para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 5 -Solar Data & Moon Phases

Hey everyone,
We have another great question here, feel free to comment on it, dispute it, etc. Also, if you have a question you'd like to be featured here, or a personal story, submit it to: para.talk@yahoo.com.

Ok, this week's question comes from Art, of Columbia SC:

Could you please discuss what relevancy that the Current Solar Data and Current Moon Phases might play in regards to investigations...

I have seen many paranormal web sites out there listing this current information. However, I have never understood the relativity of this information or found any discussions as to how this information might come into play during a paranormal investigation.

With the given factors... Is there any particular time when you know you are wasting your time by conducting an investigation? When is prime time?

Have you or anyone ever charted this information as to successful findings through TAPS?

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Hi Art,
I'm so glad this question was asked. This question has many, many different facets to it, that I will humbly try to explore here. I'm going to attempt to link some theories together with some factual data. However, there are alot of missing links in this subject of how moon & solar activity, geomagnetic storms, etc. are related to paranormal activity. So any of you out there who can help put a piece in this puzzle, please comment!

Solar activity is monitored because during geomagnetic storms, paranormal researchers claim that they get good results during an investigation. A geomagnetic storm is a natural hazard, like a hurricane, and can cause communication problems, such as wide spread utility blackouts. It occurs when unusually high solar winds hit the earth, and causes variations in the earth's magentic field. The NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) Space Environmental Center in Boulder, CO provides the latest forecasts on geomagnetic storms. During an geomagnetic storm, the air is full of energy. We theorize that in order for a spirit to manifest, it draws energy from the environment, whether it be batteries or electrical appliances. But during days with lots of energy in the air, it is easier for them to materialize. We can tell by the use of our EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors, which can help detect the presence of a spirit by a "spike" indicating there is a possible disturbance the electromagnetic energy in that area.

As far as moon phases, I've heard that best investigation results occur at full moon. We already know that the magnetic force of a full moon affect the ocean tides. Tides are the result of the gravitational pull the moon (and sun) have on the earth. So, again, it is claimed that a full moon would be an opportune time to investigate because it produces more electromagnetic energy in the atmosphere to support the manifestations of spirits.

There is so much to explore on this whole topic. I put a moon phase tracker on my profile, right under "Who I Would Like To Meet." I'm not that computer saavy, so it got stuck there, but at least it's up. I'd like to get other automated atmospheric trackers on my page, but for now, you can visit www.noaa.gov. If you do enough digging, you can find these trackers.

As far as TAPS, we have not regulary tracked solar and moon information for our investigations. It really should be done. As esoteric as it may seem and as much as we don't have a strong working theory between solar weather & heightened paranormal activity, I personally think we will someday. We just need to start doing the homework and start logging data.

Another interesting topic to explore in terms of looking at the wider scope of EMF's, would be the field of geomagnetism. The earth, as most of us realize, is like a big spherical magnet surrounded by huge magnetic field. Magnetic fields vary by location and time, as well as several other variables that span beyond the scope of this blog. There is a great website put out by the National Geophysical Data Center that addresses many subjects within the field: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/

The US Naval Observatory has a fill-in form where you can get complete sun and moon data for any day, specified by city and state. Check it out at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html. This tool might be handy to quicky jot down sun and moon information in the location of your investigation.

As far as the "prime" time for investigations, I do not know. We speculate that it would be during a full moon and/or other conditions that increase electromagnetic energy on the earth. However, the truth is, we don't have any concrete data to validate this theory. The only way we are going to progress in this field is by noting and logging the details...details that we may not know the relevance of now, but may be able to link together with a cause-and-effect hypothesis in the future. Just as meterologists use solar, moon, and atmospheric data now to make weather forecasts, I believe we'll be able to use the same information to predict the best "ghost" conditions for maximizing our chances to observe paranormal phenomenon.

6:48 AM - 17 Comments - 20 Kudos - Add Comment

You Can't Argue with the Impossible (poem)

Can't Argue with the Impossible

No matter what the situation is
No matter how much you are justified
You can't argue with the impossible
You can't argue with those in self-denial.

Hands shakes and hugs all around
As they pour out the good 'ol lines,
To make you feel part of it all
As they soak in your praise and time.

We know the difference between what is right
And what is wrong
There is a moral responsibility
That has been clearly ignored.

Two halves of the circle conspiring with each other through it all,
Of all the money & fame you could muster
As you built your empire tall.

You have wrangled your army with precision
As you've ruthlessly stabbed it's heart
You've ripped away it's ambition
And looked the other way, as they all fell apart.

You once were our heros
And now you are our demise,
But, our ethical standards and judgment, you will NEVER compromise.

You can't argue with the impossible
You can't argue with the impossible.

Things could have been different
But you were careless in your choices,
Soon the time will come
Of revelation and truth from honest voices.

You'll wish the sweet intoxication
From the wine of power,
Had never blinded your reality
Come the final hour.

You can't argue with the impossible
You can't argue with them at all.
,
Through trials and tribulations we've given our support
But the strength of this chaotic deception is insurmountable
As the story was always yours to contort.

Excuses of entitlement make manipulation easy to dismiss...
But when the pain from self-delusion comes to sober, the truth will be hard to miss.

So give 'em your canned smiles because they won't see the smoking gun
Bask in the crowd's adoration
As you take their money and run.

I won't argue with the impossible
I won't argue with them at all
Life is too short
And our patience has grown small.

Don't dare insult our intelligence
Our loyalty to the common cause,
When you've done nothing but rape it
With you deliberate, greedy laws.

I just can't argue with the impossible anymore,
I won't argue with your manner so rude
As dark as the devil himself,
And as equally cunning and crude.

But, I bid you good tidings
In all your worthless toils
Because there WILL be a day
Where the crowds will not be foiled.

3:50 PM - 30 Comments - 49 Kudos - Add Comment

Queen Mary Event!!!

TAPS members Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson had such a blast meeting so many of you at the Stanley Paranormal Retreat a few weeks ago they couldnt wait to join us on The Queen Mary Jan 14-17th for a live investigation of the famous haunted ship.

The line-up is amazing
Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Donna LaCroix and Lisa Dowaliby from the TV show Ghost Hunters.

Paranormal Investigator from Court TV's Haunting Evidence, Patrick Burns.

Psychic/Sensitive from the Biography Channel's Dead Famous, Chris Fleming.

World reknowned psychic medium Peter James as seen on over 40 episodes of TV's SIGHTINGS!

Demonologist and Psychologist and all around great guy ADAM BLAI!

Medium CJ Sellers will be on hand to offer discounted readings to help you make contact with loved ones that have crossed over.

Dave Schrader and Tim Dennis, hosts of the paranormal radio show, The Darkness on the Edge of Town / DarknessRadio.com!

The entertaining Russ Clarke and his Comedy Hypnosis show and more!

For all the information and to join this historic event and to get your tickets go to : http://www.darknessradio.com/queenmary/

HURRY TICKETS ARE MOVING FAST!

Darkness Radio is proud to present these amazing paranormal retreats. Be a part of history and join along with the celebrity ghost hunters and people just like YOU that share an interest in the paranormal!

One small ticket price gets you into all the events for 2 days and 3 Nights!


http://www.darknessradio.com/queenmary/

4:55 PM - 13 Comments - 18 Kudos - Add Comment

Hands (poem)

hey folks, here's a little bit of my dark side that usually finds its expression through my writing/poetry. I wrote this a few months ago, but was asked to repost it again.


HANDS

Hands tremble as she braces to bleed

One carefully sharpened word, with stinging barbs of hate, ruthlessly pierce the flesh of the soul.

One wicked glance, of seething jealousy & scorn, swiftly descends to mangle the wings of the spirit.

Hands clenched as she tries to understand
That whom gave her birth lives to meticulously deliver her death.
And so perpetuates the tenacious grip of merciless assault, but Why?...still now after so many years?

All could cease, yet the years of scars from the strangling thrashs, leave their legacy in the asylum of a fearful mind. Wearing the shackles of distrust and suspicion . And so continues the bastardly crime! The cycling art of self-destruction.

Hands together as she prays for the spiritual antidote, yet reaches for the chemical tourniquet to halt the poisonous memories from flooding in. Before too long, a beautiful synthetic symphony of silence lubricates the bloodstream with tranquil pleasure.

The storm has retired and the waters are calm, a temporary reprieve from the wrath of such an obscene feigned love. Swim, swim to the shore and rest now. Breathe and inhale the fresh air over your lips. Feel the sun warm your skin, radiating its euphoric splendor and eloquence throughout. On her island she is free and dances and plays. Glorious deliverance, may it never stop!

Mysterious hands catch the tears she could never cry before. They take her hands and hold them tight, wrapping them in divine protection, filling her with indescribable sensations of wholeness and compassion and strength. Is this a phantom dream? An illusionary biological reaction? A dutiful angel?

She trembles no more as the enemie's javelin of thought, voice, and strike now deflect back unto itself. The monster is slowly blungeoned, until only the carcass of sin remains to crumble by the unforgiving hands of time.

~Donna LaCroix, 2006

2:13 PM - 15 Comments - 28 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 5 - Article by Ashton Haseley (WPI)

Wow, this is a great read, submitted by a good friend of mine, Ashton Haseley from Whispers Paranormal Investigations out of Long Island, NY. Check it out...covers everything from the difference between "ghost hunter" and "paranormal investigator", the 4 major groups of ghostly phenomena, the string theory, out-of-body experiences (OBE) etc. Check it out.
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What are we looking at?
(A few thoughts for the...ghost hunter...)

First, before I get into this I should point out the obvious; there is a difference between the "ghost hunter" and the "paranormal investigator". Ghost hunters seek to find and study evidence of "ghosts". Ghosts being the disembodied souls of human beings. Where as paranormal investigators seek to find and study evidence of anything that exists outside our current understanding of what is normal (i.e. ghosts, inhuman, UFOs, etc).

That being said and understood, I would like to point a few things out to the ghost hunters out there.
When we review evidence of a haunting, and capture an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) or an image on a camera. That appears to signify a haunting, what is it that we are truly looking at?
In order to figure this out we first have to understand what it is that we are looking for. Most ghost hunters are looking for evidence of a ghost, hence the title "ghost hunter". So where do we find our disembodied soul?
Most paranormal investigators as well as ghost hunters have grouped phenomena into four major groups, inhuman, residual, poltergeist, and intelligent. So we are looking in these groups for our ghostly evidence.
We know that we are not going to find our solid evidence in all of these categories. So, lets do some elimination.


1) Inhuman: The very name of this type of haunt eliminates it from our list. These are demonic, angelic, elementals, Fay, etc. So we are not going to find evidence of late aunt Mary here.

2) Residual: Most acknowledge that this type of haunt is an imprint let on an environment, much like a photograph. There is overwhelming evidence to support this theory. Including witnesses to this phenomena who claim to see ghostly images of those they know to be alive, replay an event that happened to them in that area. Such was one case in 1642 at Edgehill. Where only a month after the first battle of the English civil war had taken place. Several people began to witness the battle being replayed. The King sent several of the officers who had fought in the battle to investigate. They gathered eyewitness testimonies from over one hundred people. Then became amazed when they became witnesses themselves. Seeing not only men that they had fought beside and watched die replaying this ghostly battle but also saw themselves in the fray as well as many they knew to still be alive! Ok, that was a long way of saying that we are not going to find late uncle Dave in this category!

3) Poltergeist: Many believe that a poltergeist haunting is our own subconscious minds lashing out when under emotional duress. For many years it was believed (and many still do) that it involved children (mostly girls) entering into or going through puberty. And it was believed for some years that if there were no children present than it could indicate an inhuman haunting. However, what we need to remember too is that the abilities and insights that we have as children do not leave us with age as so many believe. They are still present but more subdued. Times of high emotional stress can bring them out again (i.e. menopause, separation anxiety, etc.) This is a point that I will briefly share one of my experiences as it not only relates but is what first got me thinking along these lines. Last year my wife left me. Before she did, I saw the signs of separation and it naturally caused a high level of emotional stress for me. Suddenly the house in which we lived for four years (without any activity) suddenly began to show strong signs of a poltergeist haunting. At first I didn't put it together, and every time something would fly off the table or I would start to smell a sent that shouldn't have been there, I was breaking out the "ghost hunting kit" trying to find something. After I moved out I found that I was still experiencing things. And once I started accepting in my mind that things were over with my wife and I could move on it all subsided. Another words the whole time I was looking for some ghost or something it was really just my subconscious lashing out! The moral is, no late brother Bob here!

Now you may notice that we are down to one category in which to find our disembodied human soul. But what if it's not here? Think about this openly for a moment, because this is where it gets tough, and there is more to being open minded than just believing in the paranormal.

4) Intelligent: What is an intelligent haunt? This seems to be a simple question. This is the one that many ghost hunters and paranormal investigators alike will tell you that you are going to find you disembodied human soul. Or are you? A few years ago I was at Rolling Hills in Bethany, NY where I have several friends there that are part of their resident paranormal investigation team R.H.G.H.S (Rolling Hills Ghost Hunting Society). One of my friends there played a Class "A" EVP for me, in which she asks, "What is your name?". The response on playback was a male voice saying, "Jim Holton...Where are you?" After going to a record book that they keep there with all the names of those who died on the premises. They did indeed find a name of a man who died there named Jim Holton! Presto, someone said to me, there is your evidence of a disembodied human spirit. Of course I was stunned but not because they had captured evidence of a disembodied human soul. But because something about the EVP forced a thought in my head that suddenly made me wonder if they had actually caught a real ghost, or something else entirely. To be honest, the answer I came up with was near impossible for me to digest entirely myself let alone to be able to explain it to others.

What I came up with is this, if you ever get a chance to hear that EVP or get out to Rolling Hills ask them about that one. They love to show that one off. When you listen to it you can almost picture some guy in 1945 (for example) walking down the hall minding his own business. Suddenly he hears a voice ask him, "What is your name?". He casually replies, "Jim Holton". Then turns around to see that nobody is there, and asks, "Where are you?". What I am getting at is a theory called time slips. Many people blow these off as being impossible do to the fact that the very nature of tome makes them impossible. But what is the nature of time?
Here it is and I'm sure at some point you have all seen this before.

+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
35,000,000,000 0 Pres.
B.C.E. C.E. C.E.
(Before Common Area) Common Area

This is how we view time. It's linear, unstopping. Once you move past one point in the line you can't go back.

However, this is a early European view of time, and looking at this time line time slips would indeed be impossible. Fortunately it's not the only one.
Native Americans use to believe that time was cyclical. Another words 35,000,000,000 BCE started from a central point and spiraled outward to present CE. If this is the true nature of time than time the separation between 1945 and today is only a slim veil. Which can easily be torn if only for the briefest of moments to allow someone from 1945 to share a brief encounter with someone from today.
Now come the point where you will ask me, so Ash, what causes this tare? The currant theory to explain this is string theory. String theory is one of the facets of quantum science, which I do not completely understand though I am working on it. If any of the following information is wrong or can be explained better by anyone reading this, please HELP!! lol, k, here we go.
A quantum is smaller than an atom. Atoms are what we have for many years in science accepted us all and everything in the known universe to be made up of. Millions of quantums make up an atom. With me so far? Quantums are so small and vibrate so fast that they pass through anything solid or otherwise. It is theorized that quantums can ripple through the veil that separates the time periods and cause time slips. This is only the vaguest of explanations and I apologize but my knowledge of this is only cursory and I don't feel comfortable enough to try and explain it in any further depth.
That's one aspect of an intelligent haunt.

Another involves O.B.E's (Out of Body Experiences). This is when a living human being is in a relaxed state of consciousness is able to astraly leave their body. Sometimes those who are sensitive can see or hear these astral bodies and mistake them for ghosts. There are many case studies on these. But off the top of my head am unable to come up with any. Anyone who knows of any please feel free to reply.
So to wrap this all up. Did we find late cousin Sally's ghost, cousin Sally herself, or something else? How much evidence that we accept as being that of a true ghost is actually that? Have we ever truly found such evidence?
Before you discount this theory altogether, think about this. How many EVP's have you heard where someone asks a question like, "How long have you been dead?" ...or..."Did you die here?". And a response comes back saying, "I'm not dead!". Who are we to say that they just don't know they're dead? Maybe they're not!

Thanks,
Ashton Haseley
Co-Founder/Lead Investigator
Whispers Paranormal Investigations

1:37 PM - 16 Comments - 18 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 4 - Haunting Dream

This question comes from Dana of Vermont:

I have a question about a personal experience I had when I was younger. I don't know if it would be considered paranormal or what. One night, when I was about 10-11 yrs old, I had a dream in which I could see a girl walking down stairs, trip, start to fall & then I woke up. I could see her and the staircase in perfect detail, like I was standing right there watching. The next day, I told my mom about the dream, because it just seemed weird to me and I couldn't get it out of my mind. She asked me to describe the girl to her and I did. She acted like she was a bit freaked out and brought me to her uncle's farmhouse, which was just next door. She pulled out one of the old family photo albums. Now, I had never looked at any of these photo albums before. She told me to look through the album and see if I could find her in it. I came across a picture of the girl and pointed it out to her. I told her that the girl was the one from my dream. Her mouth dropped and she was a bit shaken. She told me that the girl in the picture was my Grandfather's cousin and that she had actually fallen down a staircase at school and broken her neck, killing her. The girl died before my mother was even born. She had been told the story a long time ago, well before I was born, and nobody had ever told me about it. I don't know why I had the dream, but I know I'll never forget it. What would this type of experience be considered? I don't know if she was trying to contact me somehow or not, because I never had any more dreams about her. Maybe she was trying to make sure people didn't forget about her. I was wondering what your opinion was.

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Answer:
As case manager, I get a fair share of emails from people who have had very similar experiences with dreams. The common factors are (1) someone - an adult or child - appears to them in a dream trying to convey a message (2) vivid detail is remembered, and (3) the story or image reflected in the dream, previously unknown from the dreamer, is identified as a true event or person that the dreamer had no previous knowledge of.

I am not an expert on dreams, by any means, but I believe they are meaningful - if we can remember them! Most people can not, or, they will remember them as soon as they awake, and within an hour, have lost much of the detail. Dreams definately fall into the subcategory of metaphysics, or the "science that is beyond the physical", particularly the branch of ontology, which is the study of existence, as well as the study of metal and physical entities. And a dream may or may not have a paranormal component. In your case, it sounds like it is a possibility.

I find it interesting that your dream occurred when you were 11, and the person in the dream is a girl, probably around the same age. So, there's a connection right there. Let's go with the theory that this is dream is paranormal in nature: If this "ghost" wanted to connect with someone, it makes sense that she would with another child. And your dream could have been her way, as with many "ghost" visitors to a relative, of conveying a message. Sometimes the message is not to forget about them, or to identify themselves, or that they have not accepted their fate and are having trouble crossing over. As I mentioned before, I think sudden deaths hold alot of spiritual trauma, not only for the living, but for the person that has died without going through the proper channels of death from acknowledgement to acceptance. Maybe for your grandfather's cousin, assuming she was trying to communicate with you, it was her way of finding peace through that connection with the relatives she never got to meet. And maybe that was enough for her to give you that one dream because it had such an impact.

But another question comes up as to why "she" would want you to witness her tragedy? Or could it have been a warning for you to be careful walking down the stairs? Or could it be that, through your dream, you experienced a time-slip?

Now, the time-slip theory is that ghosts are not really manifestations of energy, but people who have somehow stepped out of time. In this theory, time is not fixed, but fluid. It's a subject within ontology and what it means to "exist". We think of existence as what we do from morning till night, defined by solid, tangible experiences. But we spend 1/3 of our life sleeping! That's ALOT of time. Perhaps sleeping serves to not only heal and recharge your body, but to allow one to slip into another reality through dreaming. If so, dreaming knows no time. So, perhaps you were the one - through the medium of a dream - tapping into the incident when it happened in the past, rather than the "ghost" tapping into your world to make it known.

I know I've thrown alot of ideas out there for you all to consider, but I rather cover possibilities than make an absolute statement. Because the truth is, no one really knows. The best we can do is find correlations through other people's similar experiences, as well as explore documented scientific studies on what happens physically and chemically when we sleep.

What I can say for sure and with confidence, is that I hear ALOT of stories similar to your "ghost" dream. While there is alot to be said about the power of imagination and suggestion, there are just too many level-headed people out there with these "haunting dream" experiences for me to consider it all nonsense.

I believe that dreams are not only the mind's way of resetting all conscious and subconscious information it takes in, but that it is another dimension of reality whose boundaries into the past and present are unknown; a dimension that could bestow us with boundless inspiration & happiness, torture us with dark thoughts, or unfold like a confusing, abstract Picasso painting. Dreams could also be a conduit for telepathic messages through symbolic or recognizable figures.
One thing for sure: everyone dreams at night, some remember them, others do not. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones who do. Although disturbing in nature, it has undoubtedly connected you with a relative you might have never known otherwise.Thanks for sharing your story.

Anyone have any comments, ideas, suggestions, opinions, theories?

7:13 PM - 10 Comments - 14 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 3 - Personal Experience

Personal Experience comes from Shanna, from Newport News, VA:

When I was 14 years old we lived out in the country on about 12 acres of land. We had always heard stories about things that had happened on the land. Stories from joggers being killed to a mother and child burning to death in a fire that used to stand where I house now stood.

My mother and brother really didn't believe any of it until 2 different things happened to me. One night I was sound asleep in my bed a heard a little girl laughing. I tossed and turned thinking it was a dream. There were no children around us and our neighbor was about a mile away. I finally sat up in bed and looked on the floor near my bed. I saw a little girl sitting on my floor with my stuffed animals around her. I thought I was dreaming and all she said was do you want to play. I was half asleep and said no then fell back to sleep. The next morning when I woke up I thought it had to be a dream. When I got out of bed I saw my stuffed animals in a circle in the exact spot "the little girl" had them.

The next thing that happened to this day still bugs me and I have no explanation for it . I was asleep and got a feeling I was being watched. I woke up to see a figure standing next to my bed. It was very dark in my room so I thought it was my mom. I sat up and said hi mama and went to hug the figure (which I thought was my mom) but went right through it.
I was so scared I froze and tried to scream but couldn't. I sat there on my bed face to face with this figure and then it was gone. I've seen it several times since then and I've moved several times since the first occurance. If you could shed some light onto what it might be I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank You
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Response:
Wow, interesting story. Ok, you were 14 when both experiences happened I'm assuming? And both occurances occurred at night. First, my skeptical points of view: My first instinct would be to say that somehow you slept walked and set up your stuffed animals on the floor, didn't remember doing so, and were surprised the next morning when you awoke to see them like that. Also, you could have been sleep-talking to this "child". My second instinct would say to you that the figure you hugged could have been part of a dream, unless you are completely sure you were awake and not in a half-sleep. There is a form of phenomenon called hypnagogia, known as "waking dream". It is a type of hallucination that sometimes happens when you are just starting to wake up from a sound sleep, but have not reached full consciousness. You literally become stuck at some point in this sleep process where the mind can't distinguish between fact from fantasy. When this happens, the person may mistake dream images as real and call it a paranormal experience. I think we all have those dreams where we swear we had a conversation with someone, but in reality, never did. That's what I'm talking about.

Now for my non-skeptical point of view. Considering that the location of your house was the place where a mother and child were burned to death, that may indicate that there is strong energy still attached to it's location. It has been suggested that if a person dies young, especially violently, it is likely there will be a ghost that lingers because it hasn't gone through the natural stages of death, all the way from acknowledgement to acceptance. When that process gets interrupted, it becomes difficult to accept death. Many times, a spirit that died traumatically doesn't realize it has passed, and may stick around because it is confused. Often times ghosts fully realize they are dead, but are so emotionally attached to the things of it's former life, that it refuses to let go of them. Perhaps the entity that tried to hug you was the mother, since the "hug" is typically considered a friendly gesture, and not threatening. Maybe she was so attached to her house, especially knowing her child died there as well, she can't move on.
Being the case manager for the group and literally going over hundreds of emails a day, I can tell you that almost half have to do with people seeing "something" while they are lying in bed. There is also the argument that ghosts often appear at night to people because their sensitivity to spiritual energy is heightened when they are relaxed. One other piece to consider was your age, 14. This is an especially emotional time for girls as they experience alot of hormonal changes with the onset of puberty. Again, this is only a theory, but one I've come across quite often with women who begin puberty, and woman who are pre-menopausal. With these hormonal changes, this situation sometimes becomes the perfect conduit for spirits to manipulate your energy.

You mentioned you've seen this figure several times since you moved. How old are you now? Is it the same figure? Well, if it is, it could very likely be that your energy is still attracting this entity. If you are scared and bothered by this, perhaps seeking a local church for a blessing would help. Also, realize that fear energy is a very strong food for entities, in that it empowers them. The more you put out, the more they grow. You may want to try meditating to release your fear energy, or in the very least, demand firmly without provacation, that it is your intention for the entity to leave immediately.


I hope this helps, Shanna, and thanks for sharing your story!


(References: How to Hunt Ghosts, by Joshua P. Warren, and The Case for Ghosts, J. Allan Danelex)

Ok, everyone, any thougths? Theories, etc? Feel free to put your 2 cents in.
~Donna

11:33 AM - 7 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 2

This question comes from Ellen, co-founder of GHOST in Santa Barbara, CA; ghostteam@cox.net

Question:
As a fellow Engineer in the Industrial world, I am always seeking the logical answer. How do you balance the analytical thinking with that ..feeling.., that women (and some men..sorry guys) can get and what the instrumentation evidence can..t explain away? Do you think that we try to hard to find the explanation instead of trusting our senses?
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Great question. Similar to the old adage: Can't see the Forrest for the Trees. If you look too hard for the black and white, you miss all the shades of grey in between. This space - where our senses reside - needs a closer look.

As a woman, I am generally more sensitive than my male counterparts and sometimes believe I feel a whole level of energy that they do not. The problem is that my feelings and energy levels and emotions can not be measured, so it is not considered tangible proof. And often times it is dismissed. Thoughts, emotions, feelings, instinct (soft tools) are all possiblities of sensing something out of the ordinary, getting into those grey areas. Energetically, I think ghosts have an easier time communicating to us through these "soft" means because it's easier to transport a thought than to muster up the physical energy to move an object. But the "soft tools" means are usually only experienced by one person, whereas the "hard tools" can record evidence for many to experience, and therefore are considered more credible.

That being said, as an engineer like yourself, I would absolutely try to strike that balance between trying to balance critical thinking, while at the same time embracing any thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are "strange" to you. But, doing so takes incredible focus...you can't be thinking about what time you are picking up your kid from soccer practice, or how awful you felt when your boss made a comment at you, or how unhappy you are that it's raining out, etc. Once you can clear successully and focus, go into the investigation like a blank notebook to note any changes in your feelings and thoughts. Have other investigators take notes as well, so their input can be a comparison of information at the end of the night.

Tangible evidence seems like the way to go now in this field, because it's the only thing that can be measured, deemed reliable and raises the credibility bar of this esoteric research. But, just because the softer senses can't be measured doesn't mean we should dismiss them altogether. I think the paranormal researcher, as much as he or she is in for the hunt, has to be careful NOT to desensitize him or herself to the "soft" tools. These "soft tools" are our primitive basic instincts to sense how our environmental has changed, even if we don't know why. It's a detection system that lets us know our space has been invaded somehow. And is absolutely noteworthy.

Anybody got anything else?? Would love to hear it!
~Donna

9:06 PM - 10 Comments - 18 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com: No. 1

Ok, we got our first email at para.talk@yahoo.com:

Dave from Hartford asks:
What in your judgement, in your experience or out of, is the single best case evidence for spiritual phoenomena?
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Answer:


In my personal judgement, the best case for spiritual phenomenon is tangible evidence. That being said, the best stand alone tool for indicating spiritual phenomena is IR (night vision) video recordings- BUT, under extremely controlled conditions. When I say "under extremely controlled conditions" I mean that there is absolutely no way for foul play or false evidence. Preparation for this would be very tedious, but is necessary to limit as many variables as possible. The location has to be tightly secured from animal and human interaction, baseline conditions established (such as drafts from doors, vents, windows that could cause movement in a room, weather conditions monitored such as high winds, etc.). All windows would have to be covered and secured with a thick blanket (to keep out drafts and lights from outside sources), and dust on the monitor would have to be critically scrutinized for orbs.

EMF detectors are not stand alone indicators; in essence they are an adjunct tool we use in combination with other tools for evidence of paranormal. EMF fields are everywhere and occur naturally, and you also have to be aware of all the power sources in the location and get your baseline perfected before you can consider spikes seriously. And spikes need to happen simutaneously with other tools that indicate variances from established baseline conditions.

Audio recorders (whether digital or analog) are also not stand alone indicators. If someone coughs in the next room or your stomach grumbles, you may pick that up and think you've got something. It's also easy to interpret sounds you pick up as "words" because you naturally want to "hear" something. Be careful of that. Run all digital recordings through a scrub program like Cool Edit to check sound frequencies.

Timing and location of the suspected paranormal event must be the same or similar timing for all audio readings, EMF spikes, a personal experience, and video recordings. When all the tools together indicate "action" at the same time or near same time, in the same location, under extremely controlled conditions, that is your very best scenario for considering the "action" to be of a paranormal nature.

Ok, what do y'all think? Please feel free to add your input or challenge the answer here. I'm all about learning from others as well as giving my feedback from my experiences. So, all honest and well-thought out responses are welcome.

~Donna

Also, if you have a question, a case investigation request, a theory, etc. please email at para.talk@yahoo.com. In time, I will probably end up making a website, depending on participation and interest.

5:08 PM - 11 Comments - 26 Kudos - Add Comment

para.talk@yahoo.com

hey everyone,
I get alot of emails here on myspace of people telling me their ghost stories, or letting me know about other unexplained phenomenon that they are curious about. So many stories have such similar traits, that I believe sharing them would help each other know that they aren't alone with facing their experiences. Also, there are alot of well-grounded theories out there that people have, that I believe is worth sharing.

So, what I've done, was create a seperate email address for you to send your personal experiences/stories, questions, suggestions for investigations, as well as any theories you have come across that can help explain the unexplained.

What I'd like to do, is pick one a week (or more depending on interest) to put up on my myspace here (withdrawing personal information if you so request), so that other people can read it, add comments to it, and perhaps lend some insight as to what may be going on.

I think having this kind of feedback will help those who feel alone in their experiences, and may even help to explain or validate what they may be going through, and generally help us all explore the paranormal together.

So, send your personal stories, investigation requests, questions, or theories to: para.talk@yahoo.com.

Also, please include the town and state you are from, and indicate in the headline whether it's a Personal Story, Investigation Request, Theory or Question. You may wish to include your name as well, or omit it for confidentiality purposes.

Ok, let's have at it. Write to us at para.talk@yahoo.com and let the conversations begin!
:)

~Donna

PS: I originally named the email address "unexplainedphenomenon@yahoo.com", but soon realized it was too long and cumbersome , so I've changed it to para.talk@yahoo.com to make it easier to remember.

7:16 AM - 19 Comments - 34 Kudos - Add Comment