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Showing posts with label Wednesday's word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wednesday's word. Show all posts
0 screams

- Wednesday's Word - "Sprites"

My House IS haunted (?) - part 2

No, NOT by the soft drink - I prefer 7-up anyway... BUT, after yesterday's revelations, this post is a must !!!....

First, HUGE thanks go out the paranormal community in general. I am realizing just how friendly and caring our colleagues are. Specific shout-outs are in order here also. So, I also need to PERSONALLY thank Eric from D.A.R.T. for taking time out of his schedule to embrace us into his world. Also garnering specific recognition is Bill from Paranorbill for doing the same - definitely great to have met the both of you. Next, I need to thank DMR, a former classmate and clairvoyant, for the intriguing conversation we had. And not be left out, thank you to my Facebook friend EC, a psychic and card reader, for your input on my "situation".

So what's all the hubbub about? As I posted, GG and I have started a little team to investigate the paranormal. Over the last few weeks we've been busy trying to get organized and buying new pieces of equipment to help us better investigate.

One such piece was a Sony Handycam with full Night Vision - this puppy can record video footage in COMPLETE darkness. Previously not familiar with its actually capabilities, I took it upon myself to run a test in my own basement a couple of weeks ago. Here's a little clip of that footage that we posted on our Youtube channel....




Note that this is just a small sample of the activity I experienced.... Anyway, this little video proved the capabilities of the camera but also opened my eyes a bit as to why I have experienced the various forms of activity that I have... OR, made me more curious....

So..... trying to duplicate this experienced I took the camera downstairs again a few nights later and put together this little clip and also posted it on Youtube...



These videos, due in no small part to GG, gained popularity quite fast with several comments being posted by fellow investigators...including "Interesting capture".... INTERESTING INDEED !!!! remember this is going on in my very own basement !!!

But what exactly IS going on down there ?!?!?! I mean, I know that I am haunted but.... clearly there are SEVERAL of these "orbs" flying around simultaneously... am I actually haunted by SEVERAL spirits ?!?!?!

Further confusing my perception of the activity is the fact that in broad daylight I SAW ONE OF THESE reflecting in the sunlight - flying just as at night. Ok, so now I was "sure" these aren't spirits and tried to research more logical explanations... educating myself on mold spores, mites and other "creatures" that may be found in one's basement.... Although I wasn't able to ascertain EXACTLY what these are, I thought I had debunked it and pretty much paid little attention to it.  UNTIL.... 

We received a comment the other day by "paraquila" on Youtube...
"That is what I would call a Sprite. Looking closely at the anomaly it appears to look see through at times and then solid again. It also appears to shine it's own light."

Paraquila followed up yesterday with this...
"Some believe a Sprite is a type of Angelic being coming to Earth to gather prayers. Others believe a Sprite to be a more mature orb. I call them Sprites because they Sparkle like glitter in the sun. I have seen them since childhood usually around people."

WOE WOE WOE !!!!!!!!!!   WHAT ?!?!?!?! Needless to say, much of my day yesterday was spent researching this "new" term... and picking the brains of the people I mentioned above. And thanks to them, I have a bit more understanding as to the possible existence of sprites... but undoubtedly I have far more questions than answers at this point !!!!

First I needed to find out exactly what a sprite is....  "simply" stated, they are elves, pixies or fairies...

Wiktionary says:
sprite (plural sprites)
  1. (mythology) A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition.
  2. (mythology) An elf; a fairy; a goblin.

 Wikipedia says:
The term sprite is a broad term referring to a number of preternatural legendary creatures. The term is generally used in reference to elf-like creatures, including fairies, and similar beings (although not earth beings), but can also signify various spiritual beings, including ghosts.

Adding:
The belief in diminutive beings such as sprites, elves, fairies, pixies, gnomes, Japanese yōkai, the Spanish and Latin-American duende and various Slavic fairies has been common in many parts of the world, and might to some extent still be found within neo-spiritual and religious movements such as "druidism" and Ásatrú. The belief in spiritual beings, particularly ghosts, is almost universal to human culture.

Ok, I know I'm a pretty open-minded person but..... I'm also a show me kinda guy. So, further research revealed this photo of backyard sprites - this girl didn't see them when taking the picture....


 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO KAAAAAAAAAY... That's EXACTLY what my basement looked like on BOTH the nights that I recorded footage !!!!

Further, Paraquila sent us an email on Youtube in response to my thanking him.
"You're welcome. Anything to help out those seeking the truth. Thanks for the picture to look at (the one above). It sure seems to be the same anomalies as the one you have posted. I cannot wait to see the other ones.
Sometimes when an orb is about to turn into a Sprite or just plain manifest itself it can appear like a cotton  ball. Somewhat see through and somewhat solid. Take a cotton ball pull it apart a bit and look through it at the sky. This is how I generally describe it. Its all a big mystery and one I am happy to be a part of figuring out.
Peace and Light

Paraquila"

Certainly, as with all anomalies, acceptance of the existence of sprites is dependent on one's own belief system. Having personally witnessed the very activity depicted in the photo.... and also having a strong pull toward the mystical for most of my life.... I'm a believer !!!!

BUT..... are sprites mystical in nature ??? are they paranormal ??? are they ghosts ??? are they spiritual ??? are they Wiccan ??? are they dangerous ??? why the hell are they in my basement ??? the list of questions grows... and it's becoming more apparent that many of the answers will be formulated by my own beliefs as initial research has shown that this may be a highly contested subject, to say the least.

I applaud myself for seeking answers from the sources I chose... HA HA HA... I approached them simply with "What do you know about sprites?" Unlike myself, EACH of them had more than a little knowledge and experience on the subject.... and my conclusions are formulating as I type this - using the premise... "If you believe they are, then THEY ARE !!!'

Some of the more intriguing feedback came from my psychic friends.... everyone should have at least one !!! GG pointed out to me that there is a connection between fairies and the Wiccan religion. A quick look proved this to be true as the Feri (fairy) tradition of Wicca is based on this exact concept.

Armed with my interest and belief in the Wiccan religion, I posed the question.... "Could there be a correlation between these sprites and my limited knowledge and belief in Wicca?".... along with "Why are they in my basement?"... ok, this response isn't for the faint of spirituality....

The summary of her response is that I am actually a sorcerer and that these sprites are here because they like that fact and like the energy that I exude.... WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I quipped back that perhaps I'm the "sorcerer's apprentice"... but WOW !!!!!!!!!! what a concept !!!!!

Quite a bit to absorb in one day... needless to say, I have LOTS of work to do as again, it's apparent that sprites are highly misunderstood and their existence is dependent on one's own personal beliefs. I'll be spending a lot of time in the near future tuning in to my own belief system.....

Keep checking back.....we've only just begun to scratch the surface.... and stay tuned for more video !!!!!

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!
Come Inside...
3 screams

- Wednesday's Word (phrase) - Above The Realm


Those that have followed this blog may recall my previously posted definition of the word "Paranormal".... "Above the realm of occurences that we experience in everyday life..."

But today's reference to "above the realm" goes 1 step beyond. As I posted, GG and I decided to take our interest to that step to try to help people understand and explain their experiences and activity they have witnessed... and perhaps to have a little fun at the same time.

That is why I haven't posted on my blog much lately.... I've been over here at abovetherealm.co.cc .... building our website. Rather than reiterate all the content of the website, I invite everyone to go and take a look.

I will say though that we are taking this very seriously and we are working on up to 4 (5 if you count MY house) investigations and as you'll see on the website, we're not out for some half-hearted thrill-seeking fun... it's actually a LOT of work.

Along with the the building of the site, we have (GG has) also started a fan page over at Facebook HERE.... and a channel on Youtube HERE.... feel free to "fan" us on Facebook and subscribe to our channel on Youtube.

We've created and uploaded a few "movies" on the Youtube channel highlighting some of our observations. Preliminary feedback has been excellent on both venues, strengthening our intensity and desire to get out in the field to put our NEW equipment and senses to the test.

In an effort to better serve our clients, we have acquired several new pieces of equipment. Of course that adds to the workload of analyzing the data, but we want to be as thorough and as accurate as possible. Here is the list of the tools we now employ...



K2 Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) detector


Paranormal Search Team-Ghost Box/Franks Box


ThermoTech® TT1022 Non contact digital Infrared laser guided thermometer


Olympus® WS 400-S digital voice (EVP) recorder


Kodak® 5.0 mega pixel digital camera with video mode


1/8" x 24" brass, polarized Dowsing (Divination) Rods


JVC® digital video recorder with partial night vision capabilities and still picture capability

Sony® Handycam digital video recorder with full night vision capabilities
(Super Night Shot Plus) with additional IR Illuminator and still picture capability


Note that all of our photography and recording equipment is fully interfaced with our servers to facilitate data transfer and analyzation.


We may be a small team and we may not have a complete Closed Circuit TV surveillance system (YET),
but we certainly have enough experiences, knowledge and desire to help to make a difference.

The website is a work in progress but you are absolutely welcome to step into our world... a world.....
ABOVE THE REALM !!!

and please feel free to drop us a line about ANYTHING.... investigations, feedback, advice, etc.

Ok, that's enough self-promotion. I WILL continue to post on all of our venues any evidence and experiences that we encounter.... see you on the other side.....

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!
Come Inside...
1 screams

Wednesday's Word(s)

Well, it's been several days.. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties... and I've been snapping a lot of pictures of the local scenery.

First, a shout out to Bob of CT Ghost Seekers for the kind words once again.

I know I missed last week's Wednesday Word so this week's post will be an extended version and will also be directly related to the ghost hunt that I was involved in last night. I wanted to be better prepared to record evidence of what TheCrimeBrat and I experienced. So, today's post will be about some of the equipment used for investigating the paranormal.


1) EVP (recorder) - EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena... as defined by Haunted Realm Paranormal Investigators... "A voice recorded on a tape or digital recorder from which there is no known or logical source".... or "Disembodied voices and sounds imprinted on audio recording devices".

Ok, that makes sense given the definition of phenomena... obviously, some of us are "lucky" enough to physically hear these noises - at the descretion of the spirit. But, most often these voices can only be picked up by a recorder as the frequency with which they are spoken is not within the range heard by the human ear.. BUT, if you have a pet (dog).....

As I last posted, I had tested and determined that my Blackberry had too many drawbacks to be an effective device for the recording/analyzing of EVP. So, I picked up an Olympus WS-400 S digital voice recorder....
...and am I glad I did!!!! With the stereo XHQ recording mode, the clarity of the playback instantly proved to be far superior than that of the crackberry. And with the built-in USB port, tranferring a 2-1/2 hr recording to my computer took about a minute - and that time included the device being installed on my machine... and I was immediately able to open the file with Windows Media Player, proving the files recorded by the WS-400 S (in .wma format) are 100% compatible with windows based software applications.

Going hand in hand with a recorder is an audio editing program in order to analyze those faint "voices" that are picked up by the recorder. I've decided to initially try a program called Wavepad - although the possibilities are endless once the recording is save on my computer. In checking into the different programs available, I happened across the site of paranormal investigator Billy Connelly at paranorbill.com. Bill's software of choice is Wavepad... whom am I to argue??? ... especially after viewing several of his investigations that are posted on his website... great job and some great info there...


Note: I also most recently installed the Nero 9 multimedia suite which has audio and video editing modules.... I'm not sure of their functionality as of yet, but I'm looking forward to testing them.... maybe I'll turn myself into a video producer !!!!*

*Update on Nero 9 Wave Editor... great program too, but uses a LOT of resources, leaving me on the fence....



2) EMF meter - EMF stands for Electro Magnetic Field.... um, energy field... Whereas it is widely speculated that over exposure to high levels of electromagnetism can be an agent to the development of cancer, EMF meters, like digital recorders, are common instruments that have been around for many years.... and also used by more that just scientists.

Each and every electronic and electric device emits electromagnetism... yes, appliances, computers, CELL PHONES .... so EMF meters were produced in order to determine "safe levels" of electromagnetic exposure... although I have yet to find a chart that specifies what is safe... or even a report....

Anyway, it is also a common belief among paranoramalists that the presence of electromagnetism signifies the presence of a spirit.... or that spirits themselves emit (AND attain energy from) electro-magnetic fields.... again, research of several investigations have shown investigators using EMF meters as a means of communication with spirits... you be the judge.

That being said, I felt the need to acquire an EMF meter, if only to feel more professional.... so, once again I scoured the Internet in search of (RIP Leonard Nimoy) a trust-worthy yet affordable EMF meter.

Again my diligence paid off as I found (and purchased) a K2 meter...

....a simple to read yet somewhat sophisticated, accurate and trusted piece of equipment among paranormal investigators - from...........................

The K2 appears to be a staple in an investigator's arsenal of equipment and perhaps one's initial step into the science of the paranormal.... the next step will be a "Mel-meter"...

3) Dowsing (Divining) Rods - These are probably one of the more primitive and controversial, yet most highly recognizable, items to be used by a paranormal investigator.... I will admit my ignorance here !!!!! uh, if you've never heard of or pretended to use a divining rod to find water, you must have been born yesterday...

For the purposes of paranormal investigating, a pair of "L"-shaped metals rods are used, as opposed to the universally known, "Y"-shaped stick....

.... as a means of either direct communication with a spirit or to signify the presence of a spirit... ie, questions can be asked with the reply to be a certain movement of the rods... or, unsolicited movement is believed to be either the presence of electromagnetism or a spirit physically moving the rods.

Like with Ouija boards, skeptics debunk the usage as the holder's personal magnetic energy or movement... but, as a true believer in the power of the Ouija.... I believe in their validity (ESPECIALLY after my personal experience - tomorrow's post).....

Well, there you have THREE Wednesday's Words... I should be good for a week or so.. tomorrow I will report on our personal experiences with the equipment and investigation from last night. I wanted to post this on Thursday but had MANY computer related issues and wasn't able to... maybe that was for the best...

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!!!

Come Inside...
3 screams

- "WITCHES" - fact or fiction

Wednesday's Word... uh, Friday edition.

We all know what witches are, right? ... green skin, black hat, big nose with warts, ugly and EVIL... the first thing that comes to mind is the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz.... I mean Halloween just passed, did you not see MANY of these depictions?

But what about "Bewitched"? Certainly Samantha (RIP, Elizabeth Montgomery) was none of the above.... although Endora (Sam's mom) on the other hand....

Then there's "Charmed". Certainly these 3 ladies don't fall into the typical stereotype of what a witch is...

So, then what exactly is a witch?
(more in a bit)

Do they really exist?
Simply put... YES

Do they cast spells?
Simply put... YES

Are they ugly?
Is Stevie Nicks ugly?

Are they EVIL?
Simply put... NO

SOOOOOOO... what is a witch? A REAL witch is a member (male AND female - warlocks are traitors) of one of the denominations of the Church of Wicca (which means, wise). It is a spiritual and nature-based, religion... and probably most similar to beliefs of Native Americans (think about it). Although relatively new as a recognized religion in the USA, the theology of The Craft dates back centuries.

Wiccans do worship their own "gods"... actually, the Triple (moon) Goddess - maiden (birth), mother (fertility) and crone (death) - perhaps why witches are usually depicted as women... and is symbolized by the triple moon symbol - waxing, full and waning moons


They also worship a Horned (sun) God that is male, symbolizing nature and sexuality...

This polytheism is said to signify that the universe and ourselves are made up of and controlled by both female and male energies.

Wiccans do not worship the devil.. THAT would be devil worshippers... actually, they don't even believe in an entity such as that. The misnomer is perhaps rooted in the fact that the Wiccan Symbol is a pentagram...


as is a Satanist's....

The points of the Wiccan pentagram stand for the elements - Air, Earth, Fire and Water... with the top point standing for Spirituality... enclosed in a circle to denote unity.

Note how Satanists invert the pentagram (note the goat) to put Spirituality on the bottom and the 2 points, Fire (passion) and Earth (earthly goods) on the top...

Wiccans do practice magic (magick) and cast spells as they believe that everyone has the spiritual strength and ability to bring about change. BUT the tenet of The Law of Attraction (basically, what goes around comes around - and some believe 3-fold) certainly makes these spells positive and are supposed to be cast to bring good to oneself or one's family.

The other tenets of the religion are Deity, Reincarnation (continual progression), Power Through Knowledge (wisdom) and Harmony.

Common tools used during the magic ritual include a pentacle, a sword, a wand, and a chalice. BUT, the rituals may also include a knife, a broomstick, a cauldron, candles and incense (GO FIGURE !!!)

Although there is no formal book of teaching, Wiccans do, as in Charmed, have a Book of Shadows. This is a personal journal consisting of spells, potions, beliefs etc. And as in Charmed, many times it is passed down from generation to generation to teach the others of the family and also to be continued to be added to.

Another symbol of the Craft is the Triquetra, as is depicted on Charmed....

The Triquetra is an old Celtic symbol that stands for the power or unity three"... hmm, 3 Charmed Sisters". In Wicca, it is also said to sometimes denote Triple Goddess.

There is no centralized set of rules as they believe people are individuals and are free to practice the Craft in the way that suits them best. But there is one central "commandment", the "Rede"... "An ye harm none, do what ye will".... obviously denouncing intentionally hurting others - everyone is responsible for their own actions.

Anyway, without going into the various sects of the Wiccan religion (that could be a series of posts), or pushing any more religion on you.... YES, witches are real !!!! They are ordinary people that happen to practice a different religion... you probably all know one. And the fact that they practice magic as a part of their beliefs, makes them much more active in their religion than myself.

And for the record, Stevie Nicks IS a Wiccan.... and she's far from ugly !!!!

A little help from my friends (major contributers):
- www.wicca.org - Website of the Church and School of Wicca

- Wikipedia - articles - "Wicca", "Triple Goddess", "Pentagram", "Book of Shadows", "Triquetra"

- witchvox.com

Happy H(A)UNTING !!!
Come Inside...
3 screams

- Wednesday's Word - "Paranormal"


In doing my research I am stumbling upon many words that I thought I knew but are realizing that their meanings go much deeper or I flat out misinterpreted them due to my own ignorance. So, I decided to start a theme for a weekly post... uh, "Wednesday's Word", in which I will take a word and dissect it until I have a much better understanding as to what I am talking about.

In order to "start at the very beginning", I deemed it appropriate to apply my "research skills" to the word... PARANORMAL... As the precipitous for this blog and part of it's very description, I felt it necessary to personally understand EXACTLY what it meant and share that as I have been referred to as "Jason" (uh, of Friday the 13th infamy) and I added an icon of an alien, which absolutely aroused my need to be sure I know what I'm talking about on here.

Let's first take a look at the make-up of the word itself.... "para" - Latin for "above" or "against"... "normal"... uh, we all know what that means. So, "paranormal" literally means above (or against) what is normal.... But, if I drank a 30-pack in 30 minutes, is THAT paranormal???

So, would that make paranormal a synonym for "abnormal" - "deviating from what is considered normal or average"? But, WTF is "normal"? And whose standard of what "normal" is do we go by, being that everyone has their own interpretation of what THEY consider normal? A brief definition of normal is "in accordance with scientific laws"..

Again, I thank CrimeBrat for supplying me with that glossary of many of the common terms associated with the theme of my new "hobby", INCLUDING, "paranormal"... as, on the surface paranormal seems similar to abnormal, BUT the true meaning lies deep within.

"Paranormal - The realm of occurrences and phenomena removed from those which people are exposed in everyday experience."

Allow me to expand on that definition by adding... "seemingly outside normal sensory channels" or EXTRASENSORY", which means "being outside the normal range or bounds of the senses"... and "NOT in accordance with scientific laws".. or as Wikipedia explains "unusual experiences or phenomena alleged to be outside science's current ability to explain or measure"... HA, NOW we're talking... THAT would seem to be much more accurate than abnormal !!!!!!!! Hmmmmm...

So, now I had the meaning of the word but I still had a limited understanding as to what "occurrences" could/should be considered paranormal. Certainly "apparitions" (future Wednesday Word) and "witchcraft" (ANOTHER future Wednesday Word). But, my limited knowledge made me think that UFO's are considered paranormal phenomena too.

Soooooooooooooooooo, wanting to be as accurate as possible, I needed to search further to find out what is "commonly" known as paranormal phenomena. That research allowed me to compile the list (from several sources) as to what is commonly included under the umbrella of the term PARANORMAL... here's a compilation that I came up with, including, but NOT limited to:
  • Astrology
  • Aura
  • Clairvoyance and Prophecy
  • Channeling
  • Dowsing
  • ESP
  • Faith/Spiritual Healing
  • Hypnotism
  • Demonic Possession
  • Distance Healing
  • Ghosts/Spirits
  • Graphology
  • Homeopathy
  • Levitation
  • Numerology
  • Palmistry
  • Haunted Houses
  • Phrenology
  • Physiognomy
  • Precognition
  • Psychic Surgery
  • Psychokinesis
  • Psychometry
  • Pyramid Power
  • Qiqong
  • Reality Shift
  • Reflexology
  • Reincarnation
  • Remote viewing
  • Spontaneous Combustion (human)
  • Telepathy
  • UFO's and Extraterrestrials
  • Witches and witchcraft
Well, that's a pretty impressive list. Honestly there are several I've never heard of. And certainly scientists have done their best to "DEBUNK" (another future Word) many of the subjects involved. Obviously specific topics fall under the headings above like, Bigfoot, Yetti, the Lock Ness Monster, Tarot Cards, even the Bermuda Triangle, etc... DAMN, what HAVE I gotten myself into???... perhaps I need to specialize... BUT, suffice to say, if science can't rationalize an experience, it is considered paranormal...

Now, certainly we're all at least familiar with the popularity of the paranormal as Hollywood has "glorified" the topic in a long history of movies dedicated to the subject dating back to at least the '50s.... everyone's out to make a buck.

But don't be fooled by the difference between a paranormal movie and a horror movie. Although many horror movies involve the paranormal, not ALL paranormal movies are horror movies. "ET", "Close Encounters" and "Ghostbusters" come to mind... CERTAINLY all paranormal movies and also CERTAINLY are not horror movies.

My thoughts gravitate toward the fact that horror movies prey on people's fears while paranormal movies depict theories and possibilities that are meant to provoke thought and "understanding", not necessarily fear, although definitely some of them are scary.... "Amityville Horror" (debunked) and "Haunting In Connecticut" (also reported as debunked) come to mind. That's my story and I'm sticking to it... unless someone will debunk my theory... and I may be partial because I don't scare easily.

Certainly, this is a small sampling of Hollywood's depictions. You all know what they are and all have the ability to draw your own conclusions. The purpose of this site is to shed some insight on MY own personal beliefs, research, education and experiences... and for the record... I DO BELIEVE !!!

So, as the latest movie, "Paranormal Activity" is currently at the theaters, keep that in mind with me as I am definitely feeling the need to view it.......

As always there a number of sites that contributed to this post. Here are the most influential, as well as some other very interesting sites I found along the way. I encourage anyone with interest to look further....

Resources:

On another note, I have been working hard for a few days trying to customize the site. In doing so I have used both the Firefox and Safari browsers. UNFORTUNATELY, different browsers apparently read "scripts" differently as when I viewed the site using Firefox, some of the elements looked different than they do using Safari (which is my browser of choice). I ask anyone that encounters something unusual (besides the subject matter) to please send me an email at soxfan3369@gmail.com so that I can look into it and correct it.... Thanks and

Happy H(A)UNTING !!!!



Come Inside...