The Not So Famous – Part 2

Nov15
by on November 15, 2008 at 9:16 am
Posted In: Author-Pattyhap1863, Interviews, Paranormal Investigation

~ Written By Pattyhap1863 ~

While surfing around the net, looking for paranormal websites, you come across pretty much the same thing: Bloody separators, screaming skulls in gif format, and not-so-screaming ones as well. You find dark templates and ghostly images. You look at all this, while scary music plays in the background. When you click on the photo gallery, orbs are nearly always paranormal and hairs become spirit vortexes. An object in a darkened room, suddenly is cropped and blown up, and we see a face! Ghost in a photo? Highly unlikely. What we do see is pixel distortion and pareidolia at its best. When we click on their EVPs we are TOLD what to hear. When we read about their investigations they tell us the same things over and over. What is more, since most of the TV shows also endlessly repeat these same things, we are conditioned to believe that spirits drain our batteries or that shadow people are evil or a form of manifestation. They classify ghosts into types according to the way they ‘manifest’. We read and take all this in and accept it as a fact, when in fact, they are not facts at all. They are just hypotheses.

What if, all this was not true at all? Has anyone ever stopped to think that we keep on seeing the same things everywhere we look? What about progress? What about thinking outside of the box? What if you came to a website that invites you to actually think? What if you finally saw original, creative graphics that blend in nicely with the backgrounds and weren’t painful to look at? What if you finally read information that made sense to you and that genuinely helped you to learn about the paranormal?

Bill Stone lives in Pennsylvania with his cat. He has been interested in the paranormal all his life. He started going on investigations when he was in his early teens. He founded Beyond Paranormal Investigations while living in Michigan in 2006. His website, The Beyond, however, has been on the net since 2005. And when you take a look at the website, you find yourself in a world of art, creativity and inquisitiveness that you have probably not experienced before. For here at The Beyond, you learn that there are no experts, and the only way to genuinely advance is by questioning and learning all the time. You learn how to ‘think outside the box’.

How many years have you been in the field?

I started out actually going to hunt for ghosts in my early teens. When I became an adult I was more serious about it after picking up a few gadgets. My seriousness for the subject, and professionalism continued to grow and mature with me. So, with all that in mind, I’d say I’ve been in the field for about 23 years.

What are your accomplishments?

If you’re asking about my PARANORMAL accomplishments, I have to answer honestly. I have NO accomplishments. Let’s not delude ourselves. People have been investigating ghosts since before 100 AD. In the 1900 years that followed, we’ve really gone NOWHERE in the field. Contrary to what some ‘paranormal experts’ say… We’re ALL as clueless as ever.
If you’re asking about personal accomplishments, I love my website, and the people on it. I think I did a good thing there.

Which investigation do you remember the most and why?

There is no investigation in particular. I find that every time I go out to investigate a report of a haunting, if it’s a hoax, if it’s real, or just wishful thinking, I find myself learning SOMETHING that I didn’t know before, or gaining an idea, or insight that I’ve never heard before. I’m just gaining a little piece of wisdom each time. That’s fun, finding light bulbs everywhere you go.

The worse part of investigating a location is:

Overzealous people & know it alls. If you’ve been in the field, you’ve dealt with a client that wants to tell you how to conduct your investigation ’cause they’ve watched it on TV, and they know what’s going on. Or you get a new member trying out for the team that thinks that every little creaky floorboard is a paranormal event, and will argue the point forever.

The best part of investigating a location is:

The best part is as I’ve stated before, finding that light bulb, and learning something new. But even better is when you, and another member of your team have that ‘eureka moment’ at the same time. The last investigation I was on with our Michigan division, another member, and I had a moment like that. We were all smiles the rest of the night.

Why do you do this?

Somebody has to. Naturally, I’m in it to help people with everything I can… But that answer is too cliché and I’m sure everyone wants to look good, and answer that way.
Let’s keep it real.
I absolutely love it. You know that feeling you get when you think you’re being watched, or the uncertainty of what you’re REALLY dealing with out there in the beyond? That fear is what I’m talking about. It’s like you’re getting ready to go down the first hill on the tallest roller coaster ever. The thing is, you KNOW how tall the roller coaster is. When dealing with the paranormal, you don’t have prior knowledge of what you’re gonna be dealing with. Because of that, that fear, or anticipation is amplified to an intoxicating degree… It’s like a drug.

What is your favorite tool when investigating and why?

This is a goofy question. SOME may say that they love their Cell Sensor. I’m sure the most common answer will be ‘my mind’, or something like that. A lot of people have a mind, but in this field, very few seem to use them properly. Their minds are often corrupted with knowledge they believe that they have, and cannot be filled with anything because their mind is made up, and closed.
My answer is, ‘my OPEN mind.’
A lot of people think that they have an open mind because they believe in ghosts. They couldn’t be more wrong in a lot of cases. Some people believe SO BLINDLY that the mere thought of them being wrong about it, is unthinkable. That’s called faith, and it’s a wonderful thing. Unfortunately faith can close your mind to other possibilities, which makes it a problem in this field.
My mind is always open to ALL possibilities. I do not allow my faith or personal beliefs to cloud the issue, or lead me away from the facts. I don’t allow other peoples faith or beliefs to do that either. This is my favorite tool.

When did you first encounter something paranormal in your life?

When I was really little, I’d say 5 or 6, I was introduced to a Ouija Board. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but that stupid little board, as evil as some of you believe it to be, changed my life forever. From such an early age, I was introduced to the beyond. At the time, I felt ABSOLUTELY certain that I had made contact with the other side. What that other side was, I didn’t know but I was in AWE of the concept. Then Poltergeist came out in the theater and just blew me away. All the things I had in my head were on the big screen. That’s hard movie to watch when you’re only 6, and a lot to be thinking about.

Have you ever had an unpleasant encounter with either an inhuman entity or evil spirit? If so, what was it?

I’ve been in situations where I felt that something unpleasant was watching, or near me, or wanting to do me harm. I have seen PHYSICAL evidence of it in the things that were happening around me. For ANYONE to come out and say that it was inhuman or evil or anything at all for that matter… Well, that would just be an opinion. I don’t deal in opinion.

What advice would you give newcomers in the field?

FORGET EVERYTHING.
Newcomers in the field are tainted by the mindless television shows, and the countless websites they’ve visited researching the field. ALL of these shows and sites teach them the same thing. They teach them what’s out there. They teach them how to find it, and what ‘energies’ to feel. They teach them to go out and make a name for themselves, and become famous.
My advice is simple. Forget EVERYTHING these sites and television shows have taught you. They are as clueless as you are, but won’t admit it. Have an open mind, and start with an empty head. Fill it with experience, not things that other people try to tell you.

What would you improve in the paranormal field and why?

I would improve how we all seem to work together. For 1900 years we’ve been combining spirituality, and science to find ghosts. It’s NOT working.
Some of us follow our faith, and spiritual beliefs (religion psychic beliefs, etc.), and then force them on the rest of the people in the field. This is NEVER the right thing to do, yet it is accepted, and even rewarded in the paranormal field.
Some of us stick with scientific fact, and refuse to look beyond our little clipboard, and gadgets. At the same time we attack anyone who has the ability to think with their hearts, and go beyond that.
I think we need to find our path, spiritual or scientific. We should follow that path, and leave the other side alone to do their thing.
We’re not going to get anywhere bumping our heads together like we all do. 1900 years of history has proven that.

What do you do in your spare time?

Because the site that I’m answering all of this stuff for is a family site, I’m not allowed to be myself, by answering as silly, or profanely as I want to, so I’ll be boring. Aside from going out, and having a social life, I like movies a lot. I like my kitty. I spend a lot of time on my website, and looking for spooky stuff.

Visit Bill Stone’s website: http://www.intothebeyond.net/

Please make sure to visit Patyhap1863’s website by clicking the banner below!

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The Not So Famous – Part 1

Nov13
by on November 13, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Posted In: Author-Pattyhap1863, Interviews, Paranormal Investigation, Paranormal Tools

~ Written By Pattyhap1863 ~

Every day you see them in news articles and in headlines. Once a week, they invade your home through your TV screens. You watch and read about the places they investigate, the tools they use, what they do, what they think and how they carry out investigations. Because they are famous, people want to imitate them or glorify them. Because they are famous, and we are able to catch a glimpse of their investigations on TV, many people believe they lead exciting lives and ghost hunting is an adventure. Maybe this is why there have been ghost hunting teams popping up all over the country and the paranormal is suddenly ‘cool’ and a great ‘hobby’ to pursue.

GhostsAmongUs recently interviewed five paranormal investigators. These interviews will be presented on the home page in a series of five different articles, one for each investigator. We interviewed people that are NOT on their own TV show, nor do they have a radio show to tune into. They are not in the spotlight and they continue to work in the field, because they are passionate about it and because they want to genuinely help. These are people who want others to think before they jump to the conclusion that everything is paranormal. People who continuously work in the background and to whom we are extremely grateful. People who try to educate others in the field and tell it as it is, and who continue to experiment to one day obtain irrefutable evidence of the existence of life after death. This is…the not so famous side of the paranormal…

Joe Eversole believes that there are no norms, laws or boundaries in the paranormal field. This is why when he founded MPI he and his co-founders agreed that they must present evidence as it is, the truth at all cost, whether it be scientific or paranormal in nature. The “Military” in MPI stands for professionalism, because he and his team are very professional and serious about what they do. He doesn’t want people to call them ‘ghost hunters’. MPI is a team of skeptics who use investigative techniques and state-of-the-art equipment to analyze any paranormal activity they encounter.

How many years have you been in the field?

I am relatively new to the field. I have done some cryptozoological searches in Arkansas, Texas and Alaska for years in search of the urban legend type subjects, but to no avail. I turned to paranormal activity research about a year ago, leading to the start of MPI by Jeff Jones, Rob Wirth, and myself. I work with experienced paranormal researchers, and I am dedicated to furthering self-education in research, investigative techniques, and in what myself and Rob Wirth call “paranormal forensics”.

What are your accomplishments?

When we started MPI we had a round table discussion on what our goals vision were. First and foremost: legitimacy. We are slowly seeing MPI come into the light across the internet as a legitimate source of information and a representation of what a science-based paranormal group should be. This is an accomplishment for all the members of MPI, something we can all share. We have established a successful screening and hiring process for new personnel utilized, NOT EMPLOYED, by MPI. Each member brings something different to the table. All members’ theories, opinions and values are taken into consideration and our success can be directly linked to our organization, communication skills, and desire to adhere to a finely outlined mission objective. When MPI first started we had our share of turmoil, yet we overcame, and have made MPI what it was meant to be according to our vision and for ourselves.
We are receiving encouraging email from some heavy hitters in the paranormal community. An individual who spearheaded the Army’s true life remote viewing project during the cold war along with his associate who has done paranormal research for decades has offered up his 13,000 volume library and assistance for research in Langley AFB, VA. Now that’s awesome! To have a “credible” paranormal source giving us letters of encouragement and offering assistance to furthering the advancements in the paranormal field measures the success of MPI. Where to go from here? Our name has taken off, and I am very proud of what Jeff, Rob, myself, and all our department heads have put together. We knew when we first met that we had something big here, with big plans and the potential for growth all over the U.S. – anywhere there’s a military installation. Our vision is to establish detachments for military personnel to have the possibility to do research with us, and we are seeing our potential for growth every day. We are implementing an investigators reserve program, which will allow select civilian members to be a part of the MPI paranormal research team. We have established a successful affiliated member program for people all over the U.S. truly wanting to contribute and be a part of something positive and credible in the paranormal field. We’re very proud of where MPI is going and what the future may hold for our members. Very proud.

Which investigation do you remember the most and why?

All our investigations are memorable. MPI’s first investigation was to be the White Sanitarium in Wichita Falls, TX. This investigation fell through, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We opted for the investigation of Clara cemetery, just outside of Burkburnett, TX. The Clara cemetery exhibits much activity. The variables were in our favor that night, no wind, no dust, no ambient light. Everyone was on the same page- working together, doing their part to make for a successful, organized operation. As the temperature dropped, we opted to go to an undisclosed building. Due to discretion, this building is labeled “029”. It had been verified that a murder had taken place in the building in the early 50’s due to two individuals settling an accusation of infidelity with a handgun. To set this scene, Jeff Jones and Rob Wirth were setting up cameras in two strategic positions in hopes to capture anything paranormal. Upon rounding a corner from a series of ramps within the building they both saw what appeared to be a shadow apparition burst away from them. Their reaction was on the digital recorder and can be verified that it was the same reaction at the same time, which will fortify the unexplainable evidence we got that night. Building 029 continued to produce activity. We witnessed a pacing shadow which appeared agitated by our presence. We agreed to split up. I went up a series of ramps in hopes to flush something out, and they descended the opposite ramps in hope to catch something on camera. We use hand held radios only at a minimum, but I planted myself on a ramp, and called them to tell them I was in position and they could start ascending the ramps. Directly after my call to Rob, I felt a burst of cold hit me and my radio, my flashlight, and my cell phone batteries drained. That night was full of trying to isolate the position of a shadow. It was around 0345 when we knocked off the investigation, and did a small review of our photos, etc. to see if we had gotten anything, to no avail. Rob had decided to start listening to the digital recordings, and no more than 3 minutes into the recording did we hear the incident between Rob, Jeff and the shadow apparition, and another voice, disembodied, calling them “Sons of B****s”. It seems we had riled up the entity leading to hours of glimpses of his disdain for 4 individuals invading his space. This was the one for MPI. Hours of effort, investigation, etc. had paid off with one disembodied voice…amazing how one EVP pays you back for all the effort you put into an investigation isn’t it? We were proud.

The worse part of investigating a location is:

This is a hard one to answer. I would have to say logistics. Getting everyone from point A to point B. When we did the MacArthur museum of Arkansas military history in Little Rock, AR, we pretty much knew who was driving, who was riding, etc. However, moving a team out after each of us had a brutal 11 hour workday, to drive almost 500 miles has a lot to be desired. A command decision on where to eat was not difficult, as Hooters is the typical pick of military men on the move! Successful logistics require a plan. Not so much agenda, but a well thought out plan. All the variables are gonna hit, as they always do, but the plan gives a framework to bounce the variables off of. Make the problems bend to the plan, not vice versa.

The best part of investigating a location is:

I am adamant on Pre-briefings and case file management. We give our pre-brief as if it were a military operation, and this works for us. I find the best part to be watching investigations now, and evaluating our investigative techniques. Asking the questions: “what can we do better”, “what can give us the edge on data collection, professionalism”, “what techniques can we develop for ourselves to bring out anything we may be looking for?”, I get more out of watching someone new investigate. We’ve just brought in another new investigator, Mary, and we are stoked to watch her and have her be a part of MPI. To sum this one up: being able to sit back and watch what we’ve all worked so hard for, a successful team pulling together for a thorough, meticulous investigation. Awesome.

Why do you do this?

How do you answer this one? I don’t want to give the generic answer, I’m searching for answers. First, this is a blast! It’s healthy, challenges the mind, causes focus, attention to detail, out-of-the-box thinking and theory, the list can go on. It allows me to do what I enjoy the most with close friends and team members. I desire to be a part of something bigger than myself, and contribute in my own way to paranormal research and investigative techniques.

What is your favorite tool when investigating and why?

I’m big into lighting. I have a few techniques with creating false ambient lighting that are still in work, and apply them whenever I can. An example is with strobe lights and glow sticks. For example, if you’re investigating in a long hallway or corridor, and there’s no lighting at the end of the hall, how will you know if you can see a shadow? A backdrop of light, “false light” is paramount. It allows a plain of light to be broken by the shadow between the light source, and the investigator’s eye. I use glow sticks, strobe lights, lanterns etc. The key is placement. If you place them in direct line of site, you get eyeball “burn-in”, which can cause matrixing. If you take a small box, lay it on its side and project the “false light” against the wall in the background of where your focus is, then you’ve reduced the possibility of matrixing, and increased the possibility of catching a shadow movement. The use of strobes is different. The strobes I use are military survival issue, and can be seen for over 6 miles. The technique is to place the strobes around corners and look for shadow movement in the pulses of light. Some burn-in can occur, and I’ve found the solution to that is to wear a very light pair of clean sunglasses. Give yourself a reference point to stare at and keep the eye movement to a minimum. Artificial ambient lighting, “false lighting” does work. This was evident in MPI’s Macarthur investigation when a shadow was witnessed crawling up a set of stairs by breaking the runoff lighting on the wall from our camera monitors. I suggest to every investigator to pursue lighting techniques and share your results with us all. We need all the tips we can get.

When did you first encounter something paranormal in your life?

My brother and I were backpacking in Arkansas on the Ouachita trail. Heading from the start of the trail we headed westward toward Oklahoma at night. There was a full moon behind us, and we could see the trail without any flashlights, it was awesome. We had hiked about 4 miles in and decided to set camp. To the south of us we noticed what we thought was the moon. It appeared to be 25 or 30 yards away. My brother and I were “paralyzed”, asking each other if that was the moon, or a spotlight on us. Whatever we saw was in the trees- the moon would have been broken by branches in front of it, but there were no branches in front of the light. When we said that’s the moon, and turned to finish setting up our tent and camp, we turned around and the light was gone. My brother pointed out the moon. Needless to say we did not sleep that night. Day 3 into that backpack trip, we were sitting in our camp, by the fire, in the middle of nowhere, and a tall bearded scruffy man came out of the woods, looked at me and my brother and walked through our camp, by the fire back into the woods and was gone. We hollered at him, tried to see where he was going, but found and saw nothing. That to me was paranormal because he looked as if he were dressed in old clothing, brown pants, black vest scruffy beard, and covered in dust and soot. He looked as if he were pulled from a dusty mine that had caved in. Was this paranormal? I don’t know but isn’t the meaning of paranormal “other than normal”? That was the first encounter.

Have you ever had an unpleasant encounter with either an inhuman entity or evil spirit? If so, what was it?

During an investigation of Ft. Richardson, in Jacksboro, TX, we picked up an EVP that sounded demonic. We were in a grove outside of the fort grounds north of the fort, and stumbled across a dozen set of eyes, which turned out to be goats. It was eerie to see glowing hollow eyes illuminating light back to us. I made the comment that that was demonic looking, and at that moment when played from the digital recordings, you could hear a growling disembodied voice saying what sounds like “I am Zagan”, and then give a short growling hiss. Directly after the comments were made, an enormous stag standing about 10 yards in front of us reared his head high, looked at us, and then bolted off. I refer you to the Lesser key of Solomon, in reference to Zagan, which is a demon represented as a horned animal or beast. I’m not the authority on this issue. MPI member Jeremiah has done research on topics such as this, and we often “pick” his brain.

What advice would you give newcomers in the field?

Be open to the truth. Be willing to take constructive criticism when dealing with “evidence”, and learn from such. Be thorough in all your debunking avenues, and if there is one shred of doubt about something, discard it and use it as training for everyone involved. We at MPI use debunked evidence as training for everyone new coming in. Remain skeptical and scrub, analyze, verify, and re-verify anything you post as evidence. Stay true to your beliefs, goals for yourself and your group, and you will be successful in the field of paranormal research.

What would you improve in the paranormal field and why?

Education, to have a school dedicated to paranormal studies exclusively. All areas of the paranormal. To train in all areas of investigation, research, documentation, etc. To establish laws instead of theories, and learn to amend those laws based on research advancements to be foreseen in the future. That would be incredible – a university based on teaching everything known in the paranormal field. Awesome.

What do you do in your spare time?

My spare time is full up with MPI business. I enjoy what I’m doing and spend every day working on investigative possibilities, developing training, looking over applications. My hobbies when I get a chance include mountain biking, rappelling, diving, backpacking, camping, and snowboarding – anything outdoors related with my wife, Celeste. I travel to and from Arkansas to visit my 4 girls- Tawny, Ireland, Maia and Jaden. They consume pretty much all of my spare time away from home and MPI business.

Visit Joe Eversole’s website: http://www.mpi-paranormal.com/

Please make sure to visit Patyhap1863’s website by clicking the banner below!

1 Comment

My Visit to Thornewood

Nov02
by on November 2, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Posted In: Author-Pattyhap1863, Paranormal Investigation, Psychic, Theoretical

~Written By Pattyhap1863~

When we pulled into the gravel parking lot and first caught a glimpse of Thornewood Castle, my whole mind was in a state of awe and a kind of pleasant shock as if I had just found a hidden treasure. The mansion itself is magnificent; the view of it amongst the trees is enough to take anybody’s breath away. Stephen King had certainly made the right choice to bring “Rose Red” to life here!

A view of the castle and some of its Christmas decorations

Plaque at entrance

As we stepped out of the van and walked around the circular driveway, we admired its parapet balconies and many chimneys and none of us spoke. We were greeted by one of the staff at the door and given a short tour, and our keys. My husband and I would be staying at the Grand View Suite, while my seventeen-year-old daughter would stay at Chester’s Suite, where reports of cigar smoke wafting through the air have been made even though smoking is not allowed in the mansion these days.

Grand View

A view of the Grand View Suite

Chester's

Chester’s Suite

We were informed that dinner was at seven, and afterwards would start a Candlelight Mystery Tour given by the owners of the castle, Wayne and Deanna Robinson. We all met in the oak-paneled Great Hall, and drank in the beauty of the room. A huge breathtaking Christmas tree dominated the scene. The whole Great Hall was decked with lovely decorations. The massive great staircase seemed to belong to a castle of long ago, and indeed it had. Chester Thorne had spent a lavish one million dollars to build this mansion for his wife Anna. He had brought the staircase and other materials from a 15th century castle in England around Cape Horn to Washington State. The exquisite stained glass had been crafted from the 13th to the 17th centuries, true pieces of artwork from the past (previously owned by an English Duke), and were artistically placed in the windows of the entire home, including the twenty-two bedrooms and twenty-two baths. However, they were not the only treasures of the estate. There was the Sunken English Garden, on the grounds, designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers who had also designed the gardens of the White House, among other famous landscapes. The magical quality of the Sunken Garden surely takes us back in time. I had the feeling I was stepping into a storybook while I was there. I had certainly never felt anything like it before. Three words described in a nutshell all that I was feeling: “Healing. Magnetic. Mystical”.

Stained Glass

Sunken Garden

A view of the sunken garden from our balcony window

The Candlelight Mystery Tour was started off by our gracious host Deanna Robinson, who told us the stories of Thornewood. The ghost stories included a man walking out of one of the bathrooms at the staircase, walking down the few remaining steps, turning to the left, and walking down the great hall, disappearing into the ballroom. Stories of Chester unscrewing the light bulbs around the castle and the ghost of Anna looking out the window of her room were also told. Anna is also said to appear to young brides in Anna’s Suite. Brides staying there, who look into Anna’s original ornate mirror, may catch a glimpse of Anna sitting near the window behind them, who promptly vanishes when they turn to get a better look. Chester has also been reported around the mansion as well, though he is felt rather than seen. Other ghosts include non-existent servants running around the corridors late at night, as well as footsteps echoing around the mansion floors when there is nobody walking around. Reports of an apparition in the room where I was staying have also been made and I thought it would be interesting to see what I would catch!

Anna's window

Anna’s window, where she is seen, is on the far right and next to it, the parapet balcony of the room where we stayed.

Mirrored corridor

Are muffled footsteps heard here late at night?

Entrance to Rose Red

Entrance to “Rose Red” suite

Deanna Robinson is an excellent tour guide. She gave us a wonderful tour of the available rooms in the mansion and filled us in with the history behind them, answering our questions and taking us around her home with her lantern. All of us held a scented candle throughout the tour, which gave it a ghostly atmosphere. She also told us that the place is full of angels, which I am ready to believe, for the peace felt there was unlike the peace I have felt anywhere else! The room that impressed me the most was the Meditation Room, which had been a servant’s room back in the day and had also been used in the “Rose Red” miniseries. This room was extremely quiet and very small compared to the rest of the rooms, yet it had an ethereal quality to it which can only be found in chapels or churches. As we went down the three flights of stairs to the basement, where her husband Wayne waited to take over and show us the basement and castle grounds, we were reminded of the stories of the sounds of servants rushing to and fro on their tasks, residual hauntings at its best!

Morning mist

Morning mist, or paranormal mist?

Indian wishbone

Indian wishbone in the basement

The basement intrigued me the most, not only because of its vastness, but also because it had some interesting Indian wishbones hanging along the pipes in various places. The history behind this is that Chester Thorne had used Indian workmen while building the place, and they had put in the wishbones to ward off evil spirits. These pieces of wood had been there for many years, kept and respected by all the previous owners of the place, as well as the Robinsons. I was filming all of this at the time, and in reviewing the footage I seemed to catch a glimpse of what looked like a figure at the end of one of the basement corridors.

Thornewood Basement

Thornewood Basement Enhanced

The tour around the gardens was magnificent. We saw that a lot of the property had been sold off by a developer in the past, which made us terribly sad. There is part of a forest and this is what interested me the most. I wish I could have walked around these woods, but the weather was terribly cold that night, and we wanted to get back to the warmth of the castle. The sunken English garden holds the pond that had been reconstructed and enhanced by the people filming “Rose Red”. It still holds the stairs that the actor stepped down from as he waded into the pond before discovering the body of the lady. Another interesting feature was the area where this actor had died of a heart attack, whilst asking for the window to be opened. It was there, but the windows were majestic French doors opening onto the loggia or portico. They had been converted into windows only for the film!

French doors

French doors leading into the loggia or portico

French doors another view

French doors from the ballroom

When the tour concluded, we headed towards our rooms after a lovely chat with the owner. I planned to set up a digital recorder for the remainder of the night. I also spent a few minutes with my EMF detectors which both spiked in the middle of the room where a round table was, and I could not see what could be giving the spikes of 8 and 10, even after investigating thoroughly. I knew it couldn’t be anything underneath the room as the mansion had been built using concrete and steel rebars which makes electromagnetic waves pretty much impossible to penetrate from other places. I had to conclude there must have been something in the room itself. The spikes maintained a steady reading of 8 to 10, and then slowly dissipated to the normal base of point one I had been getting. This ruled out a possible light on the floor below that had been turned off suddenly. My husband fell asleep immediately but I could not sleep because of all I had seen and because I wanted to drink in the beauty of the place as much as I could. I set up the recorder in the bedroom, where it remained untouched until 5.30 the following morning. I left the room and roamed around outside, taking pictures and also spent a lot of time reviewing the video and the pictures in the kitchen of our suite. I also went to the private deck overlooking the sunken English garden on one side and the American Lake on the other. The view was stunning. When I turned off the recorder the next morning, to my surprise I saw that the batteries were nearly almost drained. However, I don’t believe that drained batteries are paranormal in nature, but physical. They are, after all, an unproven theory, so I packed the recorder along with the rest of my equipment. After one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in ages, we went exploring some more and ended up in the Games Room, where we spent part of the morning. We also chatted with our gracious owner once again and departed off to the sunken English garden and the grounds before leaving.

Below are three EVP’s I caught in my room, and I would love for you to listen to them with headphones on if possible. Is Thornewood Castle haunted? I do believe there is some paranormal activity going on in the castle. I also need to return and continue with yet another investigation. One thing is for sure, this lovely Tudor mansion is enchanted and magical, a truly haunting window into the past!

evp-1

evp-2

evp-3

Visit the Thornewood Castle site for more information: http://www.thornewoodcastle.com/

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4 Comments

The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 2- Paranormal Segregation

Aug24
by on August 24, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Posted In: Author-BeyonderBill, Beyond Endorsed, Editorials, Theoretical

~Written By Bill Stone~

The clear thinkers of the paranormal need a voice. They need someone to come forward, and lead the way to progress. We have nobody. I mean, we have all these TV shows spewing their madness to millions of people, and those masses are following. They are following the teachings of these pseudo-scientists and pseudo-spiritualists blindly to the most absurd end while the clear thinkers watch the tube with clenched fists, and gritting teeth. We sit there and think to ourselves, “How could you televise this stuff? It’s not even close to objective!”

We sit, we watch, and we continue to wait for OUR voice, which may never come.

So, until we get our voice, I will continue to do the best I can to help matters. Some of you will want to send me negativity while others may appreciate it. Either way, I’ll be glad to talk it out with you. I really mean that.

Hopefully, by now you all have a pretty good grasp on the concept of having an open mind, and we can move onto deeper issues. Yeah, I know I’m probably asking too much, but for the sake of argument, I’m gonna assume that you ‘got it’. If not, go back, and reread the frickin’ thing until it sinks in.

There are a lot of different mind frames on the whole paranormal subject, and almost NONE of us see eye to eye. I’ve always thought that we were all on this voyage together. Unfortunately, I’ve recently realized that I’ve been wrong about it. We AREN’T in this together, as much as I would like us to be. On this journey, there are many people creating proverbial roadblocks in our path. We have to find a way to break down these barriers, or we can never move forward. To do that, we have to change our way of thinking, and sometimes do, or say things that are unpleasant or controversial.

In this ‘Dark Ages Series’, the plan is to HOPEFULLY get some us to reprogram ourselves, and how we view things in the paranormal community. As I’ve said, I’ve always thought that we should be working together. I now believe that to be the wrong idea. We’ve been working together since before 100 AD. We’ve learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I now say, “Lets call the whole thing off.”

I think after 1900 years of exploring the paranormal, it’s time to go another direction. It’s time to just finally accept he fact that people interested in the paranormal have different ideas concerning what they want out of the whole thing. We have different beliefs, and sensibilities. Lets face it, some belief structures, by their very nature are just NOT compatible with others. So, maybe we can try agreeing to disagree. Would that be so wrong instead of forcing people to fall in line?

Let’s find people who think like we do, and make progress with OUR people, as opposed to trying to convince people who ‘just don’t get it’. Are Christians ever going to convince hard core scientists of their idea on how the universe was ‘created’? Hell no, and why should scientists even consider listening? It’s not their cup of tea. Same goes the other way around. Scientists have no business trying to meddle in someones spiritual faith.

What I’ve done is, I’ve broken the paranormal community up into 5 separate groups. Everyone involved in the paranormal SHOULD be able to identify with one of these groups. Each group has its own merits and flaws. Each has its own pro’s and cons. They all have their own impact on the paranormal field.

I’m going to start with the MAIN 2 groups because they are the most important, and the foundation for all paranormal research. If there is going to be any progress in paranormal discovery, I believe it will come from one of these two mindsets. Make no mistake. These two groups are polar OPPOSITES. They can RARELY agree on anything. Perhaps it’s best that they don’t intermingle, as they don’t need one another to validate their own beliefs. These two groups are the ‘Spiritualists’ and the ‘Scientists’.

The Spiritualists
When I say spiritual, I’m talking about those that use their spiritual or religious beliefs to determine how they think, and react when dealing with something paranormal. I DO understand that just lumping all spiritualists together can be a bad thing, so don’t take this wrong. I know that there are a LOT of different frames of belief when it comes to the spiritual outlook. Everyone has their own religion and belief structures. There are Christians, Muslims, Wiccans, people who believe more in psychic stuff, sun worshipers, and even people that follow the teachings of Joe Pesci! BELIEVE ME, I get it. I’m not saying you’re all the same. I’m just saying that you’re different from the ‘scientists’ in the way you deal with this.

People who take a strong spiritual stance on the paranormal often feel that scientists are closed minded, and blind to the idea that paranormal studies are spiritual in their nature. It’s common belief that removing that spiritual aspect could be counterproductive. It’s easy to assume that the scientists don’t respect their spiritual beliefs in this matter.

  • Pros:
    It cannot be denied that the field is based on things that cannot always, or to be quite honest, can never be explained by science. Who better to explain it than those that thrive on the spirit? Where science hits a wall, the explanations can come from faith. It can be your faith in your religion, your ‘spirit guides’, the sun… Really, wherever your heart is.
    Faith is something in my life that I wouldn’t know what to do without. Those of you that have a strong spiritual grounding, whatever your faith, will agree that it DOES help give you a sense of purpose, and something of a compass to lead you in the right directions.
    Because there are so many religions and belief structures, there are virtually infinite ways to explain paranormal events.
  • Cons:
    The unfortunate thing is that many spiritualists take things too far, and force their spiritual beliefs on the rest of the paranormal community, as facts. NOBODY SHOULD EVER force their spiritual beliefs on others. How many wars have been started this way?
    Spiritualists often have a lack of objectivity. They often take their spiritual sensibilities to its closed minded end. Thats what faith is. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it doesn’t leave room for possibilities. That’s a bad thing in the paranormal field.
    Spiritualism and faith will produce no solid evidence of anything. No SOLID ‘facts’ will be obtained. Therefore, actual ‘investigations’ are not possible, or even necessary. This is not a ‘con’ per-se as it could be good or bad depending on your point of view. (I believe that trying to use science to prove or disprove someones spiritual beliefs or faith to be a BAD idea. It is disrespectful, and counterproductive. That’s just my opinion though. I figured I’d just throw it out there for ya.)
    Derek Acorah, Sylvia Brown, Paranormal State, and its sister show Psychic Kids…. MY GOD you people have the WORST role models. How do you EVER expect to gain any respect or headway in the field with people like this speaking for you?
    Bad policing. Scientists usually have no problem with calling a kettle black. If someone is trying to bullshit someone else… They usually get called out on it. This is not true of the Spiritualists. Because they usually respect everyone else’s beliefs and belief systems, they rarely call people out on their lies. “Oh well, they’re allowed to believe what they want, and I respect that.” NO! This paranormal field is to better ourselves, and learn. We can learn NOTHING by allowing people to lie, and spread crap around for other mindless people to listen to. Keep in mind, this is not to force others to believe like we do; this is to defend against bad information. How many people in the paranormal community are CLAIMING to be psychic, sensitive, a medium, or whatever? I would say a good 85 percent of the paranormal community. Is there something in the water? To you spiritual members of the community, the REAL ONES… I’m BEGGING you. PLEASE end this. Call these frauds out. They’re everywhere, on EVERY website forum spewing things that they overheard from someone else, equally clueless. Their egos are HUGE, and their mouths are even bigger. You legitimate psychics, and spiritualists have been virtually silenced by them. I say again, PLEASE end this. Do it for the whole community, and your own self respect. Police yourselves.

The Scientists
Scientists often refuse to see anything beyond the data that they have right in front of them, and have little patience for anything speculative that cannot be tested. Everything is black or white; up or down; right or wrong. Things either ‘are’, or ‘are not’. The only shade of gray is ‘uncertain’ or ‘unknown’. Theories and ideas are thrown around the paranormal field, and the Scientists either ‘accept’ them or ‘deny’ them based on experimentation, testing and the facts at hand… Scientific methodology is EXTREMELY simple. You make a hypotheses as an idea for what you’re doing. You then do studies, and tests to see if that hypotheses is correct or stupid. Once you do your tests, and you find out if you’re right or wrong… You do it AGAIN… And AGAIN. If you get the same results over and over again, it becomes a LAW…. A FACT.

Debunking IS scientific. You see what’s going on, you make a hypotheses as to a LOGICAL and NORMAL reason why you think it’s happening. You test that idea, and find out if you’re right or wrong. If you find out you’re right, it’s normal stuff, and you move on with your investigation. If you find out your hypotheses is wrong… Well… Thats even better in THIS field. This is where the fun begins.

  • Pros:
    If they are objective, open minded, and intelligent, there is no arguing with their stance. THEY ARE RIGHT. They have solid physical reason for making any factual statement. They are often unquestionable. If they are wrong, because they are objective, they don’t have a problem with saying so, because it will only lead to further understanding of what they’re studying.
    If we are looking for solid FACTS accepted by the universe for ALL TIME…. This is the group that is going to find them. There can be no argument on that FACT.
  • Cons:
    There are a LOT of people in the paranormal field who randomly claim to be scientific, yet have no clue what that actually means. The methodology I’d explained above… That goes right out the window.
    There are also members of the ‘scientific community’ that… Well… I hate to put it this way but, lack the intelligence to really do the job. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that I’m an Einstein or anything, but I have to call things like I see it. Some people just don’t ‘get it’. They don’t understand the difference between being objective, open minded, or are just plain being dumb.
    Many “so called scientists” in the field use BAD information, and cut corners. Where do you think the idea about batteries being drained, and cold spots came from? Why are they considered facts in the paranormal community today? These scientists leaped to conclusions. A good scientist DOES NOT do that.
    Another problem with the scientific paranormal community is often their lack of spirituality. Yeah, I know… That sounds stupid, but I’m serious. Hear me out. Not to get personal, but I have strong Christian beliefs. My faith makes it possible for me to be able to see beyond the cold hard fact of science. In my heart, with my faith, I KNOW that there’s more out there. If I did not possess that spiritual heart, I would be like a navigator with a compass on a journey. Because I have a compass, I scientifically know my EXACT heading… But I have no idea what my destination is, or even if I’m the one that’s supposed to go on this Paranormal Odyssey in the first place. Bottom line, if you’re a disbeliever, or a cynic, you’re in the wrong field. Go study animals, or rockets, or something where there aren’t as many variables. For those of us who DO believe, and remain scientific, the message to YOU is, even if we don’t agree with them, we scientists need to show our Spiritualist brothers a little more respect.

The last thing I’m going to say about these two groups is that neither one is necessarily right or wrong. They’re just different. They have different ideas, and sensibilities that in the past 1900 years have PROVED to be incompatible. If you’re a part of one of these groups. I’m asking you. Please, help the other group if they ask for it. Otherwise, just stay out of their way, and let them go about their business.

Now for the other three groups… This is where a line gets drawn in the sand, and people are going to get angry with me. I’m going to toss a lot of stones here. You see, the Scientists, and the Spiritualists are the MINORITY. The MAJORITY are in these last three groups, and frankly have a tendency to harm the community, both directly and indirectly.

The Spectators
The ‘Spectators’ are exactly what the name implies. They are people who don’t SEEM to be directly involved with the paranormal community. They spend a lot of time watching paranormal reality programs, and developing their OWN opinions, and theories of what they think is really out there. There’s nothing wrong with that, as it’s simply human nature. They’re what many of you refer to as “Armchair Ghosthunters”. There are many websites dedicated to the Spectator, offering them ‘Ghost-Cams’ to view and discuss. These sites are very popular. And, why not?

  • Pros:
    Many Spectators are people that are just discovering the paranormal, and may be interested in going deeper than just watching bad television. This is great. Some of them can go on to really help the community.
  • Cons:
    Often times the Spectators only know what the television or other people ‘in the field’ tell them. They do no investigation or research on their own, and therefore add to the endless sea of bad information and lies.

The Pseudos
I gave these people the label of ‘Pseudos’ due to their dedication to no real belief structure or every belief structure. This group is probably majority of the paranormal field, unfortunately. You see, this group is neither spiritual, nor are they scientific. Either that, or they’re a hybrid of the two. It’s very difficult to have scientific credibility when you believe that ‘feeling energies’, or using dowsing rods is a viable method in scientific investigation. On the same note, how can you fully trust a spiritualists instincts when they feel that their beliefs need to be solidified with scientific data? Apparently, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. I call them the ‘Pseudos’ because their science is USUALLY flawed by it being diluted with spiritual beliefs. At best, it is pseudoscience. Their faith, or spiritual beliefs are also in question do to their use of scientific ideas. It’s pseudo-spirituality.

  • Pros: (For the Pros, I’m going to play devils advocate against myself.)
    Here we have the best of both worlds.
    Scientific devices such as EMF meters, and thermometers can be used in conjunction with dowsing rods, and psychics. All of these ‘tools’ can lead us to information, and knowledge about the paranormal.
    The psychic mediums can go in, do their readings, and get the information. After that we can quantify it by doing research, and proving what the medium had discovered.
    If our EMF meter tells us of a place of interest, we can bring in our psychics to feel the place out, gather information, and maybe even make contact with the beyond.
  • Cons:
    Here we have the worst of both worlds.
    They are the majority of the paranormal community. You reading this are probably one of them. They are also the most vocal of the community.
    They are responsible for bringing forth MOST of the bad theories, and beliefs that have stunted the progress of paranormal studies. (E.G. Drained batteries, Cold spots, ORBS, bad EVP translation)
    ‘Pseudos’ are often seen as Spiritualists or Scientists. They are neither. It is often hard to tell. Often times, even they don’t know.
    Whether it’s there or not, the 9 times out of 10 the ‘Pseudos’ WILL find a haunting. See, if their gadgets don’t detect it, their other methods will. I’ve seen hundreds of ‘Pseudo-investigator teams’ work like this. I used to be a member of one. I was ashamed to be a part of it.
    Most of their methodology doesn’t hold water in the scientific sense. For example, in the ‘pro’, “The psychic mediums can go in, do their readings, and get the information. After that we can quantify it by doing research, and proving what the medium had discovered.” Are we saying that we’re spending our time investigating the reliability of the psychic as opposed to the case itself? Why do we need to do this? Why not just do our research?
    If their spiritualism or faith is pure, why are the scientific gadgets and ‘methodology’ necessary?
    ‘Scientific’ paranormal investigators using spiritual methods, which are paranormal in and of themselves, is flawed methodology.

The Cynics
Many people mistakenly use the word ‘skeptic’ when referring to these people. No. These people are not skeptics. Skepticism is healthy. It teaches you to question things, and look beyond what others tell you to believe. It’s a discipline that is forgotten almost entirely by the ‘Pseudos’ mentioned above. Cynics are different. Cynics are so blindly closed minded that they refuse to care to listen to the Spiritualists, and they feel the pseudoscience of the Scientists is ridiculous at best. They don’t believe in the paranormal. They will NEVER believe in the paranormal, or even the possibility of it. I see no reason to discuss them further.

  • Pros:
    They are easily ignored.
  • Cons:
    They have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to add to the paranormal community. Nothing paranormal exists. There’s no such thing as anything. What the hell can we learn from that? We can learn nothing from them.

Well, there you have it.

Those are my 5 segregated groups in the paranormal community. We need to find out which group we belong with, and learn how to help that group succeed in their goals. Continuing to butt heads as we have been for the past 1900 years HAS to end if we are going to move forward.

By now you’re probably either cheering for me, or wanting me dead. I’m sorry about that. I started this one by saying that we NEED a voice. We need someone to step forward, and work for progress, preferably in a lot more friendly manner than I just did.

And for the record… If I’m wrong, I challenge you to show me. Show me the error of my ways. I’m ALWAYS willing to rethink my convictions for the greater good. If you are intelligent, have a good argument, and are ALSO open to possibilities, I’ll be happy to hear you out. I mean this ABSOLUTELY sincerely. Maybe you can be the voice the community needs.

Let me know.

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The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 1- Introduction To An Open Mind

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The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 1- Introduction To An Open Mind

Aug16
by on August 16, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Posted In: Author-BeyonderBill, Beyond Endorsed, Editorials, Theoretical

~Written By Bill Stone~

People have been investigating ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal events since, believe it or not, before 100 AD. It would be only logical for one to assume that in all that time that we’d have made some headway in the field. That assumption would be dead wrong. We are in ‘The Dark Ages’ of the field, and moving beyond this dark time is proving to be a difficult, if almost impossible venture.

If you visit TheFreeDictionary.com, and look at their definition of ‘Dark Age’, you will see the definition as follows…

Dark Age (därk)
n.
1. also dark age
a. An era of ignorance, superstition, or social chaos or repression. Often used in the plural: a novel depicting the dark ages in the aftermath of a global war.
b. The early or crude stage in the history or development of something. Often used in the plural: back in the dark ages of radio technology.

Sound familiar?

We’re in the dark ages, people. Why?

Because 99.9 to 100 percent of the time when people see a ghost, or supposedly capture one on film, it doesn’t hold up to any degree of scrutiny. MOST of the time the people who capture these things haven’t taken the proper steps to really back up their claims, and therefore have no credibility whatsoever. Many investigators have bad methodology, or are unethical in the work they do. Many just want to get famous. This is a field FILLED with people who lie to themselves, and in effect, to each other. How can we move forward like that?

These are harsh words. But am I wrong? REALLY think about it.

Orbs anyone?

Before you label me a cynic, or a disbeliever, I want to make something absolutely clear. I am 100 percent convinced that there is something ‘out there’. I’ve seen with my own eyes, that which I believe to be proof of paranormal activity. I’m writing this series of articles from the perspective of a believer. I’m writing it as a believer who is very weary of closed minded individuals claiming to be ‘experts’ in a field with no established facts. These ‘experts’ teach their less than accurate gospel to mindless disciples who do not think for themselves, and take it at face value. They then pass on this bad information.

In this series of articles that I’m writing here, I’m going to say a lot of things that will rub some of you the wrong way. The truth is sometimes hard to hear, but it needs to be said. Agree or disagree. I just hope to make you think about this stuff.

The paranormal field of study is FAR from perfect. Do some research on some of the investigation teams out there. The field barely functions at all. We are making no progress. Everyone has their own belief, and way of doing things. Methods, and ethics are rarely agreed upon. Are we spiritual ghost hunters, or scientific investigators? What constitutes actual evidence of a paranormal event? What are ghosts really? Those are all deeper issues that I’ll get to in other articles. For now, I intend to focus on what I believe to be the root cause of the biggest thorn in the side of paranormal progress.

That thorn is the lack of an open mind.

What does it mean to be open-minded?

The dictionary says that it means, “Having or showing receptiveness to new and different ideas or the opinions of others.” I’d call this definition true, but I think that in the field of paranormal studies, this concept must be more clearly defined, and go a little deeper because so many of us are confused on the subject.
Saying that you believe in ghosts, and the paranormal DOES NOT mean that you’re open-minded. I’ve found that it often means the EXACT opposite within the paranormal community. You see, the problem in the paranormal community, is that many of us take our spiritual beliefs, or lack thereof to an unhealthy extent. Our personal beliefs make us closed minded to other possibilities.

In the past 25 or so years the paranormal field has adopted a LOT of “rules and facts” that have been brought forth by ghost hunters and their PERSONAL beliefs. These ‘rules and facts’ have spread throughout the paranormal community like a virus. Most, if not ALL of these ‘rules and facts’ are as closed minded as the statement, “theres no such thing as ghosts.” Hunters and investigators take this information, they use it, and pass it on. They take these closed minded things as truth, and base their own research around them, cursing progress to a standstill.

Here are a few examples of closed-mindedness from both the scientific & spiritual mindsets:

You should always say a prayer before an investigation to protect yourself from spirits.
A lot of teams, and sites preach this as one of their MAIN rules of the trade. Many take it as something that they MUST do. There is, however no evidence supporting that this is going to work in any way. Yeah, its POSSIBLE, so the prayer can’t hurt. The fact remains that we have NO IDEA what we’re really dealing with in the paranormal. With an open mind to that truth, the possibilities are virtually endless. Saying a few words of protection may not be adequate. I’m a religious person myself. I feel that religious and spiritual beliefs are a good thing, but if you’re looking for unquestionable fact, look somewhere else. If you’re a Christian, Wiccan, Muslim, Psychic, or or someone who possess any other type of religious or spiritual belief, I’m sure you KNOW that forcing them on others who do not share in your beliefs is ALWAYS wrong. (No matter how helpful you may think it is.)

Ghosts need energy, and will drain the batteries in your equipment in order to manifest themselves.
It IS a fact that during investigations batteries used in cameras, EMF meters, and other electronic devices will often go from fully charged, to completely dead in a matter of seconds. I’ve seen it happen, and if you’ve spent any time in the field, so have you. Someone, at one point said that ‘ghosts need energy, and they’re taking it from the batteries’. We have ABSOLUTELY ZERO evidence to back this theory up. This is only an idea or a theory that seems to fit the fact. In truth, we have no idea why the batteries go dead so quickly. Unfortunately, because so many people has taken this ‘theory’ as a fact over the years, they have no inclination to try to find out the REAL reason this happens. For all we know, it COULD be the truth. Then again, it might not. Until we open our minds, and start to question the things that we’re TOLD by others, we’ll never know.

To gain energy, spirits will use ambient energy in the air leaving a ‘cold spot’.
This is basically the same thing as the ‘battery theory’. If you’ve done an investigation, I’m sure you’ve felt at least one ‘cold spot’. Maybe your infrared thermometer even helped you document it. Does it mean that a paranormal event has taken place, or a ghost has sucked up the heat in the air? HELL NO. This theory SOUNDS great, but again, we have absolutely NOTHING to back it up. If you take this theory as a fact, you’ve made your decision. You see no need to investigate the ‘cold spot’ phenomenon any further. What if the theory is wrong? I admit, that even I follow this idea because I have nothing else to go on. But what if we’re wrong? It is very possible that we have no clue what the hell we’re talking about. If we’re wrong, how far off course has these sort of ‘theories’ led us because we don’t question them?

The best time to hunt for ghosts are between this time, and that time. (Everyone seems to have a different opinion on what times to use.) These are the psychic hours where spirits are most likely to be captured.
This one is just stupid. It states that paranormal events and ghosts are on a timetable, and that there are certain times of the day in which they are most active. How closed minded can you be to follow this? What about the other hours of the day? Can you REALLY say with ANY degree of certainty that paranormal events aren’t as possible during other time frames? Do you realize how much information you may be losing by following this idea? I understand if you have psychic beliefs or beliefs in this sort of idea. That’s cool, but in this case, it’s clearly getting in the way with research that someone can learn from. How do we know that ghosts even view time the same way we do? How do we know that the times are accurate? How do time zones factor in? There are too many questions to take this seriously.

There are tons of these little ‘facts and rules’ all over the Internet on various paranormal websites, far too many for me to list them all. The point is that if you take each one of them, ask questions, and break them apart, you’ll find that very few, if any hold water. Again, that doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. It just means that we don’t have the answers yet, and that we should keep looking.

It’s okay to be ignorant. It’s okay to not have the answers. Embrace that. You don’t want to be the guy that has all the answers. Someone who has all the answers is incapable of learning. (and usually delusional)

Many paranormal theories and ideas are believed so strongly by so many people that they are accepted as facts. Facts are absolutes. They are UNQUESTIONABLE. Absolutes leave no room for possibilities. The paranormal field has almost infinite possibilities. This is why it is so captivating to so many of us.

The cure to this epidemic of closed-mindedness is thinking in terms of possibilities instead of absolutes. Remember, that as stated before, the paranormal investigation, or ghost hunting field, has no established facts, so if you hear someone calling themselves or someone else an ‘expert’, or giving you a FACT about something paranormal… You should probably think for yourself, and take the information with a boulder of salt.

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The Dark Ages Of Paranormal Studies: Part 2- Paranormal Segregation

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