Saturday, April 23, 2011

Orbs Explained

Orbs Explained                         Segment 17

Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them quite frequently. It is theorized that ghosts prefer the form of an Orb (ball of light) because it takes less energy thus being the mode of choice among the ghosts. The consensus is that small orbs take up the least amount of energy and apparitions and other fuller shapes take up the most. In the colder parts of the year, it seems that ghosts tend to find it easier to take on shapes other than orbs. That's when there is the most static electricity in the atmosphere. Those months being October through February. It is also believed that they are able to draw on our own energy when needed.
 
Orbs in pictures can be a huge discrepancy. As a generally accepted rule there are three questions an investigator can use to determine if an orb is genuine or if it is some sort of airborne particulate matter. These are:

~Is the orb in question perfectly circular? By definition an orb is a circular or sphere shaped object. If an orb in question is elliptical, oval, diamond shaped, etc. it is not a true orb.
~Is the orb three dimensional? Does it stand out from its surroundings and / or have depth in the photograph? If not it is probably airborne particulate matter or something on the camera lens.
~Is the orb self luminous - does it emit its own light?

Many “orbs” in paranormal investigators photos would be fortunate if they could be confirmed for at least one of the above traits. If an “orb” does not positively affirm all three traits it is not a true orb.

Classes of Orbs
HDO – High Density Orbs are the least common of the two types of orbs. Generally, these orbs are the only anomaly in a photo, are opaque (solid) in appearance and glow brightly from within. These orbs are usually of magnitudes two (2) and three (3).
LDO – Low Density Orbs are the more common of the two types of orbs and are generally what is thought of when the subject of orbs is mentioned as these can very closely resemble airborne particulate matter. The primary difference between these orbs and airborne matter is that, although they are translucent, they are light emissive. This type of orb is of a magnitude zero (0) or one (1).Orb Magnitude

Much like stars in the night sky, orbs can be measured by their magnitude (brightness) in a photo. Although this is really only a theoretical system for classifying photographic data for investigation purposes I believe that it will prove useful for those serious enough to explore it.
The basic idea behind orb magnitude is that investigators can now classify orbs so that they may be understood in relation to events such as solar flares, geomagnetic storms, etc. so that a pattern of activity may be established. Orbs rated by magnitude will follow an ascending scale from zero (0) least bright to three (3) most bright.

The most common “orb” photos are merely refractions of light on the camera lens. This occurs when the camera flash bounces back from something reflective in the range of the camera. When this happens, it creates a perfectly round ball of light that appears to be within the parameters of the photo but is actually just an image on the lens itself.Orbs don’t have to have a camera flash to be created. They can also be caused by bright lights in an area where the photo is being taken, by angles of light and by many types of artificial lighting. But are lights and camera flashes the only thing that can cause “orbs” to appear? Far from it! Other objects that end up in front of the camera lens and are mistaken for paranormal images are dust, moisture, pollen, insects, snow, rain, hair, ash and scores of other semi-microscopic particles

Dust is the bane of the paranormal investigator. There have been many controversies over whether an “anomaly” in a photo is a real orb or just dust or some form of airborne particulate matter. This has become especially true with the advent and wide spread availability of the high megapixel digital cameras on the consumer market. It should be known that orbs are without question the most common, and most commonly mistaken, photographic phenomenon that paranormal investigators find. This is partially due in part to the high resolution of digital cameras. With the higher mega pixel ratings on cameras there is a much greater tendency to unintentionally capture dust or other airborne particulate matter such as pollen in a photograph. As convincing as these dust particles may look we can not call every semi-circular shape that is found in a photograph an orb. True orbs, by natural law of organic geometry, are the most common and simply formed of all manifested paranormal anomalies. Because of this simplicity in form there is a great deal of controversy surrounding photos with orbs in them. Orbs are the most hotly debated and most precarious little slice of life at this point in the history of paranormal investigation and although dust, water droplets, snow, pollen, water vapor, mold spores and other such material can mimic the way orbs look physically there important differences that must be carefully examined and identified before an anomaly can truly be called an orb.

Moon Phases in Paranormal Investigations

Moon Phases in Paranormal Investigations                        Session 16

                                             

Moon Phase - A measurable change in geomagnetic activity at the surface of the Earth’s crust can be directly attributed to the influence of the gravitational field of the moon as it approaches its zenith.  As the moon becomes fuller the gravity field of the moon pulls on the gravitational field of the Earth and thusly “stretches” its geomagnetic field into an elliptical orbit. There is a brief detail of each of the Moon phases in the next few paragraphs so that they can be readily identified when any research or investigation is needed in that area.

New Moon - The “new” Moon orbits between the Earth and the Sun in such a manner that the side which
reflects rays of the Sun faces away from the earth, hence producing the optical illusion that the Moon is invisible. This is also called a “Dark Moon.”
Waxing Crescent  - As the Moon moves along in its 28 day orbit into what is known as the first quarter, an illuminated crescent begins to appear on its right side.
Waxing Gibbous - Continuing to progress in its orbital path the crescent begins to grow until the whole of the first half of the Moon is visible.
Full Moon - As the Moon reaches the final portion of its 2nd quarter orbit it can then be seen it its entirety                  as the whole of the daylight side is visible and appears as a full circle.
Waning Gibbous  - As the sunlit side of the Moon begins to turn away from the Earth it begins to darken again on the right side as it is now beginning to “wane.”
Last Quarter  - As the Moon passes from the waning gibbous phase of its orbit into the fourth quarter, darkness overtakes a larger portion of the surface of the Moon, moving from right to left.
Waning Crescent - This is the final portion of the Moon that is visible from the Earth before the Moon starts the new Moon phase again.

Solar X - Rays - As with the other celestial forces and anomalies some of the best documented modifiers of paranormal activity are solar x rays. As these x rays naturally bombard the Earth they usually go unnoticed by most people. However, when there is a highly charged mass expulsion of these x rays from the surface of the sun the greater portion of the charge has the ability to make its way to the Earth. This type of discharge is known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME.)

Solar Flares - Solar flares are violent explosions on or just below the surface of the sun. These explosions reach deep into space sending streams of highly charged radioactive particles speeding outward in random directions. When these streams of charged particles reach the Earth and bombard the atmosphere it is generally found that there is an increased occurrence of paranormal activity that can be recorded. It has been noted that when solar flares occur in conjunction with other atmospheric or astronomical events the chance of capturing paranormal activity on film as hard data increases proportionately. The sun is approximately 93 million (93,000,000) miles from the earth and has a diameter which is about 864 thousand (864,000) miles across. The mass of the sun is approximately three hundred thirty thousand (330,000) times that of the earth. See figure 1.2 for a rough comparison of size of the Earth to the sun in relation to the various solar flares. I should note here that it is known when a CME occurs it has the equivalent effect on the sun as that of a starquake. The measurement of solar flares is made in angstroms. Angstroms are named after the Swiss physicist who discovered them, A. J. Angstrom. An angstrom is a length of measurement equivalent to one hundred millionth of one centimeter which is used in the measurement of light waves.  It should be remembered that the magnetic field of the sun is four thousand (4000) times greater than that of the Earth.   Although sunspots are not directly related to paranormal activity they do play a role in the matter. If the magnetic field around a sunspot is monitored it is easy to observe that the magnetic field at times will split apart in certain areas. When this occurs the magnetic field lines can become crossed and in their attempt to reconnect, they may do so with such violent force that they can create a release of energy so strong they can effect the atmospheric environment here on Earth. For the astronomical event that solar flares are, they are very rapidly occurring events and only last for a few minutes as far as actual time may go, however, their effects can be felt on the Earth for several days afterward. Solar flares are characterized and organized into classes according to their level of brightness and angstrom wavelength hence the B, C, M, and X classes mentioned previously.

Does any of this information have much relevancy to paranormal research and investigation? Absolutely! Here’s why: Each time the Earth is bombarded by astronomical radiation the atmosphere acts as a natural protective barrier. This protective layer of gasses attempts to buffer the radiation before it gets to the surface of the earth and causes any damage. This diffusing effect in the atmosphere causes the radioactive particulate matter to expand away from other particles of the same type, thusly weakening their concentrated effect. This action of diffusing causes the overall molecular concentration of the radioactive particles to be diluted into far more ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere than the concentrated radiation burst would have had. Most times the impact from this astronomical radiation is negligible at best and we do not even notice that any significant astronomical event has taken place. The story changes however when we research beings that are composed of energy, such as ghosts, rather than applying these events to beings of manifested physical matter. Research over the last five years indicates that, of the above factors, there are two major astronomical influences that can modify our chances of capturing a paranormal manifestation in a photograph. These factors are solar X rays and solar flares. When either of these two events occurs there is a greatly increased chance of photographing a paranormal anomaly. However, when these two events occur simultaneously the chance of capturing an anomaly multiplies exponentially
.
The ideal paranormal environment where most activity has occured are on a full and new moon phase. Better your chances by going on those nights. The best times for ghost investigations are during high geomagnetic fields and solar flares. In lamest terms, high fields and flares produce more energy which allows spirits to use to manifest or interact. 




Succubus

Succubus                                  Segment 15 


                                                    



The Succubus is much the same as the Incubus. It is the female version of the demon. According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or "Witches' Hammer", written by Heinrich Kramer (Insitoris) in 1486, a succubus collects semen from the men she seduces. The incubi or male demons then use the semen to impregnate human females, thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children despite the traditional belief that they were incapable of reproduction. Children so begotten – cambions – were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences. The book does not address why a human female impregnated with the semen of a human male would not produce a regular human offspring.

According to the view of most medieval theologians, incubi outnumbered succubi by nine to one, but the ladies made up in menace for what they lacked in numbers by being alluring and persuasive, using their considerable charms to seduce men and lead them to eternal damnation

Incubus

Incubus                                            Segment 14

                                   

An incubus is also known as demon lover. In occult lore, a lewd male demon or goblin which takes on the illusory appearance of a male human being and seeks sexual intercourse with women, usually while they are asleep. According to the church fathers, the incubus was an angel who fell from grace because of his insatiable lust for women. As a demon, the incubus continued with his carnal desires, preying upon vulnerable women, rapping them in their sleep and inciting sexual desires that only himself could satisfy.
An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman in order to father a child. Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.

Traditional wisdon professes that demons were only spirits and had no corporeal form. To be able to "sleep" with women, the Incubus was presumed to come upon his physical form in one of two ways: he either reanimated a human corpse, or he used human flesh to create a body of his own, which he then endowed with artificial life. Espically mischievous and clever incubi made themselves appear in the persons of real people- a husband, neighbor, friend, etc. A medieval nun claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a local prelate, Bishop Sylvanus, but the bishop defended himself on the grounds that an incubus had assumed his form. The convent took his word for it.  It is said that the incubus can not be exorcised. They are known to attack or deter the exorcisist.

One of the earliest mentions of an incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerian King List, ca. 2400 BC, where the hero Gilgamesh's father is listed as Lilu. It is said that Lilu disturbs and seduces women in their sleep, while Lilitu, a female demon, appears to men in their erotic dreams. Two other corresponding demons appear as well: Ardat lili, who visits men by night and begets ghostly children from them, and Irdu lili, who is known as a male counterpart to Ardat lili and visits women by night and begets from them. These demons were originally storm demons, but they eventually became regarded as night demons due to mistaken etymology

Demonology

Demonology  Segment 13


Demonology is the study and classification of the hierarchy of demons, their powers and limitations, attributes, multiple names, and derivations, as well the investigation of beliefs about demons. Demons, when regarded as spirits, may belong to either of the classes of spirits recognized as human, non-human, separable souls or discarnate spirits which have never inhabited a body. A sharp distinction is often drawn between these two classes, notably by the Melanesians, the West Africans, and others. The Arab djinn, for example, are not reduced to modified human souls; at the same time these classes are often thought as producing diseases.
Demonology, though often referred to with negative feelings, was not always seen as evil or devilish as the term would have one believe. The word demonology is derived from daimon meaning "divinity, divine power, god."
Some societies believe that all affairs of life are under the control of spirits, each with their own "element" or even object and even themselves in subjection to a greater spirit.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Demons

Demons                            Segment 12

                                                     

Throughout religion, folklore, mythology and occultism, a demon is a supernatural being described as something not quite human. In ancient Near Easter religions and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession. Therefore, an act of exorcism would be necessary to draw the spirit out. In Western occultism, a demon is a supernatural being with the ability to be conjured and controlled. In literature, many demons were once fallen angels, while others were said to be forged in Hell itself.
Some believe a demon refers to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with good beings who have no worshippers or limited to a rank below the gods, and with evil beings of all kinds. The original sense of "demon," from the time of Homer onward was that of a good being; but in English the name now holds the distaste of evil beings believed to take the form of "demons" in many forms of religion are:
  1.  Angels in the Christian belief who fell from heaven (grace),
  2.  Human souls said to be genii or familiars,
  3.  Deceased family members that have continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living,
  4.  Ghosts or other malevolent visible ghost or animated corpse.
Often souls dwelling in another world are not counted in the demon list. Gods are often not necessarily seen as being entirely spiritual and may come in fleshly bodies. Demons are often seen the same as both spiritual and corporeal. Vampires are often seen as another form of said demons along with incubi and Succubi. Incubi and Succubi have been noted to produce offspring; though often deformed. Belief in demons, demonology, goes back many millennia and may be as old as man andd often older. The Zoroastrian faith teaches that there are 3,333 Demons that live among us and are responsible for such things such as war, starvation, sickness etc

According to the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:9), demons are the angels that fell from heaven with Satan when he chose to rebel against God. In the 15th century, it was estimated that 133,306,668 angels fell from the Heavens in a total of 9 days according to the Bishop of Tusculum (c. 1273), and this was reaffirmed by Alphonso de Spina (c. 1460).
Justin Martyr, a Christian who lived circa 150 AD, believed (based on Gen 6:2-4) that demons were the offspring of angels and men. The Greeks viewed demons as the spirits of wicked dead men (Heb 9:27).
In John 8:44 Jesus calls the Devil "the first homicide" ("he was a murderer from the beginning" in the King James Version), perhaps referring to the murdering of Abel by Cain, a liar, and father of all lies.

According to Christian tradition, demons can be angels, are spiritual, immutable and eternal. Demons are not omniscient, but each one has a specific knowledge (sometimes on only one subject, sometimes on more than one). Their power is limited to that which God allows, so they are not omnipotent. No reference has been made about omnipresence, so it is as yet unclear if they can be in different places at the same time, but according to the tradition of the medieval witches' Sabbath, two conclusions can be reached: either Devil can be in different places at the same time, or he sends an emissary in his name, but it seems that the only 'omni' thing they are is malevolent; it is deducible from some passages of the Bible that they are not omnipresent.

Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include Fabrication, Psychokinesis, Pyrokinesis, Levitation, Cryokinesis, Biokinesis, Divination, Demonic possession, seducing spirits, ESP, telepathy, mind probing, witchcraft, curses and hexes, as well as binding, magnification, and making contracts, weather control, animal control, and provacation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest. Demons are believed to have the power to physically or mentally hurt people. Demons can destroy anything material on the earth. Often Demons are said to creating negative emotions, wrecking havoc, ensuing chaos, and disrupting peace.

Demons can take any desired appearance, even that of an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Nevertheless, they were generally described as ugly and monstrous beings by Christian demonologists. Many of these descriptions have inspired famous painters like Luca Signorelli, Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya, the artist that made the drawings for the Dictionnaire Infernal, and others.
Incubi and Succubi are described as being beautiful in order to accomplish their mission of seduction.
However, according to Nicholas Remy, the figure of the demons is imperfect, which he deduced from the descriptions given by those accused persons interrogated during the witch trials; he wrote:
"...that proves how marvellous God's love is, even for the most miserable human beings, being that demons can never take a human figure in a perfect form, and so the most stupid people are able to discover them".
The idea that demons have horns seems to have been taken from the Book of Revelation 13:1 (here it seems that John the Evangelist was inspired by Leviathan) and 13:11. The book of Revelation seems to have also inspired some absurd depictions of demons (Revelation 13:1-2). This idea can also been associated with the depiction of certain ancient gods like Baal, Moloch, the shedu, etc, which were portrayed as bulls, as men with the head of a bull, or wearing bull horns as a crown.
While there is no conclusive theory about why the Devil appears with a tail, the trident attributed to him as his "sceptre" may have been inspired by early contact between Christians and Hindus. In Hinduism, the trident is Shiva's weapon.

Some historians of times past believed that there were cycles during which demonic activity increased, and used this theory to explain various occurrences, much in the same way as today's economic historians might explain historical events in terms of trade, productivity and other factors.  These older historians saw a rise in demonic activity accompanying such occurrences as the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome and the French Revolution, and would in all likelihood also have viewed the demonic theory at work in relation to the rise of Nazism and World War II.



http://www.hellhorror.com/demons/demonology_alpha/A/  List of Demon Names
http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=List_of_specific_demons_and_types_of_demons Another list

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Ley Lines

Ley Lines  Segment 11


click for larger
 
 



Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, in his books Early British Trackways and The Old Straight Track. Watkins theorized that these alignments were created for ease of overland trekking by line of sight navigation during neolithic times and had persisted in the landscape over millennia.  In more recent times, the term ley lines has come to be associated with spiritual and mystical theories about land forms, including Chinese feng shui.
(definition taken from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ley_line )


The existence of these apparently remarkable alignments between sites is easily demonstrated. However, the causes of these alignments are disputed. There are three major schools of thought:

  • Anthropological: According to proponents of some ley line theories, the early inhabitants of Great Britain determined the placement of Stonehenge and various other megalith structures, buildings, monuments, or mounds according to a system of these lines, which often pass through, or near, several such structures. Some of these theories believe leys to have had some astronomical significance, or to relate to traditional religious beliefs associated with these sites. Others simply see leys as marking trade routes.
  • New Age: Some have claimed that these points resonate a special psychic energy. These theories often include elements such as geomancy, dowsing or UFOs.
  • Skeptical: Skeptics of these ley line theories believe that they belong in the realms of pseudoscience or magic. Most skeptics believe that ley lines can be explained completely by chance alignments that appear intuitively unlikely, but can be demonstrated to be unsurprising coincidences. Some skeptics are investigating if these points have electrical or magnetic forces associated with them.
Alfred Watkins


In 1921, when he realized the existence of ancient alignments, Alfred Watkins was sixty-six years old. The complex rhythm of the twentieth century had barely begun, particularly in the rural county of Herefordshire. As a partner in a firm of flour millers, Watkins needed to make frequent tours of the local countryside, and there is no doubt that he was a man with his native landscape 'in his blood'. He was a respected local figure and highly regarded at a national level for his work in photography. A man of broad interests, independent thought and varied talents, his mind was open, exploratory and not restricted within the con fines of a single discipline. In addition, he had spent a great part of his life getting to know, at a direct and intimate level, his local countryside and its inhabitants. He knew its lore, its ancient sites and its little-known places. The appropriate mind and physical circumstances were set up for the flash of insight that came on a summer's day in 1921. It was like experiencing 'a flood of ancestral memory', Watkins was to tell his son, the late Allen Watkins. In his own words, Watkins describes his insight in his book Early British Trackways:
I had no theory when, out of what appeared to be a tangle, I got hold of the one right end of this string of facts, and found to my amazement that it unwound in an orderly fashion and complete logical sequence...
A visit to Backwardine led me to note on the map a straight line starting from Croft Ambury, lying on parts of Croft Lane past the Broad, over hill points, through Backwardine, over Risbury Camp, and through the high ground at Stretton Grandison, where I surmised a Roman station. I followed up the clue of sighting from the hilltop, unhampered by other theories, found it yielding astounding results in all districts, the straight lines to my amazement passing over and over again through the same class of objects...
After his realization that alignments of ancient sites existed, Alfred Watkins committed himself to detailed fieldwork investigation, frequently taking photographs of sites, alignments and other features he came across in this work. His first, short, book on his discovery, Early British Trackways, came out in 1922 and was the development of a lecture he had delivered a year previously. He continued his study of the alignments, and his main book on the subject, The Old Straight Track, was published in 1925. Later books were The Ley Hunter's Manual (1927) and Archaic Tracks Around Cambridge (1932). A little after the publication of The Old Straight Track the Straight Track Postal Portfolio Club was formed, in which ley hunters circulated postal notes, viewpoints, research and photographs amongst themselves. Major F. C. Tyler was secretary of the club, which, in the Thirties, organized field trips for its members. These took the form of special tours around chosen areas, often in fleets of cars.
But the deaths of Watkins and Tyler in the Thirties, and the coming of the Second World War, took the impetus out of the club, and it was closed in 1948. A handful of individuals and fringe groups kept a caretaker's interest, as it turned out, in Watkins's work up until the Sixties when a whole new cycle of interest in leys began to form.
Alfred Watkins felt he had caught a glimpse beyond the modern face of the landscape and was tracing the remnants of a system of straight trackways belonging to remote antiquity. He postulated that these tracks were laid out with certain types of markers, some of which may have developed into sacred or important sites in both pagan and Christian times. Some ley markers were therefore original while many others were evolved features, such as ancient churches and castles, standing on sites of former significance. Odd sections of the old straight tracks were still visible, Watkins thought, in some lengths of roadway and old paths aligning on ancient sites. He considered that some of his alignments had astrological significance.


Alignments and patterns of powerful, invisible earth energy said to connect various sacred sites, such as churches, temples, stone circles, megaliths, holy wells, burial sites, and other locations of spiritual or magical importance. The existence of leys is controversial. If they do exist, their true age and purpose remain a mystery. Watkins suggested that all holy sites and places of antiquity were connected by a pattern of lines he called 'leys'. Mounds, barrows, tumuli, stones, stone circles, crosses, churches built on pagan sites, legendary trees, castles, mottes and baileys, moats, hillforts, earthworks and holy wells were all thought to stand in alignment. Using the Ordnance Survey, Watkins claimed that the leys were the 'old straight tracks', which crossed the landscape of prehistoric Britain and represented all types of early human activities. Points where the ley energy paths intersect are said to be prone to anomalies such as earth lights and poltergeist phenomena and reported sightings of UFOs (one theory suggests that the paths are navigational aids to extraterrestrial spacecraft). These energy leys, however, do not necessarily coincide with physical alignments of sites. Despite the controversy ley researchers hope at least to come to a better understanding of ancient sacred sites, and of the people who built them.


Parapsychologists have found that many of the most famous poltergeist cases have happened at the intersection of two ley lines. These are said to be a network of earth energy lines that criss-cross the country. The prehistoric inhabitants of ancient Britain were supposedly aware of these lines of force and built their monuments on the most important concentrations of these fields. Stonehenge is a prime example. 
The forces that use the ley lines are natural and supernatural. Some of the strange and supernatural events and forces associated with ley lines are The Wild Hunt, phantom animals (Black Dog), moving lights, ghosts, fairy processions, and as a flight path for witches. It is thought that the creators of the ley lines in each area may have used the ley lines in connection with astronomy, rituals, or calendars.
In some cultures the ley lines were to be used specifically for the dead to help them make their journey into the next life. In ancient times, people believed in the survival of the human spirit and it is believed that the ley system proves it. In Honaluba a small girl found herself alone on a known spirit path. She heard marching footsteps but when she turned, no one was there! Suddenly, she felt a hand push her from the path. Her parents explained to her that the path was for wondering souls and if she had remained in the path she would have died.
Ancient burial grounds were placed on ley lines. In Germany these are called Geisterwege (spirit ways); in Holland they are called Doodwegen (roads of the dead); and in England they are Dod or Dodman (dead man). One ley network involves the Foulford Inn Stone which is encircled by burial grounds connecting two cup-marked leys with a straight line through a man made cave and over a body of water. The Stone was placed above a major fault on the highland fault, north of Scotland. This is where Scotland pushes against the rest of the United Kingdom. This fault supplies the cup marked stone with its energies.
Another system involves a standing stone called the Phadruig (Patrick) near Balquhidder Church and is known as a very powerful cup marked ley. Tradition dictates that whenever someone dies, the mourners would have to carry the dead across the land to the stone where the coffin would be laid upon it so everyone could rest. In addition to this tradition, coffins were frequently carried along ley lines with hopes that the dead would find their way down the path.
For years, many have tried to solve the ley system to discover its purpose, why it exists, and who created it. This is difficult to discern as there is very little recorded about the ley system and few people seem interested in researching it scientifically. In the 1960's for example, the ley system became associated with UFO's. Even with the amazing discovery of the Nazca leys, very little has been done.
Spectral paths between cemeteries in Germany, for example, are known as
geister wegen. Cursuses, found between megalithic sites in Great Britain, were possibly
ancient, processional routes between places of burial. Of course, these pathways are
believed to be haunted.

“Corpse roads” were direct paths that the bodies of the deceased would be hauled down as
they were taken to the graveyard. They have also been called church ways, burial roads, and
coffin lines, spawning quite a bit of folklore about ghosts and spirits haunting these old
pathways.

In separate cases of haunting, it is well known that multiple witnesses occasionally report
seeing the same ghosts repeatedly walking the same paths over and over again. T
his leads
us to wonder if
earthbound spirits also roam
the routes between burial places? We would
have to assume it is possible. If ghosts from the past, who possibly haunt these trails, are
disrupted by people, buildings, etc, will they make their displeasure known? In other words, if
someone unknowingly builds a structure on one of these ancient paths, could they be
haunted by an angry ghost? It is possible. Could this explain why some ghosts, who might
believe they are still walking an old road, manifest through walls and other solid objects?

http://www.gothicimage.co.uk/books/leyhunter1.html
http://www.occultopedia.com/l/ley_lines.htm
http://www.psychics.co.uk/ghosts/leylines.html
http://www.spiritsociety.org/ghost.php?page=articles&article=leylines1.html http://www.angelsghosts.com/ghosts_ley_lines

Monday, April 18, 2011

Think your house is haunted?

Think your House is haunted? What to do?               Segment 10

Are there odd things happening around you house or place of business? Objects moving, seeing people that aren’t there? There are some things to do to find out the truth.

First, don’t panic. Ghosts can not hurt you. There are no reason to fear them. They are just people or pets that have passed on.

Second, you should keep a detailed log of the happenings. Record the date, time, exact place, who was all there, did they witness, what happened, and any other information that is relevant.

Lastly you should contact a paranormal investigator. They will review your log, then determine if you need an investigation. A majority of the time there can be a logical explanation for the things you are experiencing. But other times, there isn’t. A paranormal group can help you decide if you actually have paranormal activity in your home/business or if it can be explained.

There are a few things to consider when picking a paranormal investigation group.
             1) How many years they have been in service performing paranormal investigations?
             2)What type of education and training do the group members have?
             3)Are they a scientific/technology based group? Or a spiritual/psychic group?
             4)What are their rules/requirements for coming to your home? (ex: a minimum of people in 

             house during the investigation, no pets or animals around, can come during the week or weekends
             only, etc.)
             5)Will they give you a written report of their findings or just tell you?
             6)Do they charge for an investigation? (If a group is reputable they will not charge to investigate.

             Some may ask for a donation to help with operating and travels costs but should be willing to do the
             investigation without a donation).

To contact Riverbend Paranormal you can click here. We do not charge for any investigation we do.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

EMF Detectors

EMF Detectors                           Segment 9

An EMF meter is an instrument that reads the fluctuation in electromagnetic fields. You should always take EMF readings at various places throughout your investigation. The locations of power lines, appliances and other sources of electromagnetic fields are also taken into consideration. Most normal readings are in the range of 9.0 - 30.0 on the EMF meter. These are typical EMF readings in a home. Anything that registers in the 2.0 to the 7.0 ranges and cannot be traced to a source is in theory  to be paranormal activity. An example of a source would be a computer. The closer you get to a natural source the higher the reading. A natural source should always appear in the same place and will not disappear. Those readings can be thrown out.

When you get a short EMF reading in the 2.0 – 7.0 range which you do not get again in the same location and you do not find a natural EMF source then you have a positive EMF reading. It is scientifically impossible for low level and moving electromagnetic fields to occur naturally, and alot of times we find these odd readings in areas where there is paranormal activity reported. It is in thoery  that ghosts and the energy associated with them are the causes of these unexplainable EMF readings.

These are the types we use:

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This is a digital EMF detector. I like this because of its ease to use and accuracy. This meter is sensative when tilted or moved too quickly so proper technique must be used in order to get an accurate reading. Downside is it doesnt have light so we mounted a led book light on ours.

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Here is the K2. This is extremely easy to use but i dont think extremely accurate. It is nice to have the bright lights in case you want to leave it with a camera on it to detect major changes in an empty room. Alot of groups use this item as a communication device by asking an entity to light up the device on command. I personaly dont believe it to be useful in that department and have never witnessed a K2 to be capable of that. If you buy one make sure it has a button that locks or has a toggle switch so you dont have to jam a coin in the button.

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This is the Mel-8704R. We are still experimenting with this item. It has a vibration mode that is insanely sensative. The tri-pod you can purchase with it is a must. It can detect the slightest vibration from 20 feet away or more. It can also measure EMF and temp. at the same time which is a first. The Mel has EMF burst mode, data logging ,and many other features as well.

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This is the Tri-field Meter. This meter is the only one which combines magnetic, electric, and radio/microwave detectors in one package, so that the entire nonionizing electromagnetic spectrum is covered. To make a long story short it is horribly accurate and can correct itself if off tilt. Best for the money in my opinion.

Portals



Portals segment 8

Portal are widely debated and yet much is known. Some ghost hunters believe that portals exist between the physical and spirit worlds. Portals would then act as a door for ghosts to cross over from the other side to the physical realm. Others believe portals to be doorways between the earth and other dimensions...even other worlds! Still, no one knows for sure if portals actually exist and if so, what they may be.

Many ghost hunters strongly believe that "vortexes" are evidence of portals. A vortex usually appears as a streak of white ectoplasm mist, and is typically confused with photos of mistakenly snapped camera straps in front of the lens.

Vortex (not rp's photo)

The idea of another dimension - or more than one other dimension - has been theorized for many years, and is a cornerstone of many religions. Indeed, even Albert Einstein speculated about the possibility of the existence of a parallel universe. A scientific article entitled "The Universe's Unseen Dimensions," released in August, 2000, postulates that we may actually have scientific proof of other dimensions within the next 10 years! Proof such as this will not only rock the scientific community, but will undoubtedly also shed new light on many currently unexplainable paranormal events.

It appears that portals are at fixed places all over the world, and that they don't move or drift from place to place. Whether new portals open up from time to time is unclear, but this definitely warrants further study. Controlled studies done around suspected portals have revealed that there are definite temperature fluctuations in the vicinity of the site. Photographs taken at suspected sites often produce amazing results, and reveal mists, orbs, light streaks, figures, and even saucer-shaped objects - all of which are unseen by the bystanders at the scene, though many do report feeling cold chills. People who are more sensitive report that they get a feeling of "magnetism" at suspected portal sites, and often report that they sense large numbers of entities passing back and forth - which is unusual in an ordinary haunting.

One might wonder why we, as humans, don't seem to be able to pass through these doorways into other dimensions. It appears that the reason is that we are hindered by our physical bodies. However, in meditation or an astral projection situation, it does seem that we may have the capabilities to pass through and explore these realms, and at this writing we are in the process of seeking out reports from people who think they have actually experienced this.

The idea of a "portal" or a "doorway" to another dimension is not a new one. Many researchers believe that there are places all over the world that serve as "doorways" from our world to another. These doorways are thought to provide access for entities to enter our world. They may be the spirits of people who have lived before, or they could be something else altogether. Some researchers even believe that they could be otherworldly beings from another dimension. If locations like this do exist and they are "doorways", isn't it an easy assumption to make that these spots could have been labeled as "haunted" over the years by people who have seen things near them that they couldn't explain? I believe this has probably happened quite often and these places didn't become "haunted" as other places do (through tragic events or death)..... these locations had already been that way for many, many years.

One of the most common locations for these "doorways" seem to be in cemeteries. Now, as a rule, most cemeteries are not haunted, but in the past few years, ghost hunters have collected dozens and dozens of anomalous photographs taken in cemeteries. There seems to be no explanation why many of these cemeteries would become haunted unless they provided access for spirits, or entities, to pass from one world to the next. Of course, some of the cemeteries are haunted in the traditional manner.... it's the ones that aren't which causes the puzzle. It is possible that these sites were "haunted" long before a cemetery was located there. It is possible that the psychic draw of the area was what caused our ancestors to locate a cemetery there in the first place. They may have felt there was something "sacred" or "spiritual" about the place and without realizing why, they placed a burial ground there and made it a protected place. The Native Americans chose their burial grounds in this manner, although they did it consciously. They found a place to bury and honor the dead which they felt was more closely connected to the next world. Many of these locations are now considered to be "haunted" or at least inhabited by spirits. Could our own ancestors have not chosen the sites for our own burial grounds in the same manner, albeit in an unconscious way? These "doorways" could be passages to the next world and the entities captured on film here could be the spirits of the dead... passing back and forth between two worlds..... or they could be something far stranger.

Ouija Boards



Ouija Boards Segment 6

A Ouija board (pronounced "wee-gee" or "wee-ja" and possibly derived from the French and German words for "yes", oui and ja), also known as a spirit/fire key board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words 'yes' 'no' and 'goodbye', and other symbols and words are sometimes also added to help personalize the board. The Ouija board can supposedly be used to communicate with spirits of the dead. Although nobody knows where the idea for such a device came from, there are records of Ouija-like instruments being used in ancient China, Greece, Rome and many other countries. It uses a
planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood) or movable indicator to indicate the spirit's message by spelling it out on the board during a séance. The fingers of the séance participants are placed on the planchette, which then moves about the board to spell out words or become physically manifested. It has become a trademark that is often used generically
to refer to any talking board. (definition taken from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija )
There are some who believe that a Ouija board is just a fun toy. There are others who believe it can be a very dangerous tool. When using a Quija board you are opening yourself and your home up to a spirit. Most often the spirits whom are contacted through the Ouija are those whom reside on "the lower astral plane". These spirits are often very confused and may have died a violent or sudden death; murder, suicide, etc. Therefore, many violent, negative and potentially dangerous conditions are present to those using the board. Often times several spirits will attempt to come through at the same time but the real danger lies when you ask for physical proof of their existence! You might say, "Well, if you're really a spirit, then put out this light or move that object!" What you have just done is simple, you have "opened a doorway" and allowed them to enter into the physical world and future problems can and often do arise.

Here are some news articles about Quija board experiences.

Ouija Board Summons Demons

A simple Ouija board became a passport to Hell for a family that accidentally summoned a demon into their living room. "I thought it might have been the Devil himself," says John Ravens, father of the tormented family. "When it was over, we were all bleeding and had severe burn marks. Our living room was a disaster area."
"It was supposed to be a joke," says Gloria, the girl's mother. "We were going to make believe we were talking with the spirit world."
Little Lynda, her nine-year-old brother Ronald, and their parents gathered around the board for what they thought was going to be an evening of fun at their home in a Toronto, Canada suburb. "We were just playing around with it when suddenly the planchette that spells out answers began moving by itself," says John. "We were all scared, but then I thought maybe one of the kids was up to tricks. We started asking questions, and this spirit began speaking to us. "Then it asked if it could visit with us. By this time, I was sure someone was playing a joke, and I said yes," he adds.
That's when the nightmare began. "The demon appeared within seconds," says John. "It spun around the room overhead, laughing and cursing at us. "It was surrounded by a ring of fire and the room became so hot, it was like an inferno from Hell." The family describes the demon as red and black with scaly skin and horns. It also had giant bat wings. "Then it suddenly swooped down and attacked us," recalls John, horror flickering over his features. "It started biting each of us on the face and arms. "We tried getting up and running for the door, but every time we did, the creature started clawing us. It was so fast, we couldn't escape from it."
Lynda and brother Ronald were picked up repeatedly and hurled across the room. As they lay helplessly on the floor, the creature pounded on their chests and heads. "It had hooves that dug into my children's faces and skin, marking them badly," says Gloria. The attack lasted for more than an hour before the horrifying demon vanished as quickly as it first appeared. The children were screaming and crying as John pulled them out of the house and drove to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for cuts and burns.Ouija Board's

Evil Spell Still Lives in Our House

(National Examiner, 31787 by Robert Stamper)
I invited a foul horror into my house with a Ouija board. My brother and I got no results when we started to use the psychic device, but suddenly the message indicator mysteriously began to move. The first thing the board told us was that the message was being sent by Seth. Then I made the tragic mistake of telling the board to prove it was real by doing something supernatural. The results were startling and scary. The board told us that the grandfather of one of my best friends would die in a week. The chandelier in the room began to shake violently and the chimes rang like pieces of metal being smashed together. The room became as cold as ice and we were shivering, though the thermometer read 70 degrees. The horrible stench of death filled the room and we couldn't stop gagging and coughing.
Suddenly, the noises stopped and the room was as quiet as a cemetery in the middle of the night. My brother and I looked at each other in terror. We opened the windows to get rid of the stink or rotting flesh and told each other we'd forget the whole thing. But a week later the grandfather of one of my best friends died just as the board has predicted! And from time to time the chandelier would rattle, the room freeze and that awful smell return. I couldn't take it any more. I threw the board away and told my mother about the experience. She told me that once you tamper with a Ouija board, its evil spell will remain forever. And to this day, those terrifying tremors shake the house and the stench of death fills the room.

Here is a link to a site that collects Ouija board stories. www.freakiest.ouijastories.ever.com/
We do not recommend anyone “plays” with a Ouija board.

(The Sun, 12986)

What are the types of hauntings?

What are the Different Types of Hauntings? Segment 5

There are 6 different types of haunting. I will give you a little info on each kind.

Residual haunting is believed to be activity of reoccurring or traumatic actions from past events that leave an imprint on the environment. This type is probably the most common type of haunting. Because its' characteristics are similar to the intelligent haunting, people often mistake it for an intelligent/traditional haunting. Like intelligent haunts, some examples of activity are phantom footsteps, sounds, images, and scents. One major difference between this haunting and the intelligent/traditional haunting, is that this type of haunting is not considered to be that of a ghost, and there is no interaction with the living. It is believed that this activity is the dissipation of stored energy from the site. The theory is the energy is stored or absorbed by the site due to repetitive or traumatic events of the energy expended while performing such actions. Similar to a tape player, the energy is stored in the magnetic field of the environment. Over time the energy builds up and is discharged showing a replay of the event, and then the cycle starts again. Some suggest that atmospheric conditions such as storms may initiate the playback. There is also a quantum physics theory that relates the energy as light particles that are dormant until they are stimulated by an outside variable under the proper conditions. Researchers have observed that the energy tends to diminish over periods of time until eventually it is either exhausted, or the level is so low that it is not experienced again. The entities involved in this residual haunting activity are unaware of their surroundings. This is not an intelligent haunting, there is no interaction between you and the entity. Residual haunting activity can also be caused by positive energy blasted into the atmosphere. Many times you have heard ghost stories, where people can hear the sounds of a party. They hear music, singing, dancing, laughter and when they enter the room where they hear the party, there is no one there. Residual haunting activity can be the specters of living beings.

Poltergeist haunting  The German word, "poltergeist," means "noisy ghost." These are a type of haunting that individuals all throughout history have claimed to experience. It is important to note that, no two poltergeist spirits are the same. These spirits are able to completely manipulate the environment that they frequent in a physical manner. Physical interruptions to the environment that they are a part of include the possibility of physical attack, objects that appear to be moved or are observed moving with no physical assistance, and even severe cases of combustion that is considered to be spontaneous. It is believed that if there is a teenager who is female in the home, poltergeist activity is more likely to occur. Individuals, who are young, open to psychic abilities, and those who are extremely fearful seem to attract poltergeist hauntings more than others. This is simply because these individuals have a higher level of energy surrounding them. It is believed that these types of spirits will actually draw their energy from the person who has a high level of energy. Energy is an essential component for a spirit to operate once they are in the spiritual world. The more energy that these spirits are introduced to, the more energy that they feed off of. Poltergeists are not all bad. In some, playfulness and general mischief is all that is experienced. However, there are some situations in which a poltergeist may be very ominous and frightening.

Demon haunting is especially frightening to the individual that experiences it. There is absolutely no “good” when it comes to demonic spirits. The word demon comes from the Greek word daimon, which means a divine or semi-divine power that determined a person's fate. Some believe demons are angels who have fallen from grace or have chosen to take the cross over to the dark side, so to speak. Demons are evil, supernatural beings of intelligence, wit, and immense power. They have the power to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects, and inflict torture both mentally and emotionally by attacking or even possessing the human body. Demons are usually portrayed as large, muscular, human-like creatures. They are usually thought to be red, winged, and even surrounded by fire. They can take on any form they want, but mostly commonly it is a half man, half animal form. In many cases, demons are summoned by someone using a Ouija board, or tinkering with some form to magic, witchcraft,or demon worship that perhaps they shouldn't be tinkering with. They most likely don't know what they could be getting themselves into. Demonic hauntings are commonly represented by a stench similar to rotting flesh or sulfuric acid. The air in the area will feel thick and the temperature will drastically change, typically becoming warmer, although intense coldness is sometimes present. Growling sounds seem to come from everywhere all at once. The sounds of manacing laughter or disembodied voices speaking in foreign tongues, usually Latin, can often be heard. The demon may make verbal threats or throw objects. They like to push, shove, hit, and scratch. They may cause nightmares, consistent bad luck, and overwhelming senses of hate, anger, and evil. A demon's main goal seems to be to break down a person's free will so they can possess them. Demons have the ability to morph into any shape they want. They can change from a human form to an inhuman form before your very eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in the corner of the room. Demon hauntings usually start in a subtle way. Faucets dripping, scratches in the walls, thumping sounds. These behaviors are typically the same behaviors displayed by a poltergiest, but more extreme. It's common for several entities to exist in one location with a strong evil presence seemingly controlling the others and not allowing them to cross over. It is believed that demons hate humans and think them very lowly and stupid. Demons should never be challenged, unless you want a crash course on how weak you really are. Most demonic entities like a challenge and are incredibly conniving; they may have you believing they are good spirits or may appear to have gone away, only to confront you again at the least expected and most vulnerable moment. Short of an exorcism, which is usually successful, some believe it may be possible to actually command a demon to leave. Be persistent, show no fear and tell it to get out. They will leave, although not necessarily right away, but keep trying. Also, it's been said that demons don't like to be ignored. If it can't get you to fear it, then the game is over. Like say they, ignore it and it will go away. It's worth a shot at least.
Something else that might help is smudging. To smudge your house, open the windows and light a bundle of dried sage. Sage is believed to clear away negative energy and spirits. Catch the ashes with a plate held underneath the bundle and walk around your home to cleanse it with the sage smoke. It is also said that sprinkling holy water throughout the house might work too. Demons have lived for thousands of years and will be here long after we're gone. Although it's possible to get a demon to leave a place with the above mentioned methods, but they may not necessarily be destroyed. They may just find a new place to terrorize.

(It is not recommended to contact or to try to get rid of a demon on your own. For your own safety please contact someone who is experienced and knowledgeable about demon removal.)

Intelligent/Interactive huanting
Intelligent hauntings manifest typically in what some may consider "signs." Hiding or moving objects, doors opening and closing, strange sounds, spiritual presence (goosebumps, eg), disturbance of electrical devices are all examples of ghosts attempting to gain someone's attention and communicate from the spirit realm. One may also experience dreams and visions of loved ones, especially right before or after sleep when most are open to contact (and the left brain is quieted down). It is also not uncommon to physically see a ghostly loved on, as well. The best thing one can do is remain open to the contact and listen to what is heard deep within, as that is how ghosts primarily communicate. Speak to the spirit, your ghostly friend, in words of peace, understanding, blessing and love.

Shadow People or Shadow Creatures haunting Shadow people are typically described as black humanoid silhouettes with no discernible mouths, noses, or facial expressions; child-sized humanoids; or shapeless masses that sometimes change to human like form and featuring eyes that are either glowing or not discernable. Movement is said to be quick and disjointed. They are known to stare and watch people until they are noticed and then they will disappear by vanishing or walking or melting through a wall.
Some people believe them to be ghosts, while others see them as evil demons due to the unpleasant feelings that seem to accompany their presence. Others say that shadow people my be spiritual creatures that have found their way into our dimension and are curious about humans so they take our shape and observe our behaviours. Most of these spirits are harmless, although some witnesses have said to have felt choked or of being suffocated when these phenomena have been present. These actions would help to support the demon theory that shadow people are in fact malevolent and unfriendly. Although it could be paranoia for many witnesses, so many feel angry, hateful feelings coming from these dark figures.

Doppelganger Haunting . Meaning "double walker" a doppelganger is a shadow-self that accompanies every human. Only the owner of a doppelganger can see it, otherwise it is invisible to human eyes. Dogs and cats have been known to see doppelgangers. Providing sympathetic company, a doppelganger almost always stands behind a person, and they cast no reflection in a mirror. They are prepared to listen and give advice to humans, either implanting ideas in their heads, or a sort of osmosis. It is said to be bad luck if it is seen, and rarely a doppelganger will make itself visible to friends or family, often causing great confusion. Doppelgangers can be mischievous and malicious. A doppelganger, can be the ghost of a living person or any other sort of physical double. The idea of a doppelganger is sometimes similar to that of an "evil twin." The word doppelganger comes from the German Doppelgaenger, literally meaning "double-goer."
There are many different types of doppelganger, as the definition of the term has become somewhat loose, encompassing any sort of double. The doppelganger may be ghostly or appear in the flesh. It may be an "evil twin" unknown to the original person who causes mischief by confusing friends and relatives, or it may be the result of the original person being in two places at once through an act of sorcery. Scientists at the University Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland discovered that electrical stimulation of the brain, used to treat epilepsy, can produce the sensation of a doppelganger's presence in the patient.
Abraham Lincoln: The faces in the reflection were almost nose-to-nose. Startled, Lincoln got up to closer examine the reflection, but upon standing the images disappeared. On lying down again, the double image reappeared. Lincoln noticed that although the images were nearly identical, one was "a little paler—say five shades—than the other".
Lincoln admitted that the experience did "give me a little pang as if something uncomfortable had happened," but put it out of his mind until later in the evening when he told his wife about the incident. Out of curiosity, he tried to elicit the image again. He was successful one last time, but unable to show it to his wife. Mary Todd Lincoln became very worried and told Lincoln she believed that the paleness of half the dual image was a bad omen, which meant that Lincoln would serve his first full term, but would not live to finish his second.6,7
John Dunne was an English poet who claimed that he saw his wife's Doppelgänger in Paris. When he returned home, Dunne found that his wife had delivered a stillborn baby at their London home.
Emilie Sagée As Sagée was writing on the chalkboard while teaching her class of thirteen students, her double appeared, standing along side her. It was her exact image except that it wasn't holding a piece of chalk.
On another occasion, all of the school's 42 student girls were in the school hall for sewing and embroidery class. As they worked, they could clearly see Sagée in the school's garden gathering flowers. However, when the girl's teacher left the room for a moment, Sagée's Doppelgänger appeared, sitting motionless in the teacher's chair. Two girls tried to touch the apparition but were met with an odd resistance and were unable to penetrate the air surrounding the entity. Yet, one girl, stepping between the teacher's chair and the table, passed through the apparition, which then slowly vanished.
The girls noticed that on the "arrival" of the Doppelgänger, Sagée looked suddenly very tired as she worked in the garden. Sagée declared that she had never seen the apparition, but admitted that when it was present, she felt drained of energy. The girls noticed that their teacher became pale during the Doppelgänger visits.

What are EVPs?

EVP’s What are they?                                       Segment 3

EVP also known as Electronic Voice Phenomena. An EVP is a voice or voice like sound that is not heard with your own ears but will be heard on your recordings. Some EVPs are more easily heard and understood than others. They can vary in gender , age of person, tone and emotion. They usually speak in single-words, phrases and short sentences. Sometimes they are just grunts, groans, growling and other vocal noises. There have been recordings speaking in various languages too.You need to use a digital recorder to capture your evps. They can also be caught on your video camera’s microphone. In a perfect world you would be in a perfectly quite area. No cars, no bodily noise (ever notice when you want to be quite you stomach starts making noises?), no kids outside, no clocks ticking, etc. But we will never be in that perfect area. You should always label your evp sessions. Either with paper and pencil or by vocially saying “car drove by” “so in so going up stairs” if a outside sound happens that could be later misinterpreted as paranormal.
EVPs have classifications of how good they are.

Class A~This type of EVP is loud, clear, and of very high quality. The voice is easily heard and does not need enhancement or amplification. Class A EVPs are also often (but not always) a direct response to a question being asked.

Class B~This is the most common type of EVP. This type of EVP is somewhat lower quality than a Class A EVP but still very audible. Class B EVPs often do need some amount of enhancement or amplification to be heard clearer. The voice may not be clear enought to be understood or there may be a disagreement as to what it is saying. Class B EVPs are often not in direct response to a question.

Class C~This is the lowest quality EVP. With a Class C EVP even the best enhancements and amplifications may not be sufficient to make the voice audible or clear. There may even be debate on wether or not an EVP is actually present.

A brief look into the history of EVPs is explained below. As well as how our EVP research got to where it is today.

Through the 1960’s and 1970’s researchers, especially in England, claim to have recorded thousands of voices. In 1982 engineer George Meek and psychic William O'Niell built a device call the "Spiricom". They claim it allows two-way real-time communication with spirits. This claim is still under heavy dispute.
Today, with the advent of digital records and reliable, professional grade sound editing software, paranormal investigators around the world continue to record and analyze unexplainable voices.
Thomas Edison is generally credited with being the first to conceive that a device could be created to hear and speak with spirits. In a 1920’s newspaper interview he said someday it may be possible to have such a device. This is considered a remarkable comment since Edison himself never really showed any interest in the paranormal or supernatural, nor express any deep spiritual beliefs. He was trying to create a way to communicate with his mother when she passed. She unfortunately did pass before he finished his work.
At the same time other great inventors such as Gueglielmo Marconi (wireless radio) and Nikola Tesla (famous for his work with electricity), perhaps in cooperation with each other, also began work on devices that they believed could communicate with the dead.
In the late 1920’s through 1930’s several psychic researchers claim to have heard voices on recorded radio broadcasts that were not part of the broadcast not could be accounted for by anything in the surrounding area. During World War 2 Swedish and Norwegian radio operators reported hear unfamiliar voices. They assumed it was the Germans. But after WW2 when capture German records were searched no evidence of Nazi activity on those frequencies at that time could be found.The actual credit for having first recorded an EVP goes to Fredrich Jurgenson. In 1959 Fredrich Jurgenson, a Swedish film producer, was supposedly recording bird songs in the Swedish Alps (he would later admit he was out trying to record the voices of the dead). He claims not to have heard anything unusual during the recording but heard many voices upon playback. He claims to have heard his own mother’s voice calling his name (some accounts say he heard his mother’s voice telling him he is being watched!). Jurgenson recorded hundreds of voices over his life time and played them at many symposiums and conferences. His recording still remain unexplained to this day.

Evidence Explained

Evidence Explained  Segment 4

Some people may use acronyms to describe their evidence they collect. Just to clarify some things this will go over all evidence and what you can expect.

EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) You will use your digital recorder to collect evps. An EVP is a voice or voice like sound that is not heard with your own ears but will be heard on your recordings. Some EVPs are more easily heard and understood than others. They can vary in gender , age of person, tone and emotion. They usually speak in single-words, phrases and short sentences. Sometimes they are just grunts, groans, growling and other vocal noises. There have been recordings speaking in various languages too.
You can view our evp page to listen to ones we have collected.

EMF
(Electromagnetic field) is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. It affects the behavior of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The electromagnetic field extends indefinitely throughout space and describes the electromagnetic interaction. It is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. You use a EMF detector to pick it up. First you want to do a EMF sweep in your area to get a baseline reading. You may have an area that has naturally high EMF levels. If the building you are in has no power fed to it, you should have a very low baseline and will help with your investigation. The things listed below can give you an EMF jump that you can confuse with a paranormal entity. Some of these things generate EM fields that surround the object and are a few feet thick so you do not have to be right on top of it to get a reading. Even a 2 - 7 milligauss reading can be given of by something natural so try to trace out a source.This is essential indoors.  These can interfere with your EMF readings.Computers
Clock Radio/digital alarm clocks
Microwaves
Electrical outlets
Electrical lines in walls, floors and ceilings
Lamps
Refrigerators
Some pipes, copper
Ballasts in fluorescent lights, even if light is off
Batteries - regular and rechargeable
Telephone lines
Power lines
Very high solar activity

Pictures You can catch many things in a photograph. You have to be very careful when reviewing your photos though. Camera movement, flashlight beams, reflections off of other objects, etc can cause false orbs, shadows, or other paranormal views. Photos are one of the ways you can “prove” you caught something. You can catch orbs, shadow figures, apparitions, item movement, etc. I will be devoting another segment to things you can capture in photos and videos. Our Photo Evidence
Videos In videos you can catch items moving, apparitions, shadows moving, emf jumps, temperature jumps. Pretty much anything you can see and some you cant see can be documented. You can also catch evps on your videos. Our Video Evidence

 
Temperature If you have a set 77.2 degrees at a location you are at and you all of a sudden get a 10-15 degree drop you may want to call that paranormal. Entities can cause temperature changes when they use energy to try to accomplish something.

Why lights out? Why at night?



Why Lights Out, or at Night?                                       Segment 2
I have been asked many times, “why do you go at night?” or “why do you turn out all the lights”. These are some very good questions.

First off when you investigate you want to try to recreate the conditions the original complaint was made. Yes, paranormal activity does happen in the day, in light hours. But for the most part I would say it happens at night. At night it is already dark which goes with the lights out.

Nighttime is when the earth has the least amount of natural Electromagnetic Fields. As you know ghosts may manipulate or influence EMF to manifest themselves, at night we have a better chance of detecting and measuring paranormal EMF emissions during periods of low natural planetary EMF activity. Also at nighttime there is a less chance of having interference in your investigations. Noisy cars on the road, kids outside playing, screaming and making noises can easily interfere with your evp sessions.

At night time and with lights out you can also use different types of cameras that the entities may appear. You can use thermal imaging, infrared, night vision, and full spectrum cameras. We as humans do not have the ability to see at these levels of light. Admittedly, it is also very easy to be distracted by wall hangings, nick knacks on bookshelves, light coming in from a window, et cetera. With the lack of visual spectrum, like a blind person, investigators can become keener with their other senses like smell, hearing, and bodily sensations of being touched and becoming cold.

Some investigators believe that nighttime investigation is best because of the witching hour. (In European folklore, the witching hour is the time when supernatural creatures such as witches, demons and ghosts are thought to appear and be at their most powerful, and black magic at its most effective. This hour is typically midnight or the "time in the middle of the night when magic things are said to happen." The term may refer to any late hour, even without having the associated superstitious beliefs, as can be seen in the Webster's definition: "The middle of the night, especially midnight." The term "witching hour" can also refer to the period from midnight to 3am. At "3 a.m. [it is] the devil's hour, as opposed to 3 p.m., when Jesus was said to have been crucified") Definition Taken from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witching_hour

What is a Paranormal Investigation?



What is a Paranormal Investigation?                              Segment 1
A paranormal investigation aka: ghost hunt is when a person or a group of people go to place that has had unexplained claims of things going on. i.e.: knocking, noises, objects moving, shadows, apparitions etc. You will collect evidence to prove or disprove the claims. Sometimes a noise etc. can be disproved as paranormal and be something as simple as the noise of a house settling or an object in the house making the noise.

Most investigators will use a number of tools to collect data. There are a number of things to use to detect a entity’s presence. There are a number of cameras that can be used, EMF detectors, voice recorders, thermometers, dowsing rods, and many more things. Ill do another segment just on equipment.

The actual investigation is just the first part of any investigation. Most of the time will be spent afterwards going over all your audio, videos, and pictures. That is where you will find most of your evidence. The investigation can be a long and boring process, but on that occasion you experience something it makes it all worth it. It amps you up and keeps you coming back for more.

Some general tips when investigating:

1. Never go alone You never know what you will find. There are some old building that you may investigate and it is very easy to get hurt. Also if you have two people that experienced the same things your claim is more substantial.

2. Always have permission to be there You want to have the owners permission to go on their property. You don’t want to get arrested for trespassing. Also if it is an actual haunted area, and you are there without permission, the owners could make it where no one in the future could come back. Don’t want to ruin it for everyone.

3. Know your area You want to know your area. There are always dangers in every area you will go. Make sure you look over the area in the daylight before you try anything in the dark.

4. Research Look into the history of the place you are going. Were there any deaths/murders? Any previous investigations? If you know who lived there or died there you can customize your questions that you will use in your investigation.

5. Flashlight Always have a flashlight with you. Again it goes with knowing your area. Safety is most important.

6. Have Patience Like I said before, the investigation can be quite boring. Just need to have patience and hope you caught something that you will find when you go over your evidence.

7. Have FUN! Most important is to have fun. Investigations are fun and exciting times!

8. RESPECT Always have respect for the property you are on. And for the potential entities you may encounter. They were people once and have feelings. You don’t want to make one mad or hurt their feelings. Just like your mom always told you, treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Welcome!

Here is where we will be posting our informational segments we write. If you have any questions or coments please feel free to express them. You can view our website at http://www.riverbendparanormal.com/