- 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...

- Introduction

Welcome to the first post of my new blog. Hopefully it won't be my last. I was going to summarize this post as an "About Me" section in the side-bar... but who the hell reads those anyway? My name is John. I am 43 years old. I live in central Connecticut. Okay, intros done...

Recently my curiosity was heightened with regard to paranormal activity so I decided that maybe as I look into these happenings further, it would be in my best interest to keep a journal - to remember what I've researched, what I have done, what I have witnessed and as a reference of the resources I have found.

Rather than keep a journal on my local hard drive, I thought it might be fun to post it as a blog so that others can read it (uh, keeping me from having to relay my exploits umpteen times !!!). My hope is that interaction will occur with readers that will teach me more and/or provide me with more resources to use in my quest.

I am far from what people would consider a "ghost-hunter" but perhaps I have found a hobby of great interest that I should pursue. I realize it could be time-consuming but I am not setting a timetable so that I can be sure to do adequate research - which I will also post.

I believe in ghosts, UFO's, witches etc.. but that doesn't make me a freak, just open-minded. My hope is to gain a better personal understanding into what these phenomena are and why I actually believe in them... or if they are worth believing in at all.

My fascination with the paranormal started many years ago, although I am not actually sure when. Suffice to say, I was a child as I remember being 8 years old or so and hearing the "older kids" talk about seeing a ghost in the woods. I wished I was old enough for my parents to let me go to try to see it too.

I also have memories from when I was in my early teens. At that time in my life "my generation" of neighborhood kids took to using a Ouija board on a regular basis - of course I was the one that supplied the board. If you're a fan of "strange" happenings, a Ouija board is a must.

Over the past several years I have become 100% sure that I have been living with a ghost, one that most likely has followed me from house to house. It's not an an evil ghost mind you - so far. But over the last decade or so I can recall numerous instances of hearing someone in my house when there is nobody home... footsteps across the floor above, doors closing, "strange noises" etc. - even objects "disappearing" and the re-appearing exactly where you left them.

True, I have a vivid imagination so you could "chalk" it up to an overactive one... But, my thought pattern isn't geared toward hearing things that aren't there. I'd like to believe that I am a realist, first and foremost, and do not discount any possibility, including catching a glimpse of a "being" while tending to my garden this summer. It was just a flash but I could make out that it was "human", caucasian and was wearing a light blue shirt. This was not imagined - why would I be thinking about ghosts while weeding the garden???

Immediately my thoughts wandered to several years ago when a Tarot Card Reader had done a reading of me over the phone. I had never met her before yet she knew things about me and my family that no one knew... including where I was at that moment, what my surroundings were and that the spirit of my father was also there - she even described where he was located in relationship to myself.

Freaked out ??? Nope. Relieved was more like it to realize that indeed I did have a ghost. And even more relieved to realize that it was my father. So, obviously any occurrences since then have been "dad" at it again.

So, there's a brief introduction into me and my thoughts. I have decided that it may be time to research and understand more about the paranormal. As I do so, I will share what I learn on here for the reasons described above. Perhaps some of you will find it interesting and will help in my quest.

Come Inside...