Shadow person

Call me crazy but this JUST happened to me. I got up from a chair, started walking to the kitchen and suddenly stopped in my tracks, thinking I was about to run into someone. I even shifted my body so that I wouldn't hit whoever was there.  You might imagine where I am going with this...there was actually no one there.  But what I saw -what I felt - was a tall, black shadow.  As quick as it was there, it was gone and I kept on my business.  I wasn't scared, just startled as when you accidentally bumped into someone in the street because you weren't paying attention.

Normally, I would have brushed this off as simple shadow play and my mind reacting to something I simply thought was there.  However, Ben Hansen talked about this very thing during our late night social hour at the Stanley.  He said it is believed that the sides our eyes are able to see more, a sort of heightened sense.  I see shadows out of the corner of my eyes quite frequently, which again I've just brushed off.  But after Ben's explanation, I suppose that what I'm experiencing could possibly be something real.  And tonight's experience was definitely real!  More than I've experienced before.

Does anyone else see shadows like this?

Stanley Part 2: Paranormal Experiences

Part 1: Lectures
Part 3: Socialite

A heads up to the start of this post, there was not much activity for me.  Nothing happened that was a phenomenal experience but a few odd things did happen that I am happy to share.  Unfortunately I also don't have any great pictures to share with you.  I took several pictures but nothing significant appeared and anything I would post in here would just be repetitive of my 2011 post from the investigation then.

My group started in the basement of the Concert Hall where a spirit, who has been named Lucy, is said to reside.  Karl said there is also two newer haunts: a male, who is mischievous, as well as an animal spirit.  We sat in a room of the hall, which I believe to be a green room, along with Karl and Chip.  Someone was using an ovilus (spirit box) that is supposed to capture words from beyond and we got some interesting "hits" such as names and direct responses to our conversations that seemed to fit.  I'm not sure I buy into this device because there is also a lot of random words that come through...from lots of ghostly chatter or just randomness of an electronic device?  Not convinced but not dismissing it.

My personal experience in there is hard to describe.  For the most part, I did not feel uneasy or scared in the least.  I was sitting on a couch next to Chip and there was a woman sitting close to me in a chair.  Three times during our time in there, in between myself and the woman (who says she is sensitive), I felt this sudden change in the air.  In a small pocket, for a short amount of time, I could feel what I can only describe as fresh, clean air.  It came on first as a smell...again a clean, fresh smell.  Not sure how else to describe this.  When I put my hand out in this pocket, it was just different than the rest of the air. Not quite "tingly" or static, but almost.  Not cold, yet slightly.  Not a perfume smell, but just fresh.  This would happen for maybe a minute and just as quickly as hit came on, it was gone.  

Next we visited room 217, the famously haunted "Stephen King Room" where King stayed and was inspired to write The Shining, where Jim Carrey checked out after only a few hours and will not speak of his experience...and where a maid was nearly killed from an explosion and is said to eternally visit.  For most of our time in there, I was drawn to looking at the bathroom for some reason.  I was sitting on the bed so was looking directly at the bathroom entrance so maybe it was just natural but something told me to keep looking there, as if something would happen.  Later, the woman who claims to be sensitive said there was a woman in there and that at one point, she walked out to the back corner of the room and suddenly left.

Early on, I swear I heard a woman whisper - first from my left and then suddenly from my right.  No one else heard it so I want to dismiss it.  Not too long after, I heard another whisper to my right but this time two others heard it.

I was on the bed with Mike and at one point, he had sudden chills up and down one arm and goosebumps to prove it.  I couldn't feel anything and the air was not cold around him.  Was he touched?  Was it isolated to just him?  We're not sure.  This was his room for the weekend and the night before he felt someone sit on the bed and heard someone pacing back and forth in front of the bed throughout the night.  Clearly, something strange happens in that room!

Next we went to room 401, the Lord Dunraven room.  The group before us apparently had some crazy experiences, most notably incredible black shadows.  I would have enjoyed seeing Chip's reaction to a black mass that came straight at him...he insisted that the investigation end right then and there because something menacing was with them.  Chip had earlier mentioned that it takes a lot to frighten him...this apparently was one of those experiences that made him want to leave immediately!

Hearing this left me excited and I even sat in the porch-like room, which is where some of the black shadows were originating.  Unfortunately, no experiences for us.  Like two years ago, I sat in the closet waiting for something to happen (women are supposed to experience touching and hair-pulling and this is the closet where Jason of Ghost Hunters witnessed it opening on its own) but again, nothing happened.

Lastly, we went to room 418, which is where I had some significant experiences in 2011.  The sensitive woman said that a little boy was interested in me, playing peek-a-boo from the bathroom I was sitting in front of and hanging out near me.  Early on, I said out loud that I was a mom to a little boy and that I like to play, in hopes of attracting just this attention.  Did it work?  Not sure but I didn't experience anything first-hand.  The lead investigators in the room were keeping a little toy dog in the room so I played with that and put it in the bathroom for the boy to play with but nothing happened from this experiment.  Its not that I don't necessarily believe that this woman was actually experiencing this but I just can't back it up.

This was the end of the official investigations and I felt disappointed that nothing significant happened.  Sure, there were a few odd things but nothing I could say was a true paranormal experience.  Oh  well, I was there for more than just that.

By some strange cosmic luck, I ended up being able to stay the night in room 401.  The room was auctioned off and the woman that won the bid decided not to stay. I am lucky to be friends with Mike and he knew that I was sleeping on the floor of Janet's room (my choice) and offered me the room.  At this point, it was 3:30am and we had been listening to all of Ben's stories...in 401...for the past 3 hours so needless to say I was hesitant. But my final decision was based on the fact this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I could hope for that experience I had been waiting for (spoil alert: nothing happened).

Trying to fall asleep proved to be a difficult task.  The room - the closet to be exact - is next to the elevator, which makes it very noisy.  This is not your typical elevator but an old-time elevator that is very rattling.  You can also hear every whisper and every footstep outside the room in the hallway.  It was not uncommon to hear someone outside going back to their room or just roaming the 4th floor, looking for an encounter (can't say I blame them!).  So every time I would start to calm myself from fear (what the heck was I afraid of anyway?!), I would hear some noise to shake me up again.  Finally I decided on ear plugs and fell asleep shortly after.

I took several pictures of the room before bed, mainly to document where items were positioned in order to "prove" that something had been messed with overnight.  To my dismay, when I awoke, everything was as it was.  No pulled sheets, no clothes neatly put away, no jewelry displaced, no open closet doors, no broken glass cups.  Oh well...next time?

Even without grand paranormal experiences, it is an experience in itself to stay at the Stanley.  It never gets old and it never disappointments.  I will close with my view from the room in the morning....so beautiful!

Part 1: Lectures
Part 3: Socialite

Stanley Part 1: Lectures

Part 2: Paranormal Experiences
Part 3: Socialite

This past weekend was the Lost Limbs Foundation conference at the Stanley Hotel.  The conference started on Friday with meet-and-greet, Q&A session, and an investigation but I chose not to attend that day but came up on Saturday for lectures and the round 2 of investigations. 

The best part of the trip for me was the social interactions I was able to have with other participants and the celebrities as well as the investigation (of course!) but in this post, I want to start with the lectures. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



First up was Chris from Creepy Legends Paranormal Research.  He didn't seem to have an agenda to speak from and jumped all over the place.  It worked well for him though since he seems to have a plethora of experience and stories to share.  He talked about his definition of paranormal - which I believe as well - that it is not just ghost hunting but cryptozoology, UFO research, legends...basically out of the realm of "normal." 

He has been contacted by MUFON to conduct cryptozoology research, which I find very exciting and...what an honor!  They apparently receive a lot of requests to research in this area and it wasn't part of their normal area of expertise so they reached out to someone who as that interest.  He talked about some of his strange encounters with trolls, hauntings, and doppelgangers.  I hadn't heard of this doppelganger phenomenon beyond a funny coincidence, mainly on How I Met Your Mother, but I am very interested in reading and learning more!

He has been featured on a future episode of Monsters and Mysteries of America, airing next spring, but not sure on what topic. 

He closed with some questions from the audience.  A new friend, Connie, asked about the "black eyed children" phenomenon as apparently our friend, Rose (I mentioned both of them in my next post) has encountered this.  Another thing I want to learn more about! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up was Karl Pfeiffer who was on Ghost Hunters Academy and now works at the Stanley as well as a photographer, published author and active blogger.  While I respect Karl's work and enjoy investigating with him, he was not a great presenter.  He tried to explain how ghost hunting and the research out there is not scientific as science is defined.  Ok, I can buy into that.  But...trying to instill into a group of interested, mostly amateur, "ghost hunters" that the proof they are so desperately trying to find, probably at this event, is pointless is well...difficult.  I understand what he was trying to say: call it an experience, not scientific proof, becuase its not science unless you do X,Y, and Z and even then,  you aren't going to prove anything to skeptics.  We are trying to put labels on what we are experiencing.  Sure, that makes sense to me.  Unfortunately, I believe he just struggled with this lecture (not a presentation, it was a lecture).  I personally would have rather heard about his experiences and writings.

He did mention a book about ESP that intrigued me: Psychic Exploration by Edgar Mitchell.  It dives into actual scientific methods done by actual scientists.  Upon looking it up on Amazon, I discovered there a several books on space, UFOs, Roswell, etc that I now want to pick up! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rosalyn Bown presented next about psychic protection while ghost hunting.  She started with a statement about the importance of a having a team, a support system with you.  And that when helping a client, your own personal beliefs are not important.   She likes to really understand where the client is coming from in their religious beliefs in order to help them.  I really liked that statement.  Even though I am not religious but spiritual, if I were to dismiss someone's religious beliefs would only hurt, not help them. 

She then described three areas of psychic protection: defense, self care, and cleansing.  Here is a simple breakdown of those points:
Defense - mental shielding, tapping into our auras, prayers (such as the St. Michael prayer), religious objects, internal belief system, using assistance from our guardian angels, and crystals. 
Cleansing - rock salt, smudging, psychic waterfall (mental imagery), reiki treatment (spiritual healing), and scraping (literally "scraping" off the bad energy).
Self care - meditation, grounding, diet of grounded food, healthy exercise, and plenty of sleep.

I could listen to Rosalyn all day!  She had wonderful, positive things to say and I enjoy her psychic/spiritual beliefs.  I need to practice her grounding technique of mentally focusing on the ground beneath me...connecting to the earth to increase my awareness of the here and now.  If you ever get to hear her speak, I highly encourage it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next, Scott Temperman of Ghost Hunters International showed a horror film Creep Crawly he was an actor in.  Honestly, I can't say I was drawn to it but it has won some awards and is worth checking out for yourself!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International spoke next and oh man was he a hoot!  He opened with the obvious fact that of he and Scott, he is the loud crazy one and can talk about Scott all day; he holds him in the highest regards.  He also admits to swearing...a lot.  In fact, they permanently dubbed his voice so that every time he said "oh, shit!" ("oh fuck" maybe?  I don't remember) it now says "what the hell."  He showed us a clip with this example and its actually pretty funny, now knowing that.  He also showed us some other scenes from the show but from his perspective to explain what was really happening (funny moments).

 

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 



Ben Hansen of Fact or Faked talked a bit about some personal experiences and then showed an experiment that Bill Murphy (also from FoF) had shown him.  It demonstrates how EVPs can happen due to electromagnetic fields using a simple technique with audio recorders.  He had volunteers from the audience use an audio recorder (also from the audience) to record a simple, short sentence.  The batteries from another recorder were removed and the microphone was muted so that recorder could not have picked up their voices.  However, when the batteries were put back in, the voices showed up as if it was recorded on that one, not the first. 

I asked Ben for some help in explaining this in writing and here is his description of the experiment:

We used induction coils- one on the microphone input and one on the speaker output of the other recorder.  The transference of the voice from recorder to recorder was achieved by an electromagnetic field (EMF), not by radio or acoustic waves.  In essence, we were proving that the theory of EVPs being transferred by EMF energy that we can't see or hear is a plausible explanation. The recorder couldn't possibly have picked up on us speaking the words audibly because we muted the microphone and took the batteries out of the other recorder when we spoke the words.  It was only through EMF energy when we played it back that the other recorder was able to capture it.

So, basically the transference of voices using EMF fields is a possible scientific explanation as to why we can capture voices while investigating.  Pretty cool!  Bill is known for finding science within paranormal research so it is no surprise he worked to prove this theory. 

He then let us listen to some EVPs captured on the Queen Mary (before the show began) and Sedamsville Rectory (I believe this was for an event).  At the rectory, the voice captured appears to call his name!  He pointed out that many EVPs seem to have a whooshing or popping sound before the voice, another possible point to the electromagnetic occurrence that is possibly happening.  He then showed some of his favorite clips from the show including the USS North Carolina, Buffalo Central Terminal, and the Birdcage Theater. 

He reiterated that disbelievers have to experience the paranormal, evidence won't convince.  But he also believes that "If its worth having an opinion, its worth checking the facts" (I really liked that quote!). 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Chip Coffey, renown psychic and medium, closed the lectures about some of his personal experiences, including some from that day at the Stanley.  He said he and his assistant watched the corner sheets of his bed get tucked in from unseen hands!  There was also some play with the lights - they would turn on while he was away from the room after he would purposely turn them off.  He also answered from questions from the audience. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the lectures, Mike Couch, who organized the event, conducted some raffle drawings and an auction for a rem pod signed by a ton of paranormal celebrities and a night in room 401.  He made close to $1000 with the auction and raffles!  At this point it was pretty late in the evening and we were getting hungry so a few of us snuck out to get some dinner and didn't participate in this part.  We needed to prepare for the investigation! 

Part 2: Paranormal Experiences
Part 3: Socialite



Stanley Part 3: Socialite

Part 1: Lectures
Part 2: Paranormal Experiences

Two years ago when I attended my first paranormal conference at the Stanley, I awakened the socialite that I am.  I met some new people and grew my Twitter following list 10 fold.  At the time, Fact or Faked was still on the air so I was giddy with fan star-gazing from meeting Ben and Bill in addition to the Ghost Hunters members there.  My focus was on meeting celebrities and other fans and the paranormal experiences I knew I was bound to have.

Since then, I feel truly a part of community.  Who knew that I could create a sense of family through social media and look more forward to seeing friends again than encountering ghosts...where it all started.

When I arrived, I met up with my friend, Janet and her friend, Amanda.  I met Janet through Twitter and FoF chat rooms and we met in person last year when she came out for a Beyond Reality conference and I just crashed for a bit to chat.  I am really happy to meet Amanda and now call her a friend!

Janet, me, and Amanda in Rocky Mountain National Park

I then met Mike Couch, who organized this event for his charity, Lost Limbs Foundation.  Mike and I have conversed for the last year in planning this event and I've helped where I could.  I also helped him put on his event at the Fairplay Hotel in southern CO last year but regrettably couldn't attend.  We finally met in person, gathered up Ben Hansen, and we all went out for lunch at Mama Rose's restaurant in beautiful downtown, Estes Park.

At the restaurant, we met up with Rose and Connie who are a part of my meetup group, Colorado Ghost Hunters.  Rose and I have been chatting for a long time as well but this was the first we had met.  This trip was starting to be full of new friends and it had just started!

 

The gang at Mama Rose's.

Mike, Ben, and I

Mike needed to head back to the hotel but Janet, Amanda, Ben, and I decided to take advantage of the free access to Rocky Mountain National Park, a generous offer in celebration of Veteran's Day.  Before even entering the park, we stopped to witness a bull elk scraping his antlers along a river.

Click here for Ben's video of the elk he tweeted

    Many of the roads were still closed from flooding damage and the impending winter, plus we didn't have a lot of time before the lectures were to begin, so we did a quick loop around the park.  We did get a chance to stop and take some pictures.  I had been up along this route earlier in the summer so I took everyone along an easy path I knew.

After our mini tour, it was time for the lectures, which didn't start on time but that was ok because it left more social time!

I had become Twitter and Words With Friends buddies with Rosalyn but hadn't met her yet.  She is so wonderful!

I didn't realize that Karl was going to be there, so   that was a pleasant surprise.

Paul of Ghost Hunters International was not shy and took some great pictures with us!








After the evening was done (after lectures and investigation), a small group of us attempted to continue socializing at the bar.  Strangely, the bar closed early.  We ended up chatting in the hallway, forming a few different groups, sharing stories and asking questions of the celebrities that joined us.  We finally convinced Mike to just continue in room 401 since it wasn't being used and to avoid keeping any guests up by hanging out in the hallway.

The rest of the night ended up being mostly Ben telling us some of his crazy stories from childhood and behind-the-scenes events we didn't get to see from the show.  I wish I could share some of what we heard but not sure that I really can! To summarize: UFO encounters, levitation, weird stuff happens at Area 51, unexplained occurrences, and Austin sleep walks/talks.

Before leaving for home, I got in one last hug from Mike, Ben, and Rosalyn.  After telling Ben about sleeping in 401, he indirectly dared me to sleep in the tunnels next time...as I told him, "challenge accepted!"

It was a great weekend overall.  I am so glad I was able to go and I can't wait until next year!  Keep checking the Lost Limbs Foundation website or Facebook page for details when they are finalized but block your calendar now for November 14-15, 2014!  If you book your room at the Stanley before the end of this year, Mike will be providing discounted event tickets.

Part 1: Lectures
Part 2: Paranormal Experiences

Larry King Live show

I happened to come across a post by Amy Bruni (she has become quite popular in my blog lately!) on Facebook with a Larry King Live show segment featuring Josh Gates (Destination Truth and Stranded), Steve Gonsalves (Ghost Hunters) and John Zaffis (Haunted Collector).  It is a 21-minute segment and totally worth watching. 

I don't normally watch Larry King but I do understand that he can be a tough interviewer and quite frankly, I was quite surprised he did a show on the paranormal.  What I appreciated about him is that he kept the questions moving quickly, asked some questions from Twitter followers, varied the questions and the responders, and was respectful of the topic, even though it was clear he was a hard skeptic.  He even had John do an investigation in his studio! 

I was also really impressed by the guests.  First, it was a great line up with very different experiences, expertise, and backgrounds so that was nice to see.  But they were also very honest and up front about the field and how its changed.  Josh even bluntly stated that you can in fact make a career out of this, that there is money to be made (particularly with lecturing).  With such a large percentage of the population believing in the paranormal (Larry was really sticking to ghosts even though they kept referring to paranormal in general) and the growing popularity in pop culture, they agreed that this is worth capitalizing on.  Not to say that any of them are out for the money, mind you.  Steve and John had been doing this for years before the shows and Josh had been a world traveler/photographer/adventurist before DT and was the host for that reason.  Fortunately for us viewers, they are truly invested in this field and stick with it because they are genuinely facinated by their experiences. 

I believe it was Josh who talked about the fact that a lot of people who have entered the field just want to get on TV and/or make a profit.  That it used to be a hobby and about helping people but has now become something widly different (those are my words, not his).  I don't believe its become completely commercial, there are still some great helping people out there (some have become good friends), but you have to admit, there is for sure an increase in desire to be famous by doing this work.  Ironically, I feel the need to point, Josh's new show seems to perpetulate that (my reasoning for not watching it yet although I've recently gained an interest in checking it out).

I found this talk about being able to make a career out of this fascinating because I remember the cast of Ghost Hunters specifically saying that they don't make money from doing the show.  TAPS has always been, and still is, non-profit, structured to help people and is not a business.  Now, I am not saying that it isn't true and it sounds like they are saying their careers are from lecturing and a little from the shows.  However, you can't tell me that TAPS hasn't "profited."  New office, new equipment, lots of staff, suped up vans...you mean to tell me it isn't directly from having the show?  That the production company didn't provide all of that?  Hmmm.  I just wish I would hear someone admit this publicy.  If anyone reading can chime in and tell me that they have actually admitted to this, I would love to hear it!  Please leave comments.

Sorry to pick on GH and TAPS but given where they started, I just have to.  John has been providing lectures to colleges and universities for a while now - I met him at a conference where students contract his lectures and his aunt and uncle (Lorraine and the late Ed Warren) lectured at my alma mater for years - so while his business has boomed from the show, this has always been a career for him. 

Anyway, back to my original point.  It was a great show, something I haven't seen before.  It was professionally done and to get on such a huge broadcast warms my heart.  Sometimes I wonder if I just think the field is bigger than it is because I have immersed myself in this world but obviously, it is a big, national topic.  Makes me happy :-)

Here is the link to the show: http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2013-04-02-lkn1138-syfypanel-0_ynxo49kj

STRANDED on SyFy

Josh Gates recently provided us some insight to his new show, STRANDED, which airs on the Syfy Channel Wednesday nights at 10/9c.  He wrote through Twitter and his post has been shared by fans on Twitter and Facebook (thank you, Kimberley!).

I've heard a few things about the program but wasn't really intrigued enough to check it out.  After reading Josh's post, I will for sure start watching!  This is why I love the paranormal entertainment field...the fact that show creators and celebrities reach out to the fans in a personal way.  He didn't have to do that and is not obligated to justify his work, yet he does for the sake of the viewers and now, with no intention I'm sure, has gained at least one follower!  Nice work, Josh, nice work.

Here is a link to the post: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjev98
Here is more about the show: http://www.syfy.com/stranded

So, you'd like to be a Paranormal Investigator?

I happened to read a blog post by Amy Bruni of Ghost Hunters and really liked what she had to say.  Here is her post (I've added some helpful links within it) and there is a link to her blog at the end.

I get this question either in person or via social media at least half a dozen times a day:
How do I become a paranormal investigator?

It’s one of those questions I wish was easier to answer. Often, when I’m asked it, I want to take the person aside and begin questioning THEM to ascertain their motives. Typically, they’re all over the place. They can genuinely want to help people or have had an experience they are still grappling with. They can be the type who wants a thrill and thinks paranormal investigation is an adrenaline rush. Or, they can even be brutally honest with me and say they want a reality television show.
It’s very hard for me not to get defensive on this subject because so many approach what we do nonchalantly – as though it takes no forethought and that you can just march right in and start saying, “WHAT WAS THAT?!”

If only it were so easy. Of course, you could just walk into any location and start investigating using methods you’ve seen weekly on our hour long television show, (and others.) But the fact of the matter is, there is so much more to what we do and where we came from that you’d be doing a great disservice to yourself by not learning these things and to our field in general by propagating the myth that anyone can be a paranormal investigator.

First of all, let me clear one thing up – you’re not going to make a living doing this.

I repeat: You’re not going to make a living doing this.

This is not a career and as much as we want to say it’s research, it really is just a hobby at this point. A very expensive hobby. As a matter of fact, you’re most likely going to spend copious amounts of money and time to sit in the dark and reap very few results. Paranormal investigation is absolutely a labor of love and I would say 90% of the folks who dabble in it, throw in the towel within a year or so.

It’s not like television. You have to remember, TAPS is VERY well known and we have a team of investigators and producers going through our cases before they make it to television. We are absolutely cherry picking, (aside from residential cases.) These locations we visit have all had very recent, strong accounts of activity. Before I was with TAPS, most of the places I went with my team and others were just not haunted. Even in the first few seasons of Ghost Hunters, (before people knew of TAPS), you can see the difference in cases.

Ok, so now that we’ve covered your motive, the fact that it’s not easy and that you’re going to be broke – let’s talk about how to actually get started.

You’ve seen Ghost Hunters, you’ve probably read some stuff on the net, you may have even listened to a few podcasts – but have you opened a book? We’re very fortunate in that there are SO many books written on the paranormal. I lecture on the history of Spiritualism and Paranormal Investigation and I urge anyone with an interest to become familiar with how we all got our start. There are a few books on this, but my favorite is one by Troy Taylor called Ghosts by Gaslight.

Beyond that, to learn about case studies, methodology, theories, etc – pick up any book by Loyd Auerbach.

Jeff Belanger is another of my preferred paranormal authors. Communicating with the Dead is still my favorite by him.

Now you’ve read some books. Well done! Still want to get out and look for ghosts? Start contacting local groups. Go to one of the many conferences or events put on with TAPS members, (www.beyondrealityevents.com and www.idealeventmanage.com <—shameless plugs.)

* I am inserting Lost Limbs Foundation here as another way to attend a great paranormal conference!

Having trouble getting in touch with a team? No, do not start your own. But, do get a few like minded friends together and investigate for fun. No need to buy thousands of dollars in equipment yet, use your phone to record EVP sessions. Invest in a decent flashlight and a good digital camera. Investigate each others houses. Investigate locations during the day, (that’s right, we don’t always investigate at night.) Turn one of your houses into a case study and investigate it over and over – that’s really the ideal investigation anyway. Did you know Harry Price investigated Borley Rectory for over 18 years?

* Inserting night vision goggles as a great investigation tool.  Ben Hansen of Fact or Faked has been advertising the ones linked here.

The idea here is to, over time, form your own methods of investigation. After studying and experiencing it for yourself – what theories resound with you? What investigation style works and makes the most sense to you?

All of this is how you get started in paranormal investigation. It’s a lot of looking within yourself and being realistic about the WHY and from there taking good, honest steps toward a field that is so much more fascinating than television will ever let on. It is a field for the patient, the curious, and the slightly odd. Those that live and breathe it will always be here, sitting in old abandoned buildings, talking to thin air and hoping for the faint whisper of an answer – even when the television shows have all been long gone.

Good luck to you. xoxo

~a

From: http://www.amybruni.net/so-youd-like-to-be-a-paranormal-investigator/

Unique dream experience

A few weeks I had an intriguing dream, one of which has never happened to me.  I woke up feeling happy, confused, and awestruck, all bundled up into one crazy feeling.  And I haven't forgetten the details since.

Most of the dream centered around a party for my son.  I believe it was some combination of his birthday and a larger family reunion, which has actually happened in "real life" before.  I felt a bit stressed during the party, making sure everything was going well and overwhelmed by the amount of people that kept showing up for the event, worried that the little house this was taking place in (a rental maybe?  It wasn't a place I recognized) was not going to hold everyone. 

Suddenly in the middle of the living room stood my uncle.  No one else was around him and no one seemed to notice him standing there.  I immediately ran up to him and gave him a big hug, thanking him for coming to the party.  I said that I hadn't expected him to come and I was so happy to see him again and to have his support.

What makes this dream so wonderfully unique is that my uncle passed away a few months ago.  This was real in my dream as well, yet I didn't react as if I had seen a ghost, just that he was there and I  could interact with him.  I hadn't seen my uncle in years when he passed and am heartbroken that he had died without being to see him one more time.  He had intented on attending our family reunion last summer but ended up not being able to go, making his death especially hard on our family. 

This dream has helped me remember him well, bring a bit of closure to his passing, and reiterate to me that our loved are never truly gone.  I'm not sure exactly why he entered my dream in this way and why at this particular time - not because he is not important to me but because I have lost so many people in my life, why him and why now?  My life isn't necessarily anymore turbulent than any other point in my life, why did I need this reassurance so much?  Regardless, I am so happy to have had that experience.  That dream, and my uncle, will not be forgotten!