17.Ghosts...What are they?

What is a ghost? Well, I guess it depends on how much television you watch.

According to movies, more television, and the media-a ghost takes many forms. The standard white sheet, two holes for eyes, and no feet. There's the white smoke version with something that looks like a face floating somewhere in the middle. And let's not forget the all important full body, see through person. Most of them are quite comical. The ones that have "come to light" lately are quite scary. The black mass or the apparition seen by special equipment.

I'm not going to lie. I love the paranormal! I read, watch, absorb everything I can. If I ever am actually visited by one of those black masses late at night...I don't know what my reaction will be. What I do know...that experience would rank up really high as one of the best experiences of my life!

Just open up your mind...
--GHOSTwriter

16.I'm writing a GHOST story...

I've taken the plunge. I have been writing a fictional story about a couple who have a strong interest in the paranormal. This couple go on a walking ghost tour in San Francisco only to find out that instead of contacting a ghost, the ghost has contacted them. It's still a work in progress(long process!), but it's coming along.

I hope to one day, be able to write full time. It's been another passion of mine, writing. With the support of my other half, I have been able to combine my love for the paranormal with my love of writing.

I'll keep you posted in between postings.
-GHOSTwriter

15.Shadow at the Cemetery

A couple of days ago we went to the cemetary to visit the grave site of my spouse's uncle & aunt. The light was quickly fading, but there was still just enough light so that we did not need to bring a flashlight. We parked on the side of the road and walked to the grave. On returning to the truck, we had both witnessed something odd at the exact same time. We looked at each other and had asked the same question at the same time...did you see that?

Even before telling each other what we saw, we did a thorough search in, out, and under the truck thinking that maybe something had flown into or under it. We found nothing. Upon comparing stories, we had both seen something similar. I had seen something extremely quick-it went from the front of the truck to the middle before disappearing in the blink of an eye, and dark-almost like a small dark vertical cloud. I also heard as though something had hit the truck before disappearing. My other half saw something move from the tree, which was at the front of the truck, down towards the truck. He also heard a noise as if something had hit the truck. It was dark, about two to three feet in height and it disappeared into the body of the truck-like it was absorbed by the truck. It went from being a black mass to instantly disappearing into nothing.

It was a really weird experience. We still haven't been able to put a finger on what it was or what we had seen. Every time we had visited the grave site, we had always seen several deer running around the graves, eating the fresh flowers. On this night, there were none. We had seen only three deer at the exit of the cemetary. It seemed as though the deer stayed away from the graves. That was odd seeing as how there were a lot of fresh flowers around.

Were the deer afraid of something? Was there something evil about the shadow that we saw? We'll never know. The one comfort was that the deer were at the exit-his uncle's signal to my spouse that, yes, he knew we were there to visit.

14.Favorite #4 Paranormal Magazine "TAPS Paramag"

There are two things that take up my time when I'm not working or being with my family-watching paranormal shows and reading paramags.

I've read several magazines dealing with the paranormal and was very disappointed about how "first grade" they were. My other half, as a surprise, ordered a subscription to TAPS Paramag for me. I have received two issues so far and am quite impressed. They were very informative and went into depth about the subjects they wrote about. TAPS(The Atlantic Paranormal Society) looks at all things paranormal in a very mature way with articles that cater to the serious paranormal enthusiast.

Check out the magazine. They are on sale at Borders bookstores nationwide. Like what you read...try out a subscription. Check it out on the main TAPS website-www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com click on taps paramag under the taps gear section. let me know what you think...

-GHOSTwriter

13.Favorite #3 Ghost Hunting with "Psychic Kids" on A&E

Imagine being a kid who sees things. Not just any thing, but things you can't explain. Now, imagine that you couldn't tell anyone because they couldn't see what you were seeing. Confused? Feel alienated?

One of the best new shows on television is called Psychic Kids. We get to follow along as young children and teens discover that their abilities are real and that there are others out there who are going through the very same things. Leading them through this transition into acceptance is Chip Coffey. Chip Coffey is by far one of the best mediums out there. He is very open and honest with the children and their parents and is there to help lead them through a very difficult time. At the end of each show, you can see that there is a real shift in how the families view the paranormal and the gifts each child possesses.

If you get a chance, watch the show. Be open minded. You yourself may have a gifted child who's been trying to tell you all along...if you would just open up your mind...

-GHOSTwriter

12.Favorite #2 Ghost hunting with "Paranormal State" on A&E

A group of college kids form a group who's interests have nothing to do with binge drinking! Yes! This group from Penn State call themselves the Paranormal Research Society or PRS. And, they are another phenominal group.

PRS is led by a very driven young man who has an obsession with understanding the paranormal. His operation is not one of those fly by night ops, but one that is scientifically & spiritually driven. All the "investigators" come in to every case looking to help ease the burden on a family who is experiencing a possible haunting. The biggest difference this group has with all the rest is that they become emotionally involved with their clients. What I mean by emotionally involved is that their level of caring for those affected is extremely high. It's very honorable, what they do. They definitely deserve a lot of respect from their fellow paranormal groups for the work they have achieved thus far. This group is one you definitely want to keep an eye on.

You can check out "Paranormal State" on A&E Monday evenings at 10:00 and by going to their group website pennstateprs.com

-GHOSTwriter

11. Favorite #1: GHOST HUNTERS on SCI FI

Have you had the privilege of watching one of the best paranormal television shows ever made? If you haven't...you are missing out!

I stumbled upon Ghost Hunters one night while channel surfing. After watching just one episode...I was hooked. I couldn't believe how thorough these guys are at investigating claims of the paranormal. It wasn't just walking around, feeling goosebumps, seeing shadows...has to be haunted. Nope. No way. These guys are true investigators. They go in with open minds ready to debunk(disprove)any so called paranormal activity. They don't believe a location is haunted just because someone says so. They take their time going through every possible explanation as to what might be causing something to appear paranormal. They even do research on a location, stories included, to see if things being said about the location are indeed fact or legend. The team they have assembled-T.A.P.S.(The Atlantic Paranormal Society)-are extremely professional and level headed. They all work well together and go above and beyond to help those in need. I could go on and on about these guys! I'll save some for later!

The next season is slated for September 3rd of '08 on the Sci-Fi network. Look out for it. These guys also have a great website. It will give you all the info you need. Check it out on my sidebar under TAPS. Trust me...you'll be glad you did.

...open up your mind...

-GHOSTwriter

10.A few of my favorites...

The next several posts will be about my favorite shows and paramags. These are essential to me because they help me to better understand the experiences I've had.

There are several shows and paramags that claim great expertise in the field of the paranormal. I've watched and read...a lot of them really shouldn't be allowed such a wide audience. I know, I know. Every person is allowed their freedom of speech, press, yada yada yada. I'm not arguing that. What I am trying to convey is that a lot of the information being crammed down our throats is ridiculously stupid. For instance, one show I followed for a few episodes was nothing but stories. No evidence of any kind, yet every location was "deathly haunted" without a doubt. Ai Adai! I'll go more in depth about those at a later date. This post is about an intro to my favorites.

I will be going through my favorite shows...
Ghost Hunters....#1 best out there!!!!
Paranormal State
Psychic Kids....Chip Coffey-the real deal! One day...I will meet him!

My favorite paramag...only have one. Haven't found any that compare...still looking.
TAPS Paramag

Come back and read through my thoughts about each one. It may take a long while, but they will be worth it!

...open up your mind...

-GHOSTwriter

9.Pictures...Proof?

We've all taken pictures. Hundreds...thousands of pictures through our lifetime. Have you ever really looked at your pictures? I mean really looked at your pictures. I have. Here are a few. Do you see what I see? Leave me a note...tell me what you think.
...click on the pics. it will zoom in for you. you'll be pleasantly surprised...
-GHOSTwriter

8.Boo-hoo-hoo...Enough already!

I have recently read an article put out in a paranormal magazine about ghost hunting groups. More specifically about how certain groups have been bashing others. It goes on to say that certain ghost hunting groups have sprung up on television claiming to be the best of the best. He claims that those groups have become self-absorbed, the "We're the experts and everyone else sucks" groups.

I happen to think that there are a select number of groups that are the best. These groups don't make the assumption that every sound is paranormal or that every location is haunted just to make the owners happy or to make a quick buck. They go out of their way to disprove or debunk a suspected haunting. Their methods are very thorough and do make a lot of sense.

As for the other groups, there are some who really shouldn't be operating. They don't seem as though they are genuinely trying to help anyone but themselves. These are the groups that deserve the tongue lashing dished out by the magazine. Hopefully that's where it's directed. Only because the article bordered on whiney. Kind of "Boo-hoo-hoo, why can't we be the important ones? Why don't we have the national and international attention?" AHHHH Enough already!

-GHOSTwriter

7.My view on Ghost Hunting groups...

Ghost Hunters are people, most often in groups, who go out into various "haunted" locations in order to "capture" solid "evidence" of the paranormal. "Solid" evidence come in the forms of still pictures, video, and evps(electronic voice phenomenon)caught on tape/video/voice recorders, to name a few.

If you type "ghost hunting groups" into any search engine on the net, you come up with over 600,000 sites. Type in "paranormal groups" and find almost 300,000. I'm almost certain that just a few short years ago, the numbers would have extremely lower.

Since the airing of "paranormal/ghost hunting groups" on television, everyone seems to think that they too can become professional ghost hunters in a matter of hours and dollars spent. To me, it can be extremely easy to convince anyone that a particular place is haunted. Capture some dust particles in a photo, it instantly becomes ghost lights or orbs. Hear faint whispering on a voice recording, it instantly becomes a message from the other side. All one has to do is be a very convincing actor(a drama filled,conniving nature is a must!), explain that every sound heard and/or captured is from the other side and cannot(I repeat-CANNOT!)be given any other rational explanation, and be able to persuade(salesmen apply here)anyone to pay you a small fee to exorcise the "ghosts" manifesting themselves(actual dust flying in the air). Give me a break!

Let's leave the ghost hunting to the professionals. Everyone else...get a life!

-GHOSTwriter

6.At the cemetary...

Have you ever heard of "pennies from heaven"? This is another version of that story.

My other half had lost an uncle many years ago. Being very close to the uncle, going to the cemetary was one way of being as close to him as possible. Shortly after moving back to California, we made an impromptu visit to his uncle's grave site. A few minutes of silence had passed when a deer had appeared across the cemetary. It just stood there without moving. After a short while, it took off into the hills. My other half turned to me and said that he had been asking his uncle to give him a sign that he knew that we were there. Hence, the deer. I thought nothing of it. Everyone knows that there are tons of fresh flowers left at grave sites every day, and that deer come down to eat the flowers. Every time we had visited his uncle, we saw a deer. The only odd thing about it was that cars would pass the deer, but it wouldn't run off. Every time I had been barely close to a deer, it ran off. This one never did. I still didn't think anything of it other than a coincidence. That was until his uncle convinced me.

Late in the afternoon we made a stop at the cemetary. We spent a few minutes at the grave site, then jumped in the car. On the way out of the cemetary, which was quite a drive around the entire cemetary, I became a believer. On both sides of the road there were deer. Not just one, I stopped counting at twenty-three. None of them moved. All the deer that were on the sides of the road just stood there and watched us drive by. I had an overwhelming feeling of being watched. Not because of the deer.
I knew that his uncle was with us.

What do you think? Let me know.

...if you could just open up your mind...

_GHOSTwriter

5.It's mad...

Have you ever been "touched" by a spirit? I have. I will never forget...

I was sitting alone on the floor in my upstairs bedroom. We were moving out and still had some odds and ends to clean up. I had no particular odd feelings or sensations while I was up there. All of a sudden, I felt searing pain on my right thigh. I looked down and saw a fresh scratch extending from my knee up the length of my entire thigh. I touched it. Looking at my finger I saw fresh blood, no mistaking it for something I had done earlier and had just forgotten about. Obviously, someone or something was mad. I had asked if anyone was in the room with me. Of course, no answer, just the typical goosebumps and hair standing up on the back of my neck.

Odd? Yes. Terrifying? No. Maybe someone was upset that we were leaving. It was okay. I could understand. Being alone is a terrible thing. Maybe, the person who was stuck on our side just needed company, and here we were running out on it. I'll never know. I just hope that the next person living there respects the spirits there as much as we did.

...just open up your mind...

-GHOSTwriter

4.I feel them...

Have you ever felt like someone or something is there with you? Do the hairs on the back of your neck stand for no apparent reason? I have felt those very feelings several times and still have not been able to explain them.

I remember trying to get to sleep and feeling as though someone were watching me as I lay in bed. When it first started happening, I remember thinking that someone was standing just in the doorway of my bedroom watching me. Thinking it was one of my family members, I would either ask what they needed or just turn around to see who was there. Each time it happened, no one was there. Everyone was either downstairs or in their room. Somewhere around the time when we were just contemplating moving out, the feelings really intensified. On several occasions, the feelings got heavier. One incident that really stands out in my mind was the night I was genuinely scared to turn around or even to open my eyes.

I had been laying in bed only a few minutes, eyes closed ready to drift off to sleep, when I felt as though someone were watching me. Only this time, not just standing in the doorway of my bedroom. I felt as though someone had been bent over with its face right over mine...watching me, as if wanting me to open my eyes to see that it was really there. It was a heavy feeling, as much as I had wanted to see if any one was just playing a trick on me, the urge to keep my eyes sealed shut was even stronger. I had felt as though if I had opened my eyes, I would have seen "terror" in a solid shape or form. I was never really one to be afraid of anything paranormal, but that feeling was one of the most intense feelings I have ever felt.

I have never been able to find an explanation for what happened. It still perplexes me to this very day. Right now, it is stored in my "personal experiences" file in my mind. Every so often I rifle through my file to see whether or not I can find an explanation for any of them...I still haven't found any.

Waiting for more? Check back soon. If you aren't afraid to open up your mind...

-GHOSTwriter

3.Being watched...

Ever feel like you're being watched? You just have this feeling of someone being there when there's not? I've always had that feeling at different times in my life, but really thought nothing of it. It wasn't a "scary" experience...just kind of eerie.

A couple of years ago, eerie bordered on scary. It started out with my family being visited, nightly, by the "stair ghost". We lived in a two story condo and when you were sitting on the couch on the first floor, you can see up the stairs leading to the second floor. If you took a glance up to the second floor, you could always catch a dark figure peeking over the railing, but just as quick as you saw it, it was gone. We would literally run up the stairs to see what was up there, and as luck would have it...nothing. Several people who did not live in our home had also experienced the same thing...without us telling them. It became quite funny when you were sitting there having a conversation with someone and literally watch the color drain from their face when they saw the "stair ghost". It happened so often, we just accepted it for what it was.

Intrigued? Check out my future blogs for more...if you aren't afraid to open up your mind...

GHOSTwriter

2.When it all started...

Think back to when you were a little kid...Do you remember playing with your "imaginary" friend? I bet that when you did, that friend was real...to you. Others around you thought it was cute or that you would just outgrow it. Just an over active imagination. Most children produce an imaginary friend during times of emotional distress. A way of coping with a stressful situation for which they can't yet understand or vocalize...in comes the convenient imaginary friend.

I believe that there are people in our past that do watch over us. Our "guardians" come in to help us deal with things we have no control over. As children, we "see" someone who is there to play with us. No one else can see them, because they are there just for us. These imaginary friends are not imaginary. There are real.

When I was a child, I was forced to deal with many problems I could not understand or vocalize because I was so young. My parents' relationship was a volatile one. For a long period of time I had a friend. His name was George. I can't recall the exact time when George left, but I do believe it was around the time my parents split up. It was great! I had a friend who didn't yell or get angry. All we did was play. I do remember him telling me that everything would soon be okay. It was, and after they split up, I haven't "seen" him since.

As we get older, we forget how to see without looking. Kids have this fantastic way of seeing things that aren't there. They aren't there because we can't see them. We have forgotten how. Our minds become closed to the paranormal because if it isn't something we can see, touch, or hear it must not exist. When my oldest child produced her own imaginary friend, Tina, we did not discourage, but embraced her. Tina became a permanent fixture in our home for a little while. She had her own seat at the table during meals and everyone who came in our home were warned to be careful not to sit on her by accident. After a short while, she left. She was there for my child when she was needed and left when my child was old enough to cope on her own.

These guardians are there when we cannot cope with things, at any age. We just choose to ignore the obvious. We forget how to see without looking. Open your mind and let them in. A whole other world exists...if you aren't afraid to open up your mind...

Like what you've read so far? Check out my links to other PARANORMAL HOT SITES. You'll be getting even more info into what others have experienced as well. Just more proof of what happens when others...open up their minds...

GHOSTwriter

1.Welcome...

Welcome to my page...I am the GHOSTwriter.

Have you ever wondered if there really are ghosts out there? Have you ever felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand...for no apparent reason? Have you ever felt that heavy presence in the room? As if someone...or something...is staring right at you, but no one is "physically" there?

Here I am. The one person who has experienced all those feelings and more. In future writings, I'll let you in to how it all started and where it's all going. I hope you'll stop in for a visit...and decide to read awhile. I may answer some of your burning questions or start a whole slew of them. In any case...come visit again soon...

More ghostly encounters to come...

GHOSTwriter