Have a Happy New Year!

Today I am just posting to wish everyone a fun and safe New Years Eve. I hope you all have big fun plans! I'm looking forward to seeing what the new year holds.

Cheers and Happy New Years!

Happy Holidays!

Just posting today to wish every one a merry Christmas and happy holidays! I won't be doing a news round up this week so I can spend a bit more time enjoying the holidays. Also, apologies that there wasn't a round up last week, my modem is giving me trouble. Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying winter! :)

Top Ten Ghost Movies

I haven’t done a list in a while. Today, I thought I would do a list of some of the best movies that feature ghosts. Here’s my top ten, in no particular order. Are there any you would add to the list?

1. Ghost busters
2. Ghost
3. Casper
4. The Six Sense
5. The Others
6. The Ring
7. Poltergeist
8. Stir of Echoes
9. What Lies Beneath
10. Paranormal Activity

Weekly News Round-up 12/13/12

Lots of strange creatures in the news this week...

arstechnia.com posted an article poking fun at the 'science' of cryptids and unknown creatures. You can check it out here. There's also a pretty awesome image of a unicorn and a yeti riding a scooter.

A mystery animal is killing animals in Kentucky. There's a video about it here.

The Daily Times posted an article about strange creature sightings on a Navajo reservation.

Phantom Music

One phenomenon that comes up sometimes while ghost hunting is the sudden occurrence of music that seems to have no traceable origin. This can be in the form of a piano music, a person whistling or singing, or even radio music. When it happens, it’s often both confusing and exciting. We will often wander around a building looking for the source of a strange sound, but music is even stranger to hear.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking for possible explanations for the sounds when I’ve heard them, but usually I’m just left with an eerie feeling. It’s really not that difficult to think that music might be one of the things left behind by people, after all, it’s often very emotional and powerful and can be linked to people life’s in unique ways.

Have you ever heard music you couldn’t find a source for?

Weekly News Round-up 12/5/12

A Korean news agency is claiming that they have discovered a unicorn lair in North Korea. You can read about it here.

More than 100 graves were robbed for the use in Voodoo rituals in Africa. Chicago Tribune has the article here.

MailOnline posted an article that a Serbian council posted a warning that a vampire is on the loose.

Cursed?

So I came across an article about a phone number in Bulgaria- 888-888-888 that has been retired partially because everyone assigned the number recently died unexpectedly (and because the police are investigating one of the deaths linked to the number.) It sort of sounds like the plot of a bad scary movie. I’m actually pretty doubtful that the number had anything to do with the deaths of the individuals (at least in an paranormal sense), but it’s an interesting concept. If you want to read more about it, the article is here.

Curses are always interesting to hear about and as people have gotten less superstitious, they’ve become less common. People generally know that there’s an explanation for everything that happens in life. But there’s something fun and mysterious about the paranormal, so people continue to link it to all sorts of things.

Would you ever use a phone number that was reportedly cursed? Would it bother you or would you just shrug it off?

Weekly News Round-up 11/28/12

A man claims to have captured a photo of Bigfoot, though I'm pretty certain the image is just an owl. You can see for yourself here.

A group claims they have DNA proof of Bigfoot living in North America. PRWeb has the article here.

The ghost of an 18th century alchemist has been repeatedly spotted in a Tuscan town. You can read about it here.

Ghost Hunting Classes?

 

Sometimes people ask me what sort of training it takes to get into ghost hunting. The truth is, there’s no real formal training available to most ghost hunters. Most of the people who do it learn from experience. Many people join an established group so that they can pick it up on their own. While classes are fun, there’s really nothing quite like hands on experience for learning.

 

I’d actually love to see someone develop an accredited ghost hunting class, but the truth is, every ghost hunting group works differently. Everyone has different techniques and perspectives. Each ghost hunt is a unique experience. Plus, there’s just nothing quite like the real thing. Some people go in confident and happy and then get terrified when something happens. Others go in expecting stuff to happen, then get bored when nothing happens right away.

Do you think it would be fun to take a ghost hunting class? Would you rather learn from experience?

Weekly News Round-Up 11/23/12

Slate posted an article discussing why Bigfoot sightings are so popular. You can read it here.

Scientists say they have some big news from the Mars rover-but aren't announcing anything just yet. Read about it here.

Huffington Post has an article on the history of the literary sea monster.

Are Cemeteries Haunted?

It’s fairly common for ghost hunting groups to spend a lot of time in cemeteries. People who ghost hunt usually like spooky old things and they are also great places to research history and individuals. Birth and death dates can be helpful, and if you know what you are looking for, you can often find them on headstones. People also tend to assume that cemeteries are automatically haunted.

In my opinion, this is usually not the case, though there are exceptions to the rule. Ghosts tend to hang out in places that they had a strong connection to while they were alive. Homes, work buildings, hospitals etc. seem to be the places that attract ghosts the most. While it’s possible for a ghost to be hanging around, I don’t see it as a very likely scenario most of the time.

Do you think cemeteries are haunted?

Weekly News Round-up 11/16/12

A Bigfoot researcher says he has audio proof of Bigfoot's existence. You can read about it here.

A news crew setting out to debunk a UFO film ended up filming more of the same UFO's. Mail Online has the article here.

The Sun posted an article about a woman who claims to be having conversations with her dead son.

Do You Believe in Curses?

Hollywood, books, and the media all love the idea of a curse. A curse is basically a wish or charm to harm another person. Everyone jokes about them from time to time. But do you think the will to hurt another could be strong enough to actually take a physical form?

I think it’s possible. Human desire is a really strong thing. It has power and strength all on its own. I’ve seen people wish and will for things to happen, and then watched them come true in time. Well I certainly don’t think it’s always the case, I think it is possible to influence the world with out thoughts.

What do you think? Are curses real? Have you ever had an interesting experience with a curse?

Weekly News Round-up 11/8/12

A 'vampire' skeleton was found in Britain. The full article can be found here.

UFO sightings are increasing in Asia. You can read about it here.

An interesting new Bigfoot video has come up. What do you think?

Ghost Hunting Season is Winding Down...

Now that October has come and gone, people have started packing up the candy and putting away their costumes and decorations. The scary movies are starting to fade off TV as everyone gets ready for the busy holiday season. It also means we are getting ready to pack up our ghost hunting equipment for a few months.

Winter is usually pretty harsh and cold in Ohio, and most old buildings don’t have heat, so winter ghost hunts are always a challenge. Occasionally we will get a call or email from someone asking to investigate a personal residence but we try to use the winter months as a chance to rest and recharge before preparing for next years ghost hunting season. I’ve seen quite a few ghost hunters go full force for a year or two and they usually get burned out and end up quitting because they do too much.

Everyone needs a break sometimes. Do you find you need a break from any of your hobbies or interests?

Weekly News Round-up 10/31/12- Happy Halloween!

The Huffington Post has an article on the Michigan Dogman. You can read it here.

Spike TV has announced a new series for Bigfoot hunting with a ten million dollar prize. Details are here.

Gather has an article debating if Bigfoot is a protected species.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

Behind the Scenes

I had the change to investigate a pretty cool museum over the weekend. We didn’t have a ton of paranormal activity while we were there (that we were able to see or hear on our own) but it did give us a chance to explore parts of the museum that are normally closed off to the public. One thing I’ve learned over the years of ghost hunting, is that museums almost always keep their best stuff in storage. It’s amazing how much the public doesn’t get to see. Along with the regular museum stuff, this building featured a room being used by a local artist as a painting studio. It was like this building had this whole other life and existence that very few people ever get to experience. I can’t go into a museum now without wondering what’s happening behind the scenes.

Have you every had the chance to take a behind the scenes tour of a building or museum? If so, how what is?

Dangers in Ghost Hunting

Sometimes, when you’re ghost hunting, you come across an entity or spirit that latches on to someone in the group. One of my fellow team members has been dealing with this recently. It’s difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it, but it really does happen. I’ve watched and heard many strange things happening around the team member since it happened, and he’s been really struggling with how to deal with it. Objects have been flying at him, we hear growls when he’s around and he barely sleeps anymore. Ultimately, you can ever get rid of something you can’t see. You can ask it to leave, but there’s no way to force something out of your life.

 

After a recent occurrence yesterday, we laughed and joked about ghost hunting being dangerous, but both of us know there really are some risks putting yourself around ghosts, because you never really know what you’re going to run into. So, if you’re considering giving ghost hunting a try, just remember there really are some risks involved. I think the rewards are worth the risks we take, but it’s something that shouldn’t be approached without some thought and consideration.

Weekly News Round-up 10/18/12

MailOnline posted an article about a plan to use a stealth airship in an attempt to capture an image of Bigfoot.

The Huffington Post has an article on a lake monster in Quebec/Vermont. You can read about it here.

A Bigfoot sighting was reported in Texas. You can read about it here.

Blog Birthday!

So yesterday was the two year anniversary of this blog (yay!) I’ve come a long way since I first started and have learned a lot about blogging and ghost hunting and the paranormal along the way. I’ve also met (well, virtually) some amazing fellow bloggers and people. Thanks to everyone who has commented, e-mailed and supported over the past two years! I’m looking forward to continuing to blog and grow. I can’t wait to see what the next year(s) of blogging bring!

Weekly News Round-up 10/11/12

There's a report on Russian cryptids here, including a brief discussion of a lake monster that's caught some people's attention.

A neurosurgeon describes his near death experience here.

The Sun reports that the Mars rover has found a shiny object on mars. Read about it here.

How to find a Haunted Building

When my team goes on a ghost hunt, we often find places based on recommendations by other paranormal groups. But sometimes we come across an old, interesting building and think ‘hey, there might be something going on in there.’ We’ve actually done quite a few investigations by cold calling the building owners and frequently find out there is paranormal activity happening. I’ve found over the years that there are certain factors that can contribute to ghosts being present in a building.

 

Here are a few things to look for if you are trying to find a haunted building.

1. Age plays a big factor. Older buildings have more history, which means it’s more likely that they will attract ghosts.
2. Something tragic happened there. There’s a definite correlation between bad things happening and ghosts hanging around.
3. The building has been unoccupied for awhile. Empty buildings seem to be favored by ghosts, probably because they don’t have to worry about people bothering them.

There are also theories that buildings close to water, routes of transportation, or limestone are more likely to have paranormal activity, but I haven’t seen enough evidence to support these theories. If you really want to find some place with a ghost or two hanging around, just look for an old, spooky empty building. You might just find a spirit or two.

Weekly News Round-up 10/3/12

Huff Post has an article about a former Air Force Colonel accusing the US of a UFO cover up. You can read it here. They also posted an article about Kei$ha claiming that she had sex with a ghost. You can read that one here.

Alaska Dispatch has an article on Bigfoot sightings in there area.

Happy October!

It’s finally October, one of my favorite times of the year! This month is always full of fun fall activities, scary movie marathons, haunted houses and of course Halloween. My team always does an investigation the week of Halloween and I’m really looking forward to our location this year (I’ll share more about it later.)

 

Do you guys have any fun things planned for this month? Do you like to celebrate Halloween?

Weekly News Round-up 9/26/12

Huffington Post has an article about using pie during a ghost hunt as part of a ghost hunting technique.

The Sacremento Bee has an article about a Bigfoot museum. You can read about it here.

Check out this article on each of the United State's weirdest phenomenon. Read it here.

Back from a Ghost Hunt

Last week I had the chance to revisit a haunted rectory. It’s always interesting to go back to a location we’ve been to before. Our team is able to take what we learned on the last investigation and apply it to what we’re doing. Sometimes we find out names or new bits of history that make asking questions easier. It also gives us a chance to explore rooms or spaces we may have not had time to explore the last time.

This place is especially interesting to spend time in because whatever is there, just feels dark. It’s hard to explain to someone who has never been there, but the negative energy in this places is worse than anywhere I’ve ever been. The owners are genuinely scared of whatever it is that hangs out there-and I don’t blame them.

I’m hoping we will get some cool footage from the place so I can share some stuff with you guys, but for now, you will just have to take my word for it.

Weekly News Round-up 9/23/12

I'm a little late this week with the round-up because I was out of town on a ghost hunt (sorry!) but better late than never!

A Soviet scientist is launching an investigation of a lake in Siberia in search of a monster. You can read about it here.

A three year old child is being treated as a spiritual healer. Read about it here.

Fortean Times has an interesting article on ghost hunting and dowsing here.

Psychometry

Have you ever picked up a photo or old object and gotten a feeling or idea about the object itself? That’s what psychometry is. People with psychic abilities sometimes claim to be able to learn things simply by holding or touching things.

It’s an interesting concept. The fact that parts of our lives and emotions could be imprinted on the objects we come into contact with is pretty cool. It’s sort of nice to think that we might be able to imprint part of who we are into the world, even if it’s just for a brief psychic moment.

Of course, there’s no solid evidence that this is possible. But it is a pretty fascinating theory. Do you think it’s possible to leave a psychic imprint on something? I think it’s definitely possible.

Weekly News Round-up 9/12/12

Bigfoot was all over the news this week...

An Idaho proffesor discussed how hunting for bigfoot is an academic pursuits. The article is here.

AllOverAlbany.com posted a link to a job posting for a bigfoot researcher. You can read the article here.

A group of Catholic preists in Poland have launched a magazine designed to fight exorcism. You can read more about it here.

Paranormal Events

 

A lot of people I meet express an interest in the paranormal. Once they find out that I ghost hunt, they ask tons of questions, tell me their own ghost stories, and frequently ask how they can get started in ghost hunting.

There really are a lot of ways to get involved in the paranormal community and this is a great time of year to start. Halloween is just around the corner and a lot of historical societies, museums, and organizations hold ghost events to bring in new people.

If you are looking to dip your toes in the paranormal, start searching for events near your home. Something as simple as a ghost walk around town can help you decide if you want to get more involved in learning about the paranormal-and can be a lot of fun. You can also use these events to network with other people who are interested in the paranormal. A lot of tourist spots also offer ghost events, so if you take a trip somewhere you might want to see if there are any spooky events that sound fun.

Have any of you attended paranormal events?

Weekly News Round-Up 9/5/12

A Swedish team is searching for a mysterious rocket they believe is resting in the bottom of a lake. You can read about it here.

A scientist researching the mysterious object seen in the Baltic Sea is working on a documentary about it. You can read the article here.

An ex airforce official claims there were two objects involved in the Roswell crash. The article is here.

Happy Labor Day!

I'm taking the day off blogging to celebrate Labor Day, I hope those of you who celebrate enjoy your holiday!

Weekly News Round-up 8/29/12

A man dressed a Bigfoot was hit by a car in Montana. His friends say he was trying to hoak a sighting. You can read about it here.

Hundreds of racing pigeons have gone missing in an area being called a pigeon Bermuda Triangle. The article is here.

Architects are running a contest to design zombie proof housing. Check it out here!

Paranormal Fakes

One of the biggest issues people in the paranormal field face, is dealing with people who try to fake paranormal occurrences. On a recent investigation, the property owners told us about a team that came in and showed them an “EVP maker.” It was basically a device designed to change their voices so they could create EVP’s whenever they wanted. The property owners asked them to leave because they didn’t want to be involved with a group that was faking evidence. (No legit group needs to create EVP’s-they are surprisingly easy to capture in haunted locations.)

Once, my team brought along a guest investigator who attempted to fake something. It had been an unusually slow night and I think he was just desperate for something to happen. He moved something, then told us it moved on its own. We caught him in the lie (we have cameras everywhere) and made sure he never came back out with us.

It’s a difficult challenge for investigators who are trying hard to understand the paranormal when people have to always question whether something is legit. I think some people get caught up in the fun and excitement of sharing something and get carried away. Others don’t realize that their actions hurt the rest of the paranormal community.

Whenever I hear or see something that’s being described as paranormal, I immediately start questioning the source. I look for flaws, giveaways, and problems in the evidence. I watch everything with a critical eye and hope to not spot any mistakes because ultimately, I want to believe. But being responsible requires questioning and digging. It’s the scientific aspect of ghost hunting that I love.

 

What do you think about faked paranormal evidence?

Weekly News Round-up 8/22/12

MarthaVineyardpatch.com posted an article about early spottings of sea monsters. You can read it here.

The Week posted an article about scientist Rober Rine's fascination with the Loch Ness monster.

Cambridge News has an article on a proffesors breakthrough on spontaneous human combustion theory. You can read it here.

The Top Ten Paranormal TV Shows

With the Halloween season coming soon, there’s bound to be a ton of spooky movies and TV shows available to watch. I thought I’d talk a little about some of my current favorite paranormal shows, in case you are looking for something new to watch. I’m only covering shows that are still shooting or still on the air. They are in no particular order.

1. Ghost Hunters.

This show follows a team of paranormal investigators on their cases. They focus on collecting evidence to show property owners and attempt to use science and technology to understand paranormal phenomena. Their team pioneered a lot of ghost hunting techniques used today.

2. Supernatural

This is a fun series about two brothers who are constantly forced to deal with a massive amount of paranormal creatures. The show got its roots in urban legends and mythology and most of the episodes are really well researched. Even though this show is pure fiction, you can still learn a lot about the history of paranormal lore from watching it.

3. Monster Quest

This show sends teams out in search of legends like Bigfoot and The Loch Ness Monster. It was one of the first shows of its kind, and approached cryptozoology with respect and a scientific hand.

4. Ghost Adventures

This one is a three person ghost hunting team that focuses less on science and more on entertainment. Spooky intros, ghostly history, and over-the-top reactions are the focus of this show.

5. The Walking Dead

This zombie show is beautifully shot and well developed. When you’re watching it, it’s easy to think you’re watching a feature film.

6. Fact or Faked

This is a reality show that takes strange internet videos and tries to find logical explanations for them. Most of the time, they’re successful.

7. Destination Truth

This one blends ghost hunting, monster hunting, travel, and humor. A lot of the focus is on the strange situations the team ends up in, and occasionally they find something paranormal in the process.

8. Paranormal Witness

People retell stories of hauntings or spooky experiences. There are quite a few shows like this, but this one sets itself apart by including photos and videos taken by the people themselves.

9. Haunted Highway

This is a fairly new show, where two investigators travel the US to research local legends and stories. The fact that there are only two people on their shoots increases their chances of running into strange creatures (because large groups tend to make a lot of noise,) and they have found some petty cool stuff.

10. The Vampire Diaries

A teen drama about two vampire brothers, and the girl they are in love with. You probably won’t learn much by watching this show, but you will be entertained.

What are your favorite paranormal shows?

Weekly News Round-up 8/15/12

An image of Jesus appeared on a tree stump in Belfast. I usually just ignore these things but this one is pretty cool looking. You can see it here.

More dead birds have fallen from the sky in New Jersey, however, these deaths are being blamed on a pesticide. Read about it here.

A couple caught what they believe is the ghost of a child on a security camera. I'm pretty convinced the image is an insect on the lens but you can decide for yourself. See it here.

Time Travel

Today I’m talking about time travel. This topic isn’t 100% paranormal, there’s a lot of science in time travel theory, but there’s also a lot of mystery to it and many people associate time travel with aliens and other worldly beings. So I’m going to feature it today.

My first exposure to the idea of time travel was probably watching the movie, Back to the Future, as a kid. I’m pretty sure that’s the case for a lot of people. It was fun and exciting and totally different than anything I had seen. Of course, there were plenty of movies, TV shows, and books about time travel long before Michael J. Fox hopped into a Delorean.

The idea of visiting (or re-visiting) other time periods is fascinating. If time travel were possible, humans could potentially alter the fate of individuals and the world. I never gave it too much thought until years later, though.

Eventually I watched the movie Donnie Darko, which happens to feature quite a bit about time travel. It made me curious again, so I did a little bit of research and found out there’s actually a massive amount of research on time travel. A lot of smart people think it really is possible (with the invention of much more advance technology.)

Despite all the arguments, I’m still not convinced it could happen. A read somewhere a quote from saying, “if time travel is real, why haven’t we met time travelers from the future?” Of course, it’s possible that our future selves wouldn’t be able to interact with us, but I’m just not convinced. Wouldn’t they make some effort to stop some of the major negative world events that have happened? I like thinking of time as a linear event. Actions happen and can’t always be reversed, for whatever reason. I think we’re supposed to learn from every event and keep moving forward, not back in time.

What do you think? Do you think time travel is possible?

Q & A : Angels and Demons

Since today is the last day of Angels and Demons week, I'm going to be answering some questions about angels and demons. The answers are my own personal opinions, which you are free to disagree with. :)

1. Who are Satan, Beelzebub, Malboldge, Belial, Lucifer, and Leviathan? (The same thing or different entities?)

I believe that Satan, Beelzebub, and Lucifer different names for the same entity. Malboldge is a location in Hell (according to Dante’s Inferno.) Belial is a high ranking demon. I’m not completely sure about Leviathan. The literal version of the verses discussing Leviathan make him sound like a large sea creature of some sort but it’s possible the verses are a metaphor for something else.

2. How many archangels are there? Are archangels more powerful than regular angels? What powers do they have?

A lot of people claim that there are three, or even seven, archangels but there’s a lot of debate over which individuals fall on the list, mostly because different faiths use slightly different versions of scripture. I actually came across a pretty compelling argument explaining that there’s only one archangel-Michael. Here’s a link to that discussion. I do believe that archangel(s) are more powerful than the others. I think the title of archangels gives that individual the ability to direct and control the actions of other angels. Archangel actually means cheif angel, so it may be more of a title than anything else.

3. Are some demons more powerful than other demons?

Yes. I believe that there are different types of demons, just as there are different ranks of angels and some have more power than others.

4. Are demons just fallen angels? Or are they something different?

I believe demons are fallen angels.

5. What demons and angels are named specifically in the book of revelation?

I couldn’t find a definitive list anywhere. However, angels and demons are discussed a lot in Revelation. There are also hints throughout the book that as humans get closer to the end times, angelic and demonic activity is going to increase a great amount. If someone wants to research angels or demons, it’s probably the first place to start reading.

6. Why is 666 the number of the beast? Is there something significant about that number?

I’ve heard a lot of different arguments about this. Some people think that 3 is a holy number and the six is a mocking of the trinity. Others think that at some point the number 666 will actually be used as a physical marking to note followers of the antichrist.

7. What does a demon look like?

I think demons are able to take on any form they wish, but ultimately look like angels.

8. Do other religions have demons? If so, how are they different from the Christian concept of demons?

Yes. A lot of religions have demons (or demon-like entities.) There are a wide variety of descriptions of traits depending on the region and belief system. They are often depicted as ugly or frightening and bring harm to humans. Many religions portray them as physical beings as opposed to spiritual ones.

9. Explain what’s going on in Paranormal Activity. I don’t get how demons are different than ghosts in that movie.

You might have to ask the movie makers this one. I think they blended demon and ghost concepts in order to frighten the viewers. Sometimes there’s a fine line between the two.

Demons

I've been talking about angels for a few days now. It's time to switch directions and talk about the other side of the coin-demons. If you flip on a tv set or computer, or even open some books, you would think demons are literally everywhere around us. They are dark and mysterious and people love talking about them. While it's quite possible that they may be hanging around, I have a much harder time believing that demonic activity is nearly as common as most people think. In all the years I've been investigating, I've only been to one place I think may have demonic activity (the activity at that location could also be caused by an angry human spirit.)

So why is everyone so caught up in the demon idea? (We've never gotten a call about an angel, for the record.) I think people frequently want us to tell them that they are being affected by demons. It's easier for some people to accept, often because of their religious or personal beliefs. And while I do believe demons exist, I think the chances of running into them are slim.

Do you think demons are over portrayed in the media?

Tommorow I will be answering questions about angels and demons, so if you have any thought or questions, please leave them in the comments.

Weekly News Round-up (Angels and Demons Version)

This week I'm doing something a little different for the news post- I'm going to post older stories-that feature angels and demons. Enjoy!

A girl who was dying in the hospital recovered after a bright light appeared on the monitor. You can read about it (and see a video) here.

A man claims to have seen two angels working to save him after he was crushed by a truck. Here is the video.

A woman from a church in New York discusses being approached by satan and claims he asked her to kill herself. The article is here.

Claire Danes claims she saw demonic creatures as a child, though she chalks it up to an overactive imagination. You can read about it here.

Types of Angels

It is day 2 of Angels and Demons week! Today, I’m talking a little about different types of angels. While various religions have their own spiritual beings, few are as specific about their details as the Bible is about angels.

There are many types of angels listed in the Bible.

The most popular in today’s culture is the Archangel. I think this is because the Bible actually names some of the Archangels, which makes it easier to picture them as individuals.

There are also guardian angels, which are described as protectors of children. Many people believe that they may also protect those children into adulthood.

Slightly less common are the Cherubim (Cherubs.)  These guys aren’t the cute naked babies so common nowadays, but thought to be more like warriors. They are fierce and described as having four faces.

There are also the Seraphim. These angels are thought to be very close to God and are described as having six wings. The Seraphs are the lovers of God.

There are also a few other classification listed in the Bible, but I think these four are probably the most important, as we’re given quite a bit of description about them.

I’ve always wondered if demons have their own classification system, but I haven’t found any specific verses to say one way or the other. What do you think about the different type of angels? Do you think there are different types of demons?

Angels Vs. Demons

Today kicks off Angels and Demons Week. I’ve added a new poll over on the side, so be sure to check it out! I thought I would start out by discussing what angels and demons are (from my perspective.) I also want to give you a little bit of my religious background because it affects how I view both of these things.

I was raised in a pretty conservative Christian home. I grew up learning about heaven, hell, and everything in between. While I’m much less conservative now, I’m still inclined to believe that angels and demons are real beings. I’ve heard literally hundreds of stories over the years about people seeing, talking to, and interacting with these spiritual forces. I also understand that there’s a lot out there that we don’t understand yet. So it isn’t too hard for me to accept that they are real. When I talk about angels or demons on this blog, it will be from a Christian perspective.

Now that you know where I’m coming from, let’s talk a little about them. The story I was always told growing up was fairly simply.

God created angels to assist him.(The term angel actually means messenger.) One angel, Satan, was the most beautiful and powerful angel in heaven, but he started to think that he was better than God. So, he convinced a large number of angels to join him in a rebellion. God was angry, and threw Satan and the other angels to Earth and forbid them from entering heaven. The angels that fell with Satan, are what we call demons. They look and behave as angels do. They have the same powers and problems. The only difference is they no longer follow the will of God.

So when I talk about angels or demons on here, I’m really talking about the same thing.

I actually got curious about the fall of Satan story I was told as a child and decided to look it up, because I couldn’t remember actually reading about it anywhere in the Bible.

I did a bit of research and found that there are only a handful of verses that talk about it.  

Luke 10:18 says “And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” There are also several verses in Revelation that mention the fall. Revelation 12:9 says “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the Earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Some people believe that the verses about Satan in Revelation are actually predictions about what is going to happen in the future. There’s actually quite a bit of debate about the details of the story.

I think a lot of the little details of Satan’s fall are probably oral traditions that have been expanded on over the years and passed down from generation to generation. Either way, it’s easy to find moral lessons in the story.

Do you think demons are just fallen angels or do you think they are something else? What do you think about the story?

Weekly News Round-up 7/2/12

A blogger on NJ.com posted an article claiming that shows about the paranormal are dangerous to the viewers, because they tend to ignore the science. The article is here. What do you think?

Another strange creature has washed up in New York. You can see pictures of it here.

There's been another big cat sighting in England. You can read about it here.

Angels and Demons-coming next week! :)

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback last week. Looks like everyone agrees, Angels and Demons it. is. I'm going to have to push it to next week because I'm house sitting for a friend this week and their Internet is spotty. I'm really looking forward to blogging about this topic, I hope you are all looking forward to reading about it!

Weekly News Round-up 7/25/12

This week in the paranormal...

The Denve Channel posted a photograph taken at a vigil for the recent shooting in Colorado. Many believe the photo shows a cloud in the shape of an angel. You can see it here and judge for yourself.

The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on cult healers being funded my Medicare here.

The Huffington Post recently posted a flyer distrubuted by a religious group outside of Comic-con. The flyer lists hobies that could lead to demonic possession including vegetarianism, LOTR, Video games, and Twilight films (just to name a few.) Perhaps you should check out the list yourself and see how many things you can check off. The article is here.

Paranormal Themes

It's been awhile since I've done a theme week on this blog. Here's a few topics i'm thinking about focusing on next week. Let me know which one sounds like the most fun/interesting. I may do some extra posts,polls and things to go with the theme (once i've decided what it is.)

1. Angels and demons
2.Ghosts
3.Cryptids
4.Aliens
5.Psychic phenomenon

or write in your own topic if there's something not on the list. Thanks for your feedback!

Weekly News Round-up 7/18/12

Strange creatures dominated the paranormal world this week.

The River Journal posted a short article about cryptids in the Northwest here.

There's an article about the Missouri version of bigfoot, Momo, here.

Millions of tiny mysterious creatures have been washing ashore in Hawaii. You can read about it here.

UFO's

When I was in high school, I saw something strange in the sky. It was Superbowl Sunday and I went outside with a friend after the game. There was this really bright light in the sky so we started watching it. At first we thought it was a star, until it moved. It flew right over us. It was some sort of oval/triangular aircraft. Two more just like it followed shortly after.

This is a rough sketch of what they looked like

It was pretty interesting but I’m almost certain it was some sort of government aircraft. There’s a large airforce base close to where I live and it isn’t uncommon to see various odd planes around. Usually, though, I see them during the day. This was at night. I’ve always wondered if there was something to what we saw in the sky that night.

So I’m curious, have any of you ever seen something unfamiliar in the sky?

Weekly News Round-up 7/11/12

This might be my favorite news headline ever:

This just in: Mermaids are NOT real, U.S. agency says

A government agency was flooded with calls from concerned citizens after Animal Planet aired a found footage style movie that claimed the body of a mermaid had been found. You can read the article here.

There's a short video on the Mothman posted here.

A ranger discusses reports of Bigfoor sightings he's taking over the years. You can read it here.

Ghost Encounters

One of my paranormal group's members has been hard at work putting together a web show from some of our teams investigations. The show is called Ghost Encounters. If you want to check out some video from one of our recent ghost hunts at a haunted rectory click here. The show is posted in four parts. I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully some more episodes will be coming up in the future!

Happy Monday!

Happy 4th of July!

There will be no round-up this week as I'm taking the day off the celebrate the holiday! Happy 4th to all my American friends (and anyone else who feels like celebrating!)

Ghost Story

There have been several times in my life where I’ve seen ghosts. It’s a hard experience to describe, because there’s really nothing like it. Today, I’m going to share one of those experiences.

I went with another group member to scout a site we thought might be haunted. We like to look at places in advance to make plans for our investigations. As we pulled up, there was one of those little ticket booths where people collect money for parking. I noticed a lady sitting in the booth so as we slowly drove up the driveway, I started rolling down my window.

The person driving asked me what I was doing. “I’m rolling down my window to give some money to the lady,” I said.

His response? “What lady?”

As soon as he said it I turned and looked. We had just pulled up to the ticket booth-and no one was in it!

I didn’t want to look completely crazy so I started looking around, thinking maybe she had stepped out or ducked down. “The lady in the booth,” I said in defense. “She was wearing a red shirt.” But the more I searched the more I realized there was no way someone could have left without us knowing. The booth was tiny and in a large open area.

To this day I have no idea who the woman was. I just hope she isn’t stuck working in a ticket booth for eternity.

Weekly News Round-up 6/27/12

Neighbors claim to be seeing Michael Jackson's ghost roaming his old home. Phantoms and Monsters has the full story here.

A man claiming to be a psychic was found guilty after convincing young women to perform sexual acts under the claim that it would help them contact dead relatives and increase their own psychic abilities. You can read about it here.

Divers experience electrical failure after attempting to get close to a UFO shaped object at the bottom of the Baltic sea. There article is here.

A Few Things to Know About Ghost Hunting

As much as I love ghost hunting, it isn’t all fun and games. A lot of it involves hard work, patience, and a real passion for the paranormal. If you are thinking about starting to ghost hunt, there are a few things you should be aware of before you start.

1. Ghost hunting involves staying up all night. Investigations often run till four or five in the morning, and then everyone has to pack up and drive home. If you aren’t a night person, you might want to reconsider.
2. It’s physically demanding going on investigations. Everyone is expected to haul heavy equipment in and out of buildings as well as walk through old structures that can have massive numbers of rooms and stairs. Sometimes you can stand for hours without having an opportunity to sit and rest.
3. People aren’t always reliable. We’ve had cases where we’ve set up an investigation and the property owners changed their minds at the last minute. Ghost hunters need to learn a certain amount of flexibility.
4. Ghost hunting frequently involves getting dirty. A lot of haunted buildings are old and dusty. We try to wear clothes that hide the dirt as much as possible. If getting dirty bothers you, better find another hobby.
5. There are health risks involved in ghost hunting. Along with all the dirt and debris, old buildings sometimes contain things like asbestos. Floors can also be weak and rotted and walking through an unfamiliar room in the dark can always have problems. It’s a risk we all take whenever we enter an old building.

Despite all the bad, it’s still fun and rewarding every time we experience something we can’t explain. So we keep going out and keep searching. If the things on the list don’t bother you, then maybe you should give it a try!

Weekly News Round-up 6/20/12

Researchers are headed on a search for the Yowie, a Bigfoot-like creature found in the bush. You can read about it here.

The Alaska Dispatch posted an article on five Alaskan Cryptids.

Examiner.com posted an interview with a Bigfoot expert. You can read it here.

The Most Haunted Places

People often ask me “what’s the most haunted place you’ve ever been to?” Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to that question. Most of the time, I end up rattling off the names of a couple of interesting places, but the truth is, there’s no real way to measure how haunted a building is.

When I go into haunted locations, I frequently have experiences that are hard to explain. My group works hard to capture some of those experiences on video or audio but even then we are only there for a few hours. It’s just not enough time to accurately measure or study what is happening at that location. And it’s incredibly difficult to measure something you can’t see. We do the best we can with the time and resources we have.

Most of the property owners we work with believe their place is more active than others simply because they are there everyday. They see things happen over and over and sometimes have hundreds of personal experiences with the spirits that live there. Many of them even work to learn about their ghosts, giving them names and personalities.

So if you want to know which places are the most haunted, just ask the people living in that spooky house down the street. They will probably have some good stories to tell you.

Weekly News Round-up 6/13/12

A Canadian farmer is blaming alien death rays for the death of hundreds of cattle. You can read about it here.

A man with 'vampire teeth' was arrested for attacking another man. The article is here. There's also a video about a woman who believes she's a vampire at the bottom of the article.

Following a severe head injury, a man discovered he had a sudden new ability to create music. He started playing the piano and has released an album. Read about it here.

Can Ghosts Steal Things?

While I was ghost hunting this weekend, the owner of the property mentioned that a toy ball had gone missing. They believed the ghost of a little girl had either moved it somewhere, or taken it into some other dimension. The day after our investigation, the ball showed up mysteriously outside the house.

I had never heard the idea that ghosts might be able to take things into their own physical space, but I think it’s an interesting theory. We once had a piece of equipment on a hunt move outside to the porch without any explanation (we had placed it in the attic.)

 I’ve seen plenty of objects move on their own, but I’ve never seen anything vanish. The theory would explain where all those random missing objects might be going.

Do you think it’s possible that ghosts might be able to move and take things in our world?

Weekly News Round-up 6/6/12

ACB News posted a video taken in Idaho that some believe may be of a bigfoot. You can see it here.

Scientists have discovered a sea creature shaped like the Batman symbol-and have no idea what it is. The video is here.

A zombie race is being held in  Lincolnshire. Might be a good idea to practice with all the weird zombie-related news stories popping up lately.

10 Reasons Being a Ghost Would Be Awesome

1. Unlimited free movies. Just walk into the theater and take a seat.

2. You could attend any exclusive party or event you felt like. No one can see you anyways. Hollywood red carpet events, late night after parties, anywhere you want to be is no problem. Want front row seats to see your favorite sports team? Just be a ghost. Who is going to stop you if they can’t see you?

3. Spying on people. You could see what old lovers are up to, or find out what celebrities, politicians and world leaders do in their spare time.

4. Scaring people. Come on, you can’t deny it would be a little fun giving people and occasional startle. Or just creeping them out if it’s someone you don’t like.

5. Having all the time in the world to do whatever you want.

6. You wouldn’t have to worry about dying.

7. Not being tied to the laws of physics. Who doesn’t want to be able to float?

8. You wouldn’t have to worry about doing, or saying something embarrassing. No one can see you anyways.

9. Not having to bother with that whole sleeping thing.

10. You could travel all over the planet and see things you wanted to see while you were alive. I’d definitely want to see what’s really inside Area 51.

Feel free to add your own reasons to the list!

Weekly News Round-up 5/30/12

Hollywood Soap Box has a review about Animal Planet's mermaid film, Mermaids: The Body Found. You can see the article here.

Alaska Dispatch posted an article about theories of a lake monster in one of their lakes.

Huffington Post has an article on animals in Virginia that were cut by an unknown object. You can read it here.

Happy Memorial Day!

    



Thank you to all the service who serve our country!

Here's a link to a story about DC, the ghost cat who is thought to haunt The White House.

Happy Memorial Day!

                                   

Weekly News Round-up 5/23/12

Scientists are planning to do DNA testing on hair that are believed, by some, to belong to Yetis. You can read about it here.

A video and article were posted about strange blobs found in someone's backyard.

An Afrian family is blaming goblins for burning down their home. You can read about it here.

Ghost Hunting Results

A few nights ago, I went out ghost hunting at a lake close to where I live. There are lots of legends about the area being haunted and the place is open all night. When the weather stayed nice, we decided to go out and do some investigating. My group has been to this lake before and even caught a few EVP’s there in the past. But that night we got…absolutely nothing.

Nothing strange happened. We didn’t see much of anything and the only sounds we heard were coming from the frogs in the lake. Nothing showed up and our video and we didn’t catch any EVPs.

The truth is, this is fairly common for paranormal investigators. Despite what you might see on TV, sometimes nothing strange happens during a ghost hunt. Some nights we pretty much sit around waiting for something to occur. In fact, I’m a little suspicious of groups who claim ‘they always get results.’

Ghosts aren’t predictable. They appear when they want to, if they want. You never know when something, or someone might show up. So if you decide to go looking for ghosts one night, and nothing happens, don’t give up. Keep searching and digging. Someday you may find what you are looking for.

Weekly News Round-up 5/16/12

There's an interesting article on Florida's Skunk Ape (their version of Bigfoot) here.

The Telegraph has an article about the sudden death of 20 sheep in Wales. The deaths are being blamed on "The Beast of Bont," a large cat spotted several times over the last few years. *Warning-the photo with the article is a bit graphic-if you don't want to see a mutilated sheep-don't click the link.*

A strange image appeared in a photo taken at a bar (seems like a lot of ghosts having been hanging out at bars lately.) You can see  the image here.

Spontaneous Human Combustion

This is one of those things that I’m not sure really falls under the paranormal category. But because we don’t currently have a universally accepted explanation, I’m going to talk about it. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, it’s basically when someone suddenly bursts into flame with no apparent cause. I’ve watched several shows and read a few articles on the subject and most people seem to believe that there’s some scientific explanation for S.H.C.

The problem is that no one seems to be able to come up with a solid testable explanation. Often cigarettes are given the blame but not every case involves people who smoke. Also the victims are often the only thing in the room showing signs of fire damage. While most of the victims of this phenomenon do not survive, a few have lived and are as confused about what’s happening as the scientists that try to understand it.

For years there have been legends about what causes S.H.C. Early on people thought it was the result of a demon or angry creature, or some sort of punishment from the gods. Many people still blame the paranormal. With few scientific explanations available right now and little way to test it, we are still left wondering what is causing this phenomenon.

What do you think is to blame for Spontaneous Human Combustion?

Weekly News Round-up 5/9/12

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Some people now believe that some lake monster sightings can actually be blamed on large sleeper sharks. The full article is here.  Sounds like a plausible theory to me-what do you think?

A small, fox-like mystery creature is being spotted in the UK. Read about it here.

AllNewsWeb posted a video of a strange round object in a remote wooded area  that some are claiming may be a UFO. You can see it here.

Save the Sedamsville Rectory

Last week I had the opportunity to investigate at a haunted rectory in Cincinnati. It’s a beautiful building and we had quite a bit of activity while we were there. But, there’s a problem. People who live in the community are trying to force out the group that’s restoring the building because they don’t like anything paranormal.

 A lot of people have dislikes of things like ghosts because of religious or personal beliefs. It’s something ghost hunters are used to dealing with. But the group restoring the building is doing an amazing job of bringing an old building back to life and preserving the history of the rectory and I don’t think they should be penalized just because the building has a reputation for being haunted.

There’s an online petition to save the Sedamsville Rectory. You can see the petition here . If you want  learn more about what’s happening there's a letter from the preservation society here.

Nightfire Released today!

I'm breaking my rule about not doing book promo stuff on this blog just for today, because my book, Nightfire is finally out! It's a paranormal romance about a vampire named Olivia. You can check it out here on the Musa site. It should be up on Amazon shortly.

Here's the blurb:

When a murder shakes the small town of Peninsula, all eyes are on Olivia Townsend. She may look eighteen, but the townspeople can sense there’s something darker hiding behind her pretty eyes. Olivia knows the smart thing to do is to get out of town. Suspicious neighbors can only mean trouble for a vampire. But leaving becomes much more difficult when William, a mysterious man from her past, arrives. Finding out what brought him back is a temptation Olivia just can’t resist. William’s kindness and interest in Olivia only makes leaving harder. As she starts to fall for him, she’s forced to decide if sticking around is really worth the risk of being discovered. Of course, her mystery man has a secret of his own-and he’s not talking.