"Halloween ~ Spirits Among the Living"

Well that scary time of year is once again upon us and we all know what I am referring to right? I am indeed speaking about "Halloween" ~ that one night of the year when everybody likes to dress up in costumes as ghosts, goblins, vampires or some other creature/character and go door to door yelling "trick or treat!" , though mainly children are the ones doing this in the hopes that they reap a large reward of candy and treats at the end of the night. (Alas, to be a kid again.....)

As adults, the majority of us may fins ourselves out with our children keeping them company, staying home to hand out treats (and the odd poisoned apple and syringe - just kidding!) to the kids so elegantly dressed in their costumes or perhaps attending some sort of Halloween event whether it be a costume party, private seance or perhaps even a paranormal investigation. (I personally prefer the latter, though I have been known to dress up in costume once in a while!)

How many people out there actually know the true origins of Halloween? Well, allow me to enlighten you a little bit. The origins of Halloween in fact go back 2000 years to an ancient Celtic festival known as "Samhain" (pronounced "sow-in", or in the Gaelic "sav-in) which for the Celts marked the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of winter; summer brought nicer weather and the harvest while winter brought with it cold, darkness and even death. Given the fact that the ancient Celts marked their New Year on the 1st of November, it was their belief that on the eve prior (31st of October) the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest and that the spirits of the dead returned to earth to roam amongst them.

The ancient Celts felt that the presence of these spirits would make it easier for the Celtic priests (or 'Druids') to make their predictions of the future and the coming year ahead as well as cause damage to the crops/harvest among other troublesome things and occurrences. The ancient Celts would dress up in costumes (usually animal heads and skins) whilst gathering around large, sacred bonfires. This Celtic festival of the dead was eventually influenced by Christianity and the arrival of the conquering Romans around 40 A.D. who celebrated their festival known as 'Feralia', commemorating the passing of the dead.

The Catholic Church (under the leadership of Pope Bonafice IV) eventually incorporated "All Saints' Day" festivities (which was known in Middle English as "Alholowmesse", which became "All-Hallowmass" which became "All Hallows" and eventually Halloween, the term we use today).

There are many great resources available to those who wish to learn more on the origins of Halloween as I have not gone into great length here ~ though interesting to know that it has been celebrated for thousands of years throughout history.

Once thing is for certain ~ on this day the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is definitely at its thinnest. Keeping this in mind, regardless of what you end up doing tonight just know that the wind you hear blowing through the trees or the strange howling sound you hear from off in the distance may very well be an indication of the presence of the spirits of the dead whom on this night, walk amongst us.

Have a safe and terrifying night ~ Happy Halloween.

"Paranormal Activity" ~ A Demonic Theatre Experience

There has been a lot of hype and publicity as of lately in regards to a new movie that has just been released in theatres entitled "Paranormal Activity". The film, shot entirely on a very low budget of roughly $15,000 US is currently the talk of the town

so to speak, and has had movie-goers utterly terrified and spooked to the core since its release into theatres.

Due to my curiosity with this low-budget film, I decided to go and check it out for myself (along with a good friend of mine and an Amsterdam Blonde) to see what all the hype is about surrounding this film. I had no idea what was in store for me as a member of the audience, but was quickly going to find out. And find out I certainly did.

The movie (filmed entirely as a "home video") started off rather slow at the beginning and details the seemingly ordinary lives of a young couple living in San Diego, California. The couple has been experiencing some "strange phenomena" in their house for some time so the boyfriend in the film purchases himself a fancy, high-tech video camera (not unlike the cameras used in television studios or on location shoots in broadcasting) and decides to begin documenting some of the strange household occurrences on film. His girlfriend doesn't seem all that thrilled with the idea and as the story progresses day by day she willingly admits that she has been plagued by paranormal occurrences ever since she was a young girl. (You think she would have mentioned that to her boyfriend when they began dating.....silly sow!)

The majority of the "paranormal activity" (an aptly named movie, wonder who the genius was that thought of this title?) seems to occur during the night while the couple is sleeping in their bed ~ with camera rolling the audience begins to see some of these strange occurrences; starting off with footsteps up the stairs and in the hallway outside the bedroom, to scratching on the wall, to very loud bangs that wake the couple with a fright! Scary enough, right? Well it gets better.

The woman in the film begins to get very uncomfortable with what is going on and quite frankly, she is terrified. The activity begins to escalate, and the boyfriend decides to sprinkle baby-power on the floor one night and leave the camera running ~ only to find beastly footprints the next morning. The woman believes that a diabolical entity (demon) is to blame for what is happening, and that it is after her soul. The activity continues to escalate, getting worse and worse to the point where she begins to be attacked while she is sleeping. I don't want to go into too much detail for those who have not yet seen the movie, but let me tell you it did leave me with a rather unsettling feeling at the end. Very disturbing, but also very well done for a couple of amateurs.

Spirits and ghosts of departed people are one thing, but when it comes to demonic entities it changes the playing field completely and is truly terrifying. These things do exist, and these occurrences do happen more than we may realize.

So for those of you who like to dabble with Ouija Boards once in a while my best advice to you is DON'T. Stop now, before it's too late and be careful what you wish for!! Demonic possession is not something you want in your life, believe me. And for those of you who are expecting a big-budget Hollywood scare from this film, then you will be disappointed. Go and see it for yourself, but keep an open mind and don't expect too much.

Then go home after seeing this film and have a good night sleep. If you can.

The Custom's House ~ Haunted Hamilton Ghostly Tour & Spirit Invocation

This past Saturday, October 10th, 2009 I decided to take yet another trip out to Hamilton, ON to attend another "Ghost Walk & Tour" courtesy of Dan & Stephanie Cumerlato of Haunted Hamilton. This particular tour was held at The Custom's House in Hamilton's north end and the difference between this tour and the vast majority of the others was the fact that it it started at 12 midnight (also known as "the witching hour").

The Custom's House is a very beautiful, old building (built circa 1858) and is notorious for it's haunting(s) and resident spirit(s) ~ the building itself is said to be haunted by 'The Dark Lady', a young woman who was murdered well over 100 years ago by a sadistic, mean, evil ship captain who took the young woman's life in a rage, and then buried her remains in the brick wall of the vault, located in the basement of this old building.

First off, I was quite amazed by the rather large number of paranormal enthusiasts that came out for this ghostly event, it certainly made for a "busy" evening. Everyone was gathered into the main hall of the Custom's House where we all took a seat around the perimeter of the room, as well everyone one was given a white candle to hold. In the centre of the room was a small table with lit candles and other decorative items like skulls etc. to help add to the "atmosphere" of the room, and that it did indeed.

After a brief introduction by Stephanie & Daniel Cumerlato, we were introduced to Ghost Guide George who began the evening's festivities with a history of the building along with the help of Lady Elizabeth ~ they then passed around their lit candles to everyone in the room so that we could all light our individual candles, which in turn began the "Spirit Invocation". The purpose of the candles is to surround everyone in 'white light' for protection, and ask the spirits' permission for all present to be there. This was quite an intense moment, as an eerie silence fell over the room ~ all 130+ people quiet, ad focused on what George & Elizabeth were saying.

We were then divided up into two large groups to commence out tour of the Custom's House. The tour itself lasted for roughly 90 minutes or so, with chilling tales and stories of the ghostly goings-on relayed by our Ghost Guide George, complete with his black cape and Victorian Top Hat, and a fantastic actor as well. (Lady Elizabeth is also a fantastic actress, as she conducted a previous tour at The Hermitage Ruins in Ancaster).

I would definitely recommend a tour of this grand building with the people of Haunted Hamilton, it is well worth it, especially if you have an interest in the paranormal such as myself. I am currently still analyzing my photos from that night, perhaps I will come across some strange anomalies, who knows. Once again, if you do decide to take the ghostly tour of Hamilton's Custom's House, bring a camera and an open mind.

You never know what may be lurking around the corner or beside you for that matter. Sleep well tonight.

That Spooky Time of Year.......

Ah yes it's indeed that time of year again when the warm, humid weather and sunshine seem to just disappear and go into hiding, being quickly (very quickly!) replaced with cool, cloudy, rainy and blustery weather that we all know as Autumn or Fall.

The Fall is in fact my favourite time of year for several reasons; firstly I was born at the beginning of October which holds special meaning to me, I absolutely love the changing of the leaves to vibrant oranges, reds and yellows along with the smell in the air of wood fires burning somewhere ~ perfect for those long country drives (which I tend to do quite often, or as often as possible and perhaps even stop at a local paranormal hot spot or two!!). Finally, the coming of Fall also means that Halloween is fast approaching and is one of my favourite days of the year!!

Yes we all love a good ghost story once in a while, do we not? Speaking of ghost stories, I just recently finished reading the latest compilation by author John Robert Colombo, entitled 'The Big Book of Canadian Ghost Stories' which in and of itself was a fantastic collection of told as true ghost stories from the past as well as the present. If you are interested in stories of the creepy kind, I would strongly suggest picking up this book and giving it a read ~ I personally had a hard time putting it down.

There are all types of books out there about the Paranormal, which reminds me I just picked up a few more books today, one of them written by author & psychic Michelle Belanger (who you may remember from her several appearances on A&E's TV Show "Paranormal State", featuring the Penn State University's Paranormal Research Society. I will definitely let you know what I thought about the book once I have finished reading it ~ also, there are a wealth of on-line websites dedicated to ghost stories and paranormal events all over the world ~ I would urge you to check some of them out, they make for good bed-time reading (that is if you can handle it, and not become to frightened!!).

Until my next blog post I bid you good evening and remember, when you think you are alone, you just might have company. Hehehe.

Sleep tight.

"The Hermitage Ruins, Ancaster, ON ~ A Haunted Hamilton Evening with Spirits"

I had the privilege of spending the majority of my evening last night with the wonderful folks at Haunted Hamilton on one of their very popular walking ghost tours (and apparently one of the most active paranormal hot spots!) in the small town of Ancaster, Ontario at the reportedly very haunted Hermitage Ruins. {The town of Ancaster is is in fact the third oldest community in Ontario next to the City of Kingston and the beautiful yet quaint Town of Niagara-On-The-Lake}

Our tour guide for the evening was the lovely "Lady Elizabeth" who with her black shawl and dimly-lit oil lantern guided our small group of roughly ten people along the dark, wet trails through the forest and eventually to the site of the Hermitage Ruins, all the while telling us chilling tales and ghostly stories associated with the ruins and the surrounding area of Ancaster.

The rain was quite heavy and constant at the onset of the tour, though it did eventually let up at points throughout the evening. Needless to say, the foul, damp weather certainly added to the ambiance and the atmosphere for all who were present, ever so slightly increasing the creep-factor of our ghostly tour.

As the tour got under way, our guide Lady Elizabeth would have us stop at points along the dark, eerie trails to tell us ghostly tales and stories, and accounts of the supernatural which I must say she did very well! Once we arrived at the entrance to the Hermitage Ruins we proceeded together as a group onto the site which was, at first-glance, a marvelous looking structure even as it is today (what is left of it anyway) and there certainly is an "aura" about it; I could definitely feel "something" in the air around me, and surrounding the ruins, that's for sure. At this point I decided to take out my digital camera and began snapping pictures at will, ultimately hoping to at least catch something strange or paranormal.

{Be careful what you wish for, it may come true!}

Now there were several experiences that happened to certain individuals with in my group over the course of the tour; one person actually complained of feeling "suddenly ill" while myself and another gentleman thought that at one point we could smell the faint aroma of a cigarette or cigar even though nobody around us was smoking; a few others thought they could hear what sounded like someone walking around in the dense forest around the perimeter of the grounds, nowhere near us or any of the other tour groups for that matter. Hmmmm, makes you wonder.

Our tour lasted for approximately 90 minutes or so, perhaps even a little bit longer after which we were led back towards the trail to the parking lot by our ever-so-lovely guide Lady Elizabeth (I keep wanting to say Lady Evelyn for some reason.......). I have to say one thing, she certainly did a wonderful job and helped to make the experience a truly eerie yet enjoyable one!

Now I come to today ~ after a good night's sleep I decided to upload the pictures I had taken at the Hermitage Ruins to the computer in order to get a good look at them, hopefully catching something paranormal. Well let me tell you, I certainly got more than I bargained for!!!
After close analysis of all the pictures, I noticed that I had captured some images that are truly creepy and somewhat disturbing to say the least!

I won't go into too much detail on the pictures, but I will be posting a few of them on this site for anyone to look at for themselves. I captured many "Spirit Orbs" in several photographs, but the 2 most disturbing photos are what appears to be a sinister looking apparition of a male figure peering out the window of the Icehouse (hard to see but when zoomed in you can actually make out the eyes, nose, chin, body etc.) as well what appears to be two clearly distinct ghostly faces in one of the group shots ~ creepy as hell!!

All in all, it was well worth the trip out to the Hamilton area for this ghost tour and if you haven't experienced anything like this I would strongly recommend it! I would also like to thank Dan & Stephanie of Haunted Hamilton and the lovely Lady Elizabeth for providing a wonderful evening of entertainment.

For more information, you can follow the Haunted Hamilton link that I have posted in my Links section on this site. Remember, we are never alone ~ if you do end up taking this or any of the other tours I strongly suggest a raincoat, good walking shoes, a flashlight, and an open-mind.

Sleep well.

An Unexplained Occurance ~ My Personal Account

I just want to take some time here today and tell you about an unexplained occurrence that happened to me just last, and actually came to fruition a few days ago. My family, including my parents hail from Glasgow, Scotland and for centuries the Scottish have been known for their superstitious beliefs and psychical abilities.

No one in my immediate family has "the gift of psychic ability" as far as I am aware but growing up I've always been told stories of or relating to family members and strange happenings, most of them unexplained and quite amazing to hear about.

Roughly a week and a half ago, my mother and I were chatting and walking through the living room (in my mother's house) toward the back door to go and sit outside on the back patio as it was a beautiful day. Against the wall leading to the back door, is a large antique "stereo/credenza" with framed pictures on it as well as a few other nick-knacks. As my mother and I passed by it, we heard a thump/bang and my mother turned around to see what it was that had made the noise and startled us both.

She noticed that one of the pictures on top of the credenza/stereo had fallen over ~ immediately my mother said to me "uh oh, it's our picture and this means that someone in the picture has just died or is going to die". I sort of laughed and chuckled when she said this, as it was just another silly superstition in my mum's family; I thought nothing at all of it.

(Now I should explain who is in the picture: the black and white photograph is of 7 individuals, all of whom are on my mother's side of the family ~ my mother, her grandmother, another woman, her cousin John, and 2 of her sisters....if I am correct.)

Anyway, 2 days ago I received a call from my Aunt who lives just outside of Belfast, Ireland. She had called to tell my mother that her cousin John (who was retired from MI6 and living just outside of London, England and whom I had met a few years ago in Scotland, a very interesting and great man!) had been found dead in his home just the previous morning by one of his daughter's who had come to pick him up and take him for lunch.

He had apparently slipped and fallen down the stairs striking his head off of a "credenza" strange enough, and was killed instantly. Very sad indeed. My heart and condolences go out his daughters, my mother, my Aunt Margaret (John's sister in Glasgow and my mum's first cousin) and everyone else who at this time is grieving. As of today the funeral has not yet happened, this is very recent but what boggles my mind is the fact that when that picture fell over my mum said that someone in the photograph would die, and that is indeed what happened!! Strange? Weird?

There may something to say for superstitions after all ~ I just wanted to share this with you and also pose a question to you:

Are YOU superstitious?

"Bloody Mary"...Urban Myth, Urban Legend or Real?

For years children have been told of the the legend of Bloody Mary, whether sitting gathered around a campfire, or sleeping over at a friends house on a Saturday night. Either way, it is a story that strikes fear and terror into the hearts and minds of youngsters alike.

I remember growing up as a teenager, and friends of mine trying to encourage me to go into the bathroom and try it, though I'm not that stupid. Am I supertitious? Perhaps I am to some extent. The legend has been told over and over and there are many different variations of the legend that have been passed down though the basic fundamental of the story remains the same.

According to the legend of Bloody Mary, a person is said to go into a dark room containing a mirror (usually associated with a bathroom as almost every bathroom has a vanity mirror) and turn of all the lights, save for the light of a dimly lit candle (candlelight alone would help to create a rather "creepy" atmosphere along with the psychological factor of knowing what is "supposed to happen"). The person then chants out loud "Bloody Mary" 3 times (some versions of the legend say 5 times.....who knows, I'm not about to be a sucker and try it!) after which a terrifying and utterly frightening apparition is said to appear standing behind the person in the mirror!! What's even more frightening is the fact that when you turn around there is actually no one there!!!

(Now this is where versions tend to differ ~ some say that when "Bloody Mary" appears she will gouge out your eyes, and another version is that she will cut your throat with a knife while emitting an horrific scream (not unlike that of a banshee!!). Uhm, no thanks, i think I'll pass!

I have decided to add 2 video links here to give you, the reader, an idea of both of these versions........so here they are:
This first one is rather frightening in its own way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrSssBjDu84
This second one is more on the grotesque side:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAwOS7jAJP0

If you want to know whether or not this legend is in fact just that of an urban myth, I suggest going into your bathroom tonight, turning off all the lights, chanting "Bloody Mary" 3 times and finding out for yourself.......if you dare.

Sleep tight tonight!

The Haunting of Ghost Road ~ Port Perry, ON

Growing up just east of the City of Toronto, Ontario in Durham Region, I have long been aware of as well as interested in the legendary haunting that is supposed to take place at Ghost Road in the small town of Port Perry, Ontario. Located just north of the City of Oshawa in Scugog Township, Port Perry is a fairly quiet, quaint town with a population of roughly 8500 and is a very popular place in winter for those who enjoy the Ice Fishing on Lake Scugog.

The legend of Ghost Road has been around since roughly 1968 and although versions of the story may differ slightly, the popular paranormal hot-spot attracts many thrill seekers even to this day.

According to legend, a young man was out riding on his motorcycle late at night, perhaps riding a little too fast when he suddenly realized that the road was about to come to an end at the 9th Concession (Pine Point Rd.). As the young man tried to stop the bike at the last minute he was caught on a section of barbed-wire fencing and just like that, was decapitated killing him instantly. Some stories also say that his body was thrown several meters through the air and landed near a large rock (which is still there to this day I might add) where the ghostly road meets the 9th Concession.

Sounds scary, right? Well legend also has it that if you drive north on Ghost Road roughly half way up and turn your vehicle around to face south (also making sure to turn off your headlights) you will eventually see the ghostly light of a motorcycle riding through the field towards you. They say that this is the ghost of the young man who was so tragically killed on that fateful day in 1968 and he continues to re-live his last moments here on earth. (For those of you who are not aware, this type of haunting is what is commonly referred to as a "Residual Haunting" ~ like a snap-shot in time of psychical energy, or scene from a movie, that is replayed over and over and has no interaction with the physical realm).

I have been up to Ghost Road in Port Perry many times and have personally witnessed on several occasions this ghostly light, along with others who have accompanied me on different occasions. The best time to go is late at night, around 12 midnight or so, but then again there are never any guarantees that the ghost will appear.

I plan on heading back up there very soon and who knows, perhaps I will again see something paranormal ~ if you have had an experience at Ghost Road in Port Perry, feel free to tell me about it! This quaint little town has many a haunt (including the famous Jester's Court Pub & Eatery) which I may at a later date discuss in further detail.

In the meantime, if you're going to go out riding a motorcycle, don't do it in the middle of a field late at night! Or you just may end up becoming a legend yourself!

Pleasant Dreams.

The Ouija Board ~ Is It Just a Game or Something More?

I wanted to take the time to talk a little bit about Ouija Boards, as I know that there are many folks out there who have used them, own one or perhaps currently use them for their own "entertainment" purposes so to speak. Let me go into a little bit of the history for you.

During the mid-1800's, also the beginning of the "Spiritualist Movement", a gentleman by the name of Adolphus Theodore Wagner of London, England, came up with the patent for what was at that time commonly referred to as a "talking board" on January 23, 1854 and used by many as a simple and fun parlour game. He named it the "Ouija Board", with the word "Ouija" being both French & German for the word "yes"; it became extremely popular during this time period as "spiritualism" was at the height of fashion.

(Spiritualism is defined as "the belief that the dead communicate with the living, as through a medium of some sort")

Mr. Wagner's original intent of use for this "talking board" was to read the minds of people with "nervous energy". The board eventually began to evolve into a communication device or "portal" to the spirit world and many people became hopeful (especially during World War II) that they could communicate with lost loved ones who died during the war.

The modern Ouija Board as we know it today was actually developed by an inventor by the name of William Field, who in 1966 (after some time )eventually sold his patent to Parker Brothers, the popular US game manufacturers. For those of you not familiar with what a Ouija Board actually looks like, it is a rectangular board that has on it all the letters of the alphabet, the words "yes", "no" and "goodbye" along with the numbers 0 to 9. The user begins by placing his/her two fingers on a "planchette" or "pointer" and asking a question. The idea is that the planchette/pointer will glide across the board of its own will, spelling out an answer to the question(s) asked by the user.

It is supposed that if contact is made with a "spirit" or "entity" that the planchette will move and give answers to the user ~ sounds like a lot of fun, right?

Many professional psychics and other paranormal investigators strongly urge against the use of the "so-called games" as they are a tool with which a door to the spirit world is open, enabling evil entities or other demonic forces in to our physical realm. There are actual documented cases of individuals using a Ouija Board (with good intentions I might add) and what ends up happening to them is utterly horrifying, and changes their lives and perception of the "game" forever.

Personal accounts of objects moving, dark figures manifesting in the room before their eyes, disembodied voices from beyond, the feeling of an evil presence in the room and so on.

Personally, I stay away from using Ouija Boards ~ you may think you are speaking to a loved one but in the end, just end up opening a doorway to another dimension over which there is no control!! So if you or anyone you know has or does use a Ouija Board, please be aware of the possible consequences ~ if you have a story to share please feel free to email me your experience at craigpower@rogers.com.

Sleep tight tonight.

A Haunting In Connecticut.....Fact or Fiction?

I'm sure that many of you are well aware (and have perhaps even seen) the latest paranormal/supernatural horror film to come out of Hollywood this year entitled "The Haunting in Connecticut" starring Virginia Madsen and Elias Koteas which for those of you who aren't familiar is the supposedly "true story" of a family who picks up and moves into a beautiful old house in rural Connecticut in order to be closer to the hospital/treatment facility where their eldest son is receiving his cancer treatments. He is extremely ill and the long journey(s) to the hospital takes its toll on both the son and family alike.

The family agrees to rent the big old beautiful house (which happens to carry an unbelievably low rent for the area) and subsequently move in and begin to settle down and start a new life in their new home. Unbeknownst to this young family is the fact that their seemingly peaceful new home has a very dark past and a few surprises of its own!

Now this is where the story takes an eerie turn towards "pure creepy".

The eldest son decides that he wants to make the basement of the house "his room" and thus moves his bed and belongings down to this cold, dark area of the house against the better judgement of his parents. Upon inspection of the basement, the parents and eldest son notice what appears to be a door leading into another room or perhaps storage space in the basement, though the door is locked up tight as if something to hide ~ and the house does indeed have something to hide. The family then proceeds to unlock and open the mysterious door and what they find behind it is utterly shocking and extremely creepy!

Are you ready for this? The room contains what appears to be a stainless steel table/gurney, various "strange-looking" equipment and tools along with a large walk-in refrigerator ~ to the horror of the family they realize that the room they are standing in was at one time an embalming/preparation room for the remains of the deceased!!! Yes, this old beautiful house was at one time used as a local funeral parlour!!!

Okay first of all, I would not be moving into a house that was once a funeral parlour, that is just asking for trouble!!! Anyway, a series of supernatural and paranormal events begin occurring, from things moving to evil entities trying to take control of the family and even possess their ill son. I won't go into any more details on the movie itself (you can watch it for yourself if you haven't already done so) but I recently watched it and I was really not at all that impressed with what I saw. Here's why:

Back in 2002, The Discovery Channel aired a special 2 hour made for TV documentary/re-enactment for their series "A Haunting", and the title of this documentary? You guessed it, "A Haunting in Connecticut" ~ based on a true story. This 2002 version (the original I might add) was very well done, the story line similar but in between re-enactments they interview the various family members who had been through the experience to tell their account of what had happened to them.

There are vast differences between the Hollywood film version (2009) and the Discovery Channel version (2002) which don't sit well with me, and many others according to various reviews. I encourage you to check out both versions and draw your own conclusions on this eerie story ~ please feel free to email me at craigpower@rogers.com and let me know what your views are, or post a comment here on this site.

Do I think that these events are "true" occurrences? Did they really happen? Again, I remain open minded and all I will say is this:

I believe that it is possible.

Sleep well.

We All Love a Good Fright Once In A While!

What better to keep you awake at night and send chills down your spinal column than a good ghost story, either in the literary form or told directly to you verbally! I myself love a good creepy ghost story and last night I was told of a couple of paranormal incidents (directly from the source I might add) that were, in every sense of the word, "creepy" to say the least.

One can't help but feel the "eeriness" or "creep factor" when sitting and listening to someone relate a personal account of the paranormal or supernatural (and they are indeed personal) especially when the story being related to you is told as a "true account" of what happened. You become somewhat uneasy, the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you just sit there in pure awe and amazement at what you are hearing, thinking to yourself "I'm just glad that this didn't happen to me!".

But what if it did?

Picture this:
You are lying in your bed late at night fast asleep, and "something" causes you to awaken. A certain feeling of "something or someone" in the room stirring you out of a deep sleep. You open your eyes, only to see a ghostly figure/apparition standing there at the foot of your bed staring right back at you!
Even worse, what if the figure took on a ghastly, demonic frightening form, complete with black or red eyes, perhaps even wings and appears to speak to you in some ancient, far of language?!!
First of all, if that happened to me I would probably have to go and change my underwear for sure!!! (And then start praying like I have never prayed before!!)

At first thought this may seem like a joke and come across as something funny, but let me tell you, there are people out there who have experienced an event(s) similar to this!! All joking aside, put yourself into the shoes of someone who has gone through such an experience ~ not that funny anymore is it? To some individuals it is quite real and at the very least terrifying.

While listening to Coast To Coast AM one night last week, a gentleman had called in during the open lines portion of the show, and related just such an experience. I sat there listening to the caller tell of how one night while lying in bed beside his wife, he woke up out of a deep sleep to see a demonic looking being with wings standing in the room at the foot of the bed, uttering something in ancient Arabic or similar language. It then proceeded to lift up off the floor and appear to go through the ceiling of the bedroom where it began banging around on the roof of the house! ("Honey? Wake up....there...there...there's something in the room.....f***k me......what the hell is that thing?!!!!")

Now whether or not this account is truth or complete bull****, I give the gentleman the benefit of the doubt; there was complete sincerity in his voice and he seemed genuinely terrified to say the least. This of course in only just one of many possible frightening scenarios that one might experience, and I do hope that I never experience such a thing in my lifetime or anyone else for that matter.

If you, or anyone you know has had such an experience, whether it be the visitation of a loved one or some other frightening spectral being, please feel free to email me your story at craigpower@rogers.com and I would be more than happy to post your account here on this site (with your kind permission of course).

In the meantime remember, as you tuck yourself under the covers tonight and turn out the light, you just never know what may transpire while you are fast asleep ~ pleasant dreams!

A Spirit Caught On Film...?

A short while ago, sometime back in July of this year I was out with a friend of mine enjoying a couple of summer drinks at a local restaurant patio and as we were having a chat and a laugh, the topic of ghosts, spirits and the paranormal came up.

Now my friend has told me that over the years she has experienced strange phenomena on numerous occasions, and that she is somewhat of a "sensitive" when it comes to "a spirit presence or entity" ~ more on this at a later date.

Anyway we began discussing hauntings and apparitions and the like as well as our mutual interest in the paranormal when my friend (who's name I have with-held in order to protect her privacy) became rather excited and said to me "Oh my god Craig, I have something really cool to show, you're gonna love it".

She proceeded to to take out her BlackBerry phone and relate the following occurance to me: She told me that on a given evening she was sitting in her den at home and as she was putting her her BlackBerry back into its case the camera "suddenly went off and snapped a picture", the phone makes a certain, unmistakable sound when taking a picture.

Now, out of curiosity my friend said that she looked at the phone to see what may have been captured by the camera and at first glance the picture appeared to be a blurry shot of the floor in the room. Now this is where the story takes a fascinating turn toward the unexplained and mysterious.

Again, she examined the photograph ~ using the zoom tool on her phone she took a closer look and up in the top left-hand corner of the photograph is what appears to be a misty vapour, but that's not all! She again looked closer and there appeared to her what looks like an arm and a small hand forming in this mist - and it even has tiny fingernails!! I have taken the liberty of posting this picture on the site for any of you who are interested in seeing this for yourself!

After showing me this picture, I was certainly convinced that she had quite possibly just captured a partial spirit manifestation on film, or an apparition.
(An "Apparition" is defined as "a sudden or unusual sight; the act of becoming visible unexpectedly, as that of a ghostly figure or specter")

My friend then went on to tell me how she feels that there is the presence of a little girls spirit in her house, which she has felt on more than one occasion. It makes you wonder doesn't it?

Is this the spirit of a little girl trying to manifest and appear on film?

I'll let you decide for yourself ~ sleep tight!

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Ghosts and hauntings, spirit entities, full-bodied apparitions, poltergeists, angels and demons, or whatever one wishes to refer to them as have been with us for centuries through many stories, tales and folklore, and have sent chills down many a spine ~ right up until present day.

Many individuals claim to have seen a ghost or spirit, communicated with a ghost or spirit either in dreams, through a meditative state or perhaps through the use of a device such as the Ouija Board ~ (the latter being a topic all on its own that I will delve into at a later date) and ultimately affected by a ghost or spirit entity; now if you were to ask me do I believe what they are telling me is true? Well, my answer to that is I believe that it is certainly possible!

I will not discount any story or experience related to me because after all, who am I to judge what is true and what is not, huh? Having a "paranormal" or "supernatural" experience can be frightening as well as traumatic to the individual(s) who is experiencing the phenomena which is why I tend to keep an open mind and an open heart when it comes to hearing a person's story/personal account of a paranormal experience.

Now I would like to define for you the term "paranormal", which is given as "beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation". Just wanted to clear that up, in case you were wondering.

I have often been asked the following question: "Do you believe in ghosts?"
My answer to this question is one that is shared by many others, including author John Robert Colombo (again one of my personal favourites) and other credible individuals within this genre and that is "I don't believe in ghosts, nor do I disbelieve in ghosts. It belongs to the category of experience, and I believe that it is possible."

That being said, I pose a question to you:

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Sleep tight!

Introduction, Wednesday Sept. 16, 2009

I have decided to dedicate this Blog site, if that is indeed what you call it, to all of you out there who have any remote interest in the Paranormal and things that go bump in the night. Personally for me, I have always had a fascination with ghosts and hauntings, the paranormal, the supernatural, unexplained mysteries and so on and so forth.

For those of you not familiar, there is a fantastic radio program/show aired nightly on AM640 here in Toronto called Coast to Coast AM with host George Noory, broadcast live from Los Angeles, CA and the variety of material discussed during the 4 hour show is quite broad and varied in content but definitely worth tuning into if you are remotely interested in the Paranormal and other mysterious topics. You may want to check the website (www.coasttocoastam.com) for your city's affiliated radio station.

George Noory is a fantastic Broadcaster and often has some very interesting guests all of whom are very credible, knowledgable, professional and well-versed n their area of study. I would recommend tuning in some night to Coast to Coast AM if you are like myself and have any interest in the aforementioned topics.

On another note, there are also many books that have been published out there which delve into the world of the "paranormal"; I use the term "paranormal" lightly. Presently I am reading a new book that I just picked up entitled "The Big Book of Canadian Ghost Stories" written and compiled by author John Robert Colombo who happens to be one of my personal favourites. I will give more information on this author at a later date, though his numerous literary works are very well written and worth a read if you are looking for a sleepless night or a chill down your spine!

I continue to research many of the fascinating tales and stories of ghosts & hauntings out there, and will perhaps discuss more of them as I come across them, again at a later date. I always welcome any comments, suggestions or ideas that anyone may have. Sleep well!