Woman in White Ghost Video

This very short video apparently captures the ghostly apparition of a woman in white passing by. Notice that the investigators walking down the stairs appear not to notice, indicating either that they did not see it at the time or it's a clever post-production addition. Judge for yourself!

Surveillance Camera Ghost - Spoof

Don't believe everything you see! This is a fun spoof.

Ghost Viewpoints

We probably all know parapsychological or metaphysical viewpoints on ghosts and spirits, as well as our personal ones, but what about beliefs in other cultures, such as the Native Americans? Or the Australian Aborigines?

The Western mindset usually synonymizes "ghosts" and "spirits", with no real distinction between the two. In Native American culture, however, there is a clear difference between them. Whereas spirits are held in high regard, being ancestral souls, ghosts are viewed very negatively. They believe that "spirit" is all around us, within each living thing, and they call upon the ancestral spirits to help guide them and for knowledge and insight.

When a person dies, their spirit continues on, traveling into the next life where it will carry on with the journey. There are also a number of helpful or familial spirits, who have chosen to stay earthbound, sometimes becoming "spirit guides", to offer guidance. Ghosts, on the other hand, are viewed as twisted spirits with corrupted personalities, who are responsible for causing sickness and disease, contaminating food and drink, and subverting positivity and all that is good.

In comparison, the Australian Aboriginal religion hold that humans have multiple souls. One is an "egoic soul", a self-created, independent state accompanying the body and shaping a person's personality and identity. Another comes from "The Dreaming" or divinity (or both), capable of entering the body to impart knowledge and insight. Ancestral spirits (spirits of ancestors) usually fall under the latter.

At death, these two types follow different paths, fates and trajectories. The "egoic soul" initially becomes a dangerous ghost, not straying far from the deceased's body and property, but instead jealously guards them. Eventually it will pass into nonexistence, either dissolving into nothingness or by traveling to a distant place inconsequential to the living. At that moment, the deceased's property is abandoned or destroyed and no one can rent or live in the property. Ancestral souls are eternal; they return to specific locations or to sites where they are summoned through rituals, or they are returned to the environment, abiding as one with nature and humans, to wherever they are needed.

In fact, these two viewpoints are mirrored in many cultures throughout the world, both ancient and modern, including Asian, Mediterranean and pre-Columbian American, and even in Celtic folklore.

Celebrity Paranormal Encounters

With the tragic and globally impacting death of Michael Jackson dominating the news headlines, I wonder if he will return (as a "ghost") to his familiar and favorite places, the places he loved, like his Neverland ranch. I wonder how long it will be before psychics claim to "talk" to the iconic pop star from beyond the grave. Conspiracy theories have already inevitably surfaced regarding Michael Jackson's death and I will admit that there are too many discrepancies in journalistic reports, but I digress.

Many celebrities have had their share of paranormal encounters.

Michael Jackson

The Thriller singer claims that he was able to communicate with pianist Lee Liberace, who died in 1987 and whom Jackson considers as his guardian angel. Jackson had his own secret room, with a moving wall and mirrors, where he would frequently talk to Liberarce. Jackson would often feel the pianist's presence very close to him, hear his voice, and communicate to him about a plethora of different things.

Hugh Grant

British Four Weddings and A Funeral star, Hugh Grant, attests that his Los Angelese apartment is haunted. He often hears the wailing and screaming of a tormented spirit through the night, whom he has speculated is the ghost of actress Bette Davis who died in 1989.

Russell Crowe

The Sun newspaper relates how Gladiator star, Russell Crowe, knew of his grandfather's death. A kookaburra (an Australian kingfisher) suddenly flew into his window and looked him directly in the eye. He called his mother, who confirmed that his grandfather had died and later, on the day of his death, she too had seen a kookaburra. Crowe firmly believes that the bird was his grandfather's spirit a-visiting.

Nicolas Cage

Actor Nicolas Cage knowingly bought a haunted house, the Lalaurie Mansion in New Orleans' French Quarter, reputedly the most severely haunted house in New Orleans. Cage says he is aware of the mansion's checkered past and its ghostly residents, but has yet to sleep overnight in it. Paranormal groups have requested to investigate the house, but he has refused on the basis that he does not want any of the "residents" to become exploited.

Paranormal News Central

Paul McCartney

Former Beatles singer, Paul McCartney, claims that John Lennon's playful ghost made an appearance during the recording of the 1995 song Free As A Bird. He says, "There were a lot of strange goings-on in the studio - noises that shouldn't have been there and equipment doing all manner of weird things. There was just an overall feeling that John was around."

Paranormal News Central

Ghostbusters III Confirmed

I guess it's been confirmed that there will be a third Ghostbusters movie, scheduled for release some time in 2012. Now, I grew up with the Ghostbusters, saw both movies, watched the animated spinoff series, played the video games, bought the merchandise, and so on. And while there were "ghosts" of rumors about a third movie, nothing seemed to have materialized until now. Perhaps because no one could come up with any plausible plot ideas for the third movie - not Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd or Harold Ramis, or even Ivan Reitman (director of the first two Ghostbusters movies). Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (script gurus of "The Office" and "Year One") have apparently written a plot that Aykroyd says "really works".

While the plot details are still rather sketchy, the basic idea is that the Ghostbusters have become so successful in despatching the ghosts in Manhattan that they are now out of business. There might be an opportunity for the Ghostbusters at Manhattan's "dark underworld", Manhellan (or something like that), where a portal has opened up at Foley Square. Dana Barrett's son, Oscar, will most likely be appearing in the movie too. (Dana Barret is the character played by Sigourney Weaver for those who didn't know.) There might be a team of new recruits, all female, who are ill-trained but eager to do their part in ridding Manhattan of its ghostly inhabitants. The original team will still appear in the movie, but briefly, since Aykroyd is hoping for more of a "passing-of-the-torch movie".

That is only a synopsis of the basic plot, based on the ideas and snippets that have been released, so I guess we'll have to wait until something more concrete is revealed or until the movie itself.

That said, I don't think I agree with the concept of having a "new generation" of Ghostbusters in this case, especially if they are going to be the main characters of the movie, with the original team members having just a cameo appearance. There's nothing wrong with training raw recruits before the original Ghostbusters' retirement, but that should be a reference point throughout the movie, where the original team works alongside the new team. And then if there were to be any further movies for the Ghostbusters franchise, their primary focus should be on the new recruits. After all, there are so many reports of paranormal activity to draw upon for those plots.

Speculation and opinion aside, I most likely will be viewing Ghostbusters III at the movie theater, but until then will be watching for further updates to see how it all progresses.

New "Paranormal Cops" TV Series

There have been a lot of paranormal or psychic type shows aired on TV, including NBC's Medium, W Network's Most Haunted, A&E's Paranormal State, the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, and Scifi's Ghost Hunters and T.A.P.S International.

While the third season of Paranormal State premiered on 19 January, 2009, there still does not seem to be any signs of the genre easing up on TV or cable networks. In fact, Scifi's Ghost Hunters is already on its fifth season, Most Haunted has reached its twelfth series, and the second series of Ghost Adventures is scheduled for June 2009, with a further 26 episodes planned (presumably for season 3).

And, of course, let us not forget Psychic Kids, co-hosted by Chip Coffey (the psychic/medium who also appears on Paranormal State), or the TV series Supernatural and Medium.

According to Reuters, A&E is tentatively premiering a new paranormal series, Paranormal Cops, which aims to give more credibility to investigations. Investigators include a group of Chicago police officers (who moonlight as "ghost chasers" at night), as well as two technicians and a medium.

A network spokesman said that the "ghost-chasing group existed before the show's producers came along" and the "officers' respective departments have approved the venture", which should provide some solid background resources for eliminating natural phenomena rather than supernatural. The first episode is scheduled sometime this year (no set date yet), but let us hope that the conclusions are objective and that they do not become so analytical that they actually debunk anything paranormal.

This might be something to watch when it does air, so stay tuned and see what happens from here.

Celebrity Paranormal Project

I remember vaguely seeing an episode or two of the Celebrity Paranormal Project, where well-known celebrities investigate haunted locations. This particular episode, celebrities are actor David "Kung Fu" Carradine, pro boxer Mia "The Knockout" St. John, Andrew "The Bachelor" Firestone, playboy model Bridget Marquardt and rapper/actor Coolio.

What's interesting to me is that David Carradine is passive and fearless, unphased by the apparent ghostly goings-on and Coolio, who "ain't afraid of nothin'", eventually freaks out. This is quite entertaining considering that it's meant to be a bona fide investigation conducted by people with celebrity status.

Haunted Britain - Real Ghost Stories

There is no doubt that something, just beyond the edges of our psyches, exists, caught in between two worlds. They are the darker shadows of the night, within the night, the "night stalkers", preying on our fears and terrorizing us. Perhaps they are manifestations of our darker natures, or perhaps they are something far more sinister. This video (only part 1) details one such instance.

The other parts (20 in total) can be viewed here. The rest of the episodes chronicle other eyewitness accounts of paranormal activity.

All-In-One Ghost-Cam

Most paranormal investigators need to carry a plethora of equipment around with them for investigations, including night-vision cameras, EMF readers, EVP recorders, motion detectors and digital cameras, all for capturing even a single instance of something supernatural or paranormal, or that cannot otherwise be explained normally.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could combine all of these gadgets into one super-cam? Well, apparently, a British inventor, Paul Rowland, has done just that. He uses blue and infrared/ultraviolet lights to enhance the capability of "seeing" in darkness, along with a digital stills camera and camcorder, both of which use ultraviolet light also. There's even a built-in live EVP recorder too. His invention resulted from frustration at some of the TV investigators not using their equipment efficaciously.

When using it to investigate the haunted Plas Teg, in Wales, UK, he claims to have captured a child-like figure apparently reaching an arm out towards him. And he will be leading an investigation called "The Paradox Experience", in Scotland (running until this coming Sunday), using his new gadget, of course.

Source: Phantoms & Monsters.

Although this device seems quite innovative, I'm sure I've seen it (or something similar) elsewhere, but one thing's for certain. One day, technology might well reveal some irrefutable evidence of things that simply cannot be explained rationally or scientifically.

Hauntings Across America

Here's a fascinating, hour-long journey into some of America's most well-known hauntings, including some of its famous Hollywood ghosts. It's narrated by Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf from Star Trek for those who don't know).

An Unknown Encounter

This is a documentary, hosted by Felix Mayne, about a Californian family haunted by the apparition of an old man. Investigators also log their findings. If this is true, then this is potentially one nasty spirit. Watch it and decide for yourself.

Paranormal Collections #1 Video

This is my first attempt at a compilation video delving into the paranormal realms. If I had my way though it would contain much more information, including rendered impressions of the ghosts mentioned.

I may "tweak" this later and replace it here, or I may expand it. It's early days yet and this video is more like a tentative foray into movie making rather than a serious attempt. I guess that's how it'll stay right now.

What I'm ultimately wanting to do is make an short paranormal movie, based on a short story I wrote a while back, but have yet to finish the script conversion.

Happy Paranormal Easter

Happy Easter To All!

While Easter is a welcome vacation from the daily grind, filled with the joys of chocolate Easter eggs and fluffy pink bunnies, spirits remain active. We didn't do much today, since it's raining too hard. Instead, we sat down to a pleasant family meal.

There are countless reports of paranormal activity and sightings occurring on or around Easter Sunday. These are a few of them (with the focus on the UK, my "favorite" haunted country):

Incense Aromas

Location:Church House Inn, Broadhempston, Devon, UK
Type: Reoccurring Manifestation/Haunting
Date/Time: Easter and Christmas

Many guests have noticed, especially at Easter and Christmas, the sweet aromas of incense burning pervade some of the rooms of this historical inn. It is thought that long-dead monks continue their celebrations here, still ritually waving their incense burners, accounting for the mysterious smells.

The Black Abbot

Location: St. Mary's Church, Prestbury, Gloucestershire, UK
Type: Reoccurring Manifestation/Haunting
Date/Time: Easter, Christmas and All Saints Day

A hooded figure with his head bowed, always described as seeming to glide rather than walking, maintains the same route every year, usually appearing around Easter, Christmas and All Saints Day, and occasionally after funerals. He was often seen walking down the aisle of the church, in addition to one of the nearby cottages used as the vicarage, until both buildings were exorcised. Since then has only appeared in the Churchyard, and is often seen crossing the churchyard and disappearing through a wall in the High Street. He has also been sighted in other parts of the village, including the Plough Inn and the Reform Cottage, the garden of which was once a burial ground for monks.

The Charging Horseman

Location: The Plough Inn, Prestbury, Gloucestershire, UK
Type: Reoccurring Manifestation/Anniversary Haunting
Date/Time: Easter

The mystery figure of a horseman charging pellmell through the streets of Prestbury, especially through Shaw Green Lane and The Burgage, can be seen around Easter. It is said that he was a messenger on his way to Edward IV's campsite at Tewkesbury during the War of the Roses, but was killed by a Lancastrian arrow (around May 4, 1471), so never made it to his destination. To this day, he still carries the burden of delivering the message. (During roadworks, a skeleton was indeed found with an arrowhead embedded between the ribs.)

Easter Priest

Location: Holme Hale, Norfolk, UK
Type: Reoccurring Haunting/Anniversary Manifestation
Date/Time: Easter

In and around the Green Room, the ghost of a priest supposedly haunts the building. It is believed that the priest was killed on Good Friday by Cromwell's soldiers, hence the majority of sightings reported tend to occur during the Easter period.

<1-- MOLLY TAPE -->

Molly Tape

Location: The Castle Restaurant, Hurst, Berkshire, UK
Type: Reoccurring Haunting/Manifestation
Date/Time: Easter

In 1971, local news reported the appearance of a mystery woman, wandering down the road wearing little clothing, but she disappeared into a lane, as mysteriously as she had appeared. There have been few sightings of her since then, but locals claim she still appears occasionally around Easter. It is thought that the woman, Molly Tape, had a passionate love affair with a farmer named Dick Darval. Eventually, Dick rejected her after one of their romantic trysts and, in despair, she hanged herself in the lane. Her scantily clad spirit still haunts the location of her death.

Ghosts & Poltergeists Clips

This video shows some very intriguing, and compelling, clips of paranormal activity.

I must admit, however, that I'm skeptical of the poltergeist activity since it's so easy to manipulate objects using "parlor tricks". Tremors can open and close doors and cause furniture to move anomalously, but it cannot be certain from the clips alone if there were tremors at the time the clip was filmed.

In a future entry, I'll outline some of the more popular parlor tricks, especially common in séances during the era of Victorian Spiritualism.

Poltergeists - Part I

This entry was originally posted on the Paranormality blog, on 8 Nov 2008, but has been expanded for Paranormality Reincarnated.

Whenever the word "poltergeist" is mentioned, our minds are automatically drawn to the eponymous movie (usually) and the horrifying events attached thereto. However, in life it doesn't really happen that way. There are incidences of high poltergeist activity, of course, but they are nowhere near as fanciful as the Hollywoodesque creative licenses portrayals.

According to The Free Dictionary, a poltergeist is "a ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder; a spirit believed to be responsible for noises and acts of mischief, such as throwing objects". Indeed, the word itself originates from the German poltern (to be noisy) and Geist (ghost), so it's a "noisy ghost" - aptly named.

The common symptoms attributed to poltergeist disturbances start out as harmless-seeming, often entertaining, anomalies. As time goes by, however, if the cause is still unresolved, the activity becomes increasingly more severe. It usually reaches the point where the targets' lives are in danger and some kind of physical injury or mental trauma can occur.

The commonest symptoms attributed to poltergeist activity are:

• Unexplained noises – knocks, bangs and footsteps.
• Moving objects – furniture sliding across the floor, objects flying through the air, and objects disappearing (apport) and reappearing (asport).
• Disembodied voices – spoken or whispered words and one or more people speaking in different languages (xenoglossia).
• Levitation – objects, beds and people raising into the air, and beds shaking violently.
• Electrical disturbances – lights turning on and off, failing power, electrical appliances failing, and, in some cases, electrocution.
• Other reported symptoms include unexplained dripping water, electrical appliances still functioning after being unplugged, hallucinations, mysterious figures appearing, extreme mood swings, random fires igniting, epileptic seizures, and anomalous writing on walls or mirrors.

Since poltergeist activity is often experienced by everyone, not just individuals, it is often thought that a poltergeist is an angry spirit haunting the location. However, a haunting usually occurs either as an "intelligent haunting" (spirits remaining after death and interacting with their surroundings) or a "residual haunting" (spirits reliving events as when they were alive). Poltergeist phenomena has been studied for decades and most parapsychologists now agree that poltergeists are psychokinetic manifestations. Poltergeist activity normally revolves around a single person - usually a pubescent girl - who acts as a catalyst (or agent) for these anomalous occurrences.

In my own studies, I have found the latter to be true. I have conducted a fair amount of research into the subject, including visiting homes supposedly haunted by poltergeists. In fact, based on my own findings, not necessarily those of "mainstream" parapsychology, around 95% of these cases involved a poltergeist agent, i.e. the person around whom poltergeist activity seems to revolve.

I've heard many stories where families move into a new home and the poltergeist activity begins and heightens, forcing them to move out of their home. But even then it seems to follow them and the family experiences the same kinds of phenomena as before, suggesting that one or more family members are psychokinetic conduits.

With the remaining 5%, the disturbances continued even after the "agent" had left the house, suggesting something else may be present. These types of haunting are not usually associated with a person, but rather with residual energies from past events and traumas, events, discarnate entities (ghosts and the like), and even in some cases "time phasing".

Poltergeists are often attributed to being "evil spirits", but in all of the research I've done over the years, I have yet to find one that is truly evil, if you subscribe to the notions of the Devil and demons. There may be some spirits that come close to being evil (by definition of the word), but their base emotion is nearly always a deep-seated anger, jealousy and other similar emotions, which has been carried over from life to beyond life.

We still don't know enough about the "Afterlife" to concretely conclude whether or not poltergeists are real, imagined or somewhere in between. We can, however, say for certain that something happens that cannot be explained normally.

Paranormal State

One of my favorite shows right now is Paranormal State, hosted by Ryan Buell and his team. Now in Season 3, it's gained a lot of popularity since its first episode on A&E. What I like about this show is the fact that they investigate rather more objectively than some of the others, gaining insight from experts rather than people who think they know things, then put the pieces together in a logical sense. There is also an underlying sense of a genuine desire to help people experiencing paranormal activity.

For quick updates, they can be found on Twitter. There are some very interesting "extras" worth watching, including video articles about Ouija Boards and updates after the shows. The "official" website is at A&E Television, which includes full episodes.

I will be giving this (and other) TV shows more detailed entries in the future, perhaps including full episodes if I can.

In the mean time, this is one of the most edge-of-the-seat episodes I've seen in a long time. The full episode (in 5 parts) can be watched on the A&E site: The Possession - Return of The Six.

Ghost Pictures #1

Here's a video collection of paranormal photos, some of which are quite "freaky".

Paranormal