- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 3

Well, well, well... despite my personal declaration that I was going to shut down my blogs, Camp CT has resurfaced.... as has my desire to post...

Further research has uncovered substantial RECENT evidence of paranormal activity at this camp in the beloved Colchester, CT.... previous evidence was speculative having been posted by thrill-seekers.

BUT..... CT Ghost Seekers apparently performed an investigation on the property as recently as September 19th, 2009 !!!!! Armed with some tools of the trade, I will share some of their actual UNEDITED pics...

According to their report it was a mild September evening with an average air temperature of 55 degrees. Unfortunately their investigation was cut short as they encountered a "caretaker", who informed them that would have to leave as it IS private property...

However, within the campground itself, the temperature was somewhat different....

... physically recording a maximum temperature reading of 40 degrees with cold spots registering up to 20 degrees colder !!!! Hmmmmm...

In my continuing effort to "leave no stone unturned", I found the weather data for that entire day at Weather Underground... their closest PWS (portable weather station) is located in Moodus, which is the next town over, so assume that Colchester was experiencing similar conditions. Here's a snapshot of the average weather stats for that day...

...if you click the link above to the weather underground, you can see hour by hour graphs and a chart that details the weather for the entire 24 hrs on that day in 5 minute intervals... GREAT resource.

Not knowing the exact time of CT Ghost Seekers' investigation, I quickly averaged the readings for the time period of 8 pm to midnight to determine what they were actually experiencing at the time they were in the camp...

Air Temp: 48 degrees

Dew Point: 42.5 degrees

Barometer: 29.9 inches, 1010 millibars

Wind: 0.0 mph

Humidity: 83%

Cloud statistics were NA - not sure if that means Not Applicable or Not Available in this case. Assuming the worst case and here it means Not Available, let's also assume it was a clear evening as weather conditions are critical in an investigation and no reputable team would investigate during adverse conditions.... and The Old Farmer's Almanac reports a mean visibility for that day of 10 miles.

I have to tip my hat to CT Ghost Seekers for recording some definitive evidence of the activity at Camp CT.... here are some more pics... I'm not totally sold on pictures of "orbs" I've seen to date, but....

.... that's a shitload of "orbs" to debunk and that one in the lower picture is the size of a basketball... looks a bit ectoplasmic too... many times orbs are debunked as camera flash and flashlight reflections off of anything from insects to air moisture to internal camera components.

Also photographed were some of the previously reported "floating mists"... these have been apparent to many of the visitors...

Ok, I'm no meteorologist or geologist and I don't know the physical characteristics of that particular piece of property. So understand that there ARE natural "phenomena" that occur beneath the surface of the ground that COULD debunk SOME of the evidence that has been posted, ie sub-surface ground temperature, groundwater levels and/or underground springs and bedrock composition... BUT !!!!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I offer this one.... INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!

Now, I MAY be new at this but............. I absolutely see a black shadow figure in this pic !!!!!!!!!

If you're not sold on the fact that there is paranormal activity at Camp CT by now, I direct you to CT Ghost Seeker's website. The absolute pinnacle of the evidence they collected is this EVP recording of a child singing... which had been reported several times by others, but not previously recorded, that I know of. They didn't personally hear this out loud, but rather discovered it when reviewing their evidence.... You MUST listen to this !!!

Now, obviously I'm still learning about all of this, but come on !!!! This latest compelling evidence has absolutely made it a MUST for me to experience at least some of this first hand. I don't have the equipment and I wouldn't necessarily trespass (cough, cough), BUT.... I do have a plan which I will share in my next post !!!!!

You're absolutely invited to visit the Ghost Seeker's site to see additional photos of this and several other of their investigations... Oh and, one of their team members reports being touched.... I'll be looking further in the physical characteristics of this piece of land...

Resources requiring credit for the writing of this post...

CT Ghost Seekers - GREAT stuff guys !!!

Weather Underground

The Old Farmer's Almanac

Happy H(A)UNTING !!!

Come Inside...

- "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...

- 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:

Wikipedia

Studies of the Paranormal

Ghost Hunter

Skeptic's Dictionary

ForteanTimes

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...

- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 2

Main sign inside the campground

So..... I woke up this morning at 1:30 am... don't ask my why, but I've been up since... SOMETHING told me to get on the computer and find out what I could about Camp Connecticut. So that's what I did and that's what I did. I'm pretty happy that my super-sleuthing skills are up to par. Although many questions remain unanswered, I think I did pretty good for a "virgin"... DRUM ROLL !!!!!!!!!

As with everything in life, there are rumors, speculation and flat out made up stories with regard to the closing of Camp Connecticut - AND controversy... despite very little information being available.

When I first starting reading a message board, I got the impression that the camp was a day camp for kids. However, later in the thread it sounded more like a family campground - you'll SEE why - as a couple of the poster's on the board actually spent quite a bit of time there growing up in the 80's. Also, there were 2 posters that shed an ENORMOUS amount of light on the subject

Facts: This is what I know for sure... LOL

• There is a former camp in Colchester named Camp Connecticut
• Camp Connecticut dedicated (opened ?) in 1977
• Camp Connecticut is OWNED by.... the "IOOF".... um, the Odd Fellows - one of the participants in that thread belonged to the organization and offered to get permission to take people through the camp.. although that post was last year and he never posted after that.

Basically that's all I can be sure of at this point. Certainly there were people discrediting the claim that the camp is haunted but there also several people who claimed to have visited both during the day and at night and either their imaginations played tricks on them or something really is going on over there.

Rumors: Here's a few stories about what happened to probably close the camp

• A (the) camp counselor went crazy and killed up to 60 children
• A bus full of children caught fire and several of them died
• A girl drowned in the pond
• A girl was murdered in one of the fields
• The owner murdered his daughter
• Satanic rituals and activity

Happenings: These are the claims of some of the visitors

• As in every paranormal hot-spot, claims of light "orbs" - red, blue and white
• "Ghostly" mist floating above the ground
• Dark figures crossing paths in front of them
• Up to 40 apparitions at the gate
• Screams and voices - most often involving a little girl
• Cold drafts and cold hands touching them
• "Phantom" truck drivers of a seemingly silent truck
• Areas where flashlights flicker and/or new batteries die
• Several claims of cell phones and cameras malfunctioning
• Stories of ghosts following some of them home to haunt them

Pretty standard stuff for people to claim as many of them seemed to consider themselves ghost-hunters. Many of them described the camp and all descriptions seem to coincide with each other, although I have purposely omitted any detail, so apparently there's a camp there with a pond and some structures.

NOW for the good part... and you can thank me for having a MySpace account later. Although I never use it, I needed it to.... see pictures posted by visitors !!!!!!!!! SOOOOOOOOO... here ya go !!!!!!!!! keep in mind that these pictures were taken by 4 different people on 4 totally separate visits - not even in the same year...

Check me if I'm wrong but that's kinda spooky mist... Anyway, I'll also share some photos from the same people that show what the camp looks like.. THEN, I have a treat in store...

Apparently there's some sort of outdoor "church", complete with pews, altar and pulpit.

Now here's a treat... one of the visitors actually had her pictures on Photobucket... SO OF COURSE I GRABBED THE SLIDESHOW TO EMBED IT !!!!!!!!!

NOW, obviously this property does contain some structures, vehicles, STORAGE trailers - there are even outhouses as apparently there was never any electricity or running water to the camp.

AND, what there is NOW, is activity... but apparently human activity. A day sleuth reported that it looked liked it was being used as a logging camp. Others report it looks like a hunting camp - with MANY shell casings to be found - and being chased away by a man in a hunting vest... AND several report having visited day and night and there being active fires in one of the fire-pits. (and then NOT)...

Now, there was also someone that supposedly had an EVP recording taken while at the camp posted on his MySpace profile - although that was over 2 years ago and he must have removed it or I would have posted that too...

BUT, I'm not done yet !!! Along with obtaining the above during my few hours of pre-dawn research, I was reading a thread and one of the ladies from Ghost Chat New England posted that she had visited Camp Connecticut and had taken some video... WOO HOO !!!!!!

So I searched their archives and found the Google Video of a show they aired in early 2008. The narrative is basically a history of the Odd Fellows so you may want to turn the volume down... also these 2 ladies are a bit funny... but there's some good daytime footage of what the camp looks like if you want to check it out. (anyone know how to embed google vids?)

So, is my quest over ??? HELL NO !!!! I called this "part 2" NOT "the conclusion" - I'm a show me kinda guy and it'll take at least that and more to convince me that there isn't something unusual about this camp... Certainly there are accounts that seem to say there are things going on there and certainly ones that say there aren't. I think I'll just find out for myself, thank you very much.

Add'l Resources:

Ghostvillage.com - this is the site where I read the thread on the message board

Odd Fellows CT - offices - apparently these would be who to contact to gain legal access - "F" THAT !!!

The Hunt - MySpace profile that has an album with pics of the camp from his visit

And obviously Photobucket and Ghost Chat New England.

Come Inside...

- "Witchboard" - or JUST a game?

Witchboard, Spirit Board, Talking Board, Ouija Board, Mystifying Oracle

As I mentioned previously, the beginning of my personal experiences with the occult was with a Ouija Board. Although there are many variations of the fascinating tool, the one I remember most resembled the picture above - manufactured and sold by Parker Brothers as a toy, using the slogan, "It's just a game, ISN'T it?"

Most everyone knows what a Ouija Board is, or has heard the name. Although there are many versions of talking boards, "Ouija" is the registered name (the patent and trademark having been owned by Parker Brothers/Hasbro since 1966... hmmmm, I was born in 1966...) of the most popular one, and can be used synonymously when talking about any of them.

But, what's in a name??? Apparently nothing as the name Ouija has no seemingly spiritual connotations at all, although I will research this further. And actually there is speculation as to why the board is named this... the Egyptian word for "good luck"? the Moroccan city of Oujda? a combination of the French word "oui" (yes) and the German word "ja"... um, also yes...

Here's just a sampling of the different looks the board can have....

Original US Patent - February 10, 1891

Truly beautiful !!!

This board is an ORIGINAL from 1891
and is part of Dan Whitaker's personal collection

Drawing of the board that received US Patent #D056,449
for Toys - Issued to H. McGasson on Oct. 26, 1920
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!

"Owl Wisdom" made and sold by DragonOak

History of The Board
There are theories that date the use of a form of spirit board to 1100 BC China, while others claim it was "invented" in ancient Greece or Egypt. The first patent was issued to Adolphus Theodore Wagner in London in 1854 as a "Psychograph, or apparatus for indicating a person's thoughts by the agent nervous electricity". Although I couldn't find a picture of what this first "modern" board looked like, I will not rest until I do.

The board was officially patented and introduced to the United States in 1891. There is controversy as to who actually invented the board itself, but all indications point to the first patent issued to Elijah Bond (above). Although Bond received the first patent, the board and pointer were "re-invented" a little more than a year later by William Fuld.

Fuld continued to improve the design, receiving 20 patents and trademarks in 3 countries, until ironically he died in 1927... ironic I say, as his death resulted from a fall off the roof of one of his Board factories. The business continued to be run by his children until they sold it lock, stock and barrel to Parker Brothers in 1966.


The Board
Despite the many different appearances the board itself can have, all Ouija Boards consist of the alphabet, the numerals 1-0 (0-9) and spiritual symbols. The symbols appear to be more decorative than not, but if you're planning to make your own board, it is suggested that you research the symbols and only include symbols that represent personal feelings and beliefs. The patented versions also include "Yes", "No" and "Good-Bye" (or a variation).

The Planchette
The Planchette is a what makes it all happen. It is a small wooden or plastic pointer which is used to spell out words to formulate a message. Simple yes or no questions may be answered by the Planchette pointing to "Yes" or "No" respectively. When the Planchette points, or normally slides off the board at the word "Good-Bye", this is an indication that the "game" is over.

How To "Play"

As depicted by this Saturday Evening Post cover from 1920, the board is placed between (usually) 2 people. My personal experience is that it "works" best when "played" by a male and a female. The Planchette is placed in the middle of the board. Each person LIGHTLY rests their fingertips on the Planchette and a question is asked. The Planchette will begin to move around the board to answer the question - by spelling the answer or by other means.


Just a game ?
Obviously, talking boards have always been marketed as a toy - a "parlor amusement" or "party game". I imagine sales would have been slow if they were marketed as "Ghost Boards" or Seance Boards", which is what many (myself included) believe they can be. And it is this very controversy that helped heighten their popularity over the years.

The "scientific" explanation of how the board "works" is derived form Adolphus Wagner's "psychograph" claim. It rationalizes that the questions are answered in a person's subconscious and their own energy directs the Planchette to answer the question on the board.

The spiritual explanation is that the board is a tool for contacting the spirit world and acts as a means for those spirits to communicate with us. Obviously, it depends on your beliefs and mind-set, but I personally subscribe to this train of thought - and it would certainly explain the use of similar "devices" in ancient times by peoples of extremely spiritual civilizations.

I won't push my beliefs on you but will share a question that the board answered for me. At 13 or 14 years old and all my family still alive, I was certainly "using" the board as a game - although I do recall being "somewhat" scared to delve deeper - but NOT nearly as scared as the friends I was "playing" with.

Anyway, innocently I asked who I would marry. The "board" told me when (although I don't recall) and said that her name would be Noreva and that she would be from Norway. No, none of it actually came true BUT.... I find it hard to believe that my subconscious answered that question having never even heard the name Noreva until that point in my life.... and I surely would have chosen a Swedish Bikini Team member...

Also worthy of note is that there are MANY documented stories by prominent people either warning of the powers of the Ouija based on personal experience and/or claim that the spirits you contact are "wolves in sheep's clothing" pretending to be friendly for the purpose of taking over your soul.

Others praise it's power, - using the board to solve otherwise unsolvable crimes, write songs or poems (even books) or recovering from alcoholism and/or depression based on what the board told them.

Mystical, mythical or simply marketing techniques? That's for you to decide. But, there must be a reason that Christian religions have denounced the use of and even the ownership of a talking board saying it's use is communication with demons., and claiming it is forbidden in the Bible. The movie "Witchboard" (of COURSE I saw it.. and NOT just for Tawny Kitaen) obviously helped precipitate such rhetoric.

So, whether or not you're a believer is up to you. But, a word to the wise... if you ever own a Ouija Board..... DO NOT BURN IT !!! You never know what can happen...



Although there are a bazillion sites concerning the board (I had up to 20 tabs open at once), I'll share the ones that had the most profound impact on my research..

Wikipedia - OBVIOUSLY !!!
OccultBlogger.com - although not very active posting, definitely was a help to get me started
DragonOak.com - phenomenal display of hand-crafted boards, altars, wands etc - for sale
WilliamFuld.com - INSTRUMENTAL for anyone with an interest
Witchboard World - Dan Whitaker's site and personal collection - even offers an iPhone app
AllAboutTheOccult.org - um, YEAH I'll be visiting this site often

Come Inside...