New Years Eve Ghost Story

I found this little ghost story on About.com Paranormal Phenomenon and thought I would pass it on to all of you. It's always good to start the new year with a scare. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

New Years Eve Ghost
by Steven B.

On New Years Eve 1987, two friends and I stayed the night at my friend's house to celebrate the New Year. We were all roughly 13 to 14 years of age at the time. We were left alone in my friend's house as his parents left for a party. To pass the time, we spent much of the 11:00 p.m. hour playing with a Ouija board trying to contact dead relatives. We failed on every attempt except for one. We made contact with Lewis, an elderly gentleman that lived next door and had died three years ago of an untimely death. The hospital that he stayed in for a routine procedure neglected to raise the side rails on his bed. He fell, broke his hip and died of a heart attack. We asked him how he was, he said lonely, waiting for his wife. We told him who we were, but he could not remember us. Lewis knew it was New Years, though, as he told us his wife was sleeping and that he is watching her. We told him to come next door, but his only response was, " I can't." He told us that three times in a row. We then lost contact.

This was the only time that we ever made contact with a spirit. Now here is where it gets really weird. At five minutes till midnight, about 20 minutes after our reaching out experience, we were huddled around the TV watching a New Years Eve special. We were in the family room in the basement of the house. Upstairs in the refrigerator was an unopened bottle of wine that my friend's parents left for us to share at the stroke of midnight. We frequently throughout the night eyeballed the bottle, eagerly waiting to drink it, as any teenage boy would. Just as I rose up, we started hearing a loud noise coming from upstairs. It sounded of doors slamming! We were scared out of our minds. Then we heard a loud thump as the ceiling vibrated. My friend had two dogs and one cat, but they were downstairs too. The smallest dog, one of those little wiener dogs, started to run up the stairs barking. He went up about three stairs and made a quick U-turn and came back down. He stayed at the bottom of the stairway barking. The cat ran behind the TV, which was at the opposite end of the family room from the stairs. The other dog, a golden retriever, stood next to the wiener dog barking his head off and also staring up the stairs. These are normally two fearless dogs, but they wouldn't go up the stairs for nothing.

We stood in the corner of the family room with our hearts pounding, practically in tears. After about three minutes of this, the two dogs finally stopped and ran upstairs. Ten minutes after that, we got up the nerve to climb the stairs. Every light on the upstairs floor was on, every cabinet in the kitchen was open, and the kitchen chairs were knocked over. I guess that explains the slamming and the ceiling rattling. Needless to say, we were really scared at that moment. We tried to think of a logical reason to explain this, but we could not. Maybe someone we know snuck into the house and to play a prank on us. But that doesn't explain the behavior of the pets. But what finally convinced us that this was a visit from the beyond was when I retrieved our long-awaited bottle of wine from the refrigerator. As soon as I grabbed it, I noticed something strange: It was really light. The wine inside was only about a quarter full - with the seal still in place. We all stared at it in amazement. One of my buds grabbed it and shook it upside down to test it for a leak, but nothing came out. The wine was somehow consumed without the seal ever being broken. Believe me, we new as soon as a half hour before that that puppy was full as we awaited our chance to drink it. But it looks like ole Lewis decided to drop by for New Years after all and have a drink on us. Future attempts to contact Lewis have failed.

If You Can't Go to the Ghosts, They'll Come to You: Ghost Cams

Are you stuck in a snowstorm and can't get out to ghost hunt? Maybe a webcam can help!
There are a number of cameras in traditionally spooky spaces that you can link onto and view. See a ghost, and let someone know to be part of the collection of paranormal evidence. Here are some places to start.

Go to www.ghoststudy.com first and check out their list of ghost cams available to watch including the Willard Library where you may see a lady in grey, a deserted hospital the Queen Mary ship and a the Paris Catacombs.

www.eeeek.com has another great list of ghost cams including a Gettysburg Battlefield cam and a cam at Llancaiach Fawr Manor.

Tpwghostcam.co.uk is a neat site with a set of twenty-six ghost cams in an old TB hospital. Looks pretty spooky so turn off the lights and study carefully.


www.asylumcam.com has another long list of ghost cameras and includes a couple of spooky attics, farms and a New York basement. Now THAT sounds scary.

Check 'em out and see if you can't make a connection with the spirit world. Good luck!

(Pyramid cam pictured above)

Haunted Greece

There are a lot of reasons to go to Greece. Whether you love the historic architecture or the mythical gods and goddesses, this country is full of energy and echoes of ancient days and traditions. Although Greece isn’t on the top of most ghost hunters hit lists, there are some active locations around Greece that you should definitely check out while you are there.

Start at Daveli's Cave in Penteli Athens. Locals believe that this is a paranormal center filled with ghostly apparitions and even UFO visitations. Said to be where the ancient temple of Pan was located, this place is said to be full of unexplainable noises and creepy feelings.

A big cemetery fan myself, you know I would tell you to visit Maroussi Cemetery in Athens. Those who live around the area say they have seen an apparition of a young girl referred to as Anna near the cemetery gates.

Looking for the Lord of the Underworld? Check out the Necromanteion near Perga in the Amvrakian wetlands. Legend has it that this is where the Lord of the Underworld abducted the goddess Persephone so this spot is full of weird energy and a sense of the mystical.

Vampires are all the rage...so to speak…right now, so be sure to make a stop at Santorini Island. You'll have to board a boat to get there, but this is a Mecca for Vampire and Goth fans. Santorini Island is said to be the resting place for hundreds of people who were thought to be Vampires and modern age bloodsucker-wanna be's still head out there for events during the summer. A weird vibe is prevalent here, so be sure to bring your garlic necklace!

Overall, if you want to find some active spots, talk to the locals. There is nothing better than hearing a ghost story passed down from generation to generation or to see the excitement on someone's face who has had an otherworldly encounter.

Photo of the Acropolis at Night by adamsofen flickr.com

Haunted Holy Land: Waterbury Connecticut that is….

Holy Land USA was created by a grateful Yale Graduate, John Baptist Greco as a type of theme park for believers. It was meant to teach bible stories and give visitors a sense of what the "old world" would have been like.
Fallen into disarray during the 1980's, this theme park became a favorite spot for local teens to vandalize and spray paint. Although the statues and monuments were meant to be simple reproductions, the vandalism and decay of the theme park has left the place with a real sense of tragedy.
The first story of its haunting was reported in 1984. Passerby's claim to have seen a woman near the gate of the Holy Land who disappears in a phantom car when the gate is approached. There has only been this one reported sighting on this location.

Now owned by the Sisters of the Fillipini, the land is private property so ghost hunters will have to get permission to enter and investigate. Those who have share these stories.

One ghost hunting team reported feeling peaceful when entering the overgrown Holy Land and experienced an unexplainable battery drain on his camera. Some ghost hunters believe that batteries drain on equipment when in the presence of ghosts because they need the energy to manifest.

Some websites claim to feel murderous intention at this place, but records show that no murders or misdeeds, other than the vandalism, ever took place here.
The creator of Holy Land USA died at age 90. Hopefully his good hearted intentions and spirit will live on. I guess afterall, the only ghost here is the Holy Ghost.

Photo by ZiarciRose flickr.com

Ghosts of Mexico

Many of my four season friends may be heading out to Mexico this winter to get away from the cold and snow…but don’t think you will be getting away from the paranormal! With a cultural history going back to 1000 BC Mexico is a country filled with legends, drama, wars and stories of love and loss. If you want a little ghost hunting adventure after you are done tanning on the beach and walking through the Mayan ruins here are some places to start.

Check out Old Aqua Caliente Casino. Now in the process of being restored, this site is where legend has it that a singer from the 1940's poisoned her treacherous lover, and was shot by him before he perished! Visitors here speak of residual haunting phenomenon including the sounds of a woman singing and apparitions of the tragic couple.

Next stop, Cabo San Lucas and the Finestira Hotel. Staff here report that a ghostly maid makes her rounds every night and sometimes awakens unsuspecting guests! Sleep with one eye open.

Stop in Playa del Carmen and check out the hotel directly across from the famous Blue Parrot Bar. Cold spots, apparitions and weird sounds are reported coming from this location, so be careful and don't stumble upon this site alone after dark.

Finally, don’t miss the ghost tours of the Barrio Antiguo in Monterrey. The site of a double murder in the 1930's, people claim to see an apparition of a woman in white, experience cold spots and simply have a spooky time. Find it at 1026 Jose Aramberri Street.

Oh, and if you are crossing the border into Tijuana after dark be sure to look for the spirit orbs and balls of lights over the water along the border. Take lots of pictures and send them along to me here!

Photo of mexico by* CliNKer * flickr.com

The Granny Ghost

As I meditated daily, I felt a stronger connection with the spirit world. I could literally feel them around me all the time. The air was different, it vibrated, and I welcomed the company. Usually.
I met Granny in the parking lot of the corner grocery store. I would stop in this store once a week or so to pick up last minute items, ice cream, cookies, and milk… the usual. I got to be familiar with the owners of the store, by sight anyway, and we had a cordial neighborly relationship. One night as I returned to my car and loaded in my bag, I noticed a different vibration in the car with me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her, “Granny” and she had a message.

Apparently Granny was a relative of one of the store owners, Rick. Rick had taken care of Granny while she was alive, shoveling her walk, bringing her meals, and she wanted to make sure he knew she was all right, and that she loved him.

Although I wanted to pass along her message, I also knew that I frequented this store, and didn’t want to take a chance on gaining a reputation as “that crazy psychic lady.” I told her that she could connect with him herself, through his dreams, or by some other means, and that I just could not do it.

She continued to sit there.

I asked her to get out of my car. She refused.

Granny and I drove 6 blocks together before I convinced her to move on. She was persistent, and I did feel a little bad about not helping her, but I was soon to learn a lesson on the ethics of mediumship that I would never forget. For that night though, I was still learning, but I think Granny took my advice and made direct contact with Rick. I hope so at least