The Not So Normal

The Oblong Table Session continued...

2012-03-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Did you tune in last Tuesday March 27th for our oblong table session? Here are some last minute thoughts from those that sat in...

Brian Easterwood: I don't like the direction that the field has taken on the aspect of women. There are big headed ones and ones threatening violence against others, and then the whole panty thing. It is sad to see when there are many women working hard in the field and doing positive things and having to battle the labels that these low class people are putting out there.

Bryan Whatley: I guess nothing really surprises me anymore about people and what they are willing to do..... life was, is, and will be so 'to each their own'. There is one thing about commercialism; even though someone makes a product, you don't have to buy it.

Anita Brown: One thing I didn't get to address on the show as much as I would have liked to is that beyond the disgust of selling used panties, the size thing really bothers me. There are huge problems with teens and young women regarding image in our society. Many of them feel that in order to be considered beautiful, attractive, sexy, or worthy that they must be stick thin to be so. This is absolutely NOT the case!!! When women promote the idea that one must be in a certain small size range (that can be unheathy for many) to be acceptable, this promotes eating disorders, crash dieting, and even drug use that sometimes lead to death. This in and of itself is not a view that belongs in a field full of beautiful, smart, talented women of many shapes and sizes!

Special Guest Hilary Scales: What has this field come to? What is next, para-prostitution??? I do have to say that I think that this idea regarding the panties and calendars is a huge discredit to this field and I strongly feel that if this is done it opens the door to rapists, child molesters and the kind of people we try to stay away from. I do not want these types of men coming to our events because it poses more danger to women in the field.

If you missed the Oblong Table session and would like to hear it, you can download the archive here and listen in http://www.nightwatchuniverse.com/pcradio/pcradio-03-27-12.mp3:

For more sessions like these and interviews with special guests, tune into ParaChallenged Radio every Tuesday from 8pm to 10 pm EST at http://parachallengedradio.com

BOOK REVIEW: The Strong Witch Society: A strong message for us all

2011-08-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

by Anita Brown

The Strong Witch Society: Volume One of The Diary of Mary Bliss Parsons by D.H. Parsons is on the surface an amazing tale of one man's experiences with the paranormal, but as the pages turn, it also turns out that it goes well beyond that.

Mary Bliss Parsons was tried for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials in 1675. With her freedom purchased by her husband Joseph, she was aquitted but lived the life of an outcast, many having believed the accusations against her. Nine generations later, her descendant D.H. Parsons begins receiving communication from Mary, and what she has to tell him is beyond anything you could ever imagine.

As the book progresses, Mary is going into much detail with D.H. regarding not only her true history and story, but about what lies on the other side and what it means to us as people and as a planet. With many details about our creator, how we are doing versus how we are expected to do, where true evil comes from, and where we are headed, this book goes well beyond a ghost story into a guide on how we as humans should treat each other and even how we should view religion itself. Regardless of what one's beliefs are, this is a must read on how we humans as a whole have used and abused not only each other, but the world in which we were given to occupy during our time that we live in this form. It describes not only a much bigger picture than our day to day lives to consider, but a way to apply our lives here to something greater.

As for the other message that lies within the books pages, it seems that Mary is not alone in what she really is, and that there are others like herself and the author that are meant to step forward and begin taking necessary steps to save our world, our vital place to come for an existance or ten to learn lessons that are invaluable to our soul, before it is too late.

One note to the readers: This book has never been marketed as fiction, and I personally do not believe that it could be. I do believe that while D.H. is the catalyst here that puts pen to paper, the true words spoken in this book and the knowledge within them are received from Mary Bliss Parsons herself, and no amount of creativity could possibly have made them otherwise. But that is really not the point. Whether you are able to view this man's story as fact, or wish to deem it as fiction, the underlying message in it cannot be missed. Regardless of whether you choose to call it a message from the divine or the moral of the story, either way, it is something we should all hear. And, as the author points out, those that read her words and know them as truth that need to find this book, will in fact know...

The Strong Witch Society can be ordered at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984629734 . Be sure to tune in Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 8 pm EST and catch D.H. Parsons, following another very special guest, Geoffrey Faulkner!! Just go to http://parachallengedradio.com and be sure to bring your questions to the chat!

Paranormal, Supernatural, or Perfectly Natural?

2011-08-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

by Anita Brown

Paranormal and supernatural are two very common terms that are quite often both used to describe the same things. But how many of us know what these terms really mean, and how are they different? My title at Examiner.com is the Paranormal Examiner, and today, that is literally what I am going to do.

Paranormal is generally defined by most sources as phenomena that is "beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation".

Supernatural is defined as anything above or beyond what one holds to be natural and exists outside natural law and the observable universe.

On the surface these two definitions seem to be very similar, but they aren't. One states that it is only outside of scientific explanation (and I would take this to mean current scientific explanation), while the other states that it is above and beyond what is natural, period.

Science tends to naturalize things, using a process known as methodological naturalism, and categorizes all that cannot be investigated empirically as nonexistent. When looking at mainstream science and the methods used, it would seem that to ever prove that either the paranormal or the supernatural are real is a waste of time and effort. I believe this to be true regarding the supernatural. It's definition alone should tell us all that it is a term we should refrain from using at all. But is using the word paranormal doing us any favors?

There is another, lesser used form of naturalism called metaphysical naturalism, and I believe that proving the existence of the paranormal is not only a valid use of our time in attempting to do so, but also quite possible.

"Metaphysical naturalism, or ontological naturalism, is a world view and belief system that holds that there is nothing but natural things, forces, and causes of the kind studied by the natural sciences, i.e. those required to understand our physical environment and having mechanical properties amenable to mathematical modeling. Metaphysical naturalism holds that all concepts related to consciousness or to the mind refer to entities which are reducible to or supervene on natural things, forces and causes. More specifically, it rejects the objective existence of any supernatural thing, force or cause, such as occur in humanity’s various religions, as well as any form of teleology. It sees all 'supernatural' things as explainable in purely natural terms. It is not merely a view about what science currently studies, but also about what science might discover in the future."

Note that metaphysical naturalism rejects the existence of the supernatural, but not the paranormal. Remember, the supernatural is the one that is above and beyond what is natural, period. The definition also states that this is a view of not only what we currently know, but what we have yet to discover. I believe that this would include the paranormal.

If we were to apply metaphysical naturalism to our investigation and research, if we look within the natural for explanations of everything, not just everything that we can explain at this moment, I believe we will find the answers and the proof that we are looking for.

What if everything we find on an investigation has a natural explanation? The thump in the wall caused by a loose pipe has a natural explanation that we already know, we don't need to find and prove it. But what if the EVP clip has a natural explanation as well? What if the phantom touch on the arm has a perfectly natural explanation? What if that which we call ghost, spirit, intelligent being, inhuman being, soul, all have natural explanations that we just have to find?

If we were to all let go of the idea of the "supernatural" and "paranormal" for a moment, and look at all that is natural before us, it is possible to find exactly how these unknown entities work and exist. There was a time when magnets were thought of to be magic. We all know now that magnetism is a perfectly natural occurrence. But someone had to take those natural things around us and unlock the combination of that which is natural of this earth and universe to find out what made those magnets work.

I believe that everything we learn within science should be a building block for what we do not yet know. We all spend so much of our time trying to document apparitions, capture EVP clips, have realtime communication...we think we are gathering proof, but the bottom line is that all we are proving is that there is something out there that we have no proof of, and we accomplish nothing but offering up yet another video/photo/audio clip for the hardcore skeptics to have a field day with. Without knowing what these things really are and what they are really caused by, we know absolutely nothing other than we have a bunch of interesting pictures and other data to argue over.

What if instead, we were to look more at what it is that already exists on this earth that these beings are made of? What if we were to look at what we experience as the natural, and not the supernatural, as the normal, and not the paranormal, and focus on deciphering what causes the appearance of a ghost the same way that men once deciphered what caused the stars to move in the sky each night?

Humans have DNA, atoms and molecules, water and matter, all within us. So does every other living creature on the planet, but it is the combination of those things that make each creature unique. These are all physical things that we know to exist, as well. But there are plenty of unseen things that we know to exist on this planet as well. There is gravity, electromagnetic energy, the atmosphere, the heliosphere, even the air..they are all unseen and accepted by science.

So what combination of these and/or other unseen forces that we already know exist are causing what we have come to call paranormal activity? And if we find this combination, does that negate that what we are experiencing is caused by something outside of what we previously knew, that is an intelligent and separate being? Not necessarily. All that it negates is that it is unknown or not normal.

The ParaChallenged Recap -- Paul Dale Roberts and Brad Lane

2011-07-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

by Anita Brown

July 26th's guests both proved to be amazing individuals that have contributed much to the paranormal field.

Paul Dale Roberts has written around 500 articles regarding the paranormal, and we aren't just talking ghosts, folks. Having worked for the United States government, Paul's interest in the paranormal has developed to cover all aspects, from spirit activity to ufology and everything in between, earning him the title of being a true Fortean investigator.

Paul talked with our hosts about subjects such as spirit activity investigations he has done (including a report of the ghost of Michael Jackson), what got him started in the paranormal field, Area 51, crop circles, and much much more. For more information on Paul Roberts and his writing, please visit http://forums.jazmaonline.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2566.

Brad Lane of Spokane Paranormal Team has done much in the development of new equipment in the paranormal field. The go-to guy of the tech side has made himself known, ladies and gentlemen.

Brad discussed wide spectrum lights, emf/voice activated microphones that he has worked on along side Robb Demarest, and other interesting facets of his experimentation with equipment. Using a negative ion generator? Brad has gotten more results with a positive ion generator. How about those black lights? Activity is discouraged by these. You'll definitely want to listen to this show and take notes as Brad shares his tips and knowledge with us all.

Archives of ParaChallenged Radio are available at http://jackaloperadio.com.

Be sure to tune in every Tuesday night at 7 pm CST/8 pm EST to listen to more great guests and subject matter, and join us in chat to ask your questions! Just come tohttp://parachallengedradio.com. We'll see you soon...

FREE Ticket Giveaway -- Attend the MidSouth Paranormal Convention!!

2011-06-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

ParaChallenged Radio has 5 tickets left to the MidSouth Paranormal Convention to give away, and you could be one of the lucky winners! Here's how...

Send an email with the subject line "Send Me To MidSouth!!" to parachallengedradio@live.com. Be sure to include your full name and phone number. A drawing will be held on Wednesday 6/29/11 and the tickets will be given to the first five names drawn*. Get your email sent NOW!!

If you're not a winner in the drawing, don't worry--it is not too late to purchase tickets and attend! For more information on the MidSouth Paranormal Convention, guest list, and to purchase tickets, please visit http://msp.louisvilleghs.com/midsouth/2011/admission.html.

*(One ticket per entry, one entry per person, on winner per household. Members of ParaChallenged/Jackalope Radio productions not eligible)

The ParaChallenged Recap -- Darren Evans and the ZoZo phenomena

2011-06-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

by Anita Brown

Having read much of the information on Darren's website, I was really looking forward to last night's show, and I was not disappointed!!

The ZoZo phenomena, and Ouija boards in general, is a controversial subject that much of the paranormal field is divided on. Many people don't believe that there is any truth behind talk of the Ouija being dangerous, and do not believe in entities such as ZoZo existing.

Darren Evans' experiences with the board and the spirit that comes from it named ZoZo lead him into a lifelong quest to find the truth behind this phenomena. Truth, however, is a little difficult to discern when it comes to the paranormal. Does Darren have all of the answers? Not yet, and he is the first to tell you that he is no expert, he doesn't know all of the facts, and he may never know them but it is amazing just how much about this phenomena he DOES know.

Here are some facts that we do have regarding ZoZo:

It is a world wide phenomena, happening to people from many different cultures, religions, and backgrounds. The common factor is not in the people, but in the manner in which ZoZo contacts them.

In a book written in 1906, ZoZo is described as a demon, being one and the same as Pazuzu, the Assyrian-Chaldean god that appears in the movie The Exorcist.

The ZoZo entity has made many predictions of future events that have come to fruition.

There are many other facts about the ZoZo phenomena, along with other accounts of experiences with ZoZo that can be found at Darren's Blogspot page, http://zozotheouijaspirit.blogspot.com/

Darren had two hours with our hosts to discuss this phenomena, and he was a wonderful guest full of information, opinions, and most importantly, honesty. Darren also talked about how he has been treated in some instances regarding his opinions on “Mr.Z” as he calls him, and the Ouija Board phenomena that revolves around the letter Z. Criticism has been high, yet he continues on, documenting everything he finds, fining commonalities among them that many others may have missed, and researching for other instances of ZoZo in history.

Many have accused him of being obsessed...if that is the case, then I ask you all, are we not ALL obsessed? Do we not all continue, investigation after investigation, book after book and article after article read, data after data analyzed, to research the area of paranormal that we are interested in, in constant search of answers? Most of us prefer to call ourselves 'passionate' or 'determined'. Most of us say we are not willing to give up. I ask why should Darren be any different? I also ask how any of us can claim to know things about this phenomena that Darren doesn't until we have put the hours into it that he has? Some things to think about...

If you have experienced ZoZo or any other Z entity, or happen to come across a case involving this phenomena, feel free to contact Darren, he is more than willing to help. And try to have an open mind. :)

To download the archive of this show, click here: Parachallenged Radio - 06-21-11

Archives of ParaChallenged Radio are available at http://jackaloperadio.com.

Be sure to tune in every Tuesday night at 7 pm CST/8 pm EST to listen to more great guests and subject matter, and join us in chat to ask your questions! Just come to http://parachallengedradio.com. We'll see you soon...

Low to High Oscillation Theory

2011-06-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Many people have asked me why spirits put off electromagnetic energy. Many investigators use EMF detectors to pick up on the presence of spirits, and have even used them to get yes and no answers to questions presented to these unseen entities. The answer isn’t easy, and a lot of research has been needed.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum is made up of several different types of waves. In order from longest wavelength to shortest, they are radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, thevisible spectrum (light),ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays. Electromagnetic waves can be measured by their wave length, their energy type, and their frequency. The shorter the wavelength on the spectrum, the higher the frequency.

To apply the Electromagnetic Spectrum to spirit activity to produce the following theory, we must look at temperature and light to understand manifestation. Longer wavelengths produce heat, shorter wave lengths are cool. When a spirit manifests, the longer wavelengths (lower frequencies) are used to take in energy. The spirit is then able to convert the electromagnetic radiation into shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) and put them back out to produce an effect that is detectable by us or our equipment.

So how does this affect our investigation techniques? As I stated in my last article, to use the right kind of light is extremely important. Through trial and error, it seems that the best light to use is on the lower end of the visible spectrum. This would be red light. Although infrared is a longer wavelength, it is also a hotter one, most likely too hot for the spirit to effectively be able to manipulate. To send out the shorter wavelengths/higher frequencies is going to have a reverse effect on the spirit’s capability to convert that energy and manifest. Once we have left the visible spectrum on this end and have gone into the ultraviolet radiation, this might possibly damage or “hurt” the spirit’s own electromagnetic “balance” as I’ll call it.

What is this balance? An electromagnetic wave is a never ending process, as an oscillating electric field generates an oscillating magnetic field, the magnetic field in turn generates an oscillating electric field, and so on. Together, these oscillating fields are what form an electromagnetic wave. This rhythm is changed with the different levels of wavelength and frequency. Based on investigative experience and research, spirits operate on a long-to-short wave oscillation. Spirits are made up of electromagnetic energy. In order to do things, they must be able to take long wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum to add to their own field. This now gives them more long waves than short ones. Next, they transform the extra long wavelengths into shorter wavelengths. As the extra shorter wavelengths are then released back into the environment, what we call a manifestation occurs. We see or hear what the entity has sent out, and the entity is then returned to the balance of its own field.

Quite commonly, when paranormal activity occurs, many investigators will find that their batteries are drained, the lights will dim, they may feel weak or tired, all just before a manifestation occurs. This is the spirit taking the longer hotter wavelengths. Next, during or just after a manifestation, there will be an extremely cold area found or a breeze felt. This is the spirit putting the shorter cooler wavelengths back out. All forms of manifestation tend to start on the lower end of the spectrum. For example, amazing results in spirit communication have been achieved with using “ghost boxes”, which is thought to be the spirit manipulating the radio waves.

Radio waves are on the low end of the electromagnetic spectrum, which already gives spirits an edge. Within the radio waves we find the noise spectrum. My experience with the ghost box has been more specifically with what is known in the field as the ‘Radio Shack Hack”. The Shack Hack operates by removal of the pin that mutes the signal to keep it in one place, allowing the radio to randomly sweep the AM or FM bands. All of the success my team has had has been with the AM band, and we have found the FM band to be completely useless. The AM band also happens to be on the lower end of the electromagnetic spectrum.

As the radio sweeps, this generates what is called white noise. In the noise spectrum, white noise encompasses the entire noise spectrum. This provides both a low and high frequency of noise to be used. If the spirits take in the low frequencies for use, and then put out the higher frequencies for manifestation, white noise would be the platform to do this on, allowing both the frequency needed to provide the entity with the extra lower frequencies, and the frequency needed to communicate their voice manifestations back to us in the form of the extra higher frequencies so that we may hear them. This is also why many investigators have success when using white noise generators while recording audio. This provides a platform of frequencies for communication to occur on and be recorded. There are several other “colors” on the noise spectrum, which all need to be experimented on as well, and we will be running several experiments to see which, if any, may provide better or different platforms for electronic voice phenomena to occur, but with the theory of the low-to-high oscillation, white noise does indeed fit as the best platform to use.

After all of the trial and error presented here within investigative research, the question still remains as to what exactly is there scientifically to support the low-to-high oscillation theory? The answer is the Doppler Effect.

In order for us to be able to detect a manifestation when it is made up of shorter wavelengths, these wavelengths have to be able to move toward us in order to become clear enough for us to see. The Doppler Effect is the change in frequency due to the motion of the wave source and/or the observer. If both the source and the observer are stationary, the frequency is going to remain unchanged, for example if the source sends out one wave per second, the observer will receive one wave per second. However, if the source begins to move closer to the observer, these waves are going to come faster and faster and become shorter as the distance closes. If the source is moving away, the waves are going to become longer.

When the Doppler Effect is applied to the electromagnetic spectrum (light) and the theory presented here on paranormal activity, if the spirit moves away from the observer, the longer waves are going to be generated. Generally, we all know that the farther away something is, the more difficult it becomes to see or hear. If the spirit moves closer, the waves are going to become shorter. These short waves are what is going to make up any manifestation that occurs, and is, of course, easier to see if it is allowed to move toward us. To introduce short waves of light is going to have a reverse effect on what the spirit is trying to accomplish, causing us to become the manifestation instead of what the spirit is putting out, due to the fact that we are putting out more short waves than the spirit is. We will have become the source, and the spirit will have become the observer. For the oscillation to occur correctly to create the best conditions for manifestation, only long waves must be sent out by us to provide some light with which we or our equipment can see, if we put out any waves at all. This allows the spirit to move closer, pushing out the short waves that create the manifestation.

The Doppler Effect also applies to the use of white noise. White noise is made up of random frequencies that comprise the entire noise spectrum. It is impossible to measure the shifts in frequencies within white noise, because there is no ordered spectrum to use. Although the frequencies are random, the presence of the entire noise spectrum provides the different levels of frequencies needed for the Doppler Effect to occur. This would allow the spirit to take the random lower frequencies from within the noise spectrum and then move the sounds closer to us with the higher frequencies, all within the same platform. The presence of the entire noise spectrum also provides the spirit with every level of frequency needed to produce different sounds that are combined to form words. Just how these sounds come out more than likely rely on the entity’s thought forms that retain information as to how their voices sounded when emanating from their vocal chords during their physical existence.

Exactly how does a spirit retain memories and thought forms? In a live human body, brain activity creates electromagnetic energy. This energy then creates imprints in the brain that we experience as trauma, pain, thoughts, and memory. This electromagnetic energy can be measured scientifically with an electroencephalogram (EEG). When we look at quantum mechanics, energy cannot cease to exist, it can only change forms. When the body dies, the electromagnetic energy cannot cease to exist, therefore it has only changed forms. A spirit that is made of the electromagnetic energy field that existed in the body in human form will retain the imprints that the energy field created. The more we are able to understand all aspects of the electromagnetic spectrum, the closer to finding the answers as to how paranormal activity occurs we get.

Paranormal Journalist- Anita Whitt Brown

Common Sense in Paranormal Investigation

2011-06-10T09:22:00.001-07:00

How can common sense factor into paranormal investigations? What role does common sense play? In what aspects of investigating the unknown are the most important?
According to Dictionary.com the definition of common sense is, sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.

Now that we have the definition of common sense, we can factor into an investigation in several ways. The first and foremost application of common sense needs to be in safety. Always know your location. Scouting a location prior to the investigation will reveal hazards in the daytime hours that will help you navigate around them during investigations that take place after dark.

The second way common sense can factor into an investigation is research. Researching a location's history, including the land it stands on, is an important way to clue in on what type of activity may be taking place there. Your research could likely indicate tragedies that occurred, sacred burial grounds, or different topographical ingredients that may play a role in residual hauntings. It has been theorized that limestone, quartz, and magnetite, can help events leave an imprint, much like that of a tape recorder recording, that plays back in the present world.

Common sense needs to be present during investigations in documentation. Documenting start times, end times, temperature, barometric pressure, moon phases, dew points, and current weather conditions are all important factors in backing any evidence you may leave the location with, whether they be photographs, video evidence, electronic voice phenomena (EVP). These factors, if documented may also guide you in further investigations when trying to recreate captured evidence in the same location at a later date.

Common sense should tell us to be aware of our surroundings when taking photographs. Paying attention to light sources that can create shadows can keep you from thinking you've captured a shadow spirit, when what you've actually captured is just the shadow of an object. Dirt, bugs, and dust particles reflect light sources which are often mistakenly categorized as orbs, unexplained balls of energy. Taking pictures in reflective surfaces can sometimes cause false positives. If a reflective surface has dirt, grime, film, or dust particles on it, your photo may show an anomaly, but an explainable one.

Using common sense in dealing with a location, and it's owner/s is key to the field. Treating locations with respect reflects well on your team and the paranormal community as a whole. Don't litter, don't vandalize, and don't steal.

Common sense helps us rule out the explainable from the unexplainable, but also helps us to maintain good relations with homeowners, business owners, and the land owners that come to us for answers whey they are experiencing the unexplained.

Let's Talk About Shadow People: Are They Getting A Bad Rap?

2011-06-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

They are commonly regarded in modern folklore and paranormal popular culture as malicious or evil spirits. Why? Are they two dimensional beings?

Well, no one really knows for sure. Some believe that because they appear dark that they are associated with evil. Many have encountered them in various locations, at various times of both the day and night time hours. Some reports indicate encounters that were neither menacing or frightening, they just went about what it is they do. Another report came from an investigator who encountered a shadow person that charged at her during an investigation, stopping within only inches of her face, obviously frightening her.

Are they aggressive entities? Most would say yes, some would say no. Are they as most animals in nature, more scared of us then we are of them? I don't know, but I can say that incidents involving shadow people can be quite disturbing.

Does their darkness indicate relation to dark forces, or is it just our perception? Reports of encounters remain frequent, so hopefully, some theories either proving or disproving not only their existence, but their classification can be determined at some point down the line.

Have you had a shadow person encounter? Feel free to share in the comments section!!

A Review Of Haunted Collector's Premiere Show

2011-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 1, 2011 on SyFy

The show started out with John Zaffis's opening dialogue equalling a shortened, and very condensed version of his history in the paranormal community. After a brief team introduction, they proceeded to the first case at the Wilder House, in Lake Charles Louisiana where there were reports of typical haunting symptoms. John focused on a doll and a painting as possibly haunted objects while conducting the day time walk through. During that time baseline EMF's (Electromagnetic Field) and EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) sessions were done in which one voice was captured in response to a question.

One thing I found refreshing was the statement that spirits are around 24/7, including during the day. The team's Brian Cano did unearth a box with containing a pistol from underneath the home while investigating a cold spot on the kitchen floor. It lead John to ask if it was the possible cause of the disturbances in the home, so he took it to the Lake Charles Gun Club to see if they could help him find out the type of pistol. It was determined to be an English manufactured pistol dating back to the 1950's.

John has over 1000 items in his haunted museum, and the pistol found during the investigation has now taken up residence among his other haunted objects.

The second case was at the Deep River Public Library in Connecticut. The children that frequent the library are fearful, and the team is eager to help out. Experiences range from reports of a female figure on the stairs, to something rushing past people that use the library. The focus begins on artifacts on the main library floor. The first object is an old stove, then in the attic there is an old typewriter (Dating back to 1914) that is heard clicking away from downstairs. In the basement there were reports of talking coming from 2 stone blocks on the floor.

The initial sweep starts with EMF readings to find spikes, of which there weren't until the attic was investigated, and the non electrical typewriter was found to be giving off EMF, which shouldn't be possible. It was interesting to see their approach to the situation. The old school methods of hanging ropes from the ceiling to show paranormal movement on video are refreshing, especially if there is no breeze.

It was deducted that the typewriter may be the property of the original owner of the building, and may be the subject of the attachment. It now resides in John's haunted object museum. The activity reportedly calmed down two months after the typewriter's removal.

I am hoping that this show remains "real", and that it is an asset to the Paranormal Community as a whole.

In my opinion, the Haunted Collector is the equivalent of American Pickers meets the Paranormal, and I look forward to future episodes.

Tuesday, May 31st 2011 ParaChallenged Radio Welcomes Paranormal Boot Camp Events Director Syd Schultz & PRISMd Chief Investigator Jim Jones!!

2011-05-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great time talking with both Syd Schultz, and Jim Jones on ParaChallenged Radio!! Syd has been investigating for approximately 6 years, and has been influential in the TAPS Family as the former Western United States Liaison, as well as being a teammate of the West Coast TAPS team. He has investigated with both Ghost Adventures and Ghost Lab television teams, and has appeared on episodes of those shows.

Syd currently restarted The Paranormal Boot Camp, which is an all inclusive look into methods used for Paranormal Investigations. All levels of investigator have attended the Boot Camp, from newbies to the more seasoned team. Knowledge available to those who attend range from how to start a team, to proper use of field equipment and so much more. Syd will even show you how to go about obtaining a business license, and show you how to submit the proper forms for a 501(c) 3. You'll get a first hand look at standard operating procedures, and protocols, as well as how to conduct a client interview, how to screen Psychics and Sensitives, and so much more!

Syd is the Director/Founder of City Of Angels Paranormal, and though he has had and intense experience, his approach to the paranormal is more of a technical/skeptical angle. Rational explanations are searched out first, and the main team goal is in providing assistance to those in need.

If you would like more information on opportunities to attend The Paranormal Boot Camp Events that Syd puts on in various reportedly haunted locations across California, you can go to www.ParanormalBootCampEvents.com!! Tell Syd ParaChallenged Radio sent ya!!

In the second half we had the pleasure of talking with Jim Jones who is the Founder and Chief Investigator of PRISMd, the Paranormal Research And Investigation Society Of Maryland. www.PRISMd.net Jim has many stories of his experiences with the paranormal, and his approach is that of what he does for a living- Law Enforcement. His investigative skills are similar to that of criminal investigations. He, and his Case Manager Rie Sadler were recently featured May 6, 2011 on a great episode of The Haunted on the Animal Planet Channel. The case involved a family that was being attacked by vampires, not the blood sucking type, or even the Twilight tween type, but by a psychic vampire. Psychic vampires literally thrive on negative energy, and can drain it's victims as well as others in the family.

Jim is very knowledgeable about Gettysburg, as well as the history of locations in Maryland. He has much insight from a law enforcement stand point on vandalism, and breaking and entering for the sake of paranormal investigations.

You can expect to hear more from Jim Jones on ParaChallenged Radio in the near future, he's an awesome interview, and has much more to share!!

The Paranormal- from Taboo to Mainstreet

2011-05-31T12:53:00.001-07:00

Anyone who was experiencing any type of unexplained phenomena prior to 2004, would have also experienced difficulty in discussing the strange, and bizarre events with, well, anyone.

Imagine you, personally, were hearing strange noises. Perhaps, sounds of footsteps when you knew no one else was "physically" there. Picture setting an object down in one location, and finding it in an entirely different location moments later, when no one else was home. Unsettling, you bet.

Prior to the paranormal becoming a mainstream, weekly TV show, would you have been able to discuss these events with friends, and family without feeling like you were going a tad bit, crazy? It's unlikely.

The paranormal field has blossomed from a taboo subject, into a full blown media, television & movie firestorm. The spirits of those who cannot rest are helping many cash in on what is yet to be accepted by the scientific community.

Some shows have possibly incited many to start attending organized religion to protect themselves from the demons they insist are prevalent in many episodes. Other shows are a little more slow paced, and seem to have evolved as much as the equipment they use, which could mean either way; too much, or too little.

As the days progress, I believe we'll see more, and more paranormal activity on television, and in the movies. I see this as both a blessing, and a curse. The blessing is, it has opened up the possibility of dialog in regards to the unexplained, but it can also damage paranormal field by possibly contaminating the credibility of those who are legitimately searching for answers to the afterlife; depending on how it is presented.

In today's day of paranormal openness, if you or someone you know are experiencing the unexplained, there are many reputable teams available to guide, counsel, and help. Look at websites carefully, if they are charging a fee, they aren't legit. Please keep that in mind when Googling paranormal investigators in your area.

Seeing Symbolic Elevens- What Does it Mean?

2011-05-31T12:52:00.001-07:00

Seeing Symbolic Elevens

Perhaps you've heard of others describing their bizarre experiences with the number 11, or you've seemingly found yourself finding the number eleven turning up at the oddest of times. The frequency in which you encounter this number leaves you baffled as to what it is supposed to mean to you.

In my case, the number 11 makes it's appearance usually at the oddest times. I'll ask what time it is from someone near by, and I'll hear something:11 O'clock. If I happen to glance at the time and it's eleven after the hour, I have noticed that it seems to be the longest minute ever; until it changes to 12 minutes after the hour, but I can't look away until it does.

Reading the newspaper, the number 11 seems to pop right off the page as if begging me to see it. What does it mean? It seems to come to me more so in times of high stress, anxiety, or turmoil. Am I to assume as some would have me believe that it is my guardian angel communicating with me? Or, perhaps it's something sinister? Or, is it that 1, 11, 11:11 or any series of 1 is the most recognizable to the human mind?

Many people have developed their own theories regarding this phenomena/coincidence, I however, have begun to document what is going on in my life at the time of the elevens. I would like to find out if there is any correlation whatsoever between periods of angst, and the seeming common 11's seen within that time.

If I've done the math correctly there is a one out of sixty chance of the clock in particular, arriving at any certain minute. If I look at the clock three to four times an hour, it shouldn't be possible to see 11 minutes after the hour that many times in a day.

On 11/11/10 of this year I without looking at the clock got ready for bed, when I laid down and looked at the clock it was 11:11 on 11/11 I was floored! I did not do it intentionally.

So what is this? Phenomenon or coincidence? Thousands of people are experiencing this same 11 question. Is the number 11 a call to our psyche to wake up? Wake up to what? A higher calling? A greater purpose? Is this notification of the end of times? Bible prophecies? Could it be in relation to the Mayan calendar?

Is it just our innate ability for pattern recognition? Or billions of Celestial beings here to guide us?

Personally I feel slightly comforted by seeing them, it is almost as if someone is trying to tell you something. What that something is I have yet to figure out, but will be keeping my sightings documented, and hopefully that will guide me to a better understanding of when they occur the most.

My Personal Paranormal Experience

2011-05-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were both what you could call "healthy skeptics" and pretty much paranormal non believers until we moved into our former home of 8 years. The general uneasiness of the place upon moving in was more than obvious, to me anyway. Upon moving in and setting up the children in their rooms, and us in ours, it was pretty much life as usual; or so I thought. I recall being in my bedroom working at my desk, and out of my peripheral vision seeing a black figure pacing back and forth slowly from the front door to my daughter's bedroom. It appeared to be a female dressed in antique dress, something that would have been the norm for the late 1800's to early 1900's. I never mentioned these incidents to anyone, as I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, or new house jitters. I had also encountered unexplained balls of light that would flit around the room, and from time to time over my hand on my computer mouse. That lead me to believe I needed to have my blood pressure checked. I rationalized it in my mind over and over again considering all possible, reasonable, and logical explanations.

It really wasn't until one particular night we all sat down for supper, and our daughter 3 at the time, asked rather bluntly, "see the lady up there Mommy?" I looked up, looked at her, looked at my husband who was also looking up, he looked at me and we both looked up again. Not seeing anything, I asked her where is the lady now? She proceeded to tell me that the lady was sitting on the counter. I looked over at the counter area, and saw nothing, I looked at my husband he was looking too, and we again looked at each other, while trying to maintain what composure we had left after that hair raising experience. There have been too many things that have happened there to dismiss them all as "normal", believe me he'd have been the first to look into how and why.

I was awoken by my husband early one Easter morning by his eager prompting of me to get up and take a look in the kitchen. There were two chairs that were moved out away from the table, perfectly placed next to each other in the middle of the kitchen as if two people had been sitting there side by side, we joked, if we came back from Easter dinner and the chairs were stacked on the table as they were in the movie Poltergeist, we were outta there.

Our daughter befriended the lady for quite some time, getting irritated with me if I went in her room to check on her, because the lady would go away. I'd asked her many times where the lady went when I came in, and I always received the same answer, to the "spacement" (That's basement in 3 year old lingo) I would then ask her how the lady went to the basement and she always pointed to her closet. That went on for quite some time, until one night we had some friends over, and we were laughing and talking, when all of a sudden we heard her scream then start to cry, she had been sound asleep. We all went running in there to find a very obvious red mark on her face, and her screaming, "the lady hit me!" repeatedly. We calmed her down, our friends were rather unnerved as we had had made the mistake of telling them what had been happening there since we moved in, and they left, rather quickly. The next day I went to our minister and told him what had been happening, and he agreed to come over and bless the house. He too had the same uneasy feeling, that by then we had become somewhat accustomed to. He talked with our daughter without us in the room, and came out to tell us that at 3 years old she had way too much detail to be lying as 3 year olds aren't capable of forming such an elaborate lie, and went on to bless the house; room by room.

In the front entrance is a small door that lead to the basement, it was always near that door that I had felt the most uncomfortable, I followed him down those steep, small stairs and he found it intensely discerning as he neared the bottom step, he told me he felt as if there was an electrical current holding him back. We still said a prayer while on the stairs but never went totally into the basement. Let's just say I didn't go down there unless I really had to. After the house was blessed, things calmed down considerably. The lady was never brought up again by our daughter, and we didn't question her about it after that.

We still had some strange things happening, we've always had a problem with any type of clock that runs on batteries keeping time, new batteries and all, the clock will stop shortly after fresh battery installation. Other than that, a few of us still saw glimpses of things out of the corners of our eyes, but we really didn't discuss it much.

My son, at 14 years old, had things start disappearing, and turning up in the strangest of places. That seemed to quit when he got mad enough to yell out loudly, "knock it off!" There were other instances where he needed to put this same technique to work as well. One night he was lying in bed, and had his keys on his dresser. The key ring he had was like a climbers clip, but it had a light on it. The button to the light was very difficult to push, and you had to hold it in to keep the light lit. He was awoken by the light flashing in his face. He picked up his keys and turned them over thinking that the pressure of the button against the dresser may have been enough to turn the light on. Turning them over didn't help, as it began all over again. He resorted to yelling, "knock it off I have to get up for school tomorrow!" to make it stop and that it did.

The pantry door opened by itself, I would close it and make sure it's closed and latched, and it would be open again the next time I would look. I would keep shutting it, and then usually say something like, this is getting old, and it would stop. Things stopped flying off the top of the fridge (putting things up high became a habit after we had our first child) at 2 am, we went through a period where you could watch this certain roll of electrical tape fly off the top of the refrigerator and land 5 feet away on the floor, go pick it up and put it back, sometimes it would happen again, other times not. It never happened when I got my camera rolling of course.

There are times when things seem very peaceful, and times when you know for certain you're being watched. I had 4 outdoor cats, only one of them would come in, and when he did he would only go about a foot into the living room, and would sit in the doorway and stare in there intently watching even when no one is in there.

December 11, 2006 at approximately 5:30 pm, the kids and I had just finished putting up our Christmas decorations, and we had a tradition of taking a picture with only the candles and holiday lights lit to capture the ambiance. That was the first year we used an artificial tree, it was a six foot tree that we had put almost in a corner between a wall and the front door. The kids knew I didn't need them in the picture so they were sitting patiently on the loveseat across from the tree. The television was on, and they were waiting for me to get out of the way so they could watch the next holiday movie that was about to start. I finished taking pictures, and went to my room to upload them on my computer. In doing so, I saw an image that took my breath away, and I began to sob uncontrollably. My oldest son came in to see why I was crying, and saw the picture. Being the voice of reason, he told me, "Mom, don't cry, if it wanted to hurt us it would have, we were all right there." What he didn't realize, was that I was in tears because I finally had something tangible, something solid, some form of proof that I wasn't crazy. When you experience so many things that you cannot explain, you begin to question the core of your sanity, and wonder how intact it is. While I still cannot to this day explain what it is that showed itself in the picture, or what the light from the ceiling is emanating from, I can say that I am not crazy. Validation is a huge factor when you're going through something like this. (I have used the photo for the beginning of this article)

You know something is not right when your teenage son will not shower without his mother standing guard by the bathroom door. My oldest son was exiting the shower when he witnessed what appeared to be a black mass forming in front of the inside of the white bathroom door, then as he yelled out it dissipated. He was spooked to say the least. It seemed to target him for a while, he was dressing one night in his room, and I was in my bedroom on the opposite end of the house, when I heard him yell for me. I went in there expecting to see him bleeding from an injury, but I found him visibly shaken. I asked him what had happened, and had to wait for him to regain his composure. He pointed to a framed picture hanging on the wall in his bedroom that was swinging from side to side, and then told me a ball shaped black mass formed in front of him as he was getting dressed before it proceeded to fly past him and out through the picture on the wall.

The last, and most recent event prior to our moving out was when my daughter who had just gotten home from school, took some things into the kitchen, and on her way back to her room she set her phone on the computer desk in the living room which is next to her bedroom door. She proceeded into her room, and after being in there a few minutes she heard a thump outside her door. She went to see what happened, and there her phone was on the floor. She knew she had set it back far enough where it wouldn't have fallen, and the boys were in their bedroom, so she knew they hadn't done it. As she was standing back up after picking it up she reported a black hooded figure that she said was shorter than her, run past her from the kitchen toward the door to the boy's room and it vanished. She asked her brothers if they had seen anything, and they told her no, but they did hear her phone fall.

When it came time to move, the discomfort in the house grew. It was more uneasy as ever. I was glad to be moving, yet afraid whatever it was may follow us. We prayed as a family before we walked out the door for the last time, in hopes that we would never have to deal with anything like this again.

This article is just a summation of the encounters we experienced, there were many more, but is revealing to much an invitation to welcome it back into our lives? I'm not sure I want to risk it.

Forever Haunted

2011-05-31T12:48:00.001-07:00

If you have endured a haunting, does that mean that your chances for recurrences are more likely, or higher? Is it ever possible to "close the door" on the unexplained?

Many think it depends largely on a person's sensitivity to the unexplained, such as in a psychic sense. Others believe that while you may be able to close the door on one particular experiences, that somehow you're then marked as a future potential target, so to speak.

How do we know that what seems to be the end of one haunting in one location, is the start of a new haunting in a different location? How do we know it isn't the same one that is attached to us physically? No one seems to know how long attachments can last, or if they go dormant; how long they will stay that way.

Upon asking for opinions from those who study the field, the general opinion is that once the door is opened, it can never be completely closed. It was explained to me in terms of alcoholism. A recovering alcoholic can be fine for a span of days, or weeks, but without vigilance; and dedication relapse can happen.

If you begin focusing on phenomena that happened in the past, or dabbling with an Ouija board, or lapse into depression, are abusing drugs, and or alcohol, you leave yourself wide open to an attachment, or worse, a spirit attack.

What I have written here is just a minature look into the issue, and include only some of the factors that can cause activity relapse, or first time phenomena.

White Light Vs Negativity

2011-05-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you're like any of us on the planet, you too, from time to time experience difficulties. These difficulties often feel negative in nature, and can seem to pile up into what seems to be an endless string of bad luck.

Not only can this lingering negativity drain us emotionally, it can also drain us physically, leaving a feeling of exhaustion in it's wake. Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, we cannot break the cycle of negativity that is thrust upon us.

The cycle of negative forces seems to be at it's strongest when we are at our weakest. Improper nutrition, lack of sleep, stress, and anxiety can be major factors in how we cope with the wrongs negativity seems to breed. There has to be a way to break the cycle of "bad mojo".

There is. It may to some seem far fetched, but for years people have been using the cleansing power of white light to purify the negativity in their lives. White light has been defined as the universal place that positive energy is harnessed.

How does one go about using that harnessed positivity to clean away the negativity of the day? Many people do it in whatever way makes them the most comfortable. The most popular seems to be a form of light meditation. Sitting, or laying comfortably, with soft music playing, eyes closed; envisioning a bright whitish-yellow warm light slowly approaching you.

As it approaches, picture the negative thoughts, feelings, and happenings in the path of the white light as it nears you, as you begin to feel it surround you. If you concentrate, and focus you can feel the healing power like a hug, but you have to believe in positivity. You have to want to embrace the light as healing.

While the practice is not scientifically proven to provide relief from all of life's difficulties, it will provide you with a relaxing moment of peace to recharge your low battery, and perhaps just get that warm and fuzzy feeling as you go on about your day with a clean aura.