I too have these abilities and more.

From the Beginning

When I was six years old, we lived in an older two-story house. Every night, I would hear someone walking up the stairs.  It always sounded like this person had on one high heel shoe and nothing on the other foot.  Each night, I would hear the person walk up the steps knowing that it was just myself and my parents in the house. My mom did not wear high heels.  As the footsteps got closer to the top step I would expect to see a lady appear. 

My bedroom door looked out onto the top step and landing of the staircase, each time there was no one there.  I really didn’t understand what was happening.  I thought things like this happened to everyone.  That was my first experience with the spirit world.

Why Do I Have Abilities?

I often wonder what the big picture to having abilities is and why many have them. Why do we need to have the ability to see and communicate with spirit? If they have passed on, then I was always taught that they went to heaven or hell.  As I have gotten older, I now know that this is not the case.  We as humans with so much going on in our daily lives. We forget that there is more than just us out there.  Life is more than us.  I do believe that we each have abilities and it is up to us to embrace them or ignore them.

I do my best to help others. But sometimes I like to sit and discuss with others like me. I have many questions and some answers of my own.

Why Does One Not Cross to a Peaceful Place and Stay? 

I think this is due to the fact that the physical body is gone but the spirit is still here and still feels and cares.  Spirits want to know that their loved ones are ok and they watch over them. On that same note, some people are mean in life and stay that way in death.  These I believe contribute to the negative spirits that are encountered sometimes.  

Why Do People Think This is Satan’s Work?

I think this is because people are scared of what they don’t understand.  I am a Christian woman. I believe and have God in my heart. I do not believe that I need to show a fake self in a building every Sunday in hopes of getting into heaven.  I do believe that we were made in the image of God and need to love and help each other.  

I am not your traditional Christian.  I believe there is a higher being and I believe there are demonic beings out there.  Unfortunately, I found both in Church.  I have spoken with many preachers and other religious people, some do very much believe that humans can have abilities.  Some, however, believe it is Satan at work. 

I happen to find myself in such a church and they condemned me a witch and threatened my life.  What Christian action there!

A Privilege and Honor

I find it a privilege and honor to have my abilities and the knowledge to use them. I have found that I am a teacher of the awakening.  I can help people awaken to their abilities and send them on their way to help others.  This is like teaching your kids something new then watching them take it and add their knowledge to it and grow.  

I believe we are here to help others, living and passed on.  The greatest feeling is seeing others grow and help others.  I am a servant by nature and a behind the scenes kind of person.  I want to do the work but stay away from the limelight.  I do like praise sometimes but I have encountered so many people who attack that I would rather not deal with the upset.

Moving Forward

I learn something new every new moon and my abilities enhance as well. Over the last 10 years since I have embraced my abilities and grown, I can see and talk to spirit.  I see them as I see other people just their energy is different.  Still living energy but not vibrant like the living.  I can see energies and orbs and auras.  I have premonitions and can hold items and tell you things about the owner. 

On the other side, I can see demons and know when a person is evil.  I also can know what others are thinking about.  I feel as if I am crazy sometimes because I thought all people were the same as me and have learned that they are not.  So much happens in my brain every day that most people can’t handle in their normal lives that don’t embrace their abilities.  

In a tarot reading years ago, I was told I am like a raven, I can fly on the outskirts of heaven and hell and come back to the living.  I believe this because I have seen the outskirts and know what is on the other side of the vail.  I am not allowed to enter because my body is not dead.  The hardest thing is the knowledge and not being able to always use it.  Knowing that people have to experience things on their own in order to grow.  All the while I can see what is going to happen.  Most people don’t listen anyway so I just let them learn on their own.

Bringing Up the Next Generation

I love teaching others how to open up and embrace their abilities. It is a duty but so much enjoyment comes from being able to do what I do.  I love going on investigations with our paranormal team, interacting with spirits, learning their stories and helping if I can or just acknowledge them.  Plus, I can go to Walmart and see so many spirits with their loved ones.  

I know who to stay away from because I sense they are not nice at all.  It has kept me safe.  In life, there are many believers and nonbelievers.  It is hard to deal with people who are not wanting to learn but keep asking questions, or the ones that say “You should have seen that coming”.  I saw it but it had to happen.

Lifting the Veil

My life is a lot of unanswered question in a world where there is nothing proven to any of the abilities I have.  The world is opening up more and more every day. But there will always be those who will fight you 100% of the way just so they do not have to feel uncomfortable.  I believe we have to support each other and stick together and lean from each other.  There are so many people with so many levels of abilities out there that it may be over whelming.  But so worth the knowledge and friendship established.

There are so many questions that I still don’t have answers for.  It would be great to sit down with others like me that could give insight into the things I myself am not sure of.  I am in search of others who are on a higher level than myself and talk.  I try my best to help where I can and help people understand. 

Sometimes it is in vain, but this is who I am, and I am not changing.

What are your abilities and how do you help others?

The post Developing My Gifts: The Story of How I Became a Psychic Medium appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

A Widespread Belief

However, we’re talking about something different…and taller. Stemming from Icelandic and Faroese folklore, the huldufólk are mythical beings that are sometimes synonymous with elves. They live outdoors, and they make their home in the rocks and cliffs of Iceland. They also dress in 19th-century clothing. This is an invisible society of human-like creatures. In 2006, a study on the belief of the huldufólk revealed that 32% of Icelanders believe in the possibility that these human-like creatures exist while 24% believe that their existence is likely or a certainty. Before going further, note that Iceland consists of large volcanic rock formations. Springs and geysers are often boiling, and there is sparse greenery in the area. So, rocks aren’t an uncommon thing for the region.

Construction & Protests

In the 1930s, road construction commenced in Kópavogur, Iceland. But they had to cut through a hill in order to continue. The hill is Alfholl or Elf Hill Road. But there was a problem; machinery kept breaking down as it tried to cut through the rock. The construction company ran out of funding. Plans to revisit construction started not only in the 1940s but also in the 1980s. Construction crews ran into the same problem. Eventually, the plans to cut through the hill were abandoned. The new plan was to build the road AROUND Alfholl instead of through it. Many believe that elven magic was afoot.

In 1982, over one hundred Icelanders protested a NATO base while demanding an inspection of the area for any elf dwellings. Construction of roads and neighborhoods revolve around rock formations that may be inhabited by elves or the huldufólk. In 2004, an aluminum company had to halt construction of a smelter due to having to hire a government official to inspect the area for elven dwellings and ruins.

In 2013, a large road was under construction on the Alftanes Penninsula to connect the island to a small town near Reykjavik. However, there was a 12-foot high rock, weighing 70 tons, that was blocking the progress of the construction project. However, the construction crew couldn’t just destroy the rock and move the pieces to the side. It turned into quite a dispute that took two years to resolve.

The government actually had a crane move the massive rock in two pieces to a safe location. According to campaigners and Iceland’s Supreme Court, the rock is an “elf church”, or a structure that is a place of worship by the huldufólk. A seer by the name of Ragnhildur Jonsdottir spoke for a pact between elves and men.

In short, Icelanders take this belief very seriously. You can see more examples here on how Icelanders have constructed homes, apartments, and even entire towns around these rocks.

The Legend

All good myths, legends, and folklore have an origin story. They are the very fabric of what our modern society believes in today. Writings about these hidden people go back to the 18th and 19th centuries. When it comes to elves, we typically think that elf folklore came from the Vikings. When they were pillaging, invading, taking over, etc. there was also a community to invade. But there are theories that suggest that when the Vikings arrived in Iceland, there wasn’t much of a population. So, the elves had to fill in that gap.

But what about the huldufólk? There’s a legend that has their origins going back to the times of Adam and Eve. Apparently, Eve had several children. One day, God came to visit and had asked to see all of the children. Eve wasn’t finished bathing the children, so she only showed God the clean ones and hid the dirty ones. When God asked if there were any more children, Eve said no. But, since we know that the Biblical God is all-knowing and all-seeing, He found out about the children and made them invisible. This was all done under the guise, “What man hides from God, thus God hides from man.” The invisible children went off to live in the great outdoors in the hills and moors.

You could say that we came from the children that Eve showed God and the huldufólk descended from the children that were hidden.

There are dates associated with the huldufólk activity as well. On New Year’s Eve, it is believed that the huldufólk move to new locations. There is also Midsummer’s Night when the huldufólk will give you gifts and money if you stand at a crossroads late at night. But, you don’t want to accept these gifts because it means certain misfortune will come your way.

A Spirit Without a Body

This is where my paranormal researcher-self gets excited. I had already begun making connections between ghosts and the huldufólk when I ran into this other origin story:

A man had been traveling and found a farm that he had never seen before. He knocked on the door and an old woman answers the door. The man asks to stay the night and the woman obliges and introduces him to her two beautiful daughters. The man (boldly) asks the woman if one of the daughters could keep him company for the night, and again, the woman says yes. Don’t worry, the woman wasn’t willingly letting her daughter sleep with a stranger.

Anyway, the man goes to bed and one of the daughters lays beside him. He tries to embrace her, but his hand passes through her body. She has no physical form.

When the man asks the daughter why this happened, she said that the Devil and his army revolted against heaven a long time ago. Those who supported the devil were driven into darkness. The ones who neither opposed or supported the devil were sent to earth to live. She explains that she is a spirit without a body and can be seen in her human form when she chooses to.

So, what if ghosts are living people without a physical body to touch? Or, what if the huldufólk are people who are in an alternate dimension and our interactions with them are purely random and by chance? I sometimes wonder if instead of reverting to the belief in ghosts and the afterlife, the Icelandic folks instead believed in having encounters with the huldufólk.

Apparently, the huldufólk live life just like humans. They have societies, politics, communities, relationships…basically living life exactly the same as we do. Larissa Kyzer has a wonderful list of stories of the huldufólk as well as legends associated with them.

Sources

BBC: Iceland’s ‘elf church’ rock moved to end road row

Hidden People: They’re Just Like Us…Kind Of

The Truth Behind Iceland’s Obsession with Elves

Why So Many Icelanders Still Believe in Invisible Elves

The post Huldufólk: The Hidden People of Iceland appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

I’m a huge Disney fan. Specifically: Disneyland. In college, this was a place I visited more often than I will admit. I was at Disneyland several times per month thanks to the annual pass and the ability to make monthly payments on the pass. I’ve only been to Disneyland Paris and Disney World once (so far). So my little write-up is focusing on Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.

When it comes to Disneyland (DL) and Walt Disney World (WDW), one of the biggest differences I notice is the exterior of both rides. Since DL’s Haunted Mansion is set in New Orleans Square, the exterior represents a Southern mansion, taking inspiration from the Evergreen House in Baltimore, Maryland. WDW/Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion is part of Liberty Square and has a Gothic-revival style exterior.

Spooky Inspiration

Paranormal pop culture is a favorite subject of mine. While I’m looking for ghosts and *trying* to engage in spirit communication, others take a different route. There are those who have taken inspiration from this world and have created something incredible. From horror movies, ghosts in plays, to haunted houses, the paranormal is truly inspiring some amazing stories. One of my favorite rides at Disneyland is The Haunted Mansion, or as I like to call it, “Spiritualism: The Ride.”

I didn’t ride The Haunted Mansion often as a kid. My household is very Christian, and my mom thought the ride was something of the Devil. To give you an idea of the severity, I didn’t read the “Goosebumps” books at home. There’s a reason I read my paranormal-related books in the public library.

A Real Life Haunted Mansion

The idea for The Haunted Mansion dates back to 1951 when Walt Disney came up with the idea. At first, it was originally thought of as a walk-through haunted house. It was also going to live at the end of Main Street, as Disney wanted the attraction to be that stereotypical haunted house at the end of the road.

The idea was left untouched until 1957, which is when Disney wanted to expand New Orleans Square. Disney found some real-life inspiration to help his process. I LOVE the developmental story of The Haunted Mansion because Disney visited the Winchester Mystery House. This is the house with all of the stairs that lead to nowhere, the multiple rooms, random doors, etc.

Having been a rider on The Haunted Mansion for years, I see where the Winchester House served as inspiration. After literal tumbles, twists, and turns with development, the ride finally opens in 1969.

Is Madame Leota Reciting a Real Seance Invocation?

I want to discuss what I love the most about the ride; Madame Leota and the séance. Seriously, can we talk about how “dead” on this is?

Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat, call in the spirits, wherever they’re at!

Rap on a table — it’s time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond…

Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine!

Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond, let there be music from regions beyond!

Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell, give us a hint, by ringing a bell!

From the tarot cards floating in the air to Madame Leota’s head in a crystal ball, I find it really interesting that the ride essentially starts off with a séance to summon the 999 happy haunts. Every time I read this to a group of paranormal researchers, spiritualists, and even skeptics, I ask them where the passage is from. I get answers ranging from a historical séance, something from one of Lincoln’s séance, etc. When I tell them it’s the script from The Haunted Mansion, the reaction is always amusing.

Here is a sample séance invocation from 1901:

‘There is a land where we all go,
Where never the frost or cold winds blow.
And friends remembered reunite,
where those who hate, forget their spite.
In glow, surround these gentle beings,
we call you now to bless our meetings,
Heaven’s promise, our spirits thrive,
So now for the living, let the dead come alive.
Greetings spirits, Speak now to us?’

From “The Spirit Speaks! Weekly Newspaper” 1901
~ Revised by Barbara Morris

Past Technology Becoming the Future

As we pass by the ballroom in our Doom Buggies, we see a variety of vignettes. There are ghosts dancing in a ballroom, a ghost blowing out some candles, and other ghostly images. It’s fairly well-known now that this effect was created using a technique called, “Pepper’s Ghost.” Ironically, this technique came about around the same time that Spiritualism’s popularity is on the rise in 1862, thanks to the Civil War. This is because families left behind were trying to make contact with their lost loved ones. It was created by a scientist by the name of John Henry Pepper. It involves a room hidden from the viewer that is illuminated and glass. What we see on DL’s Haunted Mansion are two rooms; one above the Doom Buggy and one underneath.

See this photo for more.

via Haunted Dimensions

This also speaks to me in such a way where I know the Imagineers did their research when it came to developing this ride. They brought about special effects technology that existed in the same timeframe as the rise of Spiritualism itself.

Here Comes the Bride

Even the origin story of the bride carries on a very “black widow” or a “Lizzie Borden like” story. Given that hauntings that originated from ax murders are some of the most popular investigation sites today (Villisca, Lizzie Borden, etc.), the storyline fits perfectly in the spooky narrative. At the end of the ride, it is apparent that the bride’s ghost is very much active, and beckons us all to come back as we exit the ride.

At the end of the day, we are finding more evidence of paranormal inspiration in our daily lives without even realizing it. In this case, even something located in the Happiest Place on Earth draws that connection, making the spooky a little more magical.

The post The Terrifying True Story Behind Disney’s The Haunted Mansion appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

Because of their electromagnetism, which was proven by James Clerk Maxwell, we can use the vibration frequencies that crystals emit in many different ways in the paranormal field. Their vibrations effect our nervous system and the transmission of information to the brain. This can amplify our clairvoyant abilities and ability to communicate and experience these paranormal happenings. They can also effect the activity that occurs during paranormal investigation either by use of the investigator or the spirits themselves. Some are used to ward off negative entities and others used as a conduit of sorts to further activity. Some are even used in the process of “crossing a spirit over” or moving them on to their final destination. However used, worn or carried, I find them to be an integral part of the process.

I personally carry Obsidian and clear Quartz on every investigation I have ever done. I use the Obsidian to protect me from any harm-doers and the clear Quartz to keep my mind open and clear for any transmission. One of the more versatile and powerful stones in Selenite. It is used to enhance psychic awareness and intuition largely due to it’s direct effects on the 3rd eye chakra. It also clears energy allowing you to be completely open to accept any unseen energies that may be around at the time. Many investigators and mediums consider this stone to be the most important of all the stones to have during an investigation as well as in everyday life.

There are many Minerals and Crystals that can be an important tool during communication with the spiritual realm. You will find some of them listed below. It is up to you to decide which ones are best suited for your needs. Also up to you, is the discernment of whether these stones do actually have these powers or if the real power is in the belief in them. Either way, I am sure that you will find them useful none the less. Remember to cleanse your crystals after each use and some of them need to be charged in the sun or moonlight for best results. Happy Hunting!

Please note that the stones listed have many purposes and powers, I have only listed the ones useful in investigation situations

• Labradorite: Aid in Magic & Transformation; stimulates imagination
• Quartz: Helps attain mental clarity; aids in concentration and memory retention; amplifies other stones when used in combination
• Agate: Protection & Harmony
• Amethyst: Clairvoyance
• Amber: Healing & Wisdom
• Garnet: Manifestation & Protection
• Malachite: Transformation & Protection
• Onyx: Protection & Healing
• Tourmaline: Promote Positive Energy
• Black Tourmaline: Ward off Negativity
• Kyanite: Enhance Psychic Ability
• Tiger’s Eye: Courage
• Obsidian: Grounding Stone
• Turquoise: Protection & Spiritual Connection

Do you use utilize stones in your life or in your paranormal research? Tell us about it in the comments!

The post Stones & Their Uses in the Paranormal appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

I started journaling my dreams about 5 years ago when I started getting massive deja vu. This had been happening for a while. But not only did I feel like I had been somewhere before, I could pinpoint where I had the experience…in my dreams. My dream journal is full of writing as well as sketching, since I work from a more visual aspect. I’ve discovered that when I have those deja vu moments, dream journaling gives me a reference point. I’ve actually started to digitize my journal and categorize them for certain situations. Think of it like tagging a blog. If I see a certain thing that I remember from a dream, I can easily access my previous entries. I’m straying from the point. In short, I’m keeping track of my dreams.

I don’t want to pull the “dead mother” card so people won’t contest or discuss other alternatives with me. So, I’m going to approach this objectively as best I can. My birthday was recent, and the day before the big milestone, I put it out to my mother that I wanted to see her. She doesn’t always appear when I do this. I’m not saying it is actually her in my dreams. Perhaps it is my mind creating her image and personality, thus giving me the chance to talk to her in some form. What interests me is the fact that our conversations are very organic. She ended up appearing my dreams after the clock struck midnight on my birthday. Our conversation? She asked me how Christmas was and she wanted to know how the family was doing.

But I’d be withholding information if I didn’t mention that Rue McClanahan also made a very brief appearance. She was also my mom’s favorite Golden Girl so I wouldn’t be shocked if they actually met up in the afterlife.

Anyway, as mentioned before, my mother doesn’t always make these appearances. Lately, she seems to appear on significant days…last she made herself known was on Mother’s Day. That alone was an interesting experience…was it her? I sure hope so.

That hope can be both a positive and negative thing. I am not so desperate to see and talk to my mom that I will chalk up every dream and abnormal thing as a visit from her. I also don’t want my team members to enable me in that way, and thankfully they won’t. While I try not to enable people in this area, I have learned to tow the line letting people believe what they believe unless it is causing harm to their quality of life.

Dreams are an amazing field of study. There are so many variables that can explain why we see certain things in our dreams. Of all the crazy explanations…I truly hope that it’s really my mom I’m talking to.

The post With You In Your Dreams appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

But it didn’t work. As my rage and fear grew, it seemed to get more powerful. What was going on?

I had been stressed out for several months, and my mental wellbeing was wearing thin. I was constantly exhausted, and the strange things happening in my home seemed random. But it wasn’t until I spoke to my team psychic that I realized that what was “haunting” me was actually coming from ME. What I mean is, with all of the stress I had been dealing with, I had managed to create my own entity. In Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, this is called a “tulpa.” It is created using thought. Though it wasn’t created intentionally to be a ghost that haunted my place, it was the cumulation of all of my stress and anxiety. Because my thoughts had been pretty dark, especially after the passing of my mother, all those thoughts and feelings manifested into something that attacked me on a nightly basis.

As it turns out, a lot of our clients are dealing with similar situations. They are dealing with an immense amount of stress and dealing with it with alcohol, drugs, food, anything to self-soothe. Many times, they are also neglecting to take their medications and taking care of themselves overall. When we have cases like this, I tell the client that there is only so much we can do as a team before the client has to step in to work on the rest.

How did I deal with my tulpa? I started meditating and praying every day. I started eating better and seeing my doctor regularly. Plus, I started exercising and doing something each day that made me happy that would be a healthy choice. Is it the perfect plan? No. But by working on myself from the outside in, I noticed the nightly occurrences reduced gradually until it went away. Do I think it’s permanently gone? No. There are times where I get emotional and upset and I “sense” that nasty thing is around to feed off of my negative energy.

If you don’t believe in thoughtforms, tulpas, or weird stuff in general, perhaps it’s all in my head. But that thing seemed to be the representation of all of my stress. By accepting that my behavior was a form of harming myself, and that I was responsible for it, it gave me the wake up call I needed to get my life back on track.

In closing, when there was peace within myself, my surroundings became peaceful as well.

The post The Ghost Within: When We Create Our Own Entity appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

Imagine yourself in a dark room. It is 3 am and the hairs on the back of your neck are starting to tingle. The location you are in is filled with the spirits of those long passed and you can feel their presence surrounding you.  Perhaps they are angry or sad.  With each bump in the night, cold breeze across your skin, or disembodied voice you hear whispered in your ear, your adrenaline heightens. Even the best of the best, the most seasoned of paranormal investigators, tend to find themselves in situations where their senses are on high alert.  This is why it is important to prepare yourself, physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, for whatever you may encounter. As a mental health counselor, I have prepared some tips and techniques around grounding and shielding that can be used before, during, and after an investigation. Choose the ones that speak to you and try them out on your next hunt!

Be Prepared – Practice

As the old saying goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice.” It is easy to read a blog and think “I can do that,” but when your adrenaline becomes heightened, it causes a chain reaction in your body. You can feel the energy coursing through your blood, but you do not always know how to channel that energy, and your brain is switching out of the prefrontal cortex and going into survival mode, meaning that you are literally not able to think clearly.  Take some time each day to practice the techniques you choose for grounding and shielding. Use them even in situations where you are not feeling anxious, so that when you need them, it will be easier for you to recall them.

Build a Go-To Pouch

As you will learn below, having tangible things you can hold is extremely important for grounding and shielding. Build your own pouch with items that you wish to carry with you on hunts. This can include stones, religious symbols, herbs, and other items that help you feel protected, calm your nerves, or simply make you feel more grounded in the moment. My personal pouch includes: Black tourmaline, obsidian, amethyst, quartz, peppermint oil, sage, and basil.

Grounding:

When our adrenaline becomes heightened our bodies and minds can start to take on a life of their own.  Our thoughts might race or we may have extreme difficulty thinking at all. We may feel shaky or panicked. Grounding helps to pull your focus back in, allowing your mind and body to start to relax. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve just heard a disembodied voice moan in your ear with no one around, or when a box comes flying off a shelf while singing “Ring Around the Rosie” to a group of spirit children!

1. Physical Grounding

Pay attention to your feet. Think about each individual toe, the ball of your feet, the arches, and your heels. Your feet are what ground you to the earth below. Now slowly bring that attention up your body until you get to your stomach, your center. Place your hands on your stomach and, without pushing your breath, just notice the gentle rise and fall as your breathe in and out. Do this for just a few moments, then slowly cross your arms across your chest and gently tap your fingers against your upper arms. Pay attention to how this feels. Next, and with ease, roll your head around. Feel the gentle stretch of your neck. If you would like, gently tap or massage your face- we tend to hold tension in our jaws and foreheads, so simply allow these areas to relax. You can also imagine that you are sending breath to these areas, imagining the breath itself is massaging away any tension you may be holding. Remind yourself that this is your body.

2. Physical Grounding with Objects

This is where that pouch can come in really handy. If you have an item with you, hold it. Feel the object in your hand, whether it be a stone, a cross, or any other meaningful keepsake. Bring your attention to the way the object feels. Is it hard or soft? Does it have smooth edges? Does it have weight to it? Is it an object you can squeeze? If so, squeeze your item and feel how it is connected with your body.  If you do not have any items with you, notice if there is anything in the space that you can touch.  Put your attention into the item, whether it be a chair, table, or even a door frame. Due to most paranormal investigations taking place in old, creepy buildings, I do not necessarily recommend reaching out to your other senses as I would with my general therapy clients. Unless you have brought with you some sort of essential oil or herb that you can smell, or perhaps a peppermint you can pop in your mouth to focus on the taste, I would stick to the sense of touch!

3. Mental Grounding

Think the following: My name is _______. Today is _______ and I am at ________. My favorite food is ______. My favorite holiday is ______, because ________.  Next, name as many television shows as you can. Name as many states in the USA that you can.  Think of a song you know very well, and sing it in your mind. Think about what you would buy if you were to win $100,000 in the lottery. Now think about what you would buy if you were to win $100,000,000 in the lottery.  Create a list of other go-to mental questions that you might turn to when needing to reestablish your sense of self.

4. Spiritual Grounding

This will look differently depending on your belief system. For some individuals this may consist of holding an item that carries religious significance for you and saying a prayer. For others, this may be calling upon your ancestors for protection.  For me personally, I tend to repeat the following affirmation: I am a creature of light and love. I welcome only light and love in. I let only light and love out.  I am light and love.  (Perhaps it sounds cheesy, but it got rid of a demon trying to come into my home pretty quickly!)

Shielding:

You do not have to be an empath to be emotionally affected by spirits. Shielding is a way of protecting yourself from harmful or negative energies.

1. The White Light and the Blue Bubble

These are two of the oldest shielding techniques and can be done separately, or in combination with one another. I like to do both as a sort of double whammy of protection! Before you begin your investigation, take some time to focus your attention in the core of your body- This may be your stomach where you hold breath, your heart space, or in your “third eye.” Take a few moments to simply breathe into this core.  As you begin to feel more grounded in this space, imagine a small white light, like a tiny, celestial star, begin to form in that core area.  This star is filled with the light of love and protection.  It is your light.  With each breath, this light grows brighter and brighter until it begins to fill up your entire being.  Once your entire body is filled with this white light, imagine the light starting to radiate from your skin, from the top of your head, to the tips of your toes, growing larger and larger, pulsating around your body.  Once you feel that this energy of light and love has expanded enough to keep you protected, begin to imagine the outer shell of this light thickening into a blue bubble, further strengthening and protecting the white light within.  As you move, this bubble stays in tact.  The reflection of its surface will only allow for similar, positive energies to pass through, while keeping any and all negative energies from penetrating its luminous surface. For further potency of this energy shield, you may consider carrying certain stones or spiritual items with you, and accompanying this visualization with personal prayers or positive affirmations.

2. Salt Water

This is a great practice to put into place both before performing a shielding ritual (like the one above) and after an extended paranormal investigation in which some negative energy may have still been able to pass onto you. Depending on the level of clearing needed, you may choose to either soak just your feet, or fully submerge yourself in a salt bath.  Either way, using only kosher, sea, or rock salt, soak for at least 15 minutes. The salt will naturally pull out any negative energies you may be holding in your body.  To then refresh your energy, you may consider spiritual preferences, such as prayer, or other techniques, such as a sage ritual or a meal consisting of fresh, organic foods.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips and techniques! Remember, not only are these useful for investigating the paranormal, but they can also be used on a daily basis for coping with stress and anxiety. If you would like to learn more about grounding and other therapeutic techniques, schedule an appointment with a counselor near you.  Mental health matters!  Happy hunting my friends!

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Flo Stair

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition ectoplasm pertaining to the supernatural is “a substance held to produce spirit materialization and telekinesis”. Ectoplasm is better remembered as green slime that ghosts left behind in the 1984 blockbuster hit “Ghostbusters”.  Whether ectoplasm is actually real or not has been much debated in the scientific and paranormal community.

After World War I there was an increased interest in spiritualism, a religious movement that involved contacting deceased loved ones using a psychic medium. The increased interest in this movement was mostly likely brought on by all the soldiers and that had died during the war, and their family wanting to contact their loved ones beyond the grave.

Ectoplasm was supposed to be physical proof that they were communicating with the dead. It was a term used to define a physical emanation of the supernatural, most like coming out one of the medium’s orifices such as the mouth, nose or ears. Some early researchers merged the idea of ectoplasm with the theory of “ectenic force,” these researchers were trying to find a physical explanation for psychokinetic experiences happening during séances.  Count Agenor de Gasparin and his colleage M. Thury hypothesized its existence to explain the phenomena of tables turning and the sounds of tapping during séances. The two researchers claimed they have had success with their experiments on ectenic force, but their results have not been verified independently.

Ectoplasm was so commonplace that it was revered in the scientific community and was featured in scientific journals, its existence was confirmed by such great minds of the times such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Butler Yeats. Once Scientific America offered $5,000 to anyone that could demonstrate this phenomena to a scientific panel, this money was a means to an end to the validity of ectoplasm.

Many researchers uncovered fraud, and do not believe ectoplasm is plausible. Many séances were conducted in poor lighting which enabled the mediums to follow through with their illusion of ectoplasm. Researcher Harry Price debunked medium Helen Duncan’s ectoplasm, by analyzing a sample of the ectoplasm she produced from her mouth. His finding determined it was a piece of cheesecloth that she had swallowed and regurgitated later. Duncan also used dolls and masks that would ooze fake ectoplasm.

What the scientific panel uncovered was even more disturbing than what Price discovered. Many methods and materials were used to create the illusion of ectoplasm. Some mediums would cut magazines or photographs and stick them to cheesecloth and pass them off as spirits of the dead. The medium examined by the scientific panel had a very creative methodology. She concealed a sheep gut and fat mixture in her vagina, which she would expulse at a certain time to make it look like she was expelling ectoplasm.

With the exposure of these frauds the displays of ectoplasm and credibility of mediums waned. After the were war fake mediums preyed and exploiting desperate people wishing to contact their loved ones, and ruined the credibility of real mediums. Although this term is widespread in popular culture, it is mostly rejected in the science community and is still debatable up until this day if it is real or faux.

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There was probably no one else who loved Christmas ghost stories more than Charles Dickens.  In fact, majority of the Victorian Era brought forth a new fascination of ghosts, spirits, apparitions, and all things weird.  The rise of Spiritualism was also during this same time.  So it is to no surprise that the holiday season would have experienced a spooky twist.  Whilst in the reign of Spiritualism, by 1855 Dickens himself was a practicing mesmeric doctor, as well as a member of The Ghost Club (founded in 1862)

Dickens is most famous for his beloved novella, A Christmas Carol, first published on December 17th, 1843.  In fact, we are just a week shy of the book’s 170th birthday.  Considering the popularity of the tale of old Ebenezer Scrooge, there are seldom few who know of the moving story of a stingy old man’s change of heart after visitations from spirits, and they lessons they taught him.

Illustration by John Leech from the first edition of “A Christmas Carol”

It may be hard to fathom, but the Christmas that we know today, was not the Christmas that happened in the 19th century, especially in London.  While there were “12 days of Christmas”, seldom did people take the day off and many worked during the Christmas holiday.  Christians strictly followed the Bible, which believe it or not, didn’t condone the celebration of Christmas.  It didn’t have the Christian ties that it has today, and was often just a time for parties and sexual liberties.  The Puritans even attempted to ban Christmas during the 17th century.  But to bring the point home, the Christmas that Charles Dickens experienced was not like Christmas today.

In a sense, we can give regards to Dickens for inventing the Christmas that we know and love.  This is likely why A Christmas Carol became so popular.  While this classic tale certainly remains as Dickens’ most famous holiday work, it certainly was not the only piece of literature he wrote with spirits and the weird intertwined in the Christmas holiday. Many regard Dickens as the father of the Christmas tradition we know now.

In 1836, seven years before A Christmas Carol was written, Dickens wrote a short story for The Pickwick Papers called, The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton, and it tells the story of a man named Gabriel Grub who drinks and works on Christmas day as a caretaker and gravedigger.  He is then kidnapped by goblins and taken to an underground cave where they show him his fellow humans, including a small boy belonging to a poor family that dies.  One could say that Gabriel Grub is Scrooge and the small boy was Tiny Tim.  The goblins also beat Gabriel mercilessly, and the next morning, he is a changed man.

Cover of “The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain”

In 1848, Dickens wrote his final Christmas novella called, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain.  Unlike its predecessor, Haunted Man was a much more grisly tale.  It tells the story of a chemist named, Redlaw.  For him, and many others, Christmas is a grim reminder of lost loves, hurts, and regrets.  He is then visited by a Phantom who offers to cancel out his hurts.  Redlaw is amazed and intrigued as to how this visitor can erase such a thing.  But Redlaw soon learns that in order to forget the past hurts, he has to let go of the treasured people who caused the hurts and regrets in the first place.  And the lesson becomes that you can not forget one without affecting the other.  It’s truly a moving tale, and if you would like to read it for free, just click on the following link: The Haunted Man.  Charles Dickens wrote several more Christmas ghost stories for The Pickwick Papers as well as other publications.

After Dickens published A Christmas Carol, he began a tradition of publishing works each Christmas after.  In 1859, Dickens wrote The Haunted House, in collaboration with several authors, for the weekly periodical All Year Round.  Once again, this was a Christmas ghost story that featured the spiritual and the weird.  There are numerous other Christmas ghost stories written by Charles Dickens that are available on the web for free and very enjoyable.

If you would like to buy a book called, Christmas Ghost Stories with A Christmas Carol, The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain, and The Haunted House, you can purchase it on Amazon here for less than $15, and it qualifies for Prime shipping.

Sources/Links of Interest

• Christmas According to Dickens
• Why Did Charles Dickens Write Ghost Stories for Christmas?
• Ghoultide Greetings: The Ghost Stories of Charles Dickens
• The Victorian Web: Featuring The Haunted House

The post Charles Dickens: Making Ghosts Festive For the Holidays appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

Most in the paranormal field credit William Mumler with the first paranormal photograph.  Unfortunately, Mr. Campbell, of New Jersey, is forgotten in Mumler’s famed glory.  A year before Mumler’s first spirit photograph of himself and his deceased cousin, W. Campbell took a test photograph of an empty chair, only to discover upon development, a young boy in the photograph.It is easy to see how this original photograph was looked over, with the remarkable photographs of Mumler overshadowing.  Of course, as we know today, Mumler was the inventor of the original “Photoshop”.  Through manipulation of long exposures and burning and dodging during development, he was able to add images of “spirits” into his photography.  Most famously of which is a portrait of the disturbed and misunderstood Mary Todd Lincoln and the spirit of her dead husband, Abraham.

The direct contrast between these two photographers is exactly what has made one obscured, and one infamous.  Mumler went on, after that first fateful photograph, to have a very successful career in spirit photography.  And although, several respected photographers sat for portraits and watched the entire development process with no explanation to the figures behind them, he is easily debunked and mocked today.  But Mr. W. Campbell, what became of him?  He fell into obscurity.  He was so shocked by his discovery that he attempted to recreate it over and over again, with no luck.  He eventually faded and was erased from the Paranormal History Books.

Mumler paved the way for countless photographers to take advantage of unsuspecting patrons.  For decades, people across the country would line up for their chance to have a picture made with a photography medium.  Most of these images are so obviously faked it is hard not to laugh.  But of course, at the time, the living being in those photos was incredibly grateful for the closure they brought.

After the rise of the Photography Mediums, we start seeing what many argue as genuine spirit photographs.  The Brown Lady, Lord Combermere, Mrs. Chinnery’s Mother, Freddy Jackson…  Photos that still spark legend and interest today.  But as both a photographer and a Paranormal Investigator, I always go back to Mumler and Campbell.

I often wonder what became of Mr. Campbell when he and his photograph fell into obscurity.  Did he continue to pursue the paranormal?  Did he continue to attempt to recreate his photograph?  Whatever became of him, I respect him so much more than Mr. Mumler.  He stood by his photograph.  He felt he found true evidence of the other side.  He did not go on to use that photograph to make his fortune.  He did not exploit his evidence to take photographs of widowed First Ladies.  He simply held it close as a proud moment in his life.

How much is there to be learned from these two?  To truly respect this field, you do it for the knowledge, for the amount you can help others and for the respect of both your evidence and the spirits themselves.    To be truly successful in your work, often means remaining obscure to the masses.

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