Answer - Tell - Pray

It's fitting Harry Houdini died on Halloween. In 1926, after a student tested Houdini's abs of steel with repeated blows, Houdini wound up in the hospital with what looked like a ruptured appendix. Many believe Houdini had appendicitis before the student punched him in the gut, but was too stubborn to seek medical attention. 

Before his death, Houdini asked to be buried in a bronze casket along with letters written from his mother. He also left a secret code with his beloved wife, Bess, and said if she ever held a seance that he would make his presence known with the code, which was later revealed to be:

 Rosabelle- answer- tell- pray, answer- look- tell- answer, answer- tell.

The name Rosabelle came from a song that Bess sang when she and Houdini first met. The other words related to secret messages used between a magician and assistant during an act. Apparently each word corresponds to a letter, which ultimately spells out the word "believe". 

Every Halloween, Bess would try to contact her famous husband, but to no avail. Finally, after ten years, she threw in the towel, announcing: "My last hope is gone. I do not believe that Houdini can come back to me, or to anyone...The Houdini Shrine has burned for ten years. I now, reverently... turn out the light. It is finished. Good night, Harry!"

Even so, every Halloween there have been seances to try and contact the escape artist. As part of their "31 Days of Halloween", Atlas Obscura has some nice photos of Houdini's gravesite here.  

Cheesecloth Ghosts

I found this easy project over at Martha Stewart. It requires styrofoam heads (they've freaked me out since I was a kid and my father had one to support his hair piece), cheesecloth, glue, and screws. The result is cool and creepy. Seeing these guys floating between the backyard trees is going to be a treat, not to mention it will spook the kids at my Halloween party this year. . .

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven

I write book reviews and the book I'm reading now is called A Funny Thing Happened on the way to Heaven: (Or, How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process). The title alone made me pick it out for review. When I got it in the mail I was surprised to learn it was written by lead singer of Slipknot, Corey Taylor. I was a little hesitant as I started the book, hoping it wasn't going to be a maudlin, over-the-top, in-your-face-motherfucker! account of this guy's run ins with ghosts. Well it is, but it's brilliantly funny and smart as well.

Taylor recounts in chilling detail the encounters he's had, beginning at a young age, with things that go bump in the night. I'm not done with the book yet, but so far I've read about a horrifying abandoned house in the woods that he and his friends broke into when he was a kid, a haunted mansion in the Hollywood Hills where Slipknot recorded one of their albums (and where he ran into a ghost butler while naked in the shower), and his own houses that have included odd things like a shadow man that followed around his then three-year-old son.

Because Taylor writes with such zest and wit, I'm too busy laughing to be scared. But after I put the book down, I start thinking about the stories he's shared. That shadow man, in particular, forced me to leave the hall light on last night.

American Horror Story Episode 2 Tonight

FX's new drama, American Horror Story, about a haunted house and its new occupants, is on tonight. I have to say I'm really looking forward to it after watching last week's premier. I was a bit wary at first. It looked like it could wind up cheesy or creepy. Well, it's both. And it works.

Its over-the-top antics and clichés will probably turn off a lot of people, but once I started watching I couldn't stop, even though I was aware of what the writers were doing. AHS plays off of many horror movie stereotypes and pays homage to well-known horror films such as The Shining, It, The Amityville Horror, AND it has Dylan McDermott naked. A lot. Not a big surprise since Ryan Murphy, creator of Nip Tuck, is behind this one.

The Washington Post has this to say about AHS:

The “American Horror Story” pilot has aired on FX. And anyone who watched thinks it’s either the worst, most jumbled, depraved excuse for television ever, or a brilliantly audacious, twistedly compelling piece of work.


I couldn't agree more. I'm intrigued. What is with the gimp suit? What about Jessica Lange acting like a nutjob with hair that looks like a baked good has been sewn into her head? What's up with that bizarro daughter of hers? Is the guy with the half-melted face real or a ghost? And what about that phantom maid?

If you don't know what I'm referring to, you should really tune in.

Ghosts in the Museum?

My sister is a keeper at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. For years she's been telling me that weird things happen there - elevators with minds of their own, strange noises, sights in the basement and galleries, etc. Recently a surveillance camera in the Etruscan gallery where she works caught a ghostly figure. Check it out below:

On October 22, the Young Friends of the Museum will couple up with The Free Spirit Paranormal Investigators to investigate the unexplained happenings.  Read more here.

Bookish Spirits

I stumbled across this site dedicated to Willard Library, the oldest, still-functioning public library in Indiana. The library, built in 1885, is situated in a large Gothic Victorian house that is rumored to be haunted. The library's site, "Library Ghost" has three cameras set up for viewers to scout out spirits. The most seen apparition is a woman in grey that has been spotted wandering the children's reading room.

This begs the question: What are these spirits reading? If you were to come back as a ghost and haunt a library, what would you pick up off the shelves one more time?

Jesus Christ Superstar

The Daily Mirror reported today that a French photographer named Luc Perrot captured an image that looks like Jesus in the clouds on a mountain above Reunion Island, which is known for its religious reputation. Perrot said:

"As I looked up, I noticed a shadow floating on clouds surrounded by a rainbow. It took me by complete surprise."

A Kinder, Gentler GAC

Has anyone noticed how much Zak Bagans has toned down his act when confronting the other side?  Instead of a spray-tanned bit bull, he's now an orange pussy cat. The guys, who were hilarious to begin with, seem to have clearly caught on to the fact that they are entertainers.  I think they may take their show on the road as some sort of ghost busting, comedy team.

This past episode of Ghost Adventures that took place in Newcastle, PA at Hill View Manor (a former retirement home where hundreds of people died), was a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It starts with Zak sporting a pair of shades, petting a darling, sandy-colored puppy in a field outside the building.

Zak and the cute owner of the place, named Candy (she had eyebrows that would make Divine jealous), flirted it up as she gave him a tour of the place. She said she had her butt pinched by a ghost and kind of liked it. Meanwhile, Aaron tripped over a pipe repeatedly, much to the mockery of Zak. Zak's expression as Aaron trips a second time was one of pure douche-baggery.

Candy O, those eyebrows!

When they got down to the basement, Zak exclaimed that it made him want to curl up with a sleeping bag and "listen to some Kenny G."  Really? Not Nine Inch Nails or Ministry, Zak?

We also got to see Zak play piano on an out-of-tune piano. And they had fun with a shot of a wheel chair flying down a staircase repeatedly, which channeled The Changeling.

My favorite line of the episode? When they got to a place in the building where an angry lunch lady worked, Aaron backed it up and said, "Now I'm sitting on the mashed potatoes."

Another funny Aaronism occurred when he asked if the spirit of Jim liked the food in the cafeteria: "Did you guys ever have anything that blew your mind that you loved so much? Did you like the spaghetti and meatballs she made? I heard it's pretty gooood."

When they get to the roof where two suicides took place, Zak claimed they weren't up there to "get a sun tan." No tan needed, Zak. I promise.

Around the building sits a big golf course, built over human remains. This can mean only one thing: The Ghost Adventures Invitational golf game!  All the guys sported polo shirts. Zak wore an orange one that matched his face. They raced around in golf carts and hit balls all over the place, even making fun of themselves when Zak debunked that Nick hit a ball 450 yards by using their high-definition cameras.

Nick's mysterious 450-yard-hit

My favorite part of the whole golf diversion was the droopy caddy who stood off to the side and held the scores like he'd rather be sucking on a tail pipe.  Zak won the game. Big surprise there. Later, Aaron said, "Just to let you know, I lost on purpose just so Zak looked good on film. That's what I do." This is why we love you, Aaron.

During their lock down, there were a lot of whispery EVPs I didn't really get. The guys used their spirit box, which didn't reveal anything I thought that impressive, despite the fact that Nick and Zak were losing it over stringing some sentences together that was supposed to mean something about something. Whatever. Yawn.
The one EVP that really creeped me out was the one I can't remember, of course. It was clear as day and very human-sounding.

There was footage of an orb in a hallway that looked credible. We also got lots of shots of Zak's meaty forearms with goosebumps and hair standing on end.

When Zak believed he communicated with a guy named Jim, he addressed him in a much different way than the old, pit bull Zak would have. Instead of saying, "Hey Jim, you motherfucker, come out and git us!" he said:

"Sir, I think you talked to me and emotionally that kind of hit me a little bit. . . I want to say thank you for communicating with us. I guess it's just the interaction."

Awwww Zak, you big pussy.

Later, he and Nick get a ghost speaking to them in their spirit box that Zak called "a smart ass." Payback is a bitch, isn't it, Zak?
*smooch*

Nice Orbs

I went to Lancaster County with my sister and best friend last week. Over the weekend, we took a ghost tour that gave an interesting history of the area, filled with lots of gory tidbits.

While taking the tour, we caught some orbs floating around the areas we stopped at.  The most prominent one?  The orb hovering right over our tour guide's crotch!

small orb hovers in the upper right-hand corner of this building

some orbs in front of the theater we stopped at

orb in front of a brick building

orbs in an alley way

 orb above my head and right over my camera case (in my hand) while we were striking our spooky pose

orb hovering to the left of cat and in-between her and Lynn

 more hovering orbs

 orbs abound!

This is a close-up of an orb shot in front of a window. Even though I know it was probably a reflection, the light anomaly in the right window freaks me out because it looks like a small, evil face. 

Drum Roll please. . .

 the crotch orb!

ATTN JIM:  If you're reading this, please send me your amazing orb shot at Eastern State Penn!

Photo of the Week - Dark Figure on CT Trolley Tracks

My friend sent me this story about a mysterious figure in black that appeared on the Connecticut Trolley Museum tracks. A guy was out taking photos at dusk and later discovered this figure in the picture (along with a couple others). It was later learned that a cemetery has been relocated near the rail line. . .

Happy Booday, Thom Yorke!

Today was Thom Yorke's birthday. Thom has stated that he is a believer in ghosts.

OK Computer was recorded  in Jane Seymour's 15th century mansion that Thom claimed was haunted. About the recording in the house, Thom told Spin in 1998: "When we actually stopped playing music there was just pure silence. Open the wind - nothing. A completely unnatural silence. Note even birds singing.: The band stated that something in the house began interfering with their recording, rewinding and turning on and off tape machines. 

It is known that a "mysterious lady in blue" scared one of the gardeners off the property, and that reportedly there is also a ghost dog who barks and brushes up against people in the house. Perfect setting for the lovely, haunting feel of OK.

Thom has also stated that he once lived in a house with "creaking stairs, slippy stairs, attic stairs. . . "
He also claimed that "Morning Bell" was inspired by living in a haunted house.

"a bump on the head
howling down the chimney
release me. . . release me. . ."

There are also a host of other Radiohead songs that inspire the shivers.  One of my favorites of these is "The Gloaming":

"Genie let out of the bottle
It is now the witching hour. . ."

Also, the dark, atmospheric sound and lyrics of "Climbing up the Walls" are deliciously spooky:

"I am the key to the lock in your house
that keeps your toys in the basement
and if you get too far inside
you'll only see my reflection. . ."

Boo to you, Mr. Yorke!

Photo of the Week - Creepy Hands on a Hard Body

On the Coast to Coast website, a spooky photo caught my attention. Paula Dodge submitted a photo of two strange hand prints that manifested on her car while she visited a cemetery in Jacksonville, OR. As she looked for the headstone of a friend who had passed away, her sister sat in the car, unaware that anything was amiss.

When Paula gave up after not finding the grave site of her friend, she went back to the car to find a set of dusty hand prints :

"Thinking it could have been dust sticking to some previous stickiness already on the door I swiped a finger through it and the dust came right up - you can see where I swiped it in the picture in the left hand print.

As you can see, if a person had made the impression they would have had to been laying across the top of the car, or backed into it with hands behind their back. We've speculated that the gesture the hands are in is the heart sign... or the one I like best is the AA triangle symbol. The woman whose grave I was visiting was a recovering alcoholic."

GAC Returns to The Portal 'a Hell

The guys from Ghost Adventures returned to the infamous Bobby Mackey's in Wilder, KY on Friday's episode. This is the place that was responsible for Zak's infamous yell: "If this is the portal 'a hell, then why don't you come up out of there and get us!"

Zak, Nick, and Aaron all believe that whatever entities reside in Mackey's followed them home after the first filming there and eventually destroyed Aaron's marriage. 

In 2009, the guys arranged a Ghost Adventure fan trip to Bobby Mackey's where they also included a Bishop.  My husband's friend has a friend who attended and also attested that something from the place followed him home as well (he was actually on Friday's episode). 

So why not return a third time to a place so evil it threatened their lives and those close to them?  I mean, come on, it's a freakin' party, right?   

No doubt in my mind that something dark lurks inside the honky tonk club. There was footage of the caretaker's original exorcism from years back that was creepy. Despite the spooky bits, I did think the EVPs and the repetition of the guys' names were a bit much, especially when the disembodied spirit voice called Zak out on his fear of heights. 

Speaking of which, Zak was working it big time. He looked at the camera like he wanted to screw it and kill it at the same time, all while spray-tanned a toasty burnt orange that would make any disembodied spirit cringe.

A Mental Hospital and a Big, Pink Boat! Ghost Adventures in Rolling Hills Asylum

Ahhhh, Ghost Adventures. On Friday night's episode, the guys went to Rolling Hills Asylum in Bethany, NY, which once housed orphans, homeless mothers and their children, and the criminally insane. Such a messed-up mix, of course, leads to a vast buffet of paranormal energy.

One of the orphans was Roy - a man who suffered from giantism. Tragically, his father dropped him off one day at Rolling Hills when Roy was 12 and never came back for him. Roy spent fifty years in the place and eventually died there. When GAC did their lock down, they captured two very convincing photographs of a giant figure.

Also present? An evil nurse named Emmy, who dabbled in the black arts. Ooooo, you can imagine the creepy EVPs the guys captured. Some were a little hard to decipher, but some were so clear they made me jumpy, especially a scream heard by Nick while he was alone in Nurse Emmy's former room.

In another memorable part of the episode, Aaron got a face full of spider web, which later turned out may have been little slaps around his face. Aaron also caught a slamming, metal door on camera.

I was watching the episode late at night alone and was sure I saw a white flash of light appear to the left of my face. Oh, how I love the creeps of the GAC!

Of course, the show wouldn't be complete without the guys' entertaining side excursions. This time? River rafting near Niagara Falls in a "big, pink boat."

Dude, who's scared of a big, pink boat??

Zak says: "Does the boat match my lip gloss?"

**On a side note, check out this guy's blog post. He talks about filming with GAC and has some incredible behind-the-scenes photos of taping the Rolling Hills episode.

JAPAN'S SUICIDE FOREST

My friend sent me an interesting article by Zac Davisson about a place called Aokigahara in Japan at the base of Mt. Fuji known as "Suicide Woods." It gets its moniker because so many people end their lives there. Japanese author Wataru Tsurumui wrote a bestselling book, "The Complete Manual of Suicide" in which he describes Aokigahara as "the perfect place to die."


Bodies are consistently being taken out of the woods, some found with Tsurumuni's book. Signs that warn: "Please reconsider" and "Please consult the police before you decide to die!" are nailed to trees throughout the forest. The signs, however, do little to deter those who are bent on doing themselves in. There are also those who wander in, out of interest, and get lost, never to return.



An excerpt from the article:
Aokigahara is considered the most haunted location in all of Japan, a purgatory for yurei, the unsettled ghosts of Japan who have been torn unnaturally soon from their lives and who howl their suffering on the winds. Spiritualists say that the trees themselves are filled with a malevolent energy, accumulated from centuries of suicides. They don't want you to go back out.

There's also an excellent article from The Independent about it here.

MORE GETTYSBURG ORB PHOTOS

Mike W. who is responsible for the story below, caught some orb pictures on the Gettysburg battlefields, eerily similar to the ones my friends and I caught. Check them out:

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK: SEEING THINGS

My husband's friend sent this story my way. In the 90s, two people living in a haunted house in Los Angeles began communicating with the ghost in residence named "Wright" through Polaroid photos.


Here is an excerpt of the story from the official site:

On Friday, February 5, 1993, the Fox TV reality show SIGHTINGS examined what may be a landmark discovery in parapsychology: convincing evidence that ghosts exist and can actually communicate with us. Two residents of an old house in the hills of Los Angeles began receiving ghostly messages in Polaroid photographs. The pair started taking photos inside the house in the hope of obtaining a picture of the entity they believed haunted the house.

After first capturing a ghostly image on film, the men discovered that if they asked questions about the entity and why it was inhabiting their house, words and messages appeared in response on their film. So far, more than 1000 photos have captured messages – photos taken not only by the residents but by paranormal researchers and other outsiders. A photographic expert at Polaroid has no explanation for the messages. An expert at California’s Brooks Institute of Photography can suggest an explanation, but it requires a lengthy set up process and hours of lab work.

The ghost or spirit calls himself “WRIGHT”. He shows signs of erudition and intelligence, writing many of his messages in Latin. The ghost first appeared on film in March 1992 after one of the residents kept hearing unexplained noises throughout the house. After a door opened mysteriously, he took a series of photos, several of which revealed a classic ghost-like shape, including dark shadows at the eyes and mouth. The messages began to appear on film in June 1992. The first was in response to a friend’s question about the ghost, “Is he here now?” The photo revealed a barely discernible “yes” in cloudy white shapes. After that, the writing became far more legible.

There are two videos on the site, one of which I'm posting below.




You can buy the book of photographs here.

There will be a gallery showing of the photos at DRKRM Gallery in LA from October 25 - November 2. The gallery address is:

2121 San Fernando Road Suite 3
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Tel 323.223.6867

A DVD is forthcoming. Looks like good stuff!

FUNNY REVIEW OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

My friend sent me this very humorous review of Paranormal Activity. As far as the "that was it?" comment, I have disagree. I found the end of the film terrifying!!

WARNING: If you haven't seen the movie, there are a few slight spoilers here.


In the spirit of found-footage horror (see: The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, REC), an increasingly popular mode whose weaknesses and strengths are exemplified by Paranormal Activity, I am forgoing a more traditional review. Instead, I present to you the notes I made while screening the film. “White people.” “Boring white people.” “Will they ever shut up?” “Do they ever go to work?”

“Jesus Christ, where are the fucking ghosts?” “I was promised ghosts.” “They're sleeping. This isn't scary.” “More talking.” “Ghosts goddammit, I want ghosts!” “These actors are really good at pretending to be people I'd never want to be stuck in an elevator with.” “Finally, a fucking ghost.” “Oh shit, that was kinda scary.” “A demon, not a ghost.” “More inane blather.” “Idea: horror film about a demon who torments deaf-mutes.”

“Pretty scared now, actually.” “Making this note because I'm too scared to look at the screen.” “Sorta relieved that so much of this movie is just talking, as I did not bring an extra pair of underwear.” “This is too much.” “Mommy.” “Will anyone notice if I throw up?” “I don't like this.” “Chris, you'll get through this.” “Wait, that was it?” “Happy I did not piss my pants.” “Kinda bummed I did not piss my pants.” R. CHRIS STAMM

ORBS OF DEVIL'S DEN

I went to Gettysburg again this weekend, this time with my sister, Lynn, and friend, Cat. We drove around the battlefield and went to Devil's Den after dark. After Cat captured some impressive orb photos (I will post them in a later entry), we started aiming and shooting, and got some orbs of light.

First, a little history of the place from HauntedHouses.com:

Devil's Den can be found west of Little Round Top, in the Triangular Field, called the valley of death, as it became a "slaughter field." It is considered the most haunted spot in the Park. It is no wonder as not only are Phantom soldiers and apparitions often seen here, but Indian Warriors as well.

Devil's Den, besides being a hot spot in this battle, also was the scene years before of the huge Battle of the Crows. War Hoops and apparitions of dead warriors had been seen in this area years before this Civil War Battle. The creepiness and strangeness of this huge piling of boulders which create deep crevices and mazes already had an infamous reputation before the Union and Confederate troops used it as a position.

Devil's Den is a pile of rocks that long-haired confederate calvarymen from Georgia and Texas fought fiercely for and finally drove the Union forces out, after suffering many casualties, as they fought their way across Triangular Field to Devil's Den.

After the 3 day Battle of Gettysburg ended and the lucky ones who survived the fight for Devil's Den, retreated with Lee, the Union forces found the seemingly endless numbers of bodies in the valley and on the boulders. Many were not buried but thrown down the deep crevices of the rocks, as they were already rotting. The lucky ones were buried days / weeks later.

Visitors and Park Rangers have seen the apparitions of sharpshooters among the tree line of Triangular Field and have heard phantom sounds of gunshots and drum rolls coming from the wooded area of this field.

Read more here.

Our orb shots at Devil's Den:

Dust? It's possible, but we were pointing and shooting repeatedly getting nothing in one shot and dots of light in the next frame, then nothing again in the subsequent shot.

DISNEYLAND HAUNTED?

A video has been added to Youtube depicting the "ghost of Disneyland." Video of the being walking through the park was captured by four security cameras after the park was closed.

For years, people have been saying that the theme park has been haunted, some saying it's visited by the spirit of Walt Disney himself. Many employees have attested to witnessing the ghost, especially in the past six months.

I watched the video and have to say it's interesting. Ghost? Who knows. Eerie? Yes, indeed.