Van's World Podcast-Goatman's Bridge

Check out Van's World Podcast! We had a spooky time talking about Goatman's Bridge.

GHOST HUNTING IN CEMETERIES - GREAT PLACE OR NOT???

Going to a cemetery?  Count me IN!!!!  A bunch of dead people and caskets!  YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
Man, I do love me some haunted cemeteries!!!  Many people will argue that a cemetery IS NOT a great place to go ghost hunting.  That the spirit of the body buried in the ground is more than likely at a location if there is to be a haunting.  I beg to differ.

Some of the best EVP's and photos I have ever gotten have been in a cemetery.  You've heard of attachments?  Spirits that attach themselves to an object like a favorite chair or toy, right?  Then why would they not want to attach to the one thing that truly represents them?  There outer shell....the physical body.

Many times when you investigate a location you one of the things you look for is places with "Great emotion". Well...….hello......what a better place than a cemetery to have a ton of true emotions!  Think about it.  Some people are sad, because their loved one is gone, some maybe happy because  their loved ones are in a "better place", some maybe confused because they don't fully understand the loss of their loved ones and some maybe angry, angry that they are left alone.  All that emotion in one place...You betcha ya I'm in!!!!

It's like a party for the dead!  I have actually gotten EVP's in a cemetery that sounded like two spirits interacting with each other.  And if you have captured that then you know it is soooo exciting an amazing to witness.  Another time, up in Alton, Illinois some friends of mine and I went to check out one of the local cemeteries.  We started seeing dark shadows dart from tombstone to another.  We were all seeing them!  We started walking through the cemetery and one of guys stepped on a grave (which we always try and walk around instead over just walking over the graves) and just a natural response said, "Oh, I'm so sorry about that" and we all heard at the same time a soft woman's voice say, "That's ok".  Even better, we caught it on our recorder as plain as day!  A class A EVP!!!

Many times if you just sit still and look around you will be able to see the dark shadows.  The shadows are darker than the dark.  And if you are lucky enough, you may even be able to capture one in one of your pictures.  If you do go to a cemetery, this is a great place for trigger objects.  Bring a toy to a child's grave or choose a coin with and older date that matches someones death year.

Here is one of my favorite videos that we captured a ball rolling of the edge of a wall that surrounded an old grave.  

                             

                                                        The Skinner Cemetery

Also, here are a couple of my video's of EVP's and paranormal evidence we have received at cemeteries.

                             

                                                  The Channing Park Cemetery

                             
                                                            Lane Cemetery

I definitely think a cemetery is an awesome place for ghost hunting.   But please be respectful when you do investigate.

EVP'S-ARE THEY REALLY VOICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE???

"Get out", "leave", "yes", "no", "die"  have you ever gotten words like this on your recorder???  Man, I have!!!  Is it cool??? You better believe it!!!!  BUT is it REALLY voices from the "other side"???

Whether you are looking to become a full-fledged paranormal investigator or just someone "testing the waters" capturing a voice that you KNOW is not yours or someone with you can be THRILLING and CHILLING!!! 

There are two types of vocal evidence: the disembodied voice and the EVP.  A disembodied voice, as the name implies, is a physically audible human voice that seems to come from nowhere, no one, nobody.  You can hear this with your own ears in real time.  I can tell you, this is one of my favorite things that happens when I am out investigating haunted locations.  But of course, nothing makes it better EXCEPT to capture it on a digital recorder (of course, so you can let others hear what you heard right?).  I love going back through my recordings and finding an EVP that I heard in real time and then it was also caught on the recorder!  BINGO!!!!!  The other kind of vocal evidence is the EVP.  EVP(Electronic Voice Phenomenon) is a voice that is captured on an electronic device, typically a digital voice recorder or camcorder.

Now, will ANY recorder work?  YES.  Record on your cell phone ,with a digital recorder or a  camcorder anything that records is a possible tool for collecting EVP's.  Of course, some better than others but you have lots of things that you can use without going out and buying some expensive device that records.

There are 3 different kind of classifications for EVP's.  Class A, Class B, and Class C.  No....that doesn't mean different classrooms with different teachers haha....

Class A-Now this is the BEST EVP that you can capture.  This type of EVP is loud, clear, and of very high quality.  The voice is easily understandable and does not need enhancement or amplification.  There is no mistaking WHAT the EVP says.  This EVP is usually in response to a question from an intelligent spirit.  But it can be residual as well.

Class B-This is the most common type of EVP.  This type of EVP is of a somewhat lower quality and clarity than a Class A EVP but still very audible.  Class B EVP's often do need some degree of enhancement or amplification to be heard clearer.  The voice may not be clear enough to be totally understood or there may be disagreements as to what it is saying.  These may not always be in direct response to a question.  This is often the Class EVP that gets debated on what is being said.

Class C-This is the lowest quality EVP.  With a Class C EVP even the best enhancement and amplification may not be sufficient to make the voice audible or clear.  There may be even a debate whether or not the EVP is actually present.  Many times, many different interpretations maybe heard.

Below are a couple of video's that have some EVP's in them.  Some Class A, some Class B and some Class C.  Can you decide which ones are which???  Now, enjoy the video's because only a REAL ghost hunter would post them FREAKING OUT! LOL

The first video is at Mineral Springs Hotel in Alton, Illinois.  The second is in Kingston, Arkansas and the third is at The Hill House Manor in Gainesville, Tx.

Now, get out there and TALK.....TALK.....TALK....  I want to know about your EVP's and what Class EVP you caught.  Email me at Becksghosthunters.com and share your experiences. :)

Lane Cemetery-Kingston, Arkansas

Mineral Springs Hotel- Alton Illinois

 

 

Hill House Manor, Gainesville, Tx

THE KINECT SLS CAM-CAN IT REALLY DETECT GHOST SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM??? SEE WHAT OURS CAPTURED AT AN ABANDONED CEMETERY!!! YOU TELL ME???

So, the latest new "toy" in the paranormal world seems to be the new Kinect SLS Cam made by Gotcha Ghost.  You have probably seen this used on Ghost Adventures a lot (maybe not this exact one from Gotcha Ghost but it does the same thing)  It detects a spirit and it shows up on a screen as a "stick figure".



 

Gotcha Ghost description of this new Cam is "This camera will detect humans and animals in absolute darkness or full light.  It also seems to see bodies when there is nothing there the naked eye can see, spirits?  It works much like the SLS Camera at a fraction of the cost!  You can record video directly to the tablet or to SD Card.  Here's how it works:  It uses an RGB camera with depth sensor infrared light projector with a monochrome CMOS sensor which sees everything not as a flat image, but as dots arranged in a 3D environment.  These 1000's of infrared dots allow the camera to "see" depth and detail like a sonar."

Soooooo, I have wanted one of these for a while but they are fairly expensive.  The one from Gotcha Ghost is $400.  Well, guess what??? I finally broke down and bought one because I just COULDN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!! I HAD TO HAVE ONE!!!!

I have only had mine a couple of weeks, but me and "the girls" took it out for a test run last Friday.
Ruth Vickers and Tammy Hightower who are part of my team...took it out to one of our favorite old cemeteries.......Skinner Cemetery.  This is an old abandon cemetery dated back in the late 1800's.  We have had TONS of activity at this location.  Now, I wish I could share some of the EVP's we got from Friday's investigation but I just don't have them ready yet and I am still going through our evidence.

Ok... the SLS Cam.  Does it work, doesn't work, what do I really think about this new high tech toy? First, it is really easy to put together and it looks super cool. LOL

It came very well packaged and arrived in about 10 days from the date that I ordered it.  Ok....lets get to if it works or not.

We were set up trying to communicate with a young boy spirit and we did not use the SLS Cam at first.  We were using other equipment and recording as video.  We were getting some activity on the Parascope (see the live feed on FB) and a couple other things so we did not use the SLS right away.

We decided to take the SLS Cam and walk down and around and video some really old tombstones.  We were also doing a FB live so that everyone could see exactly what we were seeing.  We turned on the SLS Cam and it takes it a minute before it starts to detect what's in front of it.  Ruth was standing beside one of the graves, I was filming with the SLS Cam and Tammy was recording for FB Live.  All of the sudden....it started detecting a figure (spirit) sitting ON THE GROUND kinda leaning up against the tombstone itself and like looking down as if it were sad.  The reason I can say that it was "sitting" is because Ruth is standing right beside it and it is obviously much lower to the ground and it does not look at all like Ruth's "stick figure" as she is standing up right beside it.

We start asking for it to stand up and at first it DOES but then it jumps right back to the position it was originally in.....sitting up against the tombstone.

The two tombstones that two figures appeared.

We then ask that it hold Ruth's hand.  You will see that now, it totally stands up and holds Ruth's hand for several seconds.  WAY COOL!!!!!!!!!  Then as we start to scan and show more tombstones, it suddenly detects ANOTHER FIGURE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING!!!!  So now we have TWO figures leaning up against two different tombstones that are side by side!!!!! What the heck?????

 

So, what do I think about the SLS Cam?  IF it really was detecting spirits and we were able to communicate with them and see them at the same time....then 's it's PRETTY DARN COOL!!!!  We did take the SLS to a different part of the cemetery and got NOTHING which to me just helps prove that it DID actually pick up on something at the other location.

One of my favorite things about the SLS is that it automatically saves the file to the tablet or you can save it to a micro SD Card.  The screen is very clear and the software is pretty easy to use.  

Here are just a couple things I noticed that I think could be improved.  First, to adjust any of the settings  on the screen, it is really hard because they are really small.  And one more thing......there is a "screen capture" software that comes pre-loaded for you.  I really like it because it too seems to be fairly easy to use and I like EASY!!!  The only thing is...that once it starts to "screen capture" a little screen pops up almost in the middle of the screen showing it is recording and I found this to be in the way of being able to see the "whole" screen and what was going on in real-time.  

Can't wait to try it out at other locations.  So stay turned.......the more I use it, the better I can review it for you.  But for now........I LOVE IT!!!!!

This is a cool picture even though it is blurry.  Not sure if the figure to the left is actually a spirit or just one of us passing by.  Dang it!!!!

Lots of trigger objects for the children spirits.

Ruth Vickers and Tammy Hightower during our investigation at Skinner Cemetery.

Here is the video that we recorded during FB Live.  What do ya think???

THE SKINNER CEMETERY-YOU AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT THIS FORGOTTEN CEMETERY HOLDS!!!!

Photo by Becky Vickers

The Skinner Cemetery

This is an old cemetery that we just found by chance out driving around one day in Pilot Point, Tx. called The Skinner Cemetery.  Some times you are drawn to a place and you have no idea why....right?  Well this is just that kind of place.  It's not very big and a pretty run down and definitely old!   I know it's weird to describe a cemetery as "charming" but it was in a weird way.  Kinda like the spirits here are just "inviting" you in.   Some of the headstones are broken, some have fallen over completely and here's the REAL CREEPY PART........there are big holes where the dogs or some other animal has been digging up the grave!s!!!  I know......RIGHT!!!!!  A couple of them appeared to have the casket showing.  So if you are going to be here at night be careful not to fall in a "hole".  CREEPY!!!

And let me tell you...it was FULL of paranormal activity!!!

On this night we communicated with a young spirit we were calling Timothy but later learned his name is Josiah Taylor. He is the first person or should I say child to be buried here.

It was a slow night and I was setting up the video recorder as everyone else was walking around just taking pictures.  We were getting some really cool pictures of orbs btw.  Then just as we started recording, about 4 minutes in....well.....just watch the video. :)

As for the weather, it was eerily calm.  We brought a ball  as a trigger object (we usually do) and asked if Timothy would like to play with it....and you can see......HE DID!!!!!!!!!  You can hear the excitement in my voice as I didn't expect to have such activity right off the bat!!!  You'll notice, that the first time the ball rolls, it rolls to the left.  Ok...if there WAS a breeze (which there again, there was not even the slightest breeze blowing) let chalk it up to the wind although the ball rolls in two different directions as you will see.  The second time, Timothy rolls the ball....he actually pushes it off the brick...and it appears to roll backward and then rolls forward. It looks like he caught it and rolls it back.  And not only that, THIS TIME it is in a completely DIFFERENT DIRECTION!!!!!!!!  I can tell you, being there and experiencing it first hand was AMAZING!!!!!  And I can't WAIT to go back!!!!

3/16/2018***Well, we are headed back this Friday to check out this amazing little hidden secret again.  I will let you guys know what we find.  We have a ton of new equipment and I can't think of a better place to try it out.

I would love to hear what you guys think of the video. :)

THE OLDE PARK HOTEL-OVER 30 SPIRITS??? I WANT TO MEET THEM ALL!!!!!

The Olde Park Hotel is one of those places that EVEN before you take one step inside you can just tell that there is a lot going on behind its walls......things like spirits roaming the halls like they did over a 140 years ago!!!

So along with our SPEACIAL GUEST Tui Snider and her husband Larry and my fantastic team, we are packing up and headed to Ballinger, Tx to check out this very haunted hotel.

Dan LaFave, the owner will be meeting us at the hotel tell all about the some 30 spirits that are said to haunt this historic property.  I am SUPER EXCITED about this weekend and can't wait to see what we find so stay tuned!!!

Here's what we know about this amazing place:

The original owners of the hotel were the Findlay's in 1922. As generations have passed it along, the guests and family members tell new stories that keep the rich history alive.  Jeanette's grandmother passed along the building at the turn of the century, including many relatives' hands, and was passed down to each generation of family members.

The old hotel has been standing in the same place since before Ballinger became a town, during a time when there were no electric poles, sidewalks, or roads. The building used to be a bunkhouse for the railroad workers and was later sold in an auction in July of 1886. The building was used for various purposes of the town, including school house, meeting house, and even at one time a parlor house.

Some of the ghost stories include talking with women who used to live in the building when it was a parlor house, and not realizing that they weren't employees of the antique store. Other spirits such as "Glenn" and "Cowboy" have been noticed by employees, as well as women, with voices and doors opening and closing by themselves. Jeanette has reported she feels there are close to 30 identified ghosts in the building. Footsteps, and cold spots have also been known to accompany the phenomenon along with an occasional pat on the shoulder. People have mentioned that they have had their clothes tugged on and report feelings of uneasiness in the building along with friendly spirits.

Dan and Connie LaFave purchased the building in 2016 with hopes of restoring the hotel to a bed and breakfast and preserve its cultural history and unique atmosphere.  Dan and Connie LaFave are founders of the Graveyard Shift Paranormal Investigations team which is currently located in San Angelo Texas. The team was first formed in Harlingen, Texas in 2009 with projects including documentaries such as Raising the Ghosts of Yorktown Memorial Hospital and Ghosts of Laborde House.  Dan is an author of two books entitled Shadow of the Ghost Hunter and The Supernatural, Texas, and The Old West, which can be found on amazon.com. This husband and wife team will give you a ghostly tour that you wont forget, along with some paranormal know how along the way.

THE MINERAL SPRINGS HOTEL-MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTED PLACES I HAVE EVER BEEN!!!! SEE WHY!!!!

The Mineral Springs Hotel, Alton, Illinois

Well, I may have just visited the MOST HAUNTED HOTEL YET!!!!!!  I can't even begin to tell you how HAUNTED this place really is!!!!  It has everything....the "CREEP FACTOR", beauty, tons of rooms to investigate and of course, a very HAUNTED history.

I attended the annual Troy Taylor's Haunted America Conference again this year and for the first time the Mineral Springs Hotel was offered as one of the places you could investigate.  Man, am I glad I picked this!!!!

Now, I am going to be posting about this place in two different posts.  This week I am posting a video with the AWESOME EVP's that I captured, believe it or not, the next day when the owners allowed me and my good friend Michele Pellegrino of White Dog Paranormal to go back in and do a private investigation.  Can I just say, the owners of this place are WONDERFUL!!!!  They have the coolest little shop in the front of the hotel called It's Raining Zen.  You guys go on-line and check out this store of stones, pendulums, sage and all kinds of fun stuff for the paranormal.

And just a little "tease" for next week's post.......one of the most paranormal experiences I have EVER HAD happened here!!!  That's right....but you'll find out more about that next week.

Now the EVP's you are about to listen to were taken down in the bottom of the hotel in a Slaughter Room that was used for killing pigs and storing the meat.  I can tell you that VERY FEW places have ever made me sick BUT this particular room was almost more than I could bare.  I sat down in the floor(which was a BAD mistake) and all I could feel was death not to mention the vision in my head of pigs hanging from the ceiling and blood dripping to the floor.......the floor in which I was sitting on.  After about 15 minutes, I started telling Michele that I was feeling sick.  And minute by minute I started to feel worse almost to the point of physically throwing-up.  I mean I was really getting sick to the point of when we started up the stairs I was so dizzy I almost feel back on the stairs. Michele was more than willing to pack up and get the heck out of there!!!  As soon as we did and I reached the top of the stairs...I was just fine!  CRAZY!!! 

Below was written by Troy Taylor.  See what he has to say about the Mineral Springs Hotel.  And you guys be sure and check back next week....you aren't going to want to miss what happened in this VERY HAUNTED HOTEL!!!!

The Mineral Springs Hotel opened in 1914 and it was a pretty spectacular place. Early advertising boasted that the hotel featured the "largest swimming pool in Illinois", mineral spring "cures", and the biggest table in the city of Alton, said to seat 26 people.

The hotel was constructed by August and Herman Luer, successful meat packers, who intended to open an ice storage plant on the property in 1909. As excavations began on the site of the new ice storage plant, a natural spring was discovered during the digging. A chemist tested the water and he declared that the water had medicinal qualities. He recommended that the brothers build a spa on the site instead of a building for storing ice.

Construction was started in October 1913 with the excavation of the basement swimming pool and the hotel opened the following June. The building was five stories high and done in a beige stucco in Italian Villa style. The ornate interiors contained terrazzo floors, marble staircases, decorated plaster cornices and designs and art glass throughout. It was elaborate and luxurious and an immediate success, especially after the mineral pool opened on the lower level.

This was the biggest draw for the hotel and was said to have caused "remarkable cures". It became a popular place for swimming lessons, water polo clubs and for those seeking the healing powers of the mineral waters. A man named "Doc" Furlong also organized hydrotherapy baths and while his methods may have been questionable, the guests and customers went away pleased.

Thanks to some savvy advertising, the water was soon being shipped to customers as far away as Memphis and New Orleans. In July 1914, the hotel was bottling and selling more than 100 bottles every day. Consumption of the water increased that year to 350 gallons weekly and the hotel boasted that its curative powers equaled those of water found in Hot Springs, Arkansas. People began pouring into Alton to partake of the healing waters and the hotel held its grand opening in September 1914. It was said that one point, the swimming pool attracted over 3,000 people in a season.

The hotel enjoyed its heyday throughout the late ‘teens and the early 1920’s. In 1918, Hollywood actress Marie Dressler spoke at the hotel on behalf of the Liberty Loan committee. A number of new rooms were added to the hotel in 1925, the same year that an orchestra was hired to play on Sunday afternoons and for the evening dining.

August Luer sold the hotel in 1926 but it continued to thrive for many years afterward, although it finally began to deteriorate in the 1950’s. In 1971, the Mineral Springs closed down for good, despite efforts to restore the place to its former popularity with the addition of a huge ballroom. In 1978, it was restored by Roger Schubert, who developed the building as a mall featuring shops and restaurants. Years later, it would see life again, thanks to further renovations by the Love family.

Once the hotel re-opened again, this time as an antique mall, stories started to be told about the place. Only these tales had nothing to do with "miracle cures" and the golden days of the hotel... these stories had to do with murder and ghosts.

You see, the Mineral Springs Hotel is a very haunted place.

The legends of the place say that three very different ghosts haunt the corridors and rooms of the Mineral Springs. The first is said to be that of an itinerant artist who was unable to pay his hotel bill many years ago. His ghost apparently haunts the former hotel bar. This section of the building is an antique store today but the saloon that once existed here was decorated with fine woods and marble, ornate trim and gargoyle-like figures on the crossbeams. All traces of the bar have since vanished and all that remains behind is an unfinished mural of the city of Alton that has been pained on one wall. The stories say that the artist who lived here was allowed to paint the mural in exchange for his bill. Unfortunately, he died before he was able to finish it and his ghost has remained here ever since. Building tenants and visitors who have encountered him say that he is more of a benign presence than a frightening one. He is usually seen simply standing around, as though he has no idea of exactly where he is. Many have described him as looking slightly drunk and others, not realizing that he is a phantom, have recalled the faint smell of liquor around him.

If any of the ghosts in the old hotel are truly frightening, it might be the phantom that allegedly haunts the hotel swimming pool. It isn’t so much because of his tendency to scare the living but more because of his reason for lingering behind. That reason is a thirst for revenge.

During the early days of the business, the swimming pool was one of the big draws to the place. When it was built, it was called "the largest swimming pool in Illinois" and throughout the 1920’s, parties and receptions were often held in the pool area and guests used the pool on a daily basis. Today, the pool is located in a basement area of the building that is closed off to visitors.

The story of the ghost began in the 1920’s, during the heyday of the hotel. One evening, there was a large reception held at the Mineral Springs and people were gathered in the pool area for the party. One of the couples attending the event had an apparently volatile relationship, probably because the husband had quite an eye for the ladies. Throughout the evening, he flirted and danced with a number of young women until his wife could stand it no longer. In a fit of anger, she came over and started shouting accusations at him. Laughing, he attempted to just brush away her concerns but finally, she took off her shoe and smashed him in the face with the heel of it. Blood spurted out between the fingers of the hand that he pressed to his face and he stumbled over, colliding with one of the columns next to the pool. Stunned, he reeled and tumbled over into the water. Whether he was dazed by the blow to his face, or simply a bad swimmer, we’ll never know. Before anyone realized what was going on, the man had slipped beneath the water and had drowned. What became of his wife is unknown.

In the years after the tragic event, and after the hotel closed down, the man began to be seen standing near the side of the pool, or in other lower parts of the building. His ghost has been described as angry and brooding, but impeccably dressed in black tie and tails.

And he has is said to have a reason for staying behind here.... revenge. According to the legend, he is waiting here for the return of his wife’s spirit. It is believed that when he finds her, he intends to kill her by pushing her into the swimming pool and allowing her to drown. Will he ever find her? Perhaps someday he will and if that time ever comes, then maybe he will finally rest in peace. If not, well, then he may not be the ghost you would want to encounter on some dark night in the hotel basement!

Undoubtedly, the most famous ghost of the Mineral Springs is the legendary “Jasmine Lady”. The accounts say that she has haunted a particular part of the old hotel for years. This area is a staircase that is located a short distance from the former lobby. According to the hotel legend, this lady was once a guest at the hotel who had come here to take in the “healing waters” with her husband. While she was here, she became involved romantically with another guest and started an affair with him. One evening, while her husband was away, she took the other man up to her room, with disastrous results. Her husband returned unexpectedly and caught the adulterous couple “in the act”. Needless to say, he was enraged. In the course of the violent encounter, she ran away from him and started down the steps. What happened next remains a mystery....

The stories vary as to whether the woman may have tripped on the stairs or whether her angry spouse pushed her down the staircase. In the end, it didn’t matter, because somehow she fell and broke her neck and she was instantly killed. Her despondent husband then returned to their upstairs room and committed suicide.

In the years that have followed, staff members and visitors to the building have caught glimpses of this woman’s tragic flight down the stairs as her apparition replays the terrible event over and over again. Stranger still, they have also caught whiffs of her pungent perfume, a jasmine scent, near the staircase and in other nearby places in the building. Even people like Bob Love, the former owner and a man who is not a believer in ghosts, have puzzled over the coming and going of this strong odor.

I had contacted him back in 1998, when I first heard about the haunting of the former hotel. He admitted that he was unsure about the existence of ghosts but never could explain one odd happening that had taken place in the building. "I have to say I’m not a believer," Mr. Love had said, "but one morning I walked in the Alton Street entrance and I smelled a strong, almost putrid, jasmine scent. It was strange."

And employees of the place have not been the only ones to have unsettling encounters with the Jasmine Lady. One woman approached me about her own incident at the former hotel. She was shopping one day when she passed the staircase. "I had no idea the place was supposed to be haunted," she said, "I wouldn’t find out until later that everybody knew about the ghosts but me."

As she passed the bottom of the stairway, she caught a sickening, flowery scent but as mentioned, she had no idea that it usually signaled the presence of a ghost. What happened next though, shocked her. "Just after I smelled the perfume, I felt this cold chill, almost like a breeze blowing. It didn’t just hit me... it, well, I guess sort of brushed past me, but it was real cold, " she said. "Then, I looked up. See, there are these signs that hang out in front of some of the stores down the hallway.... and all of the ones close to me start swinging back and forth."

That was enough shopping for her that day. "I just left after that," she told me. "I have been back there since and nothing else has happened, but I’ll never forget that."

         

While these three spirits may be the most famous haunts of the Mineral Springs Hotel, they may not be alone here. Hotels are notorious for the ghosts the living leave behind. Imagine, if you will, just how many people pass through a hotel in a single year. Then, recall how many guests an old hotel might boast after decades in operation. It isn’t a reach to think there might be a ghost, or two, around. If you factor in the deaths, murders and suicides that sometimes take place in hotels.... well, then you may be talking about a regular infestation! And it is unlikely that the Mineral Springs is an exception to this rule.

Besides encounters with the notorious trio of spirits, the building boasts other strange encounters as well. Michael Love, the son of the building’s owner, once had an apartment in the building and he collected his own strange reports, including unexplained cold chills that have been reported by customers, items that have been seen to move about, voices and laughter than come from nowhere and more. He also heard distinct footsteps on the back stairs when he was home alone one evening. When he checked to see who had come to visit, he found no one there.

Do guests from the past still walk in the Mineral Springs Hotel? You’ll have to be the judge of that. I invite you to go down and do a little shopping some afternoon.... you just might find more than you bargained for!

EVPS-ARE YOU REALLY HEARING VOICES FROM "THE OTHER SIDE"?

"Get out", "leave", "yes", "no", "die"  have you ever gotten words like this on your recorder???  Man, I have!!!  Is it cool??? You better believe it!!!!  BUT is it REALLY voices from the "other side"???

Whether you are looking to become a full-fledged paranormal investigator or just someone "testing the waters" capturing a voice that you KNOW is not yours or someone with you can be THRILLING and CHILLING!!! 

There are two types of vocal evidence: the disembodied voice and the EVP.  A disembodied voice, as the name implies, is a physically audible human voice that seems to come from nowhere, no one, nobody.  You can hear this with your own ears in real time.  I can tell you, this is one of my favorite things that happens when I am out investigating haunted locations.  But of course, nothing makes it better EXCEPT to capture it on a digital recorder (of course, so you can let others hear what you heard right?).  I love going back through my recordings and finding an EVP that I heard in real time and then it was also caught on the recorder!  BINGO!!!!!  The other kind of vocal evidence is the EVP.  EVP(Electronic Voice Phenomenon) is a voice that is captured on an electronic device, typically a digital voice recorder or camcorder.

Now, will ANY recorder work?  YES.  Record on your cell phone ,with a digital recorder or a  camcorder anything that records is a possible tool for collecting EVP's.  Of course, some better than others but you have lots of things that you can use without going out and buying some expensive device that records.

There are 3 different kind of classifications for EVP's.  Class A, Class B, and Class C.  No....that doesn't mean different classrooms with different teachers haha....

Class A-Now this is the BEST EVP that you can capture.  This type of EVP is loud, clear, and of very high quality.  The voice is easily understandable and does not need enhancement or amplification.  There is no mistaking WHAT the EVP says.  This EVP is usually in response to a question from an intelligent spirit.  But it can be residual as well.

Class B-This is the most common type of EVP.  This type of EVP is of a somewhat lower quality and clarity than a Class A EVP but still very audible.  Class B EVP's often do need some degree of enhancement or amplification to be heard clearer.  The voice may not be clear enough to be totally understood or there may be disagreements as to what it is saying.  These may not always be in direct response to a question.  This is often the Class EVP that gets debated on what is being said.

Class C-This is the lowest quality EVP.  With a Class C EVP even the best enhancement and amplification may not be sufficient to make the voice audible or clear.  There may be even a debate whether or not the EVP is actually present.  Many times, many different interpretations maybe heard.

Below are a couple of video's that have some EVP's in them.  Some Class A, some Class B and some Class C.  Can you decide which ones are which???  Now, enjoy the video's because only a REAL ghost hunter would post them FREAKING OUT! LOL

The first video is at Mineral Springs Hotel in Alton, Illinois.  The second is in Kingston, Arkansas and the third is at The Hill House Manor in Gainesville, Tx.

Now, get out there and TALK.....TALK.....TALK....  I want to know about your EVP's and what Class EVP you caught.  Email me at Becksghosthunters.com and share your experiences. :)