Category Archives: Paranormal

#18 on Top 50 Paranormal Blog & Websites for Paranormal Investigators

16 Sunday Jul 2017

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, In the News, Paranormal, Top 50 Paranormal Blogs & Websites, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

unnamed

#18 on Top 50 Paranormal Blog & Websites for Paranormal Investigators

It’s nice to be recognized! Last week I was honored to receive an email from Anuj Agarwal informing me that I was listed on his “Top 50 Paranormal Blogs and Websites for Paranormal Investigators” at http://blog.feedspot.com/paranormal_blogs/. I’m at #18!

I’m thrilled at being listed amongst other paranormal bloggers like Week in Weird (#1 spot) who enjoy sharing stories, news, and everything paranormal. The listings vary from international ghost hunters to publishers in the specific genres. I’ve even found some new folks to follow. Check out the list!

 

 

The Dead Files Confront a Skin-Walker

04 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Dead Files, Native American Indians, Paranormal, Reality TV, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on The Dead Files Confront a Skin-Walker

Tags

, , , ,

AmyAllan

The Dead Files Confront a Skin-Walker

Spoiler Alert: This article contains elements from the episode.

The season 8, episode 5 of The Dead Files saw Amy Allan confronting a skin-walker. Skin-walkers come from the Navajo Indian culture. They are shapeshifters who disguise themselves as animals. The difference in this episode is that this skin-walker takes on the image of a known person, either dead or alive, so that the person encountering the skin-walker will feel relieved. Boy, were they wrong.

The Navajo Nation is centered on Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Their culture is rich with folktales. According to NavajoLegends.org, the skin-walker is a medicine man or witch who has turned evil. These walkers shapeshift into 4-legged animals; “The term yee naaldooshii literally translates to ‘with it, he goes on all fours.’”   This was not the paranormal problem at this location, Indiana.

Amy never addresses if this skin-walker is tied with Native American lore. Her description showed a spider-like creature that drained the souls from a person who died on or near the property. Amy spoke of a car accident that occurred between the 2 houses in 1979 where a 16-year-old boy died. Amy claims that the skin-walker stole this boy’s soul. However, it collects souls, many souls. This specific creature is extremely old and has always existed (as opposed to being born human). In addition to stealing souls, this creature borrows images of living people to trick the living. The concern is for the elderly patriarch of the family.

One of the short-term solutions Amy suggests is for the family to contact a shaman. Dictionary.com defines a “shaman” as “a person who acts as an intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.” As with many other families on The Dead Files, this family was still searching for one when the episode debuted. Maybe the production company should employ a shaman, and I happen to know one who would be fantastic and a huge help. Just a thought!

Mothman: Debunking the Debunking

22 Monday May 2017

Posted by in Debunking the Debunked, Mothman, Paranormal, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Mothman: Debunking the Debunking

Tags

, , , ,

Mothman: Debunking the Debunking

This summer I’m busy finishing my manuscript: Mothman: Debunking the Debunking. The book takes a look at Mothman, the sightings in 1966, the explanations that were proffered, and finally, how these explanations don’t pan out. Here’s a teaser:

Mothman: Debunking the Debunking

Fifty years ago, Mothman flew into the imaginations of the residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a small town in the western part of the state. For 13 months, eyewitnesses recall seeing a 7’ tall, red-eyed winged creature. Though it never threatened anyone, its size was menacing. Mothman may have snatched a German Shepard. Other than that, it did not kill or maim. It merely fascinated.

An Urban Legend Is Born

Couples Steve and Mary Mallette and Roger and Linda Scarberry were looking for a good time. The abandoned ammunitions factory was perfect for night exploration. On the evening of November 15, 1966, they drove out on West Virginia Route 62 with Lonnie Button. Their destination was the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, a vast wildlife preserve in Mason County, 5 miles outside Point Pleasant. The area included an ordinance works housing a TNT factory from World War II.

The party of five reached the shackled chain-linked fencing. As the car’s engine ran, the young adults spotted something: a 7’ tall, red-eyed winged creature.

Quickly, they turned the car around and sped off reaching speeds upwards of 100 mph. The creature pursued, flying alongside. The car screeched to a halt at the Point Pleasant Courthouse, located in downtown. The courthouse housed the local police department. The five adults ran inside to alert Deputy Millard Halstead of the frightening flying creature that followed them into town. The deputy went outside; however, the creature was gone.

Roger Scarberry attempted to capture the image of the creature onto paper. He drew an overly simplistic blob-like shape with glowing eyes. He shared it with Deputy Halstead, who filed a police report. Mothman was born.

Follow my blog for publication updates.

 

Don’t Feed the Buell

15 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by in Famous People, In the News, Paranormal, paranormal state, Reality TV, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Don’t Feed the Buell

Tags

, , , ,

Book

Don’t Feed the Buell

According to the Urban Dictionary, the saying “Don’t feed the bears” is a cautionary statement made to E.R. doctors who may over-prescribe narcotics. “Hey, doc, don’t feed the bears” means don’t prescribe the meds or even handout the meds because the bears get hungry and will return for more.

An earlier metaphor using the same words directed people to not feed the bears (in this case people without money to pay for food) because they will remain lazy and not seek employment.

Although the meanings have evolved, the message is clear: Do Not Feed. Alternately, feed at own risk. Over the past week, my social media feed has quite a few references to Ryan Buell. After reading the posts, all I could think was: Please people. If you’re really a fan, stop feeding him. Do. Not. Feed. The. Buell.

Ryan D. Buell erupted on the paranormal scene while a college student. He founded the Paranormal Research Society (PRS) at Pennsylvania State University, a.k.a. PennState). The group garnered media attention and his popular paranormal TV show Paranormal State debuted in 2007. The show lasted 6 seasons, ending in 2011. Ryan enjoyed great status as a young Catholic man seeking answers from the paranormal world. He made connections with psychic Chip Coffey and paranormal investigator and demonologist Lorraine Warren. By all appearances he was setting up himself for a lucrative career in the paranormal field post graduation. However, his life took a turn. He didn’t graduate. Instead, he lost sight of himself and the road he was to follow.

The popular show ended in 2011. He quickly began to profit by selling DVDs of the show, books, and the like. Sadly, a lot of the items were paid for but not being shipped. This began to concern his fans. Shortly after, Buell announced he was battling pancreatic cancer.

In an effort to jumpstart his career, he announced a paranormal roadshow titled “Conversations with the Dead” in 2014. He booked other paranormal celebrities to join, he created a schedule with venue locations, he sold tickets, and then he cancelled. Unfortunately, he failed to reimburse most of his fans who had already pre-purchased tickets and paraphernalia. It ultimately cost him his friendship with Chip Coffey.

Last September 18, Buell was arrested and extradited back to Pennsylvania. He was facing 2 felony charges related to his refusal or inability to return a rental car. Eventually, bail was lowered and he bonded out. His hearing was last November. Today, Buell is out of jail.

There’s a great deal of speculation about Ryan’s erratic behavior. His own mother publicly implored his fans to stop enabling him. She drew attention by stating he wasn’t battling cancer but something else. Fans quickly surmised it was alcohol or drug abuse. Ryan seemed to lay low and remained silent…until this week.

Q&A

Ryan is back on Facebook. He is hocking signed copies of his book. For $45, he will send you a signed book. He’s even posted a video showing him mailing a package out. Undoubtedly to restore faith to all those people whom he stiffed in 2014. Although troubling, this isn’t the most serious issue. He is now live streaming Q&A (Question and Answer) sessions via Facebook. I watched a few.

He needs to stop. Merely looking at him, one can surmise there is something wrong. The 34-year-old 6’2” man has lost a lot of weight. A lot. He appears drowsy. I’m not a drug counselor; however, he was slurring his words. He looked out of it. Actually, he lacked focus. And it’s sad.

I wish that he would take time off, repair his personal life, fix his mental health, heal his body, and get it together. His fans are rooting for him to pull through this. But his fans are concerned. Very concerned. One can scroll through the comments which overwhelmingly beg and urge him to seek professional help. He won’t get the help until he is forced to. He must forage for food on his own. Don’t feed the Buell. If he is to recover, he must do it himself.

Book2

 

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by in Architecture, Curiosities, Famous Locations, Haunted Houses, Hoaxes, Museums, Paranormal, Reality TV, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

Tags

, , , ,

Amityville

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum returned last month with new episodes. The February 9th episode titled “Amityville Haunting, Ghost Army, and Fugitive Golfer” highlighted a piece of wood from the infamous Amityville Horror house. The demonic possession story was a hoax (see previous 2014 article at https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/03/19/amityville-horror-hoax/); however, it doesn’t mean that this piece of wood doesn’t give off bad vibes. It means there may be another story, based on facts, that should be considered.

Interest in Amityville has not ebbed since the 1977 publication of the book, The Amityville Horror. The movie franchise alone has grossed over $170 million dollars. Add TV adaptations and books, and that’s one healthy moneymaker. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the book’s publication. Expect more media coverage.

TheAmityvilleHorrorCover

Given the interest in Amityville, the house makes the requisite rounds on paranormal shows. This is not the first, probably not the last either, time that Travel Channel has showcased the Amityville house. Paranormal Paparazzi (2012) incorporated the house in 3 segments in 2 episodes. One was particularly insightful. Kathy Lutz’s son and George’s step-son Christopher Quaratino claimed that George practiced black witchcraft in the home, causing the paranormal activity to spike. Needless to say, expect more books and versions to emerge.

Greg Newkirk, director of the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult, appeared on the Mysteries at the Museum episode discussing the plank. Greg and Dana Matthews co-founded the website Week in Weird, www.weekinweird.com, in 2007. Both Greg and Dana contribute articles, and postings are weekly. The articles are thought-provoking and quirky, while remaining true to the blog format: concise. The site has advertisements, a source of revenue; however, they don’t disrupt the reading of the articles. They’ve segued their site into 3 entities: Week in Weird (@WeekinWeird), Planet Weird (@WeirdHQ), and The Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult (@theparamuseum). In 2013, they created the traveling museum to take their stories and artifacts on the road. They’ve collected artifacts from past paranormal investigations and allow the public to handle them. The museum is the modern-day version of curiosity cabinets which featured oddities and bizarre items and peaked in interest during the Victorian era. Visit http://paramuseum.com/ for 2017 dates and more information.

While it is easy to fall back on popular tales, the paranormal world has so much more to be explored. The Amityville plank is a reminder that the original story was made-up and exaggerated for profit. Instead of focusing on the heinous murders and concocting reasons for a demonic possession, readers should question whether George exploited the murders while practicing black magic. He didn’t move into a haunted house; however, he may have created the negative energy by dabbling in something beyond his comprehension.

“Feeding the Fire”

17 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Curiosities, Dead Files, Paranormal, Reality TV, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on “Feeding the Fire”

Tags

, , , ,

51FAHVz-6bL

“Feeding the Fire”

The Dead Files proffers interesting cases with unique perspectives on possible paranormal events. Nearly every episode adds to the paranormal discussion by highlighting a different possible reason for the encounters. Season 9, episode 11 “Feeding the Fire” was filmed in Kaufman, Texas. A 60-year-old man was convinced the paranormal activity ended his marriage. He lives on a large lot in one mobile home, while his ex-wife and three daughters line in another. Some of the pieces of “evidence” supporting the activity were images from phantom bruising. Phantom bruising crops up in several other TV series and movies. They are not immediate links to hauntings.

dead-files

Phantom bruising are bruises that appear for no particular reason. Rather the reason is unknown to the “victim.” Rarely discussed on ghost hunting shows is that phantom bruising is explainable in most circumstances. Legitimate reasons include vitamin deficiency, exercising, affects from medication, signs from aging, and diabetes. To be clear: Most phantom bruising is caused by real world reasons. That’s not saying that all phantom bruising can be explained away.

Vietnamese people call unexplained bruising “ghost bites.” These bruises show up in various locations—on the thigh, under the arm, etc. Noting locations helps debunk these events. It is helpful to take pictures to build a case for paranormal bruising of unknown origins. As always, document everything. As with a crime scene, each piece taken together creates the larger story. See the next blog on what I mean.

 

Ghost Brothers Returning on March 10, 2017

09 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Ghost Brothers, Ghost Hunting, Paranormal, Reality TV, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Ghost Brothers Returning on March 10, 2017

Tags

, ,

team

Ghost Brothers Returning on March 10, 2017

Destination America’s sweetheart paranormal show featuring three friends jumps channels to TLC, premiering on “Friday Night Supernatural Strand” on March 10, 2017.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ghost Brothers consists of Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass, and Marcus Harvey. They’re bringing a unique sense of humor to “hit the most haunted places in America.” Ghost Brothers adds diversity to the paranormal lineup. What makes them unique is that they are African-American males hunting ghosts. This is a needed departure from the predominantly white male casts dominating the television genre. Paranormal investigators are a growing demographic that is becoming more diverse. This is welcomed news since the paranormal activity in the United States may include Native Americans, European explorers, Spanish Conquistadors, Civil War indentured slaves, and those of us with immigrant backgrounds.

While the inclusion of new team is exciting news, their locations are lackluster. There are so many supposedly haunted locations across the country, audiences are left wondering why they are investigating over-publicized spots. It’s a shame. In order for this show to break new ground, it must go to new places.

Mothman Was a … Green Beret?

17 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Debunking the Debunked, Famous Locations, Mothman, Paranormal, Road Trip, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Mothman Was a … Green Beret?

Tags

, , , , ,

halogreenberet

Mothman Was a … Green Beret?

The February 2014 issue of Soldiers of Fortune ran an incredibly thin article claiming that Mothman was a Green Beret. Titled “UFO Mystery Solved “Mothmen” Were Actually Green Berets,” author Harold Hutchison theorized that the 7-foot, red-eyed creature being spotted around Point Pleasant, West Virginia from November 15, 1966-December 15, 1967 was a specially trained US Army soldier wearing temporary glow-in-the-dark reflective paint practicing HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) parachute maneuvers. Unfortunately, the article lacked any evidence supporting his claim.

First, he misrepresented the second reported sighting. Hutchison wrote that it was “a couple” seeking “an intimate moment” who spotted the creature. However, nearly every writing on the topic credits Steve and Mary Mallette and Roger and Linda Scarberry as the first ones to report an encounter with Mothman. It wasn’t one couple; it was two couples who were together in a car. In addition, the author conveniently left out the part about the couples being chased at 100 M.P.H. By incompletely discussing the sighting, he reduced his credibility in his claim.

Hutchison innocuously wrote that the first reported sighting was made by 5 men digging a grave. This is troublesome. According to the Williamson Daily News, Kenneth Duncan, one of the men digging the grave, recalled seeing a “brown man … gliding through the trees … [with] eyes like red reflectors.” Duncan was describing one man—not several. Further, men parachuting down do not cut through trees. The parachute would restrict this. Moreover, reflective paint differs from glowing red eyes. All of the witness accounts described red eyes—not glowing war paint.

vietnam

Hutchison based his theory on military training here in the US to assist troops abroad in Vietnam. Unfortunately, he didn’t name one unit training in West Virginia. Nor did he supply any evidence that HALO training took place for 13 months around Point Pleasant and then abruptly stopped. Instead, he included a picture from the Utah National Guard completing “[s]imilar jumps.” This isn’t evidence.

He ended the short article reassuring his readers that the Department of Defense remained silent to protect the HALO program but now it was okay to openly discuss and to reveal the “secret.” This argument is flawed. It assumes that the HALO jumps only occurred at night, when in fact jumps also occur during daylight hours. If the Green Berets were in West Virginia practicing HALO jumps, more people, especially the newspaper reporters, would have reported it.

mothman-statue

While Hutchison’s theory is interesting and places a patriotic spin on Mothman, a truly Americana urban legend, it doesn’t make sense. So, no, Mothman was not a wayward Green Beret.

 

 

Debunking Mothman: Not a Greater Sandhill Crane

13 Monday Feb 2017

Posted by in Animals, Debunking the Debunked, Famous Locations, Mothman, Paranormal, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Debunking Mothman: Not a Greater Sandhill Crane

Tags

, , ,

sandhillcrane

Debunking Mothman: Not a Greater Sandhill Crane

This summer I’m heading to West Virginia. In between visiting the family church and cemetery while gathering genealogy information, I’ll be stopping in on some special paranormal destinations. Two are related to Mothman: The Mothman Museum and The McClintic Wildlife Management Area. In doing some preliminary research, I am debunking some of the explanations. Consider it debunking the debunked. In this first installment, Mothman was not a Greater Sandhill Crane.

scarberry-drawing

Mothman was a paranormal event that lasted 13 months, from November 15, 1966-December 15, 1967. Over that span, numerous witnesses in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, reported seeing a 7-foot tall creature with glowing red eyes and a 10-foot wingspan. Some of the sightings coincided with U.F.O. sightings and talks about visits from the “Men in Black.” All sightings ceased the day after the December 15, 1967, Silver Bridge collapse, killing 46 people. Several theories have been proffered over the years. An early one was that people saw wayward Greater Sandhill Cranes.

greatersandhill

The Greater Sandhill Crane is the larger form of Sandhill Crane species. They are tall grey birds. Adults have red markings on the head. They are between 3-5 feet in height, weighing 6.5-14 pounds. They “form large flocks” and are migratory. Although they can be found in the Northern United States, they migrate to the Southern US and Mexico during the winter months. The Greater Sandhill Crane was previously spotted within the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, where the first Mothman sighting occurred. However, these people did not mistake a crane for the creature.

There are several reasons as to why the bird was not Mothman. The Greater Sandhill Crane does not have red eyes, a key feature to the witness reports. Further, the bird is too small. Witnesses stated that Mothman was 7-feet tall. That is 2 feet taller than the largest Greater Sandhill Crane. Not one witness reported seeing multiple Mothmen—only the solitary Mothman. The birds live in groups. A wayward single bird may be spotted once, maybe twice, however, not for 13 months. Finally, Greater Sandhill Cranes migrate to warmer climates during the winter. The average temperature in November in Point Pleasant is 14°F. December’s average is 9°F, with January at -2°F, February -4°F, and March rising to 9°F. It’s just too cold in West Virginia for these birds to remain throughout the winter.

In this segment of “Debunking the Debunked,” I believe that Mothman could not have been a Greater Sandhill Crane. More soon.

 

Stick with Santa Clarita Diet

11 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by in Famous People, In the News, Paranormal, TV Reviews, Uncategorized, Zombies

≈ Comments Off on Stick with Santa Clarita Diet

Tags

, , ,

beach

Stick with Santa Clarita Diet

Netflix has not officially announced whether it has renewed their new zom/com Santa Clarita Diet; however, the season 1 finale sure looked like a show about to be renewed. The episode 10 cliffhanger is funny, leaving the viewers screaming for more!

Santa Clarita Diet took an episode or two to get into the 30-minute situation comedy rhythm. Every episode scaffolds onto the prior, especially with the quick-comebacks and humor. Viewers knew going in that Drew Barrymore could nail comedy; Timothy Olyphant earns his stripes. Episodes 9 and 10 (of the 10-episode season) allow for his character, Joel, to insert subtle humor.

paracon

Stick with the season. Get through the first 2 episodes, and you will be rewarded. It is “off the rails” good.