THE HAUNTED STANLEY HOTEL-SEE THE SPIRIT CHILDREN AT PLAY

See a small part of our Stanley Hotel visit.  What do you think?  Is this real or is there some other explanation?  I would LOVE to get your opinion on this.  I tried and tried and could not duplicate this phenomenon.

I can't wait to go through all the evidence from the overnight at the Stanley!!!  It will take me sometime so be patient.  Hope you enjoyed this small little video.

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

 

IS IT REAL???? GHOSTS, HAUNTED HOUSES, SPIRITS, DEMONS.....

The ONE question that we all want to know is......."Is it real?"  Was the shadowy figure I saw walking through the hall real?  Was the man I saw standing over my bed....Is he real?  Are the footsteps that I hear during the night coming up the stairs....Are they real?  Did I just see a book fly off the bookcase...was that real? Well, if you ask 10 different people you will probably get 10 different answers to those questions.

Is the paranormal things we read and hear about or maybe even experience REAL??? The one thing about the paranormal is that it can NEVER be scientifically proven because to earn that title "scientifically proven" you have to be able to do the same thing over and over at the same time of day in the same clement controlled space and  achieve the same EXACT result every time. And for anyone that DOES believe in spirits and ghosts you know it just can't be done.  You can ask a spirit to show up at midnight on Tuesday night and only if it's raining and but my guess is......if you had your recorder going you would hear an EVP saying "yea.....right Becky haha!" LOL

There are always going to be skeptics when it come to providing evidence that spirits or ghosts really exist. It doesn't matter whether the information is collected physically or by using electronic equipment you will always have people that believe and those who don't.  You just have to let each person make up his or her own mind and conclusion to what is REAL or NOT REAL.  Until more sophisticated ghost tracking equipment is developed, chances are there will always be a question connected to any evidence gathered.  And I will say that we are getting really close to having some really good equipment to help at least VALIDATE that what we "THINK" we are seeing and hearing..... we really ARE seeing and hearing!  The equipment is getting more and more advanced.  BUT again, let me say you DON'T have to spend a lot of money or have "fancy" equipment to give you some answers to what paranormal activity you may be experiencing.

Do I think ghosts and spirits are real??? Well, for over 30 years SOMETHING has kept me interested enough to continue looking for SOME KIND of evidence that spirits and ghosts DO exist!!! So, the short answer for me to that question is .....YES.  I have experienced to much in my life in this field of work that leaves me....... little..... if NO DOUBT at all........ that we can communicate with the OTHER SIDE and they can communicate with us!

Now, I'm NOT saying that EVERYTHING that "goes bump in the night" is paranormal, but that is where you have to use your OWN knowledge.....your own sixth sense.....to determine if what you experienced was paranormal or not, and hey....if your not sure....give me a call and I'll check it out for you. LOL

My goal is NEVER to make someone believe in ghosts......that is for each person to decide for themselves.....but usually when I'm asked "so, do you believe in ghosts?" I respond "what do YOU believe?"  So, up to this point, I guess the ONE thing that we ALL CAN AGREE ON is.....that as long as people claim to have paranormal activity or encounters with ghosts......we will have a need for more paranormal research and for me......I couldn't be happier about that!!!!!!!!!!  

WHEN IS ENOUGH.....ENOUGH???

Bizarre things start to happen......shadow figures in the night, objects being thrown across the room, creepy sounds, the lights going on and off by themselves, strange voices, foul smells...............when is ENOUGH........ENOUGH????

For those of us who have experienced these things first hand the sleepless nights and the overwhelming fear can be paralyzing!!! Do you suffer in fear without looking for help?  Do you stay and hope things will "just get better?"  Is it all "just your imagination?"  If you are one of these people there are many things you can try before "getting the HEL* out!"  

Here's the sad part...many times when someone has had paranormal experiences they DO seek help, and are told they're crazy.  Whether one believes in the paranormal or not, if the only recourse people have is to get some kind of help when they believe their house is haunted from paranormal investigators because everyone else thinks their CRAZY - then there's a good justification for paranormal investigators to exist.  This is where WE(paranormal investigators) have to step back and listen with an OPEN MIND.....but at the same time try to HELP the homeowner by asking the right questions, doing research on the location and of course conduct an investigation.  I take PRIDE in being non-judgmental person....NO MATTER WHAT a person tells me, I have no reason to doubt them until I know otherwise. 

Now, to get off the subject a little bit.  If you are dealing with paranormal activity please know that there is help out there.  BUT there DOES come a time when all you may consider is moving out!!!

Talk to it-

As simple as this sounds, talking to the ghost is generally the easiest way to either have the ghost leave or at least reach some type of compromise to cohabitate.  It is also the first thing I recommend to all my clients.  Keep in mind that you may have to repeat yourself many times and make the message a little stronger each time.  You may start out with something like "I love this house and I know you do too, so could we co-exist together?  We can do that if you will stop doing the things you are doing".  Then if that doesn't help give this a try.  "This is OUR house and you are NOT wanted here!  You need to get out now! LEAVE!!!"

One thing I want to bring up is...if the paranormal activity occurring in your home is rather recent, think about any items you may have purchased lately.  It could be any items from a thrift store, eBay, garage sale, or an antique store.  ANYTHING you bought second hand could have a ghost attached to it.  If this is the case...GET RID OF IT!!!  I don't mean put it in the basement, I mean get it off your property!

Have Your House Blessed-

If the spirit in your home is persistent, you may want a clergy to come into your home and bless the space.  Some people are uncomfortable with this idea but you may need their help so don't be afraid to ask.

Now, if you prefer you can do it yourself.  It is important that you pay particular attention to all doors, windows, the kitchen, and the bedrooms.  Also pay close attention to any other rooms where paranormal activity may have occurred at one time.

You can burn sage incense or dried sage in every room of the house one at a time and repeat this simple house blessing in every room:
           Please bless this house and fill it with only positive energy, happiness, love, and peace.  Anyone who enters this space can only be someone who is filled with love and happiness.  Any negative energy or beings can no longer reside within these walls, and they are to leave and are forbidden to enter this home ever again.  ADDITION(add this if you are trying to get rid of a nice spirit)  Only the living can stay here within the walls of this home.  If you are a gentle and kind spirit, you must also leave going toward the light.  You are not wanted here any longer.

Use Holy Water-

You can take a small, clean container with a lid and respectfully go to a church and fill it with holy water.  When you get the holy water, go around your house and put a bit on your finger and make a sign of the cross on every door frame. Say "I bless and clean this space in the name of the Lord" or any other prayer you wish.  The trick to completing this task is to REALLY believe with all your heart what you're saying is true.

Sage- 

This has proven to be very effective for ridding homes with uninvited ghosts.  First, buy a sage stick and light it, then blow it out so that there is only smoke coming from the stick.  Place in a bowl and with a feather or whatever you want to use to direct the smoke...crack open one window in each room and starting from one end of your house and working your way to the other, walk through every room making sure the smoke from the sage gets into all the corners and nooks and crannies.  While doing this you can say something like "This smoke is cleaning out any negative energy or spirits.  All negative energy or spirits are commanded to leave now through the open window and are never to return.

DO Not Use Salt; Use Rice-

I know, I know, everyone says use sea salt around the outside of your house, but here's the deal....if you ALREADY have a ghost inside your home using salt is the LAST THING you want to do!!!  Now, I can't say that I have used this technique but I know people who have and have had great results.  See the theory is that spirits or ghosts won't or can't cross a line of sea salt.

So, instead use rice.  Sprinkle a line of rice around the outside perimeter of your home, getting the rice as close to the foundation of your home as possible.  The theory here is that the rice will LURE the spirit out of your house.  THEN....go back outside and do the perimeter with sea salt.

And the last thing I want to say is DON'T SHOW FEAR or have negative feelings.  If you had a bad day at work, or your not getting along with your spouse, then THIS IS NOT a good day to sage.  You need to be in the right frame of mind meaning being positive...

And if you try everything you can and you have asked for help and nothing seems to work...your best plan may be to move!!!  For the safety of you and your family, for the peace of mind of being able to "feel safe" this may be your only option.

Be sure to stay close.... in the next few days I hope to post MY PERSONAL experience of living in a haunted house and a close friend with White Dog Paranormal that just cleansed her apartment because she had a "not so pleasant" experience that scared her to death!


 

SCARY MOVIES AND THE "REAL STORY" BEHIND THEM.

Sorry for the late post this week, but I am on vacation with my boyfriend Deak on a Caribbean Cruise.  We just completed an investigation of a haunted church in Jamaica!  It was really, really cool.  Stay turned for my post on the investigation!  I am actually posting to you guys from the cruise ship so I hope you enjoy this week's post because it cost a LOT!!!!!

Who doesn't love a good "SCARY MOVIE"???  Well.....NOT ME!!!!! LOL  I will go to a scary old graveyard or haunted house anytime...... but PLEASE don't make me watch a SCARY MOVIE.........there SCARY!!!! 

I know that sounds crazy but it's true.  But I know LOTS of people that just LOVE scary movies, so what better time to talk about scary movies than right here at Halloween.  There are lots of really scary movies out there but did you know some of the ALL TIME favorites are based on actual events?  So here are some of the "oldies" but "goodies".  Hope you enjoy them.    And by the way....I hope you guys have the BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!!!!!!!!!! 

The Movie Story: Norman Bates is a psychologically disturbed hotel owner who has delusions this his dead mother, whose body he keeps in the cellar, wants to kill hotel guests. He develops a dual personality and dresses like her when he commits his murders.
The Real Story: The character Norman Bates was inspired by Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who was arrested in 1957 for committing two murders and digging up the corpses of countless other women who reminded him of his dead mother. He skinned the bodies to make lamp shades, socks and a "woman suit" in hopes of becoming a woman. He was found to be insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution.

© Warner Bros.

The Exorcist (1973)

The Movie Story: A pair of priests attempt to exorcise a demon that has possessed a 12-year-old girl living in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. The Real Story: William Peter Blatty, screenwriter and author of the novel The Exorcist, was inspired by an article he read in college at Georgetown University about an exorcism performed on a 13-year-old boy in Mount Rainier, Maryland in 1949. The story's details have been muddled through the years -- perhaps intentionally so, in order to protect the family -- but the boy's actual home lay in Cottage City, Maryland, and the exorcism was performed in St. Louis. Evidence points to the boy's behavior not being nearly as outrageous or supernatural as was portrayed in the film.         

© MGM

Audrey Rose (1977)

The Movie Story: A couple's young daughter exhibits increasingly outrageous behavior, forcing them to consider the possibility that the soul of another young girl, Audrey Rose, has taken residence in her body. The Real Story: Frank De Felitta was inspired to write the novel -- and later the movie script -- after he heard his six-year-old son, Raymond, who'd never taken piano lessons, playing music perfectly on the family piano. De Felitta consulted a Los Angeles occultist, who called Raymond's talent as an "incarnation leak," explaining that the boy had lived many lifetimes. The incident led to the author's personal belief in reincarnation.

© Vanguard

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

The Movie Story: A family driving through the southwestern desert in an RV takes a short cut that leads them to run headlong into a family of violent cannibals who live in caves in the hills. The Real Story: The movie was inspired by the legend of Alexander "Sawney" Bean, a Scottsman of the 15th or 16th century who reportedly headed a 40-person clan that killed and ate over 1,000 people, living in caves for 25 years before being caught and put to death. His life has inspired numerous stories and films worldwide, including The Hills Have Eyes and the British film Raw Meat, but most serious historians today don't believe that Bean ever existed.                         

© MGM

The Amityville Horror (1979)

The Movie Story: The Lutz family moves into a riverside house, the site of a mass murder the year before. They encounter a series of malevolent paranormal events that drive them out of the house after only 28 days. The Real Story: Perhaps the most notorious horror movie "based on a true story," the film is based on a self-proclaimed nonfiction book describing what George and Kathy Lutz experienced during their four weeks in the house, including disembodied voices, cold spots, demonic imagery, inverted crucifixes and walls "bleeding" green slime. Most, if not all, of the events portrayed in both the book and the movie have been called into question by investigators, and it is widely believed that the entire incident was a hoax.                         

© 20th Century Fox

The Entity (1981)

The Movie Story: Carla Moran, a single mother of three, is plagued by a supernatural entity that abuses and rapes her repeatedly. She receives help from paranormal researchers, who document the haunting and attempt to trap the spirit. The Real Story: In 1974, paranormal researchers Kerry Gaynor and Barry Taff investigated the case of a woman believed to be named Doris Bither. Bither lived in Culver City, California and claimed to have been physically and sexually assaulted by an entity. Gaynor and Taff witnessed objects move in her house, captured photos of floating lights and saw a humanoid apparition, but they never saw it assault the woman and never tried to capture it. Gaynor stated that the attacks diminished when Moran moved.                         

                                                      

© Lionsgate

Gothic (1986)

The Movie Story: In 1816, poet Lord Byron gathers fellow poet Percy Shelley and his soon-to-be-wife Mary, along with Mary's half sister Claire and Byron's doctor, John Polidori, at his Swiss mansion. They tell ghost stories and experience surreal supernatural encounters that are physical manifestations of their fears. The Real Story: In the rainy summer of 1816, Percy Shelley and Mary Godwin (soon to be Shelley) visited Lord Byron at his Swiss villa. Due to the rain, they stayed indoors discussing the animation of dead matter and reading German ghost stories. Byron suggested they each write their own supernatural tale, and Godwin came up with Frankenstein, while Byron wrote what would later be adapted by Polidori into The Vampyre.

                   

© Screen Gems

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

The Movie Story: A priest is on trial for the death of a young woman named Emily Rose, upon whom he had performed an exorcism. Through flashbacks, we see the tribulations that she suffered while possessed. The Real Story: The film was inspired by Anneliese Michel, a 16-year-old German girl who, in 1968, began displaying symptoms of demonic possession. For years, she suffered paralysis, self-abuse, starvation and demonic visions until 1975, when two priests performed exorcisms of what was believed to be several demons over 10 months. During that time, Anneliese barely ate, and she died of starvation in July 1976. Her parents and the priests were tried and found guilty of manslaughter. They were sentenced to six months in jail.                   

                         

© Freestyle Releasing

An American Haunting (2006)

The Movie Story: Nineteenth-century landowner John Bell and his family are tormented by an invisible entity, which targets his daughter Betsy in particular. The Real Story: The movie is based on the legend of the Bell Witch, a tale that originated in Tennessee in the 1800s. It is believed by many to be a work of fiction, although the characters in the story were real. According to the tale, John Bell was poisoned by the ghost, and although the film's marketing declared that it is "validated by the State of Tennessee as the only case in US history where a spirit has caused the death of a human being," there is no such validation on record. Some claim that The Blair Witch Project was also influenced by the story.                        

                                                 

© Lionsgate

The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

The Movie Story: The Campbell family moves to Connecticut to be near the doctor caring for their ill son, Matt. They soon realize that their new home is a former mortuary haunted by a malevolent force. The Real Story: The film's inspiration was the Parker family, who moved to Connecticut in 1986 to be close to the specialists treating their 14-year-old son, Paul, for cancer. In the basement, where Paul slept, they discovered embalming equipment that implied that the house had been a funeral home. They reported encountering unexplained phenomena, like bloody floors, disembodied voices and shadowy figures. Paul became possessed by a force that caused him to attack his family. Eventually, an exorcism was performed to cleanse the house.