HIGHWAYS GHOSTLY HITCHHIKERS-NEED A BACKSEAT DRIVER????

Happy New Year everybody!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope you have a wonderful and safe new year!!!

For most of us, driving down a highway is nothing unusual.  And when we get to where we're going....it is pretty much but forgotten about the road we just traveled.  But when darkness comes, the highway that brought us such enjoyment now brings us stories of ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural.  Wait??? Was that the shadow of the trees....or something more sinister?

Whether it is vanishing hitchhikers, street walkers, phantom travelers, or lost souls, you are bound to hear story after story of haunted highways.

I think one of the most common tales is that of the Phantom Hitchhiker.  Phantom travelers are ghosts of  humans, animals, or even a vehicle that appears along a roadway, trail, or at a rest stop.  The haunting is usually associated with a tragedy, an anniversary, a wrongdoing, emotional turmoil, or some other connection with the specific location.

The tale of the phantom hitchhiker-a ghostly figure that enters your vehicle, only to suddenly disappear without warning-is an archetype and the most common of all ghost travelers.

Lets say you are driving down a long, dark highway and the headlights of your car provides just enough light that you are able to make out a figure standing on the side of the lonely rode.  What the heck???  Why would ANYONE be out in the dark by themselves late at night????

Well for whatever reason you pull over to see if you can help.  As the figure peers in your car window they ask if you could give them a ride to a certain address.  You gladly agree.  You have a nice conversation on the way to the location.  Suddenly, you reach the address and you stop and turn to tell the passenger you made it...........and without any warning.........the ghostly figure is gone.

So, I'm sure you all have heard of the most famous story of all.............. Resurrection Mary.
The story goes that around 1939 the ghost of a young girl with long blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in white, started appearing along Archer Avenue between Willow Springs and Justice, Illinois. She would suddenly materialize in the middle of the road.  Some motorist claim their cars passed right through the girl.  If you were brave enough to stop, she would softly ask to be taken to OH HENRY PARK, where she could be seen dancing throughout the night.   When the dance hall would close she would ask someone at the dance hall for a ride.  Sometimes she would ask to be let out Resurrection Cemetery.  Then she would open the gates and disappear.

Now, NOT all highways are haunted by apparitions of people.......motorist have reported seeing ghostly headlights.....spooky animals....even phantom cars and trucks.  For whatever haunts these dark and lonely highways....we may never be able to prove exactly why they are there.

My guess is, they are staying around for the very same reasons anything else becomes haunted.  Unfinished business...... don't know they are dead....and that to me ....I think is probably the best explanation more than anything else.....they don't know they are dead.  Death happens so suddenly sometimes, that a spirit doesn't know what has happened and stays in the place it knows best or was last at....obviously there are more tragic wrecks with other cars and trucks, people and animals on highways than other locations. This could explain why there are such a "variety"of apparitions seen on one highway.  Just a thought....


And lets not forget Highway 666 has been hailed as one of the most haunted places in America. It is located in the region that is identified as the “Four Corners”. Many know the “Four Corners” as the States of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico – not the entire states, only certain geographical locations of each state. In the year of 2003, the United State renamed the ominous highway to U.S Route 491. Christians believe that the number that is reflected in three sixes represents what they refer to as the “Number of the Beast”. When this highway was under its assumed evil number identifier, many referred to it as the “Devil’s Highway”. Based on statistics, there were an unusually high number of accidents and fatalities on this road when it was named 666, so many gained the belief that anyone that traveled on this road would immediately be cursed.

Now, buckle up and enjoy the ride. :)

WHAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF.....

You lay down and take a deep breath....aaawwww your day is done!  Time for a good nights sleep.  Once you FINALLY get your brain to shut down from your thoughts of. ..."got to pick the kids up tomorrow at 10, be at the meeting by noon, pay the bills, pick something up for dinner"...and so on and so on....you dose off to sleep into LALA Land...........................or maybe........... HELL!!!!!!!

CREEPY clowns, unknown echo's down the hall, ghosts, dolls, death, blood and guts, being alone, insane asylums, scary haunted houses....if you FEAR it more than likely Hollywood has made a movie about it, so it's no wonder that THESE visions are stored in our heads just the same way the things we LIKE are.  You can ALWAYS find something disturbing to read about, see a movie about or heck even watching the evening news  is pretty darn disturbing! LOL

So sometimes, during the day we may see something that is frightening to us and once we go to sleep it is a FREE FOR ALL in our mind....random thoughts are thrown all around and sometimes the BAD ONES WINS!!!

Lets talk CLOWNS!!!! Growing up as a young girl I can remember...... to be the "cool kid"....... you had to have a clown at your birthday party!  NOT THESE DAYS!!!!  John Wayne Gacy was a dedicated community volunteer whose persona of "Pogo the Clown" masked a dark secret.  In his career as a serial killer, he murdered at least 33 teenage boys.  Most were sexually assaulted.  Not long afterward, Stephen King's IT and its adaptation starring a chilling Tim Curry kept us even more scared of clowns.   Wait till you see what is coming......Will I be seeing this movie???? HELL NO.....DOUBLE HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

A clown phobia may be the most irrational of the bunch, but the real-life connections to the serial killer culture lend credibility to this fear. 

How about a cute little DOLL?????  Again, growing up as a young girl what did you ask for your birthday???  A doll of course.  The BIGGER THE BETTER!!!  Never for one moment thinking that this DOLL is going to come alive and kill me!!!  Again.....NOT THESE DAYS!!!!

Maybe it's their dead, dark, unblinking eyes that watch us, or their stiff hands that just seem to be wanting to GRAB something or someone.  Whatever it is, dolls just CREEP US OUT!!!!!  Their physical appearance often dwells in what psychologists call the "uncanny valley."  This is an anomaly of human perception where some figures look human enough to be relatable, but inhuman enough to freak us out!!!  This may be a reaction to dead bodies, which both are and aren't human.  And in many cases, there really isn't much of a physical difference between the corpse of a child and a doll.  And with that sensibility in mind, the idea of them getting up and toddling around toward us is horrifying!




And that's not enough for us to have NIGHTMARES about....how about the fear of "loneliness"  like...oh I don't know.....like being abandon in an ASYLUM or HOSPITAL?????

No one likes feeling helpless or feeling abandoned, and nowhere are we more helpless than in the hospital.  The Exorcist even features a scene where the possessed child is subjected to needles and giant machines and ends up bleeding in a hospital exam room.  In a movie where a child's head literally spins, this hospital scene resonates.  Why???  You tell me.  The asylum compounds all of these feelings because the label of mental illness means that no one will ever believe what the person says and they must be going insane.  It is an incomprehensible vulnerability!  And if the asylum is abandoned, then the ghosts of all those that have pasted between its walls are sure to seek revenge. 

Speaking of CHILDREN.....aren't children suppose to love everyone and be fun loving and carefree???  Obviously NOT ALL CHILDREN!!!!  The emotional stakes of a story increase when children are involved.  It's natural to worry about and want to protect children who are in danger.  But if the children themselves are the source of the DANGER, audiences are caught off guard in the movies and we as adults tend to have trouble believing such "innocence can turn DEADLY."

In the movie The Omen, an innocent-looking child looks on as his family goes down in flames around him.  Twins more than double this feeling.  Developmental psychologists have noted that twins share an exceptionally close relationship, sometimes to the point where their intuitive mutual understanding mimics telepathy.  Imagine...what they could DO if they put their MINDS to it!!!!!  And no more are a famous pair of twins than in THE SHINING!!!!

And with Halloween coming up what do we see on TV.......... but tons and tons of scary shows!!!  And guess what???  Pay close attention and I'll bet you 80% of the Halloween movies soon to be released have something to do with MASKS.  What is it about MASKS????  Some masks have great, big smiling faces on them and some have unimaginable features....like creatures crawling out the cheeks, monsters, and some are as plain as can be...just a plain, white mask.  What is it about THE PLAIN WHITE MASK that sends fear running through our vanes?  Mask HIDE something......something that isn't always pleasant.......something dark....something that we fear......something that we NEVER REALLY want to be revealed. 



And don't forget WHO'S AFRAID OF THE DARK????  To me this is the one fear that tops ALL fears!!!  The dark can hold any of the above fears in it.  The dark is the "unknown".....and the "unknown" can sometimes kill you!!!  Many people are so fearful of the dark that they NEVER turn the lights off, they sleep with them on and they are NEVER EVER alone.....in the dark!!! 

The dark is where the monsters live that are in our closets, where the ghosts come out and lurk above us as we sleep.  The dark is where your DEEPEST FEARS become a REALITY!!!!  I get asked all the time "aren't you scared when you go to a haunted location?" Well, the answer is YES!  Of course!  No one ever said being a ghost hunter you had to be brave (but it helps.LOL) Not all the time but sometimes.  The difference is....I deal with fear in a completely different way than someone just going into a haunted house for the first time.  I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF!!!  I have been doing this so long that I don't really FEAR the unknown anymore....I am more interested NOW in finding out what is hiding in the DARK.....but just to make you feel better I wasn't always like this.  Here's the perfect example of being in the DARK and not knowing what is in there with me or what the dark holds.  I was on an investigation in a private home where there were stories of the children being scratched, things moving, voices and all kinds of other activity.  So I was in a room that a child had been scratched several times...so I'm already a little leery about the space.  It was pitch black and we had already been having tons of activity.....when all of the SUDDEN.....something grabbed my hair and pulled it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you....I DID NOT TAKE IT WELL!!!!!!  I screamed "SOMETHING IS GRABBING ME....SOMETHING IS GRABBING MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I was so FREAKED OUT!!!  It was SO REAL TO ME!!!!  Well it was a small room...and my team members were in another room when one came running in and without thinking turned on the light.  My heart was beating soooooo fast........and I could hardly talk.......(and just for the record....I don't act like this all the time. LOL) but I turned around and was pointing to where I was standing and  THERE............THERE THEY WERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MY GLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YEP! My glasses that I had on the top of my head had slide down the back of my neck making me think SOMEONE or SOMETHING was pulling my hair!!!!!!   OK OK....go ahead and laugh.......I did myself once I realized I wasn't being ATTACKED by a HAIR PULLING GHOST!!!!

The whole point of that story was....... I was already on edge being in the dark so........my imagination was able to run wild and I let FEAR take over!!!  I literally tell myself during investigations now.....when I am starting to feel "THAT FEELING" coming on "there is nothing to fear but fear itself" and I REALLY LISTEN TO THOSE WORDS......it really DOES seem to calm my nerves or uneasiness.  

Here's the deal....whatever we fear....whatever makes up jumpy.....or uneasy can HAUNT us in our dreams.  And in today's world....we are not offered a lot of "conditioning shows, news, articles or just whatever as comfort" so what do we do?????  Well.....you should do what I do....if I've watched a SCARY show (which I rarely do) before bed or even during the day.....simple solution........I watch 2 hours of I LOVE LUCY and off to sleep I go.

Now.....Sleep tight everyone and PLEASANT DREAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVP's from the VERY HAUNTED Goatman's Bridge featured on Ghost Adventure...

Electronic Voice Phenomena-EVP's that's what we say here in the paranormal world but you guys already knew that. :)  One of the MOST exciting developments in the field of the paranormal is the use of technology to capture unexplained human voices or sounds.  That's what we LOVE right???  A voice that is answering our questions or saying something that we KNOW we didn't make.

EVP's were first discovered quite by accident by Friedrich Jurgenson as he was recording bird calls near his home in Sweden during the 1950's.  He was flabbergasted when he heard a man's voice telling him how to better record the bird songs.  Totally intrigued, Jurgenson continued his recordings for many years after that and subsequently published a book, Voices From the Universe, that described his method of electronic communication with the dead.

Some claim the discovery of the EVP goes MUCH further back than that.  Thomas Edison, the inventor of the telephone, was quoted in Scientific American in the 1920's as saying: "Nobody knows whether our personalities pass on to another existence or sphere, but it is possible to construct an apparatus which will be so delicate that if there are personalities in another existence or sphere, this apparatus will at least give them a better opportunity to express themselves than the tilting tables and raps and Ouija boards and mediums and the other crude methods now purported to be the only means of communication."

Anyone can try to capture an EVP.  It can be done with either analog or digital recorders, though the analog or digital recorders, though the analog method will probably be phased out very shortly because of the superior quality of digital voice recorders and the ease of transferring files to a computer.  Some investigators recommend performing the experiments outside your own home; after all, if something disturbing is discovered it may upset you and change how you feel about your personal living space.

So, how do we record an EVP....

1.  Make sure your equipment is working properly. 
2.  Tune an AM or FM radio to the space between channels to generate white noise.  Running water and computer programs that generate background noise will also work.
3.  State the date, time, your name, and where you are at the beginning of your recording.
4.  Ask a question, and wait about 30 secs for a response.  Understanding that it takes a lot of energy to be heard.  Don't rush.
5.  Be polite.  There is no need to provoke any entity.
6.  Transfer your recording onto your computer.  Different audio programs can help clean up the EVP.  I use Audacity.

Just a quick note...I always CLOSE the session by saying "thank you for the communication with me tonight but as of this moment ALL communication is closed".

I LOVE EVP's!!!!  They are hard work but they are worth it!!!!!!! 

Above are a few EVP's that I have gotten out at the bridge that I give tours at.  See what you think!!!





 

ALCATRAZ IS PURE EVIL! ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE PARANORMAL PLACES IN SAN FRANCISCO!

One of the most evil places in America!!!  Yes.....Alcatraz!  And I can't wait!  I will be visiting this place NEXT WEEK!!!!!  So, you guys hang around and when I get back in a couple of weeks, hopefully I will have some "good stuff" for you. :) 

Below is just some information about Alcatraz but at the bottom is a great link about the GHOSTS particularly.....


In the late 1850s, the first inmates to occupy Alcatraz were military prisoners who were put to work building a new prison that later became known as "The Rock." The U.S. Army used the island until 1933, at which time the Federal Government decided to open a maximum-security, minimum-privilege penitentiary to deal with the most incorrigible inmates.

Alcatraz was designed to break rebellious prisoners by putting them in a structured, monotonous routine until their release. Prisoners were given four basic things - food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Receiving anything beyond that had to be earned. Famous criminals, such as Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, Alvin Karpis and Arthur "Doc" Barker, spent time in Alcatraz. Mobsters in other prisons often managed to manipulate special privileges from guards, but not at Alcatraz.

Tough Punishment

• The Strip Cell
  Prisoners refusing to follow prison rules risked being confined to the Strip Cell, located on the lower tier of D Block. It was a dark steel cell, where inmates would be stripped naked and given water and bread once daily, an occasional meal and a mattress at night. The only 'toilet' was a hole in the cell floor and there was no sink. While there, convicts had no contact with others, spending their time in pitch-dark solitude.
•  

The Hole on D Block
Similar to the strip cell, there were five 'hole' cells also on the lower tier, where prisoners were kept in isolation for up to 19 days. The cells had a toilet, sink, lightbulb and a mattress provided during the night only.

Prison Closure

Because of the huge cost to refurbish the prison it was closed in 1963. Later the island and parts of the prison were reopened by the Parks Services for daily public tours.

 

Tales of Torture

The fact that Alcatraz was built on an island and kept so isolated from public view, tales of inmates being tortured and of their bitter spirits coming back to haunt the halls of Alcatraz began to circulate.

 

The Ghost Stories of Alcatraz

• The Utility Corridor
  One of the areas which some claim is the most active with paranormal activity is a utility corridor where inmates Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard were plummeted with bullets after a failed prison escape. It is there that in 1976 a night security guard reported hearing unexplained eerie clanging sounds coming from inside.
   
• Cell 14D
  Cell 14D, one of the 'hole' cells is believed by some to be very active with spirits. Visitors and employees have reported feeling a raw coldness and at times a sudden 'intensity' encompasses the cell.
  Tales have been told of an event in the 1940s, when a prisoner locked-in 14D screamed throughout the night that a creature with glowing eyes was killing him. The next day guards found the man strangled to death in the cell. No one ever claimed responsibility for the convict's death, however the next day when doing head counts, the guards counted one too many prisoners. Some of the guards claimed seeing the dead convict in line with the other inmates, but only for a second before he vanished.
   
• Warden Johnston
  Other stories have circulated that Warden Johnston, nicknamed "The Golden Rule Warden," also faced a bizarre event while showing some of his guests around the prison. According to the story, Johnston and his group heard someone sobbing from inside the prison walls, and then a cold wind whisked past the group. Johnston could never explain any reason for the occurances.
   
• Cell blocks A, B, and C
  Visitors to cellblocks A and B. claim they have heard crying and moaning. A psychic visiting wrote that while in Block C he came upon a disruptive spirit name Butcher. Prison records show that another inmate in block C murdered Abie Maldowitz, a mob hitman known as Butcher.
   
• The Ghost of Al CaponeAl Capone, who spent his last years at Alcatraz with his health in decline from untreated syphilis, took up playing the banjo with a prison band. Fearing he would be killed if he spent his recreational time in the "yard," Capone received permission to spend recreation time practicing his banjo in the shower room.
  In recent years, a park ranger claimed he heard banjo music coming from the shower room. Not familiar with the history of Alcatraz, the ranger could not find a reason for the sound and documented the strange event. Other visitors and employees have reported hearing the sound of a banjo coming from the prison walls.
   
• More Paranormal Reports
  Other odd events experienced over the years include guards smelling smoke, but finding no fire; sounds of unexplained crying and moaning; unexplained cold spots in areas of the prison and claims of seeing ghosts of prisoners or military personnel.

Below is a GREAT link about the ghosts of Alcatraz!  Check it out.  And btw...if you have ever been to Alcatraz I would LOVE to hear about your experience!!!  Email me or leave a comment and let's see what others have experienced! :)

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-alcatrazghosts2.html

Check out this picture taken at Alcatraz!!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2660086/Ghostly-figure-appears-Alcatraz-Tourists-spooked-photograph-young-woman-waiting-notorious-prison-visitation-block.html

 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SCARE...HAUNTED HOUSES-WHY ARE WE SCARED FOR REAL OR FOR FUN???

A dark house, filled with chandeliers dripping with cobwebs.  You slowly step inside, knowing that around the corner, your greatest fear awaits.  Perhaps it's a monster hiding under the bed, or a killer from one of your favorite horror movies.  Every room you go through is stained with blood, and someone's waiting to jump out at you.  The floors creak as you move along, with a group of friends, clutching at each other, expecting someone to peek out of every nook and cranny of the room you're moving through.

Every year at Halloween, "Haunted Houses" pop up and people line up at the front door to go inside, sometimes waiting for hours!  WHY??? In reality, most of the houses aren't literally "haunted" they're just darn SPOOKY !  So why is it , exactly, that people from around the world spend their time.....and money...to be scared?

Some psychologists believe, actually, that many people can't help it.  Frank Farley, a psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association, has studied people who seek out the type of scares often associated with haunted houses.  Farley calls these thrill seekers "Type T" personalities.  Yes, the "T" stands for thrill.  Sweaty palms, pumping heart, and knots in the stomach are all familiar to the Type "T".

Perhaps Type T's are driven by their genes.  DRD4 is a gene associated with the personality trait of seeking out new experiences.  Those with the DRD4 gene may be more likely to seek out the thrills of entering an unknown, mysterious area....such as a haunted house.

At the other end of the spectrum are type "t's"(lower case t), who are less likely to enjoy the scares that come along by visiting decrepit mansions that are home to spooky specters.

A long-held psychological belief is the "fight or flight" theory.  When present with danger, the human body can react one of two ways:  you either want to conquer your fear or avoid it.  When threatened, adrenaline rushes through our body, increasing your strength and heightening your senses.  A Type T person would be more apt to fall into the "fight" category and enjoy the physical rush.  Wonder what real "ghost hunters" personality would be??? hhuuummm LOL

Of course, the people who design the houses themselves know this, and capitalize on people's needs to be scared out of their wits!  Darkness, unexpected sounds, bloody body parts and the smell of burning flesh are all things you might experience in a haunted house.  Sounds like a great Date Night right?

Why are people afraid of real ghosts?  Well, no doubt some of it stems from our fear of the unknown.  It's also safe to say that Hollywood and the literary world and all the new paranormal shows haven't done ghosts any favors.  Casper the Friendly Ghost notwithstanding, many representation of spirit in pop culture are decidedly evil.  So not only do people who fear ghosts have to deal with fear of the unknown, but they're conditioned to believe that ghosts are actually out to hurt them.  By the way, do you know what you call someone that has a fear of ghosts?  Phasmophobia.

Ghosts also represent something that strikes fear into many of us: people equate spirits with death; therefore ghosts can be a reminder of our own mortality.  Many phobias are just what people who make haunted houses are counting on.....your fear of clowns, spiders, the dark, and ghosts.  Whatever your fear there is likely a haunted house out there for you.

So, if you're a Type T, or you've had the DRD4 gene passed on to you, good new lies around the corner.  As Halloween approaches, haunted houses will go up, and you'll be sure to get your SCARE ON!!!  For those who can't wait....real haunted houses can be found year round for your thrill-seeking personalities.  Have a ghostly good time where ever you go!

And remember... "I got your back". LOL

 

FUN FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN

Here are my Favorite "facts and legends" about Halloween...what's yours???

1. Black Cats Are Considered Bad Luck Because Of Witches
Why are black cats considered bad luck in the first place? Because they're associated with witches, of course! Around the time of the Salem Witch Trials and before then, people thought that a black cat meant that a witch was spying on you. And who knew what that could mean...

2.Owls Are A Halloween Image Because They're Associated With Witches
Owls are another animal that are usually associated with Halloween. This is because that in Medieval Europe, people thought owls were witches. Hearing an owl's call meant that someone was going to die. Spooky! And perfect for Halloween.

3.Black Cats Aren't Safe On Halloween
Because black cats are associated with witches and are considered bad luck, they are actually really not safe on Halloween. I'm sure you've seen warnings around the holiday to leave your black cat indoors on and around October 31st, or to give shelter to stray black cats if you see them. This is because things can get out of hand, and people will take black cats to torture or sacrifice them. Many shelters won't even let black cats be adopted around Halloween because they are so worried about this happening.

4.Seeing A Spider On Halloween Means Something...
Don't be scared if you see a spider on Halloween! Okay, maybe be scared because although this is sweet, it's also a little creepy. According to legend, seeing a spider on Halloween means that the spirit of a loved one is watching over you.

5. Halloween Costumes Come From The Celts
Halloween costumes are yet another part of Halloween that come from Celtic tradition. Because the Celts believed that Samhain was the one time of year when spirits could get into our world, they would wear scary costumes and masks during festivals to ward off and confuse these evil spirits.

6. The Origin Of Jack-O-Lanterns Comes From A Farmer Named Jack
Ever wondered why we call carved pumpkins Jack-O-Lanterns? As it turns out, they're named after a Jack! There was a Celtic folk tale of a farmer named Jack who always played tricks on the devil. Because of this, the devil forced him to wander purgatory with only a burning lump of coal from hell as his light. Jack put the coal in a turnip and used it as a lantern to guide his lost soul. In the 1800s, Irish families brought the myth over to America. Because turnips weren't popular in the US, people used pumpkins as a substitute to keep evil souls away from them. And now it's a super fun tradition!

7. Forms Of Trick-Or-Treating Have Been Around Since Medieval Times
Different versions of trick-or-treating have been around since medieval times. It used to be called "guising" or "souling," and it was when children and poor adults went around in costumes on Halloween begging for food and money in exchange for songs and prayers. It was brought to America by the Irish in the early 20th century, but became less popular during WWII when sugar was rationed. However, in 1947, children's magazines, a radio program and the Peanuts comic strip made the tradition popular again, and by 1952, it became trick-or-treating as we know it now.

And don't forget to do your favorite selfie on Halloween and send them to me so I can post them here on my blog!