November 21st, 2009 - Investigation in CT - follow up

First, thank you Bob from CT Ghost Seekers for commenting on my original post about our investigation. Your kind words are truly appreciated, especially coming from a much more experienced investigator. And YES, I do have more questions !!!!!

So, it's been a long week since I last posted.... long but not boring... TheCrimeBrat (GG) and I have decided to take our interest in the paranormal to a higher level.... that's my teaser, you'll have to read my next post to get all the dirt.... (my way of driving traffic up... HA HA HA)

So, I analyzed our recording of that evening until my ears hurt from the ear-bud headphones through which I listened. It was certainly educational as I did a lot of research with regard to deciphering EVP messages... and even read that "clicks" on a recording are often actually voices from spirits... and the frequency at which they are uttered causes them to sound like clicks...

Anyway, I concentrated on the several noises that I mentioned in my earlier post, actually testing 3 different audio editing programs to determine the most accurate and user-friendly.

I wish I could say that Richard's voice came through loud and clear and he was happy that we were there. But again, spirits just don't work that way.... if they did, there would be no need for investigations, right??? ... and my new "hobby" could never be realized....

HOWEVER, we DID investigate, AND I was able to clear up and slow down at least 2 definite signs of activity during our investigation.....

"Dee" - as reported, after GG whispered, "I forgot her name", I originally thought I heard a reply of "Dee"... although, follow-up proved that no one in the family was named Dee, you be the judge....


hmmmmmmmm.... sounds pretty clear to me

Richard knocking - Also as reported, GG asked for a sign of Richard's presence, "Maybe knock on something".....


certainly sounds like an intelligent response...

I'm obviously no A/V producer but surely those 2 intelligent responses can't be denied...

This family is apparently experiencing an intelligent haunting. But who is Dee and is it really Richard ?!?!?!? Despite the apparent direct response from Richard, there may be another conclusion.

The pictures GG took were posted on Facebook... it only took a short time for a high school friend of mine to email me with some questions about them. Not having seen her for 25 years, I needed to find out why she asked.... to find out that she is a "sensitive" and clairvoyant, having been able to channel the energies we all posses to attain these "powers"...

One unsolicited question that she asked was, "Who's the little girl?"... UH, WHAT !?!??! (she had no background of our investigation) Apparently, my paranormal senses need to be adjusted if SHE "saw" the spirit of a little girl in the photos GG took... and she wasn't referring to the "baby" that lived there... hmmmm, is the little girl Dee ?!?!?!

To further "clarify" our investigation, I happened to see this "sensitive" over the weekend at my 25th high school class reunion.... OBVIOUSLY, I had questions for her....

Not wanting to be pushy, I waited for her to approach me.. and she didn't let me down !!! We chatted for a bit about me having the ability to channel and then I asked her point blank.... "So.... is it Richard's spirit in the house?" and "Is the child you see named Dee"...

Well, well, well.... Assuming (uhhhhhhhh) her responses would be "Yes" and "Yes", I was "surprised" to hear "No" and "No"....

Although she didn't have much clarification (YET) about the little girl she saw, she was adamant that there is a male spirit in that house ALONG with Bob's father, Richard !!! who is actually the one that is "haunting" them, according to my friend, because he thinks he's being funny by doing so......

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, quite the revelation, to say the least.... apparently this family has at least 3 spirits "living" with them !!!!! Now, I DEFINITELY need to re-visit that house... ESPECIALLY, as I mentioned, GG and I are taking our interest to a higher level...

THAT being said, GG has taken it upon herself to bolster our ability to accurately investigate by adding to our previously somewhat amateur equipment list...

Our most recent additions include a remote digital infrared thermometer with a probe... whew, THAT sounds "interesting"... but it will certainly allow us to accurately record fluctuations in temperature to help determine if those fluctuations are caused by a drafty house...

The second new gadget GG has ordered is a device known as an "Ovilus"... this video will demonstrate in detail the value of this tool with regard to EVP reception and spirit communication... briefly, this unit plays EVPs in REAL TIME !!! I can't WAIT to do some A/V work with THESE !!!!!!!!!



So, to the spirits of our world, get ready!!! We're coming at ya LIVE !!!!

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!!!

Come Inside...

November 21st, 2009 - Investigation in CT

I promised the boss lady... um, TheCrimeBrat (GG)... that I would submit a report of our investigation by today.. so here it is... well, here's a post about it anyway... *locations and names changed to protect the haunted... AND the spirits.

It was a fine evening in the great state of CT. There was a waxing moon and plenty of stars out. The investigation took place at a private residence in a town "west" of Hartford. The owners are a young(er) couple, Bob and Chelsea, with a 17 month old daughter, Cathy. The house is 2 living levels (a garrison, I believe), 3 bedrooms upstairs and a family room addition off the back of the dining room, a full basement and a semi-accessible attic.

We arrived at the location around 7:30... later decided to be too early for a real active investigation. Unfortunately, the owners were home but we persuaded them to go out... at least for a little while so the house would be empty and none of our potential experiences could be attributed to the 2 of them... the "baby" was out for the night.

First a brief history of the activities experienced by the owners...

• Black shadows passing
• Being touched
• Footprints that disappear down the hallway
• Personally seeing a door open and then be closed abruptly
• Cathy pointing and interacting with an unseen entity

The house has always been in Bob's family, it being his boyhood home. Bob's father, Richard, had died suddenly in the home in the family room addition that was added in the 70's. Also, for a time, Bob's grandmother resided with them and Richard took care of her.

The owner's took us for a walk-through and explained to us the areas of the most activity.... black shadows in the addition, the footprints down the upstairs hallway and the most activity being in the "back bedroom" which was Richard's while he was alive - and is directly across the hall from the "baby's" room. At the conclusion of the "tour" the back bedroom door was CLOSED... important... keep reading.

Although we didn't personally see shadows (although at one point I thought I did - but it could have been a reflection from a passing car), doors opening or footprints, I would like to believe that some of our experiences can only be explained as paranormal.

Let me explain my take on "ghost hunting". I personally use the phrase loosely and would rather refer to this as an investigation. Ghost hunt depicts a random and amateur quest to "see" a ghost. Under this pretense, one is sure to subconsciously will themselves into seeing something that might not even be there.

An investigation depicts an attempt to collect evidence and data to determine the possibility of paranormal activity, while trying to explain what you do experience by scientific or rational means... but you can call it what you want.

Rather than recap the entire investigation, which could take at least 2 posts to do, I will have to summarize, and will explain what we experienced via different pieces of equipment to the best of my analytical ability.... and then I will summarize the evening.

EMF meter (K2)

(Stair Landing - time of constant yellow)

The newly acquired K2 was not very active throughout the night... EXCEPT for on the stair landing leading to the upstairs. There was definitely some energy being detected in this area with the K2 registering a yellow light on several occasions.

In my initial sweep, I didn't get any readings here. However in a later sweep, GG received a steady yellow reading. Trying to explain the reading, she panned the area maintaining the constant yellow from about her eye level to her thigh level, but not above or below.

An even stronger reading we collected at the corner wall of the landing, later to be debunked by the electrical service running down the outside of the house at that particular corner.

I'm not sure that explains the steady reading in the entire area for several reasons.....

1. Since the electrical service runs down from the roof, if it was the source of the constant yellow reading, then that reading should have registered from the floor to the ceiling in that area... not just from GGs eyes to her thighs.
2. On a later sweep to retest the area, the K2 did not register any reading in the exact same area...
3. Subsequent sweeps of the area above, Cathy's closet, did not register any reading... and of the area below, the stairwell to the basement where the electrical service enters the house, only registered a minor increase in energy.
   

There was also a K2 fluctuation near a dresser in Cathy's bedroom... and, it DID occur at the same moment that the dowsing rods were registering activity in the room.


Dowsing Rods

(crossed rods in Richard's doorway)

Though possibly controversial, metal rods to register electromagnetic energy seems like viable tool. The rods registered activity in several locations throughout the evening, most notably:

1. The entrance to the kitchen from the living room... At one point, while walking toward the doorway, the rods crossed... As I backed up, they uncrossed... approaching again, they crossed again. This activity was not duplicated in a later sweep.
2. Cathy's bedroom - There was definitely energy picked up by the rods in the baby's bedroom. As previously mentioned, concurrently with a K2 "hit' but also on several other occasions, including at one point crossing and uncrossing in succession and then 1 rod seemingly pointing toward the crib and 1 toward the doorway at the same time.
3. Richard's room - There was also definitely energy picked up by the rods here, most notably at the door which looks across to Cathy's bedroom on a couple of occasions. Again, the successive crossing then uncrossing and then both pointing across the hall.

Now, I know many may not believe in the rods... but as the holder of them several times Saturday... there's definitely some paranormal pull on them.


EVP recorder

(recorder in the living room)

Admittedly, I'm a "baby" at analyzing digitally recorded evidence, having never done it before. Also realize that most spirits won't just walk up to you, shake your hand and say "Hi, I'm Richard".... not to mention, some of the EVP's I've listened to online seem somewhat subjective to me.

So, as I'm realizing, the analysis of the recording can be a tedious process - at least at this point in my hobby. I actually had to step away from it to not make myself hear what I wanted to hear... and the floors of the house are creaky as hell, making it difficult to wade through the recording.

That being said, on my initial listening, my fresh ears picked out several instances to analyze... in doing so, I was able to rationalize a few of the noises that I thought I heard. I was also able to determine that I just may not have an explanation for a few...

Radio - Early on we were investigating the family room. At one point GG asked me if there was a radio on. Certainly there wasn't but she said she heard a voice, which I didn't happen to hear. Although very faint, there is definitely a possibility of an EVP at that spot in the recording, further enhancement training is definitely in need, but I CAN say there may be a woman's voice there. GG and her "mother's ears !!!!"

Knocking - Also while we were investigating the family room, we were calling out to Richard to show us a sign of his presence. Immediately after GG uttered ...."even a knock..." the recording picked up a distinct series of 5 successive "knocks"... neither of us had heard that at the time. But, this just may be the sign we were asking for.

Dee - While in the living room, upon the thought that it may be Richard's mother that is haunting the house, I said to GG that we should have asked what his mother's name was. GG replied that she didn't know. BUT, immediately after her response to me, there's a female voice quietly uttering "Dee". Follow-up proved that there was no one named or nick-named Dee in the family but the house is decorated with antique furniture and such as Richard owned an antique shop. So, it very well could be a spirit attached to an object in the house itself, but don't tell Chelsea that it may follow them when they move !!!!

Richard? - While in Richard's bedroom, GG asked, "Where'd you go Richard?". There is an immediate response from what sounds like a male voice. This one needs to be further clarified also, but it would certainly prove again to be a direct response from a present spirit.

Digital Camera

(living room - orbs?)

GG took several photos throughout the evening, many of them containing "orbs". I'm not totally sold on the whole orb phenomena as most of them can be attributed to flash reflections. However, coupled with other simultaneous experiences or evidence, they certainly can help prove paranormal activity.

One photo that caught my eye is the one below that GG took in Richard's bedroom while I was sweeping the door with the K2. The reason it caught my eye is due to the "orb" to the left of the fan stand. This orb appeared more solid than the "standard" transparent orbs caused by camera flash... and it didn't appear in other pictures of the same area....

I must note that on viewing the entire collection of photos taken that night, a friend asked me if there was also the ghost of a little girl in that house (THAT could explain the height of the EMF reading on the stair landing). I'm trying to determine her reason for asking that question, and if she may possibly be a "sensitive" or clairvoyant... if so, SHE'S coming back there with us.....


Digital Video Recorder

We were definitely least prepared here. I do have one but it's an older JVC model and actually records onto digital video tape. And my hopes that it may be night vision capable came crashing down after purchasing an Infrared light source.... although maybe the light is junk...

So, not the greatest of video equipment to have. But our thoughts were that something is better than nothing hoping that it may be able to capture a floating orb or at the very least be a second audio recording device.

With that in mind, we permanently set the camera up in Cathy's room aiming out her door into the hallway, again hoping that if it picked up any evidence, then it was worth bringing it along.

Well, hope became reality upon my initial view of the footage. Although I stared at a black screen for over an hour willing myself to see some "light action", that didn't happen. But, what did happen is that the camera's microphone absolutely picked up 2 definite and 2 more possible noises upstairs while we were downstairs - noises we would not have had evidence of without the video camera.

The first noise picked up was merely 3 or 4 minutes after the tape started rolling so we were downstairs in the family room. This noise sounded like it eminated close to the camera and most resembled the "click" of an older light switch. I actually had left a lamp on in the room at the time and did not see anything but a light switch click is a light switch click.... and it could have been from across the hall as the microphone proved to be very sensitive and we later found out that Richard's "closed" door was OPEN.

The second noise happened about 3 minutes later. Again, this noise sounded relatively close to the camera due to it's clarity. I can't say for sure what this noise was either but it too was some sort of click... but different from that light switch... a lower pitched noise than that... more like a "clunk"... light switch being shut off ??? it does make a different sound.. or a doorknob ????

The other 2 noises that sounded like they came from upstairs while we weren't there were over an hour later and were more distant, possibly from one of the other bedrooms. These weren't clicks or clunks but more like a bang or a "thud"... I guess like the sound a paperback makes if dropped on the floor or a foot.... I'm not trying to be persuasive about what the noise was, just trying to describe the sound it was in terms easier to relate to.


People can debunk and say what they want about recorded evidence.... I'm a show-me kinda guy !!! We definitely experienced paranormal evidence throughout the evening...

The OPEN door - As I mentioned earlier, after the tour by the owners, Richard's door remained closed - this was later confirmed by Bob. Upon our initial investigating of the upstairs, we found the door WIDE OPEN. I have no explanation as I remember Bob closing the door showing us how they witnessed it shut abruptly. ALTHOUGH as I listened to the video, the second noise that the camera captured sounded eerily similar to the sound of me opening the door to exit Richard's room later.... hmmmm

"Malfunctioning" flashlight - GG's flashlight is brand new with brand new batteries. On several occasions - in Richard's room, on the stair landing and in the living room - in conjunction with other activity, the flashlight would flicker and go very dim, despite her every effort to make it work properly. Return visits to the same locations found the flashlight to be working 100%. Remember that spirits are thought to feed off of energy... or even flicker a flashlight to prove their presence.

Cold Rush - While investigating the basement, as I was about to rest the EVP recorder on the stairs, a very sudden cold breeze rushed across my hand, seemingly from the interior of the basement. Attempts to locate a source for a draft proved futile.

The Haunted Clothes Dryer - Ok, this one is still going around in my skull, and I really don't have an explanation, but.... At one point we heard the distinct sound and smell (dryer sheets) of a clothes dryer tumbling... you all know the sound and smell I'm sure... from the basement, accompanied by vocal activity. We were in the kitchen area diagonally above where their dryer is. Realize that we knew the owners were going to be returning from dinner so we assumed that they had quietly returned and went to hang out in the basement to not be in the way.

Much to our surprise, the basement was empty (they weren't even home yet) and inspection of the dryer found the vent hose to be cold as ice - obviously NOT having been run recently.

Ok, so maybe it was the furnace, and somehow it sounds like a dryer... that doesn't explain the smell or the voices.... but when we inspected the furnace, it appeared to be relatively new and should NOT rattle like a dryer.

When the owners returned, we asked them if their furnace is noisy. They replied that it was, despite being brand new.... SO, STILL not satisfied with that explanation (being a show-me kinda guy), we tested the noise of the furnace by spiking the thermostat to kick it on.

Now, when the furnace kicked on, I'll admit there was noise... but it in NO WAY sounded (or smelled) like a clothes dryer running in the basement... the noise the furnace makes isn't the furnace itself, it's the walls of the house (sounds like radiators need to be bled - suggest that GG) that were making noise in the very room we were in.

Further confirming that the noise we heard wasn't from the furnace is the fact that what WE heard was NOT captured on the digital recorder, yet the house noises from the starting of the furnace were captured clearly... and even if it was the furnace, what about the smell of dryer sheets and the sound of voices below us????


So, being probably less active than we both hoped for, can i definitely say this house is haunted??? I don't think I can say that - YET..... I will continue to educate myself with regard to the audio analysis process to determine what I may have missed in listening to the recording so far. But, I wouldn't be surprised if it is the spirit of Richard trying to know his grand daughter, as he died before she was born.

By the same token, can I say this house ISN'T haunted ??? I definitely can't say THAT !!! Despite being a somewhat "quiet" 3 hours, there were definitely signs of activity that I have no reasonable explanation for. Besides, many investigations of documented paranormal hot spots can go an entire night with less activity than we experienced. Plus, I have my own personal poltergeist and would never doubt any one's word as to activity that they have experienced.... but, personal experience of said activity would definitely be a plus.

At the very least, it was an interesting and educational evening with a good friend. We may be virgins at this but I certainly believe we investigated in a pretty professional manner, trying to explain everything we could as we experienced it. We made 2 sweeps of the house and the areas that produced activity we couldn't initially explain, we revisited several times to try to do so....

What we did experience brought up questions.... questions we have considered trying to have answered by performing a Ouija seance... so, to Richard, Dee and/or any other spirit that may be in that house west of Hartford.....

WE'LL BE BACK !!!!!!!!!!!

Come Inside...

- All's Quiet On My Paranormal Front

Uh, if THAT were true, I wouldn't be writing this post.... I may have been quiet, but haven't been dormant.

Let's see... where to begin...

Well, in light of my most last post with the recent evidence of activity at Camp CT, I'll start with this past Saturday night.

It was a nice evening and I had plans to see Paranormal Activity (AGAIN) with a friend whom hadn't seen it yet. I suggested we start the "festivities" by taking a ride by the camp prior to seeing the movie... in hopes of heightening the anxiety.

We only had about 10 minutes but decided to park across the street and at least approach the gate to look down the dirt road, already darkened by the night - unfortunately it wasn't one of those VERY moonlit nights that we have recently experienced, and I totally forgot my flashlight.

The darkness and adrenalin got the best of me and I entered the property around the side of the gate, followed by my friend, with the thought of walking down the road to the main sign, where there has been evidence recorded of a lot of activity.

I have no recorded evidence but we never made it to the sign, for several reasons, mainly because I was totally unprepared to record any potential evidence. But, I still needed to be in there, if only for 10 minutes.

A very short distance in.. 100 feet or so... don't really know due to the darkness... we stopped in our tracks as something seemingly substantial in size landed in the leaves along the side of the road to our left.... hmmmm, ok, tree branch, animal or some sort of nut falling ??? There was no wind, but it's possible.

A few steps later, we stopped again... "Did, you hear THAT? What was it?" Now we just stood still to not rustle the leaves... and listened.... AND... heard another noise, forcing the same 2 questions to be asked.

I'm certainly no expert in audible recognition, but I'd bet my paycheck that I heard some noises that shouldn't have been present in the still of the night in the deserted woods of Colchester.

One of the noises distinctly sounded like a low groan to me, debunked by my friend as a wolf? I know some towns in CT contain a high wolf population but I'm pretty sure Colchester isn't included on that list - although I did see one crossing Rt 6 in Windham once, 20 miles to the north... but I'm sticking to my low groan theory - hell, it's MY blog.... and it makes it more interesting.

Now the 3rd noise I really couldn't make out real well... but my friend said it sounded like a guitar... interesting, with the recorded evidence of a small child singing.... HMMMM

Upon hearing this 3rd noise, I focused my eyes down the darkened road... only to see something white in the darkness. I continued to adjust my vision but this object remained in my sights. Now I know the main sign is down the road but it is big and rectangular - my object was small and roundish.... hmmmm

I didn't tell my friend about this "vision" I had seen that night but I continued to focus down the road at it as we retreated from the camp to attend the movie, still seeing it as we exited to the other side of the gate...

"Oddly", my personal spirit may have possibly made its presence known again... It was earlier that same Saturday. It was in the morning I was "alone" in my kitchen fixing a cup of coffee. Faithful companion Snoopy was (I determined later) in the adjoining living room asleep on the couch. As I was fixing this cup of coffee, I heard a very distinct and very audible.... COUGH... A single cough but definitely a cough.

My first action was to see if Snoopy had wandered into the kitchen... he's a sneezer for sure but perhaps he had coughed..... NOPE, on the couch asleep. So, I tried to explain this noise by thinking that maybe he coughed in his sleep (he DOES dream)... The possibilities of this seem relatively low as the cough was very loud, distinct and to my right... the doorway to the living room was diagonally behind me, 20 feet across the kitchen and he was on far end of the couch which is 10 feet from the doorway, along the same wall.... meaning HIS "cough" would have had to travel in a round-about way from him to my eardrum.... HMMMMMM...

I continue to be actively researching the paranormal and have opened live communications with 2 professional investigators... The first is Steve from Ghost Chat New England. Steve commented on the "Part 2" post about Camp CT as he was the cameraman and producer of the video of their daytime visit that I linked to in that post. Steve's comments prompted me to join their community so that I could thank him for his comments and try to establish a line of communication. My efforts were successful and I'm hoping to be able to use their experiences as a learning tool.

Along those same lines, I have also established an open line of communication with Eric from D.A.R.T., a paranormal investigator from Dartmouth MA. Eric is a friend of a friend and I was told that he had been relayed the info I had on Camp CT and was interested in trying to do an investigation there, as well as at some other sites around the state. Being a resident here, I thought it might be easier for me to gather some of the required information and privileges, so I offered to help in that regard. So, I have lots of research going on.

I have been offered 2 opportunities to be involved in paranormal investigations. The first was from TheCrimeBrat and is at a private residence in West Hartford. Both being amateurs at this, we won't have all the sophisticated tools that the professionals use to gather evidence. But we're hoping that a digital camera, digital voice recorder and a digital video camera will be able to capture at least some compelling evidence that is forcing these people out of their home. It SHOULD prove to make a pretty interesting blog post !!!!

The other opportunity came from Eric. Later this month his team will be investigating the Quechechan Club in Fall River MA - a proven haunting ground for spirits of the past. D.A.R.T. is graciously inviting enthusiasts to join them on this hunt so they can experience it first hand and get to see all the fancy gadgets and instruments at work...

The research required for my post about witches sparked an interest in me to find out more about this religion. Being a spiritual and religion of nature is consistent with my beliefs and love for the outdoors... AND FIRE !!! So, I have borrowed a few books on Wicca from TheCrimeBrat in order to gain a better understanding, at the very least.

So, it's been "quiet" here - BWA HA HA HA HA... "continual progression"... Hmmmm, I remember reading that SOMEWHERE !!!

I need to get hopping on my research... and I need to take a ride by the camp - to satisfy one curiosity in the daylight....

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!

Come Inside...

- My House IS Haunted (???)

Find out if YOUR house is haunted !!!

I have never denied thinking that "I have a ghost", but never considered my house to be HAUNTED. I mean, "my" ghost doesn't haunt me, it just makes itself known that it's still here upon occasion - by typical means.

However, as I am trying to learn about the paranormal, I am already finding that my efforts are not going to waste - after only a week. A brief definition of "Haunted House" can be summed as "a residence believed to be inhabited by ghosts". hmmmmm....

A more detailed meaning goes something like this, "A haunted house is a house that is believed to be a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal activity by ghosts, poltergeists and/or demons".... BELIEVED TO BE ?!?!?! When then, hell yeah mine is !!!

Now I'm NOT trying to be skeptical of these so-called definitions but I am a self-proclaimed realist and have an extremely analytical mentality - which by the way is already evident to myself in the posts I have written, causing thoughts of being a "debunker" to cross my mind.... but I'll get into that in great detail in a future post - HA, hopefully I don't debunk my hobby altogether !!!!!

Anyway, even the detailed explanation posed a dilemma with my analytics. I needed more !!! Let's start by defining the definitions a bit... just so we understand what we're talking about here... from CrimeBrat...

Ghost - The soul or spirit of a dead person, reflecting the appearance of his or her living body but less substantial. Ghosts may exist in a state of semi-awareness or be completely cognizant of their loving observers.

Poltergeist - A ghost that manifests its presence through noises, rappings, the moving of objects, and the creation of disorder. The relocation of furniture is an indication of poltergeist activity.

... while a Demon (hmmm, eerily similar to the word Damien) could be considered a negative or evil spirit, ghost or poltergeist. (although some beliefs point toward the existence of "good"demons).

Now we're getting somewhere !!! I now understand that more-so than a ghost, I have a poltergeist in my house... I've definitely experienced noises, footsteps and "missing" objects... and I'd swear that when I type on my keyboard, different words appear than what I actually type... hell I've even caught a glimpse of said poltergeist... looks nothing like Slimer, by the way.

So, My House IS Haunted !!!! BUUUUUUUUUUT... wait a minute !!!!! [insert analytical senses here] I've been experiencing the same phenomena for many years... in SEVERAL different houses. So how could my HOUSE be haunted ?!?!? Once again, CrimeBrat to the rescue....

Haunting - The manifestation of a ghostly presence attached to a specific person or location.

NOW, I understand... it isn't my HOUSE that is haunted... it is I that am haunted !!! THAT'S a relief !!!! UHHHHHHH... So, now I am CERTAIN that I personally am haunted by a "pesky" poltergeist... certainly not a demon as I have experienced NO evil phenomena... YET !!!

Since embarking on my "hobby", I have already received several messages indicating experiences with paranormal phenomena in their houses. I have compiled a (check) list of some signs that your house may be haunted so you can evaluate your own personal situations.

"Common" Phenomena:

• Unexplained noises - footsteps, scratching, bangs, knocks etc. *
• Doors and cabinets opening and closing - not personally witnessed, but if you do see this then... *
• Lights, switches, electronics or appliances turning themselves off/ on - again, not often actually seen but... *
• Disappearing, "lost", reappearing items - "borrower's phenomena"; items disappear from someplace you KNOW you left them.. then reappear exactly in that spot *
• Unusual Pet Behavior - animals have sharper senses than humans...
• Feelings of being watched - not an uncommon feeling but combined with other activity can certainly be an important factor *

Moderate phenomena:

• Unexplained Shadows - catching glimpses of shapes or shadows out of the corner of your eye for no apparent reason. *
• Mild Psychokinetic - actually witnessing a door close or switch or appliance turning off or on
• Feelings of being touched - feeling something brush by, touch your hair or even a hand on your shoulder - or a nudge *
• Hearing voices - hearing a voice (or music) from no apparent source... could be a whisper, cry or even your name being said *
• Cold/Hots spots - sudden and sometimes extreme changes in temperature; a cold draft or warm breath on your neck, for instance *
• Unexplained Odors - cologne/perfume, cigarette or other odors from no apparent source

Extreme Phenomena:

• Severe Psychokinetic - witnessing moving or levitating objects
• Apparitions - physical manifestation of a spirit; mists, transparent forms or even solid forms that disappear *
• Physical assault - pushes, slaps, punches; even causing bruises of other injury
• Direct contact - a spirit addresses you and even speaks to you personally, knowing your name
• Negative Energy - negativity, depression, dizziness, head-aches, extreme mood swings; even nightmares ( can also be attributed to other reasons INCLUDING carbon monoxide poisoning)
• Other physical evidence - writings on the wall, footprints, handprints; light orbs or apparitions showing up in photographs **

So what to do NOW ?!?!?! Analyze your own experiences against the list above. Obviously, the more the "merrier". It is believed that if you have experienced 7 or more (LESS if you've experienced the Extreme) then there is a good possibility that your house (or you) may be haunted. The same holds true for buildings, woods, etc.

HOWEVER, do NOT rush to grab your phone and call your local paranormal research group. They are very busy and take this very seriously. Although each service has their own approach, they all have a standard questionnaire which they will initiate to try to debunk (find a reasonable explanation for) the validity of your claims. Their objective isn't to doubt you but to gain a better understanding of your situation... and to help you gain a better understanding too.

Your first course of action should be to try to find a reasonable explanation yourself for the phenomena you have experienced - you know yourself and your situation better than anyone else. It will help to do some research on the history of the property and it's location - you WILL need this info if you decide you need to call the experts. You may be surprised at the phenomena you can rationalize yourself - doors closing due to faulty hinges or drafts.... noises/falling objects being caused by plumbing, house-settling, mice, even minor earth tremors.... disappearing objects just being forgetfulness... shadows being cast by passing cars.... or simply an over-active imagination.

If you CAN'T rule out the experiences by rational explanations (and your situation isn't EXTREME), you will want to keep a journal to record the hauntings - which may also be needed by the experts. In the journal be sure to record as much information as possible both of the experience and the conditions at the time... time of day, your physical location, others involved, weather conditions etc. The more information you record, the more help you will be to the experts, or to yourself in analyzing the experiences.

NOW, if you feel you absolutely need to involve a research team, you should be prepared when you make that phone call. Along with everything mentioned above, there is a lot of specific information they will ask you for in order to "triage" your particular situation. Again, they are there to help, but no matter how grave (no pun) you deem your experiences, THEY ARE THE EXPERTS !!!!

So, it would be in every one's best interest to not only have specific answers to the phenomena witnessed (hopefully from your detailed journal) but also, at the very least, readily have the answers to the additional questions they will ask. Such as (but not limited to):

1. How old is the site (building)?
2. How many floors - basement and attic - and number of rooms?
3. How long have you lived there?
4. What are your religious and "occult" beliefs?
5. How many occupants and pets? Including personal information about each...
6. Is there a sacred or Native American history?
7. Is the site near power lines, earthquake fault lines, crop circles or underground water?
8. What is the bedrock composition of the area?
9. Has there ever been a tragic death, murder or suicide at the location?
10. History of previous owners?
11. Has there ever been a Ouija board used at the site?
12. Are there other witnesses (to confirm and/or further describe)?

Again, there will be more that they ask you and the more information that you have readily available, the better....

NOW, Certainly there are more signs of being haunted but the ones listed are very critical. And for the record, I put an asterisk (*) after each phenomena I have personally experienced on a regular basis, from house to house. I haven't even counted BUT... I KNOW I'm haunted, are YOU !!!!!!!!!

Oh and, in case you wondered about the item above with the (**)... perhaps this will explain THAT !!!!!!!!

True, I have blocked out the faces of my son's friends for identity purposes, BUT that apparition was NOT invited to this photo shoot !!!!!!!!

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!!!!!

Come Inside...

- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 1

Earlier I mentioned that my curiosity of the paranormal had been heightened. This post will enlighten you as to why... or at least explain it to you. This is also the precipitous for my new blog.

Mid last week I did a Google search - I don't even remember what I was searching for, but it wasn't paranormal related... YET.. Scrolling through the search results for what-ever it was I was looking for I spied the words "Camp Connecticut", "Colchester" and in the same summary the word "haunted"... WHAT ????

For those who don't know, I happen to live in Colchester, CT, have lived here for 6 years and have never heard of Camp Connecticut, let alone HAUNTED Camp Connecticut. But, boy my mind was racing now !!! "I didn't know we have a haunted campground in town!!!"

Several searches later I was able to determine that indeed there is an "abandoned" (more later) camp (or campground) in town and at least a few people say it is haunted. Being late at night, I was too tired to read the threads on the message boards but I at least needed to find out the location of this place !!!

There was a bit of speculation (which would have been cleared up if I actually read the threads instead of scanning them for an address) as to which road this camp is on, leading me to think that it might not even exist, but finally I was able to determine it's supposed location.

Needless to say the next day one of the first things I did was to drive to this location to at least confirm the camp's existence.... apparently they were right... YES !!!!!!!!! .... as I saw this sign...

and a dirt road blocked by a gate. I also saw many No Trespassing signs.. hmmm

And I must note that as I drove past the entrance for the second time heading back home, a hawk appeared, seemingly from nowhere. And when I say APPEARED, I mean this thing was like 15 feet off the ground - big muthah too !!! AND this hawk flew above my car down the road for a couple of hundred feet !!!

Although it DID seem like unusual behavior for a hawk, I didn't read too much into it. I mean living in CT for 6 years I know how many hawks live here too, including the Red-tailed hawk that used to frequent my deck a few years ago. So no biggy right?

UM... WRONG !!!!!!!!! Apparently my paranormal radar needs to be adjusted. I relayed this story to my friend GG, the witch (KIDDING), who is very active in paranormal research. Of course she had questions and I had no answers. We had a brief discussion about Native American history in town as it is theorized that there is a correlation between Native American areas and paranormal activity.

We also questioned each other about the "Significance of The Hawk" in Native American folklore, assuming that hawks play an important role. GG said she would research this. WELL, the next day I received an email from her and posted it verbatim on this blog... click the link above if you haven't read it.

Ok, NOW the juices are really flowing... I MUST find out about this place !!! AND it's right here in town !!! (less than a 5 minute drive from my house). Better yet, I need to SEE what's in there as re-visiting the threads, I read that there are abandoned trailers, buildings, a pond etc.

I also read that someone thought there may be a back way into the camp (uh, to avoid getting busted???) All I needed was that tidbit and it was Google(map) time !!! So I found the location on Google Maps (I love how close you can zoom in) and sure enough there's a pond, fields and what appear to be "buildings". AND, in panning the map out (to try to determine access points) sure as hell, there's a brook, Judd Brook, that runs through the woods from the back of the camp to the Air Line Rail Trail, which is a well groomed walking/cycling trail that runs through town.

See where this is going - or where I am going !?!?!?! Armed with THAT, I knew what I had to do.. I had to walk the Air Line Trail, of course... which, by the way is state property... It was ans "Indian Summer" day out so I drove to the trail and walked the 2050 paces (I counted on the way back just "in case" I may be doing this at night) to Judd Brook..

Now my heart is racing as I knew this brook led to the camp - although on the map it seemed like over 1/2 mile through the woods. I grabbed my Blackberry to access the map from it. Much to my surprise, Google Maps has a mobile application - WOO HOO !!! Of course I downloaded the application and found out that it's a "follow me" map, SWEEEEEEEEEET!!! showing where I was on it and the brook and the pond on the campground... AND it "followed me" as I walked.

Ok, so now this is great, I've got the "testicular fortitude", I've the Google Guide and I've got a heart beating through my chest... PERFECT combination to enter the woods !!! SOOOOO... I did. Initially the path was groomed (or trodden) as it was still on state property, but that changed when I saw the last of the boundary markers.

I followed the brook, from what I can determine by Google, about a third of the distance to the back of the campground, stopping every once in awhile to look and listen (although dumb-ass me left the binoculars at home - ok, this was my first "journey"). I saw nothing and the only sound I could hear was the brook running until.... AHHHHHHHHHH...

{scroll down to find out}

Um, it frigging started raining. WTF !?!?! Obviously AGAIN unprepared - I was out there in sneakers, a t-shirt and running pants - trying to blend in with the others on the trail, ya know?

So, I decided that Camp Connecticut isn't going anywhere soon and it would be in my best interest to not get soaking wet over it, and called it a day... BUT I'LL BE BACK !!!

"Funny" though, when I returned to the Airline Trail, the sun was shining brightly... hmmmm, passing shower or a SIGN !?!?!?!.... maybe time will tell

Come Inside...