Extreme Paranormal Investigations by Marcus F. Griffin

This book gives readers a first-hand account of some of the most hair-raising investigations that Marcus F. Griffin and his ghost hunting crew have conducted over the years. Belle Gunness, America’s first female serial killer, and Jeffrey Dahmer are just two examples of whose properties the team visits and encounters some unfriendly ghosts. This book is perfect for fans of the paranormal tv shows, and the author’s writing style is absolutely perfect for the subject matter.

Ghost Hunting for Beginners by Rich Newman

This book would be a perfect gift for someone who loves the paranormal televisions and wants to experience spirits first hand. The reader will be armed with all the basics of what is needed to form a team, conduct an investigation, and learn about the various equipment that can be used during an investigation. Rich Newman is a well-respected ghost hunter with over a decade of experience. His advice and knowledge is the perfect start for those who want to get off the couch and start exploring.

True Police Stories of the Strange & Unexplained by Det. Sgt. Ingrid P. Dean

Do you have someone on your list who is a police officer? If so, this is a perfect gift. Included in this collection are angels, UFOs, and truly extraordinary stories that give one faith in a higher power and that someone/thing is watching over us. It’s a very inspirational book and a fabulous tribute to the very brave folks in blue.

Paranormal Obsession by Deonna Kelli Sayed

So how did we all become obsessed about the paranormal. Was it the tv shows? They’ve only been around since the late 90s. America’s obsession goes way back to the spiritualist movement in the 1850s, and Deonna Kelli Sayed explores the various factors that keep this paranormal obsession fueled throughout the years. It’s an excellent, detailed look that goes beyond the tv shows and ghost hunting. It’s a must-read for ghost hunters.

The Ghost Hunter’s Field Guide by Rich Newman

Do you have a ghost hunter on your holiday list? This book provides over 1,000 locations in all 50 states of haunted public locations. Hotels, restaurants, historic buildings, and other locations are listed by town and allow the reader to plot and plan a trip to visit a reportedly haunted location. There is a key in the entry that lists what activity has been documented at the location. Of course, ghost hunting etiquette must be followed, but if one wants to dine in a haunted restaurant to see if any ghostly vibes can be picked up, there’s an extensive list of options no matter where one happens to be.

True UFO Accounts from the Vaults of FATE Magazine

If you know someone whose motto is: The Truth is Out There, this book is for them. Articles from the over 60 years of FATE magazine’s history have been collected and include the most well-known and documented sighting stories, deep history and explanations of Roswell, and articles from the most respected and revered ufologists are included in this volume.

I hope that some of the suggestions will make perfect gift ideas for those on your holiday list, and thus make the holidays a bit less harried for you.

Happy holidays!

But what happens when the adventure follows you home?

All of the events I’ve attended have been led by professionals and people who know what they are doing. There are ways of protecting yourself when participating in spiritual communications so that spirits don’t harm you in any way, shape, or form.

But there are times when nothing harms you, but you have a sense that something is “there.”

I was invited to a friend’s house to do some table tipping. There was a group of us, all very eager to try this very traditional form of spirit communication. To our dismay, no spirits knocked on the table, but we could definitely feel the energy coursing along the table top.

On my way home, I felt a presence in the car with me. My psychic gifts are rather underdeveloped, but I can sense a presence. My friend who hosted the party lives in a very haunted house, so I wasn’t too surprised that a ghost tagged along. I could feel the spirit follow me as I walked into my apartment. I smiled and said “I don’t mind a tagalong, but I know that Annie is rather attached to her ghosts. You are welcome as long as you do no harm to me or my pets.” I then felt the presence disappear. I got out my white sage bundle and smudged the house just to be on the safe side.

The morning after my first ghost investigation, I was rudely awakened by my cat running around the apartment like something was chasing her. I figured she was chasing a toy and grumped a bit that she had woke me up after a couple hours of sleep. I then heard her panting from exhaustion. I got up, put my glasses on, and saw that she wasn’t playing with a toy. It was like she was being chased by something I couldn’t see. As she was panting, trying to catch her breath (which I’ve never seen her do, and I’ve had her for 11 years), I picked her up. She hid under my arm and was very frightened. As soon as I put her down, she ran into the basement. This isn’t unusual. That’s her hangout, especially in the summer, but she was hiding. This is her typical behavior when guests are over, but it was just me. I would bring her upstairs and she’d howl and run back downstairs and hide. I did this twice and she had the same reaction. I knew something was up.

I took out my white sage bundle and smudged the house. I said that only positive spirits and energies are allowed, and for all negative spirits to please leave. I asked the spirits to not harm me or my cat, and that any spirits that did so were unwelcome and must leave.

About a half hour after I smudged the apartment, my cat came upstairs, hopped on the couch, and snuggled next to me. I was relieved to know that whatever had followed me home was gone and would no longer bother me or my cat.

When you participate in any type of spirit communication or ghost hunting, please take steps to protect yourself before and after the event. Psychic Protection for Beginners by Richard Webster is a fabulous resource for protecting you and your family and house from any psychic or paranormal harm. Magical Housekeeping by Tess Whitehurst does a fabulous job of keeping your house in magical and mystical harmony. The Ghost Hunter’s Survival Guide by Michelle Belanger is an excellent resource for protection when ghost hunting.

So if you feel that a spirit has followed you home, never fear. It may be friendly, but if it bothers you, your family, or your pets, that’s when it’s time to strike back with a smudge stick!

There have been many stories of people who have been visited by the spirit of a deceased loved one. Often it happens at the same time or shortly after a person has passed on. One last visit to say goodbye and that the deceased is happy and at peace. Instances of photos falling, or more like flying, off the wall and found propped up in a favorite chair of the deceased. A scent of a very distinguishing or specially-made perfume permeating the air to let you know that someone special is there with you. Realistic dreams where you speak to your deceased loved ones and when you wake up, you have to remind yourself that they are no longer living.

I’ve had ghostly experiences, but one that made such a profound impact on me is one that I don’t share very often. Mainly because when it happened and I said something about it, my brother-in-law was next to me and gave me a “She has gone completely bonkers” look. Granted, that is a look I get from him quite often, but given the time and place, it was even more dramatic.

My paternal grandparents were typical Midwestern folk. Both grew up on small farms outside of a small village in northwest Wisconsin. They married in 1935 and took over my great-grandfather’s farm. The quiet and stoic German and Norwegian backgrounds, along with attending the Lutheran church up the road (which the land it was built on was donated by my great-great grandfather who emigrated from Germany in the 1880s), definitely reflected in my grandparents demeanor. Not overly affectionate, and emotion wasn’t shown very often, except for some intense moments while watching the Green Bay Packers.

My grandparents had been married for 54 years when my grandmother died of cancer in November 1989. My grandfather took my grandma’s death so hard. He’d come to the farm (my parents took over the family farm in 1962 when they married) just about every day, just to get out of the house. He’d often sit on the couch and cry. I never once saw my grandparents hold hands, kiss, or show any affection, so it was such a shock for me to see my grandpa cry.

Grandpa had a couple strokes in his later years and spent the last few months of his life in a nursing home. He died in November 1996, seven years after Grandma had passed. We all thought it was a blessing that Grandpa was finally at peace because he was so miserable in the nursing home, which was a block away from the house he had lived in since 1962. We also knew that he would be happy because he would be reunited with Grandma.

After the funeral in the little church where my grandfather was baptized, confirmed, and married, we walked outside in the cold to the adjacent cemetery where he would be laid to rest. It was a cold and grey day in early November. The leaves had fallen off the trees and there was a gusty wind to settle the chill in all of our bones. As my family members huddled, for comfort and warmth, around the casket and under the canvas canopy that was erected over the grave [Grandpa had worked for the funeral home for many years, and the sky looked like rain that day, so Mark make sure that Grandpa had the royal treatment that day.], the minister started to speak. As soon as he said, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” a huge gust of wind tore through the canopy. Hair and coat flaps were flying, people struggling to stay upright. I had been crying but immediately froze. That wasn’t just wind. It was also the spirits of my grandparents who were finally reunited. I knew that it was both of them and they were happy, free, and together. As soon as the pastor finished speaking, the wind immediately stopped and all was still. My eyes were wide open and I had a look of shock on my face, still wet with tears I hadn’t wiped away because I was frozen in shock. My brother in law, who was standing next to me, looked at me as if to ask “Are you okay?” I said “Grandma and Grandpa were here. Their spirits were just here with us.” That’s when I got the “She’s gone completely bonkers look,” and he immediately turned his face to the ground.

I’ve never brought it up to my family members, but it has been 14 years, and they are more accepting of my intuitive ways, so it might not be considered so off the wall if I did mention it again. I’m sure my brother in law would still think I’m bonkers, but that’s a given. It was a moment that brought me so much comfort, and I’m so very blessed to have experienced something as profound as what I did.

They haven’t let me know that they are around in such a strong manner as the day of Grandpa’s funeral, but there little reminders here and there of them that I stop and think “Are you here?” Even if they aren’t, I’m triggered with such a strong memory, usually one I had forgotten, and send out a silent “miss you” to them, but with a smile on my face.

Have you had visits from loved ones who have passed?

Llewellyn author Annie Wilder was house hunting and stumbled upon a home that spoke to her on many levels, including a ghostly one. She harbored a large suspicion that it was haunted, but it didn’t stop her from purchasing the house. Annie’s senses were correct, and she has been experiencing many strange happenings in her gorgeous home over the past 14 years, and others are eager to hear about them in many ways. She wrote about her ghostly experiences in her book, House of Spirits & Whispers. She hosts haunted tea parties and as she gives a tour to the guests, she points out areas of uniqueness (the house was split into three apartments at one time) to the home, as well as relay paranormal experiences that have happened in that room.

Purchasing a haunted home may be a bonus to some, hindrance to others. This article, which features Annie, focuses on how a haunted house can be very profitable. With the extreme popularity of ghost hunting shows, people are fascinated with ghosts and want to experience something paranormal. They seek out haunted hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, and other various venues with the hope they will encounter something ghostly.

I’ve lived in haunted homes and I thankfully never felt threatened. The ghosts were always friendly, but could be annoying at times. Especially when it would hide utensils on me. Would I purposely buy a house that was haunted? It all depends on how I “felt” when I was in the house. I have been in homes and buildings that have had a very negative presence and I know to listen to those feelings and get out as quick as I can. I definitely sensed a presence in Annie’s home, and the spirits responded by poking me a few times. It was like they were saying “Hey! We’re here!” I didn’t feel threatened, but there were a couple rooms where I felt uneasy or sick. Like someone was sad and/or annoyed. Would that stop me from buying a house? Probably not. If I felt a very heavy and evil presence? I’d be out of there as soon as my legs would carry me.

I make a lot of decisions on feeling. If it feels right, I go for it. If I knew a house was haunted but I loved it and felt it was right, I’d take it in a heartbeat. I would be aware and respectful of the spirits, but I definitely would let them know when they were crossing a line with me! I also have burned sage to clear away negative energies when I feel that all is not well in the home.

Would you seek out a haunted home when house hunting, and would you not buy a home if you knew it was haunted?

As author of The Case for Ghosts (Llewellyn, 2006), I frequently receive photos via e-mail of alleged “spirits” for my analysis and opinion.  Normally all I get are basic orb shots or filmy mists, but occasionally I receive an interesting photo that appears to show full-bodied manifestations—a few of which I’ve had difficulty explaining away as double exposures, reflections, pareidolia, or hoaxes. Recently, however, I began receiving a number of “too-good-to-be-true” spirit photos showing what appears to be the ghosts of children in the background. Feeling like I’d struck gold, I eagerly sent them off to a photo analysis expert friend of mine (who also happens to be a ghost hunter in his own right) for his assessment, only to find out they are part of an application the people at iPhone recently introduced called Ghost Capture. (It was created to promote some goofy movie called Ghosts Don’t Exist.) Of course, I was crest-fallen and not a little bit annoyed that some idiot at iPhone thought it would be a good idea to make it even easier to fake ghost photos (as though Photoshop wasn’t bad enough). As such, I’m afraid the good folks at Apple have made it even more difficult for us paranormal investigators to determine fact from fiction. Hopefully people will let Apple know what a dumb idea their new ghost capture application is; in the meantime, if anyone sends you a picture of a “ghost” they captured on their iPhone and it looks like a pretty believable ghost photo, you can thank the imaginative software engineers at Apple for muddying the waters even further than they were before.  (For examples of the iPhone ghosts, visit my website at www.ourcuriousworld.com and click on my “ghosts” page.) Below is an example of iPhone “ghost” photo, sent to me by a lady in England.

• “The Purpose and Function of Reincarnation”
• “Why We Believe in Doomsday”
• “What Is a Ghost?”
• “The Gift of Reincarnation”
• “A Retrospective Look at the Supernatural”

On a fictional basis, who are your favorite movie/tv/book ghosts?

My choices are:
Movie: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Television: Casper the Friendly Ghost

Book: Midnight Champagne by A. Manette Ansay

What are some of yours?

This story reminded me of the story from last year where another ghostly apparition was captured on film during a family visit to Tantillon Castle in Scotland. Experts seem to be baffled with this case.

Have you ever captured anything mysterious with your camera?

One of my “must see” destinations is the Tower of London. Anne Boleyn is said to still be roaming the place where she spent her final days. I want to go see the place for its history and to see the crown jewels, but my senses will be on high alert to see if I can sense anything while I’m there. There’s so much mystery and legend and lore that is spinning through my head. I am sure that my trip, which is the first to London (and the UK for that matter), will be full of exciting and amazing experiences. It will be a bonus if there’s anything supernatural!

Have you ever specifically planned a trip to a haunted destination or stopped by one while on a trip? If so, did you see/hear/feel anything?

There are, however, a number of famously haunted places in this country, many of which are haunted by the ghosts of the famous, those people who riveted us in life and continue to capture our fascination after death.

My top three favorite famous ghosts of famous people:

1. John Lennon
I grew up with the music of The Beatles, even though I was born after John Lennon was murdered (not too long after, but after nonetheless). For me, I’m slightly comforted to know that the spirit that Mark David Chapman took away from John Lennon’s body in 1980 may not have gone too far away from us: it is said that Lennon haunts the Dakota apartment building in New York City, his home for several years before he was gunned down just outside of it.

2. Jayne Mansfield
As evidenced by my childhood musical selections, I harbored feelings for many years that I was born into the wrong decade. A child of the eighties? I think not. I was certain I was meant for the fifties or sixties. To me, Jayne Mansfield embodied all it meant to be a sexy female, and I always thought that her death was absolutely tragic. (Besides, the woman had a pink house. Pink! What a perfect color!) It is said that her pink house, purchased by Englebert Humperdink after her death, is still rife with her presence. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to leave my pink house, either.

3. Marilyn Monroe
Like Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn is the iconic pinup of the past. Both, interestingly enough, were interested in seancés and other paranormal activities prior to their death, and perhaps that is why Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most famous of famous ghosts. It is said that her ghost haunts the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where she often stayed at the height of her fame, her tomb at Westwood Memorial Cemetary, and the Brentwood home where she was living at the time of her death.

What say you? Who are your favorite celebrity ghosts? Have you had the pleasure of meeting them, if not in this life, then in the next?