Introduction

The paranormal is a topic that I have been fascinated by for a number of years. This realm is a lot more than "just" ghost stories, although they are definitely a part of it. I think of paranormal as anything that cannot be explained by science - at least not yet.

Over time, as more of these mysteries are solved, I anticipate that what was once though of as "paranormal" will be considered a normal part of our lives. In the meantime, I hope that you will enjoy reading these account of ghost stories, psychic abilities and mysterious places. I've also included some information about mysterious creatures for your consideration.

The world we live in much more weird and wonderful than we could possibly imagine, and these paranormal stories are only a small sample of things that make us pause, however briefly, and consider what other things may exist just beyond our "normal" sphere of consciousness.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed bringing them to you.


Introduction Part I - Ghosts and Hauntings

The Ghost Who Helped With Math

Did two students get help preparing for a math test from a deceased professor?

Back in the late 1980's, a college student and his girlfriend were studying in the library on campus. Neither one of them particularly liked math, but they needed to pass this course in order to graduate. Both of them were having trouble trying to understand the basic principles to be used when trying to solve certain math problems.

The young couple heard the clock on the clock tower strike the hour of 3 a.m. and they decided to pack it in for the night. They thought they should try to get some sleep before the exam. As they were gathering up their textbooks and notes, they were startled by a voice who asked them why they were giving up so easily!

Professor Martin

An old man wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a bow tie approached them. The stranger introduced himself as Professor Martin. He explained that he had taught at the college for a number of years and was presently retired.
Professor Martin offered to help the two young people prepare for their math test. They soon discovered that Professor Martin had a gift for making a complicated math problem seem simple. The Professor worked with the pair until 5:00 that morning to help the students prepare for the exam.
Both students thanked the professor and left the library. Instead of trying to sleep, they decided to get some breakfast (and coffee) before the exam, which was scheduled to start at 8:30 that morning.


Passed the Exam

Both young people passed the exam with flying colors. They wanted to send Professor Martin a thank you card and stopped off at the administration building to get his address. One can only imagine their shock and surprise at being informed that Professor Martin had passed away back in 1963!

They wondered if perhaps they could have been hallucinating due to sleep deprivation. While this may have been the case, it doesn't explain how they were given the knowledge they needed to pass the exam. Later on, during a conversation with their math professor, the two young people learned that the Professor had been spotted on other occasions as well.

It would seem that this wonderful man, who enjoyed teaching so much in life, returned on occasion to provide assistance to students from beyond the grave. He must have felt that teaching was more than just a job; for Professor Martin, it must have been a true calling.


Crisis Apparitions

Two aviators appeared to close friends at or close to the time of their respective deaths. This is known as a "crisis apparition".

At 2:00 on the morning of March 14, 1928, RAF Colonel G.L.P. Henderson was asleep in his stateroom on board the Barrabool. The ship was south of the Canary Islands en route to England.
He awoke to find a longtime friend, Captain W.G.R. Hinchliffe, standing in his cabin. Hinchliffe appared to be in distress, saying "What am I going to do? I've got this woman with me, and I'm lost. I'm lost". Then Hinchliffe disappeared.

What Colonel Henderson experienced was a crisis apparition. This term refers to a vision seen at the moment of an individual's death or during a time of great stress, such as illness, serious injury, or life-threatening situation. At the time Hinchliffe was seen by Henderson, he was attempting to cross the Atlantic in a 32-foot Stinton Detroiter monoplane. Hinchliffe's co-pilot was the Honourable Elsie McKay, a British heiress.
Three days later, Henderson received word that Captain Hinchliffe and Miss McKay were officially missing.

Another example of a crisis apparition (also on an aviation theme) is as follows:

RAF Lt. J.J. Larkin was in his barracks at 3:30 one afternoon. He was sitting by the fire reading a book. A friend, Lt. David McConnel, entered the barracks and spoke to Larkin. Larkin noticed that McConnel was wearing his flying clothes but had on a naval cap.

McConnel told Larkin that he had "got there all right" and his trip had been a good one. Larkin said goodbye to McConnel and left the barracks, only to learn later that Lt. McConnel had been killed in a plane crash at 3:25 that afternoon. He was wearing a naval cap at the time.


The Airmen Who Would Not Die

After his death, Captain Raymond Hinchliffe communicated to his wife about the other side and issued a warning about an impending aviation tragedy.

The events leading up to the tragic crash of the British airship R101 are the subject of John G. Fuller's book, The Airmen Who Would Not Die. However, the book also sets out the extraordinary things which happened after the crash.

In 1928, Captain Raymond Hinchliffe and his co-pilot, Elsie Mackay, disappeared while attempting to fly across the Atlantic from east to west. After the disappearance, Captain Hinchliffe apparently communicated to his wife through two mediums, Eileen Garrett and a Mrs. Earl. The earlier communications came to Mrs. Earl, who had been using a Ouija board. This was abandoned due to its time-consuming nature; Eileen Garrett was able to channel Hinchliffe and Mrs. Hinchliffe took notes in shorthand (which she later transcribed).

Hinchliffe wanted his wife to know that he was, in fact, deceased and he provided detailed information about the flight and the direction it took that the medium could not possibly have known. The Captain was aware of where and how he died. He described being in the family home after his death and relayed information about events that had happened after his death, i.e. His oldest daughter had not been told that he had died and wouldn't be coming back. He sent his wife the message that he would remain close by until he was certain that she would be all right.

Finances were a concern for Hinchliffe's widow due to a problem with his life insurance coverage; he was able to predict accurately when she would receive much-needed funds from another source.
Mrs. Hinchliffe took the opportunity to ask her husband about what is existence (I hesitate to use the word "life" in this case) on the other side was like. He described being able to see friends who had passed away and explained that he was able to work (and took great pleasure in his work).

Captain Hinchliffe's interest in aviation continued after his death: he warned about problems with the R101 and had asked his wife to issue a warning to those working on it. He also stated that if the ship tried to fly in bad weather, the results would be tragic.

He was to be proved right.


Dead Men Do Tell Tales

The story of the R-101 continues as follows:
The R-101 was dubbed a "flying hotel". Passengers en route to India could enjoy gourmet meals in the dining salon, stroll along the promenade, or pass the time on the lounge's dance floor.

At 7:34 p.m on the evening of October 4, 1930, the R-101 left the airfield at Cardington with 54 passengers and crew on board. The weather was bad that night, with rain and strong winds as the airship headed across the English Channel. By 1 a.m., the R-101 was over France, on the way to Paris.

Over the village of Beauvais, it became apparent to observers on the ground that the giant dirigible was in trouble. It was sliding sideways instead of moving forward. And it was losing altitude. The nose of the craft went down, then levelled off after approximately 30 seconds. Then it dove again, striking a small hill. It burst into flames. Only six crew members survived; all of the passengers on board were killed.

Two days later, medium Eileen Garrett was involved in a session with two gentlemen attempting to contact Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had recently passed away. Suddenly, Mrs. Garrett became quite agitated. She indicated that someone named Irwin wanted to speak and that the airship had been far too heavy for the engine installed in it. More technical information about problems with the R-101 was revealed. The captain of the R-101 had been H.C. Irwin.

During the same session, contact was successfully made with Conan Doyle, who described the afterlife as being very much like the world he had left.
In subsequent sessions with Mrs. Garrett, other ships officers provided more information the crash of the R-101, including structural defects. An inquiry was held to look into the tragedy, and, interestingly enough, the information received by the medium proved to be accurate for the most part.

If this case doesn't conclusively prove the existence of life after death, it certainly gives one food for thought.


The Lady with the Lamp: A Canadian Ghost Story

This ghost story comes to us from Canada. Note that the witness appears to have been pulled into the story as opposed to simply observing events.

In 1980, a man and his family were camping out on some land they owned in the area near Senkiw, Manitoba. They had a cloth-topped camper trailer, which they parked on a flat mound of land. This mound had once been the foundation for the local schoolmaster’s house.

It was mid-October, and the weather had been mild. The family had enjoyed the beautiful Indian summer day. After they had cooked their evening meal over the campfire, they went to bed.

A Tapping Sound

Sometime during the night, the man was awakened by a tapping sound coming from the metal part of the trailer. He also noticed the sound of the wind whistling outside. He unzipped the zipper and saw a dark-haired woman carrying an old-fashioned lamp. The woman was dressed in a heavy coat, scarf, and hat. She was quite upset and seemed to be asking for something.

The man put on his coat and boots and followed her. During the time the family had been asleep, the weather had apparently changed drastically. It was snowing heavily, and he noticed that approximately 10 inches of snow had accumulated on the ground. The snow was drifting and blowing.

He followed the dark-haired woman along a path and through a field. Finally, they came to wooded area. There, he saw a horse and carriage that had become stuck in the snow. The woman got into the carriage to encourage the horse to try pulling again. At the same time, the man pushed the carriage from behind. He was able to free the carriage, and the woman drove away.

Looking for Something

He noticed that as she was driving, she was calling out in a Slavic language. She was looking along both sides of the road, as if she were looking for something. The man then went back the way he had come, taking care to shake the snow from his coat and boots before he went back to bed in the trailer.
Imagine his surprise the following morning when he awoke to a beautiful Indian summer day with not a flake of snow in sight! He assumed that what he had experienced had been a particularly vivid dream until he had lunch at the home of a local farmer the following day.

The farmer mentioned in passing that the weather looked exactly as it had been before the Great Storm and that the Lady with the Lamp would be out looking for her son.

The Story of the Lady with the Lamp

The farmer went on to explain that back in 1912, it had started snowing around noon on a mid-October day. The schoolmaster sent all the students home early so they would have a chance to arrive before the snow blocked the roads.

Late in the afternoon, a woman came to the schoolmaster’s home looking for her young son. The little boy had left early with the other students. His mother went off to look for him and asked the schoolmaster to get help. The weather conditions continued to deteriorate and neither the woman nor her son was ever seen again.

It is said that local residents still see her from time to time, frantically looking for her missing son.


Why Do Ghosts Wear Clothes? Intelligent Spirits at Work

Do we see ghosts as they are or how we want them to be?

When we read accounts of ghost sightings, often the witness describes seeing a person clad in clothing appropriate to the era in which the deceased person lived. In some cases, the viewer has been able to describe the spirit’s clothing in great detail. In other instances, the paranormal entity appears in some sort of flowing garb. What accounts for these differences in appearance?

Ghosts as Energy

One theory about the identity of ghosts is that when a person dies, his or her energy or spirit remains. When we try to picture what pure energy would look like, most of us would probably think of a source of light. This may well be the image that can be captured on film. These images can be described as a vapor, fog, or mist. Obviously, this type of apparition does not have a distinct form and could not be described as looking like a person, clothed or otherwise.

Residual Haunting

In the case of a residual haunting, it is thought that certain images and/or sounds remain in a specific location long after the event has taken place. When someone observes a residual haunting, they are seeing something played out in front of them, similar to watching a film. A spirit seen in this type of encounter would appear very much as he or she was in life, including hairstyle and clothing.

Intelligent Spirits

Other supernatural encounters describe a person not only seeing but being able to interact with a spirit. If someone reports having seen the ghost of a friend or a relative, the spirit was readily identifiable as being the deceased loved one. One of two things may be taking place here: the human brain may be filtering the image or some type of intelligence may be at work.

When the human brain is presented with something out of the ordinary, it automatically tries to sort the image into some kind of familiar order. It could very well be that we see ghosts not as they really are, but how we want them to be. How do we know who our otherworldly visitor is if we are unable to recognize him or her?

The second explanation is that those who have passed over can choose to present themselves to us in whatever way they choose. Children often report seeing images of other children. Could this be because a young child will be more accepting of another youngster? Maybe. Adults, too, may be more accepting of a visit from the other side if the entity looks familiar. And that would include being dressed.


Glamis Castle: Ghosts and Hauntings in the U.K.

The Castle is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. It is also known as one of the most haunted castles in Britain.

Glamis Castle is owned by the Bowes-Lyon family, who received it as a gift from Robert the Bruce in 1372. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who later married the man who would become England's King George VI, was born there, as was her daughter, the late Princess Margaret.

The Castle is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. Members of the public are able to visit the Castle, located in Angus, Scotland. It is also known as one of the most haunted castles in Britain.

The Grey Lady

The small (seating for 46) family chapel on the property is said to be haunted by a spirit known as the Grey Lady. It is believed that the Grey Lady is the ghost of Lady Janet Douglas, who was put to death in 1537 for plotting to poison the king. One seat in the chapel is reserved for the Grey Lady. The family still uses the chapel to this day, but no one is allowed to sit in her seat.

The Monster of Glamis

According to legend, the Monster of Glamis was a terribly deformed child born into the family in 1821. The rightful heir to the family title, he was placed in a hidden room in the castle and his existence was kept secret. A second son was born was born to the Earl of Strathmore of the time; this second son was informed of the existence of his older brother when he himself came of age.
According to legend, the location of the secret room has been passed down to each heir to the title on his 21st birthday.

Earl Beardie

Yet another story associated with Glamis Castle is that of Earl Beardie, who allegedly lost his soul to the Devil while playing cards.

Earl Beardie was a guest at the Castle. After a night of heavy drinking with the Earl of Glamis, he demanded to play cards. Since it was Sunday, no one wanted to play with him. Angered, he shouted that he was willing to play with the Devil himself.
Shortly thereafter, a knock was heard at the door. A man wearing dark clothing was admitted to the Castle. He asked whether Earl Beardie was still looking for someone to play cards with.

Beardie agreed and they went to another room on the Castle. Shouting and swearing was heard coming from the room. A curious servant put his eye to the keyhole and was blinded by a blast of light. The stranger, who was the Devil, disappeared, having won Earl Beardie's soul in the card game.


Interview with a Paranormal Photographer

Michael Richard answers some questions about his fascinating work in the field of paranormal photography.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of interviewing paranormal photographer Michael Richard. You can visit Michael online at www.paranormalphotography.com.

1. The story about how you got started as a paranormal photographer is fascinating. Had you ever had unusual experiences before?

The unusual experiences started when I was 7. My family was living in the San Fernando Valley, we decided to go to Long Beach for the weekend on Mothers day. We were walking along the beach in and out of the water when I slipped on a sudden drop off in the water and went down gasping for air and swallowed a lot of water. I think my body went down about six feet and it seemed like I was down there for about two minutes. The next thing I know is that I am being pushed up by a female light source that felt like it was alive. As soon as I broke the surface my father grabbed me and took me to shore to get the water out of my system by hitting me on the back. I did a lot of coughing and felt okay about five minutes later. As I was sitting on the beach I was starting to have problems with my eyes at least that's what I thought. It turned out I started to see aura's on people. That's when the paranormal world started for me.

2. What were your thoughts about the realm of paranormal phenomena before that point?

I knew that the paranormal world was real; I just didn’t think it could be photographed.

3. Do you need to use special photographic equipment in your work?

I use a basic 35mm camera shooting infrared film.

4. Do you work locally or do you travel to different parts of the country for your work?

My wife and I travel all across the US to do this work.

5. How do your clients find out about you?

People find out about me through the web-site. Also through word of mouth.

6. Can you tell me about a "typical" case, if there is such a thing? Do you go to the location once or multiple times? What are the steps involved?

What I do in each case is different. It depends on what is going on or what the problem is. I do go to check out each case several times before I go in to shoot. I try to find out times (when things happen) and who was around to witness the activity. Also I use a work sheet that I fill out to narrow things down.

7. Do you get a sense as you enter a particular location of whether or not there is something truly otherworldly present?

Yes My wife and I both are psychic and we do feel different things and that's what makes this business work.

8. Are certain types of buildings more likely to have paranormal activity than others?

Buildings that have a lot of history will usually have more activity around them. But it can all so happen at new sites. Remember that we've been around for a long time buildings come and go and people forgot what was there before. A lot of times the previous building could have been haunted and when the new building goes up the old problem is still there. A lot of spirits still think that the building or house is still there and a lot of times they refuse to leave.

9. Are you a homeowner's last resort when trying to support a claim of a ghost or spirit in their home? What other steps might your clients have taken before contacting you?

It's unfortunate but I am usually the last resort. One step people should do is check out the history of the house that they live in or the building that they work in. When we come to a site history is always a question that comes up.

10. When you are called to photograph a location, do you always get an image?

I have about a 95% success rate of capture on film.

11. Have you personally witnessed paranormal activity?

Yes. My wife and I have seen a lot of paranormal activity.

12. Have you, personally, ever felt threatened or in danger when photographing a location?

I have gone in on locations that have angry spirits, but we go in with respect and let them know why we are there. We always try to resolve the problem!

13. I am sure that over the years you have been doing this type of work that you have come up with some thoughts about why these events take place. Why do you think these types of events occur?

History! Things don't always get resolved. You should always check out the history of a house before buying!

14. Would you like to share any information about a particularly memorable case you have worked on?

I was called to a friends apartment who could hear violent screams at night. I went down to check it out and decided to spend the night. About 2 am I heard the screams coming from the kitchen area. I was terrified and I could not see anything. Seconds later the screams stopped. I reached for my camera to take some pictures and got them back the next day. I told my friend to MOVE! A violent murder had taken place in his apartment two years earlier. The landlord never said a word about it and gave my friend back his deposit! He had only lived there less than a week!


Buying a Haunted House: A Case of Let the Buyer Beware

If you suspect that you are sharing your home with an otherworldly resident, what can you do?

It is not unheard of that a new homeowner has to deal with an unpleasant surprise shortly after moving in. The roof or basement might leak or a family of raccoons might have taken up residence in the attic. While these occurrences are certainly unpleasant and the new owner will have to find the financial resources to rectify the problem, what happens in a situation where the unwanted inhabitants are not of this world? Does the purchaser have any recourse?

The short answer is probably not. Since the existence of a spirit can't be proved in a court of law, there wouldn't be any legal recourse.
A paranormal investigator will conduct an investigation to try to find an explanation for the happenings reported by the homeowner.

For example, cold spots can be the result of a draft; the insulation and windows need to be checked. Physical symptoms, such as headaches or lethargy, may be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning. If the home does not have a working carbon monoxide detector, then this possibility needs to be ruled out by either a heating contractor or the local fire department.

Once all the possible physical explanations have been considered and eliminated, in some cases what we are left with is a metaphysical one. If the home is also inhabited by spirits, they can sometimes be encouraged to move on. If not, the homeowner then has two choices: they can move out themselves (and hope the entity doesn't follow them to their next home) or they can try to live with the spiritual presence and stay on.

In fact, in a survey conducted in 2005 by Britain's Portsman Building Society, two out of three people surveyed stated that they would remain in their homes if they found out they had an otherworldly roommate.

One wonders if people from other countries would be as tolerant.


Part II - Psychic Abilities

Types of Psychic Abilities

Should we consider those with psychic abilities as gifted? Or is it a curse?

When we think about psychic abilities, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the person who goes into a trance to access information from the other side? Or someone who seems to be able to tap into impressions at all times? What about when we get a "feeling" about a person, a place, or a particular situation?

All of these are examples of psychic abilities, i.e, the ability to get information from something other than physical means. There are many different types of psychic abilities. The more common types are as follows:

Clairvoyance: A person with this type of ability can "see" things not apparent to others, like receiving a vision of events or a visual impression about a person.

Clairsentience: This is the ability to get information from impressions received. People with this ability are sometimes called empaths because they are able to "feel" the emotions of others.

Clairaudience: If you are able to hear angels or spirit guides, you are experiencing clairaudience. In this case, we are not talking about someone who is schizophrenic (different issue entirely) but rather the "quiet, still voice" that gives you information you need to know to stay on track or stay safe, as opposed to a voice that comes from outside your head telling you to do things.

Clairkinesis: Clairkinetics have the ability to feel the presence of angels or spirit guides. A physical sensation alerts them to the presence of an otherworldly presence.

Gift or Curse?

Would you want to have any (or all) of these abilities? On the one hand, it would seem like a valuable tool if we had a means to avoid dangerous, unfortunate, or hurtful situations. On the other hand, it's a lot of responsibility to have a vision, say, of an accident, or natural disaster, or simply a bad end to a friend's relationship and know that you are powerless to stop these events from happening.

Whether we see these abilities as positive or negative ultimately remains in the eye of the beholder, it seems.


Edgar Cayce: The Sleeping Psychic

American psychic Edgar Cayce had the ability to do readings while in a trance-like state.

American psychic Edgar Cayce was born in rural Kentucky on March 18, 1877. While a student he discovered that he possessed an amazing ability: he could learn the contents of his textbooks by sleeping on them! In his early twenties, Cayce developed a condition that over time was paralyzing his throat; as a result, Cayce was in danger of losing his ability to speak.

In an effort to find a treatment for his condition, Cayce entered the same trance like state that had helped him to learn his school lessons. While "asleep," Cayce could suggest a treatment that proved to be successful in treating his condition. From this point, Cayce could provide readings for other people.

Readings

Cayce could provide information about a number of topics during these readings. The vast majority of questions posed to Cayce were on medical topics. He was also able to provide answers to questions on dreams, reincarnation, and meditation. Each one of the readings provided to a client was concluded by Cayce saying, "We are through."

Edgar Cayce did over 14,000 readings from 1901-1944. He claimed that he did not remember what he had said while in a trance state while conscious. This would seem to support the idea that the unconscious mind has access to information that is not apparent to us in our waking state.

Cayce did more than 9,500 readings related to health and medical matters. The person asking for an evaluation of his or her medical condition did not have to be present to receive a reading; Cayce did need to know the person's physical location, though. The subject of the reading would get a diagnosis and Cayce would prescribe a course of treatment.

Life readings were also done. Here, a perso, a person's physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions were explained based on experiences that had occurred during that individual's previous life. Occasionally, Cayce would do a business reading to provide advice about business ideas and Stock Market predictions.

Evaluating Dreams

According to Edgar Cayce, everyone should take the time to interpret his or her own dreams and use this knowledge as guide in everyday situations. He thought that the symbolism in dreams is unique to each individual. In dreams, we are able to examine aspects of our own lives, consider events from past lives, and see visions of the future. Cayce also stated that these abilities could be learned by anyone.

Cayce's Predictions

Edgar Cayce successfully predicted the following events:

• The beginning and end of World War I and World War II
• The deaths of two American presidents while in office (Franklin Roosevelt died in April 1945; John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963)
• The end of the Great Depression
• The Holocaust

Cayce also mentioned the possibility of a Third World War. Hopefully, this is one prediction that will not come to pass.


Psychic Surgery: Healing or Hoax?

Psychic surgery involves the surgeon removing tissue from the patient's body using his or her hands. Is this a case of fraud or an alternative treatment form?

Psychic surgery is practiced in the Philippines and Brazil. Practitioners known as psychic doctors or psychic surgeons claim that they can remove tumors and other items (bones, pus, etc.) from a patient's body. They also claim to be able to use their hands to pass through the tissues of a patient's body.

Ze Arigo

One of these psychic surgeons was a Brazilian peasant named Ze Arigo (born Jose Pedro de Freitas). As a young adult, Arigo's sleep was broken by the sound of a mysterious voice accompanied by visions of a man wearing surgical clothes performing a great number of operations. This mysterious figure was also seen consulting with other physicians.

Dr. Fritz

In 1955, the spirit introduced himself to Arigo as "Dr. Fritz." Dr. Fritz explained that hwe was a German surgeon who had died during World War I. Arigo's career as a healer had begun. Arigo saw up to 1,500 patients each day. His office was small; all he had was a table and a chair. Of all the thousands of people treated by Arigo, no one died or experienced a worsening of his or her condition due to the psychic surgeon's treatment.

His methods were observed by local doctors, who were unable to explain his methods. They did, however, agree Arigo's treatment methods were successful. Arigo explained that he was not the healer. Instead, he was performing under the direction of Dr. Fritz. None of his patients were asked about their symptoms. The only information they were asked for was their name and address. If someone tried to explain the reason for their visit, they were told, "I already know." And Arigo was right. "Dr. Fritz" would never accept a fee from his patients.

The Other Side of the Story

The National Council Against Health Fraud has advised consumers not to consider psychic surgery as a viable treatment option. The Council warns that seeking treatment from a psychic doctor may cause harm by keeping patients from seeking "quality medical treatment."

Psychic surgery involves the surgeon removing tissue from the patient's body using his or her hands. No anesthetics are used. The incision is both invisible and painless. Skeptics view psychic surgery was nothing more than a slight-of-hand trick.

The "trick" is performed as follows:

The practitioner pinches or rolls the skin in the area where the operation is to be performed. The next step is to reach under the folded skin. This will look to an observer as if the surgeon is reaching into the patient's body. The surgeon will have palmed a small bag of chicken entrails. The entrails are shown to the patient and observers as the "diseased tissue" the surgeon has just removed from the patient's body.

In spite of the allegations of fraud associated with psychic surgery, some patients report an improvement in their symptoms after receiving this form of "treatment." Could this be the placebo effect in action or are some patients actually being healed?


What is a Water Witch?

Dowsing is a general term used to describe the art of discovering things that are hidden. It is also known as water witching. A water witch uses a forked stick or a rod to find water located underground. A pendulum can also be used for this purpose.

Diving Rod

A forked twig is the instrument normally used to find underground water. Most practitioners of the art of dowsing use a stick taken from a willow tree for this purpose. The reason is simple: willows are thought to be attracted to water. They require a moist environment to grow properly. The theory is that there is some element in the twig that acts in conjunction with the diviner to find the underground water.

Ancient Practice

Images of people holding tools in a forked shape have been found in artwork from ancient Egypt and China. This may indicate that dowsing was practiced by these people. The Bible contains an account of Moses using a rod to find water (Numbers 20:11).
During the Middle Ages, dowsing was used to find coal deposits. Martin Luther referred to the practice as "the work of the devil." The term "water witch" is derived from this comment.

How Does It Work?

One theory about dowsing is that the dowser establishes a connection on a psychic level with the substance or object being sought. Another idea put forward about dowsing is that all things are surrounded by a type of energy field. The dowser has the ability to locate and zero in on the vibrations given off by whatever object or substance he or she has been asked to find.
The act of picking up on these vibrations or energy causes the dowsing rod or pendulum to move. The pendulum or diving rod moves in response to the diviner's questions or thoughts. A rod will pull down when the diviner comes close to an underground source of water.

Another piece to the puzzle is that the diviner may have a heightened ability to interpret clues contained in his or her physical environment. This ability may well be something the diviner is not consciously aware of.

Albert Einstein on Divining

While skeptics argue that dowsing doesn't work because it is impossible to measure its success in controlled conditions, Albert Einstein believed that dowsing was legitimate. He felt that the dowsing rod was a tool that could demonstrate the human body's nervous system's reaction to certain as-yet-unexplained factors.


Part III: Mysterious Places

Missing But Not Lost: Bermuda Triangle Mystery
The Witchraft disppeared in the Bermuda Triangle in December 1967. The occupants are considered "missing - but not lost at sea".

On the evening of December 22, 1967, hotel owner Dan Burack and a friend boarded Burack's 23-foot-long cabin cruiser, the Witchcraft in Miami. The purpose of their trip was to travel a short distance off shore to observe the Christmas lights and the Miami skyline. They stopped near Buoy #7 - less than one mile from shore.

Burack was by all accounts an experienced and careful yachtsman. The Witchcraft was equipped with life jackets and floatable seat cushions. Burack also had a flotation device installed in the hull to render the boat "unsinkable" - even if the boat was completely flooded, a part of the hull would remain above the water.

All was well until approximately 9 p.m., when Burack radioed the Coast Guard stating that he had hit something and would need a tow back to the harbour. He did not indicate there was an emergency; one would assume that the rudder or propeller had been damaged in some fashion, but that the hull was still intact. Burack stated that he had flares ready and would fire one to indicate his exact position.

The Coast Guard responded immediately and arrived at the Witchcraft's reported location at approximately 9:20 p.m. No sign of the vessel or its occupants was found. No further message was received; no flares were sent up; no debris or bodies were recovered.

A 1,200 square mile search was started that night. Nearby vessels were asked to be on the lookout for the Witchcraft. When the search was finally called off on December 28 (having covered an area of 24,500 square miles), not a single clue as to what happened had been found.


The Mysterious Piri Reis Map: Antarctica in an Ice-Free State

How could a sixteenth century Turkish admiral have drawn an accurate map of Antarctica?

The Piri Reis map, discovered in 1929, was drawn on a gazelle skin. It was drawn in 1513 by an admiral of the Turkish Fleet named Piri Reis. The map is extraordinary because not only does it show the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America, it also depicts the northern coast of Antarctica. Keep in mind that this map was drawn 300 years before Antarctica was “discovered”!
Notes made by Reis on the map indicate that he used a number of other maps as sources of information for the map that he drew. Due to his elevated status in the Turkish Navy, Reis was able to access the resources of the Imperial Library of Constantinople.

Scientists have examined the map and concluded that the Piri Reis map shows an amazingly accurate depiction of Antarctica's coastline. The coastline must have been mapped before it was covered by the ice-cap, which is now about one mile thick.
In the past, scientists felt that the ice-cap that now covers Antarctica was about one million years old. That would mean that the map was drawn based on information gathered a million years ago. This would be impossible because man did not exist at that time.

Further study has indicated that the last time period during which the Antarctic was free of ice ended approximately 6,000 years ago. When the ice-free period began is still unclear, although it has been estimated at somewhere between 13000 BC and 9000 BC.

The Piri Reis Map, which dates back to 1513, has been found by modern scientists to be amazingly accurate. Is it possible that the information it contains came from a lost civilization? Or an alien one?

In 1953, the Piri Reis Map was examined by the experts from the United States Navy Hydrographic Bureau. An expert on ancient maps was called in to assist.

In order to check the map's accuracy, a grid was prepared and the information from the Piri Reis Map was transferred onto a globe. Not only was the map completely accurate, but the Hydrographic Office was able to correct some errors on modern-day maps!
The startling conclusion of the experts who examined the map was that the only way a map with this level of accuracy could have been drawn would be through the use of data collected from an aerial survey! What civilization would have existed 6,000 years ago with this level of technology?

Further study of the Map's properties revealed that although it was plotted using units of measurement we are familiar with (latitudes and longitudes), it was copied from much earlier maps that were prepared using spherical trigonometry, which was developed by modern man in the middle of the 18th century. Whoever made the earlier map would have known that the Earth was round and was also able to accurately perform the steps required to calculate its circumference (within 50 miles).

One theory about how the coast of Antarctica could have been mapped so accurately puts forward the idea that Antarctica was not always located at the South Pole. Some scholars have suggested that at one time Antarctica was located 2,000 miles to the north and that over time its location slowly shifted south.

We might be able to accept that at one point in time Antarctica was located further north and wasn't always ice-covered. As for who was able to draw such an accurate map so long ago, that mystery remains unsolved.


The Construction of Stonehenge

The name "Stonehenge" means "hanging stone". This ancient monument can be found on England's Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. It still captures our imagination to this day,

Stonehenge was built in three or four stages over a 1,500-year-period. While experts disagree with respect to when the building commenced, it is thought to have started sometime between 3800 B.C. - 2800 B.C. The main phase of construction on the site took place between 1800 B.C. - 1400 B.C.

The first step in the process was to dig a very large, circular ditch. 56 pits were also dug. These are called the Aubrey Holes (named for John Aubrey, who discovered them in the 17th century). The Aubrey Holes are now filled in with concrete. The Heel Stone was the first one to be brought to the site. It is still in its original position.
Two other rings of pits (known as the Y and Z Holes) can be found between the Aubrey Holes and the circles of stone that form the centre of Stonehenge.

In approximately 2100 B.C., 80 bluestones were either transported from Wales or retrieved from where they were left by glaciers (if you agree with the new theory on the matter). If, in fact the bluestones were brought from Wales, it is thought that the stones would have been transported by raft along the coast of Wales. The journey would continue by water (local rivers) and land (stones dragged on rollers) to Stonehenge where they were placed in two circles.

At a later date, the bluestones were torn down and replaced by 30 sandstone monoliths, known as "sarsens". The sarsens measure approximately 5 m in height and are estimated to weigh approximately 26 tons each! Ball and socket joints were used to secure the lintels on top of pairs of vertical stones. Interestingly enough, Merlin the Magician has been credited with putting the lintels into place. The previously dismantled bluestones were re-erected inside the circle of megaliths - they are the small pillar stones on the site. Holes were also dug outside the main circle in preparation for the construction of a double circle of bluestones, but for some reason this part of the project was never started.

A large block of green sandstone - known as the Altar Stone - was put into place during the final phase of construction.


Why Build Stonehenge?

Temple, Burial Ground, Observatory, or Ancient Calendar

Was it a temple, burial ground, observatory, or an ancient calendar?

Stonehenge was built in several stages over a period of 1,500 years. Part of the site was dismantled, only to be repositioned at a later date. If we assume that humans make time for the things that are important to them, then we can conclude from the time and effort put into construction at Stonehenge that this site was very important to the ancient people who built it. But what was it for, exactly?

Here are some possibilities:

A 17th-century architect named Inigo Jones thought Stonehenge was a Roman temple. By the time the 18th and 19th centuries rolled along, popular opinion had changed - Stonehenge was thought to be a Druid temple for sun-worship. (The problem with this theory is that Stonehenge was finished 1,000 years before the Druids came to prominence.

Who Were the Druids?

The Druids were a group of priests who trained for a period of up to 20 years to prepare for their roles as guardians of sacred lore. They were responsible for the administration of justice and were advisors to the rulers of Britain, Ireland, and France.

The word "Druid" is a Celtic word which means "knowing the oak tree". It refers to the fact that ceremonies were conducted in wooded areas by priests wearing white robes. They worshiped several gods and goddesses and practised both animal and human sacrifice.


Burial Ground?

Archaeologists have put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a ceremonial burial ground. Cremated remains have been found in many of the Aubrey Holes; the holes were dug before the cremations would have taken place,though.

The Aubrey Holes may have originally been dug for the purpose of making a liquid offering to the gods of nature (ritual libations). The stone circles were, therefore, a kind of temple.

The discovery of cremated remains at the site would seem to indicate that funerals were performed there. The Aubrey Holes may have represented portals to the Underworld.

Observatory or Ancient Calendar?

Another theory is that Stonehenge was a type of observatory, but it could also have been used to chart celestial movements for a basic calendar or for religious purposes.

The stones are aligned in such as way as to provide sight lines for the sun and the moon on certain dates; most notably, the summer and winter solstices. The 30 Y and 29 Z Holes may have been used by priests to count alternate months.
British author John Mitchell has suggested that Stonehenge was "a cosmic temple dedicated to all twelve gods of the zodiac. It represents the ideal cosmology, the perfect and complete image of the universe".

And that seems as good an explanation as any for this feat of engineering and construction that continues to fascinate us to this day.


Stonehenge – A Place of Healing?

New Theory About this Mysterious Place
A British professor of Archaeology shares his theory about the purpose of Stonehenge.

The Head of the Archaeology Group at Bournemouth University, Professor Timothy Darvill, has put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a place of healing and not a place of death.

Professor Darvill and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright have been able to determine exactly where the bluestones used to build Stonehenge came from. Darvill and Wainwright's research focused on why the Presli Mountains were so important to the people who lived at that time.

In forming this new theory, Darvill points to legends about a wizard transporting the stones to Salisbury Plain from western Britain. The bluestones were thought to have healing properties; fresh-water springs found in the same location as the bluestones were considered sacred. As recently as the 18th century, people traveled to Stonehenge for the purpose of breaking off a piece of rock to be used as a good-luck object.

Further evidence of Stonehenge as a place of healing is taken from the excavation of some of the burial sites found nearby. A number of the remains studied show evidence of the deceased person having some type of physical deformity or evidence of an injury, such as a fracture. These people may have come to Stonehenge to seek healing.

While Stonehenge could very well have been a place where pilgrims sought to be delivered from various physical complaints, one wonders if any of them were able to achieve the result they wanted so badly.


Easter Island: Home of the Giant Statues

Here is a theory about why the giant statues were constructed.

Easter Island has been described as one of the loneliest places on Earth. Measuring a mere 16 miles in length, it lies approximately 1200 miles (2,000 km) from its closest neighbor. It is also home to more than 600 enormous stone statues, some of which are 30 feet (9 m) in height.

Discovered by Dutch sailors on Easter Sunday in the year 1722 (hence the name), the Island was home to approximately 3,000 inhabitants at one point. By the late 1800's, the native population had died out as a result of famine and civil war.

The Islanders didn't have a written language as such; several wooden tablets engraved with pictographs have been discovered. This has made it very difficult to learn much about those who settled on the Island.

The Statues

Easter Island is home to two different types of statues carved from volcanic rock. The earliest versions date from around 380 AD. Around the year 1100 AD, the statues that most people associate with Easter Island were constructed. Known as the moai, they have the form of a male figure's upper body, inlaid eyes, and distinctive, elongated earlobes. They were mounted on stone platforms, called the ahu. Up to a dozen moai were mounted on a single ahu. Over time, even larger statues with a red topknot (a pukao) were constructed.

Why Build the Moai?

It is thought that the ahu were used as funeral platforms. The deceased was placed on the ahu and left to the birds and the elements (similar to a Tibetan sky burial) until only bones remained. Family members buried the bones inside the ahu; after the burial, a feast honoring the person who had passed was held.

The theory continues that the moai were constructed for two purposes: to honor the dead and as a symbol of the family's prosperity and strength.


Part IV: General

Friday the 13th: Bad Omen or Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?

Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in a number of cultures, including English, Portuguese, and German. Some people develop a phobia associated with Friday the 13th (paraskavedekatriaphobia). These people may be so paralyzed with fear that they are unable to get out of bed on that day. Where did the notion that Friday and/or the number 13 are unlucky come from?

Unlucky Friday

In the Christian faith, Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday. This is not the only instance in which Friday was a day when tragic events occurred. Adam and Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden on a Friday. The Great Flood that Noah and his family members survived by building an ark started on a Friday. The Temple of Solomon was also destroyed on a Friday.

Friday as a Holy Day

Another explanation for Friday being considered an unlucky day may be that some pre-Christian cultures considered Fridays to be holy days. The name "Friday" is a derivative of the name of a Norse god of marriage and fertility. For this reason, Friday was considered to be a good day for weddings.
As time went on, the Norse god was transformed into a witch. The witch was said to be accompanied by a sacred cat, which may explain the connection between witches and cats that exists in folklore to this day. The legend about black cats being a bringer of bad luck may have originated here as well.


A Brief History of Hallowe'en

A Holiday Dating from the Time Before Christianity
Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity. Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity.

Hallowe'en was originally observed by the Celts, who lived in what is now Great Britain and the northern part of France. In addition to worshipping a Sun god, these people also revered Samhain, who was the god of the dead and associated with the long, cold winter months. On October 31, Samhain would call forth those who had died; they would assume the form of an animal.

It was believed that on the night of October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and that of the dead became blurred. The ghosts of the dearly departed walked the Earth, damaging crops and generally causing trouble. The presence of spirits was thought to make it easier for Druid priests to make predictions about the future.
Sacred bonfires were lit and both crops and animals were sacrificed to the gods. Costumes made from animal heads and skins were worn during the celebrations. At the conclusion of the festivities, the people re-lit their hearth fires from the sacred bonfires – a way to help protect them during the long, cold winter.

November 1 was the start of the new year, marking the end of the summer and the harvest and the beginning of the winter, a time associated with death.

Eventually, Christianity spread to the lands inhabited by the Celts. November 1 was designated as All Saints Day by Pope Boniface IV in the seventh century, possibly to replace the earlier celebrations with a Church-sanctioned one.
This new religious holiday was referred to as All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before came to be known as All-hallows Eve, which eventually evolved into Hallowe'en.


The Origin of the Jack-O'-Lantern

Do you know the legend behind this familiar Hallowe'en tradition?

The Jack-O'-Lantern was brought to North America by Irish immigrants. According to the legend, Jack was a mean, miserly drunk. Jack was smart enough, however, to entice the Devil into climbing an apple tree so he could help himself to the juicy apples near its top.

As soon as the Devil climbed the tree, Jack cut a sign of the cross into the tree, thus preventing the Devil from climbing down again. Jack then extracted promise from the Devil that he would never try to take Jack's soul.

When Jack died, he tried to get into Heaven but he was turned away because he had been such a mean drunk during his lifetime. Jack then went to the gates of Hell, looking for a place where he could spend all eternity. True to his word, the Devil refused him entry.
Jack asked the Devil where he was to supposed to go now. The answer he received was, “Back where you came from!” Since it was a dark night and Jack had a long journey ahead of him, the Devil gave Jack a lit coal from the fires of Hell.
Jack took the coal and put it inside a turnip, which he was carrying at the time. He used this unusual lantern to help him find his way.
Ever since that day, poor Jack has been doomed to roam the Earth, searching in vain for a place to rest.
Children in Ireland carved potatoes and turnips to make lanterns to be used on Hallowe'en night. When large numbers of Irish immigrants settled in America as a result of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1850), they started using pumpkins for this purpose and so our familiar Hallowe'en tradition of the Jack-O'-Lantern came into existence.


Hallowe'en Traditions Explained

Why do we go trick-or-treating, bob for apples, and wear masks on October 31?

Hallowe'en has its roots in ancient times and is still celebrated in many of the world's countries. It is observed in various forms in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Canada, and the United States.

In North America, Hallowe'en is time for children to dress up in costumes and go trick-or treating. Some of us go to costume parties or dances to celebrate this festival. But where did the custom of trick-or-treating start? The idea of going door-to-door and being given food was actually a part of more than one ancient practise.

During the long-ago celebration of Samhain, it was believed that the dead actually had the ability to play trick on the living and generally cause all kinds of mayhem. In an effort to appease these restless spirits, area residents would give food items to Druid priests, who would go house to house to collect it.

The concept of bobbing for apples can be traced back to the time when the Celts conquered by the Romans and became part of the Roman Empire. The Romans worshiped several deities, one of which was Pomona, the goddess of the harvest. Images of Pomona show her seated on a basket brimming with flowers and assorted fruits. Apples were considered sacred fruits (which seems surprising since they are so common to us) and were used for several types of games during Samhain celebrations.

The Hallowe'en mask is based on a very old custom as well. In ancient times, during times of drought or hardship, people wore masks in an effort to frighten off the evil spirits they believed were responsible for causing the misfortune.

The late fall, after the harvest was in and houses were warm and cozy, was thought of as a time when the ghosts outside in the cold, dark night might well be envious of all this bounty. When people went out in the evening, they wore masks so as not to be recognized.

As you observe Hallowe'en this year, keep in mind that the traditions we observe now have their roots in very ancient traditions.


What Is Old Hag Syndrome?

The Phenomenon of Sleep Paralysis

Aliens, witches, trolls, or the Devil himself? What does it mean when we are paralyzed temporarily while falling asleep or waking up?

According to legend, there are a number of malevolent entities who can be responsible for Old Hag Syndrome. In some cases, this condition is thought to be the work of aliens or the Devil. Other cultures speak of the Old Hag as being a deformed elderly woman who lies in wait to sit on the chest of a person who is asleep.

Twilight State

Sleep paralysis occurs when someone who is either falling asleep or awakening from a state of sleep realizes that they are unable to move their limbs or to speak. They are able to open their eyes. This "twilight state" appears to open the door to experiences the person would not have when he or she is fully awake.

In some cases, the person, on recognizing that he or she is paralyzed, becomes fully awake and regains the use of his or her arms and legs. The whole experienced can last anywhere from a few seconds to up to a minute.

In other cases, however, the experience is much more frightening. The person may become aware of another presence in the room, either through sight, sound, or a sixth sense. The paralyzed person may also report feeling a crushing or smothering sensation.


The Coffins that Kept Moving: Barbados Tomb Mystery

In a family crypt in Barbados, coffins belonging to departed members of the Chase family were rearranged a number of times. Who (or what) was responsible?

At Christ Church, Barbados, the Walronds (a wealthy family of planters) built a family tomb. It was made of rock and sealed with a marble door. In 1807, Thomasina Goddard, a family member, was placed there. In 1808, the vault was taken over by the Chase family, who were also slave-owning planters. Two daughters were buried there. One girl died in 1808 and the other one passed over in 1812.

No Sign of a Break-In

The girls’ father, Thomas Chase, died in 1812. When the tomb was opened, the girls’ lead coffins stood on end upside down. No signs of a break-in were found.

When the tomb was opened again in 1816, the coffins had been rearranged again. Thomas Chase’s coffin (which had been carried to the vault by eight men) was found leaning upright against a wall. At the next family funeral (two months later), it was discovered that the Chase family coffins had again been moved.

Governor Steps In

In 1819, Lord Combermere, the Governor of Barbados, decided to take action. He supervised workers who re-stacked the coffins. He also had seals put around the door. After receiving reports of “noises” coming from the crypt, he returned to the site one year later. Again, the lead coffins had been rearranged.
Theories
Were the coffins being moved by Black slaves bent on taking revenge against the family? No one could have entered the tomb without disturbing the seals on the door. No flooding had taken place. If the motion had been caused by an earthquake, then why was this vault the only one affected?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle suggested that the coffins were moved by some type of supernatural force. According to Conan Doyle, this force was protesting that the Chase family coffins were made of lead. (If a person is buried in a lead coffin, then the body does not decompose quickly.) He went on to say that this mysterious force was strengthened by the fact that both Thomas Chase and one of his daughters had committed suicide.

Conan Doyle’s theory does make sense to a certain extent. The wooden coffin of Thomasina Goddard was not moved. Only the lead coffins occupied by members of the Chase family were rearranged.

The Empty Tomb

The tomb was immediately emptied. It was never used again.


Coincidences of the Titanic

Was the sinking of the great ship foretold?
There are a number of strange coincidences associated with the tragic maiden voyage of the Titanic. Was a mummy's curse the cause of her sinking?

Before the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, another ocean liner described as a floating palace set sail from Southampton on her maiden voyage. She struck an iceberg and sunk with a heavy loss of life, since there were not enough life boats on board.

The “other” ship existed only on paper, though. This story was the subject of a novel written by Morgan Robertson. the book was written in 1898, 14 years before the Titanic began her fateful voyage. The name of the vessel in Robertson’s novel, Futility, was Titan.

The similarity between the two ships didn’t end with the names. Titan and Titanic were approximately the same size, were capable of attaining the same rate of speed, and both were capable of carrying approximately 3,000 people. Both ships were described as “unsinkable” and both ships went down in the same area of the North Atlantic.

In 1892, another man, journalist William Thomas Stead, wrote a short story that was also similar to the Titanic disaster. Stead was also a Spiritualist who had received messages through mediums urging him not to set foot on the Titanic. He disregarded the warnings and was one of Titanic’s passengers. Stead lost his his life when Titanic went down, along with 2,223 others.

Omens and Signs

The Titanic was the subject of several bad omens and signs. Some have even suggested that the name “Titanic” is cursed. It is alleged that when Titanic left port, a cockerel crowed during the day; this is considered to be a very bad omen by sailors.

As Titanic made her way past the Isle of Wight, people living on the Island stood by the shore, waving and cheering. A Mrs. Marshall suddenly grabbed her husband’s arm and cried out, “It’s going to sink, that ship is going to sink! Save them! Save them!” No one listened to Mrs. Marshall, who appeared to be mentally disturbed. What Mrs. Marshall didn’t know at the time was that her mother was a passenger on board the Titanic.
A number of people (about 20) who had booked passage on the Titanic had dreams about the ship sinking. Some of them canceled their trip at the last minute.

A Mummy’s Curse?

Perhaps a clue to the Titanic’s fate has been found in the records stored at the British Museum. The Titanic was carrying an Egyptian mummy, along with allegedly cursed artifacts, in her hold. The relics were on their way to a museum in the United States. The mummy (of an unidentified pharoah) had already been dubbed “the accursed mummy” by the newspapers of the day.

Everyone who had photographed the mummy had died under mysterious circumstances. As the mummy was being loaded on board the ship, it was dropped; one of the dock workers suffered a broken leg.
Another Strange Coincidence

Yet another strange Titanic coincidence is that in the summer of 1975, a family in Bedfordshire (England) was watching a movie about the sinking of the Titanic on television. Just as the 1935 version of the film got to the point where the ship struck the iceberg, a huge block of ice crashed through the roof of the house!


The Versailles Time Slip

In August of 1901, two visitors to the gardens at Versailles caught a glimpse of life before the French Revolution.

It's August 10, 1901. Two women, Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, are walking through the palace gardens at Versailles. The ladies (both associated with St. Hugh's College for Women at Oxford University) were looking for the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's private chateau. As they walked, both women experienced a heavy, dreamlike quality in the air but neither one mentioned this change in atmosphere to the other.

They noticed that the grounds seemed surprisingly lacking in visitors for the time of year. They saw two men, who they took to be gardeners, wearing long coats and tricorn hats. The men motioned for them to keep walking straight ahead.

Next, they came to a small bandstand beneath a group of trees. A man with a sinister appearance wearing a cloak and a large hat was sitting beside it. Uneasy, the two women moved on. They were able to get directions from another man dressed in old-fashioned clothing.

As they approached the Petit Trianon, Miss Moberly observed a woman sitting on the grass, sketching. The woman stared at her, which Miss Moberly found to be quite rude. The oppressive feeling lifted after they entered the Petit Trianon.

Several days later, the two ladies compared notes. They had both come to the conclusion that the Petit Trianon was haunted. It is interesting to note that Miss Jourdain never saw the woman who had been sketching on the lawn.

Further research conducted by the two women revealed that on August 10, 1792, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were being held in Paris awaiting trial. Miss Moberly wondered if perhaps the Queen, in her anxious state, had turned her thoughts to a much happier time in the gardens at Versailles before the Revolution. They also found out that the grounds at Versailles in 1789 had been very similar to what the two women had observed in August of 1901. Miss Moberly even found a portrait of the Queen that she recognized as the woman on the lawn! Marie Antoinette had been on the lawn at the Petit Trianon when she learned that an angry mob was marching toward Paris in October of 1789.

When this story was published in 1911, it (understandably) caused a sensation. Some thought the women had been hallucinating, while others were of the opinion that they had stepped back in time temporarily. Still others wondered if they were somehow caught up in a doomed queen's memories.
Electrical storms were reported over Europe on August 10, 1901 and the air was heavy. Is it possible that this is somehow a natural phenomenon and that certain weather conditions can open the door to another time?


The Devil's Footprints: Mystery in Devon

One snowy morning in the 1850's, a mysterious trail of footprints in the snow was found. Were these animal tracks, or something more demonic at work?

The night of February 9, 1855 was a cold, snowy one in Devon, England. In fact, a couple of inches of snow blanketed the ground.

Along with the bird and animal tracks one would expect to find, another set of footprints was discovered by local residents: a set of mysterious hoof-prints. The prints were 4 inches in length, 2.75 inches wide, and spaced about 8 inches apart. Whatever made them walked on two legs. They formed a trail that went over haystacks, walls, rooftops, and gardens.

The prints started off in a garden and stopped short in the middle of a field approximately 100 miles away. At one point, they went into a shed and came out on the other side- apparently, whatever made them went through a six-inch hole. Outside of a church in Woodbury, the prints looked like they had been burned into the snow by a hot iron.
Scores of people saw the strange prints and the story sparked a heated debate about what could have made them.

A naturalist suggested that the prints were made by a badger - he pointed out that they put their hind paws into the prints made by their front feet.

Other theorists suggest that the prints were made by one of any number of animals: squirrel, rat, otter, fox, donkey, a pony with a broken shoe, or some type of cat. A wild theory involved a kangaroo escaping from some kind of traveling circus, making the footprints, and then returning to its cage before anyone realized it had been missing. A group of hunters searched for whatever was responsible for the footprints, but was unable to track down the culprit.

Local residents, though, locked their doors and kept their children in after dark while they held on to the belief that the Devil had visited Devon that night - and the proof was in the footprints.


The Angels of Mons: A First World War Legend

Was the British Expeditionary Force saved from almost certain death by reinforcements from above?

On August 26, 1914, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was in retreat, pulling back from Mons (a city in southwestern Belgium, near Brussels). Not only were the troops greatly outnumbered, but they were exhausted. A German cavalry unit was in hot pursuit. The BEF tried to get to a place where they could make a stand, but they were met by German troops.

It would appear that the BEF was doomed, when suddenly a strange apparition appeared in the sky between the British and German troops: a group of angels!

Several reports of that day's events describe three angels wearing long robes, illuminated by a bright light. The one in the middle was the largest and had a pair of wings. Some accounts describe phantom cavalrymen appearing, and some soldiers fighting on the German side reported that they had refused to charge a break in the British line because of the large number of troops observed. (The British have stated that there were no soldiers in that area at the time.)

It is interesting to note that any accounts of what took place at Mons were done anonymously. Several second-hand reports are available, though. Perhaps the army personnel didn't wish to appear mentally unbalanced, especially in the case of a brigadier general who shared his experience with an army chaplain.

Was this merely a wartime legend, a mass hallucination, or a mirage? It's difficult to say for certain, but the fact remains that for some reason, the German pursuit was halted, allowing the BEF to live to fight another day.


The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island
Killed by Indians, Disbanded, or Abducted by Aliens

What happened to the 117 people who tried to establish the first English settlement in America?

On April 26, 1587, Governor John White and 117 colonists set sail from Portsmouth, England, to the New World. Their goal was to establish a new colony near Chesapeake Bay. One of the colonists was White's daughter, Elinor, who was married to a man named Ananias Dare and was expecting a baby.

Two years earlier, an unsuccessful attempt had been made to establish a settlement on Roanoke Island. Sir Richard Grenville left 100 men on the island and returned to England to get supplies. The colonists grew tired of waiting for Grenville to return and when Sir Francis Drake stopped at Roanoke in June of 1586, they returned to England with him. Grenville arrived on Roanoke two weeks later with supplies and 15 more men. The 15 were to to stay until reinforcements could be brought from England.

When White and Company arrived on July 22, 1587, they found the island deserted and the fort demolished. Only the bones of one man were found.
Less than a month later, on August 18, White's daughter gave birth to a girl named Virginia - the first English child born in North America.
White decided to return to England for supplies, a trip he intended to last 6-8 months. In fact, it was almost three years before White was able to return to Roanoke Island.

When he arrived, he found the settlement deserted. The word "Croatoan" was carved into a tree near the palisade encircling the fort; the letters "CRO" were found on another tree. (It was understood that if the colonists had decided to leave the island, they would leave a clue as to their destination; if they were in danger, they would add a cross to the sign.)

No cross was found carved into the tree, so it was assumed that the settlers had relocated to Croatoan Island, 50 miles to the south. White wanted to sail to Croatoan to continue the search but he was prevented from doing so by bad weather. He returned to England.

What happened to the members of the Lost Colony? There are several theories that have been put forward to explain the disappearance:
One such theory is that the settlers were killed by Indians. Local Indians had welcomed the settlers and had helped them to plant corn and fish using a weir. Keep in mind that no cross was carved into the tree, indicating danger, and no bodies, bones or burned-out buildings were found.

Another more far-fetched theory is that this is a case of alien abductions, but no concrete evidence has been found to support this.

The most accepted theory is that the settlers did relocate to Croatoan Island and may have eventually become members of the tribe. They also could have eventually settled in the Chesapeake Bay area or near the Chowan River.

But since no physical evidence has ever been found, all we are left with are theories as to the fate of the members of the Lost Colony.


Part V: Cryptozoology

The Loch Ness Monster

Nessie: Fact or Fiction?

The first recorded sighting of Nessie took place in 565 A.D. Is this Scottish tourist attraction the home of a lake monster?

If you type "loch ness monster" into the search box on Google, you get over 1 million hits. "Nessie", as she is affectionately known (for some reason, I think of Nessie as female), even has her own fan club. Thousands of tourists visit Loch Ness every year, hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary creature.

Loch Ness measures 23 miles in length and is one mile wide. The average depth is 700 feet. The peat content in the water makes for little visibility.
Traditional Scottish folklore speaks of water kelpies. These were thought to lure children into the water by offering them a ride across the lake. If the ride was accepted, the unfortunate child's hands would stick to the kelpie and the child would drown.

At first glance, it would appear that the idea of a lake monster might have originated as a way to keep young children away from the water for their own safety. Having said that, consider the first recorded sighting of Nessie: In 565 A.D. St. Columba was visiting Scotland. He stopped by the loch and observed a lake monster who was about to attack a swimmer. The lake monster abandoned its pursuit of the swimmer on Columba's command.

Fast forward to 1933. Construction of a new road in the area meant that the Loch could now be viewed from the north side. In April of that year, "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface" was seen by two witnesses. Nessie has also been seen on land. George Spicer and his wife were driving by the Loch when they observed something crossing the road in front of their vehicle. They noticed that the animal had a large body, with a long neck. Its movements were described as being "seal-like". It was difficult for them to estimate the creature's size but they did note that it was wider than the road.

Skeptics have dismissed Nessie sightings as being either hoaxes or explainable as floating logs, boat wakes, ducks, and the like. Still, the sightings continued, with witnesses reporting seeing a large animal with humps above the water (similar in shape to an overturned boat). Some accounts include a long neck or flippers being seen.


The Search for Nessie

Hoax, Plesiosaur, or Some Other Animal?

Is the Loch Ness monster a type of plesiosaur?

In 1934, a veterinary student named Arthur Grant saw a strange creature cross the road in front of him near Loch Ness. He described the animal as looking like a plesiosaur. Certainly, Grant's description of something with a small head, long neck, and a heavy body with flippers sounds a lot like this marine dinosaur which is thought to have become extinct millions of years ago.

Loch Ness is not the only body of water allegedly home to a sea monster: Lake Champlain is home to "Champ", Canada's Lake Okanagan has "Ogopogo", "South Bay Bessie" makes her home in Lake Erie, and Illiamna Lake (Alaska) and Alkali Lake (Nebraska) also have their own mysterious residents, to name a few. From time to time, news reports contain stories of strange aquatic creatures washed up on a beach. It would seem that there are many marine animals that are as yet unknown to us.

Evidence would seem to indicate that Champ is real - using underwater microphones, researchers for the Discovery Channel were able to pick up sounds similar to those made by dolphins or Beluga whale.
In 1970, the Academy of Applied Science used sonar equipment and an underwater camera in an attempt to prove the existence of Nessie. Photographs were released which clearly showed a flipper, but these were subsequently found to have been enhanced.

Operation Deep Scan took place in 1987. Several boats used sonar to sweep the loch during a one-week period. The results of the scan were interesting: all the targets found, with the exception of three. The mystery continued when researchers from the British Natural History Museum's Project Urchin, who were using sonar to study the ecology of the loch, found large objects moving underneath the water's surface.

Is it possible that an animal thought to be long extinct, like a plesiosaur, could be alive and well in Loch Ness and elsewhere? A coelacanth, thought to be extinct for some 60-80 million years, was caught in 1938. A U.S. Naval vessel caught a megamouth shark in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii. (Thank goodness this shark's three-foot grin is used for filter feeding!) Not all species thought to be extinct really are, it seems.

Having said that, in spite of the fact that there have been many eyewitness sightings of Nessie, there have also been a certain number of hoaxes associated with the Loch's famous resident. The "surgeon's photo" taken in April of 1934 and showing a head and long neck protruding from the water, is now known to be a hoax. The "monster" was constructed of plastic wood placed over the tower of a toy submarine.

In 2003, the discovery of part of a plesiosaur fossil by a senior citizen who slipped and fell into the Loch made the news. While the fossil of four vertebrae, complete with spinal column and blood vessels, is genuine, it is now thought that it was placed there by person or persons unknown.
If you assume that not all eyewitness sightings of the monster can be explained by other means (other animal, boat wake, floating log, or a hoax of some kind), there are still a number of as-yet-unexplained sightings. And what about the mysterious results of the sonar sweep? Given that we now know that not all species thought to be extinct really are, the story of Nessie continues to be a fascinating one.


The Cadborosaurus: Canada's Loch Ness Monster
A large, snake-like animal is said to make its home in the waters off the west coast of North America.

Sightings of the mysterious creature have taken place for 1,000 years or more. Named for Cadboro Bay, near Victoria, British Columbia, the Cadborosaurus appears to have a large range. The sightings have taken place from Alaska to Oregon. This animal appears to prefer colder weather; the prime Caddy-sighting season runs from October to April.

Description

The Cadborosaurus measures between 5-15 meters (16-49 feet) in length. The neck is between one and four meters (3-12 feet) long. Caddy's head has been described as being similar in shape to that of a camel, horse, or giraffe. The presence of flippers has been noted; the tail is described as having a fluke. Witnesses have also described seeing several humps or loops directy behind Caddy's neck. Caddy is also a fast swimmer; its speed has been estimated at 40 knots (46 m.p.h.).

Sightings

In July of 1997, the Mock family (Timothy, Laurice, and Christopher) reported seeing the Cadborosaurus on two separate occasions. They were traveling up the Princess Louisa Inlet in their 24-foot boat. The sea was described as being "glassy". Timothy was at the wheel of the boat. He noticed what he thought was a log in the water. When he changed course to avoid colliding with the "log", it suddenly broke up into three pieces. Whatever they saw in the water disappeared as they went past.

The second sighting took place near Homfray Channel, near Desolation Sound. As in the first instance, the sea was calm. The family noticed a wake moving back and forth in the water. It was unusual in that it was moving parallel to the shore rather than toward it.
Laurice Mock used binoculars to get a good look at the animal. She described it as looking like "someone doing the breast stroke, like a snake."


Big Cats in Britain

Accounts of Sightings Over a 40-Year Period

Accounts of big cat sightings have been reported in the British Isles for over 40 years. What are people seeing?

Accounts of big cat sightings have been reported in the British Isles for over 40 years. What are people seeing? Are these cases of escapees from a zoo or circus or simply mistaken identity? What evidence do we have that these animals exist?

The Sightings

The Surrey Puma: The term “surrey puma” is used to describe big cats sighted in south-east England, of which there have been several.

In July of 1962, an animal described as a “young lion cub” was observed in Hampshire. The witness, a local water board official, stated that the animal was light brown in colour, with large paws and a flat face. It measured 18-24” in height. A second sighting was reported a month later by another water-board official.

Fast-forward to the summer of 1963. A man driving though the south-east part of London on July 18 thought he saw an injured dog lying beside the road. He stopped to investigate and realized that he was observing a large cat instead! The creature bounded off into the night. In the same area, a “large, golden animal” was seen leaping over the hood of a police car.

The ensuing search (involving more than 150 searchers and 20 dogs) found nothing except some 7”-wide tracks. The fact that claw marks were found with the tracks led some to speculate that the animal in question was a cheetah, since other big cats do not have claws that are permanently extruded.

The Nottingham Lion: Two milkmen reported seeing a lion on July 29, 1976. The beast was spotted in a field close to the Nottingham Airport. 65 more sightings were reported over the next eight days. After that point, it appeared that the animal had just disappeared.

The Isle of Wight Puma: 23 reports of a puma on the Isle of Wight were filed during the period from May - October 1983. The colour of the cat's coat was describe by various witnesses as red, golden brown, silver, grey, or black. All in all, the feline was spotted more than 120 times by September 1985.
Images of strange felines in Britain have been caught on tape from time to time as well. In September, 1999, a black cat described by the RSPCA was filmed in Shropshire at a brickmaker's yard. A similar animal was picked up by a security camera at a garden centre in Kettering the year before.

Attacks

In Dyfed in June of 2002, a horse sustained scratches to its neck and back. The attack was attributed to a cat. That same year on August 2, a pony in Bedfordshire was found with bite and claw marks on her belly, legs, and head.

The carcass of a sheep was discovered 18 feet up a tree in Leicestershire. Investigation of the September 2001 incident also revealed claw marks in the bark of the tree. Could this be evidence of leopard in the area, since they are known to drag a kill up into a tree to be consumed over several meals?

While clearing undergrowth in East Sussex in October of 2001, a farm worker was attacked by a large cat, which he described as being three times larger than a house cat. He grabbed the animal by its neck and held it away from his body, so as to avoid being scratched by its back claws. The worker threw the beast away from himself, and it ran off into the woods (after letting off what he described as a “petrifying scream”). A little over 10 days after the attack, a lynx was observed in the area.

Species Discovered

On occasion, specimens of the leopard cat, a golden-brown coloured Asian wild cat, have been discovered and shot dead.

Jungle cats, native to the Middle East, Egypt, and India, have also been found in Britain. These wild felines are about three times the size of a house cat, with tufted ears, striped limbs, and a short tail with a tuft at the tip. Other species either caught or captured include the black panther, clouded leopard, lion, puma, and Northern lynx.

Theories

Now that we know big cats have been discovered in Britain, how do we explain their presence?

Some have suggested that the cats are animals who have escaped from a zoo or a circus, but this can't account for the vast majority of cases. There have been several sightings in areas where local zoos had not reported an escaped animal of any kind.
One of the more fanciful theories put forward is that these cats are somehow being teleported from their native habitat to Britain, but by whom and for what purpose is not known.

One wonders, though, why we have seen cases where a search for the feline in question leads to nothing, even where dogs or heat-sensitive equipment is used.
Still another explanation is that the cats are some sort of a living fossil and that wild felines in the British Isles are not extinct after all. This would seem unlikely, given that Britain is a relatively small island, though.


Black Dogs: Protectors or Bad Omens?

Black dogs have been seen as protectors of women and children and as predictors of imminent death.

Stories of spectral canines have been told for many years. The first such report dates back to the year 856. Worshippers in a small French church must have been shocked to see a dog with "glowing red eyes" suddenly appear. It seemed to be looking for something. Just as suddenly, it disappeared.
Most black dogs are described as a large (sometimes as large as a calf!) hound with glowing red eyes, but some witnesses report seeing a grey, yellow, or white dog. They are usually considered to be a sign of an unusual death. If the dog is seen by a woman or a child, though, the animal is seen as a protector.

England has been home to "Shuck", a ghostly black dog, for centuries. Known by many names (Old Shuck, Black Shuck, Padfoot, Church Grim, Old Scarfe, Skeff, and more), these encounters still take place in our modern times. Here are a few examples:

A man was walking home after an evening with his lady friend. While walking from Halstead to Castle Hedingham, he became aware of a large, black dog walking beside him. The dog accompanied him until he reached the cemetery gates,when the dog jumped over the gate and disappeared. It was only after the fact that he realized the dog had not made any sound at all.

In Tollesbury, the local midwife claimed to have seen Black Shuck several times. He would walk beside her while she cycled home late at night after having delivered a baby. She accepted his presence in a matter-of-fact fashion and described how the dog passed through the spokes of her bicycle and disappeared into a wall.

In 1970, a couple was driving in Cambridge when a large dog resembling a wolf jumped across the front of their car. Despite it being a summer evening, both of them noticed the temperature suddenly dropped as the dog went past them. Shortly after this event, they ran into financial difficulty and the husband became seriously ill. He died two years later.

What are we to make of black dog sightings? Is it a protector of late-night travelers or a warning of impending doom? It would seem that it is both, depending on the circumstances.


In Search of Megalodon

Does this giant predator still exist?
Sharks themselves are an ancient species which still exist. Is it reasonable to think that one species would die out while others continue to thrive

There is something about the ocean's depths that inspires both fascination and a little fear in us. It certainly is possible that some residents of the deep only known to us from the fossil records are not extinct, but very much alive.

Even though dinosaurs living on land were wiped out due to some sort of (as yet) unexplained disaster, life in the sea remained relatively stable. Fishermen and sailors have told stories for generations about mysterious creatures from the deep.

The Megalodon is a large shark that was thought to have become extinct a million years ago. It could grow to a length of 50 feet or more (twice the size of the Great White shark). Megalodon's rasor-sharp teeth grew up to six inches in length.

Polynesian people tell stories about a huge shark that grows to a length of 100 feet or more. It is referred to as the "Lord of the Deep". On two separate occasions in the last century, a large and unknown species of shark was spotted. Shark fishermen reported seeing a large shark (40-50 feet in length) in the waters north of Tahiti. The creature was yellowish in color with a white speckled pattern.
In 1918, a whitish shark measuring 100 feet in length was observed off of Australia's New South Wales coast. The matter was investigated by a shark expert and a Fisheries inspector, who noted that these experienced fishermen were so unnerved by what they had seen that they refused to put out to sea for several days afterward.

Could Megalodon still exist? In 1875, a British survey ship, the HMS Challenger, recovered two Megalodon teeth near Tahiti. The five-inch teeth were dredged from a depth of 14,000 feet. When the teeth were dated in 1959, they were found to be 11,000 years old.

We can conclude that Megalodon was certainly not extinct 11,000 years ago and it is possible that this animal still exists today.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 17.12.2009

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