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.

Freaky Coincidences - Part III

Sometimes novelists unwittingly write fictitious stories that end up coming true or they have weird experiences that cannot be explained rationally. It seems that sometimes people's fates are inexplicably intertwined somehow. Here is another entry belonging to the Freaky Coincidences umbrella - which already includes parts #1 and #2 - but the theme here is authors and novels. Some of these may have been repeated in previous entries, some of them are prophetic in nature, and some of the are just bizarre.

Anne Parrish

While American novelist Anne Parris browsed bookstores in Paris, in the 1920s, she stumbled upon one of her childhood favorites, entitled Jack Frost and Other Stories. She showed her husband, remarking that she the book had been one of her favorites as a girl. Her husband opened the book and was astonished at the inscription inside, which read: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado". As it turned out, the book was her very own copy from her childhood.

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhome Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was a popular American author of such books as the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He was born on the day that Halley's Comet appeared in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. In fact, he himself predicted this a year before his death when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1935. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

Edgar Allan Poe

Famous horror writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote a book entitled The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket in 1838, actually his only complete novel. The story is about four shipwreck survivors who were in an open boat for several days before they decided to kill and eat Richard Parker, the cabin boy. Forty-six years later, the Mignonett foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior crew members killed and ate the cabin boy. The cabin boy's name was Richard Parker.

Morgan Robertson

In 1898, Morgan Robertson wrote a novella entitled Futility (or The Wreck of The Titan. It was about an Olympic-class ocean liner called Titan, which sinks in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg.

• The Titan (800' long) was considered to be "indestructible", the Titanic (882' long) was described as being "unsinkable".
• Both ships had three propellers and two masts.
• The Titan was launched in April from Southampton, so was the Titanic on her maiden voyage in April 1912.
• The Titan carried 24 lifeboats, less than half required for her 3000 capacity, whereas the Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, less than half the number needed for a passenger capacity of 3000.
• The Titan struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, 400 miles from Terranova (Newfoundland) while traveling at 25 knots, the Titanic traveled 23 knots too fast, 400 miles away from Terranova.
• The indestructible Titan sank, with over half of her 2500 passengers drowning, the "voices raised in agonized screams", whereas the unsinkable Titanic sank with more than half 2207 passengers dying screaming for help.

Prophetic coincidence? Could be, but there are also a few differences between the Titan and the Titanic. These can be viewed on Wikipedia.

Norman Mailer

When Norman Mailer started work on his novel Barbary Shore, he had no plans on having a Russian spy as a character. However, as work continued on it, he introduced a Russian spy in the US as a minor character, who soon became the dominant character in the novel. After completion of the novel, the US Immigration Service arrested a man living one floor above Mailer in the same apartment building. His name was Colonel Rudolf Abel, allegedly a top Russian Spy working in the US at the time.

Émile Deschamps

In 1805, stranger Monsieur de Fortgibu treated French writer Émile Deschamps to some plum pudding. A decade later, in a Paris restaurant, he saw plum pudding on the menu and decided to order some, but the waiter told him that the last dish had been served to another customer, who turned out to be Fortgibu. Years later, in 1832, Deschamps was at a diner and was once again offered plum pudding. He remarked to friends that only de Fortgibu was missing for the setting to be complete - and at that same moment the now aged de Fortgibu entered the room!

Ben Jordan Paranormal Investigator

The folks at Grundislav Games have developed a series of games centered around paranormal investigation work. The games revolve around its central character, Ben Jordan, a college grad who decides to become a P.I. - that's Paranormal Investigator - apparently influenced by episodes of the X-Files, and his adventures.

There are seven in the series, with an eighth in development. The first, Case 1: The Case of the Florida Skunk-Ape, was created in 2004 using Adventure Game Studio (AGS). The game's popularity within the AGS community was such that more Ben Jordan games were created.

For Ben's first case, he visits the Florida Everglades, in search of something known as "The Skunk-Ape", a local variation of Bigfoot, so named because of its horrible smell. Furthermore, several park rangers have been murdered, so Ben is called in to investigate the possibility that the Skunk-Ape is responsible. To compound the theory, all of the victims' livers are missing.

The gameplay is reminiscent of those old Sierra classics from the 90's - Space Quest and King's Quest. In fact, AGS uses the same engine that Sierra did all those years ago, but it was designed specifically for recreating the same kinds of adventure games. Retro-gamers familiar with the Sierra classics will definitely feel the familiarity here, as the GUI is the same and with its built-in points system whenever you receive points (for successful actions), you'll hear a distant Bigfoot growling sound.

Characters are unique, each with specific (and sometimes humorous) traits, like Ranger Rick, who is very superstitious, or an angry hippy, who certainly is funny. The author has spent some time developing the characters appropriately for the game, although in later games this is much more in-depth.

There are a number of puzzles in the game. I'm usually hopeless at logical thinking, but for the most part found them fairly easy, so probably won't pose too many problems.

Overall, the game is entertaining and anyone who likes adventure games (especially those with the Sierra-style GUI) will definitely like this one. Although it's a little too short for my liking, it does have a high replayability if not for some of the funnier lines than anything else. I would definitely recommend this game to adventure game enthusiasts and those into the paranormal alike.

The game itself can be downloaded here, where there are two versions to download. The simple download (6.4 Mb) and the deluxe version (36.3 Mb) which has improved graphics and full speech.

For a comprehensive list of all the Ben Jordan games available, here is the website. Enjoy them as much as I am (currently playing Case 3).

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.

Freaky Coincidences - Part II

Some peoples' lives are inexplicably intertwined, it seems, and there might be more than mere coincidence at work. As a followup to Freaky Coincidences - Part I, here are some more bizarre stories about coincidences.

Return To Childhood

1920s: While in Paris, American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores when she came across one of her childhood favorites, Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him that she fondly remembered the book. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own childhood book!

—While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott

Falling Baby

1930s: Joseph Figlock was walking down the street when a Detroit mother's baby feel from a high window onto Figlock. The baby's fall was broken, and both man and baby were unharmed. Certainly lucky the first time around, but a year later, the same baby feel from the same window onto the same Joseph Figlock, who had been passing under that same window at the time. And, once again, both survived the accident.

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Switched Hotels

1953: A TV reporter, Irv Kupcinet, was covering Elizabeth II's coronation in London. In one of the drawers in his room at the Savoy Hotel, he found items that belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. Coincidentally, the famed Harlem Globetrotter Harry Hannin and Kupcinet were good friends. But here's the twist in this story. Just two days later, and before he could tell Hannin of his discovery, Kupcinet received a letter from Hannin. The letter mentioned that, while staying at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, Hannin had found a tie in a drawer and it had Kupcinet's name on it!

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Double Twins

1975: John and Arthur Mowforth were twins, who lived in UK but were separated by about 80 miles. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both suffered from severe chest pains. Both men's families were completely unaware of the other's illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after their arrival.

—Chronogenetics: The Inheretance of Biological Time, Luigi Gedda and Gianni Brenci)

Freaky Coincidences - Part I

According to the Free Dictionary, a "coincidence" is "a sequence of events that, although accidental, seems to have been planned or arranged". And no doubt we have all had such experiences, often leaving us with a sense of wonder and mystery. But is it really coincidence? Or is something else working behind the scenes?

Here is a collection of some of the most bizarre stories about coincidence:

Rightful Winner

1858: Robert Fallon was shot dead by his fellow poker players, accused of cheating when he won the $600 pot. None of the other players were willing to claim the now-unlucky winnings, but a new player sat in Fallon's empty chair and staked with the dead man's $600. By the time the police arrived to investigate the murder, the new player had gained an additional $1,200 in winnings. The police demanded that the original $600 be passed on to Fallon's next of kin. As it turned out, the new player was Fallon's son, who had not seen his father in seven years!

—Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!

Vengeful Bullet

1883: When Henry Ziegland broke up with his girlfriend, out of distress, she committed suicide. The girl's enraged brother hunted down Ziegland and shot him. Believing that he had killed Ziegland, he then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. However, the bullet had only grazed Ziegland's face and subsequently lodged in a tree. Some years later, Ziegland decided to cut down the large tree, which still had the bullet in it. The task proved to be more difficult than he thought it would be, so he decided to blow it up with some dynamite. The resultant explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him instantly.

—Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Strangers On A Train

1920s: Three Englishmen, who had been traveling separately by train through Peru, found themselves en route in the same railroad car. They introduced themselves and were surprised to find that they had more in common than they first thought. One man's last name was Bingham, the second man's last name was Powell, and the third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. Yet none were related in any way.

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Locating George Bryson

Late 1950s: George D. Bryson, during a business trip, registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given the key to his room (Room 307), he asked the mail desk if any letters had arrived for him. The mail girl told him that there was, indeed, a letter and gave him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, Room 307. This is not remarkable in itself, but the letter was not actually his. It was for the just-previous room's occupant - another man named George D. Bryson!

—Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan

Bermuda Taxi

1975: While riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. A year later, the man's brother was also similarly killed. In fact, he was riding the very same moped and, against the odds, was hit by the same taxi driven by the same driver - even carrying the same passenger as before!

—Phenomena: A Book of Wonders, John Michell and Robert J. M. Rickard

Robert the Doll

A&E have been showing episodes from previous seasons of Paranormal State, in addition to its newest episodes. We are glued to this show, although we don't always agree with the religious ceremonies conducted to "exorcise" spirits. In Episode 11 (Season 1), Ryan and the team investigates an ugly-looking "haunted piano". When the owners brought it into their home, they inexplicably became sick, having feelings of anxiety and oppression. Indeed, Ryan and the team also start feeling the same, so "disposed of" the piano, smashing it up in a warehouse.

There are many reports of objects being paranormally possessed or cursed, ranging from coins to ships. Everyone probably knows about "Chucky" (the doll from the movie Child's Play), but the notion of a doll that comes to life is just fantasy. Or is it?

Robert the Doll was a wire-framed, straw-stuffed cloth doll given to a Key West painter, Robert Eugene Otto, by a Bahamian "servant" (slave), in the early 1900s when he was still a boy. In many voodoo practices, it is believed that if a "soulstone" (a crystal that will take the soul of another person the moment of their death), the soul of that person can pass into the crystal, thus imbuing it with a soul of its own. It is most likely that the servant placed a soulstone, containing his son who passed away at the time, into the doll. Otto's sister also died at around the same time he received the doll, but he immediately took to it. He named the doll Robert and insisted that everyone else called him Eugene. Throughout his childhood, whenever bad things happened or Eugene was blamed for mischief, but Eugene would say that Robert did it.

Strange and inexplicable events began to occur. Items were thrown across the dining room, servants locked outside, clothing was found torn up, and bedding in long unused rooms were crumpled on the floor. Beloved toys were also found brutalized and mutilated. Servants often reported hearing giggling sounds and snippets of low conversations, first in Eugene's boyish voice then in an entirely different tone.

Eugene eventually married, and the couple moved into "The Artist House". Eugene insisted that the doll never left his sight, not even at the dinner table or at the newlywed's bedside. He even had a custom-built room for Robert the Doll, replete with a lowered ceiling and customized furniture.

Over time, Eugene became increasingly abusive to his wife, Anne, and would frequently lock her in a slanted closet under the stairs (beneath Robert's room) for days on end.

After Eugene's death, he was buried in the Key West Cemetary and Anne returned to her family home in Boston, but allowed the house to be rented out. She locked Robert in his upstairs room, placing a clause in the rent agreement that "Robert must at all times remain the sole occupant of the attic room", otherwise the contract was considered as void. The clause was honored until her death in 1976.

A plumber needing to do some work in the house for new renters unlocked the room and there he encountered Robert! He later reported that the doll appeared to shift slightly in its chair, including appearing on the other side of the room when he heard giggling sounds.

Future occupants continued hearing noises coming from upstairs, including footsteps, laughter and crashes. Further investigations revealed that Robert had moved position from where he had been left, usually with his crossed arms or legs or shifted from one chair to another. Eventually, Robert was locked in a sea chest and left in the attic again, honoring the original lease agreement once more. This only angered Robert even more and it was claimed that he reappeared in all kinds of places. The final straw came when the doll was reportedly found giggling and holding a kitchen knife at the foot of the new owners' bed.

Suffice to say that the owners left hurriedly and gave the doll to the East Martello Museum, in Key West, where he is well-guarded. He was rediscovered years later in storage and was put on display in the museum. Visitors reported new camera batteries draining, pacemakers and cameras stopping and feelings of nausea and dizziness. Some visitors swore that Robert's facial expressions changed before their very eyes. Museum curators claimed that Robert changed position overnight, despite the fact that he was behind a glass case, locked with 3" wooden doors and bars on every window in a brick museum.

The doll even made an appearance at the paranormal convention, Taps CON, held in Clearwater, Florida in May 2008. This was the first time that it had left Key West, Florida in the 105 years of its existence.

Believe the story of Robert the Doll or not, it is still a creepy tale nevertheless.

[The full article can be found at Paranormal News Central.]

Jim Carrey's Ouija Board Story

Comedian Jim Carrey shares one of his anecdotes! His expressions are a scream!

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.