what the feeling around me was. Village or camp. Native, not “white”. GhostBoy and I started to speak to the spirits present again and both of us heard what sounded like “jingling” or tack from a horse.

I have been to Decew house on several occasions. Because of these investigations, I have formulated this opinion. The remains of the house and surrounding property are active, but the spirits there are reserved.

Notes from David:

An impromptu, unexpected investigation led to one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had on one of our outings.

Upon arrival we had some out of the ordinary things planned for the night, and we did our typical “circle” earlier in the investigation than we normally would. During the circle my attention kept being drawn to an area towards the northwest corner of the remains. Once we broke up, the various team members took turns sitting with a mirror while the others roamed the grounds. I went to the area, approximately 5 feet from the west wall and 8-20 feet from the north wall, numerous times. Each time I felt a tingling sensation, and oddly, was compelled to lean forward whenever I stood there. I also got a sense of a teenage girl peering into what was once a window scared by what she saw. This was all within the structure.

I eventually began touring the grounds surrounding the remains. I remained fascinated with the window I had sensed the girl at, but got nothing from the outside of the building when out front or to the west side. I went back through the structure and repeated my tingling and leaning forward sensation… and when I went through to the back little did I realize I was about to walk into one of my most memorable N.A.G.S. experiences.

As I walked past the east wall of the building I actually had a vision. For a brief moment it was daylight, I saw from behind between two trees a woman hunched over something. She raised both arms up and was stretching them out and I could hear water dripping as if into a bucket. The vision dissipated, and while I was processing what had happened I asked Kevin if he heard water dripping. He discarded it as the wind whistling, I quickly disputed that and walked to the running stream to see if that possibly could have been what I heard… but it was at least 150-200 yards away. I went back to the area and realized that it was between two old trees. There was also an area surrounded by stonework which we speculated may have had a well in the centre at one point in time.

What I saw and the sound is burned into my mind. I briefly saw a woman hunched over, doing laundry by hand. She was between 2 trees in which a line could have been stretched for drying. It only lasted a second, but Im still astounded – where did that come from?!