Monday, July 25, 2011

A Note about Contacting the Spirits



Article from The Shadowlands


By Dave Juliano

I just wanted to reiterate words of caution to new investigators and old alike about methods used to contact spirits. Remember that there are many methods that have been used to contact the spirits over the years that include Ouija bards, séances, pendulums, EVP and ITC, EMF meters, etc. While many of these methods can be used successfully to make contact with spirits, they can also be dangerous to many investigators.

People who are aware of how to properly prepare and protect themselves can use some of these methods while reducing the risks but there are many people who feel they do know everything they need to or don’t see any danger are the ones that need to heed this reminder. When you reach out to any spirits, there is always the danger that there may be other spirits, human or non-human, that may also be within “earshot” and decide to answer. You have no way of knowing what the nature or personality of the spirits may be. Without the using the proper methods and using protection it is as if you are walking blindfolded into a room full of strangers and calling out for one to answer. You may not like the response you get in this situation and it is the same when trying to contact spirits.

In addition, being confrontational and mean-spirited when trying to make contact can also attract the wrong kind of spirit to you. Steer clear of methods of contacted spirits that you have no training in and exercise some common sense when addressing spirits. I’ve seen people ask ghosts to give me a sign that you are here and I’ve seen others yell at a spirit and challenge them to prove they are present. I have one comment to say in these cases, be careful what you ask for. Sometimes the response you get is not exactly what you wanted and often times you get to go home after the investigation and the people who are there everyday have to deal with the repercussions of anything you may have upset or angered.

I know that you may have seen some of these things done on a variety of TV shows but keep in mind that most of these people are trained in this field and have a lot of experience so they understand the upside and downside of what they are doing and many know how to guard themselves the best you can. That part of the process usually doesn’t make it to the show once it is aired. To sum it all up, be careful and cautious when dealing with the dead, just as you would when dealing with the living.


Ghost Hunting Tips



Article from W-FILES.COM


This is an antiquated list at best. We will be updating this section to better focus on procedures, such as the scientific method when resources allow. Until then, enjoy what someone wrote for us a decade ago!



We’ve Recommended Because
Have a map of the area You don't want to get lost, and will want to mark areas of interest
Bring extra batteries It seems they can sometimes be mysteriously drained of energy
Remember the flashlights, equipment, and extra film You can't get far if you can't find your way or document any evidence
Delegate equipment People could potentially get overwhelmed or over worked
Know your equipment and how to use it You should be able to use it in the dark without fumbling
Wear appropriate clothing and bring extra What starts out as an 80 degree day, could end up very cold
Carry at least form of picture identification If asked to leave by police-go
Have an open mind Expectations could tamper results
Don't have anything rattling like keys or change Could potentially sound odd on tape
Be aware of everything around you Note anything that could potentially be viewed as anomalous
State the obvious for record A sneeze now could sound odd later
Show respect for all and the property You may want to return, and don't want to make anyone angry
Never go alone and tell someone where you are What would happen if you got lost or hurt? What if you experience something, having another person (or equipment) to verify is key!
Have a first aid kit handy Don't want to leave for a scratch
No Smoking, alcohol, or drugs May alter perception, smell, and photos
Have client sign affidavit of truth A hoaxer would unlikely sign
Bring water and snacks for a long investigation Can be long and boring at times
Take everything you bring in out with you Again just showing respect
Cell phone in a locked car, just in case Just common sense
When possible, have written permission to be there Why get a ticket for trespassing?
Rule out all natural and/or hoax first Sometimes natural things can seem very paranormal
Avoid prior media and publicity Could alter an investigation
Look for any patternsCould show natural causes, or a residual type haunt
Try to blend into background as much as possible Makes witnesses feel comfortable
Do good detective work Helps in gathering evidence and ruling out the natural
Stick with known members Keeps a smooth investigation
Take really good thorough notes Nice to look back on later


Do as many field experiments as possible


Thursday, July 21, 2011

Ghosts Dreams: The Good and Bad of Ghostly Visitations in Our Sleep



Article from The Shadowlands


By Dawn Colclasure


On the day I gave birth to my oldest child, something out of the ordinary happened: I saw the ghostly image of my grandmother sitting next to my hospital bed, smiling. For the first time since she’d passed away eight years previously, I was seeing her spirit right in the same room.


Up until then, following her death, I’d grown accustomed to seeing her in my dreams.


It’s not unusual for someone to see the ghost of a loved one in their dream. The dreamer knows they are dreaming, and they know the person who they see in their dream. It could be a departed loved one, a friend, or even a beloved pet. For years, people have been visited by ghosts in their dreams, and, often, the dreams offer comfort during a time of grief.


For New Zealand resident Vanessa, however, the ghostly visitation in her dream was a little out of the ordinary. Her grandfather died suddenly several years ago, and she recently shared an experience that followed his passing. “For months afterwards, I had a number of dreams that he was talking to me, trying to tell me something,” she explains. “To this day I'm not quite sure what it was. It seemed like, in the dreams, I wasn't really listening. I think I was too freaked out with the thought that he was dead but talking to me! The dreams just stopped a few months after he died and I never had another one.”


Richard Hanf, who hails from New Jersey, also has a “ghost dream visitation” story to share. “My grandfather died, leaving my poor old grandmother alone. Weeks go by turning into months, and she is still doing poorly, taking the loss of her husband very badly. So one day she is sitting on a bench in front of her apartment building, when a friend of hers comes by. They start talking about how badly she is feeling when her friend says that she will drop by later with a book to read that she is certain will help. And so she does and my grandmother reads a little in the book each day. Well, one day around a week later, my grandmother has almost finished the book, and falls asleep while reading it. She dreams about my grandfather and he is talking to her. He tells her that he is fine and not to worry about him any longer. He says he no longer wants her to feel badly and says by the time it is her time to join him, he will have made a place ready for the both of them. He promises to prove all this to her by promising to send her a present.
My grandmother is sleeping soundly in her chair with the book on her lap when she is awakened by a knock on the door.

It’s her friend who has come to take her book back. My grandmother tells her friend that much to her surprise she actually does feel better, but says nothing about the dream. As the friend turns to leave, she reaches down into the shopping bag she is carrying and pulls out a statue. She hands it to my grandmother and says, ‘Here…take this…I want you to consider this a gift from your husband!’”


For some, the idea that a ghost can visit our dreams is hard to believe. We don’t exactly prepare for sleep hoping that we’ll see our dear lost Aunt Peggy or that we will be briefly reunited with a four-legged companion, but those dreams can and do happen. On the other hand, psychologists are well aware of how a person’s fears, regrets and pains can manifest in our dreams, and that they can appear to us as the “ghost” of a departed loved one. For this reason, it often happens that someone will look at a ghost dream and deduce that it is the dreamer’s regrets or fears taking the form of the ghost.


Still, believers are quick to point out that such “ghost dreams” have included information not previously known to the dreamer (such as a favorite article of clothing the lost loved one wore or a name), thereby cancelling out the suggestion skeptics like to give that “it’s all psychological.”


In fact, Martha Jette (http://www.freewebs.com/paranormalbooks/, http://www.boomers-write.com/), author of the books Glimpses: True Stories of the Paranormal and Talking to My Angel, is aware of many stories involving ghostly activity in dreams. "When we sleep, our astral body/spirit often leaves our physical body,” she explains. “Sometimes, another person who is awake, may see that person's 'ghost,' so to speak, and think they have passed over."


In the July 13, 2008 issue of her newsletter, “Glimpses of the Paranormal”, Martha ran a story where a man dreamed he saw his sister, who'd died in a vehicle accident. This took place shortly after the family sat down to watch a commemorative DVD, which was made by the funeral home. According to the story, “Lisa came to me and told me it was a great family visit,” said Rick. “She was there the whole time and she especially enjoyed spending time with Tygue.”


Unfortunately, not every ghostly visitation in a dream has been a positive one. Some people have reported being "attacked" by ghosts in their dreams, or while in a sleep state. While skeptics are quick to term such episodes as "sleep paralysis" and prescribe due treatment, for some, this doesn't solve their problem. There are ways to deal with such situations:



  1. Realize it is only a dream. You are able to make anything happen in your dream, including waking yourself up. If you are too distraught or weak to awaken yourself, try to do something in your dream that would normally attract someone else's attention. For example, if someone is sleeping in the bed with you, try waking them up in your dream.
  2. Get a better handle on your dreams by reading the books Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge AND. These books are immensely helpful in understanding sleep and the dream state. They will give you methods to having better control over your dreams.
  3. If possible, say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, leave me alone!" Some people have stopped their attackers when saying this and their dreams ended. Another thing to do is hang a crucifix on the wall near the bed. This, too, has proven to be helpful.
  4. Try to reason with the attacker. If the attack is not too violent, try to confront them and ask them why they are trying to hurt you. Try to resolve the anger or fears in this dream to thwart the attack and bring the dream to an end.
  5. If all else fails, try seeking the help of a dream specialist. If you can't find one in your neighborhood, visit forums on the Internet and ask around.


As with all dreams, however, the true meaning behind the ghostly visit depends entirely upon the dreamer. If the ghostly visitation in the dream offers comfort or guidance, the best thing to do is to look past confusions and doubts and take the comfort for what it has been given. As Martha says, "Those who have passed over often come to us in dreams because it is a much less frightening experience for us than if they showed up standing beside our bed. They don't want to scare us that way, but simply want to pass on a message or let us know they are all right."


Haunted Through the Generations



Article from The Shadowlands


by Tina Carlson - tinacarlson@theshadowlands.net


While most families have one or two supernatural experiences happen to their family in a lifetime, some families are prone down thru generations to witness experience after experience. This is not common but it does happen. There are stories on the Shadowlands that state my mother could see spirits or my grandparents lived in a haunted home.


Is this because we live in the same houses as previous family members so we are seeing the same spirits as seen before by the passed generations? Or is it because there is something in our genetic make-up that attracts spirit energy to us. Both theories are probably true. A haunted house is a haunted house and unless something and unless something changes and the spirit crosses over, then the property will remain haunted. The spirit may become dormant or get the notion to move on by themselves. If the haunting is residual than it might not ever change but continue to play out the same scene over and over again down through many different owners.

If a spirit is attached to the house or property in a different way a haunting could change just by the emotional change in a home.

One example of this could be…


The 1st generation owns the house, they sense cold spots, and feel like something is watching them. It is not a bad feeling.


2nd generation inherits the home and decides to remodel the kitchen. The haunting then changes, items start disappearing and noises are heard throughout the house. The feeling of being watched intensifies with the added emotion of disapproval.


3rd Generation inherits the house. These new house owners are unorganized and very untidy. The haunting gets worse. Bad odors are smelled throughout the home. Doors open and close, lights go off and on and apparitions are felt and seen. Uneasiness is felt throughout the house.


4th generation moves into the house. They restore it to its original condition; they love the house and put their love into keeping the home happy and clean. The spirit settles down to just the cold spots and watching over the family. This would be a haunting of a house or property where the spirit was very attached to the home and wanted things to stay the same with no compromise.


Another scenario


1st Generation- a loved ones dies with the promise that they will always look after the family. After the funeral, family notices feelings of being watched and protected.


2nd generation- Woken by some unknown noise that disturbs the whole house. After looking for the source of the noise it is discovered there is a gas leak or some other danger present that might have been dangerous had the family not been woken in the night.


3rd generation awakened by knocks on the wall only to discover an intruder in the home. And so on down through the generations. This would be a family being haunted by a loved one who has promised to look after their families. This has also been called a guardian or protector spirit.

Here is another situation…


1st generation sees entities hears them and lives in numerous locations throughout their entire lives with spirit so frequent they become commonplace. Never or rarely the same entity twice to their knowledge. 2nd generation being taught from a very early age that spirits do exist and if treated with respect, are nothing to be fearful of.


This sensitivity to the spirit world seems to be passed on down family member, after family member. This family seems to have something about them that allows them to experience the afterlife generation after generation. Maybe it is because of their open mindedness to the supernatural, or maybe it is hereditary. Then again maybe it is the spirits that sense something about certain families that they don’t even know about themselves. Until more is known about the spirit world all we can do is speculate why some families just seem to be haunted.


Notice



I'm back online.


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Important Announcement



I'm sorry everyone but I'm loosing my internet connection, so I will not be able to do weekly article posting. I'm very very very sorry. I will post new articles when ever possible.


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

10 Paranormal Related Dreams



This article comes from www.paranormalnewscentral.com

Precognitive Dreams

Prophetic dreams, also referred to as precognitive or psychic dreams, are dreams that seemingly foretell the future. One rational theory to explain this phenomenon is that our dreaming mind is able to piece together bits of information and observation that we normally overlook or that we do not seriously consider. In other words, our unconscious mind knows what is coming before we consciously piece together the same information.


Epic Dreams


Epic dreams (also referred to as Great Dreams, Cosmic Dreams or Numinous Dreams) are so huge, so compelling, and so vivid that you cannot ignore them. The details of such dreams remain with you for years, as if your dreamt it last night. These dreams possess much beauty and contain many archetypal symbology. When you wake up from such a dream, you feel that you have discovered something profound or amazing about yourself or about the world. It feels like a life-changing experience.


Healing Dreams

Healing dreams serve as messages for the dreamer in regards to their health. The Ancient Greeks called these dreams "prodromic". Many dream experts believe that dreams can help us avoid potential health problems and help us to heal when we are ill or when we are grieving. Research has shown that asthma and migraine sufferers have certain types of dreams before an attack. Our bodies are able to communicate to us through our dreams to "tell" us that something is not quite right with our bodies even before any physical symptoms show up. Dreams of this nature may be telling the dreamer that he or she needs to go to the dentist or doctor. If you can understand the language of dreams, our dreams serve as an invaluable early warning system. They can help inform, advise and heal.



Recurring Dreams

Recurring dreams are quite common and are often triggered by a certain life situation or a problem that keeps coming back again and again. These dreams may recur daily, once a week, or once a month, but whatever the frequency, there is little variation in the dream content itself. It usually points to a personal weakness, fear, or your inability to cope with something in your life - past or present. The repetitive patterns in your dream can reveal some of the most valuable information on yourself. It may point to a conflict, situation or matter in your waking life that remains unresolved or unsettled. Or some urgent underlying message in your unconscious is demanding to be understood.


Williams believes house is haunted

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Take That star Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field are convinced their Los Angeles home is haunted.

From the website www.rte.ie

According to The Sun, the 36-year-old singer has become fascinated with Hollywood's spooky history and believes that his Mulholland Drive mansion has a ghost.

A source said: "The dogs can see it. Its nickname is Bertie. They believe it's a man from the beginning of the 20th Century.

"Rob likes to imagine him in a suit holding a martini glass."

In 2009 Williams claimed that he felt a spectral presence at his UK Wiltshire mansion and he has previously claimed that he has seen UFOs.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Bigfoot "smudge" to be DNA tested



Posted on Saturday, 25 June, 2011 News tip by: Still Waters

From the website www.unexplained-mysteries.com

Could this smudge prove Bigfoot DOES exist? Explorers desperate to test DNA in marks left on abandoned car window

By Daniel Bates


Last updated at 11:12 PM on 24th June 2011

With two paw marks clearly visible on the car window, this smudge could provide the DNA evidence that finally proves the existence of Bigfoot.
Explorers have launched an appeal to carry out a full analysis on the mark left behind when an unidentified beast wiped its face against the glass of the car in California's Sierra National Forest.
They are desperate to hire a forensic analyst to take samples and prove once and for all that the mythical animal exists.



Photobucket

Calling card? Is this smudge on the window of a car left in California's Sierra National Forest the evidence that Bigfoot does exist?



Photobucket

Testing: Explorers claim the marks are made by a large creature rubbing alongside the car, before peering inside.

Without the money to do so they claim they mystery will remain unsolved - even though the evidence is right in front of them.
The print was left on the car belonging to paranormal explorer Jeffrey Gonzalez after he and some colleagues abandoned it during a snowstorm.
When they came back they found a smudge which apparently showed that an animal had placed its left and right paws on the window and peered inside.
Mr Gonzalez asked forensic photographer Mark Burrow to take a look and he said there could be DNA left behind.

'As I was looking at the windows, I told Jeff it looked like something came up to the truck, rubbed up against it, swiped along the side of it, and then just put its face up on the window and looked in - that's what it looks like,' he said.
Mr Gonzalez, the head of the Sanger Paranormal Society, is now appealing for the public to help pay for him to conduct a full DNA analysis.
'We need somebody to come forward to take this DNA and get it mapped,' he said.

'Since nobody knows what a Bigfoot is, there's no available DNA for it. But by testing this DNA, by process of elimination we can find out if it was a bear, gorilla, baboon or something else.
'If it's not any of those, and you've eliminated all the possibilities, and it's not human, then what's left?'
He added: 'I believe Bigfoot exists, but I don't believe it has mystical powers like many people say it does. I think it's just an unknown species that hasn't been discovered or hasn't fully evolved.'


The myth of Bigfoot has been a fixture of local legend in the Pacific Northwest of America for centuries.
It has achieved a level of notoriety on a par with the Loch Ness monster, despite no concrete evidence it actually exists.
Known as a 'Sasquatch', it stands on two legs but is covered with fur and makes crude animal noises instead of speech.
The number of Bigfoot sightings spiked after an article in the December 1959 issue of now-defunct monthly magazine True.


The most celebrated instance was the Patterson-Gimlin film shot by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin in northern California in 1967, around the time that the original Planet of the Apes was released.
The film's director John Landis later accused its costume designer John Chambers, who created the monkey suits, of being the man in the 'sighting' footage.

Loch Ness Monster sighting reported



Posted on Wednesday, 29 June, 2011 News tip by: Still Waters

from the website www.unexplained-mysteries.com

The owners of a shop and cafe in the Highlands have reported seeing a strange creature in Loch Ness.

Observing it in the water from the store's decking the creature was described as having a long neck, too long to be a seal or other animal. "It went under the water and disappeared for probably 30 to 40 seconds and then came back up again," said Mrs Hargreaves.

It was while taking a break on the store’s front decking — looking out to the loch — when Mrs Hargreaves and kitchen worker Graham Baine spotted an unusual figure cutting a strange shape through the water. "We were standing looking out and saw something that looked bizarre," said Mrs Hargreaves.

More to come on this story.


Lizard Man Returns to Lee County


Lee County, SC (WLTX) - Over the years reports have surfaced about infamous and mysterious creatures.

There's Bigfoot, the giant ape-like animal that roams the wild forests on the West Coast. Across the pond, there's Nessie, the Loch Mess Monster that hides in the deep, dark waters of the Scottish Highlands. In Mexico and Texas, they have the Chupacabra, the blood-sucking goat that some say has killed animals. And in South Carolina we have the Lizard Man, the creature supposedly terrorizing Bishopville since 1988.

That year, a 17-year-old reported a run-in with a scaly lizard that stood on two legs. Now, there's speculation that the creature may be back.

On Ida Lane in rural Lee County, they're struggling to explain what took place Monday morning.

"I ran into the house and told my wife to call the police because something happened to the car," explained Leon Marshall.

"The tooth marks went completely through the fender," added his wife Ada.

Early that morning the Marshall's woke up to find their car mauled by something.

"That's metal! And it just bent it up. Like it was a piece of tissue paper," said Ada.

The question is by what?

"We have no idea. No idea. No idea what-so-ever.">

To former Lee County Sheriff Liston Truesdale, this sounds all too familiar.

"This part here is how it all started in 1988," explained Truesdale. "We got a call to come and look at something that had mauled a car. I went out there and looked at that damaged car, and I haven't seen anything like that before."

About that same time there were bizarre calls coming in.

"They had been seeing a large creature about 7 feet tall, with big red eyes, with three pointed fingers."

So he started asking residents, "have you seen anything like a big tall creature round there? And the guys said, 'what you mean that lizard man?' That's how it started and you got it from the horse's mouth."

Back then, there was a media frenzy.

"Everyone thought they were going to get a glimpse of the Lizard Man but he didn't appear."

The damage on the Marshall's car is almost identical to the damage on the two cars from back then.

Was it the Lizard man?

"I'm skeptical about that. I'm not gonna go that far. I'll believe it when I see it," said the Marshalls.

"Everything it laid off on the poor lizard man," jokes Truesdale. "But at this point, he must have grandchildren!"

Whether you believe in the Lizard Man or not, he certainly did generate a lot of buzz. In 1988 it's estimated that about 50,000 visitors came to Lee County in hopes of spotting the creature.


Ouija: Not a Game



Article from The Shadowlands


By Dale Kaczmarek


The Ouija board has been used by thousands of people for spirit communication and is very similar to automatic writing, the only difference between the two being the absence of the board itself in automatic writing. Both forms of communication are very dangerous; as are séances, because they are usually uncontrolled forms of communications. In other words, the individuals that use these channels are usually novices and are unaware of the possible dangers that await!

A controlled situation would be where a psychic, medium or clairvoyant is present. This way the medium could sense if any dangers are present and close off the communication before any harm was done.

The Ouija board is just a piece of compressed wood, sold at virtually all toy stores and occult supply and book stores. Ouija is a combination of two words: "oui" and "ja" which mean "yes" in French and German respectively. The board itself is not dangerous but the form of communication that you are attempting often is.

Most often the spirits whom are contacted through the Ouija are those whom reside on "the lower astral plane". These spirits are often very confused and may have died a violent or sudden death; murder, suicide, etc. Therefore, many violent, negative and potentially dangerous conditions are present to those using the board. Often times several spirits will attempt to come through at the same time but the real danger lies when you ask for physical proof of their existence! You might say, "Well, if you're really a spirit, then put out this light or move that object!" What you have just done is simple, you have "opened a doorway" and allowed them to enter into the physical world and future problems can and often do arise.

I would strongly advise against the use of the Ouija, automatic writing or séances. If you don't happen to be lucky or unlucky enough (depends on how you look at it) to contact any ghosts, then if nothing else, you could become emotionally attached or dependent on the board's advice. This can be psychologically adverse on the psyche as you will attempt to get more and more information out of the board and you could actually just be using the board as an avenue to the inside of your own mind without realizing it. In other words, you could be asking questions of the board and then your subconscious mind would be using the planchette to answer your own questions! This often happens to those people who use the board by themselves.

I believe the following cases are true examples of what could happen to those who continue to use the board or become obsessed or possessed!

Related Post: Coming next month


Possible Signs Of A Possible Haunt



Article from W-FILES.COM



The following are some signs that are often associated with a haunt. It is not meant to be the complete list by any means. A location could be haunted and have none, one, several, or even all of the following occurrences. It could also be occurring by natural means and not be a haunt at all. Geological, electrical, plumbing, and environmental factors must also be taken into consideration. Often times investigators will try to decipher the type of haunt according to the phenomena that is occurring, Many things can be associated with several different types of hauntings, so this is not always an easy thing to do. The major difference and break in types of haunts falls within the interactive and non-interactive (residual) type of haunting. The most important thing to remember is to try to find a cause for the occurrences before ruling them unexplainable and labeling a possible haunt.


Hearing Unexplainable Sounds:


  • footsteps or footfalls
  • voices or whispers
  • music
  • banging/knocking
  • slamming doors

Unexplainable Feelings:


  • cold/hot spots in a room or location
  • of being watched, followed, or not alone
  • strong presence
  • feeling touched with nobody there

Seeing:

  • things out of the corner of your eye
  • moving shadows/fogs/mist
  • visual appearance of apparition
  • glowing balls of light
  • unexplainable images

Smelling:

  • odd scents that do not belong

Other unexplainable activities:

  • children with imaginary friends
  • pets behaving oddly
  • objects moving on own
  • electrical appliances acting weird
  • turning on/off of lights and appliances
  • problems with plumbing
  • windows opening/closing
  • missing or disappearance/reappearance of objects
  • hearing/feeling breath with nobody there
  • unexplainable fires
  • myth/legends
  • huge turnover of residence

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Guest On Storytime This Week



Tomorrow my guest on Storytime will be Diana Dorell, the Dancing Goddess.

So be sure to tune in at 4pm Eastern, 3pm Central on www.para-x.com.