A Haunting Story: My Personal Experience

I shared an office with a woman named Jennifer. She and I saw things differently on many subjects, but we had mutual respect and affection for one another, having shared an office and many work hours together for over 5 years. Jenny knew about my psychic tendencies, but being a Christian had many misgivings about dipping into the world of ghosts’ spirits and lost souls. Although we talked about it occasionally, we usually avoided all controversial subjects such as politics, religion and seeing dead people.
On a Tuesday in December that all changed.

I walked into our office that morning, expecting to see Jenny on the phone already, or munching on a donut from the snack machine. Instead I found her assistant rummaging over the top of her desk, shoveling through the “organizational system” Jenny used to plan her daily activities with her clients.

“Hi Beth, what’s going on?” I asked as I took off my coat and sipped from my morning diet Pepsi.

She turned to me, looking more harried than usual. “Mary sent me down here to find Jennifer’s schedule. She won’t be in for a while.”
“Is she sick?” I asked, knowing deep down it was more than that.
“No,” she replied, “ she had to drive to Minnesota, her mother had a bad car accident. They don’t think she is going to make it.”

Knowing what a close relationship Jen had with her Mom, I knew this was going to be bad. The next day we got the news that Jenny made it to the hospital only minutes too late to say goodbye.

A week went by, as Jennifer tied up loose ends in Minnesota, and we covered her sessions in Milwaukee. I thought of her a lot, and of her mother, who I had never met.

Jen returned to work the following Monday, we embraced, we cried, and I offer whatever weak solace I could. I wanted to do more for her, and I told her so.

That night, I was offered a chance. As I lay down to go to sleep, the room illuminated by a small night light behind a dresser, I began to do my protection meditations, and contact my spirit guides to thank them for their help, and to ask for further guidance in my quest to communicate. As my eyes drifted open and closed I suddenly felt a presence standing next to the bed.

My eyes opened wide and I saw the perfect black silhouette of a woman. She was about 5’6 medium build, and stood over me in silence.

I wondered who she was and received the answer that she was Jennifer’s mother, and she wanted me to pass along a message to Jen.

Knowing Jennifer’s feelings about me and my connection to the spirit world, I refused. I didn’t want to upset her, or open any fresh wounds with talk of visits from her mother. Although some people would have found it consoling, I thought that coming from me in this manner would only confuse and upset her.

The next night Jenny’s mother was back. Again, she stood at my bedside and made her request. Again I refused, asking her to go to her daughter directly, or through dreams to give her a sign or message.

Night after night I received the visitor. As nights passed, Jennifer’s mother became more insistent, and suddenly I found myself in the middle of what can only be described as a haunting.

Each night as I would lay down to sleep, she was there, standing over me, making me afraid to surrender to sleep, and potentially lose myself in the process. As I would begin to drift off I would see her more clearly. Suddenly I would be outside myself, and see my self and my surroundings in a spotlight. I could feel the energy in the air; I would feel chaos around me. Objects flying through the air, I would feel afraid, and out of control. I would have to shake myself to break the hallucination, but it would come back each time I tried to drift off to sleep. After about a week of this, I realized I had to appease this spirit and do what she asked. I had an opportunity later that night, as Jennifer and I would be at a work dinner together.

After the dinner Jen and I walked out to our parked cars together, discussing the evenings events. As we approached her truck I turned to her and began to broach the subject of her recent loss.
“Jen, can I talk to you about your Mom for a minute?” I said.
She looked down at the street, “ Sure.”
“Listen, you know about my “psychic tendencies,” and I have to tell you, I have been getting messages from your Mom for about a week now.”
She said nothing as I continued, “I haven’t wanted to say anything to you because I wasn’t sure how you would take it, and I didn’t want to upset you.”
“No, that’s okay, Diane, what have you got?”

I explained to her the events of the last week. I began with a description of the silhouette by my bed, with the persistence of the message, and lastly with the message from her Mother. “She just thought it was really important for you to know that she loves you, and that it didn’t matter that you didn’t make it to the hospital in time to say Goodbye. There are no good-byes Jenny, she wanted you to know that. She also wanted to let you know that she is around you still, and that you do feel her, and you should trust your own instincts there. Basically, she is okay, Jen. She is okay.”

Jenny looked at me, and laughed a little. “Diane, this is weird, but over the last week I have been praying and praying for my Mom to get in touch with me. I wanted to hear from her so much, and I was asking her to contact me somehow. She found you! You are right, I have felt her around me, but I think because I have been so upset, I haven’t seen her signs.” She continued, “My brother got a sign from her the other night. He was driving home at night, and was thinking about her. He, too, wanted a sign, and just as he thought that, he saw her face at his windshield! He couldn’t believe it! I really wanted a sign from her too… and now I have gotten it. Thank you.”

We embraced, and I felt an immediate calming around me. As if Jenny’s Mom was with us in the parking lot, and was finally at peace, having consoled her daughter. As I drove away from her that night, I realized that I had purposely avoided this conversation with Jenny. That perhaps I could have helped her sooner, but I had chosen not to. It was that night that I made the decision that in the future, if I received a message, I would pass it along. That I would be a communication device, if I could, and would try not to censor or control the messages that I received. It was then that I truly began my journey into mediumship and the paranormal.


Photo by artiefischer flickr.com

L'Italia frequentata: Haunted Italy

Italy is renown for it’s beauty and history, and it should be known for it’s ghosts as well. From the watery depths of Venice to the crumbl ing grandeur of Rome, centuries of plaques, natural disasters, religious fervor and conflicts have made this a country that echoes with the voices of its past. If you are planning a getaway to see Italy, put some of these spooky places on you list of must-sees. Known as the Island of Horror, visit Poveglia Island in Venice. Once a dumping ground for the corpses of those who died of the bubonic plaque, those both dead and alive who suffered from this painful plaque were forgotten and left here. People who get permission to visit this island get a sense of the horror from the water surrounding the island and claim to hear voices whispering along the current. Later the home of a poorly and at times criminally run psychiatric hospital, Poveglia Island is filled with the energy of those wronged.

Heading back to dry land check out Lucedio Abbey. This building dates back to the 1100’s and once housed Cistercian monks who had lost their Christian way. Investigated by the TAPS team (Ghost Hunters television show on SCIFI channel,) visitors here claim to feel a menacing presence and a pillar that seems to cry. Eerie and elegant be sure to check it out.

Talk to the staff at the site of the ruins of Pompeii. Although the tragic history of this locale is well known, some may not be aware of the shadow people, echoes of screams in the night and pervasive smell of sulfur. Much more here than what meets the eye, so go with all your ghost hunting equipment.

Finally, check out Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. Currently being featured in the soon to be released “Angels and Demons” movie, this location is well known for being haunted and is included on most of the Haunted Rome tours. Final resting place for Roman Emperor Hadrian, the haunting are attributed to his family who were executed right in front of this fine building. Locals believe that the Archangel Michael appeared here in 590 and ended the plaque that thrived amongst the population here. Take a guided tour to hear more scary history.

Road Trips: Route 666

If you are traveling through Colorado, New Mexico or Utah be on the lookout for the old route 666 signs, but don’t travel at night!
Route 666 has always gotten a bad rap for it’s unfortunate numbering and whilst locals claim the road is cursed, it continues to be one of the safest highways in the area. Hard to find these days as states have caved into pressure from superstitious residents and renamed most of the road Highway 191 or 491 depending on where you are, route 666 travelers can still tell the difference when their tires hit the pavement. Whether it’s the yellow-eyed hounds of hell chasing your car through the darkness, shredding your tires and driving you mad, or the ghost truck that careens around the curves driving you off the road, route 666 has some special experiences for those who choose to ride the road after dark-fall.
Locals also claim to have seen an apparition of a girl in white and a ghostly hitchhiker so be forewarned and don’t pick up anyone on the route after dusk. Native Americans in the area also tell tales of the road, believing that skin-walkers or shape shifters haunt the road in the form of wolves, eagles and crows.
Most of the mischief seems to be done by humans including the actual thievery of the route 666 signs, but troubling are the reports of satanic rituals and sacrifices of animals along the route.
I have had the pleasure of traveling this route myself, during the daytime, and felt nothing untoward about it, however people still claim to have had experiences here, whether they are the result of an active imagination or real demonic presence is hard to tell.
Have you ridden along the route? Share your stories.

They're Back: Your Favorite Paranormal Shows New Seasons

Okay, so if you’re like me you are probably going through paranormal TV DT’s, but fear not, the end to our bleak evenings of repeats is nearly over. January brings back new episodes of some of our favorite paranormal series so set your Tivo or DVR and get back in the game.

Paranormal State is a terrific show, if you have been living under a rock, based upon a ghost-hunting team from Penn State. They investigate local cases of paranormal activities including hauntings and demon-attacks, all led by Roman Catholic investigator, Ryan. New episodes begin January 19th.

Set your Tivo now though for the premiere of Ghost Hunters International on the SCIFI channel. The new episode begins on January 7th, so be sure to set your DVR to record or mark it on your calender. You'll enjoy the European locations with a familiar crew of investigators.

Friday nights you’ll find the British are invading! The Most Haunted team is doing a tour of the US including favorite locations like Waverly Hills Sanitarium and the Stanley Hotel. The travel channel show will also hit the New London Ledge House and “Sleepy Hollow” NY as well, so stay tuned.

Finally, the show I love to hate Ghost Adventures. It’s great to watch the episode before excerpts appear on The Soup, and right now you can catch repeats on the Travel Channel Friday nights just before Most Haunted. New episodes are on their way, so they say, but no dates have been set as yet.
If you can't wait to get your paranormal fix, visit any of the above webpages for online episodes, downloads and even games!
If you hear of a premiere date for any of these shows, please share the information here.
Photo by Mr TGT flickr.com

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