The ARGNY Blog

Aport of Call

This is a subject that is a little bit out there, but interesting, nonetheless. The phenomena of aportation, has its beginnings fraudulently in the 1800's when fake mediums would materialize objects out of nothing, with the explanation that they were gifts from the spirits. Sort of like paranormal door prizes. These days, charlatanism still surrounds aportation, with people like Sathya Sai Baba puking up all kinds of trinkets and paraphanalia in front of frenzied Indian groupies.

 

However, more reliable anecdotal evidence has been reported on the aportation of objects where no normal means of their sudden presence could be explained. On a recent episode of Paranormal State, a family was being plagued by the sudden aportation of potpourri balls, which would be thrown at them as they lay asleep on their bed. Understand, there were no potpourri balls present in the house at all until they would materialize out of nowhere. This in fact happens during the episode, although it is not visible on camera. Why potpourri? Who knows. They should just be glad, the balls were potpourri and bowling.

The reverse of aportation (what is that called? Unportation, Reportation? Deportation?) is extremely common in locations with reports of other types of paranormal activity. For example, keys or jewelry will suddenly disappear and re-appear in another spot. Or disappear, never to be found. This is sometimes also known as theft.

40% of Brits Believe in Ghosts/60% Believe in Dental Hygeine

According to a survey of 2,000 people done by the theological research group, Theos, four out of ten Britons believe in ghosts and five out of ten believe in the afterlife. Furthermore, seven out of ten believe in the human soul and five out of ten believe in heaven. Initial research also shows that not all, but most dogs go to heaven. As well as a large portion of cats.

Be that as it may, according to Theos, there is still a slight uptick in the level of skepticism about such things, than 10 years ago. So, strangely, although there are more believers in the afterlife, there are also more skeptics. Which is really quite Zen. Or is it Tou?

Paul Woolley, the director of Theos, said: "The enlightenment optimism in the ability of science and reason to explain everything ended decades ago. The extent of belief will probably surprise people, but the finding is consistent with other research we have undertaken."

"The results indicate that people have a very diverse and unorthodox set of beliefs. Our research may point to a slight increase in scepticism about aspects of the supernatural over the last ten years."

A regional breakdown showed that London has the most believers in ghosts, astrology and Heaven, Scotland has the highest proportion who believe in fortune-telling and Wales the most believers in reincarnation.

I was trying to fit a Benny Hill joke in here somewhere, but I give up.

The Shadow Knows

How come naked ghosts are such a rarity? Common theory says that ghosts project their own self-image. So, even if someone dies as an eighty year old man, they may remember themselves as a 22 year old fresh-faced recent college grad, in a fedora. Or a 22 year old fresh-faced college co-ed, if that's how they roll.

There is also a theory that says that ghosts get better at being ghosts, the longer they are ghosts. So, with practice, you learn how to move physical objects, make sounds and work on your appearance. This, I believe, is one explanation for "Shadow People." Shadow people are entities that appear as a shadowy person or a dark mass, sometimes quite small or sometimes quite large. If you haven't been a ghost for very long, you may not yet have the ability to gather enough energy to project a detailed self-image.

Some other theories on shadow people say that they are:

• Demons
• Aliens
• Some other life form
• The results of astral projection experiments conducted by the government

And, of course, when I say these are theories by other people, I mean, of course, kooks.

Opening Pandora's Dibbuk Box

This is the weird but true tale of some poor schmo who thought he was getting a great deal on a wine cabinet at an estate auction, when in actuality, what he bought was a cage for a demon. Dibbuk (or dybbuk) is the Yiddish for a malicious demon that looks to posses a human host.

After much research one, in a long line of many owners who sold or gave away what would become known as the Dibbuk Box, in terror, discovered that the box originally belonged to two sisters in Poland. In 1938, these sisters first made contact with what they thought was a benevolent spirit during a series of seances. However, as time went on, they came to realize that it was more than one entity that they were dealing with and none of them were benevolent. They would be punished for not making regular contact by having intimate secrets divulged to others attending the seance. It also seemed that the entities were somehow able to influence the members of the seances outside of the seances. But when the demons then began trying to bargain with them to perform a ritual that would allow them to enter our world, the girls knew that the only way to stop them was to trap them. The entrapment went very wrong, however. The girls felt that their entrapment of the demons in a series of boxes somehow made them stronger and unleashed their evil upon the world, starting with the night of Kristallnacht, when Nazis went on a rampage, destroying Jewish shops and synagogues. For, it was on this night that they first started entrapping the demons.

And although the story is now being made into a movie, the people reporting it seem genuine and legitimate and were not looking to capitalize on it. As you will see from things like the desperate eBay listing, the accounts of the mayhem being unleashed from the box started long before anyone had the idea of a movie. Or of a podcast. Or of a sequel to a podcast.

Demons: Paranormal Bad Asses

What demons actually are is anybody's guess, but they certainly aren't very nice. Although I don't think that there is any evidence that a demon has actually killed anyone, I do think they are often (but not always) the catalysts for suicides, homicides and less dramatic but destructive behavior. And they certainly wouldn't give you their seat on the bus or send you a Get Well card when you're not feeling so good.

They say that demons are not ghosts and they are not and never were human; that they are "non-human" negative entities. But I think that there are other types of non-human or negative entities floating around that either get erroneously or lazily labeled "demons". So, let's do a little sorting and labeling:

• Demons: pure evil. Legend (think bible) says that these are the minions of Satan and there is a whole hierarchy to their little nasty organization. Non-religious folk will tell you that these are actually the flotsam and jetsam of negative human emotion all packed up in a tight little ball and ready to pounce on unsuspecting souls; that they come from human negativity and feed off it to keep going. Very much like Dick Cheney.

• Elementals: these are the souls of nature; tree spirits, bush spirits, rock spirits, fungus spirits, etc. The energy of nature spawns these intelligent entities. You'll find them in forests, living under a rock. Possibly, with Dick Cheney.

• Malevolent Ghosts: These are just your run of the mill ghosts, just with a really bad attitude. They are angry, nasty things that will hurt you, if given the chance. I think these are often mistaken for demons. And if they don't "cross-over" they will eventually become demonic. Very much like Dick Cheney.

So, what's the diff between ghosts and demons? I personally believe that demons were once angry human ghosts that, over time, became angrier, stronger and more adept at assorted nastiness. And that their nastiness becomes what they are, eventually erasing whatever human personality traits they once held. (If I mention Dick Cheney again, I think it would be too much, right?)

Video of the Week: Waverly Hills When The Ghosts Were The Living

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is considered by many to be one of the most haunted places in the U.S. But, once, it was a state of the art Tuberculosis hospital.

Now you know why some of the patients never wanted to leave.

Are You Talkin' To Me?

There is what seems to be a pretty interesting device produced by Digital Dowsing, LLC, called the Ovilus. It allows ghosts to "speak" through the device by providing an electronic database of words for the ghost to use to vocalize responses to questions, the environment or whatever may be on its mind. The results I have seen are pretty interesting, especially the instances where the ghost is providing direct answers to questions asked, as seen in this video, taken by the paranormal investigation group, U.N.S.E.E.N. Paranormal Research.

As the creator of the device, Bill Chappelle will openly confess, he has no idea how the thing works as a communicator for ghosts. Nonetheless, the results are sometimes pretty impressive.

ARGNY Paranormal Investigation Experience Survey Results

The only way it could have been more difficult to get these results sent out would be if I swallowed the data and someone removed them from my body with a pen knife. And really, I'm not exaggerating.

But, finally, here they are. Please do comment on the survey and the results. All suggestions and comments are welcome. In a few weeks, when I have further results, I will provide the updated summary.

Download PI Survey Results 020309

Doin' Time At Eastern State

I've been meaning to do this particular post since November when I did an investigation with the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, famous for once imprisoning gangster, Al Capone. If you are a fan of Ghost Hunters, you know that they had some amazing experiences there: cell doors slamming shut, footsteps, voices and a controversial video clip of an entity running toward the camera (see my Video of the Week post) and then back again into the darkness. However, the night I was there the only evidence we could gather was of frost-bite because it was so freaking cold in the middle of that November night.

It was fun to creep around the place in the dark, but as far as an investigation goes, it was a waste of time. This was mainly due to how NJGHS organized the investigation. First, we had to sit in near freezing temperatures (35 degrees, according to my digital thermometer) for 90 minutes listening to a lecture about the basics of ghost hunting and then we were broken up into 3 groups to investigate. I had the unfortunate luck of being in the group that was being recorded by two NYU students for a class project of theirs. So, it was all but impossible to do EVP sessions due to their continual questioning and rattling on. Also, we were being constantly moved on to the next cell block by our guides, so it was not possible to spend any time in any one spot to set up cameras or do any of the experiments I had prepared. So, needless to say, I did not gather any evidence whatsoever. But, it was fun, nonetheless. Although next time I'm going in the summer.

Video of the Week: Ghost Hunters Debunked, Again! (I Think I'm Going to be Sick)

This is a video from one of the many guys that have debunked the video that TAPS recorded at Eastern State Penitentiary. When this episode originally aired, I was very skeptical as to the authenticity of this clip. It looked to me like someone in a cloak running up to the camera and then back again. In fact, I could have sworn that I saw a leg, which this guy clearly points out exists.

I disagree, however, that TAPS staged this. I think it is more likely that ESP staged it themselves, but TAPS turned a blind eye. Something that I think they are doing now more often than not. I also completely disagree with TAPS' claim that it would not be possible for someone to run that fast in the dark on that cat walk. I've been there (see my Eastern State post) and I know that it is perfectly possible. If you want to see the original TAPS footage, check it out, here:

Are You Experienced? Tell Me

I have created a short, but sweet and super-quick survey of people's experience with paranormal investigations. If you can take a minute to answer these questions, it would be greatly appreciated. And I mean that. Really.

Thanks

Larry

What's a Nice Ghost Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

I don't get it. If ghosts are merely the manifestation of the incarnate personality of a person who has died, then why do they hang out in places that they wouldn't be caught dead in (couldn't resist) while alive. Very few living people hang out in the deepest darkest corners of basements, attics, closets, etc. Yet, anecdotal, video and EVP evidence shows that this is precisely the case. What are they doing? What are they thinking? Are they experiencing the passage of time in the same way that the living do? If so, wouldn't it be insanely dull hanging out in a dark basement for years at a time? Of course, it could just be that these are resting spots for the personality, when they're not upstairs in the living room. And that it's the lack of noise, light and electrical interference that enables us to detect them while they're in these areas. Skeptics would argue that it's the innate creepiness of the places (the dark, the damp, the dust, etc) that gives fodder to the fears of the imagination. But this does not explain why so much video and audio capturing good evidence in these areas exists. For example, why is this dead soldier hanging out inside of a locker in the basement of a 19th century cancer clinic?

Also, evidence indicates that ghosts that died a violent or emotional death tend to hang around the site where they were killed. So, if you died in prison, in a mental hospital, on a naval ship, etc, you will haunt that site. But why?! It just doesn't make sense. Why hang out in a place that was a source of misery, pain and fear? There seems to be something about the extreme emotion attached to the death that keeps the personality chained to the site. The common belief that the personality hangs around because of "unfinished business" is probably not the case, but is due to the emotion caused by the unfinished business.

I Sing The Body Electromagnetic

The common theory amongst ghost investigators is that ghosts are able to manifest a visible or audible form by sucking electromagnetic energy from the environment. However, a new theory is gaining more and more acceptance. In fact, I am now a believer, myself. Namely, that ghosts are, themselves, electromagnetic fields. The idea here is that all living things generate electrochemical impulses, that somehow these impulses are imprinted with our personality and that upon death, the field created by the impulses remains: instant ghost. Some of this has been proven by Dr. Robert Becker, an orthopaedic surgeon who researched cell/limb regeneration for over 20 years and ended up as an expert on the effects of electricity on the body. He has documented his findings in his book, The Body Electric.

So, ghost investigators felt that one type of proof that a ghost was in the vicinity and was trying to manifest was the appearance of cold spots in an otherwise warm room, the draining of batteries on electrical devices and the readings of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) detectors. The idea is that the ghost is sucking the energy out of these power sources. However, according to this new theory, this phenomena is evidence of the ghost's electromagnetic field interfering with or canceling out the other energy sources. Matt (not sure why he's afraid to give his full name) of Heartland Paranormal Investigations provides an interesting article on this theory.

This is something that I've suspected for a long time and the new evidence provided has made me a true  believer.

Streaming Spirits

The Bay Area Society for Paranormal Research has created a new site dedicated to broadcasting live paranormal investigations. It is called LiveSciFiTV and they will be broadcasting live tonight (midnight, EST) and Saturday (9 PM EST) from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Stanley, this magnificent hotel opened in 1909 nestled in the beauty of the Rocky Mountain State Park. However, the Stanley is probably best known as the backdrop for Stephen King's chilling novel, and Stanley Kubrick's film, The Shining. It is also considered one of the most haunted place in the country, so it will be exciting to be able to watch LiveSciFiTV's investigation as it takes place. To get a sense of what's in store, here is a clip from The Atlantic Paranormal Society's hit SciFi Channel show, Ghost Hunters when they investigated the Stanley. The best part is the employee passageway (fast-forward to 2:23).

Now, of course, there could have been someone down that tunnel, other than someone that was dead. But remember, this was recorded in the middle of the night, in pitch darkness (the only light is the one mounted on the camera) and no one knew when or if the TAPS crew would go down there. Also, The TAPS guys are incredibly legitimate. They try hard to de-bunk what they encounter and always approach their cases with healthy skepticism. Sorry, but those guys make me gush like a school girl. Anyway, check out LiveSciFiTV and Ghost Hunters. Both are very cool.

Polterjugendmädchen

Although the German word "poltergeist" is translated as "noisy ghost" this does not seem to be the case. Research seems to indicate that the moving furniture, the pots and pans clanking together, the knick-knacks crashing to the floor is not the work of a rambunctious spirit with a yen for weinerschnitzel, but the psychokinetic temper tantrums of pre-teen and teenage girls. This is because the activity is usually centered around a tween/teenage girl or within the same household of the girl, as this amazing (if its real) video illustrates. I say "if it's real" because I cannot confirm the source and in many of the shots, you can't see the entire table and chair, which makes me very suspicious. Either way, it illustrates my point. It's just not very good evidence.

The feeling is that the unique mix of hormonal surges and intense emotion of girls of this age somehow manifests unconcious psychokinetic abilities. How this happens is unknown. But the girls don't even realize that they are doing it , nor do they want to be doing it. Once the hormones calm down and the girls have their MySpace page all set up, the activity tends to subside.

Looks Aren't Everything

So, what are ghosts, anyways? Got me. But, reputable photos, videos, EVPs, from legitimate  investigators and researchers indicate that they are the incarnate personalities of the deceased, manifesting themselves physically through electromagnetism. How they do this, no one knows. What is known is that when these manifestations occur they can be experienced and recorded. As the personality attempts to manifest they draw energy from the environment. In doing so they suck the warmth from the air, so cold spots can be felt and recorded by digital thermometers. Their electromagnetism can be detected by Electromagnetic Field detectors. When they are able to manifest enough energy, their voices can be heard, they can move objects and their physical appearances can be photographed.

What they look like will depend upon just how much energy they can manage to muster. Although some researchers will say that they aren't ghosts, I believe that orbs are also a form of incarnate personality. The problem with photos of them, however, is that most are either photos of bugs, dust, moisture or reflections. Here's a good one from Ask.com's Paranormal section:

For a great detailed explanation of the do's and don'ts of orbs, The Iowa Paranormal Advanced Research Team provides a great one.

If the incarnate personality can manage to work up a little more energy, they will appear as a shadowy figure, commonly referred to as a "shadow person." Below is a video segment that caught a shadow person, unbeknownst to the Bay Area Society for Paranormal investigators at the time. It's somewhat hard to see. Watch the clip a few times and watch the area of the doorway.

But, if the incarnate personality can manage to muster enough energy, they may be able to manifest the gold standard of manifestations: the full body apparition as seen in this great photo (click on it to enlarge) from the UK investigative group, Para.Science. If you look to the right side of the photo, in the back, between the 2 posts, you will see "Sammy," the ghost of this establishment.

I will go into more detail of each of these types manifestations in future posts.

People Are People

so why should it be that you and I should get along so awful--ly? Oh, that's right, because you're dead.

I'm not sure what it is that is so creepy about ghosts. Ghosts are not demons (more on this subject in later posts) or monsters or jump out from behind the sofa, waving their arms and shrieking, like in movies. Evidence suggests that in the real world, ghosts are people. What evidence? Of course there's anecdotal evidence: people hear stories that an old ship's captain who died in a ship wreck haunts a certain location. More times than not, the "captain" is a noisy heating duct or is a completely different ghost altogether.

Another type of evidence is the apparition. This is the ghost image of some part of a person or their full body, which is extremely rare. Problem is that unless the image is clearly photographed, it is only anecdotal evidence, which, unless there are multiple verifiable witnesses, doesn't count.

Next to photographic evidence of an apparition, some of the best evidence comes in the form of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs). These are recordings of ghost voices that are usually in response to questions or comments made directly to the ghost, about the ghost or within the context of the investigation. The American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena classifies EVPs in this way:

Class A	EVP is a message that can be heard without headphones and that people can generally agree on its content.
Class B	EVP requires a headphone to distinguish message content and not everyone will agree on the message.
Class C	EVP requires headphone, often needs amplification and filtering and will seldom even be heard by others.

However, in my book, EVPs can only be counted as evidence if

• the recording is clear and understandable
• the circumstances of the recording can be verified (there were no living people that could have made the recorded message)
• the presenter of the evidence can be verified (is the recorder/presenter of the evidence trustworthy or just a mental patient)
• multiple recordings can be made at the same location over time. This last one is ideal evidence, but there may be factors that could prohibit multiple recordings.

Point is, people get freaked out by ghosts. What they forget is that ghosts are people. People who still love their families and are probably missing them. And if the ghost is hanging around for an extended length of time, it's probably a person with emotional problems that needs caring, understanding and help. Or, just like the living, it could be a person that's a complete bastard.