There are certain places well-suited for haunting. Prisons and insane asylums house tormented individuals who often die within the buildings that house them, causing them to become tormented souls within their former cells. Probably the most haunted prison in the United States, if not the world, is Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Pennsylvania. Built in 1829, it was the most expensive building ever built in the United States at the time, and it became the template for prisons around the United States. It was believed that those housed within the prison would look within themselves and find God during their imprisonment, but what actually happened is that those who were locked away in solitude eventually became insane. Within the prison, each cell had a table, a bed, a bible and a toilet. For 23 hours a day, prisoners were left in their cells and if they were leaving their cells, a black hood was put over their head so they could not see anyone else. Communication between prisoners was completely forbidden in an effort to cleanse the soul through solitude. Naturally, many inmates broke the rules and when they did, they met with horrible punishments. Continue Reading
The realm of magic is full of “things” that can carry their own secret power. They can be a simple piece of wood used to harness the magical power of an individual—also known as a wand, or they can be a mystical blue sorcerer’s hat that allows the wearer to animate random household objects like in Disney’s Fantasia. Magic itself is generally thought of to be an outside force that flows through anything and everything. The ability of certain objects to be more receptive of that magical force and more pliable when a person wishes to use the object’s link with the supernatural for individual uses truly makes it special though. Some items have a tendency to be more special than others as they are closer to the force of magic. Here is a look at these unique objects thought to be nearer to the magical world and the forces of magic that are of special use when wanting to harness the power for yourself. Continue Reading
Hoia-Baciu Forest
Hoia-Baciu Forest has been called the “Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania”. This dense forest first gained notoriety in the late 1960s when biologist Alexandru Sift snapped several amazing photos of flying disc-shaped objects in the skies above the forest canopy. People who enter the forest inexplicably get rashes or begin to feel very light-headed and become ill. Also electronic devices are known to inexplicably malfunction in the area. Some paranormal investigators associate these unknown malfunctioning with supernatural activity. Continue Reading
Trees are some of the most majestic natural organisms on the planet. They are the primary suppliers of the oxygen that all land animals need. Without them, multicellular animal life on land would suffocate in their own carbon dioxide production in a manner of a miniscule amount of time with the limited supply of oxygen put out by other plant life. This symbiotic bond between living animals and living trees (they give us oxygen and we give them carbon dioxide) seemed very mystical and magical to ancient civilizations who did not even know of this exchange. They knew that trees had power of their own even though these ancient people did not understand the science of it. Religions of antiquity revolved around the sacredness of trees such as all types of shamanism. Pagans who worship nature as a foundation for their religion feel trees are extra special—the Druids of the Celtic peoples in particular. Each tree has a unique spirit and specific powers that it holds within its bark.
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Recently I examined how Hollywood can help us survive an alien invasion (here). This got me thinking that Hollywood could perhaps help us in other paranormal fields as well. So I began a case study looking at what the entertainment industry could teach us about the elusive behavior of ghosts. My results were surprising to say the least. Here are the things that ghost spend their time doing as taught by Hollywood. Continue Reading
Some hauntings are known only in the places where they occurred and by a handful of people who truly believe in them. However, other interactions between the living and spirits of the dead have been far more popular and have been spread far and wide to the point where these ghosts and their stories become almost famous. One such legend is that of the Bell Witch (also known as the Bell Witch Haunting) from the folklore of the southern United States. The story of this haunting has been the inspiration for countless books and even modern movies like The Bell Witch Haunting of 2004 and An American Haunting from 2006. This renowned poltergeist revolved around the Bell family who were living in the tiny town of Adams, Tennessee during the early 1800s. Continue Reading
Every now and again we will hear a story about an animal attacking and killing someone. We assume that these are one off occurrences and that the animals that commit the act do so because they are put under extraordinary circumstances that cause a killer instinct to kick in. Animals that kill people often serve as inspiration for horror stories about animals that become serial killers. Jaws, Piranha, and Grizzly are films that weave tales of horror using animals that have gone homicidal. Most believe that the things depicted in these films are regulated to fiction, but the reality is that there are animals that have and still are committing murders. Continue Reading
The study of alchemy has been a time honored tradition of interested individuals for at least the past 2,500 years. The ancient practice focused primarily on trying to change base metals like iron or lead into gold and trying to discover an “elixir of life.” The practical aspects and techniques of alchemy actually became the foundation for what is now inorganic chemistry even though the identification of a method that turned other metals into gold or a liquid that allowed eternal life (at least extended longevity) were never found. However, it was also a type of philosophy unto itself whereby the practitioners were attempting to achieve a type of ultimate wisdom and improve their souls in the process of mystical scientific discoveries. A complex yet interconnected system of various philosophies and schools dedicated to these practices spans several thousand years and the entire globe as the Mesopotamians, Greco-Romans, ancient Egyptians, Persians, ancient Chinese, medieval Islamic peoples, and medieval Europeans all practiced a form of alchemy at some point in their history. Alchemists developed system of symbols for their work trying to achieve inner transformations through the philosophical and deeper spiritual meanings of these symbols. These designs became very important to the alchemists of medieval Europe as they needed to disguise their sciences from the very powerful and very intolerant Christian church who warred against them because they thought the ascension offered by alchemy was a way to achieve salvation outside of their chosen methodologies. Yet, the figures that are pictorial depictions have special meanings unto themselves for the entire study of alchemy. Continue Reading
One of the most popular tourist attractions in London, if not the most popular, is the Tower of London. The Tower of London, currently called Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. Originally a palace, these days it is more known for being a prison, and due to that fact there are plenty of stories of ghosts who inhabit this building, hundreds of years after they died. The Tower of London is a place with many spirits and many stories. Continue Reading
There has yet to be a more popular and well-known horror movie as 1973’s The Exorcist. Movie patrons and critics alike praise the film and it is still considered to be one of the scariest movies ever made. The film and the book by the same name that the movie is based on appeal to a very primitive fear, a fear that has been exploited since the time of the poets Dante and Homer, the fear of death. More particularly, the fear of dying and going to hell. The Exorcists is based on a William Peter Blatty fiction novel, but the novel got its inspirations from a source that is based in reality, the exorcism of Robbie Mannheim. Continue Reading
