Just outside of Houston, Texas, is a neighborhood filled with upscale homes and manicured lawns. In the early 1980s, Sam and Judith Haney settled in at the far western edge of the development. Sam described it as their dream home: 

“When we bought the house in Newport, it was the house that we had always been looking for. So, it was the house that we intended to stay at for a long period of time.” 

But there was a morbid secret about the Haney’s perfect home, one that soon turned their lives into a never-ending nightmare. Sam said it all began when amysterious old man showed up at their door with an ominous warning: 

“This elderly man told me that he had noticed that we were putting a swimming pool in our backyard and that there was something about our backyard that I needed to know about. So I followed him around to my backyard and he pointed at the ground and said that there are some graves right here. And he marked a spot on the ground where they were. And I really didn’t know how to react to that. I didn’t know if he was just joking. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to joke about something like that.” 

Using a backhoe, Sam decided to see if the man’s alarming claims were true. Sam says it wasn’t long before he hit something: 

“And at that point, we stopped with the backhoe and we got down into the hole and continued digging by hand. There were pine boards. When we lifted up the first board, we could see an indentation of a skeleton form. It didn’t take long to figure out that it was actual human remains.” 

Sam immediately called the Sheriff and county coroner who conducted an official exhumation. Most of the bones had turned to powder. But 25 fragments were found, some so brittle that they disintegrated when touched. 

Wanting desperately to do the right thing, the Haneys decided to find out whose remains were buried in their backyard. The search led them to a longtime resident named Jasper Norton. 

Years earlier, Norton had dug several graves in the area. He told the Haneys that their home and a dozen others were built on top of an old African American cemetery called Black Hope. The deceased were mainly former slaves. The last burial was in 1939, and as many as 60 people were interred there in paupers’ graves. 

he two people buried in the Haney’s backyard were Betty and Charlie Thomas. They died during the 1930s and their graves were eventually forgotten. 

Judith and Sam Haney made an extraordinary decision. They reburied Betty and Charlie in their yard, and prayed their spirits would rest in peace. But, according to Judith, peace was not forthcoming: 

“There was a clock in my bedroom and one night it started sparking and putting out a sort of blue glow.” 

When Judith checked the clock, she found that it was unplugged. That was only the beginning of the Haneys’ ordeal. On another evening, Sam went to work the night shift, leaving Judith alone: 

“I heard the sliding glass door open and I heard what I thought was Sam saying, ‘What you doing?’ Everything was quiet, the sliding glass doors were locked, and I thought, ‘Well, you know, you must be losing your mind. This really must be getting to you.’ But much to my amazement that’s not where the story ended. In the morning I awoke, went in my closet to get my red shoes, and I could not find them anywhere.” 

Sam backed up Judith’s story: 

“So, of course, I started looking for them and went through all of her closets where she normally puts things. And we just couldn’t find them. We had walked just a short distance from where the gravesites were and I could see something on the grave. And they were both side-by-side like someone had just picked them up and carried them over and laid them down on the gravesite.” 

Even more disturbing to Sam was the realization that this was Betty Thomas’ birthday: 

“And I kinda got the feeling that it was like Charlie was giving Betty a birthday present.” 

Judith felt she knew what was going on: 

“I began to come to the realization that this was not all in my mind and that this had to have some relationship to Betty and Charlie’s graves being disturbed. Their spirits were saying, ‘This isn’t right.’” 

The Haneys were not alone. A dozen of their neighbors also reported lights, televisions and water faucets turning on and off, and unearthly sounds andsupernatural apparitions. Worse, these bizarre events were becoming malicious. 

Like the Haneys, Ben and Jean Williams thought that they had found their suburban paradise when they moved into the same neighborhood. But Jean said she never felt at peace in the house: 

“After we moved, in everything changed. When I tried to plant new plants, they just would not live no matter what I did. You know, fertilizer or whatever, they still would not live. And I constantly had a foreboding feeling, a feeling of things are not right or something bad is about to happen.” 

The Williams said that near their flowerbed, sinkholes appeared in the unmistakable shape of a coffin. The Williams would fill them in, only to have them reappear a few days later. The Williams also felt their ideal home was being invaded by a menacing presence. Random shadows slid along the walls, followed by whispered words and a putrid smell.

At the time, the Williams’ granddaughter, Carli, lived with the couple. During the blazing heat of summer, Carli said she would stumble into bone-chilling pockets of ice-cold air: 

“It would be very, very chilly and you’d have this feeling of foreboding, or just, you know, like something wasn’t right. Anywhere in the house you’d have a feeling that you were not alone. Somebody was watching you. It terrified me to be in the house by myself. The toilets used to flush on their own. As the water went down I could hear, it was almost like conversations. You could hear people murmuring to themselves. It was a presence or spirit or something there. Something that wanted to be heard. Wanted me to know that it was there.” 

Jean Williams had no doubt as to the source of the disturbances: 

“I absolutely believe that all of these things happened to us because we were on the graveyard, and that we were simply going to be tormented until we left there.” 

Ben said he and Jean debated what to do next: 

“Me and Jean, we talked it over. And she said, ‘Well what can we do? Walk off and leave it?’ She said, ‘We ain’t got enough money to pay down on another home.’ I said, ‘We’ve always been fighters. We’re gonna stay right here and fight it and try to beat it.’” 

According to Ben, it wasn’t long before he got his chance: 

“I came home from work around ten after twelve from the midnight shift, and I walked straight to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and that’s when I seen these two ghostly figures. And they went straight backwards into the den. And then they started heading right down the hall to Jean’s. And it was standing right about a foot and a half from the end of the bed. The only thing I really thought of was, ‘They ain’t messing with me wife.’ As I dove through it, I felt a sticky cold sensation in my body.” 

Down the street at the Haney’s, Judith said the disturbances caused her life to unravel: 

“I was crying all the time. I was frightened. I was scared of doing my daily routine in my own home.” 

The Haneys decided to fight back in court. They sued the builder for not disclosing that their home was built over a cemetery, in part, so that everyone would know what was happening at their subdivision. A jury awarded them $142,000 for mental anguish. But a reversal ruled on legal grounds that the developers were not liable. The verdict was thrown out and the Haneys were ordered to pay $50,000 in court costs. Sam Haney recounted the total cost of their ordeal: 

“At that point we decided to file bankruptcy. All in all, we ended up losing the case, losing the money, losing the house.” 

The Williams also explored legal recourse. But they say that they were told that without definitive proof of a cemetery on their property, nothing could be done. It was then that Jean made a decision that she will forever regret: 

“That was the last straw. You want a body? I’ll show you a body. So, I thought to myself, I can dig about two feet a day and I knew I would reach a body.” 

But soon after she started digging, Jean felt ill. Her adult daughter, Tina, volunteered to finish the job. After digging for a half hour, Tina also fell ill. Carli Karluk was there that day: 

“I remember her saying that she was, that she felt funny. She was getting dizzy as well. She put the shovel down and she went back inside. And she just laid down on the couch. She’s like mom, daddy, I don’t feel right. There’s something wrong. The last thing I remember her saying was, ‘Mommy, take care of my baby, take care of my baby.’ And she looked so scared.” 

While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Jean tried to keep her daughter conscious: 

“Almost immediately her eyes started glazing over. And I was talking to her, trying to talk her out of dying. ‘Please Tina, talk to me.’ And all this time her eyes were changing until they got to the point where I knew that she wasn’t responding at all.” 

Tina had suffered a massive heart attack. Two days later she died. Jean burdened the blame: 

“I realize that I had desecrated another grave and now I’m paying. I told Ben, ‘We have to get out of here. It doesn’t matter what we lose, what we had.’ And I knew that if we didn’t, that I was not going to make it, because my fight was gone. I could fight no more.” 

The Williams escaped to Montana and later moved back to another house and another neighborhood in Texas. Today they are a happily growing family, no longer plagued by mysterious noises, horrific apparitions or heart-breaking tragedies. 

Back in their old neighborhood, none of the current residents have reported any paranormal activity. No one has ever been able to explain what happened to the Williams or the Haneys. 

 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was completed in 1870 and is one of the

tallest lighthouses in the USA. Located on Hatteras island in Buxton, the

lighthouse was moved from its original location in 1999 to a place further

from the shore to protect the structure from encroaching erosion. Along

with being a historic building, the area around the lighthouse is also

rumored to be haunted.
 People call the ghost seen here the Gray Man of Hatteras. The legend of

this ghost states that it’s the spirit of a man who drowned here during a

hurricane in the early 1900’s. His spirit is usually only seen during

hurricanes and mostly from a distance. Most of the reports about this

ghost say that he is usually only visible for a few seconds and then he just

dissappears into the rain and fog. 
 The lighthouse is still operational today. Those who may want to visit this

historic place are welcome, as it is fully open to the public.

- Devil’s Tramping Ground (Bennett, North Carolina)
  ——————————-

  The Devil’s Tramping Ground is a barren circle in the forest in the

Harper’s Crossroad community near Bennett, North Carolina. It is the

subject of some of North Carolina’s oldest legends. For years now, nothing

has grown within the boundaries of the 40 foot ring. It remains a perfect

circle, void of any plantlife or anything else in it. Why plants wont grow on

this little area isn’t known and the phenomenon is thus far unexplained.

Even the United States Geological Survey team checked out the area and

could not find a scientific explanation for the lack of growth within the

ring.
  Stories about the ring are well known in the local communities around

the area. These include the disappearance of objects left within the ring

overnight, and strange events occurring to those brave enough to spend

the night within its boundaries.
  Legend says that this is the very place the devil himself can rise from the

depths of hell, and come to earth. It’s at this very place, the devil walks in

circles on certain nights and brings his evil into this world.
  It is a known fact that devil worshipping takes place here alot and

evidence of satanic sacrafices of small animals has also been uncovered

in the area. This is definately a dangerous place to check out, especially

at night, due to some of the crazy satanic people that come here to

worship the Devil.
  Maybe because of satan, or maybe because of all the bad things that

have taken place at this spot, alot of paranormal activity does take place

here in and around the circle. For a few decades now, people have

reported weird things taking place here. Strange lights and figures have

been seen here at the Devil’s Tramping Ground. Pictures taken here have

come back with orbs appearing on them. A feeling of dread also over

takes alot of the people who come here, and most people leave here alot

quicker then they expected too.
  With all of the ghost stories and legends that surround this place, its

easy to see why people come out here, to the middle of the woods, to

witness some strange or paranormal activity. Never check out an isolated

place like this alone or without being properly prepared. Good directions,

a cell phone, and a compass are all good ideas to bring with you on a visit

to a place like the Devil’s Tramping Ground.

- Hacker House (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
  ————————
 The legend of the Hacker House goes back centuries, and it is

continually evolving, as terrible events continue to plague this ill-omened

house. It rests upon a Native American mass grave, where several dozen

bodies lay, aged 20-25 and deposed execution-style, but in such a way

that has baffled archaeologists because there was no evidence of

weapons or struggle. And indeed Cherokee lore says that the place is

cursed, a place, “where the brave may not walk, as his prayers would not

be answered.” Further evidence of evil play came in 1821, from signed

affidavits given by Continental Army soldiers claiming to have had a gun

battle with dozens of undead. A century later, the Hacker House was a

hospital and laboratory. Though reports are unclear, several bodies were

excavated after a great fire in 1930, and they were found to be curiously

hollow. Experimental documentation by a Dr. Johnas Hacker seemed to

indicate that the hollowing was a result of the experimental medicines

ingested by his patients. Rebuilt, the house was turned into a funeral

parlor where things went predictably unwell.
 Now people seem to have smartened up. It is possible to take tours of

Hacker House, but nobody lives there except maybe a ghost or two.
 
- Maco Light (Wilmington, North Carolina)

  ————–
   
 The Maco Light is one of North Carolina’s greatest mysteries. For over a

century now, these mysterious lights have been seen and even

photographed bobbing up and down along the railroad tracks near the

Maco Station. The strange lights can be seen from a distance, but when

anyone approaches the lights, they always disappear.
 The legend of the Maco Light dates back to a tragic night in 1867. A train

was rolling along the tracks and the signalman, Joe Baldwin, was

sleeping in the caboose. Awoken by a violent jerk, Mr. Baldwin

immediately knew that the caboose had become detached from the rest

of the train. Then he heard another train coming closer to him. Grabbing

his lantern, he stood on the back of his caboose and he frantically waved

his lantern light to try to get the other train to stop. The engineer of the

other oncoming train unfortunately didn’t see the light fast enough, and

then the locomotive slammed into Joe’s caboose. Joe Baldwin was

decapitated and killed instantly in the crash. His head was thrown by the

force of the accident into the murky swamps and it was never found. His

headless body was buried a week later. Ever since that night, lights have

been seen moving up and down the track around Maco. Sometimes it’s

only one light, sometimes it’s two. People says that it’s the ghost of Joe

Baldwin, still searching for his missing head.

- Amelia Island Old Jail Museum (St. Augustine, Florida)
  ————————————–

 Located in one of the most haunted towns in America, The Amelia Island

Old Jail Museum is one of the many places located here that is haunted by

ghosts.
 The building is around one hundred years old and it is believed to be

haunted by more then one spirit. People have caught images of the

ghostly figures here on pictures taken in the building. Others have

reported feeling moving cold spots, and the feeling of being watched

while inside the old jail museum.
 One of the ghosts here, is rumored to be the spirit of a sherif who use to

work here. Sherif Perry was the first ever sherif to work at the old jail. He

was a large man who stood six and a half feet tall. Since his death, a very

tall ghostly figure has been seen throughout the building on a number of

occasions. Even today, tour guides and guests alike have reported seeing

the tall ghost of Sherif Perry dressed up in a plaid shirt like he use to wear

when he was alive and working here.
 Another spirit that people say haunts this building is a convict named Luc

Simone Aury. The bastard son of a Pirate, Aury was held here and

sentenced to death for the many crimes that he committed. A large crowd

came to see the famous criminal be hanged. But the night before, Aury

tried to commit suicide by slitting his neck with a knife. A doctor

managed to keep Aury alive, and his deep wound was stitched up. The

very next morning, a weak Aury was carried to the gallows for his

execution. While hanging, the stitches ripped open, and blood went flying

everywhere. Alot of the spectators that were standing close to the

gallows were soaked in blood. Nowadays Aury’s ghost can be heard

moaning near where the gallows use to stand. On a few occasions, he has

also been seen, all bloody with a wound on his neck still bleeding badly.
 The town of St. Augustine is a ghost hunters paradise. If your ever here

make sure to check out the old jail museum as it brings a piece of history

alive today.

- Cassadaga Hotel (Cassadaga, Florida)
  ———————-

 Called the Cassadaga Hotel and Psychic Center, this beautiful building

serves as a hotel for the living and a sanctuary for spirits who have

passed on. The Cassadaga has been called the phychic capital of the

world because of all the psychic people that come to the hotel everyday.

The hotel even offers spiritual development classes, meditation circles,

shamanic rituals, and informative lectures about spirits. The Cassadaga

Hotels main purpose seems to be a place where the living can contact the

dead.
 Since it first opened in 1927, the Cassadaga has stood as a hotel for

those who wanted to get away for a few days. Today that purpose has

been expanded to a place for the living and those long passsed to

congregate. The hotel is most famous for its paranormal activity that

takes place here. People have claimed there are many ghosts at this

location, and visitors are even advised to bring cameras with them and

take pictures as many orbs and spirits have been captured on

photographs taken here. The paranormal activity here is so active, that

the staff basically guarantees a paranormal experience to all of their

guests.
 For people who are interested in mediums, psychic abilities, and

paranormal activity, the Cassadaga hotel is a wonderful place to spend

some time in.

- Castillo de San Marcos Masonry Fort (St. Augustine, Florida)
  ———————————————–

 The oldest masonry fort in the United States, Castillo de San Marcos was

first built in 1672 by the Spanish when Florida was still a Spanish territory.

Despite being in a number of conflicts, the fort has never been taken by

force by anyone. Today it stands as a reminder of our history and it is also

believed to be haunted by ghosts.
 Apparitions, floating orbs, strange shadows, and weird lights have all

been seen here by witnesses throughout the years. People have also

reported hearing screams, chants, and soldiers marching in the distance

coming from areas that were currently unoccupied. Many videos and

pictures of ghostly activity has been caught here. The TV show Ghost

Adventures did an all night investigation here in 2009, and they caught

alot of paranormal activity happening here on that occasion.
 Tours are offered inside the old fort daily. It is an awesome big place that

has got that haunted feeling to it as soon as you walk in.

- Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse (Gasparilla Island, Gulf of Mexico,

Florida)
   ——————————————————-
 Built in 1890, this lighthouse might have two ghosts. The first is the

young daughter of one of the lighthouse’s keepers, who died in the

building, perhaps of diphtheria or whooping cough. Tour guides say that

she can be heard playing in one of the rooms of the building’s upper floor.

The second ghost is reputed to be the headless spectre of a Spanish

princess named Josefa. According to the legend, when Josefa rejected

the love of the Spanish pirate Gasparilla, so then he lopped off her head

with his sword. Her headless spirit has allegedly been seen wandering the

beach, possibly looking for her head.

- St. Augustine Lighthouse (St. Augustine, Florida)

   ——————————-

 Originaly built in 1824, this place is very paranormally active. Several

ghosts are said to haunt this lighthouse. The voice of the 12-year-old

daughter of the lighthouse’s builder, who drowned near the building, can

sometimes be heard. Footsteps from some unseen presence can be heard

shuffling on the gravel and on the steps outside and inside of the

lighthouse. A large, dark male looking figure also has been seen in the

basement area, possibly the spirit of a former caretaker who hung himself

in the lighthouse.   From shadows being captured on video, to voices

being heard on evp’s, St. Augustine has been a great place to capture

evidence of the paranormal.

Scientists have found archaeological evidence that Neanderthals buried their loved ones with handfuls of flowers – neatly organized, doesn’t this show that there was some belief in an after- life. The film exorcism was actually based on the true story of a girl called Annelise Michal that was possessed by a demon. Unfortunately, she died of starvation and dehydration after tried and failed attempts to heal her soul. 

This piece of writing is from Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneliese_Michel

Anneliese went on a pilgrimage to San Damiano with a good friend of the family, Thea Hein, who regularly organized such pilgrimages to “holy places” not officially recognized by the church.[3] Because Anneliese was unable to walk past a crucifix and refused to drink the water of a holy spring, her escort concluded that she was suffering from demonic possession.[2] Both Anneliese and her family became convinced she was possessed and consulted several priests, asking for an exorcism. The priests declined, recommended the continuation of medical treatment and informed the family that exorcisms required the bishop’s permission.[1] Eventually, in a nearby town, they came across vicar Ernst Alt, who, after seeing Anneliese, declared that she didn’t “look like an epileptic” and that he didn’t see her having seizures.[3] He believed she was suffering from demonic possession.[2] Alt urged the bishop to allow an exorcism. In September 1975, Bishop Josef Stangl granted Father Renz permission to exorcise according to the Rituale Romanum of 1614,[2] but ordered total secrecy.[4] Renz performed the first session on 24 September.

Once convinced of her possession, Anneliese, her parents, and the exorcists stopped seeking medical treatment, and put her fate solely into the hands of the exorcism rites.[2] Sixty-seven exorcism sessions, one or two each week, lasting up to four hours, were performed over about ten months in 1975 and 1976.[2] At some point, Michel began talking increasingly about dying to atone for the wayward youth of the day and the apostate priests of the modern church, and refused to eat. At her own request, doctors were no longer being consulted.[2]

On 1 July 1976, Anneliese died in her sleep. The autopsy report stated her cause of death as malnutrition and dehydration from almost a year of semi-starvation while the rites of exorcism were performed.[5] She weighed 68 pounds (30.91 kilograms).

However there are accusations from scientists that Anne in fact was suffering from a mental disorder that made her believe she was possessed by a demon. 

 Ermmmmm……Anyway, let’s get back to ghosts:

I don’t think I’ve ever been scared in my life, but last night was one of the scariest nights ever. I was looking after a friends pet whilst she went to check on her mom (she lives on a floor of a large Victorian type house). I decided to watch a bit of telly when the door swung shut behind me – I got so scared since there were no windows open in the house because its winter here in England. I finally built the courage to look around – armed with a blanket, to find that there was nothing there…… I swear, this has spooked me so much – I’m going to have to sleep with the light on today!

Why? Maybe some ghosts are just spirits that have not realised they are dead yet. Or they are confused and want to stay in familiar surroundings – maybe they have a message to a person that’s living. I mean who said ghosts have to be mean. Some people even say that ghosts are spirits waiting for judgement day. Ghosts are just lost people that don’t “actually” have physical bodies. There is a scientist in Russia called Dr Konstantin Korotkov (search him up) that photographed the soul leaving the body using a hi-tech science equipment that traces energy.

Or Ghosts just don’t exist………….

The best scientific answer to this is it’s just a pigment of our imagination – we, as human beings, fall for anything believable and we trick our mind into believing Ghosts? Simple….

Any way you look at it, Ghosts might or might not exist, the arguments on both sides cancel each other out, but if you want my opinion………I think I’ll stick with believing in them – after that experience last night I don’t know who wouldn’t believe in them.

My country, right or wrong! These often quoted words were first said by Commodore Stephen Decatur, one of the most important naval officers in the history of the United States.

Commodore Decatur served his country in Tripoli against the Barbary pirates, in the war of 1812, and was U.S. Navy Commissioner from 1816-1820. Decatur was killed in a duel in 1820 by Commodore James Barron. He is now buried in the cemetery of St. Peter’s Church, but his ghost has been known to wander around the cemetery. He is also said to haunt his last home in Washington, D.C.

Image via Wikipedia

                Webster’s dictionary defines the word Ghost as “The disembodied soul; the soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death; an apparition; a specter.”(Webster-dictionary.net). Many people believe this is what they see, hear, or photograph, when there are things they can`t explain. Whenever I`m at home and I start writing about ghost something bizarre happens. For instance, my landlord talked to me the other day about very loud footsteps crossing the floor. He said he wasn`t too concerned, but his mom lives downstairs, and she wakes up from the noise. He knew the only one that runs around our house was our youngest daughter Gracie. I told him about the essay I was writing for school and we both just laughed about it. Neither one of us thought that the essay and the noise had anything in common. That was the first coincidence. The second one is even more bizarre. Erikka, my second oldest daughter, had been sleeping for about a half an hour. Suddenly; she looked a little distressed as she came out of her room saying she wasn`t going back in there. I laughed and asked her what was wrong? Remember she didn`t know I was writing my paper, Erikka said in a very worried voice, “The dresser drawer just opened by itself. I heard the handles rattle, which woke me up. I swear that the drawer was closed, when I went to bed. Now it`s halfway open.” I quickly grabbed the camera and went into the bedroom. I looked at the drawer that was opened and then took some pictures. Sorry to say, the images showed nothing. But this little episode did get my blood flowing. I heard if you talk about ghost too much, they start showing themselves in some way. I wonder if I started something by writing this paper.

             Erikka could have been completely asleep and just not remembered that the drawer was opened when she went to bed. When she heard the handles, she may have had a waking dream. “The experience is a common type of hallucination, known popularly as a waking dream, which takes place between being fully asleep and fully awake. Such experiences typically include bizarre imaginary (bright lights or apparitions of demons, ghost, aliens, etc.) and/or auditory hallucinations.”(Krivyanski in Williams ED.  63).

I recently talked to my Mom about ghosts and waking dreams. She believes she may have had them at times. Her Mom had passed a few years ago, and her brother was killed by a car, on his way to Vietnam. She says sometimes she is startled by their presence, sitting at the end of her bed. I asked “Do they ever talk to you?” She stated, “No”, as she looked down at the table. I don`t know if she really believes they are waking dreams, or she fears that they just might be real ghosts.

            Paranormal investigators have gathered data, which help support the notion that ghosts are real and there are many intelligent people out there that will testify to that. There are even groups that investigate these sightings and try to prove or disprove their existence. Jeanne Frois and The Laspirits Paranormal Investigations Team did a paranormal investigation of their own. It took place in Louisianan, at Séance Lounge.  The legend behind the haunting is, “In 1789, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan purchased the property and the construction of his dream home began. A compulsive gambler, he wagered his beloved home in a card game and lost. Jourdan killed himself in the second floor slave quarters, the site of the present day Séance lounge.”(Frois 69) The team set up after the restaurant closed for the night. They saw shadowy figures float across the room. They heard footsteps when no one was there. They believe they even heard tapping for answers to questions they had asked the ghost. The real mystery though, is the recordings they have on their EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenons). When the investigation started (Co-director of LPIT), Broussaard stated, “Here we go.” As EVP recordings picked up a male voice that did not belong to any of the investigators. It mimicked her exact words. Also a female voice was recorded and heard saying “Thank you” in a French accent. (Frois, 71). Later when the video was reviewed of the paranormal activity, it picked up nothing. But I believe that Jeanne Frois believes in everything she heard and saw. She is a true believer.

            Many states have Paranormal Societies, including Michigan.  The state actually has several of these societies. Michigan Paranormal Research Society is one of these societies and Mark A. France is part of this organization. He and his organization investigated CMU (Central Michigan University). Many sightings have been reported at CMU, but the best known ghost story takes place in Warrnier Hall, where a young lady was decapitated when the elevator moved unexpectedly. France states that all the information of this story can be found at theHudson website on legends at Warriner. France also talks about the clock tower at Warrnier Hall. He was climbing the ladder to the clock when he saw a man`s face in the window. He, even being an expert in his field, was so terrified quickly got down and refused to go back up. (France 2) If experts get spooked, isn`t that a little proof that there is something beyond the grave? Or does it just mean that the experts have even more of a vivid imagination than most?

With all the believers in the world, there are probably just as many skeptics. They think they can explain and even give reasonable explanation of why any paranormal activity is made up non-sense. One of the biggest and well known hoaxes of the supernatural is the Amityville Horror story. Skeptics say the story was made up because of money trouble and a defense lawyer needing some crazy alibi for a murder. Amityville was always a pleasant town, “In Autumn of 1974, however, it was the scene of a rather grisly killing.” That night Ronald DeFeo killed his parents and siblings with a hunting rifle. He claimed that an evil ancient spirit made him do it. The judge disagreed and gave him 150 years. (Sakulich 1)

A year later the Lutzs moved into Amityville home. Immediately they claimed strange phenomenas started to happen. The media got a hold of the story, and eventually they had a book wrote and a movie made about the experience. The Lutz`s became rich. The only problem that really debunked the tale of the great paranormal phenomena was William Weber. He was close friends with the Lutz`s and he was Defoe`s lawyer. He confessed to the whole story of the Lutz`s was a fraud, and made up to make money. He and the couple had “created this horror story over many bottles of wine.”(Krivyanski in Williams ED.  67) This still could have happened, with the demons and evil spirits. Maybe the lawyer was just mad because the Lutz`s made a lot of money and people believed them. But he couldn`t get anyone to believe that his client was innocent. But Sakulich clarified it nicely for those people that don`t believe in ghost. “This case has probably spawned a million other imitations. It`s taken average people, and led them into believing in ghosts, hauntings, and other baloney. It`s hard to imagine what benefit the world would see if people stopped wasting time and energy believing in such nonsense and put it into something worthwhile, but this much is clear: nothing abnormal happened in Amityville.” (Sakulich 2)                                                                                                Some people have to see to believe, and for them sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, or at least worth proof of one ghost. Even the photographs, that proves the existence of ghosts. There are those people that try and debunk the images, they are known as skeptics. Loxton states, “One common type of ghost photos are called “orbs”- bright, weird-looking circular shapes.” Loxton goes on to try and prove that the orbs are just dust in the air, caught by the flash of the camera. He also states, “Believe it or not, many other “ghost” photos are really blurry close-ups pictures of camera straps.” (Loxton 81) He says anyone can easily make their own ghostly images. All you need is a digital camera and excess to a dark dusty room. A basement is ideal for this experiment. Take some pictures and see what you get. If no orbs appear, then take a cloth and shake it over the camera, as you take the picture. I don`t believe this is the reason why the orbs present themselves in photos, so I tried the experiment myself. I went to my basement, which is only used for storage and is very dusty. The result brought no images of ghost or orbs. (Figure 1&2) So I tried to swirl up some dust and see what I could get in my photo and again I got nothing. Maybe there wasn`t enough dust. Maybe the orbs do have something spiritual behind them and there just wasn`t any ghost in my basement.

Another explanation for orbs, and in my opinion a better one, is stated by Kruse, “Many of us in the field believe that the orbs are a manifestation of some kind of sprit energy. (Krivyanski in Williams ED. 59).  Kruse is part of the Mon Valley Ghost Research Society and they have witnessed and recorded orbs entering a bedroom. In their investigation they had set up video cameras in a little boy`s room and downstairs pointing up the stairs. Five people watched the monitors, as the video recorded. In the middle of the night, the little boy unexpectedly screamed, than loudly started to cry. After a few seconds, several orbs were recorded moving up the stairs and disappearing through the bedroom door. Where the video inside picked up the orbs and captured them moving slowly over the boy, as the boy lay back down and fell back to sleep. Kruse stated, “It appeared that we had detected a spirit/ghost that had comforted or calmed the boy, rather than awakened him.” (Krivyanski in Williams ED. 59) Could have this been the little boy`s guardian angel?

Winkowski, a well known authority of spirits agrees, even showing an orb in a picture “Saying the orb is a spirit who has crossed over”. (Winkowski 81-2) Mary Winkowski a well known author and was consultant on the TV hit series Ghost Whisperer. She writes about ghosts in great detail and touches on many aspects of the spirit world. The one that is most intriguing to me is the section on Children (Chapter 7, How Young Spirits Are Different 141). She states, “I have never seen the spirit of infants at memorial services or funerals. Obviously, since I don`t see them they must cross over”. (Winkowski 143) Well in this writers` experience she is Dead Wrong. It was 11 years ago and no less April 1, the day that will live in my mind forever. My four month old little girl (Katie) stopped breathing and passed away. A few months before my ex-wife and I bought a baby monitor, so we could hear her if she cried at night. One day my ex-wife said, she heard a little girl’s voice on the monitor saying, “Mommy can we take her yet?” Then suddenly she heard a ladies voice loudly say, “No! Put her down.” My ex freaked and ran into Katie`s room but she was sound asleep. When I got home from work, she told me about what she heard and I just shrugged it off. I told her it was probably just picking up another monitors reception. But we had no neighbors for about a mile and the monitors don`t pick up anything further than a couple hundred feet.

A few days after Katie`s funeral, we tried to settle down and get along with our lives. Then it happened, one very dark night we were woke up by this terrifying cry. I jumped up and ran to Katie`s room but nothing was there. I searched the whole house for that cry and found nothing. This went on for almost a minute, I felt like I was in a daze, like I was not really in my body. I finally took a deep breath and got my heart to calm down a little bit. I opened the front door and suddenly the crying stopped. Now I would have blown this off as a dream, but all this time my ex was standing in the middle of the living room terrified and shaking dreadfully. As I shut the door I looked up at her, and over her shoulder in the other room there was a shadowy figure. It looked just like death himself, it seemed to float across the room, as it disappeared through the window. It`s seemed that Katie`s spirit was still in the house and death came to get her. I don`t think she was ready to leave us yet. That`s why we heard the cry. I enjoyed the reading of Winkowski, but because of this experience I know she is way off base about infant’s crossing over quickly. No one really wants to die, no matter what their age.

The science world and the paranormal world have been on different sides of the spectrum, for as long as people have been telling ghost stories, next to campfires. A long time ago, the science world thought the earth was flat and people disproved their theory. As time went on and civilization changed, science theories changed along with it. The abnormal became the normal, because enough people believed in it. In my opinion, paranormal activity is the next; “The world is flat theory” and it will become a normal belief that ghosts are real. Personally, even with the paranormal experience that I have had, I still have a very hard time believing that other people see ghosts or have some sort of paranormal occurrence. Maybe deep down I just wish and hope that no one has to go through what I did.

Works Citied
France J. Mark. “Tue Ghosts in Michigan” Michigansotherside.com,2007. Web
Frois, Jeanne. “Ghosthunting.” New Orleans Magazine. October 2008. 63 Print.
Loxton, Daniel. “Ghost Orbs. Junior Skeptic, 2010. 81. Print
Hammond, Camillia. Personal Interview. 20. November. 2010. Midland, MI.
Krivyanski, Michael J. in Williams ED. Opposing View Points Paranormal Phenomena. Michigan: Greenhaven Press. 2003. Print
Sakulich, Aaron. ” Amityville Horror based on little fact, mostly fiction.” The Triangle.org, 21 October. 2005. Web
Webster Dictionary. Websterll-dictionary.net, 2010. Web 28 November 2010
Winkowski, Ann Mary. When Ghost speaks. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2007. Print

When you hear things that go bump in the night do you think nothing of it and say its the wind or do you cower deeper into your covers and say its a ghost? When your child misbehaves do you believe him/her when he/she tells you a demon or the devil made him/her do it? And do you think your deceased relatives are long gone or sitting right nexr to you? For questions such as these different people will tell you different things for example, one person might tell you they are real, some may tell you they are not real, and others may say only a few of them are real, but what is the truth?

GHOSTS

Ghosts are generally described as the electrical current of energy that runs through every humans body left behind on earth. Many people may get a ghost confused with a spirit or may even think they are the same thing, but that is where some people are wrong for spirits and ghosts are two different things; as stated earlier about the belief of ghosts being the eletrical current that runs through every humans body being left on earth after death has been the most proven form form of a ghosts because of the the eletrical currents they give and take. A spirit on the other hand is believed to be the soul of a departed human being and occasionally animal. The only proof we currently have for the existence of ghosts are photos, videos, and occasionally personal experience. Below is an example of supposed ghosts captured on film. 

Spirits

Spirits are supposedly the souls of deceased human beings. It is not certain why spirits choose to stay on earth after death, however it has been said that spirits choose to walk the earth because of unfinished business. Very little is known about spirits and the untrained eye would more than likely mistake it for a ghost. very few photos or videos have ever turned up of spirits, there have been however many cases of supposed photos of them appearing but none are for certain.

Demons

For those who have seen The Exorcist, you will no what I’m talking about. Demons are best described as evil creatures that are the spawn of satan. The belief in demons has has gone back many years in many religions and with this being said many religions perform some form of what is called an exorcism, which involves expelling a supposed demon from some ones body. There have been many reports about exorcism one famous one is of a young girl name Anneliese Michel in Germany. This video plays audio clips from her supposed exorcism. 

His footsteps flopped,

then the young boy stopped,

said nothing,

the shadows whispered,

and the boy glanced up suddenly,

as though startled,

his body made no movement,

the shadows glared,

the boy just stared,

his eyes teary,

his face drawn, and weary,

his cheekbone, prominent,

and his blue eyes enormous,

it was a winter’s night,

darkness shaded the moon’s light,

it was the fear,

that made his body stiff and tight,

then the shadows spoke of the boy,

as if he were dead,

he moved slowly and shook his head,

still nothing said,

the shadows would murmur and choke,

as if trapped in a dust of smoke,

their images would stream,

cascading darkness would scream,

and that’s when the young boy realized,

that this was all a dream.