Riverbend Paranormal

Fractured Spirits Book Review

2013-07-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

https://www.facebook.com/FracturedSpirits

http://www.sylviashults.com/sylvia/

Book Review: Fractured Spirits By Sylvia Shults

I recently went out to the Peoria State Hospital with Haunted History of the Paranormal show and had the privilege of meeting and investigating with this amazing author. I bought the book from her and began reading away. To say I couldn’t put the book down is an understatement. Finished in a few short hours. It is very well written and an easy read. I could hear Sylvia’s personality coming through as I read. Lets get into the book…..

The foreword was written by another well known paranormal author Troy Taylor. He talks about some of the history of the hospital and the amazing Dr. Zeller. He also talked about his experience in the hospital. (p3) “I have been writing about ghosts, haunting, crime, and the unexplained in Illinois for more than twenty years and while there are a numbers of places that I can say are truly hunted - there are few that have had the effect on me that the old asylum has had.” I have to agree wholeheartedly with him there. There is something about “the old asylum” that just drew me in and keeps pulling me back. I can not wait to get back in there.

In her introduction, I love how se says she is ok if you are a skeptic. (p10) “Enjoy the stories for what they are: just interesting stories. I hope I entertain you.” She is not out to change your views or beliefs on the paranormal, just wanted to get the stories out.

“The little ghostie” What is that you say. This is one of the features I love about this book. She has a little ghost picture throughout the book that will tell you when she has a picture or EVP you can look at on her book’s facebook page. I feel it really gives the book an edge. Anyone can just type out the spirits said go home, but to actually be able to listen to it, gives you a look into what she heard as she wrote this book.

What author would tell you in their book to go buy books from other authors about the same subject. Mrs. Shults does! You can tell by that act right there how passionate she is about the hospital. She is not just out to sell sell sell. She wants you to get as much information and stories as you can get.

When I was at the hospital, I was listening to the history and all about the amazing Dr. Zeller. In her book she explains about he was a one of a kind doctor. He believed in humane treatment of his patients. He kept the patients active by having them grow their own food, make their own clothes, take care of other patients that had the same illnesses, etc. He found it helped them. He was also way beyond his years, there are stories of him recognizing Post Partum Depression and Post Traumatic Stress, he didn’t just say “oh well, they are crazy” he worked on helping you get through your issues and actually healed people.

Sylvia Shults includes a chapter on the rumors surrounding the hospital and its buildings. And boy are their a ton of them. I like that she dedicated a chapter to set the story straight.

One of the best things that I believe have happened to that hospital is the addition of Chris Morris. She has so much passion for that old building. She talks about it as if it were one of her children. Sylvia talks about her in the history section of the book. As I read, I can hear Chirs enthusiastically telling the story of the history of the building. When she starts talking you almost get sucked back in time and you can see everything as shares the stories as she was there back in its opening hours.

After the history she gets into her paranormal investigations she conducted through the process of collecting information for the book. She tells stories about Christopher, a spirit that has taken a liking to her the story of a jerk in the basement who doesn’t like a person she was investigating with. That is a fun story to read!! Not nice language from that particular spirit.

She moves the stories along from the Pollak Building to the Bowen Building. There are numerous stories about that place that has me itching to get in there. She tells about when the building held a fundraiser and had previous employees there. (p129) “According to Richard Weiss, that four hour tape contains around seven hundred distinct EVPs.” ummmm I’m not calling him a liar, but that is extremely hard to believe. Guess it is something I would have to hear with my own ears to believe. So many factors to consider there. If it is a fundraiser, then there were a lot of people in the building. I don’t know.

She goes back to the Pollok hospital stories, and starts talking about a little girl evp that was captured. We were standing in the same spot, trying to recreate the same results and what do you know? We audibly heard a little girl. Amazing!

A few times when I was in the building I would feel like I was being touched on my back or on my arm. I called it out several times, and Chris explained about the nurses. Sylvia also explains this in her book. When the nurses thought you (the patients) were in a place you shouldn’t have been they would gently guide you back to the correct area first by putting their hand on your shoulder, then by guiding you by your elbow. Guess I should have stayed with the group! Naughty me.

She explains another scenario that me and the group of people I was with experienced as well. She explains how you can hear footsteps in the basement after you have come upstairs. We all waited at the top of the stairs with our video cameras and voice recorders pointed down the stairs and all of the sudden we hear footsteps. We all got wide eyed and mouthing to each other.. “You hear that??????” You would think she wrote the book about our experience, but apparently these things happen often. There were other things she talks about in her book that we experienced as well.

(P201) “People ask, “Well, if there wasn’t any abuse, why is the asylum so haunted?” The answer is simple: this was home.” This is something I completely agree with. Why stay somewhere you hate, I would pick somewhere that I felt happy and loved and taken care of.

When talking about talking to people about the hospital she said people were enthusiastic to share, (p202) “But it is the women that are most vocal about their passion for the Peoria State Hospital.” Maybe there is something to that. I am a woman, and I am in love with that old building. I can honestly say, even after only spending a few hours there, if I could only pick one place to go back to investigate for the rest of my life, I would pick the Pollok Building. It is something you have to experience yourself. There is a little cemetery I believe it is named Cemetery 2, just outside the building. I could sit there for hours and just relax. It has such a peaceful feeling in it. After being in the building I do feel I had the advantage reading this book. I could picture the places she talks about and relate with my own experiences. I suggest everyone takes a trip up to Peoria, IL to check out this amazing place.

Paranormal Integrity

2012-12-07T10:24:00.001-06:00

Paranormal Integrity

The truth vs. hype. As paranormal investigators, I feel we should not be in competition with each other. I see it more and more everyday. I feel we should be one big group working together to find who or what is out there. We have a common goal and passion that we should join together to research. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will mock and ridicule us or try to make us out to be fools. And even worse, there are some in our own community. It is such a shame that we can not do what we love freely. There are places that overcharge groups to come in just to make a quick buck. I have no problem paying to investigate, when the money goes back into the building. Most of the places we go to are extremely old and falling apart. These wonderful people need this money to keep them up to code and to help restore the historical importance of these places. There are others out there who unfortunately fake evidence to drive more people to their buildings. This is a shame. Most places we frequent do not need additional "evidence", they have plenty of their own to make us happy. We must remember we are not a TV show. We don't spend several days in one place to get that 35-40 minutes of show time. It takes that long sometimes to get evidence. Sometimes you don't get anything, and that is completely fine with me. I always say "ghosts" are people too. They have feelings and sometimes they just want to be left alone.

Para drama. As of late there has been a ton of "para drama" out there. WHY?? Why are we fighting each other? Why are people who aren't directly involved being drug under the bus, attacked, and threatened? As I said before, this is a field many of us feel passionately about. So, how about showing some integrity? I have a friend who was hurt emotionally because of this. People in her family received personal threats. What is wrong with people? Can't we all just get along?

Back to the truth/hype. I understand we are in a field where there are believers and non-believers. Each side has very strong feeling on the subject. My husband and I are on different sides of the spectrum and have gotten into arguments over it. :-) There are several aspects of this field as well. We all aren't "ghost hunters". There are people who search for aliens, Bigfoot, fairies, trolls, unicorns, etc. There are people who range from having no "feelings" when things are going on to full blown medium/psychics. I have recently investigated with a true medium as well as someone whom I feel was "faking it". If you don't have it, you don't have it. It is not needed to be a paranormal investigator. Are people trying to get attention? What is the reason? I'm getting worked up over this. I want to type so much, but my personal integrity won't let me be mean to someone just for the sake of doing it. There is no point in fabricating things in a field where we can not prove without a doubt what is "real". I know it is real and you may know it is real, but take my husband for instance, he does not. He has a explanation for everything I show him. If we start faking evidence, then that puts more ammo for the other guy. They can say "Piece A was people doing it, so what is to make me believe Piece B is real?" We are here to find the truth, not just make stuff up for our own good. What does it prove if it isn't real? I will close this with a saying a member of the paranormal community likes to say, "The truth will set you free."

The Haunted President book review

2012-12-04T13:26:00.000-06:00

My 3rd book review is on The Haunted President by Troy Taylor. It is about the history, hauntings, and supernatural life of Abraham Lincoln.

In the introduction he states growing up in Illinois, Lincoln was big in his life. Also being from Illinois, I can relate. We are taught an abundance of Lincoln. Although the spiritual side was never covered. He states "Most people don't realize that Lincoln was a great believer in signs and portents or that he believed in the spirit world."(5)
Chapter 1 the early life of Lincoln. Goes over his life. It goes over the death that he dealt with as a child. It says "With his own hands, Abraham helped to fashion his mother's coffin and then helped place her in the ground."(7) Seriously?? He was 9 years old. Wow. After reading this short but packed chapter I have learned several new things about the young Abraham Lincoln.
As we continue on through the book It is packed with tons of information about Abraham Lincoln. It is a quick read, and mostly packed with historical information. I understand not much would be publicized about the "paranormal" aspects of a person's life in that time, but I found the smaller bits of info extremely interesting. On page 37, Mr. Taylor writes about how Lincoln would have a "vision" or "premonition." He would see himself in the mirror with two faces. One of him "normal" and one after he becomes president.
Page 48 Lincoln had a premonition in his dreams about the confederate soldiers overtaking union forces. He ran to the telegraph office to find this dream to be true.
The book goes on to state that Lincoln contacted mediums and clairvoyants to obtain information about the future events of the war.(57)
He attended séances, held them in the white house, and had some interesting experiences.
In chapter 7 it talks about the several different ways that Lincoln's death was predicted. I guess he was ready to die. He knew from his previous premonitions, that this one was going to be true as well. So why did he really go to the theater?
Towards the end of the book, it goes into the people that surrounded Lincoln and paranormal things that happened to them. Also goes into the important places that are now haunted. Great read. Very informative, historical and paranormal wise.

Investigation Health and Safety

2012-12-04T13:22:00.001-06:00

Paranormal Safety

I thought I have written a blog about safety during the investigation before, but I can't find it. So I guess I'll write one now.

With the recent death of a fellow paranormal investigator, I feel this is important to reiterate that we need to think about our personal safety when we investigate. Another paranormal blog put out some important information on what we all should do. I feel it is imperative that everyone reads this. http://www.parahunts.blogspot.com/2012/11/ghost-hunting-health-and-safety-issues.html

Some things to be aware of. Dust, Allergies, structural issues of the building, mold, mildew, cockroaches, bats, mice, and of course said pest's poo.

How many times have you had a sore throat or raspy breathing the morning after an investigation? I know I have. Please be careful out there folks. We can't do what we love doing, if we are being investigated ourselves.

Here is another post about health and safety in the paranormal field. http://hollowhill.com/ghost-hunting-health-and-safety-issues

Book Review 2 Paranormal Phenomena

2012-10-14T09:54:00.001-05:00

The next book on the list to do is Paranormal Phenomena Opposing Viewpoints. It does not hava an author listed. That's strange. It was published in 1997. "The difficulty lies in deciding which opinion to agree with and which "experts" seem the most credible." "Opposing Viewpoints books address this problem directly by presenting stimulating debates that can be used to ebhance and teach these skills." (9)
The introduction starts off talking about opposing viewpoints and how we all have them.
Chapter 1 is titled Is Belief in Paranormal Phenomena Unscientific? It gives a few examples of each viewpoint. Explains what happend on that perticular situtation, and what the person felt and thought was happening.
Chapter 2 is all about UFO's. The again give the opposing viewpoints on wether they are real or not. "They argue that because most UFO's can be explained as having natural causes, scientists should remain skeptical about the existence of alien spacecraft." (65) They even have 2 point of views if the Government is covering up UFO's.
Chapter 3 is about ESP. (Extrasensory perception) "While some scientist assert that ESP has definitely been proven to exist, others object that there is still no incontrovertible evidence to support such a claim." (119) Like the other chapters it gives both sides of the story.
Chapter 4 Does life after death exist? "What are we to imply from today's millions who have admittedly had a near-death experience in comparison with the less well documented thousands who had themin earlier centruies?" (161) There are stories of people who have had NDE (near death experiences) and share their stories and how they believe, then there are of course other people who have a logical explination for what these people have experienced.
At the end of the book they give key points for each chapter for further discussion. Then they have a list of organizations that deal with all of the issues mentioned in the book.
WOW, this was the dryest boring book I have ever read. I can see how it would be good for a person writing a college paper or something, but not just a normal everyday read. It does have a lot of information in it but it just seems to drag on.

We Are Their Heaven Review

2012-10-12T16:55:00.001-05:00

I figured I would start doing book overviews/reviews. The paranormal book that I am starting with is "We Are Their Heaven" By Allison DuBois. This book was published in 2006. It is written by a medium. She was the inspiration of the TV show Medium. I have always been kinda sceptical of mediums and psychics. I just couldnt fathom how they could see and talk to the dead. After reading this book, I am a true believer. I have even contacted a local medium to do a reading for me. If she is ok with it, I will do a post about it later.
The foreward is written by the authors husband, Joe DuBois. He says, "Allison's mediumship abliity is a natural talent, a gift, some would say." (xi)(page numbers in perenthesis) He goes on talking about his wife and paying her compliments.
In the Introduction she explains what the purpose of the book is. She explains how she believes in Heaven, but thinks that our passed loved ones' heaven is with us. Watching over and guiding us. We would be their favorite things and place to be. She says, "Parents who die still want to be there for their kids on the days they're needed most. Children who die want to see their parents, siblings, and friends laugh again and , most important, "feel" their presence and continuing love. So, yes, they have a beautiful sanctuary where everything is as it should be, but never forget that we are their heaven." (xix)
Chapter 1 is all about the loss of a child. She shares stories of a few parents who have sought out her help as well as her side of the reading as well. It is really eye opening. The things that she told these parents helped them tremendously. One of her clients said it best, "those you've lost are not gone, and you will never be alone." (45)
Chapter 2 is all about spouses. She has a few stories of people who have lost their husband or wife. She has learned a valuable lesson from these instances. "I try to remember the lessons I've learned through those who've died and those who live and miss them. When Joe rides my nerves, I take a very deep breath and I thank God for the times I've had with him and for my extraordinary daughters" (56-57) I believe this is a good lesson for us all. How many times a day do you get annoyed with someone you love? We need to remember to be thankful that they are still here with us to annoy us or get on our nerves.
Chapter 3 is all about the TV show Medium. The show is baised on the author. She says not all of the plot lines are completely true, but most are baised on her experiences. Her daughters in real life and on the show are pretty spot on. As well as her husband. She goes over some of the episodes that are based on true stories of her life. "One of the most important facets of Medium is how it shows a family learning to deal with what comes their way and how they become closer and stronger for it." (104)
Chapter 4 starts like this. "All people with intuitive gifts must learn how to comprehend signs" (121) It is all about how she deals with the gift she has and how to recognize signs all around you. Even if you aren't a medium, you can be open to seeing things around you. She talks about overwelming feelings, premonitions, and many signs that point to one thing. I have experienced some of these. I had overwelming feeling that my brother in law and a friend should not drive the night they both wrecked their vehicles on two different times. I have had dreams that play out exactly the next day. Being a paranormal investigator, I have had the feeling that someone is watching me, or following me. Just depends on how open you are to these signs.
Chapter 5 "This chapter is dedicated to all the children who miss their mom or dad" (135) It is about the loss of a parent. My husband just lost his dad to a tragic accident last week and this chapter hit home to me. This is one thing that I hope I will get answers to when I meet with the medium soon. She talks about how after her dad passed she could not see him or talk to him. She was agervated the one she wanted to see the most, she couldnt. She was on the phone with a medium friend several months later and her father passed as well and she was having the same issue. Each of their fathers went to the other medium. It was just what she needed to help move on. She now, after years later, can see and talk to her dad. He helps her when she has a perticularly hard or trying day. She again shared stories of other people she has helped.
Chapter is titled "The Hard Questions" She tells her views, opinions, and experiences with murder and suicide. She talks about how she meet with a Catholic Priest who is also a medium. Asking him about being a medium and things the Bible says. "He explained to me that there is interpertation in reading the Bible and he finds that his beliefs line up most of the time with what is written in the Bible" (196)
Chapter 8 is the final chapter in the book. It is just summing up her views and thoughts. "Although I feel very stongly about what I believe, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I share my experiences and hope they strike a chord with the people who feel that this example might be right for them. For those who haven't had my experiences, I try to be understanding. For those who condemn what I do, I try to be tolerant, knowing that I feel sorry for them in many ways." (206) "There will always be people who share my beliefs and other who will criticize both who I am and what I do. Guess what? It's okay. It's all a part of life." (209)

Wow, what a book. I loved this book. I wasn't a huge believer in mediums before but after talking to a friend who is a close friend with a medium and hearing their stories and reading this book, I can now say I am a believer. I hope everyone picks up this book and reads it yourself. It is not a long book, quick easy read. You can tell how much she cares about others and helping people deal with the loss of their loved ones.
Have any good paranormal books you think I should check out? Post it in the comments or send us an email at riverbendparanormal@yahoo.com

Here is link to buy her book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0743291123/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

And a link to the author's website
http://www.allisondubois.com

James J. Eldred House

2012-06-04T21:35:00.004-05:00

James J. Eldred House

The James J. Eldred House is beautiful stone building in Eldred, IL. It has an interesting story and history. I only hope with all the recent and upcoming exposure show that great things are to come to this house. Lets take a little look into the history of the James J. Eldred House.

History
The Eldred Family had several kings in the eighth and ninth centuries. All the way to 1600’s. The Eldred family made a name for themselves in England. There was even a monument to the memory of John Eldred erected by his son Revett which includes a bust with a mural tablet.
It is not known why the Eldreds moved to North America, but their sacrifice helped shape the heritage and history of the East coast, Greene county Illinois, and beyond. In 1861 this iconic house was finished being built. It was an amazing 23 room house. Shortly after, tragedy hit his family. All three Eldred daughters died at home: Alma at age 4 in 1861, Alice at 17 in 1870, and Eva at 17 in 1876 all from tuberculosis. In 1883 a 38 year-old cousin named Albon E. Wilson purchased the house due to debts the Eldred family had occurred after the tragedy of their children’s deaths. It was then sold to Robert H. Levis of Godfrey, IL in 1936.
After three years of negotiations, a non profit organization, The Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association (IVCHA), was granted custodianship of the house in June, 1995. IVCHA hoped to restore the house and use it for a visitor’s center for the area. By the time Bluffdale Farms (Levis family) donated the property, the building was in disrepair but the structure itself was sound.
To read more in detail about the Eldred family please visit their website. This short history was summarized from their history page.
I was also told that a traveling saleman stopped to see the Eldreds and was not feeling well. The Eldreds allowed him to spend the night at the home and was found dead the next morning. He is thought to be be buried in the back of the lot of the home.

Shows that have featured the house
On April 14th, 2012 the Alton, IL paranormal show "Voices From Beyond" featured the Eldred House. You can see the show HERE. In the show you will be able to hear Kelly Davis talk about the history of the house and her experiences. Also get a little look around the house.

On June 2nd, 2012 My Ghost Story on the BIO channel did a show featuring the Eldred House. You can watch it here. HERE. It is episode 35. You will get to see a few pieces of evidence caught in the house.

It has also been featured on Illinois stories tv show with Mark McDonald. Website, and in a 2010 edition of Haunted Times magazine. Website.

Upcoming Events/Information
Check back the last week of June for an Exciting announcement about a special event that will be going on at the Eldred House!! I will have all the details for you. You are in for a special treat!!
They are going "Mainstreets" this year for Greene County Day's Sept 8th -10th. Part of this will be an at the James J Eldred House. This will be your chance to walk through the house and surrounding properties. You can click HERE for more informaton. Of course the IVCHA (Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association) is always taking donations to help the renovation of the house as well as volunteers and new members. You may contact them at their website or on their facebook page. Any and all donations of your time or monetary kinds are greatly appreciated and put to good use.

Paranormal The house has claims from being touched, footsteps, knAocking, rocks being thrown, apparitions, audible voices, and also claims of hearing Native American drumming, and apparitions. Certinly a treat to the paranormal community.

Our team investigated here last week and we were not disappointed. Below is a video of our investigation.

Our evidence will be posted on our website very soon. Please check back for more evidence. For the moment you can see this thermal video Robbin Terry caught while we were there. We are not claiming it to be paranormal just incredibly interesting. What do you think??

If you are a paranormal team and want a chance to investigate the Eldred House you can schedule an appointment on their website. If you are not in a team but would still like a chace to investigate this home you can visit BumpInTheNight and join them on one of their overnights.

Impressions on the House
I have been to Eldred House numerous times, both on private and public investigations. There have been many personal experiences in the home and on the grounds. I do believe the place is very active for haunted investigations and would suggest people check it out. On a recent trip to Eldred I was able to capture a couple of interesting shots on thermal camera. Many people experience rocks being thrown at them, touched or pushed, doors open and close, and much more.
~Robbin Terry

The house is always warm and inviting. I truly think the spirts there are happy there not being ignored any longer and Are eager to interact
~Loren Hamilton

I think it's an very cool old house and after being there twice I think there is paranormal activity there. There were rocks being thrown. In an upstairs bedroom Bobbi asked something to throw a rock at me. Right after that, a rock actually landed in the middle of all of us, close to me. Bobbi said she saw the rock come off of the ground and fly in my direction. In the kitchen, rocks were also being thrown, I'm not sure from where but they would land in the center of the room near a bucket. I also experianced cold spots, more like a low swirling breeze in an upstairs bedroom. I also thought I saw shadows near the edge of the yard when I was sitting outside.
~Eric Bequette

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us and we can get you in contact with the correct person or you can contact them directly. I also wanted to post this picture I found on flickr. The sign says "This Place Matters" We often forget that the founding houses and buildings do matter in our future. They are often found decrepit and worn. It is the great giving people who take interest in them and fix them up that are keeping some history in our future.

Links
Website http://www.eldredhouse.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheEldredHouse
Voices From Beyond Show http://www.riverbender.com/video/details.cfm?id=1315
My Ghost Story Show http://www.biography.com/tv/my-ghost-story/videos
"Mainstreets" Information http://www.eldredhouse.com/index_files/GreeneCountyMainstreet.htm

Bump in the Night http://www.bumpinthenight.net/

Amityville Horror Story Fact or Fiction

2011-12-15T12:34:00.002-06:00

Amityville Horror Story Fact or Fiction Segment 24
Thousands of people run to the small town of Amityville Long Island each year searching for ghosts and demons that may or may not be there. What do you think?

How about a little history.
In 19974 The Defeo’s moved into the house at 122 Ocean Ave. Ronald Sr. was an angry man, often found in fits of rage and violence. He and his wife Louise often fought and he was a threatening figure to his children. As the oldest child, Ronald (Butch) often bore the brunt of his father’s expectations and ill-temper. He was an overweight, sullen boy that was often picked on at school. His father constantly told him to stand up for himself but he could not against his abuse at home. Ronald Sr. had no room for backtalk or disobedience.
As Butch grew older, he grew larger and stronger and was no longer tolerant of his father’s abuse. Their shouting matches turned into physical battles. Ronald Sr. began to realize that his son’s temper and violent behavior were not normal. He and Louise arranged for Butch to visit a psychiatrist but it did no good. Butch claimed there was nothing wrong with him and refused to work with the counselor. The DeFeo’s began buying Butch whatever he wanted to placate him. At the age of 14, his father gave him a $14000 speedboat. When he was 18, he wanted to settle an argument between his parents so he grabbed a 12 gage shotgun and shot at his father. When it did not go off, Butch walked off like nothing happened.
At the age of 17 he was kicked out of his parochial school that he had been attending because of drug use. His outbursts became more psychotic. The altercations with his father grew more frequent and more dangerous.
A few weeks before the murders he claimed he was robbed while taking money to the bank from his grandfather’s car dealership. He did not have a plausible story for the police and his father “knew” he wasn’t robbed. The police asked Butch on the Friday before the murders to come look at mug shots to identify the robbers. He agreed then backed out at the last minute. His father questioned him about it and the two began shouting at one another. Butch ran to his car and left before the fight became violent.
Wednesday, November 14^th Butch took out a .35 caliber marlin rifle from the storage space where he kept several weapons, and silently went toward his parents room. Without hesitation he shot his father three times. He then shot his mother twice when she was awoken from her husband’s murder.
He then walked to his brother’s, John and Mark’s, room and shot them both once. He then went to his sister’s, Dawn and Allison’s, room. Allison awoke and looked at Butch. He then proceeded to shoot her in the face, he then proceeded to shoot Dawn in the face as well. In a matter of 15 minutes Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr had murdered his entire family.
He then calmly showered, trimmed his beard, and dressed in jeans and work boots. He then collected his bloody clothing and the rifle, wrapped them up in a pillowcase, and headed out to his car. In the minutes before sunrise, Butch drove into Brooklyn, and disposed of the pillowcase and its contents by tossing them into a storm drain. He then returned to Long Island, and reported to work at his grandfather's Buick dealership.

From work, Butch called home several times and when his father failed to show up, he acted bored with nothing to do and left around noon. He called his girlfriend, Sherry Klein, and told her that he had left work early and planned to come over. On the way to Amityville, he ran into his friend, Bobby Kelske, and stopped to talk. After that, Butch went to Sherry's house and casually mentioned that he had tried to call home several times but there had been no answer. He tried again in her presence just to show her what he meant. Acting puzzled, but unworried, he and Sherry spent the afternoon shopping and then met up with Bobby Kelske later at a local bar. He was now feigning concern about being unable to reach anyone at home and he told all that would listen that he planned to go there and to see what was going on. He returned a few minutes later in a state of apparent agitation. "Bob, you gotta help me," he told his friend, "Someone shot my mother and father!"

Within ten minutes of them calling the police Officer Kenneth Geguski was first on the scene. . As he arrived, he found a group of men gathered on the DeFeo's front lawn. Butch was now sobbing uncontrollably. The officer went inside and then called the headquarters from the kitchen. Butch was now at the kitchen table, still crying. As he listened to Geguski's call about his murdered parents and brothers, he told the officer that he also had two sisters. Geguski put the receiver down and hurried back upstairs. By this time another village patrolman had arrived, officer Edwin Tyndall. The two of them found Dawn and Allison's room together. There was too much blood for them to even guess what kind of gun had killed the DeFeo's.
Suffolk County detective Gaspar Randazzo was the first to question Butch, the massacre's sole survivor. Butch claimed that the family might have been killed by a notorious mafia hit man who had long had a grudge against his family. Detective Gerard Gozaloff joined in the questioning and was suggested that if the murders were indeed linked to organized crime, that Butch might still be a target. Any further questioning should take place at police headquarters. It was here that they were joined by a third detective, Joseph Napolitano.

It was also here that Butch gave police his written statement. He claimed to have been home the night before, and that he stayed up until 2:00 a.m. watching television. At 4:00 a.m., he reported walking past the upstairs bathroom and claimed to have heard the toilet flush. Since he couldn't go back to sleep, he decided to head to work early. He described the rest of his day, leaving work early, visiting with Sherry and Bobby, drinking, and trying to reach his family by telephone.

After Butch submitted his signed statement, the detectives continued to question him about his family, about his suggestion that a hit man, Louis Falini, might be the killer. Butch explained that Falini had lived with them for a period of time, and that he had helped Butch and his father carve out a hiding space in the basement where Ronald, Sr., kept a stash of gems and cash. The argument with Falini had stemmed from an incident where Falini criticized some work Butch had done at the auto dealership. Around 3:00 a.m. the detectives had finished their questioning, and Butch went to sleep on a cot in a back filing room. He gave every appearance of being a cooperative witness, and so far the detectives had no reason to hold him under suspicion.

That soon began to change as investigators continued examining the evidence. Butch had been stupid enough to leave boxes of Marlin .35-caliber ammunition in his room, which detectives learned matched the murder weapon and subsequent questioning of Bobby Kelske led to the discovery that Butch was a gun fanatic, and that he had recently staged the robbery of the receipts from the Buick dealership.

The detectives began to seriously consider the possibility that Butch had been playing them, that he may be their suspect, that he at least knew much more about the killings than what he had told them so far. At 8:45 a.m., Detective George Harrison shook Butch awake. When roused, he asked if the detectives had found the "killer" yet but Harrison had not come with news of Falini - he was there to read Butch his rights. DeFeo protested that he had been cooperative all along and he went so far as to waive his right to counsel, all to prove that he was an innocent witness with nothing to hide.

By this time, Gozaloff and Napolitano were exhausted. Two other officers, Lt. Robert Dunn, and Detective Dennis Rafferty took over. Rafferty re-read Butch his rights, and proceeded to question him about the prior two days. Rafferty focused on the time of the murders. Butch had written in his statement that he was up as early as 4:00 a.m., and that he heard his brother in the bathroom at that time. Rafferty continued to press Butch until he was able to pry him away from his earlier version of when the crime took place (Butch claimed that it had been after he had gone to work), establishing that the crime actually took place between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m.

Butch's story began to crumble. Dunn and Rafferty hammered at the discrepancies in Butch's version of events and what the evidence led police to believe actually happened. Butch was physically linked to the scene once the time of the murders was established. At first, Butch tried desperately to make the best out of a deteriorating situation, trying to make the detectives believe that while he had indeed been present in the home during the murders, he had only been in each bedroom after the murders had taken place. But Rafferty continued on, telling Butch about the ammunition that had been found in his room.

More desperate then ever, Butch continued to lie. He claimed that he had been awakened at 3:30 a.m. and that Louis Falini had been there with a gun to his head. He had forced Butch to accompany him as he went from room to room and killed the DeFeo family. The police let Butch keep talking, and he eventually implicated himself as he described how he gathered and then discarded evidence from the crime scene. They let him keep talking, shouting more questions at him and then finally one of them asked him if it had really happened that way?

"No," Butch finally confessed. "It all started so fast. Once I started, I just couldn't stop. It went so fast."

October 14^th 1975 Butch proceedings started for the murders of his family. On Friday, November 21, 1975, Ronald DeFeo, Jr., was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder. Two weeks later, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on all six counts.

How the Hoax began:　
On December 18^th 1975 George and Kathy Lutz along with Kathy’s three children moved into the house. The Lutz’s claimed from the moment they moved into the house they experienced an array of paranormal activity. They believed that the Demon that drove Butch to murder his family was not in his head but in the house. They claim an unseen force ripped doors from hinges and slammed cabinets closed, noxious green slime oozed from the ceilings, a biblical-scale swarm of insects attacked the family, and a demonic face with glowing red eyes peered into their house at night, leaving cloven hoofed footprints in the morning snow.
A priest was called to bless the house, he was apparently driven out with painful blisters on his hands, and was told by a demonic voice to “get out.” A local TV show did a segment on the house and brought along several ghost hunters and psychics. They all agreed that there was a demonic spirit in the house, and an exorcism would be needed to stop the activity. The Lutzes left the house and sold their story.
Many people doubted the events in the house. New stories came out that the land the house was built on belonged to Indians and there were vengeful sprits still lurking.
Rick Moran, a researcher, compiled a list of more than a hundred factual errors and discrepancies from the “true story” and the truth. Moran interviewed the Priest that came to the house and he said “he never saw anything in the house.” The tribe mentioned was not from the Amityville area, they were located about 70 miles away.
Joe Nickell, an author, visited the house and also found numerous holes in the story as well. The Lutzes could not have found the demonic hoof prints in the snow when they said they did, because the weather records showed there had been no snowfall to leave prints in. The book detailed extensive damage to the home’s doors and hardware, but upon inspection the original locks, doorknobs, and hinges were actually untouched. The book and film show police being called to the house, but, Nickell writes, “During the 28 day ‘siege’ that drove (the lutz family) from the house, they never called the police.”
Over and over, both big and small details were refuted by eyewitnesses, investigators, and forensic evidence. The Lutzes are still sticking to their stories and making thousands of dollars from the book and film rights. Butch DeFeo’s lawyer, William Weber, admitted that he, along with the Lutzes, “created this horror story over many bottles of wine.” They simply made up the horrific experiences they had claimed happened to them in the house, and the rest was further embellished by Jay Anson for his book. Weber had planned to use the haunting to gain a new trial for his client. George Lutz still claims the reports are true, but offers no evidence to back it up.

Jim and Barbara Cromarty, who later moved into the house, also maintained that it was not haunted. Because of the problems they had experienced with the curiosity-seekers, they sued the hardcover and paperback publishers of the "Amityville Horror", as well as Jay Anson and George and Kathy Lutz. They stated that the entire case had been a put-on from the beginning and it had "blighted their lives". The suit was later settled with the new occupants for an undisclosed amount. There have been several occupants since this happened. We ask that you don't go looking for it – the current owners don't want you to find it. Previous owners, none of whom said they experienced anything spooky or supernatural, have remodeled it so that the signature quarter-moon windows are no longer there. They have also changed the house numbers to thwart annoying curiosity seekers, so the infamous address no longer exists.

If you think about it, the murders make for a great horror story. Who doesn’t like a good ghost story? Am I saying the Defeo’s aren’t roaming around that house to this day, no. I would put money on the table that there is an awful lot of paranormal activity going on in that house. Of course there is the chance that it could be a “dead” house. The moral of this, is the books and films are completely fabricated.
Books and Videos made about the story:
Books The Amityvlle Horror 1977 by Jan Anson
The Amityville Horror Part II 1982 by John G. Jones
Films The Amityville Horror 1979 based on the novel
Amityville II: The Possession 1982
Amityville 3-D 1983
Bloodbath at the House of Death 1984 spoof on the 1979 The Amityville Horror
Amityville 4 1989
The Amityville Curse 1990
Amityville: It’s about time 1992
Amityville: A New Generation 1993
Amityville Dollhouse 1996
The Amityville Horror 2005 remake of the 1979 Original film

Paranormal TV

2011-11-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

Paranormal TV shows Segment 23

There has been an explosion of shows on TV dealing with the paranormal. There are good things associated with their popularity. It's making paranormal investigations more acceptable. Those of us who are paranormal investigators are not seen as kooks anymore. But in the same breathe when are they considered a bad influence on our profession as a whole?
In the begging of several shows, they seemed like a real group that went out and investigated because that is what they enjoy. After time went on and “Hollywood” came into play everything seems so fake. Not everything is paranormal. If you have to be told 3 times what the EVP said, throw it out. Not a good EVP. And don’t even get me started on orbs!! YOU ARE WALKING AROUND IN A OLD DIRTY BUILDING! You are going to kick up dust!! There are some better than others, but they are still interesting none the less.
We recently got to bring in “everyday” people for an investigation with us. Because of the TV shows we all watch, they were expecting to see something or hear something from the moment they walked in the door. It just doesn’t happen like that. Paranormal Investigations are normally pretty dull. We sit on dirty floors talking to ourselves, hoping for a response. On the shows take an 8-10 hour investigation and condince it into a 35-40 minute show. It is always interesting that way. Espically when you have 10 min of history 5 minutes of setting up, then another 5-10 minutes of evidence review. So that leaves you with 15-20 minutes of their 8-10 hour investigation.
There are some pretty good movies made, but we always have to remember they have Hollywood effects on them. Not the way we see them in the real world.
When watching anything on TV you always have to remind yourselves “it is just tv.”

Ghost follow you home? or from home to home?

2011-11-02T18:14:00.002-05:00

Can Ghosts follow you home from an investigation or from home to home? Segment 22

If you are like most of the members in our team, we believe that a ghost is the same as you and me. They still have feelings and beliefs. As a general rule, people do not go around following others. Or “breaking” into strangers houses. (of course some do, but that is a different story for another day!) Most spirits seem to be drawn to or attached to a building or area. They will remain there regardless of who is living there. Some of the occupants will know there is a spirit present and others, who are less sensitive, will not. The location could have been the spirits home, a favorite place or the scene of it's death.
There are a few exceptions to this, deceased relatives may return to visit the living and they are not bound by location. Even an earthbound relative who has remained here for reasons that link it to a living relative may follow that person. Spirits of close friends also fall into this category.
People who are sensitive to spirits may have encounters in different location. Often these people assume that the first place they lived was haunted and the spirits have followed them to a new home. What may be happening is that the person is sensitive to spirits and they are now seeing new spirits in this new location. Many people are unaware that they are sensitive and just assume that these places are haunted. Spirits are everywhere, and they are drawn to people who are sensitive to them.
Spirits can also be attached to objects. It could be a favorite chair, family heirloom, anything that person valued greatly in life. Antique dealers often come across items that people claim are haunted. If the spirit in your home is attached to an object and you take that object with you when you move, the spirit comes along too.
I have had experiences where one place in particular we investigate, every time we go there, I always seem to have a huge burst in activity around my house for the next day or two. I normally do not have anything in my home. We have also had other members have things happen after leaving this same place. So, the question is, it is something with this particular investigation spot that just amps it up when we get home, or does something attach itselves to us and come home with us? Then, where does it go when it leaves? Does it leave? I just don’t understand. What do you think?

Shadow People

2011-08-01T13:35:00.001-05:00

Shadow People Informational Segment 21

Shadow people are shadowy, silhouettes of human forms seen mostly at night, and are the most common form of ghost apparition people see. Shadow people seem to typically flee in the presence of people in physical bodies, especially if they realize they have been seen, and are reportedly viewed primarily out of the corner of one’s eye. Shadow people are not bound by walls or physical obstacles, as they may choose to move through them, while strangely, other shadow people seem to believe they have to go around physical objects.

What are they really? I don’t thin anyone knows. Some spectics think it is just your imagination,

Other than the naked eye, you can be lucky to catch shadow people with video and still cameras. In my experience, it is very rare to catch something on film (digital, whatever you use). You always have to watch that you aren’t inadverteley causing the shadow person with your flashes or IR lights. It can be easily done.
I found this website while doing some research. They have tons of stories from real people telling their shadow experiences. Neat to read.

Here is an example of 2 shadow people being caught in a picture. Our group did not take this picture. I found it on the internet for an example.

Remember, you have to use your best judgement to know if they are real or faked. Unfortunately there are some unsavory people out there that think it is funny to fake anything paranormal. What is your opinion?our eyes seeing things in a fraction of a second that aren't really there - illusions... real shadows caused by passing auto headlights, or some similar explanation. And without a doubt, these explanations probably can account for some if not many experiences. The human eye and mind are easily fooled. But that isn’t always the case. Ghosts? Could be, but when you see a appariton of a ghost they are normally white mists or you can see clothing or distince facical features. Shadow beings are much darker and more shadow-like. In general, although the shadow people often do have a human outline or shape, because they are dark, the details of their appearance is lacking. Some have also claimed to see red eyes in shadow people. Another option would be to call them demonic. It would explain the darkness and possible red eyes. They are often reported in darker, scarier areas of the haunted places. I guess we will never know the truth.http://www.shadowpeople.org/ http://s2.hubimg.com/u/3279389_f520.jpg

Ovilus

2011-05-29T08:23:00.001-05:00

Ovilus: What is it? Does it work? Segment 20

The Ovilus is an instrument that was designed to interpret different energies that it assimilates into words. It will begin to speak using environmental energy to repeat words from the 512 word dictionary. So if you are using the Ovilus at an investigation and notice that it uses some words over and over that is because it is picking up the same energy that is being translated into that word. It doesn’t mean that it is using the word randomly. Then as you ask questions listen to the response. Filter out the common words that it is using over and over and listen for more specific words that may relate to your investigation.

The Ovilus is one of many paranormal field experimental devices created by Bill Chappell, a retired electronics engineer and the founder of the digitaldowsing.com website. He states the device works by measuring changes in the “environmental” energy fields around it. It modulates the energy changes into audible speech using a synthesizer chip, an extensive English word dictionary, and a function that phonetically sounds out words. Mr. Chappell calls this process ECM or “Environmental Communications Mode” and states his devices do not employ any arbitrary techniques to produce results such as random generation, sweep functioning, or programmed algorithms.

The Ovilus is a small, lightweight device that is portable enough to be taken anywhere during an investigation. It is powered by a 9-volt battery and has two audio-out jacks so headphones, external speakers, or audio recorders can be used simultaneously with the device. The Ovilus also features a bright array of LED lights to graphically display various readings, a feature useful for low light use.
The device has seven modes of operation. It includes a dictionary mode containing 512 stored words, phonetic mode (sounds out words by syllable), a combination mode (both dictionary words and phonetics) and a “yes” or “no” mode. It also features an electromagnetic field (EMF) mode that verbally outputs EMF levels in milligauss, a level mode that only graphically displays EMF levels, and a dowsing mode that simulates virtual dowsing rods.

Due to the random nature of the replies, many paranormal research groups have stopped using the Ovilus because too much is left to chance. It is posited that you could pull random words out of a hat and get the same response as what comes out of the Ovilus. In our groups experience it just says to many random things. How do you know when it is a real responce or some electrical current flowing through a near wall?? Don't feel it is reliable enough.

Franks Box

2011-05-29T08:06:00.006-05:00

What are they? What do they do? Do they work? Segment 19

There are two controversial pieces of equipment out there I wanted to touch on. Some people don't like them and think they don't work, others live by what they say.... What do you think?

Franks Box

The Franks Box is also known as the telephone to the dead. The Franks box is basically a device that can scan either AM or FM radio frequencies, allowing you to here the frequencies as they are being scanned. In theory for a ghost to communicate with you, one of the ways is through EVP by using the electronics in your audio device to pick up its' frequency. The problem with this approach is you need to play back your audio to listen to the voices, were as the Franks Box, while scanning different frequencies and having speakers hooked up to it allows the ghost to communicate with you as you are asking questions to it.

This device was created by Frank Sumption several years ago as a means to further his interest in EVP research. Frank began experimenting with EVP in the year 2000 which led to using a computer program called EVP maker invented by the German researcher Stefan Bion.
The problem with using the Franks Box is that the AM and FM frequencies are picking up broadcasts from all over the area, such as news or music that is normally broadcasted over AM or FM stations. Through the Franks box it may also pick up 2 way radio, and CB radio frequencies, that can also alter your results. So, while it is a good concept, unless you are in an area that is pretty remote and cannot pick up other interferences, it is pretty much useless. (my opinion) Yes, you may pick up something, but how do you know it wasnt someone on the radio that happend to say soemthing that went along with your question. Happens more than you think.

After receiving various messages from "computer savvy" spirits relaying messages for other spirits who were not so technologically advanced, Frank came up with the idea to create a device that hopefully all spirits could use. His design was apparent to him almost immediately, but the actual construction of the device has led him to create at least 25 different models to date. Each box is unique in design and construction, but is based on the same principle.
Frank's spirit receiver starts off with a standard white noise generator which is fed through a random voltage circuit of Frank's own design. The random voltage is linked to an AM radio receiver which reacts to the voltage by tuning to a specific spot on the radio dial. This is known as voltage tuning and is a common function of late 80s and early 90s radio receivers. Though various radio stations are turned in for a split second every so often along with regular static, the devices also allows the spirits to interact with the device and create their own vocals through the receiver and for lack of a better term, talk through the device.A newer version of the box simply tunes back and fourth through the AM band which Frank is calling the "Sweep" method. At first, he believed that the random voltage design is what allowed it to work but after using the sweep method, he has since changed his mind as it seems to do a better job.

Frank has made his plans available on the Internet for anyone who is interested in experimenting with his device. He also makes available his own receiver plans for those who want to take it a step further and create the entire box from start to finish.Frank has created at least 25 versions of the box to date and handed them to several individuals for ongoing tests. The initial results have been pretty positive and many people have experienced some kind of communication which they would regard as evidence that the box really works. Unfortunately, the difficult part about Frank's design is his using the AM radio band as the medium for receiving the voices. This is one fact that makes it easy for any skeptic to debunk the operation of his device. For starters, the device will receive little snippets from various radio stations as it scans through the AM band. At any given minute the device could spew some various words from passing stations that could be put together as a sentence and claimed to be from a spirit when in fact its just audio matrixing. Another possible scenario includes a few parts from Radio Shack and a couple of minutes of assembly could yield a small yet powerful enough transmitter to broadcast over the AM band and inject various words and phrases into the box directly.

Definite care should be taken when operating the device to ensure the above scenarios are not part of the equation. Using recorders and other tools, such as an EMF detector, can help legitimize the results. EMF detectors should be placed far enough away as not to cause interference with the box or produce false readings on the detector itself.

What are Apparitions?

2011-05-04T17:05:00.009-05:00

Apparitions Segment 18

An apparition is defined as the supernatural manifestation of the soul of a deceased person or animal, typically referred to as a ghost. Apparitions are visual experiences. The one thing that is known about apparitions is that no two are exactly alike. They are as complex and diverse as each living person. Every apparition will have it's own cause, origin and meaning. The visual appearance of any spirit, ghost, or unusual phenomenon that doesn’t necessarily take on the shape of a human form nor does it show signs of intelligence or personality. Usually they have a translucide human form that let appear the clothing of their period. They can also appear as incomplete, disfigured or headless. Most often, they show up and faint in a second. Ghosts can come in a variety of forms: children, men, women, animals and demonstrate various feeling. Some will pass without even noticing you, other remain hidden and seem just to focus on frightening you. Some will try to chase you out of their refuge, other will seek attention and even help or guidance. There are a few different kinds of apparitions.

Atmospheric Apparition This type of ghost sighting is not actually believed to be a real ghost, but instead a visual “imprint” that got left behind in the environment from a past event. These events typically include, but are not limited to, violent and tragic events. The ghostly scenes are played and replayed with both picture and sound. A particularly strange aspect of atmospheric apparitions is that the visual picture fades down over time. As the years pass the ghosts are reported to become more and more transparent until there is no picture left at all. Over time, the sound too eventually fades away.

Historical ApparitionThese apparitions are one step up from the atmospheric apparition. They typically haunt older homes and appear in solid forms acting natural. They are always dressed in period clothing and do not speak, communicate or acknowledge the presence of the living. They are seen in more than one location of the residence.

Recurring ApparitionRecurring apparitions are ghosts that occur in regular cycles over a period of time, usually once annually. This type of ghost sighting is one of the most popular. The date of manifestation usually occurs on an anniversary date or a day of special importance to the deceased. These apparitions can include both ghosts of people and animals. Reports of recurring ghosts include individuals who have committed suicide, murder victims, and entire phantom armies marching across battlefields.

Modern ApparitionsModern ghosts are the spirits of present-day ghosts. Not all ghosts are from ancient haunted places or of two hundred-year-old dead people. These ghosts are relatively new, looking and sounding like modern people. They still have all the same characteristics as the older haunts, (strange noises, odd odors, cold spots, etc.). Of course as decades of time pass the haunting will become more traditional and the apparitions will look dated. The times and styles will continue to change but the apparitions will not.

Crisis and Death Bed ApparitionsThese apparitions appear to loved ones or close friends just before or soon after their death. They are very common ghost sightings that almost never occur after more than four days after death. Crisis apparitions are most popular during periods of wars were hundreds of cases of the appearances of dying or dead service men thousand of miles away are reported. The crisis ghost appears one last time to fulfill a promise, say a final goodbye, or express eternal love to help ease the sadness of death for the living left behind.

Family Apparitions
These spirits attach themselves to a particular family, thus the name, family apparitions. They will haunt every member of the family through each generation until the family line
comes to an end. These ghosts include the spirits of deceased family members and animals. The appearance of these ghosts usually signals that someone within the family is about to die. Usually there are no prior health problems until the phantom manifests, then family members suddenly fall ill and die or become the victims of some other untimely death. These apparitions are considered to be dark omens and are the hardest ghost to get rid of. All charms, spells and even exorcism fail. It may be because these apparitions are not actually causing the deaths, just foretelling them in an eerie manner. The only escape known for this haunting is the end of the family line.

Photographic ApparitionsThese are ghosts that are not seen visually, but can be photographed. Most people are unaware that they have taken a picture of a ghost until they develop the film. The ghosts
appearing in photographs may appear in slightly transparent grayish forms wearing period clothing, or more commonly as bright white patches of concentrated energy. Blurred areas and unexplained smears on only certain areas of a photograph are believed by some to be caused by a nearby spirit. This phenomenon has taken a new twist over the past fifteen years with the revolution of the personal video cam corder. Ghosts or phantom like images have been recorded accidentally by regular everyday people and by
experienced ghost hunters.

An Out of Body ApparitionThe strange occurrences of Out Of Body apparitions are when people report seeing the ghost of someone whom is still alive and could not have been nearby at the time of the sighting. These apparitions appear in very much the same form as a regular ghost. They can be solid or transparent, acting similar to the real person. The person whose ghost was seen is not dying or for that matter is not even sick. They are perfectly healthy individuals who say they remember everything about their Out Of Body experience and give details that can be verified. Some people claim to be able to induce the experience at will, a kind of spirit jumping. Because these apparitions can appear to people that may not know the
individual in real life the apparition may be mistaken for a more traditional ghost. It is said that if the living soul stays Out Of Body too long then the body will die and the soul will be left a wandering ghost
　
　
　http://www.riverbendparanormal.com/photos.htm Click to see 2 photos of apparitions we have captured

Orbs Explained

2011-04-23T22:15:00.004-05:00

Orbs Explained Segment 17

Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them quite frequently. It is theorized that ghosts prefer the form of an Orb (ball of light) because it takes less energy thus being the mode of choice among the ghosts. The consensus is that small orbs take up the least amount of energy and apparitions and other fuller shapes take up the most. In the colder parts of the year, it seems that ghosts tend to find it easier to take on shapes other than orbs. That's when there is the most static electricity in the atmosphere. Those months being October through February. It is also believed that they are able to draw on our own energy when needed.

Orbs in pictures can be a huge discrepancy. As a generally accepted rule there are three questions an investigator can use to determine if an orb is genuine or if it is some sort of airborne particulate matter. These are:

~Is the orb in question perfectly circular? By definition an orb is a circular or sphere shaped object. If an orb in question is elliptical, oval, diamond shaped, etc. it is not a true orb.

~Is the orb three dimensional? Does it stand out from its surroundings and / or have depth in the photograph? If not it is probably airborne particulate matter or something on the camera lens.

~Is the orb self luminous - does it emit its own light?

Many “orbs” in paranormal investigators photos would be fortunate if they could be confirmed for at least one of the above traits. If an “orb” does not positively affirm all three traits it is not a true orb.

Classes of Orbs
HDO – High Density Orbs are the least common of the two types of orbs. Generally, these orbs are the only anomaly in a photo, are opaque (solid) in appearance and glow brightly from within. These orbs are usually of magnitudes two (2) and three (3).
LDO – Low Density Orbs are the more common of the two types of orbs and are generally what is thought of when the subject of orbs is mentioned as these can very closely resemble airborne particulate matter. The primary difference between these orbs and airborne matter is that, although they are translucent, they are light emissive. This type of orb is of a magnitude zero (0) or one (1).Orb Magnitude

Much like stars in the night sky, orbs can be measured by their magnitude (brightness) in a photo. Although this is really only a theoretical system for classifying photographic data for investigation purposes I believe that it will prove useful for those serious enough to explore it.

The basic idea behind orb magnitude is that investigators can now classify orbs so that they may be understood in relation to events such as solar flares, geomagnetic storms, etc. so that a pattern of activity may be established. Orbs rated by magnitude will follow an ascending scale from zero (0) least bright to three (3) most bright.

The most common “orb” photos are merely refractions of light on the camera lens. This occurs when the camera flash bounces back from something reflective in the range of the camera. When this happens, it creates a perfectly round ball of light that appears to be within the parameters of the photo but is actually just an image on the lens itself.Orbs don’t have to have a camera flash to be created. They can also be caused by bright lights in an area where the photo is being taken, by angles of light and by many types of artificial lighting. But are lights and camera flashes the only thing that can cause “orbs” to appear? Far from it! Other objects that end up in front of the camera lens and are mistaken for paranormal images are dust, moisture, pollen, insects, snow, rain, hair, ash and scores of other semi-microscopic particles

Dust is the bane of the paranormal investigator. There have been many controversies over whether an “anomaly” in a photo is a real orb or just dust or some form of airborne particulate matter. This has become especially true with the advent and wide spread availability of the high megapixel digital cameras on the consumer market. It should be known that orbs are without question the most common, and most commonly mistaken, photographic phenomenon that paranormal investigators find. This is partially due in part to the high resolution of digital cameras. With the higher mega pixel ratings on cameras there is a much greater tendency to unintentionally capture dust or other airborne particulate matter such as pollen in a photograph. As convincing as these dust particles may look we can not call every semi-circular shape that is found in a photograph an orb. True orbs, by natural law of organic geometry, are the most common and simply formed of all manifested paranormal anomalies. Because of this simplicity in form there is a great deal of controversy surrounding photos with orbs in them. Orbs are the most hotly debated and most precarious little slice of life at this point in the history of paranormal investigation and although dust, water droplets, snow, pollen, water vapor, mold spores and other such material can mimic the way orbs look physically there important differences that must be carefully examined and identified before an anomaly can truly be called an orb.

Moon Phases in Paranormal Investigations

2011-04-23T21:15:00.001-05:00

Moon Phases in Paranormal Investigations Session 16

Moon Phase - A measurable change in geomagnetic activity at the surface of the Earth’s crust can be directly attributed to the influence of the gravitational field of the moon as it approaches its zenith. As the moon becomes fuller the gravity field of the moon pulls on the gravitational field of the Earth and thusly “stretches” its geomagnetic field into an elliptical orbit. There is a brief detail of each of the Moon phases in the next few paragraphs so that they can be readily identified when any research or investigation is needed in that area.

New Moon - The “new” Moon orbits between the Earth and the Sun in such a manner that the side which

reflects rays of the Sun faces away from the earth, hence producing the optical illusion that the Moon is invisible. This is also called a “Dark Moon.”

Waxing Crescent - As the Moon moves along in its 28 day orbit into what is known as the first quarter, an illuminated crescent begins to appear on its right side.

Waxing Gibbous - Continuing to progress in its orbital path the crescent begins to grow until the whole of the first half of the Moon is visible.

Full Moon - As the Moon reaches the final portion of its 2^nd quarter orbit it can then be seen it its entirety as the whole of the daylight side is visible and appears as a full circle.

Waning Gibbous - As the sunlit side of the Moon begins to turn away from the Earth it begins to darken again on the right side as it is now beginning to “wane.”

Last Quarter - As the Moon passes from the waning gibbous phase of its orbit into the fourth quarter, darkness overtakes a larger portion of the surface of the Moon, moving from right to left.

Waning Crescent - This is the final portion of the Moon that is visible from the Earth before the Moon starts the new Moon phase again.

Solar X - Rays - As with the other celestial forces and anomalies some of the best documented modifiers of paranormal activity are solar x rays. As these x rays naturally bombard the Earth they usually go unnoticed by most people. However, when there is a highly charged mass expulsion of these x rays from the surface of the sun the greater portion of the charge has the ability to make its way to the Earth. This type of discharge is known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME.)

Solar Flares - Solar flares are violent explosions on or just below the surface of the sun. These explosions reach deep into space sending streams of highly charged radioactive particles speeding outward in random directions. When these streams of charged particles reach the Earth and bombard the atmosphere it is generally found that there is an increased occurrence of paranormal activity that can be recorded. It has been noted that when solar flares occur in conjunction with other atmospheric or astronomical events the chance of capturing paranormal activity on film as hard data increases proportionately. The sun is approximately 93 million (93,000,000) miles from the earth and has a diameter which is about 864 thousand (864,000) miles across. The mass of the sun is approximately three hundred thirty thousand (330,000) times that of the earth. See figure 1.2 for a rough comparison of size of the Earth to the sun in relation to the various solar flares. I should note here that it is known when a CME occurs it has the equivalent effect on the sun as that of a starquake. The measurement of solar flares is made in angstroms. Angstroms are named after the Swiss physicist who discovered them, A. J. Angstrom. An angstrom is a length of measurement equivalent to one hundred millionth of one centimeter which is used in the measurement of light waves. It should be remembered that the magnetic field of the sun is four thousand (4000) times greater than that of the Earth. Although sunspots are not directly related to paranormal activity they do play a role in the matter. If the magnetic field around a sunspot is monitored it is easy to observe that the magnetic field at times will split apart in certain areas. When this occurs the magnetic field lines can become crossed and in their attempt to reconnect, they may do so with such violent force that they can create a release of energy so strong they can effect the atmospheric environment here on Earth. For the astronomical event that solar flares are, they are very rapidly occurring events and only last for a few minutes as far as actual time may go, however, their effects can be felt on the Earth for several days afterward. Solar flares are characterized and organized into classes according to their level of brightness and angstrom wavelength hence the B, C, M, and X classes mentioned previously.

Does any of this information have much relevancy to paranormal research and investigation? Absolutely! Here’s why: Each time the Earth is bombarded by astronomical radiation the atmosphere acts as a natural protective barrier. This protective layer of gasses attempts to buffer the radiation before it gets to the surface of the earth and causes any damage. This diffusing effect in the atmosphere causes the radioactive particulate matter to expand away from other particles of the same type, thusly weakening their concentrated effect. This action of diffusing causes the overall molecular concentration of the radioactive particles to be diluted into far more ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere than the concentrated radiation burst would have had. Most times the impact from this astronomical radiation is negligible at best and we do not even notice that any significant astronomical event has taken place. The story changes however when we research beings that are composed of energy, such as ghosts, rather than applying these events to beings of manifested physical matter. Research over the last five years indicates that, of the above factors, there are two major astronomical influences that can modify our chances of capturing a paranormal manifestation in a photograph. These factors are solar X rays and solar flares. When either of these two events occurs there is a greatly increased chance of photographing a paranormal anomaly. However, when these two events occur simultaneously the chance of capturing an anomaly multiplies exponentially

The ideal paranormal environment where most activity has occured are on a full and new moon phase. Better your chances by going on those nights. The best times for ghost investigations are during high geomagnetic fields and solar flares. In lamest terms, high fields and flares produce more energy which allows spirits to use to manifest or interact.

Succubus

2011-04-23T14:02:00.002-05:00

Succubus Segment 15

The Succubus is much the same as the Incubus. It is the female version of the demon. According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or "Witches' Hammer", written by Heinrich Kramer (Insitoris) in 1486, a succubus collects semen from the men she seduces. The incubi or male demons then use the semen to impregnate human females, thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children despite the traditional belief that they were incapable of reproduction. Children so begotten – cambions – were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences. The book does not address why a human female impregnated with the semen of a human male would not produce a regular human offspring.

According to the view of most medieval theologians, incubi outnumbered succubi by nine to one, but the ladies made up in menace for what they lacked in numbers by being alluring and persuasive, using their considerable charms to seduce men and lead them to eternal damnation

Incubus

2011-04-23T12:50:00.005-05:00

Incubus Segment 14

An incubus is also known as demon lover. In occult lore, a lewd male demon or goblin which takes on the illusory appearance of a male human being and seeks sexual intercourse with women, usually while they are asleep. According to the church fathers, the incubus was an angel who fell from grace because of his insatiable lust for women. As a demon, the incubus continued with his carnal desires, preying upon vulnerable women, rapping them in their sleep and inciting sexual desires that only himself could satisfy.
An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman in order to father a child. Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.

Traditional wisdon professes that demons were only spirits and had no corporeal form. To be able to "sleep" with women, the Incubus was presumed to come upon his physical form in one of two ways: he either reanimated a human corpse, or he used human flesh to create a body of his own, which he then endowed with artificial life. Espically mischievous and clever incubi made themselves appear in the persons of real people- a husband, neighbor, friend, etc. A medieval nun claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a local prelate, Bishop Sylvanus, but the bishop defended himself on the grounds that an incubus had assumed his form. The convent took his word for it. It is said that the incubus can not be exorcised. They are known to attack or deter the exorcisist.

One of the earliest mentions of an incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerian King List, ca. 2400 BC, where the hero Gilgamesh's father is listed as Lilu. It is said that Lilu disturbs and seduces women in their sleep, while Lilitu, a female demon, appears to men in their erotic dreams. Two other corresponding demons appear as well: Ardat lili, who visits men by night and begets ghostly children from them, and Irdu lili, who is known as a male counterpart to Ardat lili and visits women by night and begets from them. These demons were originally storm demons, but they eventually became regarded as night demons due to mistaken etymology

Demonology

2011-04-23T12:27:00.001-05:00

Demonology Segment 13

http://riverbendparanormal.blogspot.com/2011/04/demons.html is all about demons.

Demonology is the study and classification of the hierarchy of demons, their powers and limitations, attributes, multiple names, and derivations, as well the investigation of beliefs about demons. Demons, when regarded as spirits, may belong to either of the classes of spirits recognized as human, non-human, separable souls or discarnate spirits which have never inhabited a body. A sharp distinction is often drawn between these two classes, notably by the Melanesians, the West Africans, and others. The Arab djinn, for example, are not reduced to modified human souls; at the same time these classes are often thought as producing diseases.

Demonology, though often referred to with negative feelings, was not always seen as evil or devilish as the term would have one believe. The word demonology is derived from daimon meaning "divinity, divine power, god."
Some societies believe that all affairs of life are under the control of spirits, each with their own "element" or even object and even themselves in subjection to a greater spirit.

Demons

2011-04-20T17:54:00.002-05:00

Demons Segment 12

Throughout religion, folklore, mythology and occultism, a demon is a supernatural being described as something not quite human. In ancient Near Easter religions and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession. Therefore, an act of exorcism would be necessary to draw the spirit out. In Western occultism, a demon is a supernatural being with the ability to be conjured and controlled. In literature, many demons were once fallen angels, while others were said to be forged in Hell itself.

Some believe a demon refers to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with good beings who have no worshippers or limited to a rank below the gods, and with evil beings of all kinds. The original sense of "demon," from the time of Homer onward was that of a good being; but in English the name now holds the distaste of evil beings believed to take the form of "demons" in many forms of religion are:

Angels in the Christian belief who fell from heaven (grace),
Human souls said to be genii or familiars,
Deceased family members that have continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living,
Ghosts or other malevolent visible ghost or animated corpse.

Often souls dwelling in another world are not counted in the demon list. Gods are often not necessarily seen as being entirely spiritual and may come in fleshly bodies. Demons are often seen the same as both spiritual and corporeal. Vampires are often seen as another form of said demons along with incubi and Succubi. Incubi and Succubi have been noted to produce offspring; though often deformed. Belief in demons, demonology, goes back many millennia and may be as old as man andd often older. The Zoroastrian faith teaches that there are 3,333 Demons that live among us and are responsible for such things such as war, starvation, sickness etc

According to the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:9), demons are the angels that fell from heaven with Satan when he chose to rebel against God. In the 15th century, it was estimated that 133,306,668 angels fell from the Heavens in a total of 9 days according to the Bishop of Tusculum (c. 1273), and this was reaffirmed by Alphonso de Spina (c. 1460).
Justin Martyr, a Christian who lived circa 150 AD, believed (based on Gen 6:2-4) that demons were the offspring of angels and men. The Greeks viewed demons as the spirits of wicked dead men (Heb 9:27).
In John 8:44 Jesus calls the Devil "the first homicide" ("he was a murderer from the beginning" in the King James Version), perhaps referring to the murdering of Abel by Cain, a liar, and father of all lies.

According to Christian tradition, demons can be angels, are spiritual, immutable and eternal. Demons are not omniscient, but each one has a specific knowledge (sometimes on only one subject, sometimes on more than one). Their power is limited to that which God allows, so they are not omnipotent. No reference has been made about omnipresence, so it is as yet unclear if they can be in different places at the same time, but according to the tradition of the medieval witches' Sabbath, two conclusions can be reached: either Devil can be in different places at the same time, or he sends an emissary in his name, but it seems that the only 'omni' thing they are is malevolent; it is deducible from some passages of the Bible that they are not omnipresent.

Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include Fabrication, Psychokinesis, Pyrokinesis, Levitation, Cryokinesis, Biokinesis, Divination, Demonic possession, seducing spirits, ESP, telepathy, mind probing, witchcraft, curses and hexes, as well as binding, magnification, and making contracts, weather control, animal control, and provacation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest. Demons are believed to have the power to physically or mentally hurt people. Demons can destroy anything material on the earth. Often Demons are said to creating negative emotions, wrecking havoc, ensuing chaos, and disrupting peace.

Demons can take any desired appearance, even that of an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Nevertheless, they were generally described as ugly and monstrous beings by Christian demonologists. Many of these descriptions have inspired famous painters like Luca Signorelli, Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya, the artist that made the drawings for the Dictionnaire Infernal, and others.
Incubi and Succubi are described as being beautiful in order to accomplish their mission of seduction.
However, according to Nicholas Remy, the figure of the demons is imperfect, which he deduced from the descriptions given by those accused persons interrogated during the witch trials; he wrote:

"...that proves how marvellous God's love is, even for the most miserable human beings, being that demons can never take a human figure in a perfect form, and so the most stupid people are able to discover them".

The idea that demons have horns seems to have been taken from the Book of Revelation 13:1 (here it seems that John the Evangelist was inspired by Leviathan) and 13:11. The book of Revelation seems to have also inspired some absurd depictions of demons (Revelation 13:1-2). This idea can also been associated with the depiction of certain ancient gods like Baal, Moloch, the shedu, etc, which were portrayed as bulls, as men with the head of a bull, or wearing bull horns as a crown.
While there is no conclusive theory about why the Devil appears with a tail, the trident attributed to him as his "sceptre" may have been inspired by early contact between Christians and Hindus. In Hinduism, the trident is Shiva's weapon.

Some historians of times past believed that there were cycles during which demonic activity increased, and used this theory to explain various occurrences, much in the same way as today's economic historians might explain historical events in terms of trade, productivity and other factors. These older historians saw a rise in demonic activity accompanying such occurrences as the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome and the French Revolution, and would in all likelihood also have viewed the demonic theory at work in relation to the rise of Nazism and World War II.

http://www.hellhorror.com/demons/demonology_alpha/A/ List of Demon Names
http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=List_of_specific_demons_and_types_of_demons Another list

Ley Lines

2011-04-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

Ley Lines Segment 11

click for larger

Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, in his books Early British Trackways and The Old Straight Track. Watkins theorized that these alignments were created for ease of overland trekking by line of sight navigation during neolithic times and had persisted in the landscape over millennia. In more recent times, the term ley lines has come to be associated with spiritual and mystical theories about land forms, including Chinese feng shui.

(definition taken from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ley_line )

The existence of these apparently remarkable alignments between sites is easily demonstrated. However, the causes of these alignments are disputed. There are three major schools of thought:

Anthropological: According to proponents of some ley line theories, the early inhabitants of Great Britain determined the placement of Stonehenge and various other megalith structures, buildings, monuments, or mounds according to a system of these lines, which often pass through, or near, several such structures. Some of these theories believe leys to have had some astronomical significance, or to relate to traditional religious beliefs associated with these sites. Others simply see leys as marking trade routes.
New Age: Some have claimed that these points resonate a special psychic energy. These theories often include elements such as geomancy, dowsing or UFOs.
Skeptical: Skeptics of these ley line theories believe that they belong in the realms of pseudoscience or magic. Most skeptics believe that ley lines can be explained completely by chance alignments that appear intuitively unlikely, but can be demonstrated to be unsurprising coincidences. Some skeptics are investigating if these points have electrical or magnetic forces associated with them.

In 1921, when he realized the existence of ancient alignments, Alfred Watkins was sixty-six years old. The complex rhythm of the twentieth century had barely begun, particularly in the rural county of Herefordshire. As a partner in a firm of flour millers, Watkins needed to make frequent tours of the local countryside, and there is no doubt that he was a man with his native landscape 'in his blood'. He was a respected local figure and highly regarded at a national level for his work in photography. A man of broad interests, independent thought and varied talents, his mind was open, exploratory and not restricted within the con fines of a single discipline. In addition, he had spent a great part of his life getting to know, at a direct and intimate level, his local countryside and its inhabitants. He knew its lore, its ancient sites and its little-known places. The appropriate mind and physical circumstances were set up for the flash of insight that came on a summer's day in 1921. It was like experiencing 'a flood of ancestral memory', Watkins was to tell his son, the late Allen Watkins. In his own words, Watkins describes his insight in his book Early British Trackways:
I had no theory when, out of what appeared to be a tangle, I got hold of the one right end of this string of facts, and found to my amazement that it unwound in an orderly fashion and complete logical sequence...
A visit to Backwardine led me to note on the map a straight line starting from Croft Ambury, lying on parts of Croft Lane past the Broad, over hill points, through Backwardine, over Risbury Camp, and through the high ground at Stretton Grandison, where I surmised a Roman station. I followed up the clue of sighting from the hilltop, unhampered by other theories, found it yielding astounding results in all districts, the straight lines to my amazement passing over and over again through the same class of objects...
After his realization that alignments of ancient sites existed, Alfred Watkins committed himself to detailed fieldwork investigation, frequently taking photographs of sites, alignments and other features he came across in this work. His first, short, book on his discovery, Early British Trackways, came out in 1922 and was the development of a lecture he had delivered a year previously. He continued his study of the alignments, and his main book on the subject, The Old Straight Track, was published in 1925. Later books were The Ley Hunter's Manual (1927) and Archaic Tracks Around Cambridge (1932). A little after the publication of The Old Straight Track the Straight Track Postal Portfolio Club was formed, in which ley hunters circulated postal notes, viewpoints, research and photographs amongst themselves. Major F. C. Tyler was secretary of the club, which, in the Thirties, organized field trips for its members. These took the form of special tours around chosen areas, often in fleets of cars.
But the deaths of Watkins and Tyler in the Thirties, and the coming of the Second World War, took the impetus out of the club, and it was closed in 1948. A handful of individuals and fringe groups kept a caretaker's interest, as it turned out, in Watkins's work up until the Sixties when a whole new cycle of interest in leys began to form.
Alfred Watkins felt he had caught a glimpse beyond the modern face of the landscape and was tracing the remnants of a system of straight trackways belonging to remote antiquity. He postulated that these tracks were laid out with certain types of markers, some of which may have developed into sacred or important sites in both pagan and Christian times. Some ley markers were therefore original while many others were evolved features, such as ancient churches and castles, standing on sites of former significance. Odd sections of the old straight tracks were still visible, Watkins thought, in some lengths of roadway and old paths aligning on ancient sites. He considered that some of his alignments had astrological significance.

Alignments and patterns of powerful, invisible earth energy said to connect various sacred sites, such as churches, temples, stone circles, megaliths, holy wells, burial sites, and other locations of spiritual or magical importance. The existence of leys is controversial. If they do exist, their true age and purpose remain a mystery. Watkins suggested that all holy sites and places of antiquity were connected by a pattern of lines he called 'leys'. Mounds, barrows, tumuli, stones, stone circles, crosses, churches built on pagan sites, legendary trees, castles, mottes and baileys, moats, hillforts, earthworks and holy wells were all thought to stand in alignment. Using the Ordnance Survey, Watkins claimed that the leys were the 'old straight tracks', which crossed the landscape of prehistoric Britain and represented all types of early human activities. Points where the ley energy paths intersect are said to be prone to anomalies such as earth lights and poltergeist phenomena and reported sightings of UFOs (one theory suggests that the paths are navigational aids to extraterrestrial spacecraft). These energy leys, however, do not necessarily coincide with physical alignments of sites. Despite the controversy ley researchers hope at least to come to a better understanding of ancient sacred sites, and of the people who built them.

Parapsychologists have found that many of the most famous poltergeist cases have happened at the intersection of two ley lines. These are said to be a network of earth energy lines that criss-cross the country. The prehistoric inhabitants of ancient Britain were supposedly aware of these lines of force and built their monuments on the most important concentrations of these fields. Stonehenge is a prime example.
The forces that use the ley lines are natural and supernatural. Some of the strange and supernatural events and forces associated with ley lines are The Wild Hunt, phantom animals (Black Dog), moving lights, ghosts, fairy processions, and as a flight path for witches. It is thought that the creators of the ley lines in each area may have used the ley lines in connection with astronomy, rituals, or calendars.
In some cultures the ley lines were to be used specifically for the dead to help them make their journey into the next life. In ancient times, people believed in the survival of the human spirit and it is believed that the ley system proves it. In Honaluba a small girl found herself alone on a known spirit path. She heard marching footsteps but when she turned, no one was there! Suddenly, she felt a hand push her from the path. Her parents explained to her that the path was for wondering souls and if she had remained in the path she would have died.
Ancient burial grounds were placed on ley lines. In Germany these are called Geisterwege (spirit ways); in Holland they are called Doodwegen (roads of the dead); and in England they are Dod or Dodman (dead man). One ley network involves the Foulford Inn Stone which is encircled by burial grounds connecting two cup-marked leys with a straight line through a man made cave and over a body of water. The Stone was placed above a major fault on the highland fault, north of Scotland. This is where Scotland pushes against the rest of the United Kingdom. This fault supplies the cup marked stone with its energies.
Another system involves a standing stone called the Phadruig (Patrick) near Balquhidder Church and is known as a very powerful cup marked ley. Tradition dictates that whenever someone dies, the mourners would have to carry the dead across the land to the stone where the coffin would be laid upon it so everyone could rest. In addition to this tradition, coffins were frequently carried along ley lines with hopes that the dead would find their way down the path.
For years, many have tried to solve the ley system to discover its purpose, why it exists, and who created it. This is difficult to discern as there is very little recorded about the ley system and few people seem interested in researching it scientifically. In the 1960's for example, the ley system became associated with UFO's. Even with the amazing discovery of the Nazca leys, very little has been done.
Spectral paths between cemeteries in Germany, for example, are known as
geister wegen. Cursuses, found between megalithic sites in Great Britain, were possibly
ancient, processional routes between places of burial. Of course, these pathways are
believed to be haunted.

“Corpse roads” were direct paths that the bodies of the deceased would be hauled down as
they were taken to the graveyard. They have also been called church ways, burial roads, and
coffin lines, spawning quite a bit of folklore about ghosts and spirits haunting these old
pathways.

In separate cases of haunting, it is well known that multiple witnesses occasionally report
seeing the same ghosts repeatedly walking the same paths over and over again. This leads
us to wonder if earthbound spirits also roam the routes between burial places? We would
have to assume it is possible. If ghosts from the past, who possibly haunt these trails, are
disrupted by people, buildings, etc, will they make their displeasure known? In other words, if
someone unknowingly builds a structure on one of these ancient paths, could they be
haunted by an angry ghost? It is possible. Could this explain why some ghosts, who might
believe they are still walking an old road, manifest through walls and other solid objects?
http://www.gothicimage.co.uk/books/leyhunter1.html
http://www.occultopedia.com/l/ley_lines.htm
http://www.psychics.co.uk/ghosts/leylines.html
http://www.spiritsociety.org/ghost.php?page=articles&article=leylines1.html http://www.angelsghosts.com/ghosts_ley_lines

Think your house is haunted?

2011-04-18T15:48:00.002-05:00

Think your House is haunted? What to do?               Segment 10

Are there odd things happening around you house or place of business? Objects moving, seeing people that aren’t there? There are some things to do to find out the truth.

First, don’t panic. Ghosts can not hurt you. There are no reason to fear them. They are just people or pets that have passed on.

Second, you should keep a detailed log of the happenings. Record the date, time, exact place, who was all there, did they witness, what happened, and any other information that is relevant.

Lastly you should contact a paranormal investigator. They will review your log, then determine if you need an investigation. A majority of the time there can be a logical explanation for the things you are experiencing. But other times, there isn’t. A paranormal group can help you decide if you actually have paranormal activity in your home/business or if it can be explained.

There are a few things to consider when picking a paranormal investigation group.
             1) How many years they have been in service performing paranormal investigations?
             2)What type of education and training do the group members have?
             3)Are they a scientific/technology based group? Or a spiritual/psychic group?
             4)What are their rules/requirements for coming to your home? (ex: a minimum of people in
             house during the investigation, no pets or animals around, can come during the week or weekends
            only, etc.)
             5)Will they give you a written report of their findings or just tell you?
             6)Do they charge for an investigation? (If a group is reputable they will not charge to investigate.
             Some may ask for a donation to help with operating and travels costs but should be willing to do the
             investigation without a donation).

To contact Riverbend Paranormal you can click here. We do not charge for any investigation we do.

EMF Detectors

2011-04-14T19:14:00.002-05:00

EMF Detectors Segment 9

An EMF meter is an instrument that reads the fluctuation in electromagnetic fields. You should always take EMF readings at various places throughout your investigation. The locations of power lines, appliances and other sources of electromagnetic fields are also taken into consideration. Most normal readings are in the range of 9.0 - 30.0 on the EMF meter. These are typical EMF readings in a home. Anything that registers in the 2.0 to the 7.0 ranges and cannot be traced to a source is in theory to be paranormal activity. An example of a source would be a computer. The closer you get to a natural source the higher the reading. A natural source should always appear in the same place and will not disappear. Those readings can be thrown out.

When you get a short EMF reading in the 2.0 – 7.0 range which you do not get again in the same location and you do not find a natural EMF source then you have a positive EMF reading. It is scientifically impossible for low level and moving electromagnetic fields to occur naturally, and alot of times we find these odd readings in areas where there is paranormal activity reported. It is in thoery that ghosts and the energy associated with them are the causes of these unexplainable EMF readings.

These are the types we use:

This is a digital EMF detector. I like this because of its ease to use and accuracy. This meter is sensative when tilted or moved too quickly so proper technique must be used in order to get an accurate reading. Downside is it doesnt have light so we mounted a led book light on ours.

Here is the K2. This is extremely easy to use but i dont think extremely accurate. It is nice to have the bright lights in case you want to leave it with a camera on it to detect major changes in an empty room. Alot of groups use this item as a communication device by asking an entity to light up the device on command. I personaly dont believe it to be useful in that department and have never witnessed a K2 to be capable of that. If you buy one make sure it has a button that locks or has a toggle switch so you dont have to jam a coin in the button.

This is the Mel-8704R. We are still experimenting with this item. It has a vibration mode that is insanely sensative. The tri-pod you can purchase with it is a must. It can detect the slightest vibration from 20 feet away or more. It can also measure EMF and temp. at the same time which is a first. The Mel has EMF burst mode, data logging ,and many other features as well.

This is the Tri-field Meter. This meter is the only one which combines magnetic, electric, and radio/microwave detectors in one package, so that the entire nonionizing electromagnetic spectrum is covered. To make a long story short it is horribly accurate and can correct itself if off tilt. Best for the money in my opinion.

Portals

2011-04-14T17:22:00.003-05:00

Portals segment 8

Portal are widely debated and yet much is known. Some ghost hunters believe that portals exist between the physical and spirit worlds. Portals would then act as a door for ghosts to cross over from the other side to the physical realm. Others believe portals to be doorways between the earth and other dimensions...even other worlds! Still, no one knows for sure if portals actually exist and if so, what they may be.

Many ghost hunters strongly believe that "vortexes" are evidence of portals. A vortex usually appears as a streak of white ectoplasm mist, and is typically confused with photos of mistakenly snapped camera straps in front of the lens.

Vortex (not rp's photo)

The idea of another dimension - or more than one other dimension - has been theorized for many years, and is a cornerstone of many religions. Indeed, even Albert Einstein speculated about the possibility of the existence of a parallel universe. A scientific article entitled "The Universe's Unseen Dimensions," released in August, 2000, postulates that we may actually have scientific proof of other dimensions within the next 10 years! Proof such as this will not only rock the scientific community, but will undoubtedly also shed new light on many currently unexplainable paranormal events.

It appears that portals are at fixed places all over the world, and that they don't move or drift from place to place. Whether new portals open up from time to time is unclear, but this definitely warrants further study. Controlled studies done around suspected portals have revealed that there are definite temperature fluctuations in the vicinity of the site. Photographs taken at suspected sites often produce amazing results, and reveal mists, orbs, light streaks, figures, and even saucer-shaped objects - all of which are unseen by the bystanders at the scene, though many do report feeling cold chills. People who are more sensitive report that they get a feeling of "magnetism" at suspected portal sites, and often report that they sense large numbers of entities passing back and forth - which is unusual in an ordinary haunting.

One might wonder why we, as humans, don't seem to be able to pass through these doorways into other dimensions. It appears that the reason is that we are hindered by our physical bodies. However, in meditation or an astral projection situation, it does seem that we may have the capabilities to pass through and explore these realms, and at this writing we are in the process of seeking out reports from people who think they have actually experienced this.

The idea of a "portal" or a "doorway" to another dimension is not a new one. Many researchers believe that there are places all over the world that serve as "doorways" from our world to another. These doorways are thought to provide access for entities to enter our world. They may be the spirits of people who have lived before, or they could be something else altogether. Some researchers even believe that they could be otherworldly beings from another dimension. If locations like this do exist and they are "doorways", isn't it an easy assumption to make that these spots could have been labeled as "haunted" over the years by people who have seen things near them that they couldn't explain? I believe this has probably happened quite often and these places didn't become "haunted" as other places do (through tragic events or death)..... these locations had already been that way for many, many years.

One of the most common locations for these "doorways" seem to be in cemeteries. Now, as a rule, most cemeteries are not haunted, but in the past few years, ghost hunters have collected dozens and dozens of anomalous photographs taken in cemeteries. There seems to be no explanation why many of these cemeteries would become haunted unless they provided access for spirits, or entities, to pass from one world to the next. Of course, some of the cemeteries are haunted in the traditional manner.... it's the ones that aren't which causes the puzzle. It is possible that these sites were "haunted" long before a cemetery was located there. It is possible that the psychic draw of the area was what caused our ancestors to locate a cemetery there in the first place. They may have felt there was something "sacred" or "spiritual" about the place and without realizing why, they placed a burial ground there and made it a protected place. The Native Americans chose their burial grounds in this manner, although they did it consciously. They found a place to bury and honor the dead which they felt was more closely connected to the next world. Many of these locations are now considered to be "haunted" or at least inhabited by spirits. Could our own ancestors have not chosen the sites for our own burial grounds in the same manner, albeit in an unconscious way? These "doorways" could be passages to the next world and the entities captured on film here could be the spirits of the dead... passing back and forth between two worlds..... or they could be something far stranger.

Ouija Boards

2011-04-14T17:19:00.004-05:00

Ouija Boards Segment 6

A Ouija board (pronounced "wee-gee" or "wee-ja" and possibly derived from the French and German words for "yes", oui and ja), also known as a spirit/fire key board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words 'yes' 'no' and 'goodbye', and other symbols and words are sometimes also added to help personalize the board. The Ouija board can supposedly be used to communicate with spirits of the dead. Although nobody knows where the idea for such a device came from, there are records of Ouija-like instruments being used in ancient China, Greece, Rome and many other countries. It uses a

planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood) or movable indicator to indicate the spirit's message by spelling it out on the board during a séance. The fingers of the séance participants are placed on the planchette, which then moves about the board to spell out words or become physically manifested. It has become a trademark that is often used generically

to refer to any talking board. (definition taken from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija )

There are some who believe that a Ouija board is just a fun toy. There are others who believe it can be a very dangerous tool. When using a Quija board you are opening yourself and your home up to a spirit. 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.

Here are some news articles about Quija board experiences.

Ouija Board Summons Demons

A simple Ouija board became a passport to Hell for a family that accidentally summoned a demon into their living room. "I thought it might have been the Devil himself," says John Ravens, father of the tormented family. "When it was over, we were all bleeding and had severe burn marks. Our living room was a disaster area."

"It was supposed to be a joke," says Gloria, the girl's mother. "We were going to make believe we were talking with the spirit world."

Little Lynda, her nine-year-old brother Ronald, and their parents gathered around the board for what they thought was going to be an evening of fun at their home in a Toronto, Canada suburb. "We were just playing around with it when suddenly the planchette that spells out answers began moving by itself," says John. "We were all scared, but then I thought maybe one of the kids was up to tricks. We started asking questions, and this spirit began speaking to us. "Then it asked if it could visit with us. By this time, I was sure someone was playing a joke, and I said yes," he adds.

That's when the nightmare began. "The demon appeared within seconds," says John. "It spun around the room overhead, laughing and cursing at us. "It was surrounded by a ring of fire and the room became so hot, it was like an inferno from Hell." The family describes the demon as red and black with scaly skin and horns. It also had giant bat wings. "Then it suddenly swooped down and attacked us," recalls John, horror flickering over his features. "It started biting each of us on the face and arms. "We tried getting up and running for the door, but every time we did, the creature started clawing us. It was so fast, we couldn't escape from it."

Lynda and brother Ronald were picked up repeatedly and hurled across the room. As they lay helplessly on the floor, the creature pounded on their chests and heads. "It had hooves that dug into my children's faces and skin, marking them badly," says Gloria. The attack lasted for more than an hour before the horrifying demon vanished as quickly as it first appeared. The children were screaming and crying as John pulled them out of the house and drove to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for cuts and burns.Ouija Board's

Evil Spell Still Lives in Our House

(National Examiner, 31787 by Robert Stamper)

I invited a foul horror into my house with a Ouija board. My brother and I got no results when we started to use the psychic device, but suddenly the message indicator mysteriously began to move. The first thing the board told us was that the message was being sent by Seth. Then I made the tragic mistake of telling the board to prove it was real by doing something supernatural. The results were startling and scary. The board told us that the grandfather of one of my best friends would die in a week. The chandelier in the room began to shake violently and the chimes rang like pieces of metal being smashed together. The room became as cold as ice and we were shivering, though the thermometer read 70 degrees. The horrible stench of death filled the room and we couldn't stop gagging and coughing.

Suddenly, the noises stopped and the room was as quiet as a cemetery in the middle of the night. My brother and I looked at each other in terror. We opened the windows to get rid of the stink or rotting flesh and told each other we'd forget the whole thing. But a week later the grandfather of one of my best friends died just as the board has predicted! And from time to time the chandelier would rattle, the room freeze and that awful smell return. I couldn't take it any more. I threw the board away and told my mother about the experience. She told me that once you tamper with a Ouija board, its evil spell will remain forever. And to this day, those terrifying tremors shake the house and the stench of death fills the room.

Here is a link to a site that collects Ouija board stories. www.freakiest.ouijastories.ever.com/

We do not recommend anyone “plays” with a Ouija board.

(The Sun, 12986)