Ghost Files by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson

I've watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters and have enjoyed the show, so when I saw that the library had Ghost Files: The Collected Cases From Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (with Michael Jan Friedman), I had to read it.  Jason and Grant run The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.), and this book showcases some of the interesting experiences they've had while investigating the paranormal.  Jason started having paranormal experiences at age 20 when he dated a woman who practiced Reiki, which deals with manipulating life-force energy.  After six months, he started seeing mists, "out of which emanated a dim light, and then out of the light came other things-including see-through animals and full-body human apparitions" (page 6).  Jason soon started the Rhode Island Paranormal Society (R.I.P.S.), and Grant contacted him about improving the R.I.P.S. website; they started talking, and Grant revealed that he had also had paranormal experiences, so they joined forces and founded T.A.P.S.  I enjoyed reading about all of the cases in this book, but these were my favorites:

-"Possessed": When the T.A.P.S. team arrived to help a child in need, "nine-year-old Emily was dragging furniture around her bedroom and swearing like a sailor" (page 46).  Her older sister admitted that she had been using a Ouija board (never a good idea), so the team called in a priest.  After the priest performed an exorcism, Jason and Grant removed the Ouija board from the house, and the demonic activity came to an end.

-"The Stanley Hotel":  This hotel was the inspiration for The Overlook Hotel in The Shining, so it should be no surprise that this place has its share of spooky happenings.  During the investigation, Jason woke up to the sound of the closet door opening, then awoke again to banging sounds in the closet, while in Grant's room, the curtains repeatedly opened by themselves.  In another room, a "table lifted up and slammed down-right along with the chair that was standing beside it" (page 260).  (I don't know about you guys, but if I had seen that, I would've peed my pants.)

If you're a fan of Ghost Hunters, you should definitely read this book, and if you've never watched the show, but you like reading about true paranormal encounters, you'll probably enjoy Ghost Files and might be inspired to start watching Ghost Hunters.

My rating: 8/10

So You Want to be a Ghost Hunter...

On Sunday, November 10th, I attended a convention called ATOMACON (All Types of Media Arts Convention), which was a three-day convention in Charleston, SC devoted to sci-fi, fantasy, and science.  I attended the Ghost Hunting Tech panel (led by the Carolina Ghostbusters) because I thought it would be a great thing to write about for the blog; paranormal investigators Chuck Carte, Cheralyn Lambeth, M. Doc Geressy, and Tally Johnson talked about the different types of equipment they use on investigations, so if you want to be a ghost hunter, here are some of the things you'll need:

-EMF detector/K-2 meter: measures electromagnetic fields
-flashlight with 3 settings: regular, blacklight, and laser pointer
-temperature gun: measures the temperature using a laser pointer
-video and audio recording devices
-seismograph: measures vibrations
-laser grid: detects shadows and other visual disturbances
-Geiger counter: measures radiation

The Carolina Ghostbusters also offered some ghost hunting tips:

-Always research the place you're investigating in the daylight, so you can identify environmental factors (animals in the attic, etc.) before you walk into a dark house at night.
-Before you begin investigating, walk around the house/building with the EMF meter to see what sets it off; almost anything electrical can cause the EMF detector to go off, so this will prevent you from getting false readings.
-If you want to use a ghost box in your investigations, you can make one yourself with a radio instead of paying a lot for one you find online (and this website tells you how to do it:
 http://angelsghosts.com/ghost_box_how_to_make)
-A "ghost camera" is the same thing as a regular camera, so don't be fooled by ads for expensive cameras claiming to be specifically for ghost hunting.

Ghost Hunting Tech was a very interesting panel, and though I don't want to do any paranormal investigating myself (I get creeped out enough just watching paranormal TV shows), I'm glad I learned more about it from the very informative and entertaining Carolina Ghostbusters.  If you think your house might be haunted or you just want to know more about the Carolina Ghostbusters, check out their website!

http://carolinaghostbusters.com/

Cool Website of the Week: Paranormal Zone X

This week's cool website is Paranormal Zone X.  This website seems like one I could spend hours on if I had the time; there are sections about aliens, crop circles, cults, ESP, ghost evidence, ghost hunting equipment, near death experiences, Ouija boards, vampires, and a few other things.  On the homepage alone, you can find info about a variety of strange creatures, paranormal phenomena,  and
conspiracy theories.  This website has extensive information about the topics it covers, so if you're interested in the paranormal, I bet you could really keep yourself busy on Paranormal Zone X...I know I'll be coming back often. : )

https://sites.google.com/site/paranormalzonex/